Proto:Crash Bandicoot: The Wrath of Cortex/September 11th, 2001 build

This is a sub-page of Proto:Crash Bandicoot: The Wrath of Cortex.

  This prototype is documented on Hidden Palace.

This article is a work in progress. ...Well, all the articles here are, in a way. But this one moreso, and the article may contain incomplete information and editor's notes.

To do: Check for unused content in the files?

The September 11th, 2001 prototype is a PlayStation 2 presubmission build dated ten days before the initial NTSC-U v1.00 release version. It was released on June 24th, 2024.

General Differences

Sep 11	Final

• The loading screen features the scrapped minigame in which Crash/Coco had to collect Wumpa fruit. In this minigame, they must gather fruit while avoiding the already-eaten ones which take away 3 fruit from the counter upon being touched. The minigame was requested to be removed by Konami, the publisher, at the last minute due to the patent that Namco had on the general idea of loading screen minigames at the time.
• The startup loading screen is the same as elsewhere in the game, rather than "LOADING" in front of a black background.
• Music volume is defaulted to 60% instead of 75%.
• The game has several music-related bugs, such as sometimes playing the theme of a level at half speed during bonus levels in the left channel while the actual bonus music plays in the right audio channel and much more.
• Crash smiles when he walks instead of having his idle open mouth.
• Crash's idle animation will glitch out if he spins and then holds down the crouch button while still spinning. The idle animation will be bugged until the crouch button is released.

Sep 11	Final

• The credits sequence only features the Disco Lab Assistant with simple lighting. The final version adds Crash and includes fluorescent "dance floor" lighting.

Warp Room

• The warp room lacks the platform in the center.
• Boss buttons lack the smoke particle effect.
  • You can step on the boss buttons that are not yet available. In the final game, an invisible barrier prevents this.
• Gems and crystals have a reflective shader on the level displays.

Level Differences

Wizards and Lizards

• The dragon's sounds are louder.

Crashes to Ashes

• The boss has four phases in this level instead of three.
  • In the removed fourth phase, the magma rocks that Crunch throws break into two immediately upon touching the ground.

Cortex Vortex

• The level will play a clip of Uka Uka saying "Cortex! When are you and that superweapon of yours going to put an end to that interfering bandicoot?! You are beginning to test my patience!" However, the audio clip is bugged, so the end result is the very first phrase, "Cortex," being played on repeat for the entire level. It definitely doesn't get annoying at all...

Knight Time

• The game will play a sped up voice clip of Neo Cortex saying "Oh, Crunch, stop being silly. Uka, he will use the elemental masks. No need for you to lose any beauty sleep." Just like in Cortex Vortex, the sound will bug out, resulting in the game playing the sped up phrase "Oh, Crunch" for nearly the whole level.