Crackout

To do: There exists an unreleased US prototype.

A Breakout type game from Konami. Originally a Disk System game, it was later released in Europe and Australia as Crackout.

Build Dates#

At the end of the PRG ROM is an ID with a date that version of the game was compiled. A similar ID is found in many other Konami games.

Regional Differences#

The NES version received a more colorful title screen.

FDS	NES

As is often the case with FDS games brought to the NES, the disk version has a save feature while the cartridge uses passwords.

FDS	NES

The background was changed to gray and the text was centered.

FDS	NES

The game seems to use a slightly different palette, affecting the ball & paddle, bricks and enemies. Additionally, there is no default high score to beat in the FDS original.

FDS	NES

Ending#

This page or section needs more images. There's a whole lotta words here, but not enough pictures. Please fix this. Specifically: Screenshots of cast roll from the Japanese FDS and European NES versions, and newly-added staff credits for European NES version.

FDS	NES

After you enter the password at the end, the system message differs between regions. The Japanese version says 「KANGEKI！！」 in Rōmaji while the European version says "WELL DONE!! CONGRATULATIONS!!" instead.

Cast Roll#

'...But what does it mean?' This game has text or audio that needs to be translated. If you are fluent with this language, please read our translation guidelines and then submit a translation! Notes: Translation needed for the messages in the Japanese enemy cast roll. Some of them are Japanese puns hard to translate.

The "PRESENT FOR YOU." cast roll of enemies and bosses presented after finishing the game has the background wrapper and ribbon recolored from purple and pink to yellow and orange in the European NES version.

In general, while the content of the messages in the Japanese version appear to be all across the board, the messages in the European version seem to have been changed across the board to be much more congratulatory to the player for beating the game.

Staff Credits#

In addition, the European NES release of the game added staff credits afterwards, which were not present in the original Japanese FDS release.

Music#

Staff credits theme#

A new song (with added tom, bass, and snare drum samples not used in the original soundtrack) was included with the newly-added staff credits for the European NES release.

Speed issues#

When releasing the game in Europe, the developers tried to properly convert the game to 50 Hz. However, the game still ends up running just a bit slightly slower in the European version than it does in the original Japanese version. This is most notable with the soundtrack to the game.

Comparing the theme for the enemy cast roll, the only song in the game that actually fully stops instead of looping endlessly, the length of the song in the Japanese version is 3:04 while the European version's length is 3:10.

It should be noted that the official soundtrack release on Konami Famicom Chronicle Vol. 1 (EMCA-0018) fades out the ending theme early after only two loops of the main theme.