Maniac Mansion: all version differences
6 documented differences between the releases of Maniac Mansion, each with a source. Back to the main page for names, releases and where to play.
Category × version
| Category | NES (NA/EU) | NES (NA) | Famicom (JP) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Censorship | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| Gameplay | 0 | 1 | 2 |
| Text | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Audio | 0 | 1 | 0 |
Version differences
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CensorshipNES (NA/EU)
Nintendo of America considered the game unsuitable for children, so the NES version removed nudity such as a swimsuit calendar, a classical statue and a mummy poster in a Playmate pose, and softened dialogue including Dr. Fred's line about brains being sucked out.1
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CensorshipNES (NA)
The scene where a hamster can be put in the microwave survived in the first batch of NES cartridges, but Jaleco removed it from later shipments after Nintendo noticed.1
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GameplayFamicom (JP)
The Japanese Famicom version uses flip-screens instead of scrolling and saves progress with a 104-character password.1
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TextFamicom (JP)
The Famicom version shows all text and names in hiragana and adapts details for Japan: a mailbox was added, and the coins became 10-yen and 100-yen pieces.2
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GameplayNES (NA)Famicom (JP)
Both console versions cut the list of verbs from the original 15 commands to 12.2
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AudioNES (NA)
The NES version has new music by Realtime Associates, with a theme for each character, and saves to a battery instead of using a password.1
Sources
Checked: 2026-10-13