Proto:Fantastic Dizzy (Genesis)

This page details one or more prototype versions of Fantastic Dizzy (Genesis).

This prototype was discovered in early 2019 by David Rogers, who found it on the server of the "English Amiga Board" in a collection of other Sega ROMs. It seems half-complete; while the map design is overall very close to the final version, a lot of the core features are missing, to the point that the game can't be completed.

(Source: yolkfolk.com forums)

To do: There is definitely much more stuff to discover and document properly - as of now, this page covers mostly what's been written in the readme file included with the proto release. Also, add more screenshots and ripped graphics, etc.

General Differences

• On the "Codemasters: Absolutely Brilliant!" intro screen, Dizzy runs from left to right in the final version - he's not present in the prototype. The copyright year is 1992 in the prototype, and 1993 in the final.
• The language selection screen is missing - the proto starts in English language and there doesn't seem to be a way to change that. Furthermore, the text in the prototype is stored in the ROM in raw form, and it looks like the translations weren't implemented in any way at this point.
• The title and story screens are missing - the game jumps straight into gameplay after the intro.
• The prototype is completely silent - there are no sound effects nor music.
• The score counter is non-functional, stuck at 000000.
• The lives counter is non-functional either, always showing 6 lives, which never decrement.
• The mini-tutorial showing how to use the gamepad and items is not present.
• The help screen, shown after staying idle for long enough in the final version, is missing.
• The screen that should show up after dying (telling you the number of remaining lives and stars to collect) doesn't show up.
• The control scheme is different:
  • Start pauses the game in the final, but it shows the inventory screen in the prototype. There doesn't seem to be a way to pause the game per se in the proto, although the gameplay stops when the inventory is displayed, so a dedicated pause button might have seemed unnecessary.
  • A shows the inventory screen in the final, but it makes Dizzy walk faster when held in the proto. The faster walking speed is enabled by default in the final without holding a button. Note that swimming in the proto is always slow; holding the A button has no effect.
  • B and C buttons were swapped.
• When interacting with other Yolkfolk characters, they all use Grand Dizzy's graphics.
• No minigames are accessible. The extra life puzzle is present, albeit in a different form:
  • It uses different graphics (very reminiscent to those in the NES Blue and Aladdin versions). No graphics other than the puzzle itself are displayed, and the background is solid black.
  • The puzzle hole variant (present in the NES versions, fully coded into the final Mega Drive / Genesis versions but unused) is actually used in the prototype.
  • The controls are different in the proto - in the final the cursor is locked onto the empty space, while in the prototype you move the cursor to choose the piece to move.
  • Once the puzzle is complete, the game locks up.

Area Differences

Yolkfolk Village

• The player's starting position is standing near Dizzy's hut door, while in the final it's on the other side of the room.
• Dylan is not present at his home.
• The shamrock is present near Prince Clumsy, instead of the dragon's den.
• After making the medicine for Grand Dizzy, it instantly appears in your inventory without animation.
• The one ton weight is not functional.
• A wall is missing above Dylan's elevator, allowing it to be jumped onto.

Countryside

• There's a small gap in the bridge near the abandoned mine - this seems to be purely a graphical error.
• Shamus the Leprechaun throws you away to a shorter distance on contact.

Abandoned Diamond Mine

• The mine lift machine is always animated in the prototype, but in the final it sits idle until repaired with a wrench. It still needs fixing in the proto for lifts to operate.
• There are no enemies, hazards, gems or stars.
• The underground lava is not animated and it doesn't spit fireballs.
• After blowing up the rocks, the dynamite doesn't disappear.
• The dragon has its head missing and doesn't breath fire.
• The second dragon egg is not present, and the shamrock was moved to the Yolkfolk Village.
• The minecart is not present, and the minigame can't be played.

Carber Bay

• The mine exit/entrance door doesn't work. In the final, it can be used to warp near the minecart.

Crystal Falls

• The pirate's barrel of rum is present on the ledge near the waterfall, like in the NES Red versions of the game. This suggests the Dizzy Down the Rapids (present in the NES and Sega Master System versions) was considered to be implemented here as well, but it was dropped in the final. The barrel can't be reached.

Keldor Village

• The rats are missing from the city streets and tunnels. However, the tunnel leading from Castle Street to the pirate ship has a preliminary implementation of rats - their behavior seems complete, but they use placeholder graphics and have no collision.
• Only the tunnel from Dock Street to Bridge Street has water droplets from the ceiling - this seems to be the only place in the game where they are present.
• The wall on the far right end of the Bridge Street is missing. The city map suggests it should lead to Crystal River (i.e. Dizzy Down the Rapids Minigame). The barrel of rum was moved to Crystal Falls.
• Blackheart the Pirate is missing.

Pirate Ship

• Missing enemies, water droplets and pirate.
• The lowest platform of the ship's rigging isn't solid. This makes it impossible to progress and obtain the portcullis winch wheel, rendering the Keldor City castle unreachable. However, this area can be briefly seen after jumping from the crates on the ship's deck, and it looks like it's mostly complete.
• The Bubble Dizzy minigame isn't available.

Graveyard

• Dizzy is walking behind the trees.
• The underground cave can't be entered, since the gravedigger's spade is unobtainable.

Grasslands

• The extra life puzzle is missing.
• The butterflies in the clouds are missing, and the cloud layout is different.
• The door to Zaks' Castle can't be opened.

Unreachable Areas

There doesn't seem to be a way to enter these places in the prototype:

• Yolkfolk Village's 8th floor (also Dozy's hut)
• Pirate Ship's rigging
• Keldor City castle
• Graveyard's underground cave
• Zaks' Castle

Graphical Differences

• The extra life puzzle minigame uses a different icon.
• Pogie the Fluffle uses different, larger graphics. This doesn't prevent him from fitting in the cage.
• A large gold coin uses different graphics - it's a silver pound in the proto, and a gold dollar in the final.
• A solid gold Irish shamrock looks different - it's actually green in the prototype, contrary to its description.
• The swinging rope is white in the proto.
• The brass cymbals are silver in the prototype, gold in the final.
• The stick of dynamite uses different graphics.
• The mine exit/entrance door in the Carber Bay uses different graphics.
• Zaks' Castle uses different graphics.

Misc.

Unused Item?

To do: Can it be hacked into the inventory? Does it work?

At 0x40D8A, at the end of the item list:

A heavy rock

A heavy rock was an item in the original NES ("Blue") release, which was replaced with a large bag of salt in the Aladdin ("Red") version, which served as the basis for the subsequent ports of the game. Both items are listed in the prototype, but only the bag of salt is obtainable.

Additionally, the somewhat hidden "Prince's secret sign" item from the final version is not listed in the proto.

ROM Header

Starting at 0x0100:

Prototype	Final
SEGA MEGA DRIVE (C)T-99 1991.MAR SPLATT PRODUCTIO NS	SEGA MEGA DRIVE (C)SEGA 1991.MAR

ROM Padding

Starting from 0x61780, the ROM is filled with the following string looping endlessly:

(C) 1992 CODEMASTERS

This string is not present in the final.