Primal Rage (Arcade)

Primal Rage is a strange one-on-one fighting game where a bunch of prehistoric animals fight each other in a post-apocalyptic Earth. Techniques include farts as special moves and urinating as a finisher.

To do: A debug menu was found but no info was provided on how to access it. An unused animation only found in version 1.7. Revisional differences (e.g. using different joystick and button combinations to perform special moves).

Debug Options#

Hold Up on both joysticks and P1 Button 1 while flicking the test switch. If done right, a message will pop up saying "OK, I HEARD YOU", acting as your cue to immediately let go of the inputs to avoid going to the normal Test Menu.

If done right, a new Debug Options choice will appear on the test menu between Statistics and Game Options.

The Development setting enables some more disabled service menu options seen below. The other two settings don't appear to do anything.

• The controls test displays the raw data at the upper left.
• A sound test and an error log is added to the sound tests menu.
• A Scope Loops option is added to the service menu.
• A sprite viewer is added to the video tests menu.

Unused Graphics#

To do: Find the correct palettes for these.

A logo and some text for the CAGE audio system used by the game. It was probably intended to appear in the attract mode.

Crash Handler#

If the game ever crashes, it'll display a crash handler. Pressing Start three times reboots the game. All of the text for it can be found at 0x10C in the main CPU.

RUNNING INTO VECS
INT1
INT2
INT3
INT4
INT5
INT6
INT7
BUS ERR
ADDRESS ERR
ILLEGAL INS
ZERO DIV
CHECK FAIL
TRAPV
PRIVILEGE VIOL
TRACE VEC
1010 EXCEPT
1111 EXCEPT
RESERVED VEC
FORMAT ERR
UNINITIALIZED INT
SPURIOUS INT
TRAP

Unused Text#

Present at 0x4C841 in the main CPU is a reference to a Windows executable.

F:\COL\BMPCOL\BMPCOL.EXE

Present at 0xDEDB2 is text for a possible debug mode.

get_dmg()
got_hit() ATK_NULL
DEMO ONLY
st_atk      
in_atk      
std_idle    
crc_idle    
air_idle    
wfwd        
wbwd        
dizzy       
unknown     
getup       
inatk       
proj        
air froze   
tg_fwd      
ai_get_attack_menu()
ai_get_mv_menu_ndx: bad attack_menu 
AI
dfP: 
dfC: 
atm: 
mvm: 
mov : 
bnx: 
DIF
Reset Game
Exit Menu
Set Time Unit
Drone Options
Damage Toggle
Debug flags
ENTER OF MASS EDITOR
PLAYFIELD EDITOR
MOVE EDITOR TOGGLE
SEQN EDITOR TOGGLE
TUNE EDITOR TOGGLE
Dizzy Toggle
HUSH
Tribe edit
SHOW AI LEVEL
START AUTOPLAY
TRIBE TOGGLE
DUMP KEYS
Return to main menu
Toggle Player 0
Toggle Player 1
Set Player 0 difficulty
Set Player 1 difficulty
Show dx and dy
Ai debug info
Defend safety net test
Return to main menu
DBG special moves
DBG projectiles
DBG collision
DBG jump
DBG invulnerability
DBG center of mass
DBG CMass Live Cursor
btn1 to abort
default 10, btn0 to accept new value
joy left, joyright, to modify
default 30, btn0 to accept new value
joy left, joyright, btn2+btn3 to modify
player 0 computer flag = 
player 1 computer flag = 
player 0 ai dif lev = 
player 1 ai dif lev = 
show dx and dy = 
Debug AI info ENABLED
debug AI info DISABLED
Debug defend saftey net ENABLED.debug defend safety net DISABLED
dbg flag ON
dbg flag OFF
dmg DISABLED 
dmg ENABLED 
diz DISABLED 
diz ENABLED 
counterfeit game
XX
-
+
BAD MOB PRIORITY
BAD MO_ACTION
REC1   REC2
DRC1   DRC2
INVUL0  INVUL1
DX      DY    
BC  A1  A2  DX  DY  F1  F2
c_bProj1  dProj1  c_bProj2  dProj2
px1  py1  px2  py2  dpx  dpy
CMX   CMY   XPOS  YPOS  NewX  NewY
Simul Col
kill tiger pri left plr 
kill tiger pri right plr
equal priority
left plr hits last to win
right plr hits last to win
left plr behind in dmg
right plr behind in dmg
random plr wins
Not Simul Col
rex_msl()
rex_megl() */
rex_stmp
rex_stmp
rex_megpv
spi_supc()
spi_megc()
spi_ball()
spi_ball()
ATTACK ACTIVE
DAMAGE:     %
BLKDMG:     %
DIZZY:      %
BLKDZY:     %
SPEED:       
DIST:        
HTIME:       
ATKSND:      
HITSND:      
BLKSND:      
BLKSTN:      
CYCLE:           
TIMER:           
INDEX:           
SEQN:            
YPOS:            
XPOS:            
NO SEQUENCE TABLE
NO OFFSET TABLE
STORE COORDINATE
MOVE EDITOR ON
SEQN EDITOR ON
TUNE EDITOR ON
TRIBE EDITOR ON
NO OBJECTS TO EDIT
SETUP ERROR
WORLD IS MAXED!
DZ:
DY:
DX:
ATTRIB:
ZPOS:
YPOS:
XPOS:
MO:
TOTAL:
PLAYFIELD EDITOR
SCROLL SCREEN
START EDITOR
SELECT OBJECT
CHANGE PICTURE
MOVE
CHANGE ATTRIB
DELETE
ADD OBJECT
CURSOR
EXIT
CMY:           
CMX:           
DINO:          
CENTER EDITOR
STORE CENTER
SELECT DINO
EDIT CENTERS
REX  
KONG 
TALON
COBRA
SPIKE

Anti-Piracy Features#

The game features an encrypted copy-protection mechanism that disables players from performing certain combo attacks, changes the color and shading of blood graphics, and places certain limits on the AI if the game detects that it is running on an unofficial board. This anti-piracy feature is notable for preventing accurately emulated ports of the arcade version of the game, to the point where the anti-piracy effects are partially present in several official compilations featuring Primal Rage, including Midway Arcade Treasures 2.

References#