User:GoldS/Goemon/Stages 1 to 4

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Stage 1

Edo

Prototype	Final

The women that appear in the village use a slightly dark color palette in the prototype.

Area 1

Prototype
Final

Right from the start, there are big changes between versions: Though identical in theme, the stage graphics were completely overhauled after the prototype. The drab environment from the prototype was livened up by saturating the palette and adding more greenery around the stage. New details like small clumps of dirt were placed in the road, and rocks were put in as added obstacles. The opening on the left side of the screen, which players might initially think was a pathway, was covered up with an extra roof.

Prototype
Final

Most of the components of the final background are already here, but each element (Mountain, buildings, fencing, etc.) was redrawn before release, and the structure of the background was completely redone. While in the prototype some of the buildings are drawn with perspective, all of the background elements in the final game are drawn straight-on.

Area 2

Prototype
Final

While the changes are mostly the same as in the first area, a few changes stand out. First, the unique double-tall barrel by the fortuneteller's shop was removed. Second, the travel agency building's design changed from a single story to a two-story building, and the entry curtain changed from purple to green. Third, both of the stores here (and other stores throughout this stage) have their entry curtains go all the way to the ground in the prototype, while in the final game the curtains are raised slightly.

Prototype
Final

The second area's background features the same changes as the first.

Area 3

Prototype
Final

Horohoro Temple is in better shape in the prototype; the final game adds more damage to the walls to better convey the temple's abandonment. Next to the temple in the prototype is a worn-down building, while in the final game it matches the other buildings in the area. Said building is a copy of Goemon's House in the prototype, but in the final game it's the first of the game's first-person mazes. The stalks of bamboo at the top of the area were also rearranged later. The entry curtains to the Diner and Part-time job buildings swapped colors, and the Diner's curtain was properly labelled.

At the bottom of the map, most of the roof and wooden fence graphics were replaced with new stone walls, broken up by roofs of a more reasonable size.

Prototype
Final

Both layers of bamboo were brightened up in the final version. The prototype has bamboo stalks that peek up from the bottom of the background, all of which were removed from the final BG.

Horohoro Temple

Prototype	Final

The hitodama's spawning animation has an extra frame in the prototype that was removed to save space.

In the prototype, the skeletons in this section have an additional attack where they try to stab the player(s) if they get too close. Both the attack and the sprite were removed from the final version...

...as were these skulls, which aren't even used in the prototype. They seem to have been meant for a planned but scrapped death animation.

Prototype	Final

The bamboo in the background is brighter in the prototype, while the clouds are duller.

Prototype	Final

This hidden cave area - the only one of its type in the prototype - has brown rockwork, which the final game changed to green. The chest of money was moved from the third spot to the second, and the pot with the heart inside was changed to a golden maneki-neko, which don't exist at all in the prototype.

Ending

Prototype	Final

The background palette was changed to match up with stage 2, which takes place at sunset. The final game uses the prototype palette for Stage 7's ending.

Prototype	Final

All three endings had some element that was changed to save ROM and VRAM space. The barrel used in the cheapest ending originally used sixteen 8x8 tiles, and was drawn to tilt slightly under Goemon's weight. The effect was lost after the barrel was reduced to eight 8x8 tiles that are mirrored horizontally.

Prototype	Final

To squeeze the formerly 32 pixel-wide rower sprite into 24 pixels, two of the rower's surprise particles (Is there an actual term for these?) were deleted.

Prototype	Final

In the best ending, the top of the boat's smokestack was cut off, the bottom of the boat was changed from using two unique tiles to just one, and the woman's sprite was changed from using four 16x16 tiles to two 16x16 tiles that are then mirrored horizontally.

Prototype	Final

Ebisumaru's eyes were lowered a pixel, and his skin was lightened a tad.

Prototype
おえどのいちだいじときいては、ほおっておけない！ コバンネコおやぶんにあうために、いちろしこくへと たびだつゴエモンとエビスれであった。 だけど こんなちょうしでほんとにだいじょうぶ？！	They couldn't resist when they heard that it's such a big deal in Edo! So, Goemon and Ebisumaru set on foot to Shikoku for the first time to meet the boss, Koban Neko. But would they really be fine with this condition?!
Final
おえどのいちだいじときいては ほおっておけない！ コバンネコおやぶんにあうために いちろ しこくへ むかう ゴエモンとエビスれであった。	They couldn't resist when they heard that it's such a big deal in Edo! So, Goemon and Ebisumaru headed to Shikoku for the first time to meet the boss, Koban Neko.

Stage 2

Shikoku Island

Area 1 - Sanuki

Prototype
Final

Like the first stage, the stage theme is about there, but the graphics are decidedly not. The stage palette in the final game is brighter and with warmer colors to better match the sunset backgrounds. The island is relatively well-trimmed in the prototype, while in the final game the grass is overgrown and much more of an impediment to players.

Like in Stage 1, the travel agency's building went from one to two floors.

Prototype
Final

The purple sea and reddish-pinky sky of the prototype were changed to a reddish-brown ocean with a deep orange sky. The far-off mountains have a bit of detail to them in the prototype, while in the final game they're shadowy masses. The only graphic that didn't change was the setting sun, and even that was moved closer to the center.

Area 2 - Iyo 1

Prototype
Final

The open field vs. wild growth nature of the area is even more apparent here...

Prototype
Final

...and it's also the first instance of a significant layout change: The river on the right side of the area was moved further to the left in the final game, and the house close to the river was moved even closer.

Rooms

Prototype
General Store 2	Minka 3	Minka 4	Hamburger
Final
General Store 2	Minka 3	Minka 4	Diner 2

Realizing that this rural island was an odd place to put a faux McDonald's, they moved out and a diner moved in.

Prototype
Final

All background elements were redrawn -- notably, the grass fields that went across the entire background were cut down, with trees and shrubs taking their place -- and the background's palette was tinted red.

Area 3 - Iyo 2

Prototype
Final

It's a good thing that those cliff graphics were changed; they look more like a collection of rocks than proper cliff faces. The gates and lone rock that acts as obstacles aren't in the prototype's map. The final version adds a purple canopy to the front of the Dōgo Onsen building, changes the second house to a different design, and adds a hidden door to the left of the onsen that leads to another underground section.

Prototype	Final

There seems to be some confusion in the prototype as to what time of day it is. That's a very pink sky, and those are some dark mountains.

Area 4 - Awa(?)

Prototype	Final

The arcade building is to the left and in a fairly open field in the prototype, while in the final game it's more centered and flanked by mountains.

Prototype	Final

Same changes as before. These are only here for completeness' sake.

Area 5 - Tosa 1

Prototype
Final

The final layout is much more developed, with most of the fencing being replaced with stone walls, and all of the grass in the area being removed. Unique crate obstacles were added to the left side of the area, and the buildings on the right were moved closer together. As for the bridge, the final game changes the ugly gray shadow to a proper black and adds a palette cycling effect for the water below.

Rooms

Prototype
Minka 5	Diner 2
Final
Minka 5	Dojo

This is where the diner on this island was originally located. When they moved into the former burger place, a dojo took up the diner's old space.

Prototype
Final

The lovely orange-to-purple sunset was toned down to match the backgrounds in the rest of the stage. This background is copied from Stage 1, so the same differences can be seen here.

Area 6 - Tosa 2

Prototype
Final

The standard Stage 2 changes: More grass, more rocks, different tileset. The final layout cuts the number of wooden signs in this area in half.

Rooms

Prototype
Lottery	Minka 6	General Store 3	Whac-A-Mole	Minka 3	Inn
Final
Lottery	Minka 6	General Store 3	Part-time Job	Travel Diary	Inn

The part-time job office didn't exist in the prototype; instead, a stand-alone whac-a-mole game occupied the fifth building. Similarly, the travel diary building was originally a copy of the residence from Iyo 1.

Prototype
Final

Same changes. Move along.

Lantern Devil

Prototype		Final
がはははは！ おまえも コバンネコのなかまだな わしと しょうぶするぜよ！	Gahahahaha! So you're one of Koban Neko's partners, eh. You'll have to beat me!	がはははは！ おまえも コバンネコのなかまか？ おいどんと しょうぶするでごわす！	Gahahahaha! So you're one of Koban Neko's partners? You'll have to beat me!

Note that only the final version uses the pronoun おいどん (Oidon) and the word でごわす (De gowasu), which are associated with the Kagoshima Prefecture, with gowasu in particular being associated with sumo wrestlers.

Ending

Prototype
ひょっとこたいをたおしたゴエモンとエビスれは おたふくたいのきちにいるというおんなのこをたすけ るためにおたふくたいのいるあわじしまをめざして たびをつづけることになった。	(Translation)
Final
ひょっとこたいをたおした ゴエモンとエビスれは おんなのこをさらう おたふくたいをこらしめようと やつらのいる あわじしままで，たびをつづける ことにした。	(Translation)

Prototype	Final

Koban Neko isn't properly concealed by the rooftop in the prototype due to a layering error.

Stage 3

Onaruto Bridge

Prototype	Final

The peeking Otafuku guy has hands as part of his sprite, but in both the prototype and the final game, the hands uses a separate graphic. The final game erases the hands from the art. The second peeking frame was truncated to keep it within two 8x8 tiles.

Awaji Island

Prototype	Final

The prototype has an extra sign at the start of the Akashi Kaikyō Bridge reading 淡路, Awaji. Both the sign and its corresponding shadow were removed from the final map.

Ending

Prototype
おたふくたいのきちは やまとのくににあるらしい からくりゆうえんちをあとにしたゴエモンとエビス は のんびりしてるひまもなく？ やまとのくにを めざしてひたすすむのであった。	(Translation)
Final
おたふくたいのきちは やまとのくににあるらしい からくりゆうえんちをでた ゴエモンとエビスれは のんびりしているひまもなく？ やまとのくにを めざして ひたすすむのであった。	(Translation)

Stage 4

Harima to Yamato

Area 1 - Harima 1

Prototype
Final

Area 2 - Harima 2

Prototype
Final

Area 3 - Settsu

Prototype	Final

Area 4 - Kawachi 1

Prototype
Final

Prototype
Final

The first northern exit doesn't actually link to anything in the prototype. In the final game, it leads to an impressive-looking dojo.

Area 5 - Yamato 1

Prototype	Final

Area 6 - Yamato 2

Prototype
Final

Area 7 - Yamato 3

Prototype	Final

Otafuku Base

Prototype	Final

In the prototype, the background in the first room is drawn on Layer 2 instead of Layer 1. This causes an error where the message box is opaque rather than translucent.

Prototype	Final

Prototype	Final

Prototype	Final

Prototype	Final

Prototype	Final

Prototype	Final

Prototype	Final

Prototype	Final

Prototype	Final

Prototype	Final

Prototype
わたしはにんじゃ くのいちのヤエといます にせがねづくりのじけんで そうさをしていたら なぞの おたふくたいに つかまってしまい ようじゅつを かけられてしまいました たすけてくださって どうもありがとう	(Translation)
Final
わたしはくのいちのヤエ にせがねづくりのじけんを そうさしていたら おたふくたいに つかまってしまったの あなたもなにか さがしているようね いがの ものしりじいを たずねるといいわ	(Translation)