the cutting room mirror

Gun.Smoke (NES, Famicom Disk System)

Gun.Smoke: The sheriff has been shot! Are you a bad enough dude to mow down hundreds of Old West outlaws and serve some frontier justice?

Basically, it's kind of like Commando in the 19th century. It's also the spiritual predecessor to Red Dead Revolver, so there's something.

Stage Select#

left Use the Game Genie codes PUULPANG + KZKLGPVV (US version) to access this stage select at the title screen. Use A and B to select a stage prior to starting the game.

Holding Select + Up when starting the game will also give you the ability to aim using the D-Pad instead of the individual A / B buttons, a feature which is normally unlocked using a longer button code.

(Source: Original TCRF research)

Regional Differences#

The Japanese Famicom Disk System version featured several differences.

Title Screen#

Besides the copyright differences, the international versions title screens displays the high score.

Japan

USA

Europe

Button Code#

Gun.Smoke.FDS.Easter.egg.Secret.message.Ore.ga.warukatta.png

At the title screen, quickly press: A, B, B, Right x3, Left x4, Up x5, Down x6. In the Japanese version, this code triggers a secret message that translates to "my mistake." In the international versions, the code enables control of the directions of your shots using the dpad instead of the buttons.

Introduction#

While the intro text is written in Japanese, the opening words are in English in both versions. These were changed for the international versions. Interestingly, the Japanese version does not mention the Wingates murdering the sheriff of Hicksville.

Japan

Translation

International

 IN 1849
せいぶかいたくじだいのあめりか、そのなかに
ごーるどらっしゅでにぎわうヒツクスビルと
いうまちがあった。

 あるひのこと・・・
 せいぶでもっともおそれられるウィンゲートふぁ
みりーがあらわれ、いちやのうちにこのまちをしは
いしてしまった。

 まいにちのようにつづくウィンゲートたちのりゃ
くだつ、ぼうりょくにたえられなくなつたひとび
とは、ひそかにたすけをもとめるてがみをだした。

 かぜのふきあれるひ、ゆうひとともにひとリのガ
ソマソがあらわれた。

 まちをすくうために・・・。
 In 1849.
On the American frontier, there once
was a town called Hicksville that prospered
during the Gold Rush.

 Then one day...
 The Wingate family, the most feared in 
the West, appeared and took control of
the town overnight.

 Unable to endure the Wingates'
seemingly daily robberies and violence, 
the people sent out a letter seeking help.

 One windswept day, a lone gunman
emerged alongside the evening sun...

 ...to save the town.
 IN AMERICA
THE YEAR WAS 1849,
IN THE SMALL TOWN CALLED
HICKSVILLE WHERE THE
PIONEERS WORKED HARD
DURING THE GOLD RUSH ERA.
 ONE DAY A GROUP OF
OUTLAWS KNOWN AS THE
WINGATES CAME INTO TOWN,
KILLED THE SHERIFF AND
TOOK OVER THE TOWN.
 THE WINGATES RAIDED
THE TOWN EVERYDAY AND
TERRIFIED THE PEOPLE
IN HICKSVILLE.
 THEN CAME A LONE GUNMAN,
IN THE WINDY AFTERNOON
WITH A SUNSET BEHIND
HIM,TO SAVE THE TOWN
TO SAVE THE PEOPLE OF
HICKSVILLE FROM
THE WINGATES.

Wanted Posters#

The portraits on the wanted posters were greatly enhanced in the NES version, largely via the use of sprite overlays to add more colors. Bandit Bill's outfit was redesigned entirely, and Ninja was given a shuriken.

Japan

International

Ending#

In the Japanese version, you get different messages for every time you finish the game. In the international versions, the first and second run messages were removed and the Capcom logo was replaced by text.

Japan

International

 ゆうひとともにあらわれたガソマソのかつやくによ
って、ウィソゲートふぁみりーはほろびさった。

 ガソマソのゆうきとガソがせにぎをまもった
のだ。

 ガソマソがまちをさったあとも、ひとびとはな
ガくガソマソのことをわすれなかった。

 ひとびとは、ゆうひをみ
るたびつぶやく・・・。

 ありがとう、ゆうひとと
もにあらわれなガソマソ。
 GUNMAN WHO ARRIVED WITH
A SUNSET INTO THE TOWN
OF HICKSVILLE HAS
DEFEATED THE WINGATES.
 HIS BRAVENESS AND SKILL
HAS SAVED THIS TOWN.
 LONG AFTER THE GUNMAN
HAS LEFT THE TOWN,
PEOPLE IN HICKSVILLE
STILL REMEMBERS ONE
BRAVE GUNMAN.

 THE BEAUTIFUL SUNSET 
STILL REMINDS THE
PEOPLE OF ONE BRAVE 
GUNMAN AND HOW HE
SAVED THE TOWN OF
HICKSVILLE.

1st Run#

Japan

USA

However, disaster strikes again...

2nd Run#

Japan

USA

Once more, disaster strikes again...

3rd Run#

Japan

USA

Game Over#

The Japanese version provides continue by holding down A and pressing B, Up, Down, Left, Right, B, Up, Down, Left, Right, Start. The international versions provide you with unlimited continues and add a "Retry" option, which actually just takes you back to the title screen. Also, the palette animation on the game over text received an update.

Japan

International

Missing Music#

Due to hardware limitations, the Famicom Disk System version is missing several tunes. Instead, the game uses Boss Music 1 during stage 1, 4, and 6, Boss Music 2 during stage 2 and 5, and Boss Music 3 during stage 3. On top of that, there are only three variations of BGM in this version. BGM 1 is used during stage 1, 4, and 6, BGM 2 is used during stage 2 and 5, and BGM 3 is used during stage 3.

These missing tracks were included in the NES versions outside of Japan.

Bandit Bill

Death Mountain

Ninja

Cheyenne River

Fort Wingate

Wingate

(Source: VGMPF Wiki)