Proto:Spyro: A Hero's Tail (GameCube, Xbox, PlayStation 2)/Early Demos/Demo Level Differences

This is a sub-page of Proto:Spyro: A Hero's Tail (GameCube, Xbox, PlayStation 2)/Early Demos.

The early demo, late demo and the final game have numerous differences within their levels.

To do: Add level differences for some of the test maps.

Dragon Village

Boxes outside the Professor's lab haven't been added yet.

Demos	Final game

There are gems in the flower bed behind the teleporter.

Demos	Final game

Very different gem locations.

Demos	Final game

The first Zoe checkpoint is outside the tunnel instead of inside. There is also a button-powered gate.

Demos	Final game

Instead of Ember, Elder Thomas is standing next to the first dark gem.

Demos	Final game

Instead of a locked chest and a tunnel to Crocovile Swamp, there's a light gem which spits you back to the main menu when collected.

Demos	Final game

At the gate to Elder Thomas' Cave, there are different gem locations, and the gate is permanently locked, blocking the player from going further. Through hacking it is still possible to go inside this unused area.

Demos	Final game

In the secret area in Elder Thomas' cave, there's a metal chest, whereas in the final game there are only baskets.

Demos	Final game

Since Elder Thomas instead stands next to the first dark gem, he is nowhere in this cave. The layout of the cave is completely different, with staircase-like platforms up to the dark gem.

Demos	Final game

There is no strong chest or rocket at the start of the gliding tutorial area.

Demos	Final game

There are bumps in the wall that were removed in the final game.

Demos	Final game

The blue gnorc in this area is instead a pink gnorc.

Demos	Final game

Instead of simply one hammer enemy, there are two archers in this area. Gem locations are also slightly different.

Demos	Final game

Instead of a destructible rock here, there's a horn dive chest.

Demos	Final game

Instead of a horn dive chest, there's an archer at the end of the gliding tutorial section.

Demos	Final game

There's a gate next to Hunter, which is used in the ending cutscene when you collect the dragon egg and speak to Hunter. Normally it blocks the player from going through, but this unused area can still be accessed through hacking.
Right after the gate there's a remote shop pad which isn't in the final game.

Demos	Final game

There's no water flowing through this area, and Zoe is in a different spot.

Demos	Final game

There is no locked chest on the first ledge. There is also a blue gnorc here which isn't in the final game.

Demos	Final game

In the ball gadget area there are very few gems, no rocket, no strong chest, no hammer gnorc, and no decorative objects. Instead, there's just a light gem in the middle.

Demos	Final game

The ball gadget station has broken collision in the late demo, but strangely enough the early demo doesn't have this issue.
There's also an 8 light gem requirement in the early demo, but not in the late demo.
In both demos, the camera does not zoom out when stepping inside the station.

Early demo	Late demo	Final game

Instead of a door that the professor opens to the nursery, there's a gate powered by a horn dive switch.

Demos	Final game

The nursery is completely empty in the demos.

Demos	Final game

The double-jump ledge near the starting area is blocked off and a lot of collision is missing. The enemy (which is also in a different position) falls through the ground because of this.

Demos	Final game

In Sgt. Byrd's area, there are three archers dotted around the area. In the final game there are no enemies.
The area generally has fewer gems and fewer decorative objects.

Demos	Final game

Instead of the slime around the dark gem, there are rocky spikes surrounding the area and blocking the way to the dragon egg.

Demos	Final game

The Sgt. Byrd portal has no glowing surface inside it. (Interestingly, walking inside of the portal fades out the screen and crashes the game).

Demos	Final game

Talking to Sgt. Byrd plays a looping talking animation with no voice acting. The dialogue spoken is different from the final game.
Choosing to start the minigame will crash the game due to the minigame not existing within the files.

To do: Write down the altered dialogue in a section somewhere.

Demos	Final game

There are no archers near the secret lab entrance, and there are slightly different gem locations.

Demos	Final game

The spot with the dragon egg is missing the grate.

Demos	Final game

The Professor walks around his lab instead of standing in one spot. When you speak to him, he plays a looping animation with no voice acting.
The dialogue he speaks is also different from the final game.

Demos	Final game

The entrance to Gnasty's Cave leads nowhere in the demos.

Demos	Final game

Dragonfly Falls (Hunter's Section)

The way back to Spyro has been boarded up.

Demos	Final game

Hunter is able to jump out of water after landing in it, similar to the water in Spyro the Dragon. In the final game Hunter drowns immediately.

Demos	Final game

The drop down back to the beginning of the level is boarded up.

Demos	Final game

Dragonfly Falls (Spyro's Section)

Despite the demos only using Hunter's section of Dragonfly Falls, it can still be accessed through hacking.

There are many minor differences between the different builds of the game:

• The enemies are buggier.
• The detail is lacking.
• The gem locations are different.
• Shop pads are in slightly different positions.
• There are no crocovile enemies to be found.

The late demo generally has more detail than the early demo, but there are cases where the opposite is true.

The moving spikes after the beginning tunnel are not there.

Early demo	Final game

Since there are no crocovile enemies, there are often pink gnorcs in their place.
There is no locked chest behind the enemy across the starting platforms. (on the left side of the screenshots)

Early demo	Final game

The cannons have a very different design. The cannon controls are also much more sensitive.

Early demo	Final game

The reinforced door, that you're supposed to shoot with the cannon, is instead a giant rock.

Early demo	Final game

There are no moving spikes in the tunnel after the cannon area.

Early demo	Final game

These teetering platforms have no grass on them.
The destructible rock's render distance is too low.

Early demo	Final game

Instead of two giant rocks under the second cannon, there is a giant pillar instead. It functions the same, though.

Early demo	Final game

There's a purple force field around the cannon instead of the purple slime in the final game.
There's no small river flowing through this area.

Early demo	Final game

The destructible rock in the middle looks very different.

Early demo	Final game

Example of the massive jump in detail from the early demo to the final game.

Early demo	Final game

There's a spin pole leading to the secret area instead of a couple of boxes to jump on.

Early demo	Final game

There's a dark gem within the secret area which is entirely absent from both the late demo and final game.
This dark gem destroys a rock blocking the way to the egg-thief area.
The early demo also has different platforms in this area.

Early demo	Late demo	Final game

In the early demo there are baskets on the platforms which have the coconut-throwing monkey enemies on them in the early demo and final game.

Early demo	Late demo	Final game

The particles from being in a thermal are red in the demos.

Early demo	Final game

The dragon statue area has no dragon statue in the demos.
The layout of the platforms differs greatly between builds.

Early demo	Late demo	Final game

The Sparx minigame sign is entirely absent in the early demo, and instead there is an entrance to a giant empty cave system.

Early demo	Late demo	Final game

Here's what the early demo cave system looks like.

The late demo has no cutscenes for Sparx, and this screen will simply pop up instead.
Choosing to start the minigame will crash the game due to the minigame not existing within the files.

The large lake area is almost completely different from the final game. There are no platforms in the middle of the area, and instead of a fence blocking the way out to sea, there's an easily bypassable rock wall.
In the early demo there are also sheep running on the water.

Early demo	Final game

Beyond the rock wall in the demos there is a completely cut shark enemy. There are two of them in the early demo and one in the late demo.
The sharks will chase after Spyro when he gets too close. Spyro will get eaten if they catch him.

Early demo	Late demo

There's a platform opposite of the last dark gem which is gone in the final game.

Early demo	Final game

In the early demo, the last dark gem destroys a big rock instead of the tall rock pillars in the late demo and final game.

Early demo	Late demo	Final game

There are no moving spikes in the tunnel from the last dark gem.

Early demo	Final game

Sgt. Byrd Minigame - Lava Palaver

This is the "Sgt. Byrd Maxigame" selectable on the demo's menu.

This level is simply referred to as "SGT. BYRD LAVA SPEEDWAY" on the select screen.
The gnorcs are also simply referred to as "Enemies" instead.

Demos	Final game

The "+5" in the time-gates has no glowing effect around it.

Demos	Final game

(Source: Original TCRF research)