Circuit Blasters

Circuit Blasters
Developer: Supersonic Software Publisher: Metro 3D Platform: PlayStation 2 Released in EU: July 21, 2005 This game has unused graphics. This game has unused models. This game has unused cinematics. This game has unused text.

Circuit Blasters is a 1:1 remake of Circuit Breakers that somehow managed to deliver less content than the original game.

Unused Cinematics

Two video files are present on the disc:

• LES00753/VIDEO/RW.PSS - A generic RenderWare Platform logo on a yellow background.
• LES00753/VIDEO/SSINTRO.PSS - An animation with Supersonic Software logo on a sky background.

The game uses .PIZ format to store multiple files in a single archive. Inside LES00753/ VIDEO.PIZ are 5 unused video files:

• EMPIRE.PSS - Empire Interactive logo with 2003 copyright date, suggests the game was initially planned to be published under a different publisher.
• INTRO.PSS - A 2 second long, crude animation with a car driver that was initially intended to be the game's intro movie.

• INTRO97.STR - intro video from the original Circuit Breakers game for PlayStation.
• RW.PSS - A copy of the RenderWare logo video.
• SSINTRO.PSS - A copy of the SuperSonic Software logo video.

The game's executable references the following .PSS video files:

cdrom0:\\CBPS2\\LES00753\\VIDEO\\smokey.pss
cdrom0:\\CBPS2\\LES00753\\VIDEO\\timgid.pss
cdrom0:\\CBPS2\\LES00753\\VIDEO\\training.pss
cdrom0:\\CBPS2\\LES00753\\VIDEO\\backdrop.pss
cdrom0:\\LES00753\\VIDEO\\EMPIRE.PSS
cdrom0:\\LES00753\\VIDEO\\SSINTRO.PSS
cdrom0:\\LES00753\\VIDEO\\RW.PSS

Unused Graphics

Inside LES00753/TEXTURES.PIZ archive is a PANEL.TXD image container that features a "levelicons" texture with symbols that represent available levels. The remake lacks CANYON and ARCTIC levels available in the original game, yet their logos are still present in the file.

Inside LES00753/TIMS.PIZ are two PlayStation .TIM images:

• MIND.TIM - Mindscape logo featured in the original Circuit Breakers games.
• WARNING.TIM - Generic piracy warning present in most PAL PlayStation games.

Development Logs

LES00753/FONT36.PIZ archive contains a PS2_RWDEBUG.LOG file with RenderWare debug log:

 RenderWare(TM) V3.6.0.3(Sep  5 2003) Debugging Session: Thu Apr 29 12:08:28 2004
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
C:/daily/rwsdk/src/plcore/baresour.c(144): MESSAGE: _rwResourcesOpen: 16777216 bytes allocated for resources arena.

TEXTURES.PIZ contains RWDEBUG.LOG with similar entries, ranging from Jun 10 2004 to Jul 16 2004.

References to Other Platforms

The game's executable references xbox/ and gamecube/ directories, suggesting that the game was initially planned as a multiplatform release.

Remnants of Circuit Breakers

The game is partially based on the original Circuit Breakers code. The game's executable contains the directory names of the original levels: WWEST, GPRIX, JUNGLE, PERSIA, VENICE, SWAMP, AQUA, SNOW, ROOF, CASTLE.

LES00753/INDEX.PIZ contains two files from the original game:

• CBBYSS.CON - A copy of the file from the original game - it contains an index of available levels, their data file paths and translated names.
• CBBYSS.NEW - Contains a similar level index, but this time with tracks from the A1 Add-on Disk (CASTLE and VENROOF levels).

All level archives contain .TIM, .TEX and .TRK files from the original game. In addition, the files related to infinite tunnel used as game mode menu selection and loading screen in the original game are present in LES00753/TUNNEL.PIZ archive, yet the final game uses a simple menu screen instead.

Possible Snow Racing Mode

The game uses CARS.DAT to store car models for normal tracks and BOAT.DAT for water levels. The executable references SKI.DAT, possibly intended for a cut snow level (ARCTIC).