Blazer

Blazer
Developer: Namco Publisher: Namco Platform: Arcade (Namco System 1) Released in JP: July 1987 This game has unused enemies. This game has unused graphics. This game has debugging material. This game has a hidden sound test.

Blazer is an isometric shooter where the player can control three different tanks, a helicopter, and a hovercraft. Destroy enemy vehicles to accomplish your nebulous goal! Don't forget your jacket!!

Debug Functions

Put the following code in MAME's blazer.xml cheat file to access two normally inaccessible debug functions:

  <cheat desc="Boot-up Debug Functions">
    <parameter>
      <item value="0x1C">Object Viewer</item>
      <item value="0x1E">Sound Test</item>
    </parameter>
    <script state="run">
      <action>user1.md@3F6077=CAE084E2</action>
      <action>user1.md@3F640C=2A2650B6</action>
      <action>user1.md@3F641C=2A2750B6</action>
      <action>user1.mb@3FE093=param</action>
      <action>user1.md@3FE19D=80FF80FF</action>
      <action>user1.md@3FFF80=3914D6BD</action>
    </script>
    <script state="off">
      <action>user1.md@3F6077=ABE04CE6</action>
      <action>user1.md@3F640C=277F38B6</action>
      <action>user1.md@3F641C=278038B6</action>
      <action>user1.mb@3FE093=0C</action>
      <action>user1.md@3FE19D=43F443F4</action>
      <action>user1.md@3FFF80=FFFFFFFF</action>
    </script>
  </cheat>

Object Viewer

This is a simple object viewer with a customizable palette.

Controls:

• 1P Joystick: Moves cursor.
• 1P Button 1 / Button 2: Decrements / increments currently selected palette value.
• 1P / 2P Start: Scrolls through object tiles.

Sound Test

This is a more thorough sound test than the one in the service mode.

Controls:

• 1P Up/Down: Changes between the sound ID on the top row and the sound bits on the bottom row.
• 1P Left/Right: Either changes sound ID or selects a different sound bit, depending. Please note that the currently selected sound bit is not highlighted in any way.
• 1P Button 1: If on the sound bit row, toggles selected sound bit.
• 1P Button 2: Plays sound.

(Source: Original TCRF research)

High Score Easter Egg

There's one special name that the game checks for on the high score screen. Enter "MASUYO" and then any other five characters (you can't just let time run out)...

...and the last four characters will be replaced by "LOVE".

(Source: Original TCRF research)

Unused Graphics

Used	Alt

There's a darker version of the tank icon in the tile graphics ROM...

...and a smaller, 16x16 icon.

A tiny little man! Is this the player character, or an enemy soldier? The world may never know.

Four unused and presumably destructible obstacles, including a broke-down tanker truck.

An unused enemy. Seems like a normal van, but...

...there's a big ol' missile launcher in the back!

Speaking of launchers, here's one with a half-dome hatch.

Still more launchers! This one comes with a sliding hatch and a large red light on top and can shoot in four different directions.

Used
Alt

Gouts of flame appear in the game, but they always come directly out of the walls. This version that actually shows the spout on the left is unused. And yes, both the flame by itself and the version that comes out of the spout are stored separately in the sprite graphics ROM.

A small warship that just never shows up in any of the game's stages.

A large aircraft carrier. The top-facing sprites only have one frame of animation; presumably the other frames of animation were overwritten during the game's development.

(Source: Original TCRF research)