Wizardry: Knight of Diamonds (NES)

In this FC/NES version, the game balance has been significantly improved and adjusted to address the shortcomings of the PC version, allowing players to start the game as Level 1 adventurers and complete it.
Furthermore, by using a ‘ASCII Turbo File’, you can reincarnate adventurers from the previous two scenarios. (However, as reincarnated adventurers/characters start at Level 5, the game balance is maintained.)

Hidden Credit#

The following string is present at 0x849B in the Japanese version and at 0x8458 in the US version and is used as a SRAM signature to test the save memory integrity.

By Kei Cross
06/10/89

By Kei Cross
Feb., 8,1991

Unused Text#

Several bits of "quest text" go unused. These are very similar if not identical to text in the third game of the series, Legacy of Llylgamyn. The strings are used in that game upon invoking the Crystals of Good/Evil in various situations.

Regional Differences#

Support for Turbo File Devices#

The Japanese version of the game has support for ASCII Turbo File devices, which allows players to save their current game state and return to it later, much like savestates. This feature was removed in the US version, though the references to the TurboFile remain in the ROM.

Text Differences#

The Japanese version has an option for English text. If this is selected, you'll see several bits of English text differ between it and the US version.

12 East, 2 North, 1 Down#

In the PC version, this is a hint to use MALOR to reach the square with the Knight of Diamonds Armor--the original last two lines are "Lies four steps ahead/but three steps away". The Japanese version just does away with the riddle aspect altogether, while the U.S. version restores it, but switches the number of steps in the last two lines since you no longer need to teleport there:

10 East, 4 North, 5 Down#

This is where you need to teleport past the square in the NES version, to get to the Knight of Diamonds Gauntlets. Funnily, the Japanese version does a better version of hinting at the solution despite being worse English.

1 East, 3 North, 6 Down#

Try to get the Staff of Gnilda with a single character who doesn't have the Knight of Diamonds gear equipped and this is the fate that befalls you--it displays this text and then dumps your body back at the castle.

5 East, 14 North, 6 Down#

You can acquire a Staff of Light here in the PC version. But in the NES version...

13 East, 15 North, 6 Down#

This is one of the hints to the final riddle in the PC version. Because the riddle was taken out of the NES version, the room description was also completely changed.

16 East, 13 North, 6 Down#

Another PC version riddle hint that got changed. A few squares beyond this is a high-level encounter.

References#