Under the Microscope: Savaki

In this edition:

• Savaki, the mixed martial arts fighting game, has some previously undocumented button codes to unlock extra characters and debug features.
• In addition, there’s a a more-or-less full prototype build of the game hidden behind some demo restrictions.

The main button code is: hold Up+X+Z at the title screen, then press start. Press B to go back to the title screen, and then hold B while pressing start.

Get a patch for exploring the rest of the demo’s prototype build from SegaXtreme.

Here’s a video!

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Intro

Savaki is a 3D fighting game. It’s not quite Virtua Fighter, but it’s competent. The impressive thing about it is that it was essentially made by one guy: Kozo Nishio credits himself with “All of Programs, Actions, Models, Graphics.”

Actually there are two impressive things about it: on its disc is a build of (and source code for) a karate game for the Sharp X68000, a Japanese computer system from the ’80s:

You initially get to choose from seven fighters who each use a different style: karate, taekwondo, muay thai, etc. You fight everybody else, and at the end there’s a battle with a freestyle fighter in a luchador mask.

I found two interesting things about this game:

• Some previously unknown button codes that enable some debug features.
• A more-or-less full prototype build of the game on a demo disc.

Let’s dive in…

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The button codes

While the PRESS START BUTTON message is flashing on the title screen, hold Up+X+Z and then press Start. Press B to dismiss the mode select screen, then:

• X+Start: unlocks all characters.
• C+Start: limited time and health.
• A+Start or B+Start: enables debug features and unlocks all characters.

Alternatively, you can hold X+Y+Z while the game is booting, then use the combinations above.

When all characters are unlocked, you can see two rows of fighters on the selection screen. The free style luchador’s 3D model is a white cube, for some reason:

When the debug features are enabled, the clock doesn’t count down and you don’t take damage from opponents. You can hold L and press Start to access a screen where you can view and re-position your fighter and adjust various parameters:

Additionally, you can hold L+R+A and use the D-pad to make your character rotate in place. L+R+C and the D-pad makes your opponent rotate.

In practice mode, you normally get a screen telling you about its features: Hold X to display hitboxes, hold Y for slow motion, and hold Z to change how the opponent attacks. With debug enabled, you get a different screen instead:

The features still work, however.

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The prototype demo

Flash Sega Saturn Vol. 26 has a version of Savaki from 1998-01-26, 39 days before the final game was built. Interestingly, it has all of the characters (except for the freestyle luchador) unlocked by default.

Amusingly, the “hold L+R+A” and “hold L+R+C” tricks from above work during normal gameplay. You can spin your opponent around and hit them from behind.

The button codes don’t work by default, but setting the flag at 060aa1b9 to 00 activates them. The patch is:

06035fca e100

They’re a bit different: the freestyle luchador doesn’t become accessible. And the “hold A or B” button code brings up a special DEBUG mode.

The debug mode just puts your fighter into the area and lets you move around. The L+Start controls work here as well.

You can select the freestyle luchador with this patch:

06038c82 0009

Normally the demo ends after two fights. You can keep going with these patches:

0602df16 88ff
0602df24 e102

This will get you to the luchador fight. The game crashes after that — presumably because the credits are missing.

There are lots of minor differences between this build and the final. For example, some of the character costumes seem to have changed. Also, the display of how many opponents you’ve defeated got moved around.

Tell me if you spot other things!

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Outro

For previous coverage of unknown cheat codes, see my list of discoveries.

And for demos that secretly have prototype builds, see my user page on Hidden Palace.

Send me suggestions for other things to cover!

This article is syndicated from Rings of Saturn, Bo’s reverse engineering blog.