Spiritual Warfare (Prototype, Nintendo Entertainment System)

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 later turned into Wisdom Tree, said that there are “only a maximum of two of these carts in existence” (link).

One of those two copies is now owned by a video game collector who wishes to remain anonymous.

The prototype appears to be virtually identical to the retail version on the outside, but inside, there are EPROM chips.

The back sticker is over the center screw, so the owner did not want to risk damaging the case to take a picture of the circuit board inside.

This early version has several changes, and the game ultimately cannot be beaten.

Prototype
Released Version (5.1)

The prototype loading screen shows “SC-6,” signifying that the game is a later version, even though it is a much earlier 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)

A version number is not displayed on the title screen in the prototype. The copyright year, again, is 1991. The 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 lowercase “c” uses a slightly different font in the prototype.

Prototype
Released Version (5.1)

Furthermore, the exclamation point is wider and more pronounced in the prototype.

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 more spread out, and the bottom numbers and letters have disappeared.

Prototype

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

Prototype
Released Version (5.1)

There is another font change, this time in the way that the apostrophes are written.

Prototype
Released Version (5.1)

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

Prototype
Released Version (5.1)

There are three more missing boulders in the park, one screen up, at 02.

Prototype
Released Version (5.1)

Go north to see more park terrain differences at 01.

Prototype
Released Version (5.1)

Travel to 00 in the park for even more changes.

Prototype
Released Version (5.1)

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

Prototype
Released Version (5.1)

The characters 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 instead of 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, not 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 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, head 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)

Move into the next room to see another more basic-looking room.

Prototype
Released Version (5.1)

You’re supposed to battle the boss for the next door to unlock. 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 of 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 come across what appears to be green-skinned 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 door frame in the prototype consists of shades of brown instead of teal and gray.

Prototype
Released Version (5.1)

At B2, there are several missing vials of the wrath of the God.

Prototype
Released Version (5.1)

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

Prototype
Released Version (5.1)

Go right one screen to see more of these differences.

Prototype
Released Version (5.1)

Head through the door to find 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.

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)

Go through the slums door at F3 in the prototype to see more Martians and different background patterns.

Prototype
Released Version (5.1)

There are more Martians at E0 in the slums.

Prototype
Released Version (5.1)

Head down to come across more.

Prototype
Released Version (5.1)

Head right for 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 farther 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 without any 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 them.

Prototype
Released Version (5.1)

Inside of 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 of 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 completely empty inside.

Prototype
Released Version (5.1)

The boots cannot be picked up in the prototype; your character walks 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, you will see a different brick pattern. Head left for more changed patterns and balloons positioned slightly farther to the left in the prototype.

Prototype
Released Version (5.1)

Go back and head right this time to come across more different backgrounds.

Prototype
Released Version (5.1)

Head right one more time to see a a different pattern replacing the stone.

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)

Head down to see some 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 beachgoer 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 slightly 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, at 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 the changed architecture.

Prototype
Released Version (5.1)

There’s 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 to come out on the other side.

Prototype
Released Version (5.1)

The steps here are blue in the prototype and blend in with the rest of the floor.

Prototype
Released Version (5.1)

What the devil! The released version clearly marks this as “FINAL BOSS” on the HUD, but the prototype does not.

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 even attached to his head. Where’s Sigourney Weaver when you need her? Creepy!

Prototype
Prototype

In fact, the entire 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 the alphabet! At one point, an opened door even appeared where the Dark Lord’s left hand should have been.

Prototype
Released Version (5.1)

In the prototype, demons drop items like spirit points during the final boss fight. This was removed from the released version.

Prototype
Released Version (5.1)

When your attacks connect, Satan will stop and quickly chuckle at you. When you hit him enough times, all of his body parts will come off and fly around the screen. That’s right; you can’t actually beat The Devil in the prototype.

These tile graphics show many of the aforementioned differences:

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