S.C.A.T.: Special Cybernetic Attack Team

S.C.A.T.: Special Cybernetic Attack Team

Also known as: Final Mission (JP), Action in New York (EU)
Developer: Natsume
Publishers: Natsume (JP/US), Infogrames (EU)
Platform: NES
Released in JP: June 23, 1990
Released in US: June 1991
Released in EU: 1992

This game has unused graphics.
This game has a hidden level select.
This game has regional differences.

This game has a prototype article

A solid shooter with a rather unfortunate title, where you play as the members of the titular attack team.

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Prototype Info

Unused Graphics

Unused Level 3 Boss Graphics

Early	Final

All three versions of this game contain incomplete set of graphics for the Level 3 boss backgrounds, with different beams and damaged nozzles graphics. This extra set has no rocket launcher block graphics at all.

Unused Ending Graphics

There were more different silhouettes for the first player ending scene in the JP version of this game. In addition to optimized CHR data for the first and the second player's silhouettes, a game graphics bank contains three more rather unused combined player silhouettes. On the picture above, two unused silhouettes are standing to the right of the original final version for the player one silhouette. The US and EU versions have completely different ending graphics.

Regional Differences

General

The usual title and copyright changes.

Japan	US	Europe

Aside from the title and logos being completely different between versions, the Japanese title scrolls in from the right, and the logo gradually scrolls in from the top down and changes color when it stops moving. The other versions scroll in from the left with no other animation. The Japanese and USA versions of the game also feature a sound effect, while the European title screen is silent.

Japan	US	Europe

In the Japanese version, you start with three hit-points instead of six in the other versions.
If the options are not fixed at given directions, in the Japanese version they will adjust according to the horizontal movement of the player, while in other versions they always move back and forth.
Bullets from the options are not colored in the Japanese version. In other versions they follow the player color.
In the Japanese version, the player loses any weapon they obtain after getting hit once. This was changed in the other versions so that the player only loses their weapon if they get a game over.
In the Japanese version, the death animation has your character disintegrating, while in the other versions they explode into blue balls, Mega Man style.
When starting the game, the Japanese version only gives you a screen with the stage number, while other versions show you a map that shows future levels, your score, the high score, and a life counter along with a rather good-sounding voice sample wishing you luck.

Japan	US/Europe

Japan	US/Europe

The Japanese version does not have the "R" item, which is a "life extend" item (1-up) in other versions.
Stages 3 and 4 in the Japanese version have been moved around in the US/EU version. This means the battleship stage is now Stage 4 while the Astrotube stage is now Stage 3 in the US/EU version. However, minor enemies keep their action pattern according to stage number, that in the US/EU versions, minor enemies in the Astrotube stage are not so aggressive comparing to Japanese version, but in the battleship stage it is the opposite.

Intro

To do:
Upload a video of the Japanese and US (or EU) intro cutscenes.

The introduction is completely different between versions. While it is largely the same in the US and European versions, the text was still slightly changed. The names of the playable characters and the villain were changed, along with their birthplace and affiliation. Mentions of 'S.C.A.T' were also edited out from the text. Additionally, the US version ends the intro on the word 'S.C.A.T' scrolling past the screen, while the European version shows a brief gray screen in its place. Oddly, the European version also seems to use a slightly modified font, with a different lower-case 'S'.

US	Europe

US	Europe

US	Europe

US	Europe

Staff Credits

The Japanese version mostly uses aliases for the staff credits. The international versions use the real names of staff members for the credits instead. The international versions also fixed the spelling error in "Spesial Thanks" from the Japanese version but also changed the list of people in that section completely, as well as deleting the credit for "Package Designer" entirely. The credits also scroll faster in the international versions as well.

Japan	US/Europe
PRODUCER きっかわそう	PRODUCER SATOSHI YOSIKAWA
PROGRAMMER よゆうのよっちゃん	PROGRAMMER SATOSHI YOSIKAWA KENJI FURUYA
GRAPHIC DESIGNER MR.ふなちんひろくん.ひろりん.ひろたん OHMINAMI 5DAN	GRAPHIC DESIGNER MIKIHIKO FUNADA HIROSI TAKAI SHUNJI OHMINAMI
SOUND DESIGNER KYOHEI SADA	SOUND DESIGNER KYOHEI SADA
PACKAGE DESIGNER BABA
SPESIAL THANKS ATUSI OKAZAKI ROCKY おかもと KAYOKO HIRAI EIJI UEDA	SPECIAL THANKS JIM H.YAJIMA KEVIN SULLIVAN ROBERT MORSE MICHAEL MAUBRY

Additionally, the subsequent "Enemy Boss" gallery that plays after the staff credits in the Japanese version is simply removed from the international versions.

Cheat Codes

All versions of the game have button codes for starting on certain stages with a certain command for each individual stage. Here is the list of codes, should be entered on Controller 1:

A + Start - Level 2
B + Start - Level 3
Right + Start - Level 4
Left + Start - Level 5

There are some differences between activation codes.

Japanese Version

All cheat codes must be activated by following button code: at the title screen hold A + B on Controller 2. Levels 2 to 5 are selectable. Exclusive to the JP version is code to view the ending (Up + Start on Controller 1). Extra lives code (Select + Start on Controller 1) gives 10 lives only (US and European versions gives 12).

US Version

Level select codes activation is the same as for the JP version, but only levels 2 to 4 are selectable. Extra lives activation code is changed, you must hold A + B + Up on Controller 2, then just press Start on Controller 1.

European Version

Exclusively to the EU version, the activation code is completely different. To enable cheats, you must enter the button sequence A, B, Right, Left, A, B, Up, Down, Select on Controller 1 (not 2!). In this version, however, the extra lives code is the same as the ending code in the JP version (Up + Start on Controller 1).

Music and Audio

The game's soundtrack saw various changes and adjustments for the international versions. These changes generally involved adjusting the DPCM and noise channel drums for many songs, while a few songs were shifted up or down a key. However, the most significant change was replacing the opening theme, as well as shortening the ending theme.

Overall the noise channel has been made much more prominent, moving from being mainly used for "cymbal hits" to getting primarily used for "snare drum hits" and cymbals, bringing it closer to how it is utilized in other Natsume NES games such as Shatterhand (which only uses noise channel drums, with no drum samples whatsoever).

However, the snare and bass/kick drum samples have been swapped out for weaker-sounding drum samples overall, with the end result being that the noise channel takes the lead in percussion. On the other hand, the rather weak-sounding and muted "tom drum" samples in the Japanese version have been replaced with arguably stronger-sounding and clearer tom samples overall in the US/EU version.

Context	Japan	US/Europe
Stage 1
Stage 2
Stage 3-1 & 4-1
Stage 3-2 (JP) / Stage 4-2 (US/EU)
Stage 4-2 (JP) / Stage 3-2 (US/EU)
Stage 4-3 (JP) / Stage 3-3 (US/EU)
Stage 5
Boss Battle
Stage Clear
Game Over

Stage 1: Compared to the Japanese version, the US/EU version has shifted a key up.
Stage 4-3 (JP) / Stage 3-3 (US/EU): The original Japanese version, despite being based on the Stage 1 theme, is actually distinct since it is shifted down a key lower from the original. However, the US/European version is just a shortened edit of the Stage 1 theme, with no other differences.
Boss Battle: The US/European version shifts the theme upwards a key higher than the original Japanese version.

Most of the soundtrack merely had the drums swapped out or were shifted up/down a key in a few cases, but two songs have major differences.

Opening Demo

The opening demo theme in the Japanese version was completely replaced in the US/European versions. Comparing the opening themes, the Japanese version is more somber in tone while the US/European version is somewhat more upbeat and energetic.

In addition, the opening music has been split into two different parts in the US/EU version, as opposed to being one continuous tune in the original Japanese version.

Japan	US/Europe

Ending

In the Japanese version of the ending theme, right after the main melody finishes, an extra melody plays during the "Enemy Boss" screens before segueing back into the main melody to conclude the song. Since the "Enemy Boss" screens were cut out of the US/European versions, the extra melody was cut out of the ending theme for those versions, leaving the main melody to quickly conclude after the credits finish.

Japan	US/Europe

Voice Samples

In the Japanese version, voice clips in English are played before every stage, listing objectives. This was removed in the international versions.

Transcript	Audio
Stage 1: "Go the first battle!"
Stage 2: "Fire the beam!"
Stage 3: "Destroy battleship!"
Stage 4: "Take over the Astrotube!"
Stage 5: "Take the last breath!"