Proto:Balan Wonderworld
This page details one or more prototype versions of Balan Wonderworld.
 | To do: The demo has been reuploaded to Internet Archive. I hope you can update this page today. |
Balan Wonderworld quickly got a bad reputation the moment the demo came out, and it was delisted a few months after the game was released.
Contents
Title Screen Background
| Demo | Final |
|---|---|
 |
 |
The demo version uses the Isle of Tims as the background, whereas the final uses the Balan Theater instead. The demo background was replaced entirely, as both versions call this file "UI_TitleBG02a".
Removed Graphics
Early Leo and Emma Icons
Icons showing alternate versions of Leo and Emma are found in the UI folder. Given to that Leo's render is similar to the final and the icons for the used versions are called "UI_CHRFace2" and not "UI_CHRFace", this suggests that these are early character selection icons. These icons also show some slight differences. Leo's hair is brighter than the final, where Emma was more pale white.
Early Logo
As seen in the internal project name for the game, the working title for Balan Wonderworld was "Happiness". This logo shows that the full working title was "Project Happiness".
Sample Background Images
Four unused images from a very early build of the game can be found in the demo. These might have been placeholders for the end stage graphics. There are lots of noticeable differences compared to the final game.
- The Drops that you collect look very different than they do in the final game. Two of the Tims on the right have longer cat ears and a long tail, which is not present in the final. Furthermore, the Tims are in colors that is impossible to get in the final. On the very top, you can see a Leap Frog NPC, which is not present in Stage 6.
- Purrla's defeat frame in the sample looks the same as it did in the final.
- Balan Bouts has the UI from the main game present, likely due to debugging. Balan looks glossier and his smile is different.
- The end screen for Balan Bout looks different. The "Success" was replaced with "You Did It", the "Oops" rating isn't present and the multipliers seen is not possible to get in the final. Of note, there are only two drops listed, where in the final it's three.
Gameplay Differences
Leo and Emma's movement speed is slower and the running animation is faster in the demo. The reverse scenario applies to the final game.
