Columns III: Revenge of Columns

Columns III: Revenge of Columns
Also known as: Columns III: Taiketsu! Columns World (JP) Developer: Sega Publishers: Sega (JP), Vic Tokai (US) Platform: Genesis Released in JP: October 15, 1993 Released in US: March 18, 1994 Released in KR: 1994 This game has unused graphics. This game has regional differences.

Columns III takes the usual Columns gameplay and mixes it up a bit, exchanging the single-player, single-playfield mode for a series of battles against some rather goofy CPU opponents.

Unused Graphics

Tiles for an unused copyright message. They are loaded after the title screen fades out on all versions of the game.

Regional Differences

Title Screen

Japan	US

The "Press Start Button" message is different in the Japanese version. Not only does it have a circle before and after the text, but it also uses the same font as the original Columns. The US version uses a different font. The original Japanese font is still in the game, albeit unused.

Removed 2 vs. 2 Mode

A 2 vs. 2 mode that was present in the Japanese version was removed from the US release. In this mode, players 1 and 2 have normal playfields, while players 3 and 4 play a game of janken (rock-paper-scissors) to win a "prize" which affects one of the other two players. If player 3 wins, the effect goes to player 1 and if player 4 wins, the effect goes to player 2.

The prize is displayed in the middle of the screen (see below for the list of prizes) with the text "次の賞品" (meaning "Next Prize") flashing on top of it. Both players 3 and 4 need to press Start in order to start a round of janken, then they can press A for rock, B for scissors or C for paper. If a player wins, both players can choose to either attack or defend. Player 3 attacks by pressing Right and defends by pressing Left while for Player 4 the reverse applies. If the player that won the janken game attacks and the other does not defend, they'll win the prize. If the player defends, does nothing or if the other players defends the attack, no one will receive the prize (the other player can't "steal" the prize). Players can keep changing between attacking or defending until three seconds have gone by, at which point no one gets the prize.

The music for this mode is not used anywhere else in the game, though it is still present in the Sound Test as tracks 12 and 1A.

The prizes are as follows:

Japanese name	Translation	Effect
ポイント	Point(s)	Gives the player 10 or 20 points.
段送り	Send a row	Sends to the opponent player either 1, 2 or 3 crush bars.
魔法石	Magic Stone	Gives the player a Magic Stone.
毒送り	Send a poison	Sends the opponent player one of the effects of a Flashing Stone.

Japan	US

Although the option to access this mode was removed from the US version's menu, it is still accessible by using the Pro Action Replay code FF0501:06. This code should be immediately disabled afterwards since it causes issues with other menus.

(Source: Inuyasha)

Options Menu

Japan	US

The Japanese version displays proper names for every song in the sound test along with instructions in how to use it. These features were removed from the US version.

Hex	Japanese name	Translation
0x00	３羽のにわとり	Three Chickens
0x01	探検家	Explorer
0x02	謎	Enigma
0x03	勝ち！	Victory!
0x04	朝	Morning
0x05	寝起きのミイラ	Mummy's Awakening
0x06	中華的自転車	Chinese Bicycle
0x07	雪がっせん	Snowball Fight
0x08	開始曲	Introductory Theme
0x09	コラムマーチ	Column March
0x0A	元禄元年	First Year of Genroku
0x0B	メロンは網付き	Melon in a Net
0x0C	日曜日	Sunday
0x0D	ほら貝	Conch
0x0E	よしよし	Yes, Yes!
0x0F	始業ベル	Opening Bell
0x10	転がるみかん	Tumbling Tangerine
0x11	コラムダイブ	Column Dive
0x12	グリモア博士	Dr. Grimoire
0x13	雪だるま	Snowman
0x14	ペモペモクロト	Common Folk's Clotho
0x15	クロトの始まり	Start of Clotho
0x16	おしまい	The End
0x17	港の人々	People at the Harbor
0x18	よしよしよし	Yes, Yes, Yes!
0x19	工場地帯	Industrial District
0x1A	ポカスカ開始	Bumbling Beginning
0x1B	はずれ	Failure
0x1C	修羅場	Scene of Carnage
0x1D	ストップ	Stop

(Source: Translation: Project2612, fixes by Popfan)

Japan	US

The formatting of the text here got changed from being justified to being centered, probably to match the other options.

Configuration Screen

Japan	US

The title of the multiplayer settings menu was changed between versions.

Credits Sequence

Some Engrish in the credits was cleaned up for the US release.

Japan	US

Text Message Sound

In the Japanese version, enemy dialogue in 1-player mode is printed out letter-by-letter, with an accompanying sound effect. The sound and animation were both removed from the US version, although the sound effect remains in the Sound Test as SE NO. 11.

(Source: Original TCRF research)