Black Out

Black Out
Also known as: Sleep Developer: Nintendo Platform: SNES This game has unused graphics. This game has a development article This game has a prerelease article

This game was never completed and/or given a public release. As a result of this, keep in mind that the developers might have used or deleted some of the content featured here, had the game actually been released.

This page or section details content from the July 2020 Nintendo Leak. Check the July 2020 Nintendo Leak category for more pages also sourced from this material.

Black Out stars an unnamed sleepwalking character who walks forward steadily, with the player utilizing various tools to guide the "sleeper" throughout the level. The game uses the SNES Mouse, and is essentially an enhanced version of Game B from Gyromite (which also involved guiding a sleepwalking character); while Gyromite simply had the player raise or lower pistons, Black Out has a number of tools for the player to use.

Aside from being promoted by a flyer included with the Japanese version of Mario Paint (which mentions a release date of November 1992), the game seems to have remained mostly unknown until a build was found as part of the July 24, 2020 Nintendo leak. File dates for related material found elsewhere in the asset leak suggest that the available ROM was built sometime in 1991 or 1992.

Notably, the idea of an SNES Mouse game about guiding a steadily-walking visually-impaired character eventually saw the light of day as Mario & Wario.

(Source: Dom_Auffret, LuigiBlood)

Sub-Pages

Development Info

Prerelease Info

General

• The ROM is split into two files found at other.7z/SFC/ソースデータ/ヨッシーアイランド/ツール/sleep_test: sleep_rom1.bin and sleep_rom2.bin, which must be combined (using HxD for example) to produce the ROM.
• The HUD includes what appear to be lives, health, and score counters, but none of them function.
• Levels seem to loop indefinitely.
• The sleeper can softlock the game if entering an alcove, as the character cannot be moved to the left.

Controls

Mouse: Port 1

• Left Button - click to select items and use items, hold to charge the power meter.
• Right Button - causes the sleeper to jump.

Controller: Port 2

• Must be used to select levels, as the Mouse alone doesn't seem to work for this.

Items

• Springboard - Launches the sleeper into the air.
• Slingshot - Fires projectiles. Charging shots will result in straighter, stronger shots.
• Shovel - Seems unfinished. Graphics appear in VRAM, however. A small explosion happens.
• Bomb - Drops explosives which detonate after a few seconds.
• Hammer - Same as the Shovel, and also has graphics present in VRAM. Also causes a small explosion. The button can be held for a rapid-fire effect.

Levels

To do: Add images of Zones 4-6.

Six levels, referred to as "Zones", are present.

Zone 1

A fairly open grassy area with stone blocks, sometimes with spikes. Floating red balloons appear throughout the stage, as well as flying butterfly-like creatures, but they do not seem to harm or otherwise interact with the sleeper. The creatures and balloons, as well as the flowers, can be destroyed with the player's various items.

Zone 2

The level icon shows water, but none is present in the level. Instead, it seems to be an underground-themed level. The creatures and balloons from Zone 1 appear here as well.

The Hammer or Shovel work well here, as there is dirt present which can be destroyed. Notably, the dirt is very reminiscent of the dirt found in Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island. The square blocks can also be destroyed, but take two hits from the Hammer or Shovel.

Zone 3

The level icon again shows a different theme than what the level actually looks like. Zone 2's icon would be more fitting, as this level features a lot of water in the background.

This level is similar to Zone 1, with grassy ground and stone blocks, some floating and with spikes. There are also bridges crossing the water, and a couple of whirlpools. There is a section of water which can be entered, but the sleeper just walks on it as if it is normal ground. The water in this spot appears to have some kind of placeholder outlines around it, as well. A steep slope just before this is a bit glitchy as it accelerates the sleeper into the ground.

Zone 4

Does not seem to properly load any graphics or palettes. Everything is green.

Zone 5

Same as Zone 4, but a bit more corrupted-looking.

Zone 6

Again, does not properly load graphics. Slightly less corrupt-looking than Zone 5.

Unused Graphics

To do: There seem to be graphics from Street Fighter II in the latter half of the ROM, for whatever reason. Add them, with comparisons if necessary.

Artwork	Description
	A full alphanumeric character set, minus the O, which is a hyphen for some reason. This is loaded in on the main menu, but most of the characters aren't used.
	Sprites for the Hammer and Shovel.
	In addition to the five available items, icons for a gun and a block exist in VRAM.
	An unused creature, known internally as "angel", which looks similar to a cherub.
	A bird-like creature pulled directly from Super Donkey.
	A hand which looks like it could be used as a cursor.
	A bottle which could have been broken.
	Frames for a splash effect.
	Two other graphics. The first appears to be dynamite, while the other looks like it could be an ammo pickup of sorts.
	A fairly detailed tree trunk which looks like it'd fit in Zone 3.
	What appears to be a rope tied to a metal hoop embedded in rock. There is also a frayed version of the rope, suggesting it would be a potential hazard to watch out for. These blocks could also potentially be shot down to create platforms as well. The picture at left is an assembled mockup of how they might have looked.
	A rougher-looking set of bridge tiles. After a small modification to the ROM, we can see them in use.