Spiritual Warfare Prototype

Color Dreams game enthusiast, Dave Allwein, reported that his brother allegedly picked up this Spiritual Warfare prototype from “some used Nintendo store” and didn’t know that it was a beta until later. Another story goes that he allegedly claimed to have opened a sealed copy of the game and found this prototype in place of a retail copy. Allwein also has a history of contacting former Color Dreams staff, so the prototype may have also been purchased directly from an ex-employee.

However it was found, Dan Lawton, the founder of Color Dreams (which, of course, later became Wisdom Tree), said that there are “only a maximum of two of these carts in existence” (link).

The game is now owned by a game collector who wishes to remain anonymous.

The prototype appears virtually identical to retail on the outside, but inside, are eproms.

The center screw on the back is stickered over, so the owner does not want to damage the case to take a picture of the circuit board inside.

This early version has several changes and cannot be beaten.

Prototype
Released Version (5.1)

The prototype loading screen shows “SC6” (which matches the later version 6 version). But why would an early prototype have the same version number as a much later build?

Prototype
Released Version (5.1)

The prototype has a copyright year of 1991, whereas the earliest dumped version (5.1) has a copyright year of 1992.

Prototype
Released Version (5.1)

No version number on the title screen in the prototype. Copyright, again, is 1991. Music is automatically turned off.

Prototype
Released Version (5.1)

The prototype has an additional song (“Song 6”). Also, a few of the sounds play at a lower pitch.

Prototype
Released Version (5.1)

The lowercased letter “c” has a slightly different font.

Prototype
Released Version (5.1)

Furthermore, the exclamation point is wider and more pronounced.

Prototype
Released Version (5.1)

In the prototype, the game begins at a stage select screen with an angel and all of the game’s items.

Prototype
Released Version (5.1)

The prototype’s Game Over screen is a little more spread out and lacks the bottom numbers/letters.

Prototype

Many of the trivia questions in the prototype are missing. According to a Wisdom Tree sales Excel spreadsheet, the released game features 250 questions in all.

Prototype
Released Version (5.1)

Another font change: the apostrophes.

Prototype
Released Version (5.1)

Two boulders were not yet added to the game in the park at 03.

Prototype
Released Version (5.1)

Three more missing boulders in the park, one screen up, at 02.

Prototype
Released Version (5.1)

Keep going up for some more park terrain differences at 01.

Prototype
Released Version (5.1)

Reach 00 in the park for even more differences.

Prototype
Released Version (5.1)

“Your faith looks week” text prompt is centered in the prototype.

Prototype
Released Version (5.1)

The guys who wear sunglasses in the park walk, not run, around bushes in the prototype.

Prototype
Released Version (5.1)

The prototype downtown shop charges 150 spirit points for anointing oil (the released 5.1 version costs 75).

Prototype
Released Version (5.1)

When you come out of the shop, the path is not blocked in the prototype.

Prototype
Released Version (5.1)

Enter the downtown building at 83, and inside you’ll find one less barrel and vial of the wrath of God in the prototype. Also, if you look closely, the prototype barrels have white stripes (the released barrels have yellow stripes).

Prototype
Released Version (5.1)

Head to the right, and there’s one less vial of the wrath of God in the prototype.

Prototype
Released Version (5.1)

Head two screens to the left, and (again) there’s one less barrel and vial of the wrath of God in the prototype.

Prototype
Released Version (5.1)

Go up to the roof, go to the right, and enter the door to find yourself inside of an entirely different, much more primitive-looking room layout in the prototype.

Prototype
Released Version (5.1)

Head into the next room to see another more primitive-looking room.

Prototype
Released Version (5.1)

Through the locked door, you’re supposed to battle the boss for the next door to be unlocked (where you pick up the Breastplate of Righteousness). In the prototype, however, all you have to do is set off a vial of the wrath of God to blast open the door and skip the boss entirely.

Prototype
Released Version (5.1)

Inside the downtown building at 86: the prototype has one less block and everything white (including the HUD) turns into a yellowish peach color.

Prototype
Released Version (5.1)

Enter the slums building at B3 in the prototype to see green-colored Martians (?) and a different background pattern.

Prototype
Released Version (5.1)

The Martians return in the next room.

Prototype
Released Version (5.1)

Back outside in the slums, the doorframe in the prototype consists of shades of brown (instead of teal and gray).

Prototype
Released Version (5.1)

At B2, the slums lives up to its name in the prototype, as there are several missing vials of the wrath of the God.

Prototype
Released Version (5.1)

Inside the slums building, you’ll find more Martians and different background patterns.

Prototype
Released Version (5.1)

Go right one screen for more of these differences.

Prototype
Released Version (5.1)

Through the door for more.

Prototype
Released Version (5.1)

At D3 in the prototype slums, there’s a dumpster at the top of the screen instead of a trash can. (Are those Communion wafers on the ground?)

Prototype
Released Version (5.1)

The prototype has a door in the slums building at E2 that does not appear in the released game. This door does not open. (I suppose the door was removed to prevent any confusion.)

Prototype
Released Version (5.1)

On the next screen to the right, a dumpster appears in the prototype slums alleyway.

Prototype
Released Version (5.1)

Through the slums door at F3 in the prototype are more Martians and background patterns.

Prototype
Released Version (5.1)

At E0 in the slums, more Martians.

Prototype
Released Version (5.1)

Head down for more.

Prototype
Released Version (5.1)

Head right for yet even more.

Prototype
Released Version (5.1)

Inside of the building at C6 in the houses sector, there’s one more barrier and the balloons are placed more to the left in the prototype.

Prototype
Released Version (5.1)

In the released version, the church at F7 is supposed to give you tips and fill up your health. In the prototype, however, God is silent, as you are given only an extra heart container (no text). If you go out and come back in, you’ll get another heart container. You can keep doing this until you max out your heart containers.

Prototype
Released Version (5.1)

The doors leading to the airport building at 46 are closed in the prototype. You can still enter inside.

Prototype
Released Version (5.1)

Inside the airport building, head left and go through the conveyor belt. In the next room you’ll see another closed door in the prototype.

Prototype
Released Version (5.1)

Inside the airport building, head right to see more shut doors.

Prototype
Released Version (5.1)

At 24 in the airport, you can enter the airplane in the prototype. Unfortunately, it’s empty inside.

Prototype
Released Version (5.1)

The boots cannot be picked up in the prototype; your character goes right through them.

Prototype
Released Version (5.1)

When you leave the rooms with the boots, you run into a game-breaking situation. In the released version, a ladder appears for you to reach the bottom door. In the prototype, however, there’s no ladder. You’re completely stuck.

Prototype
Released Version (5.1)

Inside of the shipyard building at 78: a different pattern instead of bricks. Head left for more changed patterns and balloons positioned slightly more to the left in the prototype.

Prototype
Released Version (5.1)

Go back and head right this time for more different backgrounds.

Prototype
Released Version (5.1)

Head right one more time to see more different patterns in place of stone backgrounds.

Prototype
Released Version (5.1)

Near the shipyard railroad station at 5C, there are some stairs. Go down them and you’ll come across more background changes.

Prototype
Released Version (5.1)

Go down to see more.

Prototype
Released Version (5.1)

On the beach, the surfer at BB in the prototype says, “Hey dude! What’s up?” In the released game, he says, “Have you seen my surfboard?” (This line makes no sense, by the way, because he’s clearly holding his surfboard.)

Prototype
Released Version (5.1)

The guy on the beach pier at DC is positioned slightly higher on the screen.

Prototype
Released Version (5.1)

In the woods at C9, the shrubbery is a bit different.

Prototype
Released Version (5.1)

Enter the cave in the woods at B7 to see a number of differences. Instead of bombs, there are sticks of dynamite, the blocks are blue, there’s one less stone, and the door is located at the bottom of the screen.

Prototype
Released Version (5.1)

In the prison (92), the prototype has several rocks that do not appear in the released version.

Prototype
Released Version (5.1)

The prison architecture is different in 61. In the prototype, you can even walk right inside.

Prototype
Released Version (5.1)

Head right to see more of this different architecture.

Prototype
Released Version (5.1)

More different architecture inside of the prison at 70.

Prototype
Released Version (5.1)

Inside of the hidden cell block at 70, you’ll come across a slightly altered room where the heart container rests. This is actually a booby trap that’ll collapse on top of you if you’re not careful!

Prototype
Released Version (5.1)

The door to the boss room in the demon’s lair (where you receive the shield) has mysteriously vanished in the prototype.

Prototype
Released Version (5.1)

Before the door to the blue room in the demon’s lair, the prototype clearly shows a passageway that you can enter and come out on the other side.

Prototype
Released Version (5.1)

These steps leading to outside the demon’s lair stone building in the prototype are blue and blend with the rest of the floor.

Prototype
Released Version (5.1)

What a devil! The released version clearly marks this as “FINAL BOSS” on the HUD, but the prototype doesn’t.

Prototype
Prototype

Also, in the prototype, if you keep firing at Satan, his arm will become glitched and he’ll grow a third hand. At one point, his forearm attached to his head, so he kind of looked like an alien that Sigourney Weaver might’ve fought. Creepy!

Prototype
Prototype

The whole boss battle is extremely glitchy. Epileptics, take heed: The screen will shake, the pause menu will flash, and the rock floating in the lava may even try to teach you your ABC’s! At one point, an opened door even appeared where his left hand should’ve been.

Prototype
Released Version (5.1)

In the prototype, demons drop items like spirit points during the final boss fight. These were later removed in the released version.

Prototype
Released Version (5.1)

When your attacks make contact with him, Satan will stop and just sort of quickly chuckle at you. The craziest thing? When you hit him enough times, all of his body parts will come off and infinitely fly around the screen. That’s right; you can’t actually beat The Devil in this version. This is a sick, sadistic prototype.

The tile graphics show many of the aforementioned differences:

Prototype (left), Released Ver5.1 (right)