Different versions of PD1

I’m not sure how well-known this is, but as it’s news to me I thought I’d best post about it. I recently picked up the Japanese version of PD1, and while I was trying it out I came across a few things that are noticeably different from the PAL and Xbox versions of the game (the ones I’m familiar with):

  1. In the Japanese version, it’s actually possible to kill the giant sandworms in Episode 2. I was talking to Megatherium about this a while ago, and we couldn’t work out why he could get a 100% shot down ratio in Episode 2 while I found it absolutely impossible. It turns out that the four huge sandworms have about twice as much “health” in the PAL version of the game, which makes it impossible to kill them all without cheating.

  2. In the PAL version of the game, those sandworms fire volleys of green slime at you, but in the Japanese version they don’t attack you at all; they just leap around looking vaguely threatening.

  3. In all versions of the game, you fight three groups of brown flying creatures near the start of Episode 2, and some of them carry pink parasitic things on their backs; when you kill those enemies, the parasites fly towards you like missiles. in the PAL version of the game, all three groups of flying creatures carry these parasites, but in the Japanese version only the final group of enemies carries them. The parasites count towards your shot-down ratio, so this section is quite a bit easier in the original game.

  4. All versions of the game have a “teaser” FMV that plays if you wait on the title screen for ages, but in the Japanese game this teaser features text captions that fade in and out. (Predictably, I’ve no idea what they say.)

  5. In the English translation of the opening FMV, the voice from the Tower mentions “Unit 01” and “Unit 02”, and we’ve never been quite sure if this is referring to the two dragons or not. In the original script though, these names are “D [lump of Japanese text] 01” and “D [lump of Japanese text] 02”. I’d guess that this is meant to link up with the “D Unit 01” / “Dragon Unit” terminology used in the later games, but it was just obscured by the loose translation.

  6. If you finish any version of the game on hard mode, you get to see a hidden FMV of a cloudy sky, and text appears on-screen telling you what one of the cheat codes is. Have you ever wondered why that cloudy FMV keeps playing for so long after the text disappears? In the Japanese version of the game, if you wait right until the end you’re shown the Engrishy message “Expect next game of Panzer Dragoon Team”. This wasn’t included in our translation at all for some reason.

Oh, one last thing I came across: on the Japanese game disc, there’s a Microsoft Word file called “README”, which contains a ton of text that looks like it was (at least partly) written by Team Andromeda members. Does anyone have any idea what this is?

【開発後記(エンド間際のナチュラルハイな人々)】 1995年某月某日

(注)この文章を他へ転載することを一切禁じます

◆終った終った・・・長かった・・・。やっと深い眠りにつくことができる。
先月の残業時間は220時間だった。まるで新人の頃のようだ・・・。

今年の冬はチームでカゼ(インフルエンザ?)が大流行。いつも誰かがひいていて、
順番に誰かに移していくっていう感じ。でも、ナゼか私だけは病気知らずでピンピン
していた・・・と思ったら、よりによってリリース4日前に38度の熱でダウン。
マーフィーを感じてしまった。

「パンツァードラグーン」、略して「パンドラ」。果たして私たちの希望の光となっ
てくれるのでしょうか・・・? そういえば土星の衛星にも「パンドラ」というのが
あって、なんだか暗示的だなぁ。

私は業務用の出身だが、サターンは当時の業務用ボードの能力を完全に凌駕している。
こんなものが家庭に入り込むなんて入社時には思いもよらなかった。で、まだこの
ハードウェアの能力を使いこなしてはいない。という訳で、もし再びお目にかかる
ようなことがあれば、さらに凄いゲームをお届けできるだろう。
ではその日まで、SeeYou...

P.S.コマンドは「ゲーム/オプション選択画面」で入力してちょ (^_^;

                       竹下 ?Wiz? 英敏

◆須藤より緊急連絡、

つまんなかったらごめんなさい。 おこらないでーちょうだい。
もし?2?を作ることがあったら、 もっともっとパワーアップしたものをお見せする
ことができるでしょう。 その時まで、さよ?おなら?!!!

                    Bu&u,STO  須藤 ?雲子? 順一

◆今は、深夜の 2:33 分 眠いようぅ。

いやー疲れた。すべてが苦労の連続だったように思うけど、それもすっかり忘れて
しまいました。

ところで、発売予定日の3月10日は、私の27回目の誕生日なのです。このゲーム
が売れまくって、記念すべき日になればいいな。それでは、また逢う日まで
ごきげんよう。

                    中西  "ひとぴん"  仁

◆いやはや長いプロジェクトでした。パンツァードラグーン、いかがでしたか?
買って良かったと思ってもらえたら幸いです。サターンの潜在能力はまだまだこんな
ものではないので、これからもサターンを、あたたかい目で見守っていてください(笑)。
ちなみに撃墜率は全面100%が可能なので、挑戦してみてください。何かいいこと
があるかも・・・。

                Bu&u,YAM  山崎  ?Chappy? 浩

◆やっと終わった・・・。椅子で寝るのも今日で終わる。サターン立ち上げで「3D
シューティング(仮)」と発表されたのが・・1年ぐらい前だっけ。当時、緑色で、
でぶでぶしてたドラゴンも見違えるように変わった。ここまで出来るのかよ、と言わ
れたスペックも70%ぐらいは現実のモノになった。ここまで来るには、ホント時間が
かかった。手間もかかった。トイショウのビデオを見た人、CESに出展した試作版を
プレイした人、もしいればそれを思い出して、あなたが今手にしているものと比べて
欲しい。格段に良くなってるはずだ。(ベストとは言いがたいけど。)
腐りきった言葉なんで、雑誌とかで口にはしなかったけど、企画当初は「家庭用機
のVRソフト」を創ろうと考えていた。360度視点切り替えなんかはその為に入れた様
なもの。普通にシューティングとしても面白くつくったつもりだけど(特にラスボス
は熱い。出来るならハード・ノーダメージで倒してみな。あと、オール100パーセント
も可能だ。)プレイに慣れてきたら、敵のいない方向やいろんな所を見て、少しでも、
このゲームの仮想世界を感じとってくれたらそれに勝る喜びはない。
で、このメッセージを見ているあなた。もしよかったら、パンツァーの感想、今後
への希望、何でもいいからメールを送って欲しい(周囲のユーザーにも言ってくれ)。
実際問題、開発にはユーザーの声はほとんど届かないのだ。送り先は、ニフティーの
IDナンバー:SGY01157、二木 幸生まで。ここがよかった、ここが悪かった、率直な
感想を待つ。
さて、これが市場に出回っている頃、もう、オレ達パンツァーチームは次のゲーム
の製作に入っていることだろう。それが続編か、まったく別のゲームになるかは今の
所わからない。しかし、近いうちに衝撃的な新作を引っさげて登場しよう。それまで
他のサターンソフトで楽しんでくれ。大きい声では言えないが色々な期待作もあるし。
P.S.連射パッドは邪道だ、使わないように。

                                        メインプランナー:二木 幸生

◆こんにちは、エネミーセッターの寺沢です。

何面が面白かったでしょうか?
ぜひとも感想を聞かせてください。

@@@ 次回作予告 @@@
ドラゴンとの出会いが少女の運命を変えた。
そして、ドラゴンの前に立ちはだかる5人の女神たち...(後略)

1、3、5面通常面エネミーセッター Bu&u,AKI 寺沢 彰

◆よく、みつけましたね。ここを!

あ~やっとおわったぁ(まだ、これからチェック地獄が...)
とにかくはやくやすみたい。今、一番の願い。

プレイしてみてどうでした?難しかったですか?
ドラゴンの動き、最初はムズイかも知れませんが慣れると思うように動く
(本当か?)ので、そしたらロックオン・ロックオン!!
きっと道は開けます。
まっ、ここを見つけた人ならこんな話はいいか。
もちろんハードモードはクリアしてますよね?まだなら早く...

ここから私見!
あっちをうらやましがっていた人達、サターン買って良かったでしょう!
まだまだマシンの持つポテンシャルはだしきってないし、あれやあれも
これからサターンはすっごくにぎやかになってくよ!

お楽しみはこれからだ...

金額分楽しんだ人も、「けっつまんね~よ損した~」な人にもお願い。
同封のアンケートハガキ(無料だよ)や5番会議室などすっげ~参考に
なるので意見ちょうだいねっと!

それでは、次回作で...

     team Andromeda Bu&u,CPU 企画 山田(やまかつ)勝彦

◆うんこぷりぷり~~ん

     team Andromeda Bu&u,KON 企画 近藤(あやしい)智宏

◆いつか私の作ったゲームが、貴方の人生を少しでも狂わせられるように。

                        楠木 学

◆初めてだらけ・分からないことだらけでヘトヘトになりながらやっと完成しました。
楽しんで頂けてますか?私は?パンドラ?にさんざ付き合い尽くしてしまって当分
見たくもない気分ですが、そこまで手塩にかけて造った分いいものができたと思って
います。
「ゲームは遊ぶもンじゃなく、造るもンだ」がモットーの私にとってもこれから
?パンドラ?を味わえる皆さんが羨ましく思えます。

  『操佳』と書いて『みさか』と読みます、の   北村 操佳

◆某ポリゴンゲームキャラクターよりも多くのポリゴン数で作られている(らしい)
SEGAロゴイカスでしょ。
だがしかし、あなたが究極のゲーマーなら真のSEGAロゴを見ることが出来るかも・・
・・。

                           Bu&u,Kei 吉田 "はんどれっど" 謙太郎

◆背景担当のものです。
プレイ中は気にせず、各エピソードのボスの直前にでも周りを見回してみてください。
それから速やかに忘れてください。(シューティングの背景の宿命…)

                           茅島 由美子

◆店頭版デモ用のCDは砂虫(2面の洞窟に出てくる奴)のデザインがバージョン2.0
なので色と形が違う。販売用の4.0より派手めだけど哀愁の瞳が君を魅了して止まない
だろう。ちなみに砂から出てくる時の予備動作は目と目の間隔で獲物との距離を計る
動作(ハエトリグモがやるやつ)。分かった君は立派な砂虫フリークだ。もうガレージ
キット化するしか!待て、ジャフコン!!

   1.2面生物エネミーモデラー(ワームは違うけどね) 岸本 正也

◆そう、あれは三月二十四日のことだった。俺はタイトルロゴのラフの作業を急いでい
た。特にその日はAMのデザイナーとの飲み会もあり、さっさと仕上げて退社のつもり
だったからだ。だが、それは昼飯の少し前に始まった。「 腹が痛え 」午後になって
も治まらない。腹痛薬を貰う。毛布を借りる。腹を暖める。効かない。脂汗が出て仕事
が手につかない。これはいかん病院で止めてもらおう。チーフに断わり近くの病院に急
ぐ。急げない。這う様にしてたどり着く。医者は一言「盲腸、今切って入院。」

俺が内臓と引き替えに作ったこのゲーム、楽しんで貰えたら盲腸も本望だろう。
モウチョウがホンモウ。面白すぎ。 岩出 敬

◆エンド前にカゼひいたりトラブったりと大変だったけど無事できあがりました。
今回はできなかったけど次は3Dサウンドとか使ってみたいですね。サターンの
サウンドはもっとすごいことができるはず、と反省しつつ次回に乞うご期待。

                 サウンド担当:澤田 朋伯

Unfortunately I’m a bit busy at the moment, so there could be more differences that I didn’t notice on my quick play through the game. I was wondering though, for anyone who’s got the US version of the game, which of these versions is that one closest to? And has anyone else who owns multiple versions of this game (or any other PD games) noticed any other odd things?

I wonder what this text means and I wonder why they made the Sandworms impossible to kill?

I knew Episode 2 was simply impossible.Imagine me - the master of rail shooting :anjou_sigh: cough cough - not beeing able to get 100% shot down ratio.

Thanx for the info Lance.You may be excused now makes gesture

:stuck_out_tongue_winking_eye:

Anyways I was going to ask someone to translate that for us but last time I asked about “Orta’s birth” he didn’t say anything…

Babelfish Translation :

"Development postscript (natural high people just before of end) > 1995 certain month certain day (Note) the fact that this composition is reprinted to other things is prohibited altogether * It ended, it ended… it was long… It is possible to be attached to at last deep sleep. Overtime of last month was 220 hours. Quite, it seems like time of the new member… Winter of this year in team cold (influenza?) Craze. Always someone pulling, the っ て which it keeps moving to someone in order the feeling which is said. So, just I the pin pin had done with the sickness not knowing, whether ナゼ when… with you think, before the release 4 day it knocks down at heat of 38 degrees from with. マーフィー was felt. “パンツァードラグーン”, omitting, “Pandora”. As expected, our desired lights the っ て it probably is to give or…? So if you say, there being “Pandora” even in Saturn satellite, it is what, it is hint. I am graduate for business, but Saturn has surpassed the ability of the board for business of that time completely. At the time of the how joining a company where such a ones enter into home it was unexpected. So, ability of still this hardware is not managed. If with with the meaning which is said, there is a kind of thing which again depends on the eye, furthermore we can deliver the enormous game probably is. So to that day, SeeYou. . . P. S. As for command inputting in the “game/option selective picture”, the ちょ (the ^_^; “Wiz” English Satoshi Takeshita * An emergency communication than Sudou, When the ま it is it is not, the め it is do. Without happening, - it is the ちょ う to be. When there was a thing which makes “2”, it can show those which power were raised more and more probably is. To that time, “fart”! ! ! Bu&u, “cloud child” Junichi STO Sudou * Now, nighttime 2: 33 minutes drowsy way ぅ. Well - you became tired. As everything is continuation of hardship, however you think, you forgot that completely. By the way, it meaning that is my 27th birthday it does March 10th of sale due date. This game sells the っ て which is sown, should have been day when it should commemorate. Then, the coming げ it is to the day when in addition it meets the way. Nakanishi " One ぴ it is " Benevolence * Well quickly it was long project. パンツァードラグーン, how was? When it can have thinking, that it was good buying, it is fortunate. Because Saturn latent faculties still they are not such a ones, even from now on Saturn, please watch over with the warm eye (laughing). By the way because kill rate extensively 100% is possible, please try challenging. Or what whether it is and there is a thing… Bu&u, “Chappy” Hiroshi YAM Yamazaki * It ended at last… It ends also the fact that you sleep with the chair at today. With the Saturn start-up “3D shooting (temporary)” with the っ け where what it is announced is before about the 1 year. At that time, with green color, with the ぶ has done also the dragon changed to better looking with the ぶ. To here whether being possible, with the word わ れ is the specifications about 70% became actuality mono. To come to here, true time was required. Also time was required. If if the person who plays the trial manufacture edition which is exhibited in person and CES which looked at the video of トイショウ, it is, remembering that, we want comparing with those which you now have made the hand. Becoming markedly good, it is る expectation. However (the best it is inexpressible.) However with word something which finishes to rot, it did not do the magazine with to the mouth, plan at the beginning you thought that “the VR software of the machine for home” probably will be made. Kind of those which 360 degree point of view it changed and as for something it inserted because of that. Normally, as a shooting but it made funny the り the especially lath boss is hot. It is possible, if pushing down in the hard no damage, everyone. After, also all 100 is percent possible.) When it is accustomed to play, looking at direction and the various place where the enemy is not, even a little, when the hypothetical world of this game it takes in, there is no joy of surpassing to that. So, you who look at this message. When it is good, thought of パンツァー, into in the future desire, and we want sending the mail from calling with anything, (you say in the user around). Actually as for voice of the user it does not reach almost in problem and development. Ahead sending, Nifty - ID number: SGY01157, to two wooden Yukio. Here was good, here was bad, it waits for candid thought. Well, the time where this has arrived to the market, it probably means that already, my パンツァーチーム has entered into the production of the following game. The current place you do not know whether that the continuation, whether completely it becomes another game. But, while being close, the pulling っ lowering the shocking new work, it will appear. To that it enjoys with the other Saturn software. You cannot call with large voice, but there are also various expectation works and. P. S. Way the running fire pad is the wicked road, you do not use. Main planner: Two wooden Yukio * Today is Terazawa of the enemy setter. Some aspect was funny, probably will be? Regardless, please can tell thought. @ @ @ Next work notice @ @ @ the encounter with the dragon changed the destiny of the girl. And, the goddess 5 it confronts before the dragon. . . (Rear abbreviation) 1, 3 and 5 aspects usually surface enemy setter Bu&u, Akira AKI Terazawa * Don’t you think? it was good, found. Here! あ? The ぁ which is ended at last (still, from this the check hell. . .) We would like to go to bed in any case quickly. Now, the first request. Trying playing, how was? It was difficult, is? The movement of the dragon, first perhaps, ムズイ but in order to think that it is accustomed, it moves, (truth?) Because, when so it does, lock on lock on! ! You open the road certainly. If the ま っ, the person who finds here is such a story good? Of course, clearing, it increases hard mode, don’t you think?? Still if quick. . . From here personal opinion! Enviously the people who the っ て are, Saturn it was good buying that, probably will be! Still the potential skin which the machine has finishing to do or, that and that from this as for Saturn the っ which is done extremely becoming bustling, the く! The pleasure is yet to come. . . Don’t you think? amount amount the person who was enjoyed, "the けっ the ま it is? It lost? "Even in person request. The enclosed questionnaire post card (it is free) and the 5th board room and the like the っ げ which is done? Being to become reference, it is the opinion ちょ う, don’t you think? to be, the っ! Then, with next work. . . Team Andromeda Bu&u, CPU plan Yamada (and ま and) Katuhiko * The う it is densely the ぷ り ぷ り? ? It is Team Andromeda Bu&u, KON plan Kondo (it is doubtful) Hiroshi Satoshi * The game which I made once upon a time, way it can make your life deviate even a little. Camphor tree wooden study * It is for the first time being lazy not to understand while and others with the け becoming ヘトヘト, you completed at last. You being able to enjoy, it increases? I would like to see ざ association exhausting to “Pandora”, for a while and it is the feeling which is not, but putting on the hand salt to there, you think that the amount which made good ones was possible. “You play also there is no ン, you make the game it is ン”, very in me of motto from this, you can think everyone who can taste “Pandora” enviably. ’ Virtue ’ with writing good, ’ you see and ’ with read, Kitamura virtue it is good * It is made at the numbers of many polygons than the certain polygon game character, (it seems) it does with SEGA ロゴイカス, the ょ. Is, but but, if you ultimate ゲーマー whether it can look at true SEGA logograph & &. Bu&u, Kei Yoshida " It is which っ ど " Kentarou * It is something of background charge. While playing please try looking around around even immediately before the boss of each episode in the air. Then please forget rapidly. (Fate of background of shooting… ) Saw grass island Yumiko * As for CD for shop front edition demonstration the sand insect (the person who appears in the cave of 2 aspects) design version 2.0 being to be, color and shape are different. But livelier め than 4.0 for sale the pupil fascinating you, it probably will not stop. When coming out of the sand by the way, as for extra operation the operation which measures the distance of the game at interval of the eye and the eye (the person whom ハエトリグモ does). You who understand are the nice sand insect freak. The to garage kit it should convert already! Wait, ジャフコン! ! 1.2 The laminar thing enemy modeller (as for the worm however it is different, don’t you think?) Masaya Kishimoto * So, that was March 24th. As for we it is to hurry the job of the rough of title logograph. Because especially as for that day there to be also a drinking meeting of the designer of AM, finishing quickly, it was intention of quitting work. But that the lunch started a little before. “The stomach obtains painfully and” is afternoon and is not settled. The stomachache medicine is received. The blanket is borrowed. The stomach is warmed. It is not effective. The greasy sweat coming out, work is not attached to the hand. You make this stop at the circumstance hospital. It refuses in the chief, in the nearby hospital the urgent ぐ. It cannot hurry. It arrives to crawl. The doctor is hospitalized the one word “appendix, now cutting. " We enjoying, the internal organs this game which was made in exchange, when you can receive, also the appendix probably is satisfaction. モウチョウ ホンモウ. It is too funny. Satoshi Iwade * However cold it pulled before the end and/or the トラブっ it is the り and it was serious, safety it was completed. This time however it was not possible, 3D sound we would like to try using the next, don’t you think? is. While the expectation which Saturn sound can a more enormous thing, with the counter regretting in the next time 乞 う expectation. Sound charge: Sawada 朋 伯”

I apologize for my absence, but I’m ALWAYS watching these forums.

all your base are belong to us!!!

’ was half finised with my translation when you posted this, thank you :anjou_angry:

Just start translating.I can’t make a word out of the fish’s words…

[quote=“lordcraymen”]all your base are belong to us!!!
’ was half finised with my translation when you posted this, thank you :anjou_angry:[/quote]

Keep going! Hopefully you didn’t quit x.x
reason? “All your base are belong to us” pretty much says it all…

curiouser and curiouser…

these are the properties of the NTSC version to the best of my knowledge:

sandworms are killable (as we discussed)
sandworms spit green slime
parasites only on final group
no teaser text
no engrishy message in hard mode sky

i still want to know why the final boss in my copy doesn’t fire anything when he powers up that attack! :anjou_angry:

Don’t have my Saturn with me, so I can’t check for sure, but I’m pretty sure that you can’t kill the worms in the NTSC version. Either that or I just suck.

Same here. I just can’t kill that damn things! :anjou_angry:

I expect they were trying to make episode 2 harder, and they just slipped up somewhere along the line; either they meant to give the sandworms a bit more health and gave them far too much, or they meant to make the sandworms unkillable but they forgot to remove them from the shot down ratio.

On the other hand, it’s vaguely possible that Sega sent a version of PD1 off for PAL localisation before the game was released in Japan, and Team Andromeda made alterations to episode 2 after that point in time (but before the Japanese release), to make the level easier and a 100% shot down ratio possible.

As Gehn said, that’s no reason to not finish the other half. :anjou_happy: I expect everyone here would be very interested in a readable English translation (I know I would be).

[quote=“Megatherium”]sandworms are killable (as we discussed)
sandworms spit green slime
parasites only on final group [/quote]

That is weird; so some of the alterations were made for the US release, and even more for the PAL version? Pretty unusual stuff…

Oh, I did actually check that for you and forgot to mention it; unfortunately his attack works in the Japanese version, too. Very weird…

They’re still pretty tough to kill as far as I can tell, so even if they are killable it might take some practice; either that or it’s just another random difference in Megatherium’s (slightly weird) copy of the game.

About the Proto dragon in the PAL version I played he did the attack - he fired several huge green homing balls that left a trail.

I would love to see Darky’s towertransformation agehn in a future PD game.It was awesome!

:anjou_sad:

well, it’s nice to have the japanese version partially coroborate my claim of being a sandworm slayer. it might come down to looking at serial numbers on the packages if segatectoy and bluefoot really can’t kill them worms. you guys should try the code that does the several shot burst, that should make killing the worms very easy.

The giant worms can be killed if you fire at their tail ends which lack the thick armour plating covering the rest of their bodies (although the last time I remember doing this was in the PC version of Panzer Dragoon…). I’ve only managed ti kill one before they disappear.

I probably wasn’t very clear about the worms, but that’s exactly the problem I mean; in the PAL and Xbox versions of the game I’ve played, the most you can really do is kill one worm in the time you have. Four worms appear in Episode 2: one right at the start of the level (which disappears way too fast to kill in the PAL version), one straight after the cave (which you can heavily damage but not quite kill in the PAL version), and a final pair straight after that (of which you can kill one in the PAL version, or two if you use the rolling lock-on attack really, really skillfully).

In the Japanese copy I’ve picked up though, these worms can be killed with comparative ease - I wiped them all out on my second attempt, because as I say they seem to have about half as much “health” as the European sandworms (or possibly about two thirds).

Oh, I can kill them if I use the cheat guns. But I thought the deal was that in the Japanese version it’s possible to kill them without the cheat guns, while in the PAL (and, seems to me, NTSC) versions, you had to cheat.

I’lL do the rest of the translation today, I was to busy at work.

I actually thing about relaunching panzerdragoon.de with translated PD material as new content. I pretty much have the same guides as lagi, except for the PD guidebook (and I didn’t bother to get the PDO guidebbok, because it’s a bad joke)

I always thought it odd that the worms in the Garil Desert in PDS were described as non-violent and that what would be seemingly the same worms shooting deadly avocado at you in PD. But this makes more sense, in that it seems the Japnese vision is that worms are docile.

[quote=“lordcraymen”]I’lL do the rest of the translation today, I was to busy at work.

I actually thing about relaunching panzerdragoon.de with translated PD material as new content. I pretty much have the same guides as lagi, except for the PD guidebook (and I didn’t bother to get the PDO guidebbok, because it’s a bad joke)[/quote]

I won’t polish your ego by saying something that implies we are in anyway dependent on your translations, but I will give it a thumbs up :anjou_happy:

That definitely sounds like a worthwhile project to me. I have most of the guidebooks too (except for the official Azel one, and the OVA one), but they’re really only useful for the pictures in my case.

The PDO guidebook is lacking in imagery, but there’s a wealth of information in there just waiting to be translated.