Proto:Muppet Monster Adventure/May 4th, 2000 build

This is a sub-page of Proto:Muppet Monster Adventure.

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.

  This prototype is documented on Hidden Palace.

A build from May 4th, 2000, which predates the final build by about four months.

To do: A LOT. Levels differ greatly from the final game. Different item placement.

General Differences

• The prototype uses dongle protection, requiring a patch to run.

• Different Midway and Magenta Software logos.

Prototype	Final

• The opening uses an obvious placeholder legal screen.

Prototype	Final

• The level takes place during the day.
• The bottom option is a level select.
• The font and cursor are different. The logo is missing the glow.

• Starting the game shows a cutscene of Pepe the King Prawn talking, using audio taken from Muppets From Space.

Prototype	Final

• A completely different hub world, much like the one in Crash Bandicoot: Warped.

Prototype	Final

• The pause menu is very different, and funnily enough, resembles the one in Crash Bash.

Prototype	Final

• The Loading text used a different font.

Prototype	Final

• The continue screen is much simpler. Note the limited continues. After running out, it asks you to press start and the credits roll.

• The options menu has an extra option for a "Clip Gallery" which does nothing.

• Starting a game via the level select on the title screen, saving gets disabled. The prototype only lets you pick a save slot when starting a new game or loading a previous save and all subsequent in-game saving automatically overwrites the chosen slot. In the final game, the game allows you to pick one of the three available save slots every time you save, no matter where you are or how you got there.
• When going back to the Hub from a level, the game doesn't ask for confirmation.
• The Gallery is not yet implemented.
• Credits lack the section for Midway.

Graphical Differences

Prototype	Final

• The Pepe flags are wooden in the prototype.

Prototype	Final

• Text boxes use a different font and the arrow points right instead of down. Pepe's face had a star behind it, which is seen in the final game's 100% ending. The text is skipped by pressing X instead of Down.

Prototype	Final

• Different Checkpoint graphics.

Prototype	Final

• The bonus token container is different.

Prototype	Final

• The jump pads use a different design.

Prototype	Final

• The level exit pads use a different design.

• The bonus letters emit a wave of red rings when picked up.

Prototype	Final

• The value of each Evil Energy picked up is shown on top of the total collected on the HUD. In the final, the number appears above Robin.
• The cooling trail on the glove after firing it is missing.

Prototype	Final

• The extra hit-point pickups are houseflies instead of little cartoon hearts with wings. They also act like a regular pickup, and don't try to run away.

Prototype	Final

• Picking up an amulet in the prototype rotates it in place in the center of the screen before adding it to your total. In the final game, it barely stays still while Pepe also chimes in each time you collect one.

Audio Differences

• Only two music tracks are in the game at this point.
• Diving underwater has no sound.
• Picking up bonus letters and Muppet Tokens makes the same sound as picking up Evil Energy.
• Rizzo doesn't have a voice yet.

Prototype	Final

• Robin's idle humming was cut short for the final game.

Prototype	Final

• The common smaller enemies had a different alert sound.

Prototype	Final

• The common bigger enemies had a different alert sound, too.

Prototype	Final
File:MuppetMonsterAdventureMay4 Race.ogg	File:MuppetMonsterAdventureFinal Race.ogg

• The checkpoint sound during the races is different.

Placeholder Audio

Several voice clips originating from the now defunct MuppetWorld.com used as placeholders on the disc.

Animal

Fozzie

Kermit

Gameplay Differences

• All Morph Powers are unlocked from the start. Amulet pickups exist, but do nothing.
• The requirements for unlocking levels are not finalized and are set extremely low.
• Robin's jump trajectory is different, very noticeable when sprinting and jumping.
• The turn circle isn't reduced as much when sprinting.
• Sliding down sloped surfaces handles differently, with less control over where you land.
• The underwater spin attack doesn't exist.
• Instead of the bats holding targets seen in the final game, the prototype has buttons to jump on and wall mounted targets to shoot in their place.
• Health is refilled after each level.
• The extra life jars can be picked up without breaking them first.
• The Chicken powerup doesn't exist yet. A different one is in it's place and uses the cooldown trail effect that would be used on the regular glove in the final game.
• To talk to Pepe, you just walk up to him, instead of pressing Triangle like in the final.
• Items do not disappear when a mini-game is started, unlike the final game.

• Most objects disappear from the background when the game is paused.

• There is a purple piece of Evil Energy which adds 25 to your total. This was cut from the final game.

• There are chests that can only be opened with Miss Piggy's Morph Power, which do not appear in the final game.

Level Specific Differences

• Item placement is largely different in most cases.

World 1 - Castle von Honeydew

Peacock Purgatory

Prototype	Final

• The switch that opens the secret room with the extra lives, and the room itself, don't exist.

Prototype	Final

• The platform immediately to the left of the starting point is missing, the sunflower on it is on the ground instead. The Pepe that would trigger the minigame is located near the lake instead.

• Pepe makes an appearance on the little island on the lake, telling you to rescue Clifford before being able to use the Muck Monster's Morph Power. This seems to suggest that at one point you would have had to actually defeat each Muppet monster to gain their ability, instead of collecting the amulets. This would have drastically changed the flow of the game, as you gain access to all the powers in the first three levels and can complete most if not all levels 100% in one go.
• Pepe doesn't appear to give a tutorial on the Bonus letters or the Checkpoint system in the prototype.
• The door to the room with the level exit is open from the start.

Hallways of Doom

Prototype	Final

• Lighting and color scheme is different throughout.
• Drastically different layout with more hallways.
• The upper floor is quite different as well and has falling platforms that drop you down to the level below, which do not appear in the final game.
• The polished floor is not slippery.
• No chicken powerup.
• Parts of the level appear to be using the wrong texture, as what looks like a wooden door texture appears throughout in spots like one half of the steps.
• The outside area of the level has bottomless pits below the moving platforms.

• There are out of bounds Evil Energy beneath the stage.

Poker Faces

• Beaker isn't around to smash through a door.

Noseferatu Bites Back!

• A completely different fight. The three phases involve Noseferatu hiding inside a moving casket, while skeletons rise from the ground. After defeating the skeletons, you are able to break the casket and damage Noseferatu.

World 2 - The Deadlands

Grave Matters

• No "Simon" minigame.

Shivering Timber Shoals

• No shell collecting minigame.
• No pirate ship, in it's place is a plain platform.
• No cannons.

Bee-ware the WereBear!

• Similar setup to the final boss, but still quite different. WereBear climbs a tree in the middle, dropping acorns on you before dropping down on you. He remains dazed after dropping down, providing an opening for you to zap him. After the first hit, beehives drop along with the acorns. In the final game, WereBear stands in the middle while you need to use the spin attack on four switches to drop a rock on him three times, while acorns, beehives and saws get in the way.

World 3 - Neverleave Forest

The River Vile

• Different layout and theme, almost no resemblance to the final level.
• The two helmets on top of the houses seem to be unreachable.

Cower Before... Ker-Monster!

This needs some investigation. Discuss ideas and findings on the talk page. Specifically: Is there a way to get around this?

• Crashes in this build, but works in the June 1st build.

World 4 - Village of the Darned

Arabian Frights

• The snake minigame and the area it takes place on don't exist.
• No rolling barrels, but the holes they end up spawning from do exist.

The Muck Monster Slimeth

• Mechanically the same boss fight, but with minor differences. The projectiles are fired in a straight line, instead of a wavy pattern. After the "electrocution" button appears, a few more projectiles are fired.

Prototype	Final

• The background graphics were redone entirely and the camera was higher up. Also note how the boss holds up a sign when the green projectiles are being fired.

Prototype	Final

• Muck Monster uses a different color scheme, more closely matching Robin's Morph Power. The coils next to him were changed into plasma balls and a box of dynamite added to complete the look.

World 5 - Madness Marsh

Doin' the Bride Slide

• Cutscene error on starting the level. Nothing happens after the Ghoulfriend reaches the end of the ice slide, making it impossible to complete.
• It's safe to assume it's supposed to work just like in the June build, that is beat the Ghoulfriend down the ice slide to win. In the final game you go down the slide three times, a short cutscene playing after each round of Robin zapping her.
• The only obstacle on the slide at this point are pillars of ice that rise from the ground, which would be removed by the June build. In the final game, each round gets more challenging with an added hazard: Ghouldfriend breaking off pieces of the slide, stationary ice blocks and moving ice blocks.
• The pillars don't actually damage you, just slow you down.

World 6 - The Whatsamatterhorn

The Mystery of... The Master

• Uses the regular camera instead of the locked in place boss camera, making the fight much harder.
• Similar idea to the final fight, but executed differently. The boss starts by moving laser beams across the platform, then takes aim at you with fireballs. There are four targets just outside the main platform that you have to trick the boss to hit, doing so causes the laser beams to hit a mirror and zap the boss. In the final game, the phases go as follows: the boss fires off a few spread shots of fireballs, then flies out of the middle and around the platform while dropping fireballs, goes back in the middle and starts to take aim at you. At this point you have to stand on four buttons to bring up a shield for the boss to shoot, after all four have been shot, the boss gets hit.
• Similar idea to the final, but executed differently.