The Punisher (Arcade)

The Punisher
Developer: Capcom Publisher: Capcom Platform: Arcade (CP System Dash) Released internationally: 1993 Released in JP: May 1993 This game has unused areas. This game has unused graphics. This game has unused music. This game has unused text. This game has anti-piracy features.

The Punisher is a beat-em-up starring the titular anti-hero vigilante from the comics by Marvel. This was Capcom's first game with licensed characters from Marvel, and the only one to not be a Street Fighter II-style fighting game, unlike the rest of the Marvel-based arcade titles that would follow after this one.

This article is a work in progress. ...Well, all the articles here are, in a way. But this one moreso, and the article may contain incomplete information and editor's notes.

To do: Various other stuff: Jul (unused enemy, final boss' death) Debug tileset? This page more debug (remove from unused text sub-page)

Sub-Page

Unused Text

Anti-Piracy Features

De-interleaved between the pse_24.9e and pse_28.9f ROMs at 0x38C37.

IS THIS A FAKED CPS BOARD ?

Unused Bonus Stage

An unused bonus level occurs between the last stage and the used bonus level. Use this MAME cheat to start in the unused bonus level. Note that the level ends quickly once it is loaded.

  <cheat desc="Start in Unused Bonus Stage">
    <script state="run">
      <action condition="(maincpu.pb@FF5BB9==00)">maincpu.pb@FF5BB9=0x06</action>
    </script>
  </cheat>

The stage begins with the cockpit exploding and the plane's pilots engulfed on fire, with two gun-wielding enemies walking away with several bound-and-gagged stewardesses, which the player can rescue for an (optional) health bonus. The level ends quickly as soon almost as immediately as soon as the opponents leave; the game thinks you have beaten Stage 7 afterwards (there are only six stages in this game, excluding the used bonus level) and the game plays the one-credit variation of the ending.

Unused Graphics

An icon for an odd face-thing is located amongst the HUD portraits for the game's characters, it features an unknown symbol on the top left.

Located in the ROM amongst Nick Fury's characters sprites are "in-game" graphics for the afore-mentioned face that has a character icon seen above, it has rotating frames.

Unused Music

ID	Sound	Comments
07		A very repetitive 2 seconds track that loops. Since it's very cheerful compared to the rest of the music, it may have been planned for something like the High Score name entry.
15		A tragic-sounding track that seems like an alternate ending theme.
17		A suspenseful track. Since this doesn't loop, it might have been for a cutscene.
19		The purpose of this track is unknown. Although it begins sounding like a stage track, it starts to get very repetitive when it begins looping.
1B		This is used on Stage 1 during the transitionary cutscene where Punisher and/or Nick Fury chase Bruno into the school bus, but only a maximum of 13 seconds can be heard, there are other 21 seconds that go unheard in-game and it also doesn't get a chance to loop.
A3		This track's slot comes right after Punisher's "Continue" track. Since it sounds Game Over-ish, perhaps Punisher and Nick Fury were both supposed to have their own Game Over themes just as they do with their Continue tracks in the actual game.