Light Crusader

Light Crusader
Developer: Treasure Publishers: Sega (JP/US/EU/AU), Samsung (KR) Platform: Genesis Released in JP: May 26, 1995 Released in US: May 25, 1995 Released in EU: August 1995 Released in AU: 1995 Released in KR: July 22, 1995 This game has unused areas. This game has unused graphics. This game has unused items. This game has unused music. This game has unused sounds. This game has unused text. This game has debugging material. This game has a hidden sound test. This game has a hidden level select. This game has regional differences. This game has a prerelease article This game has a notes page

The last Genesis game developed by Treasure, Light Crusader is similar to Landstalker. You're David, a knight, and you have 6 dungeon floors to overcome. There are puzzles, combat and healing items.

Sub-Pages

Prerelease Info

Notes

Test

TEST is the first main debugging menu. To activate it, go to the MODE menu, deselect all options, and press Down eight times. A change in music should confirm that the menu is now unlocked. In addition, you also unlock 3 options for the MODE menu.

Sound

◀SOUND▶ is a sound test menu. It has three sub-menus, SOUND◀10·2D▶ (mostly voice samples), SOUND◀80·9F▶ (music) and SOUND◀A0·E7▶ (mostly sound effects; it ends at FE, not E7). Press Up and Down or Left and Right to toggle the tracks. Press C to listen and A to stop.

Icon

This shows all icons in the game. This includes items, equipment, and some other graphics.

Face

This displays all the character portraits. The king's uses the Goblin's palette, for some reason.

String

This displays all of the game's strings, for the specified language.

Language

This allows you to change the game's language, including Japanese. The European version does have a language option, but there isn't an option for Japanese.

Language 05 is hidden, and is called USENGLISH (US English), but is exactly the same as the version's corresponding English localization. Other options, starting from 06, can also be chosen, but their strings are mostly garbled text.

In the Japanese version, you can only choose Japanese and English. The other options (all named Deutsch) can be accessed with the same code, but their strings are still garbage.

Test2

The second main debugging menu. To access TEST2, first go to TEST, then press Up, А, Right, А, Left, А, Down, and А. A cow moo should confirm the code. Upon activation, it also activates an in-game height editor.

Item

Lists all items' names, icons and types, as if they were being chosen from the inventory screen. You aren't able to use them, though.

Font

Shows a bunch of tilesets.

Warning

Writes all the possible start-up warnings, like "Developed for use only with NTSC Genesis systems". Half of them just say "??".

Message

Writes the game's dialogs. You can press A to change the language.

Floor

Allows teleportation to a different room. You first choose the floor, and then the room number. There is also an 8th option, with no name, that allows you to choose between 5 extra rooms, mostly used in credits scenes. You don't need an extra code to access this invisible 8th option. There are, though, more hidden options. You can go from the 9th option onward. Any other option after the 8th has 8 rooms, and all of them either reset the console or crash, because the game is reading different data and trying to turn it into a room.

You may have to pause/unpause or leave some of the rooms and reenter them, in order for the data to be loaded properly. Upon arrival, if David is stuck in a wall, you may use the height editor to turn the wall tiles into regular ones and create a path into the room.

Notes

• Rooms 31 and 38 in Floor 5 crash the game if entered this way. They are just the boss rooms for the Ice and War worlds, respectively.
• Surprisingly, you can actually load some levels that are composed of garbage data.
  • "Floor" 0A, room 03 has an incorrect palette for David's armor, and some half-scrambled tileset. The drawn part of the room has a NE-SW orientation, but the collision data makes it more like NW-SE orientation. In other words, you can walk on non-rendered parts of the room, to the right. Pausing and unpausing will reset the room, but only the background will be present, with an odd pattern.
  • Floor 4, room 35 is a "Beat Them!" room, but the graphics are all garbled. If you try to change David's coordinates, the game will crash.

About This

Depending on the system you're using, this menu will be named "ABOUT THIS MEGADRIVE" (J), "ABOUT THIS GENESIS" (U) or "ABOUT THIS EURO MD" (E). This menu only has 1 selectable option, that allows you to change the region manually. The menu displays information about the console's soft version, hard version, controller info (6BPAD for 6-button pads, 3BPAD for 3-button and MOUSE for mouse) for each of the 3 players, and info about the battery's status.

Interestingly, if you hold two opposite directions on the D-Pad simultaneously for a while, the game will consider the controller disconnected. After a moment, it will recognize the controller, again.

Height Editor

Upon activation of the Test2 code, you are subsequently able to toggle an in-game tile height editor by holding X and pressing A in-game. When this mode is active, a white 5x5 grid appears, with each cell placed on top of the floor tile it's on. This grid is rendered on top of sprites and terrain, so it is not occluded by them. Walkable tiles use a plain white square outline, but wall tiles have a cross on them. There is also a sprite of a lamp with no light (the attackable kind seen in several spots in the game), in the middle of the grid, which is always leveled with its tile's height; it also represents the tile you can currently edit.

The D-Pad moves the grid one unit (Up takes you North, Down South, etc.). Pressing B lowers the floor tile height by 1, and C increases it by 1. Z turns it into a wall tile, and Y turns it into a regular walkable tile and lowers it to the standard floor level. A toggles the foreground flag: if it's on (thick outline), it's possible for sprites to go behind the tile and its walls, if the tile supports it, while off (regular outline) makes it always appear behind sprites.

Once you deactivate the mode, the changes you make will likely not affect the appearance of the world, but David and objects will still collide with the tiles and their new heights correctly. Some rooms will actually display blocks for the tiles you raise, if you give those tiles the foreground flag. Note that that to deactivate the mode, you have to press X+A again, and this A press will toggle the tile's foreground flag just before deactivating the mode.

After you activate the mode once in the room you're in, you also activate some side effects. The shadows of all airborne things, David included, are replaced by white squares, similar to the ones seen in the editor grid, but not aligned to the world grid. A 4-digit number will also appear on the lower part of the enemy health bar, but it's always at 0000. Leaving and re-entering the room will deactivate these side effects and also turn the room's tiles back to normal.

If you open up a path out of bounds to the South or East, David can eventually reach garbled tiles that are being read outside of the level's memory region. Attempting to move the grid or edit the tile you're on won't work here. If you move David out of bounds North or West, you'll likely crash the game, so watch out.

Pausing the game corrupts the graphics of the grid, and allows you to move both the grid and David, though this can be fixed by deactivating and reactivating the mode. Finally, to note is that while you're in the height editor mode, enemies will not target David, but can still harm him accidentally.

Debug Load

Activate both TEST and TEST2, then intentionally get a game over to add a debug option to the load game menu.

To do: Further documentation.

Mode Menu Options

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

The MODE options in the pause menu only has 3 visible options, but there are 3 more, hidden: "MODE3", "MODE0" and "MOUSE ENABLE". These are shown when the TEST menu is activated. The effects of these options are unknown.

Other Debug Menu?

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

There might be another menu hidden inside the game. There is some text that hints to this.

• $26324: ARE_YOU_SURE
• $2706A: DOCUMENT (this one is not the string that appears when a scroll/tablet is highlighted)
• $2754A: TEST2

Unused Text

Asterisks (*) indicate variable text.

Address	Text	Comments
1B1B1C	You have no items.	This text will not appear anywhere. Not even if you get rid of all your items, or try to trade while your inventory is empty.
1B1B3E	You have no *.
1B1B49	Scroll complete	When you get the last piece, the game will just tell you "YOU GAIN SCROLL X", X being its number.
1B1B59	I need more GP.More**!	While David does say "I need more GP.", that "More", followed by 2 special characters seems quite off.
1B1D93	Not this key.	You can't choose which key to use on a door.
1B22B4	SHIELD	This is considered an item type. There is no item that serves as a shield.

Unused Levels

To access these, use the FLOOR debug menu.

City, Room 0B

A copy of the 2nd portion of the city. It has no characters, except for the princess, who says nothing when spoken to. There is one exit to the SE, that leads to the NW corner of the 1st portion of the city.

During normal gameplay, you can actually find and enter said "door" in the 1st city portion, and it will lead back to this unused level. If you walk against the bounds of the stage you'll eventually get caught against the door. If you have the unnamed key, you can just walk up to it, open it, and enter. But if not, you can push an NPC towards the door, jump on top of them, and jump towards the door to reach a higher level of sorts. If you wiggle around back and forth here, you will eventually hit the transition trigger.

Floor 1, Room 0B

Copy of the room with a floor that's mostly spikes. The spikes and exits don't have data, but there is a way out. It's behind one of the platform's walls near the North of the room. It leads to the used "Answer the Riddle!" room a bit to the South of the 1st floor's teleporter room. The entrance to this unused room can also be touched in the normal game, but it can only be entered with the unused key.

Floor 6, Room 0D

Copy of the room with a woman that says "Are they crazy?" near the center of the map, except it has no music, no woman, and no exit.

"Floor 7", Room 02

A copy of the map used in the ending's town scene, but without people.

"Floor 7", Room 04

An interesting test room. You're in the castle's throne room, but with only a cow and some stairs. The cow—get this—shoots fireballs and other projectiles at you. This is a "Beat Them!" room, and you can even kill the cow. After killing it, it'll be flipped upside-down and release a lot of Fire element pickup, which will lag the game for a while. It explodes when it dies, but the explosions don't end and their graphics are messed up.

A Chinese door can be seen out of bounds to the Southeast, and it opens when the cow is defeated. If you go out of bounds next to where the door is, you'll notice there are walls that enclose a path that actually leads to the door. It's impossible to enter the door, though, and if you do go out of bounds, the game might glitch if you explore too much.

Pausing and unpausing will reset the room, but it will also scramble the graphics. If you go to the stairs, you'll enter room 0B of Floor 1.

Unused Items and Equipment

To access these items, you can use the code FFF100:??00 to change the first item in your inventory. The Dillo is an armor, though.

Dillo

An unused piece of chest armor. With the code FFF135:FF00, you'll have all armors, including the Dillo. It's to the third-to-last armor, so it's fairly useful.

Gem

(1B) Its icon looks like, well, a gem. When one tries to use it, the text "That cannot be used." appears. Type: document.

Ring 1 and Ring 2

(1D and 1E) Ring 1 has a blue stone, and ring 2 has a red one. When used, the text "That cannot be used" appears. Type: amulet.

Bag

(1F) "That cannot be used.". Type: special.

Cube

(21) When used, it'll ask the player if they want to save the game. It can save on any room, and when the player loads the game again, David'll appear on the door that was used to get to the room before saving. It disappears after being used once. Type: special.

Bottle

(22) If you use this when submerged in water, it'll be transformed into a water bottle. Type: drink.

Boots

(27) If you use these, you'll be able to jump higher for 10 seconds. This was likely removed because one could skip parts of puzzles with it. Type: special.

Unnamed key

3A looks like the gold key, and when used, "That cannot be used" appears, obviously, as it's a key. This key opens the doors that lead to City-0B and Floor 1-0B.

It also opens a path in the graveyard. There is an entrance in the wall on the left-hand corner. Try walking towards it with this key, and a door will open. You can then travel through the waterstream, and when you reach the right side, you'll go to the waterstream part on the farm (you'll be standing on top of it, so you'll have to jump to be submerged again). Continue with the route, and you'll be sent to the painter's house. Type: key.

Other Items

(Items 24, 25, 26, 39, 3A and 3B) All of these are named "." in the inventory screen.

• 24 acts and looks like the bag. Type: special.
• 25 looks like the cube, and when used, "No effect." appears. Type: special.
• 26 is a money bag, and when used, "That cannot be used." appears. Type: special.
• 39's icon is the same as the YES button that appears in message boxes, highlighted. When used, it behaves as if it were the stone tablet or scroll, but there is no text in it. Type: document.
• 3B acts and looks like the bag too. Type: special.

Unused Icons

These can be found in the Icon menu.

ID	Graphic	Comments
10
11
1D		Generic breastplate icon.
20		Generic glove icon.
4D		A very simple exit sign.
4E		A very simple cross, coupled with the exit sign.
76		Alternate graphics for the radio buttons.
77

Unused Music

There are 2 unused songs, accessible via the Sound debug menu.

This one has the code 8C. It sounds as though it could belong to a floor.

This one has the code 8E. It sounds as though it could belong to rooms with some action going on.

Unused Sound Effects

19: David saying "Take this!".

20: David saying "Open the door."

24: The necromancer saying "shinde moraimasu" (roughly, "Die for me").

C9: Some instrument playing in tremolo, endlessly. C9 to CE all do the same, except the pitch is one note higher in each one.

CF: A woman laughing. The laughing sounds can be found individually from 26 to 2A.

D7, D8, D9 and DB: Robot sounds.

Regional Differences

Translated text for other languages is included inside the American release, despite never being used due to its lack of a language menu. The translated texts can be found at $57A4D, $1B22D8 and $1FD391.

Other Changes

• The Japanese version has the "Damage number" mode option enabled by default.

American English vs European English

To do: The Japanese version has ITS OWN English text!...

It looks like the American version updated some parts of the European's script.

European	American
Miaow!	Meow!

Cats and their silly localizations...

European	American
I was weary of endless battle when the King invited me to take a holiday in nearby Green Row. It had been a while since I was last in Green Row but I was really looking forward to returning.	After a long journey, the King invited me to take a holiday in nearby Green Row. It had been a while since I was last in Green Row. I looked forward to returning.

The American version removed the mention of battles.

European	American
Four elements will give you magic power.	Four elements will give you magic powers.

Needless pluralization.

European	American
How did you get in?!	How'd you get in?!

This is the only time this change ("did" to "'d") happens.

European	American
If you lose your way, please consult the oracle, who is bound to help you.	If you lose your way, please consult the oracle, who may be able to help you.

European	American
Someone is disturbing the souls of the deceased. That will arouse their tremendous anger.	Someone is disturbing the souls of the deceased. Evil now wrests from the grave!

European	American
Perhaps, if she is a princess, she can read ancient scripts.	Seek the princess, she can read ancient scripts.

The European text indicated that all princess should actually do something instead of being kidnapped.

European	American
My next door neighbour disappeared three days ago. I wonder where he went! Scary, isn't it?	My next door neighbour disappeared three days ago. Vanished! Just vanished! Scary, isn't it?

Interestingly, the American version didn't write "neighbor". And the European version indicated that he actually went somewhere on his own.

European	American
Come to think of it, I haven't seen Alan recently...	Come to think of it, I haven't seen Cullen recently.

The name was changed, and the ellipsis were removed... For some reason.

European	American
Where have Mummy and Daddy gone?	Mommy and daddy are gone!

European	American
Me? I'm just a little fellow. They call me Shrugshoulder.	It's a puzzle to me. I'm still here, aren't I?

This guy went from having his own back story to being your average boring adult.

European	American
Will you buy?	How 'bout it?

A shopkeep says this after he mentions the price.

European	American
The one who gets left behind... He's the culprit!	I'm on a quest to finish this grog... YOU disappear!

The European line made little sense, so in the US version, they wrote a small funny line instead.

European	American
People disappear, but works of art remain! Isn't that wonderful?!	People disappear, but works of art remain! Stop wasting my time.

The artist was too soft-hearted in the European version.

European	American
You'd love to, wouldn't you? You will? Listen then! There!	You'd love to, wouldn't you? You will? Listen then!

This very skilled pianist says "There!" before starting her beautiful song in the European version. It'd look better after the song, but it comes right before. This was probably an oversight on the script that was fixed in the US version.

European	American
Okay! That's the way!	Now we're talking!

Shopkeepers say this after you buy something.

European	American
Welcome to Ted's Tavern!	Welcome to Ted's Inn!

American's absence of Added Alliterative Appeal.

European	American
Boohoo!	Ah, well...

If you refuse to sleep in the Tavern/Inn, the owner will either sigh or cry like a baby.

European	American
I was kidnapped by men in black and before I realised it, I found myself in this shrine.	I was kidnapped by men in black and before I realized it, I found myself in this shrine.

Minor change. This is the only time this word is written with a z in the US version.

European	American
We have a legend that says that, a long time ago, our ancestors sealed something evil inside that shrine.	We have a legend that says that, a long time ago, our ancestors sealed an evil entity inside the shrine.

European	American
Please find out what the Guildsmen are up to.	You must find out what the Guildsmen are up to.

In the European release, it's seen as a favor.

European	American
I'm counting on you!	We're counting on you!

The king is either selfish or scared. In the European version, it seems like nobody else relies on our hero.

European	American
This was by order of Bloodroke the Guildmaster.	This was by order of the Guildmaster, Bloodroke.

European	American
In order to break the spell, I've heard that we need the four orbs that are inside this shrine.	It's said that in order to break the spell, we need the four orbs that are inside this shrine.

Minor change, but it looks like there's a known legend about it in the American version.

European	American
No stars allowed!	Penumbra...

There is a chamber in which one needs to line statues in order so that they are aligned like a lunar eclipse. This text is the clue given before that chamber, but it's a bit clearer for the non-astrology-savvy players in the European version.

European	American
Goblins have been living underneath the town... without anybody knowing...	Goblins have been living underneath the town... without anyone knowing...

European	American
The chains have locks on them.	The chains have magic locks.

The story really didn't need magic to explain how their chains work.

European	American
Don't help yourself to our food!	Keep your hands off the food!

A bit minor, but the European version gives more emphasis on the fact that that food was for the goblins alone.

European	American
Do you want to exchange the fish and meat?	Do you want to exchange the fish for meat?

I really don't know which line is better, to be honest. Although both have that really misplaced "the" there.

European	American
Lord Bloodroke is looking for a very old stone tablet. He's talking of swapping it for this room-full of food.	Lord Roke is looking for a very old stone tablet. He's talking of swapping it for this room full of food.

American friends call him Roke.

European

American

This is what it says. A darkness is in the heart of man which summons evil demons. One of these evil demons tried to transform the land into hell, and bring death to everything around. However, there appeared the brave King Garriott. With the power of eight wizards he sealed the evil demon. The main part of the demon's power was divided into four orbs and sealed in the labyrinth. Provided the demon does not have its life force restored, it will never be revitalised. In the event of an emergency, Light Crusader, which defeated the evil demon, is concealed within this labyrinth. Never forget the name of King Garriott.

It reads... In the balance of life, man often chooses darkness. Through the door to darkness arose Ramiah. Weakened, the land fell to the service of the demon. One man, the brave and kind Garriott, was able to focus on the light of human mind. Together with eight wizards, he created a magic sword. With the sword Light Crusader, Garriott defeated Ramiah and sealed his power into four orbs. The sword was hidden inside the shrine. Provided the demon does not have its life force restored, it will never be revitalised and stay within the labyrinth. Never forget the name of King Garriott.

Quite a big difference here. The first paragraph is a lot more Engrish in the European version. The European version also mentions several demons, but only one of them being bad, as if that made sense. The sword's creation is only mentioned in the American version. The European version mentions that the sword will arise if the spirit awakens.

European	American
What would become of this world if the evil demon were revitalised?	What would become of this world if the evil demon were awakened?

European	American
Thank you, as ever.	Thank you, kind sir.

The guild's shopkeep implies that David is a regular costumer in the European version.

European	American
Stop!	Trial by fire!

After this message, fireballs rain from every corner in the room towards David. A word of advice: standing still in the same place will have you take more damage from the fireballs. What were the European localizers thinking in trying to make the player stand still?

European	American
Well, Mummy and Daddy both came back! Now we can live together as a family. But this house is rather small, dear.	Mommy and Daddy are back! Now we can live together as a family. Maybe we should go on a holiday.

The parents return home, only to be reminded that they live in a single-room shack. It was changed to a less-stressful conclusion in the US version.

European	American
Beast! This is no place for you!	Freak! This is no place for you!

European	American
During the execution of our plan, unfortunately....we discovered there's a traitor in our midst. Those who go against the will of Lord Roke and stand in our way should fully understand what will happen to them! But first, we must deal with another troublemaker!	...unfortunately during the execution of our plan, we discovered there is a traitor in our midst. Those who go against the will of Lord Roke and stand in our way should fully understand what will happen to them! And we shall make an example of the King's pawn!

European	American
Thank you. Just as I thought, my belief in Huster was wrong...	Thank you. Just as I thought, my belief in Ramiah was wrong...

Huster, the final boss and ultimate evil, was renamed to Ramiah. Every instance of Huster has been replaced with Ramiah in the US version.

European	American
You are back - after overcoming many difficulties. But I wish to put you to the test once more to see if you are a man who is worthy of using me.	You are here after overcoming many difficulties. But I wish to put you to the test once more to see if you are worthy of wielding Light Crusader.

Before fighting against Garriott's armor, it says this. In the European release, it says that David is back, despite this obviously being the first time he's entered that boss room. Unless the armor is talking about from when David was last in Green Row...

In the American version, we're led to believe the armor or spiritual entity is talking, whereas the European version indicates that the sword itself is making the speech.

European	American
You may borrow eight wizard's power to seal Huster's power.	You must gain eight wizard's power to vanquish Ramiah.

But you must give it back when you're done!

European	American
Welcome to the world of nightmares!	Enter the realms of your mind's chaos!

European	American
Those who are planning the revival of the evil demon have imprisoned us in these eight worlds. So, if you help the eight of us who are imprisoned, we'll help you defeat the man of darkness.	Those planning the revival of Ramiah imprisoned our kind in these eight realms. Hasten our escape, and our powers shall join. We must defeat the bringer of darkness.

European	American
Now I'm going to send you to the priest. Jump into the crystal!	You must now defeat the necromancer. Jump into the crystal!

European	American
To revitalise the evil demon they need blood.	To awaken Ramiah they need blood.

European	American
What that man has done is not the action of a sane man!	He's mad! I'm telling you! Stark, raving mad!!

European	American
A long time ago my mother told me that the man called Bloodroke used to be a friend of my father's.	Years ago, my mother told me that the man called Lord Roke used to be a friend of my father's.

European	American
If we save those victims, the evil demons cannot be revived!	If we save those lives, the evil demon cannot be revived!

They're not exactly victims... not yet at least.

European	American
You must aim at the four orbs that are buried in Huster's body! That's his weak point!	Destroy the four orbs that Ramiah holds. Then you can banish him!

What? Buried? They're just standing there on his hand!

European	American
One final ploy remains for me yet! That is my own life! Farewell then, Weeden! David! I offer my own life to the evil demon, Huster!	One sacrifice is all that is required! And that shall be my own! Farewell then, Weeden! David! I offer my life to darkness! Awake, Ramiah!

European	American
Loser, loser... I loved you...	Lost? How... Ramiah! Nooo...

After Ramiah/Huster is defeated, the Guildmaster... professes their love to David/Ramiah/Huster? That's what happens when you try to jam a tiny bit of romance where it doesn't fit. You get weird out-of-place lines. And why exactly are they calling David/Ramiah/Huster/himself/herself a loser?