Darkwing Duck (NES)

This page details one or more prototype versions of Darkwing Duck (NES).

This Darkwing Duck prototype is a late build: Most of the game content is present, though there are a lot of small changes to level layouts and object graphics.

This prototype is documented on Hidden Palace.

Intro#

Prototype	Final

The copyright information was updated to include the copyright year. "Capcom Co., Ltd." was shortened to "Capcom".

The bridge lights were changed from pink to yellow. The shadow by the last blue building was also adjusted slightly.

General#

After beating a boss, Darkwing will jump up clear through the screen! This was taken out of the final version.

Prototype	Final

Darkwing does his little spring jump when you continue in the prototype, while he flies by in the Thunderquack in the final version. Note also that the prototype does not have an option to go to the stage select, but rather an option to quit the game.

Prototype	Final

The highway design was changed from a flat perspective to slightly overhead. The exclamation point by the special point bonus was removed, as were the leading zeroes of the total point score.

Prototype	Final

This is nitpicky to a sad extreme, but aside from the aforementioned perspective change, Darkwing is placed one pixel lower in the final version.

• Darkwing's hanging physics are still quite buggy in this version. He will often fail to hang on something even after coming in contact with it, and when he does hang, it will be to the left, right, or above where he's supposed to be.
• Gas pickups don't carry over to other stages in the prototype.
• Select gives a clean pause in the prototype. This means that to switch gas, you have to press Select twice.
• Steelbeak's message at the end of the game is missing.
• Two debugging features are enabled on the second controller – Down resets the game, B toggles invincibility mode (Darkwing will pass through enemies and power-ups, and will not take damage from spikes).
• There are two bugs with the cape shield that were fixed for the final version:

• • If the player has the cape up while standing on an arrow platform, a bug occurs when the platform falls. Darkwing will float in the air until the player either drops the cape or jumps.

• • Darkwing will also fail to take damage from spikes if the shield is up. This means the player can jump from spike to spike as long as they don't let go of the Up button.

Bonus Stages#

Prototype	Final

The bonus stage intro text was completely rewritten for the final. Here, the first bonus stage's items went from being stolen by F.O.W.L. to being taken by some random burglars. With the added text, it almost makes sense now!

Prototype	Final

Here, J. Gander Hooter (actual name) gives an explanation as to why you're in the sewer blocking capsules with your cape. The prototype doesn't really have an explanation. The final version definitely added some personality to the game's text.

Bonus Stage 1#

Prototype	Final

The bonus stages' artwork was totally altered for the final build. The first bonus stage's location changed from a rocky cliff at night, to a rooftop at daytime. Aside from a small gap under the left cliff, the layout is identical between versions.

Bonus Stage 2#

Prototype	Final

More scenery changes. This amusement park(?!) location was changed to some kind of sewer. Again, the layout is unchanged. The clouds in the prototype are still used in the final version's first bonus stage.

Stage Select#

There's a bug present here in the prototype, where Launchpad will continue to use his talking animation while the player is choosing which stage to select.

Prototype	Final

A lot of the stage select text was altered. In the stage intro, Launchpad now uses his familiar moniker for Darkwing, "DW".

Prototype	Final

Just a minor grammatical correction here.

Prototype
Final

"Wolfman Duck" was corrected in the final version to "Wolfduck", but the text was not realigned to compensate.

Prototype	Final

The third stage's level name changed from the Underpass to the Sewers.

Prototype	Final

Some L/R confusion! "Moriarty" completely bungles the pun in the character name. Luckily this was fixed in the final version.

Prototype	Final

Launchpad steals Darkwing Duck's catchphrase! This blatant theft is not present in the final.

Stages#

Bridge (Quackerjack)#

Prototype	Final

Another bat was added to this section for the final version.

Prototype	Final

All pulleys were moved 16 pixels to the right.

Prototype	Final

A lot of objects here were shuffled around. The diamond in the prototype was changed to gold bars and moved over to the left, and a large health pickup was added. The third platform was moved up 16 pixels, placing it on the same plane as the first platform.

City (Wolfduck)#

Prototype
Final

The tires here were moved closer to the walls in the final. The Arrow Gas pickup is positioned a bit higher in the prototype.

Prototype	Final

The gold bars and health are level in the prototype, but in the final build the gold bars were moved to the right, and the health to the left.

Prototype	Final

The last platform before the spikes was longer in the prototype.

Prototype	Final

This brown building was lowered for the final version, and the buildings in the background were altered as well.

Sewers (Liquidator)#

Prototype	Final

This hidden room of the Sewers is a lot more sadistic in the prototype, and the rewards are less plentiful. The final removes the floor spikes and places the floating platforms lower. It also adds two extra lives: one new, and one replacing the large gas pickup.

Prototype	Final

The green platform here no longer goes in-between the two spike bars, making this section a bit more forgiving.

Prototype	Final

The kangaroo enemy was moved one pillar to the right.

Woods (Bushroot)#

Prototype	Final

A recurring theme in this stage, the placement of the background rocks differs between the prototype and final release. The tree tile in the upper-left corner was also changed.

Prototype	Final

More background rock placement changes. The large platform extends further down in the prototype.

Prototype
Final

Yet more background rock differences, and the first lantern here was moved down 16 pixels.

Prototype	Final

And yet again.

Wharf (Megavolt)#

Prototype	Final

The steel platform was moved further to the left. A ceiling was added to hold the hook platforms, and a second hook tacked on as well. Like the bridge stage, the pulleys here were moved 16 pixels to the right.

Prototype	Final

The extended ledge in the prototype makes it possible for the platform to pass through you. This was fixed in the final.

Prototype	Final

The standard pulley change. The first spike on the ground is elevated higher in the prototype, and the rings around the ceiling spikes were lowered for the retail version.

Prototype
Final

More stage elements were moved to the right. This includes all pickups, the pulley, and the pole at the bottom. The final also has less cracks in the walls.

Prototype	Final

The largely pointless small health pickup was replaced with a large gas pickup. The final also removes one of the cracks in the walls and extends the top of the bottom platform.

Tower (Moliarty)#

Prototype	Final

The two connectors on the bottom I-Beam aren't present in the final.

Prototype	Final

The number of lanterns was reduced from four to two and recentered. The bottom I-beam was lowered to match.

As a result of this change, these shadow tiles are only used in the prototype. The tiles are blanked out in the final version.

Prototype	Final

Sections of wall now jut out at the ends of this spike pit, and the red platform was moved up 8 pixels.

Prototype	Final

The second I-Beam protrudes more to the left in the prototype.

Prototype	Final

Moliarty's boss room is harder in the prototype. All the machines are active at the start, while in the final version the lower machine starts out broken.

Moliarty's A.I. isn't quite finished yet. He will not move horizontally at all unless it's to fix one of the machines. While he's fixing the machines, he fires a steady supply of hammers. This thankfully doesn't happen in the final.

Fortress (Steelbeak)#

Prototype	Final

The final version adds a heavy gas pickup here, making all three gas types available at the start.

Prototype	Final

The prototype has two platform switches, while the final build has one platform switch and two of those donut platforms. The background tiles were also adjusted.

Prototype	Final

One last orange platform was added in the final version. The two pickups were moved up a whopping 1 pixel.

Prototype	Final

The lights on the wall aren't present in the prototype.

Object Graphics#

Differences abound, as do graphics erased completely from the final version!

General#

Prototype	Final

The standard gas shot is smaller in the final version.

Prototype	Final

This also applies to the gas seen in the heavy gas pickup.

Prototype	Final

The light on top of the Eggman Gel enemy is larger in the final version.

Some of the banks are numbered in the prototype. These numbers were blanked out in the final version.

Bridge#

The prototype has a hook sprite. This hook appears in the final game, but as a background graphic. It's possible it was meant to move. There's also what appears to be a spear.

Sewers#

The crow's eyes in the prototype are half-closed. They're fully open in the final version, save for a single overlooked frame.

Prototype	Final

The black outline around the Kangaroo's bombs was removed in the final build.

A larger fragment that would have been created by the Hammer Eggmen.

Forest#

The owl in the prototype was made more menacing by turning it into some kind of hawk.

Wharf#

Prototype	Final

The more dangerous-looking platforms were redesigned to look more natural. Since the platforms can't damage you in the prototype either, this is no big loss.

Tower#

Prototype	Final

Moliarty's machines had their lights redrawn.

This ash and flame were probably intended to be used when Darkwing Duck is hit by the flames from the machines. These graphics were overwritten in the final version with Steelbeak's cycling lights and the sprite parts of his portrait from the ending, which is not present in the prototype.

Fortress#

Prototype	Final

Steelbeak's chair was touched up a bit, and Steelbeak himself was put in a more relaxed pose.

Steelbeak's face was changed to more closely match his design in the cartoon.