Prerelease:Twisted Metal: Black (PlayStation 2)

This page details prerelease information and/or media for Twisted Metal: Black (PlayStation 2).

Twisted Metal: Black began development on November 1st, 2000. It was released on June 30th, 2001. Originally, during development, the game had a much darker vibe than what it would become. Unfortunately, this wouldn't be the case for the European version though, as all the film content and other assets for it was removed when it was released in stores.

2000 Trailer

This is the earliest trailer for the game from 2000. It looks radically different and had some similarities to Twisted Metal 2.

• The map was different and lacked detail.
• The health bar was on its own and in a different position.
• There is weapon text for the weapon you use as opposed to an icon.
• The machine gun ammo text was different.
• Outlaw's vehicle looked different.
• The SWAT gunner who appears when you activate Outlaw's special move has a different colour uniform.
• Outlaw's special move sound effect was different.
• The satellite attack target was different.
• The lock-on target for the reticle missile weapon was different.
• The tower in the Suburbs level would topple over when you fire a gas can at it.
• The zoomy missiles were a different colour.
• Sweet Tooth is flying in the Junkyard.
• The lightning at the repair station is a different colour for a few seconds.
• Sweet Tooth's special attack has a placeholder sound effect.
• Sweet Tooth's special attack has different colour missiles.
• Sweet Tooth's Twisted Metal 2 laugh can be heard.

(Source: DefaultEclipse)

Preview Video

This is beta gameplay footage from Official PlayStation 2 Magazine Demo Disc 12. It is more complete and close to the final game but has many differences.

• All the characters have different car stats.
• The driver bios haven't been implemented.
• The health bar has a different design.
• The weapons, weapon text and ammo count text is in a green colour as opposed to white.
• The death animation is different.
• The designs for the jump and turbo bars were different.
• There is a wireframe for the cars.
• The car name text was different.
• No weapon or health acquired text.
• The machine gun ammo text was different.

(Source: Aced14TM)

Early Footage

This is footage of the game from early-mid development. It has many differences which can be seen in previous and later videos.

• The health bar, jump meter and turbo meters have different designs.
• Vehicle name text is different.
• Warthog's original name WhiteKnight can be seen.

(Source: IGN)

The Making of Twisted Metal: Black

This is an interview with David Jaffe from PlayStation Underground. This shows off an early build of the game. It has a lot of differences that were carried over into the commercial but would be changed when the game was released.

• The mini-map is different.
• The health bar, jump meter and turbo meters have different designs.
• The weapons have a green colouration.
• Vehicle name text is different.
• Warthog's original name WhiteKnight can be seen.
• Skill Hit text can be seen at 0:39 and other times in the video. It was changed to Missile Hits in the final game.
• A peculiar build can be seen at 2:54 when David Jaffe is playing the game. The weapon screen and health bar is completely different.
• The Bulls Eye Bonus text is different at 5:58.
• The Congratulations text is different at 5:59.

(Source: Darkscorpius)

NTSC Commercial

This is an American commercial that was shown when the game was already released. It has many of the same differences as the making of video but also has new differences.

• Many stock sound effects for cutscene snippets are different.
• There seems to be some footage for No Face at 0:47 that is never seen in his story.
• Vehicle name text is different. They also change at different times.
• The health bar, jump meter and turbo meters have different designs that change throughout the video.
• The weapon designs are different.
• The weapons have a green colouration.
• The text "Shoot, Shoot, Shoot" can be seen at 1:33 when Outlaw uses his Special move.
• Warthog's original name WhiteKnight can be seen at 1:37.
• The early death animation can be seen at 1:46.

(Source: Tekkenlord05)

Beta/Review Build

This would have been handed out to journalists to promote the game before it was released. It fully resembles the final game but has multiple differences that could have made the game much more disturbing and horrifying.

• The Incognito company logo can be seen in full and is a different colour.
• There is no Paint It Black music sting for the main menu.
• No Face aka Crazy 8 has don't attempt group work in his treatment report.
• Charlie Kane and Son aka Yellow Jacket has ritalin in his treatment report.
• Warthog's name was originally WhiteKnight.
• Needles Kane's age is 39.
• Some car stats are slightly different.
• The Elevators, Sewers, Suburbs, Skyscrapers, Snowy Roads and Highway Loop pictures on the Arena Select Screen are very different.
• There were pedestrian animations that reacted to the player killing the other players and the people walking around the arena.
• Sweet Tooth's special laugh sound effect was used on the loading screen.
• The phrase "Psalm 23:4" flashes on-screen when the game starts.
• The stock death scream sound effect is not used when a car is destroyed.
• The phrase "Mercy Bonus" flashes on-screen when you run over the other player.
• The pedestrians screamed when you ran them over.
• The pedestrians exude blood when you hit them.
• Sweet Tooth's special move originally used 30 missiles and was more powerful.
• The blimp on the Prison Passage level had a longer explosion time.

(Source: Darkscorpius)

Character Concept Art

Concept art of the characters & vehicles have been posted by the artist Lee R Wilson on ArtStation.

To do: Add Crazy 8, Junkyard Dog, limousine & another classic car's images & crop them using the CSS image crop.

Sweet Tooth

Sweet Tooth had a different mask design with no flaming head, and even no mask at all.

The ice-cream truck had the classic box design with two flamethrower cannons on the top fueled with gas canisters from the back, suggesting a different special. There is also a fence chained to the front, and "biohazard material" being thrown out in the back. Other details might even be for Twisted Metal Harbor City's walking sections.

The ice cream truck here is more like the final's design, although with a different robotic head.

Darkside

Darkside's concept art featured a Minion-like square cab with lots of spikes, a "huge gun" on the top of the cab, flamethrowers on the side and other complex decoration. Interestingly, the side spikes would give more logic to the T-Bone bonus damage when using its special.

Brimstone

Brimstone's concept art featured a large cross strapped to the front, showing a person being impaled as well. The cross-shaped rim did not make the cut. It also had a gatling gun in the pickup's bed & to the side.

Junkyard Dog

To do: Add image here using imgcrop as stated above

Various concepts for Junkyard Dog's towtruck, ranging from a strapped-together design with an actual car towed violently to the design used in-game, and even a flaming trashcan strapped to the front. The wrecking ball also had a smiley face on it.

Crazy 8

To do: Add image here using imgcrop as stated above

Crazy 8's Rolls Royce did not have a racecar design yet.

Manslaughter

Concept art of Manslaughter, which looks fairly identical to the final's design.

Warthog

Warthog had its flamethrower (or another weapon) on the top of the car instead. The chassis was also chained to the tank.

Outlaw

Outlaw ("Cop Car" in the art) had a more traditional police car design with some dents and strings at the back.

Minion / Tanker

Minion or Tanker had a vastly different front cab with high-profile tires and sawblades at the side. The design is also cleaner compared to the rest of the cast.

Derby Stock Car

Concept art that could've fit as Crazy 8's vehicle. It more closely resembles 12-Pak later in Twisted Metal: Lost, which does feature minor graffiti on its sides.

Police Officer

To do: Find out who this character is, if he matches anyone ingame. (cutscenes, character select, etc...)

Environment Design

Junkyard

The art shows the Junkyard with the crusher being much larger, buildings on scaffoldings and an overall different design.

Sweet Tooth driving in a junkyard with a person strapped to the front and a bystander on fire.

Church

A pick-up truck driving through a church with a person attacking from the roof.