Proto:Glover (Nintendo 64)/February 5th, 1998

This is a sub-page of Proto:Glover (Nintendo 64).

The earliest known prototype of Glover. It was released by Piko Interactive, who claimed it was obtained off the developer's backups. The ROM's original filename was "WHACK1.N64" and the header also mention a potential working name for the game, "Whack 'n' Roll".

Download Glover (Feb 5, 1998 prototype) File: Glover_(Feb_5,_1998_prototype).7z (986.7 KB) (info)

General Differences

• This build doesn't have any music or sound effects.
• Glover doesn't have a face.
• The title screen has three options, however, all lead to the level select menu.
  • One option is "Password", which may indicate password saving was planned.
• The level select only has three selectable maps.
• The L button causes Glover's ball to levitate (and you, if you are holding onto it), the R button skips to the next level, and Start restarts the level.
• The collectables are playing cards instead of garibs; the former gives the game more of a magician theme.
• The HUD is different.
• Glover's ledge climbing animation wasn't implemented yet.
• Checkpoint portals don't appear to be functional.
• Your default rubber ball can take fall damage.
• Toggling the camera can crash the game, particularly in the Atlantis 1 level.
• Glover doesn't appear to have an ability to toggle between different ball types at any time.
• Controller 4 has some debug features.

Level Differences

Hub 1

The hub map is completely different.

The map contains one enemy that has the ability to transform the ball to other objects, including a pulsing amalgamation of rubber balls! In the final game, this enemy is found in the Fortress of Fear Realm and can only turn your ball into a crystal.

Atlantis 1

• Glover's starting location is different.
• The switch to open the door has a different washed out texture.

Carnival 1

This level, like Atlantis 1, is close to the final version.

Some textures related to the slots minigame are different. The slot minigame features yellow buttons that are not present in the final.

The rocket ship's texture is quite jarring in this build to say the least.

Once the grey star item is obtained, Glover transforms the rubber ball into an iron ball. This allows the magnet, which has a different model, to pick it up to play the minigame.

Unused Levels

This needs some investigation. Discuss ideas and findings on the talk page. Specifically: It's possible the levels are displaying improperly due to the simple method currently used to access them (by incrementing the level select screen's current selection value). If possible, try and rip the actual stage models. Additionally, some level values between other working values don't load at all, the reason for which is currently unknown. Confirm duplicate levels are not different to the used ones, and try to fix Glover spawning in the void on level 10.

Several stages beyond the three selectable ones can be accessed by incrementing the level select screen's current selection in memory. Specifically, while on the title screen, modify and freeze RDRAM address $21487C to a value of 3 or above. Alternatively, you can use the following cheat code:

8021487F 00XX
80214883 00XX

Values of interest are listed below:

• Values ranging from 3 to 6 take you to what appears to be an early first section of Atlantis. Its textures seem to be missing or fail to load, so the geometry can only be seen by use of an emulator's wireframe mode, excepting a single staircase, which has corrupt textured triangles along the edges. It also has a panel in the center grotto that ends the level, as well as a test cube that curiously seems to appear in every level in this prototype (including the used ones). The geometry seems to be identical in each version of the stage, but the vertex lighting on Glover changes with each one.
• A value of 7 takes you to a duplicate of the Atlantis stage normally accessible by the menu.
• Values 8 and 9 do not seem to load.
• A value of 10 takes you to what appears to be Atlantis, but with a few differences. Water, collectables, and enemies are all absent, the vertex coloring is different, and some of the textures near the end of the level are garbled. Glover spawns in a death loop, as the spawn point appears to be below the level. You cannot levitate out of the death loop.
• A value of 11 takes you to a small, unknown, seemingly mechanically styled room. All the textures are garbled, and there seems to be no functionality except for collision. A lever or pipe can be found in front of Glover, with what may be a frame or television behind it. Tubes lead out of the room via both the ceiling and floor, with decorative pipes adorning the upper tube. There's no back wall, so it's possible the room was intended to have a fixed camera.
• A value of 12 takes you to a duplicate of the Carnival stage.
• A value of 14 takes you to an early Pirates Realm stage.
• A value of 15 takes you to an early Pirates Realm stage.
• A value of 16 crashes the game.
• A value of 17 takes you to an early version of the Prehistoric Realm 1.
• A value of 18 takes you to an early Prehistoric Realm stage.
• A value of 1B takes you to an early Fortress of Fear Realm stage.