Commando (NES)

Commando
Also known as: Senjou no Ookami (JP) Developer: Capcom Publisher: Capcom Platforms: NES, FamicomBox Released in JP: September 27, 1986 Released in US: November 1986 This game has a hidden developer message. This game has hidden developer credits. This game has hidden development-related text. This game has debugging material. This game has a hidden level select.

Commando is an overhead run-and-gun that has you mowing down an infinite number of enemy soldiers in the jungle. It's a port of the arcade game of the same name. It's also probably a better Rambo game than Rambo.

Palette Editor

In the Japanese version, at the title screen, press B, Down, Up, A, Left, Left, Right on controller 2, then press Start on controller 1.

In the game, press Select on controller 1 to freeze the game. (Character movement is still possible in this mode.) Press any of the directional keys on controller 2 to bring up the menu. Press Up and Down on controller 2 to move up and down the list, Left and Right to adjust the value. (The in-game font does not include letters for "A" through "F" and will display junk characters in their place.)

Press Select on controller 1 again to close the menu with changes intact. The palette will eventually reset as the screen is scrolled.

(Source: Bi-Weekly Famicom Tsūshin (Famitsu) - No. 12 November 28th 1986 (page 106))

(Source: Family Computer Magazine (Famimaga) - Issue 24 December 5th 1986 (pages 132/133))

Level Select

After getting a game over and returning to the title screen, press Left, Right, A, B, A, Down, Up on controller 2. Then on controller 1, hold A and press Select. A stage number will appear. Keep holding A and press Select to cycle through the stage listing. Once done, choose either continue option to start the game at the specified stage. Any future game overs after this only require you to hold A and press Select to re-enable the level select.

(Source: StrategyWiki)

Disabled Cheats

This needs some investigation. Discuss ideas and findings on the talk page.

Timer Adjust

To enable, use the Game Genie code PEKGKSYA (Japanese version: PAEKXSYA).

At the title screen, press A, Left, Left, Left, Up, B, Up, A, Right, Right, Right on the second controller. Then you can hit A + B on the second controller to speed up the game.

(Source: CaH4e3)

Invulnerability

To enable, use the Game Genie code AEUGXSNA (Japanese version: AENKEKNA).

1. Get a game over and perform the following code at the title screen.
2. On controller 2, press Down, A, A, Right, B, B, Up, Up, A, Left, Left, B, Down.
3. Select 1P or 2P Continue.
4. On controller 1, hold A + B and press Start.

Even though you're invulnerable to enemies and their attacks, you can still die from falling into a pit, water, or not escaping a gas room in time. If you get a game over this way, you can just do steps 3 and 4 to re-enable the cheat ― no need to reenter the controller 2 code.

(Source: CaH4e3)

To do: Get these cheats to work, 'cos they weren't workin' for me.

Unknown

Additionally, in the Japanese version of the ROM, there's several more disabled cheat codes. Quoting CaH4e3's page: Another cheat Left, B, B, Right, A, Up is disabled by setting some wrong data in the code sequence, so it cannot be verified correctly, but there is not any code that uses the according cheat flag too. [...] Another cheat sequence present in the ROM but not checked by any part of the code is Left, Left, Up, B, Up, A, Right, Right, Right."

AEVKEKNA' enables some bad cheat. Use this code, then after game over after returning to title screen press on second controller Left, B, B, Right, select 1P or 2P continue mode at tile menu then hold A on first controller and press Start. The game will hang up.

(Source: CaH4e3)

Hidden Text

Message 1

This message is found in the US version at PRG ROM address 1CBEC and the FamicomBox EPROM version at 1CBC8. It talks about not being able to meet Mamiko Takai, a then-popular singer, at a handshake party ― a party where you shake hands with the celebrity.

 NO.16 TAKAI MAMIKO KAISYA NO HIKKOSHI DE 86/7/6 AKUSYUKAI NI IKENAKKATTA NOGA KUYASII MAMIKO FAN YORI 

Transcribed	Translated
高井麻巳子 会社の 引越しで 86/7/6 握手会に 行けなかったのが 悔しい麻巳子ファンより。	Because [my] company moved on 06 Jul 1986, it was not possible to go to Mamiko Takai's handshake party. From a pitiable Mamiko fan.

(Source: CaH4e3, Translation: Tauwasser)

(FamicomBox EEPROM version discovery: rabidrodent)

Message 2

This message is found only in the US version at PRG ROM address 1F400. It mentions beating the game with 3 lives and 24 grenades remaining, which will display a secret message after the ending (pictured right). (Note: Line breaks have been added for readability.)

 THIS GAME OF KEYWORD IS 3/24... ITS MY BIRTHDAY. 
IF 4-4 ROUND PLAY  3=PLAYER 24=HAND BOMB  THEN YOU WILL BE CLEAR THIS GAME.  
MY NEXT MAKE GAME IS -CAPTAIN HIGEMARU-  PLEASE PLAY IT. YOU KNOW ?? 

(Source: CaH4e3)

Credits

These credits are found at 1FF90 in both the US and JP versions.

SOFT:M.K SCROOL:KURA PLANNER:KURO SOUND:SAKA MUSIC:TAMA

M.K is Masamitsu Kobayashi, KURO is Masahiko Kurokawa, SAKA is Yoshihiro Sakaguchi, and TAMA is Tamayo Kawamoto. More credits can be found in other Capcom games by the same programmer, such as Higemaru Makaijima.

(Source: CaH4e3)

Version Dates

These dates are found at 1FFF0 in both the US and JP versions. They are different for both.

JP Version	US Version	FamicomBox EPROM Version
86/8/6 FOR JPN VERSION	86/9/10FOR USA VERSION	88/11/5 FOR FAMCOM BOX

(Source: CaH4e3)

(FamicomBox EPROM Version text: rabidrodent)

Regional Differences

Title Screen

Japan	United States

The game is known as 戦場の狼 (Wolf of the Battlefield) in Japan. This version opts to utilize previously unused assets for its title and copyright, wheras the US version uses less fancy graphics and font. A trademark symbol was also added to the right corner of the main logo in the latter version.

Text Differences

Japan	United States
BROKE THE ___ AREA NOW RASH TO THE ___ AREA	BROKE THE ___ AREA NOW RUSH TO THE ___ AREA

Japanese players RASH to the next area, while American players RUSH.

Moonwalking

In the Japanese version, holding Select while moving will cause your character to walk backwards. However, he'll still shoot in the direction he's moving. Perhaps this may be an unfinished implementation of a sort of strafing mechanic.

Oddities

Title Screen Music

The theme that plays on the title screen and demo loops is normally not heard in its entirety: the demos run on a timer, and when it expires, the game returns to the title screen and restarts the music from the beginning. However, very rarely, the demo will lose all its lives in Area 3 and get a game over before the timer runs out; if this happens, the game will return to the title screen without restarting the music, allowing the rest of the tune to be heard. Alternatively, a few well-timed presses of the Select button to extend the time spent on the title screen will also allow one to hear the later part of the track.

FamicomBox EPROM version

In the version of the game used in the FamicomBox EPROM cart, the "LICENSED BY NINTENDO OF AMERICA INC" string is leftover from the USA version.