Proto:A Hat in Time (Windows, Mac OS X)/Alpha/Differences to the Final Game

This is a sub-page of Proto:A Hat in Time (Windows, Mac OS X)/Alpha.

Sub-Pages

Texture Differences Vanessa did some major home improvements later down the road.

Model Differences You're not a robot, are you?

Gameplay Differences

To do: Document stuff.

Animation Differences

Hat Kid

The Alpha builds are the first builds to have Hat Kid's model divided into three separate models, to allow for custom costumes, like the rain jacket. All of the animations for Hat Kid in the Alphas are carbon copies of the animations for the model used in the Prototype builds... Except for two. Two animations were changed. The death animation was changed to its final incarnation, and the other is the "Obtain Item" animation:

Alpha/Beta	Final

The animation motion is generally the same as the final, but a bit faster and with far less polish.

Alpha/Beta	Final

Hat Kid also gained a looping falling animation, as she didn't yet have one in the Prototype builds. The pose of the Alpha animation is a bit generic and bland compared to the final's, which has a more dynamic pose and more motion.

Alpha/Beta	Final

The Alpha builds introduced an intro animation for grabbing onto ledges that blends into the looping ledge grab animation. ...However, it's an exact copy of the looping ledge grab animation, so it's impossible to tell in-game that Hat Kid even had an intro animation. It was updated for the final game to be unique from the looping animation.

Mustache Girl

Alpha/Beta	Final

Mustache Girl's idle animation is a carbon copy of Hat Kid's. The final version is extended in length and tweaked a bit here and there to be more unique.

Alpha/Beta	Final

Same as above. Mustache Girl's running animation was made a little more unique for the final.

Alpha/Beta	Initial Console Builds (Unused)	Final

Mustache Girl's forward jumping animation changed twice during development, with the intermediate stage being found only within the initial releases of the PS4 and Xbox One versions. The console version had Mustache Girl's hair tails fixed to properly move upwards as she falls. For the final version, much like Hat Kid's jumping and falling animations, it was updated to match a new pose that was decided on for when Hat Kid and Mustache Girl are falling.

Alpha/Beta	Final

Again, the falling pose was updated for the final.

Alpha/Beta	Final

Same as the previous two.

Audio Differences

Grass Footstep Sounds

Pre-Speedrun	Final

The sound effects for walking on grass were slightly adjusted for the final game.

Double Jump Sound Effect

Pre-Speedrun	Final

One of the sound effects for double jumping was made slightly louder in the final game.

Enemy Explosion Sound Effect

Alpha/Beta	Final

Very minor, almost unnoticeable tweaks were made to the sound that plays when an enemy is defeated in the final game.

Menu Cursor Sound Effect

Pre-Speedrun	Final

The sound effect for selecting an item on a menu was lowered in pitch to be more comfortable on the ears.

Hat Kid Punching Sound

Alpha/Beta	Final

The sound effect used when punching something as Hat Kid is very slightly different between prerelease builds and the final game. The final's adds a dull, low moan noise in the background, and is also slightly shorter in length compared to the early version.

Hit Sound Effect

Pre-Speedrun	Final

Extremely minor differences. The early version is slightly louder than the final's.

Water Splash Sound

Alpha	Final (Modding Tools)

The early version is played at a slightly lower pitch.

Damage Sounds

Alpha/Beta	Final

Alpha/Beta	Final

The first sound is played at a slightly lower pitch in the final game, and is a bit quieter, too. The slap sound is louder and slightly lower pitch than the final's.

Rocket Fuse Sound

The looping firework noise, used while riding a rocket. Completely deleted before the final game.

Mafia Line

Alpha Update 5	Beta/Final

The line for this Mafia's dialogue found only in Alpha Update 5 is a bit louder than the version used in the Beta builds and final game.

Music Differences

To do: Document stuff.

Mafia Town Music

Track	Alpha Update 5/Beta	Final
Mafia Town Main Theme
Mafia Town Beach Theme
Mafia Town Underwater Theme

The music for Mafia Town is slightly different compared to the final game. To an untrained ear, comparing the audio in a music program can easily display the differences, which are mostly in percussion and reverb. All of these versions of the themes would go on to be used in the Beta builds as well.

Queen Vanessa's Manor Music

Track	Alpha/Beta	Final
Manor Cellar
Manor Quiet
Manor Attic

The Alpha and Beta builds use early versions of a few music tracks for Vanessa's manor, although the differences are only extremely minor percussion, reverb, and volume adjustments.

Spaceship Hub Theme Intro

Alpha Update 5	Final (Modding Tools)

The unused Spaceship Hub music tracks found in the final game's Modding Tools were originally used in Alpha Update 5 before being replaced with the final versions in the Beta builds. However, the intro segment to the theme is of an earlier version than what can be found in the Modding Tools. The early version is much quieter compared to the Modding Tools version.

Good Job Jingle

Alpha	Final

This little jingle was used for collecting small items in the Alpha builds, and was re-imported much later in 2017 with a completely different theme. The final game also uses it for unlocking Chapter rooms. Comparing the two, the melody is the same, but the volume and pacing are completely different, resulting in a very different-feeling track.

Mafia Town Level Intro Theme

Alpha	Final

The level intro theme for Acts at this point is completely different to the Beta builds and final game. There is only one intro theme at this point in development, and it's just a slower version of the item jingle theme above. This theme is still present in the final game's Modding Tools.

The Subcon Forest Masked

A theme unique to the Alphas, used in the scrapped Winter Bookstore level at the end of the builds. The filename and a few developer testimonies indicate this was originally to be used in Subcon Forest while Hat Kid was wearing the Fox Mask. There's unused singing lyrics by Hat Kid's voice actress that match up with this track, suggesting Hat Kid was also supposed to sing while wearing the mask.

Localization Differences

To do: Document stuff.