Reprogramming Mr. Do!

[ColecoFan1981]

Hi,

 

When I played Mr. Do! on the ColecoVision, I have noticed but many inconsistencies, both audibly and visually:

 

AUDIBLE INCONSISTENCIES:

*The tune that plays after the 13 opening notes is different (the original arcade version had the "Can Can Dance" tune, also heard in Donkey Kong, Jr. during the helicopter intermission screen). This tune was excerpted as the intro music in the Atari 2600 version of Mr. Do!

*The tune that plays when you collect the prize in the enemy spot (which makes both the Alphamonster and the Blue Munchers appear) is just simple beeps. However, if you collect it on a letter that is already collected, it plays a ditty and then a short tune that temporarily freezes the enemies (this tune precedes the original Alphamonster/Munchers tune)

*The tune that plays when you finish a level (collect all cherries, kill all enemies, or collecting the diamond) is different (the arcade version does the "Charge March"). It is also heard when you pause the game.

*The tune that plays when you spell out the word EXTRA is different (the original arcade version lifts its EXTRA tune from the Astro Boy TV program)

*The tune that plays when you lose a Mr. Do! is different.

 

VISUAL INCONSISTENCIES:

*The screen that appears after you spell the word EXTRA is just a bland-looking green screen with the text: CONGRATULATIONS! YOU WIN AN EXTRA MR. DO!" (rather than an animated sequence where our hero strikes his Power Ball at the Monster, who, after being blinded by it, drops down an extra Mr. Do! into the life status)

*The screen where you finish three phases in a row (with how long it took to do each) is gone.

*After finishing ten phases, the color scheme repeats itself (rather than different colors for all phases in the arcade version)

 

I am wondering if several of these inconsistencies were arrived at due to limitations of the CV's audio and video display processors and the cartridge size (which was 24K of ROM on the released version from 1983).

 

~Ben

Edited June 12, 2009 by ColecoFan1981

[+opcode]

Here is a game I would love to redo. A few years ago someone asked me to disassemble and comment Mr Do! and I was going to get money for that. Unfortunately the deal felt thru halfway in the project, but I ended with a good portion of the game disassembled. So I would eventually use that to start a CV remake.

Changing topic a bit, I have this feeling that the first two batches of ColecoVision games were the best ones. In fact I think after the first couple of batches, games started to get worst with each batch. Perhaps that was because of the crash, perhaps because Coleco was diverging resources to something else (like the ADAM), or perhaps they changed contractors. My favorite CV games are still the games in wave 1, like Zaxxon, Smurf, Turbo, Lady Bug. After that we got a lot of crappy games: Time Pilot, Mr Do! (still fun, but a cheap port anyway), Sub Roc (ugh!), Buck Rogers (igh!), Front Line, Gorf, Roc'n Rope, and so on...

[Vectorman]

Here is a game I would love to redo. A few years ago someone asked me to disassemble and comment Mr Do! and I was going to get money for that. Unfortunately the deal felt thru halfway in the project, but I ended with a good portion of the game disassembled. So I would eventually use that to start a CV remake.

Changing topic a bit, I have this feeling that the first two batches of ColecoVision games were the best ones. In fact I think after the first couple of batches, games started to get worst with each batch. Perhaps that was because of the crash, perhaps because Coleco was diverging resources to something else (like the ADAM), or perhaps they changed contractors. My favorite CV games are still the games in wave 1, like Zaxxon, Smurf, Turbo, Lady Bug. After that we got a lot of crappy games: Time Pilot, Mr Do! (still fun, but a cheap port anyway), Sub Roc (ugh!), Buck Rogers (igh!), Front Line, Gorf, Roc'n Rope, and so on...

 

 

You consider late COLECO releases like Spy Hunter, Tapper, Congo Bongo, Tarzan, Burgertime, Dragon's Lair etc. inferior? Really?!?