Lost Neo Geo Prototype FOUND, REVEALED & RELEASED : "DarkSeed"

BanishingFlatsAC

formerly DZ
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If you need me to draw an awful cover for it, I got my mechanical pencil and a trapper keeper full of paper at the ready.

SRS...awesome work dude.
 

Geddon_jt

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I think LiquidSnake nailed it. Technos NGH #. 1995 era. 12 characters on select screen. Bolt of lightning hits when character is selected. My money is on High Voltage 12+1 alpha or pre alpha.
 

RabbitTroop

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I think LiquidSnake nailed it. Technos NGH #. 1995 era. 12 characters on select screen. Bolt of lightning hits when character is selected. My money is on High Voltage 12+1 alpha or pre alpha.

That's the first I've ever heard of High Voltage 12+1. Was that thought to be a ng proto in the past? I've never seen it mentioned before.
 

BMN

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Those devs. don´t care about neogeo protos, but they care to release a peace of shit junk like that is not even original and it's not completed.
MAME is dead.
Read me and don´t release it for more 50 years.
They are doing well with the MESS little thing.
 
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greedostick

Obsessed Neo-Fan
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The art style immediately reminded me of an SNK Playmore game. But maybe that's just me. Anyhow, awesome find!

Exactly. I would bet some of the KOF team members had a hand at this. Looks very similar to some of the middle KOF releases.

We need official Neo conception release for $800.00
 
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Rot

Calvin & Hobbes, ,
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Those devs. don´t care about neogeo protos, but they care to release a peace of shit junk like that is not even original and it's not completed.
MAME is dead.
Read me and don´t release it for more 50 years.
They are doing well with the MESS little thing.

Can I ask you politely to tell me... what the FUCK you're trying to say...

Kthx...

xROTx
 

lithy

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That's the first I've ever heard of High Voltage 12+1. Was that thought to be a ng proto in the past? I've never seen it mentioned before.

I hadn't either. After looking around, it is on the Master List here under 'Rumored Title' along with another Technos title Death Match. To me, both of those seem like very early working titles or at the very least, very uninspired final titles.

It seems like some people think that High Voltage 12+1 was a possible working title for Gowcaizer. The Voltage in both certainly seems to make it at least a possibility.

It is definitely interesting to see that the NGH number ended up getting recycled for Gowcaizer, which seems like it would mean that it has to be a Technos proto.

Forgot to add that both Death Match and High Voltage 12+1 are listed as 1994 while Gowcaizer was released in 1995. So the timing for either makes sense assuming those dates are accurate (don't know where they come from).
 
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FilthyRear

Neo-Geo.com's, Top Rated Bully.,
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Those devs. don´t care about neogeo protos, but they care to release a peace of shit junk like that is not even original and it's not completed.
MAME is dead.
Read me and don´t release it for more 50 years.
They are doing well with the MESS little thing.

This post makes perfect sense.
 

KRONOS

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Thank you Neoturfmasta for getting this ROM and trying to get it on MAME. I'm grateful for people like you that will help people get the chance to see the game; MAME is like the Smithsonian for games.

I hope this thread will attract Japanese who either worked on the game, have detailed knowledge on this game or other Neo-Geo prototype game. I'd love to see better video, screenshots, a dumped rom of: Mystic Wand, Warlocks of the Fates, Sunshine (Block Paradise), Fun Fun Bros., etc.

To the Japanese who have Neo-Geo prototype game information: for the sake of preservation and displaying art, I hope you will share what information you have. Games were made to viewed and enjoyed by as many people as possible. If this is not done, it's a waste and people who worked hard on them will never have their labor acknowledged. An appeal in poor Japanese:

ネオジオプロトタイプゲーム情報持てるの人はここで皆さんへ教えてお願いします。ありがとう御座います。
 

HeavyMachineGoob

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Forgot about this earlier.

The dissapoionting thing is the Fix and Voice SRAM cards were dead. The Fix layer contains the font, power bars, etc. But it's also quite possible it contained the game's name.... Voice card contined all the sound effects and voices. If the game had an S1 rom, it wasnt included with the auction. It's possible they hadn't gotten to the music portion yet, but until a team member steps up, we'll probably never know.

I think you mean M1 ROM, which contains the Z80 code.

P = 68k code
V = YM2610 code (music/sfx samples, fm)
C = Sprites
S = Fix layer
M = Z80 code (drives YM2610)

Very unfortunate this proto is completely silent. It's still amazing to see this one surface though.
 

JMKurtz

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Great work, Brian.

This is exactly why it's important to preserve these games rather than letting them sit on a shelf. They will die over time - it's inevitable. At least this one was partially saved, and for that, we thank you Brian.
 

Neo Alec

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Amazing find! Thank you for doing this the right way, man! I should start going to MGC.

Very excited about what we might learn next.
 

dosdemon

Zero's Secretary
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Posts
147
Those devs. don´t care about neogeo protos, but they care to release a peace of shit junk like that is not even original and it's not completed.
MAME is dead.
Read me and don´t release it for more 50 years.
They are doing well with the MESS little thing.

sugoi
 

Razoola

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Ok, Brian was kind enough to get me the ROMs and I have had a quick look. Here are my initial findings after an hour tinkering and comparing;

- This proto is 100% based on voltage fighter.

The game init code routines are identical.

Its possible to get an almost identical DEV mode to trigger in voltage fighter. On spinning neogeo logo enter unibios ingame menu and set debug dip 2-8, exit ingame menu. DEV mode menu will appear once spinning logo has completed.

- There appears to be no Attract mode coded but I cannot confirm this 100% yet. I need to look more before I can confirm that with certainty.

- There appears to be no Title page coded but I cannot confirm this 100% yet. I need to look more before I can confirm that with certainty.

- DEV MODE is hard coded to trigger on attract mode start but can be NOP'd out, three NOPS from address 0x6B6C to remove the JMP opcode there.

Once NOP'd out game will boot with no DEV mode and instantly goto a blank screen with just '00' displayed (titlepage with incorrect timer due to no credit). Once you insert a coin this will count down from 30. If you press start you get to the character select screen. Crediting for 1 or 2 player game seems correctly supported.

There appears to be no AI and thus I'm not sure if game over is correctly supported, there appears to be no level end timer.

I think I would be right in saying there is a game in the very early stages of development. It seems to be using the Voltage Fighter game engine.

Raz
 
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NeoTurfMasta

DANCE DANCE KARNOV!,
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Forgot about this earlier.



I think you mean M1 ROM, which contains the Z80 code.

P = 68k code
V = YM2610 code (music/sfx samples, fm)
C = Sprites
S = Fix layer
M = Z80 code (drives YM2610)

Very unfortunate this proto is completely silent. It's still amazing to see this one surface though.

Yeah it was a typo, I meant M1. I typed this an the plane on the way to the convention.

Edit:
Thanks for the info Raz!
 
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Razoola

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Yeah it was a typo, I meant M1. I typed this an the plane on the way to the convention.

Edit:
Thanks for the info Raz!

What you have seems so much in the initial stages of development that its possible there was no M1 ROM created yet. This has got to be the rarest of the rare prototypes. So early it was not even assigned a NGH number. Got to be the find of the century.
 

Rot

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I've decided after careful reflection... BMN is surplus to requirements... War Room Lock for him...

xROTx

PS. Do i need to give a reason?... or can we just go with the abuse of power bullshit you guys like to bring out every so often when I'm concerned...
 
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CONGRATULATIONS NTM!

Great find, what a dedication, years into the world of neogeo...

I was watching the video haze posted in his blog. While he browsed thru the C roms palette, end of the vid, the first set looks alot like what was supposed to be on the title screen. Is out of order so someone has to solve this puzzle. Japanese knowledge will definitely help.

NTMproto.jpg
 
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RabbitTroop

Mayor of Southtown, ,
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I've decided after careful reflection... BMN is surplus to requirements... War Room Lock for him...

xROTx

PS. Do i need to give a reason?... or can we just go with the abuse of power bullshit you guys like to bring out every so often when I'm concerned...

This site polices itself. You're actions are at best redundant and at worst just feeding the fools. Why even bother?
 

Rot

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This site polices itself. You're actions are at best redundant and at worst just feeding the fools. Why even bother?

It makes me happy Nick...

ALSO... I didn't want a full blown BMN "I hate mame... so I'll stick my oar in...".... type fuckfest...

xROTx

PS. Hey Nick... i got this... don't fret pal:p
 

RabbitTroop

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CONGRATULATIONS NTM!

Great find, what a dedication, years into the world of neogeo...

I was watching the video haze posted in his blog. While he browsed thru the C roms palette, end of the vid, the first set looks alot like what was supposed to be on the title screen. Is out of order so someone has to solve this puzzle. Japanese knowledge will definitely help.

View attachment 34931

Hearing that it's actually based on Gowcaizer, which I'd never guess just by looking at it (I also wonder what the hell happened to Gowcaizer, and why doesn't it move as smooth as this...), that it's safe to say this is definitely a Technos game... So, probably is a early copy of High Voltage 12+1. I agree that you hit the jackpot here. To find such an unknown game in a state that you could salvage this much is incredible. It was never going to be complete, but what was found and saved really shows so much of what this game could have been. Incredible find for the retro community.
 

SuperGun

Proto Hunter
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What you have seems so much in the initial stages of development that its possible there was no M1 ROM created yet. This has got to be the rarest of the rare prototypes. So early it was not even assigned a NGH number. Got to be the find of the century.

Raz, I agree with most of your points, and thanks for looking at this thing closely, please find more! But that's not quite how NGH numbers are assigned. The sequence is different. Even the programmers manual has a section on it.
 

Poison Sama

The Hentai Christ
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It's a damn shame that this game was never finished. Looks like it had the potential to have some very entertaining and unique gameplay. And it's an even bigger shame that Technos went under...

Also, hello to all the lurkers from Mizuumi IRC, NeoGAF, and Shmups.org!

Love,
~cuilan
 

Razoola

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Raz, I agree with most of your points, and thanks for looking at this thing closely, please find more! But that's not quite how NGH numbers are assigned. The sequence is different. Even the programmers manual has a section on it.

I have no idea how SNK assigns numbers, I just know SNK assign it, what does the manual say? In this case at least one was yet to be assigned in this build of the proto. How SNK went about choosing the numbers I don't know.
 
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