Crime City

Crime City
Developer: Taito Publisher: Taito Platform: Arcade (Taito B System) Released internationally: September 1989 This game has unused graphics. This game has debugging material. This game has a hidden level select.

The two dudes from Chase H.Q. got their licenses suspended for some reason, so now they have to apprehend criminals on foot in Crime City. They should have visited Lawburgh instead.

Stage Select

This game uses the Taito Code:

• While the game boots up, hold the Service Coin button until a "SERVICE SWITCH ERROR" message pops up on the screen.
• Then, press 1P Start (x3), Service Coin, 1P Start.

Press 1P Left / Right to select a round and 1P Up / Down to select a scene (when available). Press 1P Start to exit the menu.

Other Debug Features

ROM address 0x7FF7C controls which debug functions are available to the player. This is normally set to 00, which enables the above stage select through the Taito Code. Set that address to any other value between 01 and 06 (Excluding 02), to enable other debug functions. Place the following code in MAME's crimec.xml cheat file to switch between debug options:

  <cheat desc="Select Game Mode"> <comment>"Hi Score" dip switch must be set to "3 Characters"</comment>
    <parameter>
      <item value="0x0001">Taito Code For Special Mode</item>
      <item value="0x0003">Special Mode On Boot</item>
      <item value="0x0004">Infinite Energy</item>
      <item value="0x0005">Infinite Lives</item>
      <item value="0x0006">Special Mode, No Debug Disp</item>
      <item value="0x0002">No Debug Features</item>
    </parameter>
    <script state="run">
      <action>maincpu.mw@07FF7C=param</action>
    </script>
    <script state="off">
      <action>maincpu.mw@07FF7C=0000</action>
    </script>
  </cheat>

As the code says, for values 01, 03, 04, and 05, the "Hi Score" dip switch has to be set to "3 Characters" to activate debug functions.

Special Debug Menu

A full debug mode is available if 0x7FF7C is set to 01 (requires Taito Code), 03 (requires Hi Score dip switch), or 06 (always).

Normal Game
Starts a normal game. Who would have thought?

All Debug Game

Starts a game with several debugging features enabled.

On this menu:

• Press 1P Start to start a game in "No Hit" mode, which gives the player infinite energy.
• Press 2P Start to start a game in "Endless" mode, which gives the player infinite lives.
• Press Service to start a normal game.

Once the game has started:

• Press 2P Start + 1P Up to cycle between the following game speeds: paused, 1/6 speed, 1/2 speed, normal speed.
• Press 2P Start + 1P Down to set the game speed to "paused", regardless of the current speed cycle.

If 0x7FF7C isn't set to 06, a few more debug features are enabled. The first is that the build date and version number are displayed after the title screen.

The second is a rudimentary debug display. The two counters in the upper-left count the current camera position and how long it's been since the camera last moved, and the red bar in the upper-right is the CPU usage meter. The current round and scene number are displayed above the timer, and a second credit counter and coin counter (in case the game's set up to require multiple coins per credit) are above the normal credit counter.

ROM Message

Gives information on the Title Type (game title), Credit Type (coin settings), and Taito Type (region + copyright string). "Tamco" is short for Taito of America Corp.

After about five seconds have passed, press 1P Button 1 to start a "Hit Use" game.

Round Select Game

This is just the normal round select with the All Debug Game starting options. The "Set Auto" and "Clr Auto" options no longer work in this version.

Object Display

Displays the contents of the graphics ROM.

• 1P Up / Down: Cycles through tiles.
• 1P Start: Changes the width of each row.
• 2P Start: Changes the "mode", or palette.

Color RAM Edit

A stage has to be selected before the game starts. Same controls as the round select menu.

Start a new game and press Service + 2P Button 1 to bring up a palette editor.

• 1P Up / Down: Selects between Red, Green, Blue, and "?", which doesn't seem to do anything in this game.
• 1P Left / Right: Changes the R/G/B/? value.
• 1P Button 1 / Button 2: Choose the current color to edit.
• 1P Button 3: Exits color edit menu.
• 2P Up / Down: Chooses between SCN0 (HUD & Font layer), SCN1 (Background), SCN2 (Foreground), and OBJ (Sprites) palette banks.
• 2P Left / Right: Cycles through palettes in the currently selected bank.
• Service + 2P Button 2: Exits palette editor.

Object Verify

This is actually an object viewer. They've even got the file names and everything, plus a note on where to go to edit palettes.

• 1P Up / Down: Changes File Number / Frame value.
• 1P Left / Right: Changes between File Number and File Frame variables.
• 1P Button 1 / Button 2: Controls sprite scaling. Zoom ranges from 00 (Default), to FF.
• 1P Start: Flips sprite.
• 2P Start: Overlays an 8x8 grid on the sprite.
• Service: Changes current round number. This is used to load different object palette banks.

Check RAM

This is a rudimentary RAM error test.

Check Sum

A simple verification of the game's checksum.

Test Mode

Brings up the game's standard test mode (color bars + input test, dip switch display, and sound test).

Obstacle Mode

Same controls as the normal stage select. The controls listed for Test Play and Edit Start are inaccurate; both 1P Start and 2P Start do the same thing.

Select "Edit Start" for an obstacle placement editor. Use 1P Joystick to move the object, 1P Start / 2P Start to cycle between objects, and 1P Button 1 to place an object.

Press Service to return to the main Obstacle Mode menu.

Select "Test Play" to play the newly edited stage. The Game Over countdown sequence should start immediately; either press 1P / 2P Start to start the game, or press 1P Button 1 / 2 to freeze the game.

Press Service at any time to return to the main Obstacle Mode menu.

Hit Test

An enigmatic hitbox test. For some reason, the debug slowdown controls are enabled on this screen.

• 1P Start: Controls the "ET" block.
• Service: Controls the "PB" block.
• 1P Start + Service: Controls the "EB" block.
• 1P Up / Down: Moves the currently selected block ("PT" by default).
• 1P Button 1 / Button 2: Controls sprite scaling on the currently selected block. Zoom ranges from 0000 (default), to FFFF.
• 2P Start: Updates the numbers on screen. They mean something to somebody.

Test RZF

Jumps straight to the game's ending sequence.

Dummy
Doesn't do anything, dummy.

No Hit

Set 0x7FF7C to 04 and "Hi Score" to "3 Char" to start a normal game in "NO HIT." mode, which gives both players infinite energy.

Endless

Set 0x7FF7C to 05 and "Hi Score" to "3 Char" to start a normal game in "ENDLESS." mode, which gives both players infinite lives.

(Source: ねこ自慢ブログ (升) Wayder Cheat 0.169)

(Additional documentation: Original TCRF research)

Unused Graphics

A small logo for Taito's house band Zuntata. This is the closest thing to a developer credit in the game.

There's a three frame cuffing animation programmed in the game. While the first frame is used after a stage ends, and the third frame is used on the "Daily Taito" newspaper, the frame that acutally shows the cuffs isn't used.

This sprite is used when the players untie the kidnapped mayor, but the mayor's chair obscures the knife graphic.

This subtitle was meant to be used on the final issue of Daily Taito. "市長救出成功" translates to "Mayor Successfully Rescued".

(Translation: divingkataetheweirdo)

(Source: Original TCRF research)

Temporary Title

Place this code in MAME's crimec.xml cheat file and switch it on to display a temporary title on the title screen:

  <cheat desc="Placeholder Title">
    <script state="run">
      <action>maincpu.mw@07FF7A=0001</action>
    </script>
    <script state="off">
      <action>maincpu.mw@07FF7A=0000</action>
    </script>
  </cheat>

(Source: ねこ自慢ブログ (升) Wayder Cheat 0.169)