Vertical Force

To do:
Prototype info

Vertical Force is an interesting top-down vertical shoot-'em-up employing 3D to display two different play depths, which the player can move between at will. It operates much like Hudson's other shooter, Star Soldier, except that it's headache-inducing for different reasons.

Debug Menu and Sound Test#

Debug Menu	Sound Test

A debug menu and sound test can be accessed by entering the following 20-button sequence on the Config screen:

Left D-Pad Left
Left D-Pad Left
Right D-Pad Right
Right D-Pad Right
Left D-Pad Up
Right D-Pad Down
Left D-Pad Up
Right D-Pad Down
L
R
Right D-Pad Right
Right D-Pad Right
Left D-Pad Left
Left D-Pad Left
Right D-Pad Up
Left D-Pad Down
Right D-Pad Up
Left D-Pad Down
R
L

Download Easier Debug Mode Patch

File: Vertical-Force VB Debug-Hack.zip (434 bytes) (info)

Alternatively, the above archive includes patches for both regions which shorten this button sequence down to a single Select press on the Config screen.

Sound Test Controls#

Left D-Pad Left/Right: Toggle Music
Right D-Pad Left/Right: Toggle Sound Effects
L: Play Music
R: Play Sound Effects
A: Stop Music
Start: Return to title screen

(Source: Parasyte, original TCRF research)

Development Text#

At 0x1DB7C in the US ROM or 0x1DB58 in the Japanese is the following string:

VSU DRIVER Version 0.19a,Copyright(c) 1994-95 Hudson Soft,Program : LU.Iwabuchi,Driver : ChaCha-TYPE,Note : Prototype

Near the end of the ROM, at 0xFFDD0, right by the internal name and gameID included in all Virtual Boy games, are build dates:

Japan	`1995/06/16 12:01`
US	`1995/09/22 11:02`

Regional Differences#

Important#

Japan	US

Take a Break#

Japan	US

Title Screen#

Japan	US

Config Menu#

Some of the settings in the Config menu are named differently between versions:

Japan	US
Key Config	Control Type
Exchange	AI Exchange
Line Move	Altitude

Additionally, the left and right D-Pads are labeled as "KEY (L)" and "KEY (R)", respectively, in the Japanese version, while the US version just has them as simply "L" and "R", respectively.

Auto Pause#

Japan	US

"Auto Pause" in the Japanese version was changed to "Automatic Pause" in the US version.