NTSC-U / NTSC-J Region Differences Guide

This guide uses stage names as given in the NTSC-U manual for the game because, as explained below, the level order differs between versions such that saying "Stage 1, Stage 2," etc. becomes insufficient to consistently identify the stages.

First and foremost, the most glaring difference between versions is that the Abandoned Ship level is moved from the Stage 5 slot in NTSC-J to Stage 1 in NTSC-U, with a decrease in difficulty to match. Thus, NTSC-U begins with the Abandoned Ship, whereas NTSC-J begins with Down the River.

Below is a list of relevant differences per stage, listed in NTSC-J order.

# Down the River (NTSC-J Stage 1, NTSC-U Stage 2)
- The boss's hitbox is far more forgiving in NTSC-J. It may have been made more difficult for NTSC-U given that it's no longer the first stage of the game in that version.
**
# Through the Forest (NTSC-J Stage 2, NTSC-U Stage 3)
- Functionally identical between versions.
**
# In the Haunted House (NTSC-J Stage 3, NTSC-U Stage 4)
- Functionally identical between versions.
**
# In the Sky (NTSC-J Stage 4, NTSC-U Stage 5)
- Functionally identical between versions. Minor graphical changes.
**
# The Abandoned Ship (NTSC-J Stage 5, NTSC-U Stage 1)
By far the most significantly altered stage between versions.

In NTSC-J:
- Knife pirates will throw their knives at you as they land from their jumps.
- Gun pirates will actually shoot their guns.
- Barrels roll faster on the surface.
- Rats move more erratically, making them more difficult to predict and maneuver around.
- The giant rat miniboss takes 4 hits to defeat, rather than 2 in NTSC-U.
- Bottom-floor red octopi take 2 hits to defeat, rather than 1 in NTSC-U, and their ink shots move more quickly.
- The boss takes 12 hits to defeat, rather than 6 in NTSC-U, and its hitbox is tightened such that the NTSC-U strategy of throwing stones from the short tentacle is ineffective and will get you killed.

In NTSC-U:
- Tom's inked sprite altered in localization for fairly obvious reasons.
**
# Deep in the Cave (Stage 6)
- Minor graphical changes between versions.

In NTSC-J:
- Upon descending from the starting floor, a face embedded in the left wall will spit boulders along the floor, making navigation more difficult.

petriform

The Adventures of Tom Sawyer

Nintendo Entertainment System

8BitsOfJoy

Pikachu

sascha-gaming

SuperPitFro

USA / NTSC

badbrakes

Kongcakes