Puggsy (SNES)/Changes from the Genesis Version

This is a sub-page of Puggsy (SNES).

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General Differences

• The SNES version runs at a lower horizontal resolution than the Genesis version (256px vs. 320px). Only a handful of levels have been adjusted to compensate for this at this point in development.
• All of the music is 2 semitones higher, and roughly 5bpm faster.
• Puggsy can defeat enemies by jumping on them by default much like the Sega CD and Amiga versions. In the Genesis version, the player must hold Down while descending to bop enemies without taking damage.
• The physics are in a less polished state. Additionally, a number of changes were seemingly made to compensate for the slower SNES CPU speed, and as a result, many things do not behave as they do in the Genesis and Sega CD versions.
• With the exception of Racrock Forge, bumpy terrain does not affect Puggsy's movement in this version, making it much easier to carry stacks of items across surfaces like the sand in The Beach.
• Thrown objects retain their sparkles and hurtbox for much longer than in the Genesis version.
• Items that fire projectiles, e.g. the raygun, do not award any points for simply firing it, only when a projectile connects with a killable enemy.

Genesis	SNES

• The level goal is a simple hand pointing right/left that uses Puggsy's palette, instead of the larger raccoon entrance in the Genesis version. This is likely due to a lack of sprite VRAM space.

Genesis	SNES

• With the exception of extra lives, all objects taken through the exit are only worth 100 points.
  • The text is also slightly altered, referring to itself as an "Object Bonus" instead of an "Item Bonus", and lacking the = character.
• The end of level text before a boss fight is slightly altered, in the SNES version it says "Get Ready For Guardian" whereas in the other versions it says "Get Ready To Defeat Guardian" instead. This change was probably due to the lower resolution of the SNES.
• During boss fights, Puggsy's health bar will only deplete if he does not have shoes or sunglasses; if he gets hit while wearing either of those items, he will lose them before taking any damage.
• None of the post-boss intermissions have been implemented yet, though the music that would have accompanied them is present in the data. Upon defeating any of the bosses, the player is kicked back to the world map with the next level unlocked.
• Passwords are shorter in this version, being 16 numbers long as opposed to the 27-length passwords from the Genesis and Sega CD versions.
  • As a result, the "silly maths question" in the credits is also different.

Genesis	SNES

• On the Game Over screen, the "GAME OVER" text scrolls infinitely in the background rather than dissolving in front of the seaside graphic. Additionally, the SNES version stays on this screen indefinitely until the player presses Start to return to the title screen, while the Genesis version automatically returns to the SEGA screen once the music stops.

World Map Differences

Genesis	SNES

• The SNES version uses a 256-color background mode for the world map, allowing for a much wider variety of colors compared to the 16-color Genesis version.
  • Some extra details were added to the map, mostly on and around the Junior island.
    • A purple flag was added to the top of the crow's nest on Poly Pirates ship.
    • The stern on the back of Poly Pirates ship has been modified with the innermost part being split down the middle and colored dark pink.
    • The lighthouse is now lit.
    • A fish was added to the lake near the Junior island.
    • The Junior Island was significantly altered adding a lit Lighthouse and a building with a purple flag at the top.
    • The color of the snow surrounding Darkskull Castle has been made purple to distinguish itself from Fire Heart.
    • The top of the volcano for Fire Heart now has a layer of snow on top to fit the level aesthetic with the inside of the volcano also being lit.
    • The inside to Racrock Forge now has a fire emanating from it.
    • Raclantis Maze has had some significant color changes
      • All Towers are purple with the domes at the top having orange on the bottom.
      • The small tower to the left has a green top with 4 points one on each corner.
      • The 2nd tower has a blue top to its dome, the one to the right is green and the righmost one is purple.
      • The very top of the 2nd leftmost dome is a light beige, the one to the right is yellow, and the righmost one is grey.
      • The bottom of the righmost tower is pink
      • The Dome at the bottom of the island is red with the bottom being purple and the middle being gold.
      • The bubble towards the bottom right has been made green.
    • Sharks have been added between the beach and Raclantis Maze.

Genesis	SNES

• On the world map, the magnifying glass, as well as its appropriate second window, are absent.
  • The main map is also displayed inside of a circle, instead of a square.

Genesis	SNES

• All of the face buttons bring up the World Guardians screen in the SNES version. The password is also found here, as opposed to being visible on the main map screen.
  • The guardian portraits are absent, with their names being displayed instead, likely due to a lack of VRAM space. Once defeated, an arrow appears next to their name.
• Uncleared levels are marked with the same icon that represents boss levels in the other versions. Once cleared, they revert to their normal icon.
• Star Fall Pool and Splinter Town 2's secret exits loop into each other, so the only way to access Badger Mill in this version is via Fire Heart.

Level Differences

Junior Mode

All of the levels in Junior Mode are based on the US Genesis version's level set, albeit with a couple of changes.

Genesis	SNES

• The world map levels follow an alphabetical naming scheme, rather than numerical like the other versions.
• The second level uses The Cove's music instead of A Hidden Place's theme.
• The third level uses a modified version of Fire Heart 2, albeit with the following changes.
  • The background music is taken from Star Fall Lake.
  • The rolling snowballs that normally chase Puggsy in this level are absent.
  • The rightmost exit at the bottom of the mountain is missing.
• The fourth and fifth levels use the music from Pyramids.
• As the Pyramids boss is absent in this version, there is no boss fight at the end of Junior Mode; instead, finishing the final level plays a shortened version of the credits, albeit with a glitchy palette for the text.
  • Incidentally, this is the only way to access the credits in this version without Pro Action Replay codes.

The Beach

Genesis	SNES	Sega CD

SNES	Sega CD

• Various tutorial prompts are present throughout the first three levels. These were also present in the Sega CD version, but not the Genesis version.
  • All of the prompts' graphics were revised for the Sega CD release.
  • A "Go" prompt was added to the second level.
• The lighthouse is not present in the background due to a lack of VRAM space.

The Cove

• 2 Enemies were removed from the area where the player would find an extra life in The Cove 2, possibly due to performance issues.
• The boss pattern for Polly Pirate is in a different order, in the SNES version the pattern is "shoot - jump straight up - shoot - jump to the other side - shoot - jump straight up - shoot - jump to the other side". In the Genesis version the pattern is "jump straight up - shoot - jump to the other side - shoot - jump straight up - shoot - jump to the other side".

The Red Woods

• The collision on the large barrels is rounder compared to the Genesis version, making it much harder to stand on top of them.
• The movement of the butterfly enemies in The Red Woods 1 is more erratic.
• The unkillable bird that drops acorns/eggs in The Red Woods 1 has its sprite reversed and is facing in the wrong direction.
• The 2 unkillable moles in The Red Woods 2 have their sprites reversed and are facing in the wrong direction.
• A bouncing sign was added to the inside of the castle lobby in The Red Woods 2, instructing the player to throw an axe to dislodge a rolling ball.

• Once dislodged, the ball has additional frames for rolling down the slope.
• The animation of the wabbits in Wabbits World is somewhat glitchy.

Redwood Keep

• The Genesis version of Redwood Keep 2 has a large pit with fans and beach balls to the right of the starting area. This was removed in the SNES version, possibly due to performance issues.
• In Secret Tunnel, the camera object activated with the remote control is supposed to be inside a cavity in the wall. Due to a physics bug, however, it ends up in one of the tubes with the beach balls. Since you can't see the bottom tube in this state, this makes the puzzle harder than the Genesis version.
• The Emperor's Old Clothes uses the theme from Diamond Mines rather than its original theme from the Genesis version.
• In the beginning of the fight the boss moves to the right in the SNES version. In the Genesis version he moves to the left at the beginning.
• Due to the SNES' reduced horizontal resolution; the cannon balls that damage the boss drop in from the top right of the screen, as opposed to rolling up the right side of the screen like in the other versions.
• When the pressure pads on the floor of the boss fight are pressed they have a frame of animation to show when they're being pressed and Puggsy lowers a pixel as well. In the Genesis version they're completely static giving no visual indication that one is being pressed.

The Light House

• The Genesis version utilizes the console's shadow/highlight effect to darken the first level; the player can find and use a flashlight to reveal a secret inside a pot to unlock A Hidden Place. These effects are not implemented in the SNES version, and the flashlight shows a black sphere instead of the cone of light seen in the Genesis version (which also does not follow the flashlight sprite properly). A flashlight is present and working in Darkskull Castle, so it seems this level simply hadn't been properly converted yet.
• One of the shoe boxes in the first level is mistakenly set to display behind the background graphics. If the player throws it in front of one of the windows, it also appears to be much brighter than the other shoes, which may be related to the broken/unimplemented transparency effects.
• Both of the main levels have an added parallax star layer in the background.
• A Hidden Place uses the same music as the main Light House levels, though the original music is present in the data.
• In the Genesis version of A Hidden Place, there are 17 letter objects which spell out "HERE IS A SECRET ROOM". This was cut down to 16 on SNES, with "HERE IS" being condensed to "HERES". The "I" object is still present in the level, though it has been moved offscreen and made invisible.

Angeltier Falls

• Both of the main levels have an additional 2bpp background layer.
• The padlock in front of the exit in Angeltier Falls 1 is missing, though the door still opens when the key is brought to it.
• Lunar Jet Pug uses the same music as Angeltier Falls instead of the music heard on the World Guardians and anti-piracy screens in the Genesis version.

Star Fall Lake

• All three levels use a completely different background.

Genesis	SNES

• Puggsy makes a hiccup like sound when he's underwater. In the Genesis version he's completely silent when underwater.
• The seaweed is animated. In the Genesis version it's static.
• The clam enemies above water animate in the SNES version. In the Genesis version only the ones submerged underwater animate.
• Present across the three levels are bubble streams that override an object's buoyancy when inside.
• If 2 items are stacked in an aforementioned bubble stream and you land on the top item, once both hit the bottom the bubble stream will begin to slowly lift Puggsy upwards.
• The ending section of Star Fall Lake 1 has been redesigned, with the ruins near the exit being replaced with an optional challenge featuring an acid pit that kills Puggsy on contact. On the other side of the acid pit is an extra life.
• Star Fall Lake 2 saw a number of changes.
  • The small lake at the start that contains the logs, rubber ducks and a clam enemy in the Genesis version has been removed.
  • The larger lake closer to the end has been significantly reduced in size, ostensibly to make it easier to clear without shoes.
• The switch used to access the exit to Star Fall Pool uses the wrong palette making the colors look wrong.
• The exit in Star Fall Pool leads to Splinter Town 2, as opposed to Badger Mill 2 like the Genesis version. In the Genesis version Star Fall Pool leads to Badger Mill 2, and the upper exit in Splinter Town 2 leads to Badger Mill 1.

Splinter Town

• Both of the main levels have an additional background layer.

Genesis	SNES

• The slope collision on the roofs is broken in spots meaning Puggsy won't slide down like he's supposed to and instead just behave as if he walked off a ledge.
• An enemy was added to the area where the secret exit is located in Splinter Town 1.
• The secret level Puggs In Space uses the same music as the main Splinter Town levels instead of the music for A Hidden Place.
• The first cloud of smoke in the upper part of Splinter Town 2 isn't in its correct position, appearing out of thin air instead of coming out of the chimney.
• The upper exit in Splinter Town 2 leads to Star Fall Pool, as opposed to Badger Mill 1 like the Genesis version. In the Genesis version the upper exit in Splinter Town 2 leads to Badger Mill 1, and the exit in Star Fall Pool leads to Badger Mill 2.

Badger Mill

• All three levels have an additional 2bpp background layer.
• The bags of flour that can be picked up and used like a gun in Badger Mill 1 & 3 only have one shot. In the Genesis version they have 4 shots in them.
• Badger Mill 2 saw some significant changes in what appears to be an attempt to make it less frustrating than the original.
  • In the starting room, the opening in the chute that the coins need to be thrown into has been lowered by one tile, with a small pocket being added behind it to reduce the chance of coins being knocked out.
  • A raised platform has also been added to help the player get a good shot if they didn't bring shoes into the level.
  • At the end of the level, the chute that the camera needs to be thrown into has added zig-zags. Due to the glitchy collision and physics, it is very difficult to get the camera into this chute.
  • The rat carrying the bag of flour that pushes the camera jumps more frequently than the Genesis version, and the top part of the wall to the right has also been removed to reduce the chances of the camera getting stuck.
• The conveyor belts in Badger Mill 3 move faster to the left than the right in this version.
  • The palette-cycling code for the conveyor belts will sometimes corrupt other palette entries.

Genesis	SNES

• The Flour Power boss has a number of changes.
  • At the start of the fight the bag of flour is in the wrong position being just to the left of Puggsy instead of behind the boss and it can damage you if you move to the left before the boss throws it.
  • The boss theme from the Genesis version is not present, so the fight uses the theme from "The Emperor's Old Clothes" instead.
  • An extra window has been added to the background, with a scrolling layer of clouds visible behind it.
  • The health bars are placed at the bottom of the screen, rather than in the top right like in the Genesis version.
  • The rotating wooden wheel is missing.
  • While the fight is still about catching the flour bag and dropping it on the badger's head, the conveyor belt from the Genesis version is missing; the player must use the claw to throw the bag back themselves.
  • There are only two levers in this version: the left one controls the movement direction of the claw, while the right one sets the axis along which it moves.
  • The collision detection on the claw is very strict when it comes to catching the bag of flour resulting in the bag often phasing through the claw when it should register as being caught.
  • The boss throws the bag of flour at the player more frequently than the Genesis version making the fight more difficult.

Pyramids

• In Pyramids 2 the enemy that chases you after the door blocking it opens is much faster than the Genesis version almost guaranteeing Puggsy will take damage/die even with the shoes equipped.
• The boss of this area is absent; clearing Pyramids 3 simply unlocks Darkblade Forest.

Darkblade Forest

• The second level reuses the music from the other Darkblade Forest levels, rather than the Emperor's Old Clothes theme like the Genesis version.
• The water gun in Darkblade Forest 3 cannot be refilled by the pool of water, as a result the player has to take damage/die to at least one of the flames towards the exit in order to complete the level.

Diamond Mines

• All three levels use the music heard on the World Guardians and anti-piracy screens in the Genesis version. Diamond Mines 1 is supposed to use main Diamond Mines music while Diamond Mines 2 and the secret level are supposed to use the music from Angeltier Falls.
• In the secret level you have to place 4 specific items that correspond to items in the 4 boxes above you into a teleporter to unlock the door to the exit, in the SNES version you can place these 4 items into the teleporter in any order you like as long as the item is a correct one. In the Genesis version you have to place them in order from left to right otherwise the door holding the 2 butterfly/moth enemies will open and they'll begin to chase you and will damage/kill you upon contact.

Darkskull Castle

• The floating cauldron in the first level only starts floating when the player activates the remote. In the Genesis version, it starts floating as soon as the remote is picked up.
• In Darkskull Castle 1, right exit takes the player to Fire Heart 2, while the left exit opens the rest of Darkskull Castle. In the Genesis version, both paths are unlocked regardless of which exit the player takes.
• The second level is noticeably brighter than in the Genesis version for the same reason as The Light House 1. However, the flashlight works properly in this level.
  • Once a letter has been put into its correct slot, it turns invisible and only re-appears when the flashlight shines on it.
• The collision of the cauldron in the third level is different; Puggsy cannot stand on the edges like in the Genesis version.
• The green pumpkins' hopping pattern is synced differently between versions. On SNES, the three rightmost pumpkins are perfectly synced when the level loads. On Genesis, the pumpkins jump in a sine wave pattern.

Fire Heart

• Fire Heart 1 & 2 have an additional 2bpp background layer.
• Fire Heart 1 only has one exit; the one on the right side of the hill, which takes the player to Badger Mill.
  • The area that originally contained the real exit in the Genesis version is still present, however, it now contains three extra lives instead of an exit.
• Once in place, the orbs in Fire Heart 3 appear to be more stable than in the Genesis version. Puggsy can also stand on them without falling through them.
• The walls in the boss arena are missing (although Puggsy still collides with them).
• Halitosis walks in from off-screen. In the Genesis version he's on the screen from the start.
• Halitosis' attack pattern is more limited. In the Genesis version he moves between 4 spots before the pattern repeats, in the SNES version he only moves between 2 spots instead.
• Halitosis' fire breath is a different color compared to the Genesis version.
• Most of Halitosis' fire breath particles bounce off the ground, unlike the Genesis version where they simply disappear.

Aztec Temple

• In Aztec Games, the "?" and "!" teleporter panels only work once, whereas they can be repeatedly activated in the Genesis version. Additionally, the screen scrolling is not yet locked.

Racrock Forge

• The secret level Pugsanoid has been made narrower to fit the SNES's lower horizontal screen resolution, however the level hasn't been adjusted vertically yet, as a result the bottom of the playfield is off-screen making the stage much harder to complete since you can't see where the holes in the floor are.
• Racrock Forge 2 cannot be completed without shoes, as the key and balloon rise too fast for the player to keep up otherwise.

Raclantis Docks

• The lookout tower to the left of the stage in Raclantis Docks 1 has been made solid to prevent the player from going too far and jumping in a bottomless pit. In the Genesis version you could go all the way to the left with nothing stopping you.
• The "bottomless" pit in Raclantis Docks doesn't kill Puggsy like in the Genesis version; if he falls into it, the only way out is to quit the level by pausing and pressing all four face buttons at once.
• The final boss, If Looks Could Kill, has a couple of minor changes.
  • The "If Looks Could Kill!" theme is not present, so the fight once again reuses The Emperor's Old Clothes' theme.
  • The method of cheesing this fight from the Genesis version, where the player could stand in a specific spot to avoid damage from the Emperor's lasers, does not work in this version.
  • The spiked balls that fall from the ceiling are replaced with less threatening orbs that use Puggsy's palette.
  • The ending is present in the data, but like the other post-boss intermissions, it has not been properly implemented; defeating the final boss just anticlimactically sends you back to the world map.

Fair Ohs Tomb

• This level uses the music from Aztec Temple instead of Pyramids like the Genesis version.

Wills World

• This level like the last one uses the music from Aztec Temple instead of Darkskull Castle like the Genesis version.

Never Mined

• This level once again uses the music from Aztec Temple instead of Diamond Mines like the Genesis version.
• The Genesis version of this level reverses the player's controls, making it somewhat more difficult to complete. This effect is not yet present in the SNES version. Additionally, the teleporter object is invisible, and the collision for the boxes containing the items at the top of the level is broken, causing the items to immediately fall to the ground.

Lee and Err???

• This level just like the 3 that came before it uses the music from Aztec Temple instead of Angeltier Falls like the Genesis version
• The question mark graphic is not loaded on the map screen, causing the level name to be displayed as "LEE AND ERR".
• The background is entirely black.
• The text in the level still references the Mega Drive; it's unknown whether this would have been changed in the final build.

The End Of All

• This level yet again uses the music from Aztec Temple instead of A Hidden Place like the Genesis version.
• The ending text that normally displays after completing this level in the Genesis version does not appear. As with the bosses, you are unceremoniously kicked back to the world map upon completion.