Has anyone discovered anything in Maniac Manzion and Zak McKracken they want to share

[commodorejohn]

I liked the NES version, myself. Sweet soundtrack, and a bit nicer graphics. Though it does suck to not have a mouse.

[commodorejohn]

Oh, I didn't know ScummVM ran the NES version. I'll have to give that a try

[commodorejohn]

The NES version is unfortunately crap, see http://www.crockford.com/wrrrld/maniac.html for a list of some of the "improvements".

Yeah, that's Nintendo for you. Censorship aside, though, I totally dig the soundtrack (you just can't go wrong with "Fat Man" Sanger) and the sort of Archie Comics-stylized versions of the character sprites.

Actually, I'm going to give a try to running the uncensored prototype NES version that showed up on the 'net in 2005...

This is the perfect excuse to set up ScummVM on my 1200...

[commodorejohn]

Actually, I'm going to give a try to running the uncensored prototype NES version that showed up on the 'net in 2005...

Well, poop, the extraction tool doesn't support the prototype ROM. I'll have to drop 'em a line about this...

[commodorejohn]

Please do, I'd love to see the prototype supported as well, if not for historical reasons.

:/ I looked it up in the feature-request list, and aggravatingly, Quietust refuses to do it, since the prototype can't be had legally (as if anyone playing the released version is so likely to have bought a NES copier and stuck their cartridge in it, instead of just downloading it from a ROM site!) I recompiled it to assume it's the prototype if it fails the CRC check, but it's complaining about resources being the wrong length and in the wrong place, and I don't know enough about SCUMM to build an index for it...

[commodorejohn]

Yes, you can run it through an emulator, but then you have to use the D-pad to move the cursor, which is a pain. ScummVM can run the SCUMM data files if you extract them from the ROM, but the extractor utility uses one of several built-in indices for the game resources, corresponding to the different-language releases of the NES version. It doesn't support the prototype, and Quietust apparently refuses to add support. The source is available, and if I knew enough about SCUMM I could just construct an additional index, but I don't.

[commodorejohn]

Agh ha, I have no need to fire it up then. I  presumed they somehow managed to add Mouse support to the old NES  version.

They did. It runs the NES version, complete with customized graphics and  music, but it has mouse support. It's quite nice, except for the  censorship.

Ah fair enough. I thought the NES version was just a complete rework I didn't know that the scumm stuff was in there.

Yep. The Japan-only Famicom version uses a different engine, but it's crappy anyway so who cares.

[commodorejohn]

Hardcore Gaming 101 compares it to the comic strip Cathy; I can't really disagree with that assessment :lol:

[commodorejohn]

Nope, those are from the NES version.

[commodorejohn]

What's the difference?

The difference is that the Famicom release is a completely different  port that doesn't even use NES SCUMM and has  a drastically  different, loosely anime-inspired graphics style. Doesn't have  Team Fat's music, either.

The naked statue I think is ripped from the uncensored prototype ROM; it's not the one from the Famicom release, in any case.