Spot: The Video Game (NES)

Spot: The Video Game
Developer: Virgin Mastertronic Publishers: Arcadia Systems (US), Bullet-Proof Software (JP) Platform: NES Released in JP: October 16, 1992 Released in US: September 1990 This game has hidden developer credits. This game has regional differences. This game has a Data Crystal page

Spot: The Video Game is a board game for up to 4 players (quite a rarity for the NES) that's conceptually similar to Othello, but with 7-Up's circular mascot in place of the pieces. Wacky animated hijinks ensue.

Hidden Credits

Set all 4 players to CPU level 5, start the game, and then wait for it to finish (turning animations off and removing all non-essential tiles from the board comes highly recommended for this, or use Game Genie code GZNTIGAE for the US version or GXETIGAE for the Japanese version to end the game after the first piece is placed). The victory scene will play out as usual, but with the names of the developers in place of the usual "(color) WINS!" text.

The full text is as follows:

Code by Graeme Devine and Dan Chang
Art by Robert Stein III and Darren Bartlett
Music by Ken Hedgehock
Produced by Graeme Devine and Robert Stein III

(Source: Nensondubois (Game Genie codes), Skrybe)

Another bit of credits text can be found at 0xBBC3 in the ROM:

GRAEME DEVINE AND DAN CHANG WHERE HERE!

(Source: BMF54123)

According to Graeme, the reason behind the hard-to-locate credits screen was because the developers weren't really allowed to have their names in the games. Although, interestingly enough, like many other Virgin Games titles on the NES, the game's credits can be found in the instruction manual. Even the Japanese version has its own staff listed.

Regional Differences

The Japanese version, published two years later by Bullet-Proof Software (of early Tetris fame), makes a few changes.

US	Japan

Most of the 7-Up copyright info was chopped out. "Arcadia Inc." was also changed to the more correct "Arcadia Systems Inc."

US	Japan

The 7-Up logo was replaced with a BPS one, and the "PROUDLY PRESENTS" text was recolored blue.

US	Japan

The NES console and controller were changed to (oddly yellow) Famicom counterparts. Since the CPU icon shares its palette with the console and controllers, its circuitry became yellow as well and lost a lot of detail. Additionally, a vertical line of tiles next to the upper-right player/CPU slot was changed.