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Mario Kart DS/Early Models

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This is a sub-page of Mario Kart DS.

Early Characters

Hmmm...
To do:
Are there any more?

Daisy

Unused Used
MKDS Early Daisy.png MKDS Final Daisy.png

An earlier version of Daisy's CPU model, found in the unused KartModelMain.carc archive. Her head and arms are slightly different, matching her current appearance. The crown of the used model has some pink on it, unlike the unused one.

Shy Guy

Unused Used
Mkdsprotoshyguymodel.png MKDS-Final-ShyGuy-CPU.png

KartModelMain.carc also contains an early CPU model for Shy Guy, which is carried over from the Kiosk Demo. It is very simple and lacks 3D arms and feet. It is also green unlike the final model which is red.

Early Karts

Early versions of certain karts exist in the final game in two unused archives. The first archive is KartModelMain.carc which is mostly carried over from the Kiosk Demo however the textures are now separate from the model like they are in the final game. This archive is unused as the final game splits this archive into KartModelMainA.carc and KartModelMainB.carc due to memory limitations.

Standard Karts

Like the Kiosk Demo, the karts which are not yet complete are replaced with the corresponding Standard Kart for that character. This Standard Kart however is an earlier version which features a slightly larger emblem and has different texture mapping on the engine block. This version can be seen in the E3 2005 trailer and some other pre-release screenshots. It is currently unknown if the emblems were merely placeholders, or early emblems for each character.

Early Final
MKDS-Early-Standard-MR.png MKDS-Final-Standard-MR.png
Early Final
MKDS-Early-Standard-PC.png MKDS-Final-Standard-PC.png
Early Final
MKDS-Early-Standard-YS.png MKDS-Final-Standard-YS.png
Early Final
MKDS-Early-Standard-TD.png MKDS-Final-Standard-TD.png
Early Final
MKDS-Early-Standard-DK.png MKDS-Final-Standard-DK.png
Early Final
MKDS-Early-Standard-WR.png MKDS-Final-Standard-WR.png
Early Final
MKDS-Early-Standard-BW.png MKDS-Final-Standard-BW.png

Light Tripper

Early Final
MKDS-Early-LightTripper.PNG MKDS-Final-LightTripper.png

The Light Tripper uses an earlier design with a more open-wheeled front.

Egg 1

Early Final
MKDS-Yoshi-unused-kart.png MKDS-Final-EggOne.png

The Egg 1 uses a pink and green color scheme as opposed to the green and orange one used in the final game. This kart can be seen in some of the early pre-release screenshots.

4-Wheel Cradle

Early Final
MKDS-Early-4WheelCradle.PNG MKDS-Final-4WheelCradle.png

The 4-Wheel Cradle uses an earlier design which lacks the frame around the tires and features smaller front wheels.

Brute

Early Final
MKDS-Wario-unused-kart.png MKDS-Final-Brute.png

The Brute uses a completely different design to the one which features in the final game. The new design resembles the Wario Car from Double Dash!!, while the old design slightly resembles the Koopa King, also from Double Dash!!

Early Later
MKDSKiosk WarioKartShadow Early.png MKDSKiosk WarioKartShadow.png

Additionally this early kart has an earlier shadow model under the name sh_WR_c.nsbmd, which is used by his other kart that here is a duplicate of his standard kart (later replaced by Dragonfly). The later one is sh_WR_b.nsbmd and is used by the actual said kart.

Tyrant

Early Final
MKDS-Early-Tyrant.PNG MKDS-Final-Tyrant.png

The Tyrant uses an earlier design where the claws are 2D instead of 3D.

KartModelMenu.carc

The second archive is KartModelMenu.carc, which originally would have stored the character and kart models for the menu but was replaced with a KartModelMenu folder. This archive features some karts which are identical to the final game, some which are the same as KartModelMain.carc and some earlier karts which are unique to this archive.

Wildlife

Early Final
MKDS-Early-Wildlife.png MKDS-Final-Wildlife.png

The Wildlife features some extra detail on the doors and bumper and also includes wing mirrors. It also has slightly smaller headlights compared to the final model.

Standard DB

Early Final
MKDS-Early-Standard-DB.png MKDS-Final-Standard-DB.png

Dry Bones' Standard Kart uses a completely different color scheme compared to the final game. It was most likely changed to differentiate it more from R.O.B.'s Standard Kart.

Zipper

Early Final
MKDS-Early-Zipper.png MKDS-Final-Zipper.png

The Zipper uses the same body design as the final version except it has 4 wheels instead of 3.

Standard RB

Early Final
MKDS-Early-Standard-RB.png MKDS-Final-Standard-RB.png

R.O.B.'s Standard Kart also uses a different color scheme. Instead of being dark grey it is white, most likely to reflect R.O.B.'s Japanese color scheme. It also bears a close resemblance to the color scheme used by Shy Guy's Standard Kart.

ROB-LGS

Early Final
MKDS-Early-ROB-LGS.png MKDS-Final-ROB-LGS.png

Similar to the Zipper, the ROB-LGS has 4 wheels as opposed to 3. It also uses the small tire design instead of the large tire design that is used by the final version. Interestingly, the filename for the ROB-LGS is kart_RB_b in this archive. In the final game, kart_RB_b is the filename for the ROB-BLS, with the ROB-LGS being kart_RB_c. Because of this it is possible that the ROB-LGS was originally intended to be R.O.B.'s default kart instead of the ROB-BLS.

Early Objects

Earlier models of objects can be found in the game mostly in the data of unused tracks, almost all of which are leftovers from the Kiosk Demo version.

Goomba

Early Final
MKDS Early Gumba.gif MKDS Final Gumba.gif

An earlier model of the Goomba object, found in the files for nokonoko_course, old_mario_gc, and donkey_course. It has a black outline, lacks a drop shadow and uses 8 frames, while the final version uses 4 and mirrors them to save space. The early model also has backface culling; being the reason why this model blinks each four frames in the final version, due to the code that mirrors the texture actually flipping the model.

Fireball

Earlier (wario_course) Kiosk Demo Final
MKDSEarly Earliest Fireball.png MKDSKiosk Early Fireball.png MKDS Final Fireball.png

Found in the files for wario_course, and seems to have been left as it was in the Kiosk Demo. It has only one texture and doesn't use a .nsbtp file, whereas the used object has four textures and a .nsbtp file. The internal name is also changed in the final as fire_ball2.nsbmd, but the file in wario_course still uses its Kiosk Demo name (FireBall.nsbmd).

A later version with a less-detailed texture appears in Wario Stadium in the prototype, which is still used in Mario Circuit in the final game (yet Wario Stadium uses an updated texture).

Pin

Earlier Later
MKDSPin1.pngMKDSPinHead1.png MKDSPin2.png

Despite the object itself being scrapped and removed, both versions of the pin object model still exist in the game. The earliest model is used in luigi_course and the later version appears in donkey_course (Waluigi Pinball in Kiosk Demo). There's also pin_head1.nsbmd object in luigi_course's data, might suggest the purple head of the pin was a separate model at first.

The objects can be seen in-game in Kiosk Demo, through.

Balloon

Early MKDSEarlyBalloonBlue.png MKDSEarlyBalloonCyan.png MKDSEarlyBalloonGreen.png MKDSEarlyBalloonOrange.png MKDSEarlyBalloonPink.png MKDSEarlyBalloonRed.png MKDSEarlyBalloonViolet.png MKDSEarlyBalloonYellow.png
Final MKDSFinalBalloonBlue.png MKDSFinalBalloonCyan.png MKDSFinalBalloonGreen.png MKDSFinalBalloonOrange.png MKDSFinalBalloonPink.png MKDSFinalBalloonRed.png MKDSFinalBalloonViolet.png MKDSFinalBalloonYellow.png

Found in mini_block_course is the balloon model using its Kiosk Demo textures, however the model is in final format with one .nsbmd with eight textures for each color and a .nsbtp pattern. Balloons in Kiosk Demo, however, use eight separate models for each color and doesn't use a .nsbtp file. Suggests that the textures were changed after the models were merged.

Shine Sprite

Early Final
MKDS Early Shine.gif MKDS Final Shine.gif

A Shine Sprite with a different palette and less-compressed textures can be found in mini_block_course's files. Its model is also smaller compared to the used one. Another earlier model with an unanimated texture can be found in the Kiosk Demo.

Car

Early Final
MKDS Car early.png MKDS Car Final.png

An early model of the car, which appears in the unused MR_stage4 course. This model is used in Kiosk Demo's Shroom Ridge and GCN Mushroom Bridge tracks.

Bound

Early Final
MKDSEarlyBound3.png MKDSEarlyBound3 2.png MKDS Bound Final.png

The earlier Bound model, used in luigi_course and donkey_course, has a somewhat different texture. The final version has two different textures for a texture pattern animation, and the mode is longer to fake a reflection on the surface of the track.

It has a slightly brighter texture compared to the Kiosk Demo's model.

The lack of a .nsbca animation file in the early model is the cause of luigi_course crashing on real hardware. The file exists in donkey_course's data, through.

In the Kiosk Demo, luigi_course uses another early model of the Bound, which looks to be a bit more detailed. A slightly earlier version of donkey_course's model with a darker blue light texture can also be found in Waluigi Pinball in the said version. Both were replaced with the Bound model from donkey_course in the final game.

Flipper

Early Final
MKDS Flipper Early.png MKDS Flipper Final.png

Found in the files of luigi_course and donkey_course, this flipper model has a pretty different design, being blue with a red dot on the axis.

It didn't have any electrical effect in the Kiosk Demo, simply pushing players back instead of spinning them out. It also didn't use .nsbta and .nsbtp files that the final uses, the reason why the said two unused tracks crash when loading on real hardware as it couldn't find the files.

Dram

Early Final
MKDSEarlyDram.png MKDSFinalDram.png

Found in donkey_course is the Kiosk Demo model for the dram object (item roulette), which has the same geometry as test_cylinder except the height, likely for the collision it had in Kiosk Demo. The model was made lower-poly, rotated 90 degrees and upscaled in the final and its collision data was removed.

Its collision settings are still present in the unused early grpconf.tbl file in /Main/MapObj.carc, however. (object ID D200).

Gears

Early Final
MKDSEarlyGears.png MKDSFinalGears.png

Early models for Tick-Tock Clock gears, found in the files for the unused luigi_course and test1_course tracks. They have brighter textures compared to the final models which are used in Tick-Tock Clock in both Kiosk Demo and final.

From top to bottom in early model image:

  • gear_black
  • gear_white
  • test_cylinder

gear_black goes completely unused, gear_white is used in test1_course and test_cylinder is used in luigi_course.

Bridge

Early Final
MKDSEarlyBridge.png MKDSFinalBridge.png

Found in test1_course is an earlier model for the moving bridge in Delfino Square, which has a different boost pad texture. The handle at the top also has different placement and texture UV mapping.

The final model is used in Delfino Square in both the Kiosk Demo and in the final.

Boulders

Early Final
MKDSEarlyRock.png MKDSFinalRock.png

Found in donkey_course is an earlier model for the falling rocks/boulders in N64 Choco Mountain, which has different shading and texture palette. The early model is used in Kiosk Demo's donkey_course, where it was an unfinished DK Pass. Since that track was replaced by Kiosk Demo's Waluigi Pinball in the final, this model goes unused there.

The final model is used in N64 Choco Mountain in both Kiosk Demo and final.

MKDS Rock Particle.pngMKDS Snow Particle.png

Oddly, the particle texture for when they're broken also depict the earlier shading.

Thwomp

Early Final
MKDSEarlyThwomp.png MKDSFinalThwomp.png

Found in donkey_course is the Kiosk Demo model for the thwomps in Bowser Castle with a different shading. This model is used in Kiosk Demo's donkey_course (early DK Pass), Bowser Castle and GBA Bowser Castle 2 tracks. It's still present in donkey_course's files in the final, but the track was overwritten (see above) so it's left unused.

It's likely the shading was altered to fit better with the Bowser Castle track ambience, since the model itself (UV mapping, textures etc.) and even the filesize are the same.

Beach Water

Earlier Earlier 2 Kiosk Demo Final
MKDSnokonoko sea.png


MKDSnoko waterA.png


MKDSnoko waterC.png

MKDSbeach waterA.png


MKDSbeach waterB.png


MKDSbeach waterCKiosk.png

MKDSbeach waterA.png


MKDSbeach waterC.png

Found in nokonoko_course are earlier models for the beach water, that have a texture more closely resembling that from Peach Beach in Mario Kart: Double Dash!!. From left to right:

  • nokonoko_sea
  • noko_waterA (top)
  • noko_waterC (bottom)

A lower-resolution version of the nokonoko_sea texture is used in GCN Luigi Circuit, GCN Mushroom Bridge and the unused GCN Mario Circuit tracks.

In the same archive are also the Kiosk Demo models for the water, that are closer to the final's, from top to bottom:

  • beach_waterA
  • beach_waterB
  • beach_waterC

The final version doesn't use any waterB files, and has its texture mixed into the waterC's. This is the only waterB file left in the final game, but won't load since the code that does so is removed.

Itembox

Pre-release screenshot showing early itembox model
Early Final
MKDSEuDemo-Itembox.png MKDSFinalItembox.png MKDSFinalItemboxQuestion.png

Found in the unused /Main/MapObj.carc archive is an earlier model for the itemboxes with the name itembox.nsbmd, that have both the box and the question mark in one model, uses the file itembox.nsbca for its animation and uses 256-color textures for both. This model can be seen in most pre-release screenshots.

The final model uses two 16-color textures resulting in quality degrade (probably to save VRAM), separates the box and question mark into two models and uses a hardcoded animation.

The question mark texture is also different; the early model uses a texture similar to that from Mario Kart: Double Dash!!, but in light gray color rather than blue.

Interestingly, the final model is also in the unused archive mentioned above, but again, it's unused. Itemboxes are loaded from /MainRace.carc/MapObj instead.

test_brock (Test Block)

MKDSEarly TestBlock.png

A test model for the moving blocks from Bowser's Castle, as the name implies, which is still present in the files of test1_course. The filename for this model was changed in the final version, so the game crashes when trying to load said course due to not being able to find the model. It can be fixed if you rename the model to "koopa_block.nsbmd", although it doesn't match up with the final version of the collision data this object uses.

GCN Mario Circuit Tree

MKDS UnusedTree.png

Found in the files for old_mario_gc labeled as "mario_tree.nsbmd", this is a render of the tree commonly seen around courses in Mario Kart: Double Dash!!