Quester

Quester
Also known as: Namco Quester (Wii Virtual Console) Developer: Namco Publisher: Namco Platform: Arcade (Namco System 1) Released in JP: September 1987 This game has a hidden developer message. This game has hidden development-related text. This game has unused graphics. This game has unused music. This game has unused sounds.

Quester is Namco's answer to Taito's Arkanoid. There's not much too different aside from aesthetic differences and some of the block layouts resembling Namco properties (like Pac-Man or a Galaxian).

Hidden Namco Screen

To trigger a hidden Namco copyright screen, go into the game's service mode and do the following:

• Set "COIN1" to 7 Coins, 9 Credits
• Set "COIN2" to 9 Coins, 2 Credits
• Set the following dip switches (these are MAME's labels): Level Select, Unknown (First listed), Brightness, and Unk 1. Unset all other dip switches, including Service Mode.
• Do a hard reset on the cabinet, then hold 2P Start and 1P Button 1 on the export notice screen. Once the screen disappears, the Namco screen should pop up.

"クエスター" is "Quester" in Katakana.

(Source: Original TCRF research)

Hidden Text

Developer Message

There's an extra screen in the credits that was deleted before the game was released. This screen is a programmer's postscript (it's not clear which programmer, though) that gives information on the game's development. Put the following code in MAME's quester.xml cheat file to restore this screen:

  <cheat desc="Restore Programmer Postscript">
    <script state="run">
      <action>user1.mw@3F91B5=E5F1</action>
      <action>user1.md@3F91DB=ECF7DAF7</action>
      <action>user1.md@3F91DF=65F723F6</action>
      <action>user1.mw@3F91E3=71F7</action>
      <action>user1.mw@3F91E6=3CF8</action>
      <action>user1.md@3F983C=CCEBF1CE</action>
      <action>user1.md@3F9840=F7BD0001</action>
      <action>user1.mw@3F9844=3980</action>
    </script>
    <script state="off">
      <action>user1.mw@3F91B5=DFF1</action>
      <action>user1.md@3F91DB=71F765F7</action>
      <action>user1.md@3F91DF=CCEBF1CE</action>
      <action>user1.mw@3F91E3=0001</action>
      <action>user1.mw@3F91E6=80F7</action>
      <action>user1.md@3F983C=FFFFFFFF</action>
      <action>user1.md@3F9840=FFFFFFFF</action>
      <action>user1.mw@3F9844=FFFF</action>
    </script>
  </cheat>

Shouichi Fukatani was a developer at Namco who had passed away in 1985. He worked on a number of their earliest games, including Dig Dug. He received another hidden dedication in the Famicom game Warpman.

Curiously, the credits track was composed to sync up with the extra screen (everything from 1:32 to 1:54), indicating that it was cut late in the game's development, though even with the restored credits seven seconds of the song are never heard.

This "thank you" voice clip only plays at the end of the Programmer's Postscript.

(Source: Original TCRF research)

Development Text

The following text was likely meant for a boot-up screen when the game was still in development. The code that would have displayed this text is no longer in either CPU.

Address	Text
0xE079	6/21 Ver 6.0
0xE086	FUN FIRST PRODUCTIONS
0xE09C	Game Designed by のく"ち しんし"
0xE0B7	Programmed by まつうら こうせい
0xE0D2	Press Button to Start

のぐち しんじ (written as のく"ち しんし" because the game apparently can't handle dakuten) is Noguchi Shinji, who's listed as the game's designer in the credits. まつうら こうせい is Matsuura Kosei, who's credited under "Game Sequence" in the programming section of the credits.

(Source: Original TCRF research)

Unused Graphics

An old title screen logo. While the final title uses three different layers (one for the Quester logo, one for the rainbow blocks, and one for the space background), all of the tiles here would be on just one layer.

A digital timer, four times larger than the one used in the final game. Probably meant to be used on the continue screen.

Early	Final

The extra life power-up was originally a more traditional "smaller version of the player" graphic. The used icon is the Rally-X Special Flag.

(Source: Original TCRF research)

Miscellaneous

An older version of the bonus stage scoring is still in the game. Put this code in quester.xml to see it:

  <cheat desc="Old Bonus Score Functionality">
    <script state="run">
      <action>user1.md@39C485=DC121212</action>
    </script>
    <script state="off">
      <action>user1.md@39C485=DC1CF17E</action>
    </script>
  </cheat>

While "Getting Point" doesn't seem to work anymore (it's always set to 00), the Perfect! Bonus still works.

(Source: Original TCRF research)