The ominous Castle #Cadash from the game of the same name - the lair of the evil Archmage, guarded by his grim henchmen - is designed in a classic fantasy style. Yet, publisher #Taito couldn't resist presenting the princess in a distinct Anime/Manga look at the journey's end. Beneath this Japanese flair lies a tough nut to crack: a rock-hard RPG-#Metroidvania that will leave even the most seasoned heroes breaking a sweat.
I've encountered something very weird---
A few years ago I played around with the settings in #Cadash in #MAME, I think it was the DIP switches, and I managed to unlock an entire alternate opening area.
I literally PLAYED this. At least one version of Cadash contains a complete different first level. It largely contains the obstacles from the normal first level, but they're in a different order. This alternate map connects with the normal first level at the first boss room, and from there the rest of the game continues normally.
I know it's there! I saw it! But now I can't figure out how I unlocked it in MAME! And I can't find anyone else on the internet who's discovered this.
To follow up on my #Cadash post--
In the way of these official compilations, #ArcadeArchives they only offer a couple of versions, when there's five in #MAME, and that's just counting the Japanese and US versions.
Of the variations on offer in Arcade Archives a Japan and a US one, the US version is much easier. Herbs only cost 20G each, and you can carry 8 (the Japanese version presented they cost 10x more), in the US version inn prices ramp up more slowly so you can probably afford an extra stay, and the secret "Amulet of Dragon" item which gives you a ton of gold, instead of being worth 10,000G, maxes you out at 60,000G!
The cheaper herbs and greater capacity for them can be very useful in the first half of the game. I don't remember all the MAME versions using these rules though, I think there might be a Japanese one with the cheaper, or a US one with more expensive prices.
I got the #ArcadeArchives release of one of my favorite arcade games, #Cadash, which is a bona-fide action action RPG, with experience points and gold and equipment and everything, made by Taito for the arcades.
It's not very long, maybe half an hour start to finish, but it has some interesting secrets in it. Back when I made that aborted classic arcade fanzine (kind of a predecessor of Set Side B) I had written a 10-or-so page article on it that never made it into an issue. There's lots of weird secrets and facts about it.
Like, it supported linked machine play, so four players could adventure together, and each pair of players had their own screen and could explore separately! And it was somewhat #Metroidvania in design, you could go from near the end and, if you chose, backtrack all the way back to the first screen.
RÉTROVISION : Saison 14 - Épisode 05
https://video.ploud.fr/videos/watch/7d9e5c40-a278-4274-b06a-80fac3cf3391
Mr Creosote
John Harris
SetSideB
Monsieur B.
SB