Topic: Final Fantasy III (US) Prototype

[badinsults]

I think I found most, if not all of the differences in the tabling of the game:

Code: [Select]

prototype:final

it:ar
 n:h
w :ag
e…:ge
ag:w
I :ea
n’:ta
Note that it works in reverse as well.  Here is a good example of that:

Code: [Select]

317c317
< LOCKE: eaPREFER the term trI sure hunting!<Page>
---
> LOCKE: I PREFER the term treasure hunting!<Page>
Top is the line from the prototype, bottom from the final version of the game.  Is there any way to fix this with the tables?

Edit: never mind, I found the values in the appropriate table file.  I was looking in the wrong table!

[badinsults]

There are nine strings that are different in the prototype versus the final version, all spelling/grammar fixes.  Any graphics I should be looking out for if I play through?  In particular, things that were changed from the Japanese version to the US version that might have been edited between the creation of this prototype versus the release of the game?

[Dragonsbrethren]

Yeah, here's a quick list:

PUB sign in towns/Zozo battles (changed to CAFE for the US release)

Attack and effect magic icons (mirrored from their Japanese counterparts)

Mute spell graphic (Kanji in a circle in the Japanese release; MUTE in an oval in the US)

Second and third final battle formations (women had a bit of clothing added)


These enemy sprites:


Barb-e/Dahling/L.80 Magic/Madam: No smoke in the US release (pipe is still there)

 
Chadarnook: More mist added


Critic: Wears a one-piece


Goddess: Ribbons widened

You can use this program to check the sprites quickly.

 

Added names; should make things even easier.

 

One last thing I forgot: Ted Woolsey's name added under Translator in the credits. (The Remake Planner position was already there, even in the Japanese version.)

[badinsults]

Ok, I am trying to find where this is said, I hope I haven't missed it:

Code: [Select]

10911c10911
< Some friendly adivce! There’s a weapon called the Guardian.<Break>
---
> Some friendly advice! There’s a weapon called the Guardian.<Break>

[Dragonsbrethren]

Hmm, I don't remember exactly, but it should be in one of the four towns on the southern continent, WoB. I don't think it's said until after the floating continent raises, though.

By the way, I forgot about the censored espers. You can use the sprite editor to check these out, too:


Siren


Starlet

(Starlet was shifted down a row of tiles, too, which is what those two tiles to the right are. Not sure if it's even noticeable in-game or not, never paid much attention to it.)

[badinsults]

Alright, I found the guy who says it, it is in Tzen!

I looked at the following graphics so far:

- PUB sign in towns/Zozo battles (changed to CAFE for the US release)

- Attack and effect magic icons (mirrored from their Japanese counterparts)

- Mute spell graphic

- Siren

All are the same as final.

[badinsults]

I checked all the sprites above, they are the same.

[badinsults]

Damnit, I just found out that the last text string I need only happens in the ending if you don't have Locke, rather than with Locke.  Although I doubt that saves are directly interchangeable, does anyone have a save at the very end of the game without Locke?

[Dragonsbrethren]

I don't have one, but the saves should be compatible (saves between the Japanese and US versions work fine, so I don't see why a proto would be any different). Mnrogar has an Snes9x savestate here, "Celes without Locke." You should be able to use that. The correct line should be loaded, provided it's not the first one displayed when you load the state.

[badinsults]

I don't have one, but the saves should be compatible (saves between the Japanese and US versions work fine, so I don't see why a proto would be any different). Mnrogar has an Snes9x savestate here, "Celes without Locke." You should be able to use that. The correct line should be loaded, provided it's not the first one displayed when you load the state.

Ah, wonderful, that worked great.

[badinsults]

Alright, my article is finished!

http://www.snescentral.com/article.php?id=0954

The ROM is there available for download.

[Dragonsbrethren]

Cool. Shame the proto wasn't of an earlier version, though, it would've been cool to learn a little more about Square's localization process back then. I think the sasquatch line is actually censorship, since that guy's supposed to be drunk. Here's that line from the GBA version:

I sawr me some moogleses playin' with
one-a them big ol' yetis the other day!
Course, no one believes me... Hic!

[Novalia Spirit]

All right, I just finished comparing the files. Aside from what has been stated already, the inevitable modifications to the checksum and pointer values, and the absence of a partially erased reiteration of the last string in the map event dialogue, it seems like the following is the only difference that has not been mentioned yet:

Unfinished port:
EDGAR:<Break>Don’t bet on it……<Wait for key><Break>It probably just hiding from<Break>us……<Wait for key><End>

Official release:
EDGAR:<Break>Don’t bet on it……<Wait for key><Break>It’s probably just hiding<Break>from us……<Wait for key><End>

Here are some screenshots to illustrate the differences:





The only data that I have yet to compare is the compressed block that contains the code that handles the title screen, among other things. I'll update this post once that is done. Speaking of the title screen, I have recently discovered, while studying the relevant code, that the lightning bolts and flashing clouds are actually handled in a pseudo-random manner. Since the game always goes through the same sequence of events at the beginning of the game, it won't appear random at all, but the splash screen that was added to the official SNES version actually alters the sequence. One quick way to check this is to count the number of lightning bolts that appear at the top of the screen initially; in the official SNES versions, there are two lightning bolts, whereas the other versions, including this one, have three of them.

[badinsults]

Ah, I missed that one, I will have to include it.

[Deathlike2]

I sawr some moogles

Nice.