Muppet RaceMania

Muppet RaceMania
Developer: Traveller's Tales Publishers: SCEE (EU), Midway Games (US) Platform: PlayStation Released in US: October 3, 2000 Released in EU: April 19, 2000 This game has unused sounds. This game has unused text. This game has regional differences. This game has a prototype article

Muppet Racemania is a shockingly solid racing game, taking most of its gameplay cues from Crash Team Racing, but injecting wacky chicken chases, stunt levels from a 2.5D perspective, almost comically sensitive controls, as well as a plethora of unlockable modes and goodies to lend it its own personality. It also boasts an upbeat & wonderfully catchy soundtrack, which is par for the course when it comes to The Muppets!

Sub-Page

Prototype Info

Unused Text

These strings can be found in the SLUS_012.37 file.

This needs some investigation. Discuss ideas and findings on the talk page. Specifically: See if there is any way of enabling the debug cheat. Might be activated via button code.

A debug cheat is mentioned at 0x22E44:

 DEBUG CHEAT

Some additional debug text can be found at 0x12E4C in the SCES_020.08 file on the EU disc.

EDIT VEHICLE
SAVE CONFIGURATION

An unused game mode at 0x21C8C:

DOGFIGHT

Starting at 2155C is a list of all the cars and Muppets you can choose from. Among these are all of the boss characters, which you cannot play as outside of their own stages, leaving this text unused. For some reason, Van Neuter is mentioned twice.

JILL
GILL
BILL
DR. VAN NEUTER
PIG CHIEF
WALDORF MARLEY
STATLER MARLEY
BEAUREGAARD
SWEETUMS
VAN NEUTER

SAFETY CAR
DELOREAN
LOG
CLASSIC CAR
TAXI
TOUR BUS

Some rude placeholder names found only in the European version, after the text for the credits at 0x12514

IVOR BIGGUN
JUSTIN TIME
WAYNE KERR
MIKE HOCK
BEN DOVER
PHIL MCCREVICE
NEIL DOWNE
C.U. JIMMY

Unused Commentary

Several clips of unused commentary by Statler and Waldorf remain on the disc. These were possibly meant to be used during the credits.

Clip	Transcription	Notes
	Did they paint by the number? Yes, but it didn't add up!
	An associate producer! I'm surprised anyone would associate with this game.
	There's a bush! Where? In the background. Oh, I see it. That James is busy.	Beverley Bush and James Cunliffe were credited for track design.
	What did James do? It looks like he designed the bears, deer, ducks and turkeys. Turkeys? He did design this game!	Also referring to James Cunliffe.
	That James Dillon has a nice credit. Why? Because it's near the end!	James Dillon was a producer at Sony Computer Entertainment Europe.
	I used to know a John Hodskinson, think it's him? How did you know him? He was my first grade teacher. ... It's not him.	John Hodskinson was credited as game designer and programmer..
	I've seen artists work in oils and pastels. Me too, but never lead.
	Again, with lead? I don't get it.
	Are you sure a game this bad isn't illegal?
	I knew a producer once. Really? What did he produce? A headache.
	That's the guy who fixes the bugs! Then why does this game bug me?
	Project Manager? Yeah, they managed to ruin the project!
	Special Thanks? That's no way to thank them. Yeah, they should've left their names out!
	What's Steve Riding? What's Jamie Riding? Can we ride it too? Yeah, we want to get out of here!	Neither Steve or Jamie Riding are credited in this game. Steve has credits in several other Traveller's Tales games while Jamie worked QA on Mickey Mania and Production Support on Toy Story.
	How do you study for a game like this? Get a book, read it and don't play the game!

EU Version Oddity

These 2 quips are intended for the Mountain level, and are used as such in American releases of the game. However, European versions strangely re-use the riffs used for the Dock level instead, rendering Mountain with no unique pre-selection quotes of its own in European regions.

Oddities

Save File

The save file for the European version always shows up as corrupted data when viewed on a PlayStation 2, though the save still functions properly.

Diner

In the Diner course, there is one stool you can drive through near the end.

Trafalgar Square

If you jump onto either of the fountains with an hovering vehicle in the Trafalgar Square course, you will be flipped over for no apparent reason. This is the only course that does this.

Regional Differences

Menus

Main Menu

The Main Menu options are arranged differently between versions. The menu also stays centered in the US version. Additionally, pressing Start at the title screen in the US version brings up an extra menu with the options New Game or Memory Card.

US	EU

Select Course

In the US version, all the courses, excluding the secret courses, are open from the start. In the EU version, only the first course of each movie is open. The background is also a different color between versions.

US	EU

Course Menu

The US version always displays the course name and best time, while the EU version scrolls through course name, best time and some web adresses related to the game. The text was also slightly changed between versions and the US version prompts you to save the game whenever you accomplish something.

US	EU

Character Select

The US version shows the character and car you are selecting, while the EU version goes for a more plain text menu.

US	EU

US	EU

Other Menus

The Secret Course option is a different color in the US version and shortened in the EU version.

US	EU

HUD

Race Start

At the start of each course, the US version displays the faces of the Muppets you're racing against.

US	EU

The US version added a glow to the buttons on the "Copy the Buttons" screen.

US	EU

At the start of a battle, the US version says "Battle the Muppets" instead of "Beat the Muppets".

During the Race

The US version has an arrow pointing you in the right direction as well as a bit of text popping up every time you hit someone or get hit.

US	EU

Wrong Way

The wrong way warning is a different color.

US	EU

Special Move

Using a special move shows how many vehicles you've unlocked by doing so, with the US version also featuring the text "special move" flashing on the screen.

US	EU

In the US version, whenever an opponent uses the special move, a graphic of the user is displayed. The European version displays a graphic of a horn instead.

US	EU

Adventure Mode

In the adventure mode, the unlockable Muppets' and Doozer's locations are marked by their faces in the US version and by arrows in the EU version.

US	EU

Adventure Mode

In the US version, Adventure Mode gives 4 minutes to explore race tracks and 3 minutes for battle tracks. The European version gives a minute less for both.

Credits

Exclusive to the European version is a set of in-universe credits at the end of the normal ones. This includes a list of the full cast of every playable Muppet as well as ones only seen as cameos.

Miscellaneous Differences

As mentioned above, Mountain's pre-race commentary goes unused in EU releases, as the game instead re-uses the audio files from the Dock level. The US version applies these lines to Mountain, making every movie-based level receive its own unique set of lines. Another audio-related oddity is the pre-race commentary for the Muppet Labs course, which plays at a noticeably lower volume than anything else, in the EU version.