DownTown

DownTown
Also known as: Mokugeki (JP) Developer: Seta Publishers: Taito (INT), Romstar (US) Platform: Arcade (Seta hardware) Released internationally: 1989 Released in JP: April 1989 Released in US: March 1989 This game has a hidden developer message. This game has hidden developer credits. This game has unused graphics. This game has debugging material. This game has a hidden level select.

DownTown is an unremarkable top-down beat 'em up, but at least there's some interesting stuff hidden inside.

Debug Functions

Sales Screen Debug

To enable the debug functions for this section...

1. Set the Sales dip switch to "Japan Only". This will enable the Sales / Export notice.
2. On the Sales / Export notice screen, press 1P Punch x3, then press 1P Kick x10.
3. Hold 1P Punch + 1P Kick and insert a coin in Slot 1.

Note that only the first debug screen is enabled by default: To access the other three, put the following code in MAME's Downtown.xml cheat file:

  <cheat desc="Change Coin Debug Mode">
    <parameter>
      <item value="0x0001">Character Debug</item>
      <item value="0x0003">Stage Debug</item>
      <item value="0x0005">PCM16 Test</item>
    </parameter>
    <script state="run">
      <action>maincpu.pw@FFF86A=param</action>
    </script>
  </cheat>

Unfortunately, most of the functions seem to have been dummied out. This was presumably the main UD2 debug menu, but all of the text is missing and none of the player's input does anything. The player is effectively stuck on this screen until the machine is reset.

This is the remains of a character debugger. The only thing here that works is the white timer in the lower-left corner.

This stage debugger actually works a bit. The variables on screen display the player and camera's current position. To advance to the next area, get to the end of the current area and press 1P Start. Unfortunately, if the player presses 1P Start at the end of Stage 1, they're taken to the map screen with no way out.

This is the PCM16 test screen. It doesn't work. Thank you.

UD2 Test Mode

To enable a stage select feature, do the following:

1. Set the Sales dip switch to "Japan Only". This will enable the Sales / Export notice.
2. On the Sales / Export notice screen, press 1P Punch x3, then press 1P Kick x10.
3. Start a new game. Hold 1P Punch + 1P Kick until the pre-game sequence ends.

The only two options that do anything on this menu are "Stage" and "Area". "Waltz" is just another timer.

UD2 Analyzer Mode

To access an analyzer screen, hold 2P Start and input the following button sequence:
1P Punch, 1P Kick, 1P Punch, 1P Kick, 1P Punch, 1P Kick,
1P Kick, 1P Punch, 1P Kick, 1P Punch, 1P Kick, 1P Punch, 1P Kick, 1P Punch,
1P Punch, 1P Kick

Wait for the title screen to fade and this screen should appear. "Income", "Continue, and "All Clear" don't seem to work properly, but "Level" is the raw value of the game's difficulty dip switch. "INT" is yet another game timer.

Press 1P Punch or 1P Kick to exit this screen.

(Source: Original TCRF research)

Hidden Message

The following message is in the main CPU at 0x7FF00:

################
#              #
#  UD-2 / TAM. #
#              #
#  Sep 13 1988 #
#              #
#  Programmed  #
#      by      #
# Waltz System #
#              #
#  Thanks  to  #
#     MTY      #
# BLUE & NAG   #
# GOBLIN SOUND #
#              #
################

(Source: Original TCRF research)

High Score Messages

There are eleven names that a player can enter into the high score screen. These names play a sound effect and display a secret message. They are as follows:

Name	Message	Sound	Notes
SEX	N/A		Either changes player's name to WLZ (1P) or blanks the player's name (2P).
WLZ	WALTZ OPUS1		Hold 1P Start + 2P Start while entering the name to change the message to "K1 JAN 1989". This only works for Player 1.
DRA	DRANEKO IKUME
MTY	SEXY COMPUTER		MTY is Noboru Miyanari, a programmer who previously worked on another of Seta's games, Twin Eagle.
BLS	SEXY BLUE		"Blue" appears in the game's credits under "Attribute Data." Whatever that means.
ASA	KUMURIN DAO!		Kumurin Asako is one of the game's designers.
GOB	GOBLIN SOUND		Goblin Sound is credited for the game's music.
MYK	KASAZY CHAN!		Kasazy Miyuki is another of the game's designers.
WAP	ESPRIT
SAL	SNAPPY UKI!
TAD	TAD GO GO GO

(Source: Original TCRF research)

Placeholder Ending

What appears to be a placeholder ending is present in the game's code. Put the following code in downtown.xml and activate it to see the credits on the stage results screen:

  <cheat desc="Placeholder Ending">
    <script state="run">
      <action>maincpu.mw@0895D0=11FC</action>
      <action>maincpu.mw@089602=11CA</action>
      <action>maincpu.mw@08964E=117E</action>
    </script>
    <script state="off">
      <action>maincpu.mw@0895D0=0F92</action>
      <action>maincpu.mw@089602=0F60</action>
      <action>maincpu.mw@08964E=0F14</action>
    </script>
  </cheat>

(Source: Original TCRF research)

Data Labels

There are a number of data labels in the game ROM. Not especially interesting, but here we are.

Address	Text		Address	Text		Address	Text
0x002BE	TAM_STUP1_BB_END		0x04000	## ANIME DATA ##		0x05FB2	ANIME DATA END
0x10000	OBJ BK ADR TABLE		0x11F90	# OBJ BK DATA. #		0x23892	OBJ BK DATA END
0x238A2	### FIO DATA ###		0x250B2	# FIO DATA END #		0x30000	_SG1 DATA TABLE_
0x3FE10	_SG1 DATA END _		0x40000	BK-DATA AREA/001		0x40010	STG CHR ADDR TBL
0x40A70	STG CHR TBL END!		0x40A80	STG COL ADDR TBL		0x6B320	FIX GEN DATA END
0x70000	_SG2 DATA TABLE_		0x7FE10	_SG2 DATA END _		0x8090C	TAM_STUP2_END___

(Source: Original TCRF research)