Proto:Taz-Mania 2

This page details one or more prototype versions of Taz-Mania 2.

  This prototype is documented on Hidden Palace.

  This was documented on Forest of Illusion.

A prototype of Beam Software's Taz-Mania was released by Forest of Illusion and Gaming Alexandria. Judging by the lack of '2' in the title, it appears to be based on the European version of the game.

There are numerous differences.

To do: Music is different, some different sprites.

This page is loooong... Consider grouping related content into additional subpages to ease readability.

General Differences

Proto	Final

The prototype is much lighter on the copyright info.

Proto	Final

Dialogue isn't implemented yet, with empty text boxes briefly flashing on the screen instead.

(Source: Forest of Illusion, Gaming Alexandria)

Proto	Final

Different high scores.

• Taz's voice clip hasn't been added.
• In the final, leaving Taz idle for 20 seconds causes the game to restart. This doesn't happen in the prototype.
• The background in the Jungle level is missing, making it appear much more bland.
• Kangaroos have a different behavior. In the prototype, they throw boomerangs at Taz, whereas in the final they jump on the spot. This was likely changed to make the enemy unique, as opposed to a larger variation of the bushrat.
  • Due to the different behavior, Taz can die in Condo Caves 2 and complete the level at the same time.
• Taz's jumping sprites were changed for the final.
• Taz can't throw anything at the bosses.
• The Level Select found in the final also exists in the prototype, and can be accessed with Game Genie code 209-F59-4CA.

Level Differences

Jungle Level 1

Proto	Final

The starting position and item placement in the first screen is different.

Proto	Final

The rock is absent and there's a Bushrat on the platform above it instead. 209-

Proto	Final

There's another Bushrat on this platform.

Proto	Final

Items have a different placement.

Proto	Final

The background is missing.

Proto	Final

The Danger! sign is absent.

Proto	Final

The Bushrat is placed closer to the left.

Proto	Final

There's a stick of dynamite here.

Proto	Final

Different floating platforms.

Proto	Final

Platforms here are different to the ones in the final, and most are static. Background is also missing.

Proto	Final

There's an item missing, plus there's no platform at the bottom.

Jungle Level 2

Proto	Final

There's a point in place of the dynamite.

Proto	Final

The rock is absent, and there are different point placements.

Proto	Final

Different point placements, and there's a piranha plant in here that was removed in the final.

Proto	Final

Different point placements.

Proto	Final

More point placement differences.

Proto	Final

Like the previous level, platforms are different.

Proto	Final

Like before, Danger! sign is missing.

Proto	Final

There's a scorpion here instead of the rock in the final.

Proto	Final

Different item placement.

Proto	Final

Point placement differences.

Proto	Final

More point placement differences.

Proto	Final

A scorpion is at the top of this hill instead of a falling rock.

Proto	Final

Point placement differences.

Jungle Level 3

Proto	Final

The kangaroo is a little more to the right, and has an entirely different behavior.

Proto	Final

There's a spin restore here. Sometimes, grabbing it can cause the game to crash.

Proto	Final

There's a scorpion here, and no falling boulder to the left of it.

Proto	Final

Another missing Danger! sign.

Proto	Final

Picking up the powerup here shows a different HUD icon for it.

Jungle Boss

Proto	Final

The boss is a bit further back in the prototype, and the camera raised. You have an unlimited number of sticks to 'throw', but it doesn't matter anyway because they never leave Taz's hands and the boss is invincible. Bombs don't blow up when they hit the floor, they go straight through it instead. The good news is that you can walk straight across to complete the level! The Exit sign isn't there in the final (probably because you can't Exit it without beating the boss), and in the final there are two bushes instead. You can only reach this area after you've beaten the boss in the final, though. Finally, you never see the white flag raise, because he disappears in the prototype once you've touched the Exit sign.

In the following cutscene, Taz's dad never displays a speech bubble. The next cutscene shows a blank speech bubble as usual, but no speech bubble appears from Taz's mom until after she's captured.

Condo Caves Level 1

There's an extra minute on the timer.

Proto	Final

Players can't really see the bones in the prototype.

Condo Caves Level 2

There's an extra minute on the timer.

Condo Caves Level 3

There's an extra minute on the timer.

Proto	Final

There's a stack of dynamite next to the piranha plant that was removed in the final.

Taz can clip through the floor a little.

Proto	Final

At the end of the level, there's a scorpion instead of a kangaroo.

Condo Caves Boss

Proto	Final

Like the boss before it, the level can be completed by walking to the end of the screen. The prototype has a bit of extra space for the Exit sign, and the condor is placed a little lower. Taz still cannot throw sticks in this build.

Underground Mines Level 1

There's an extra minute on the timer.

Proto	Final

There's a full spin restore right at the beginning of the level, which isn't particularly helpful since Taz will start the level with a full spin.

Proto	Final

The Danger! sign is missing.

Proto	Final

The falling rocks are absent.

Proto	Final

There's a change to the ledge in this area.

Proto	Final

This path was shortened in the final.

Proto	Final

Rocks are missing.

Proto	Final

This helper bird was completely redesigned for the final, likely to make it appear less like the enemies found in the level.

Proto	Final

The points are missing.

Proto	Final

This area was redone for the final, and contains two of the missing points.

Proto	Final

This ledge was redesigned.

Proto	Final

There's a point here instead of a partial spin recovery.

Proto	Final

The Danger! sign is missing again.

Proto	Final

The end was restructured.

Proto	Final

The Danger! sign and crumbling rocks are missing.

Proto	Final

There's an extra life in place of the infinite-spin.

Proto	Final

The point item is to the side of the spikes, making it much easier to grab.

Underground Caves Level 2

Proto	Final

Danger! sign is missing, and there's a full spin recovery item.

Proto	Final

The Danger! sign is absent and the platform is a steep slope in the prototype.

• 
• 

The prototype has a glitch in this area, where Taz can clip through the wall just a little. When he jumps, he can go straight up through the level until he hits another ceiling.

This area, whilst still existing in the final, can no longer be accessed normally. In the prototype, Taz can walk through the wall next to it, although nothing outside of accidental discovery would suggest it's anything other than a regular wall.

Proto	Final

The points here were removed in the final.

Proto	Final

There's a 1,000 point item here that's no longer present in the final.

Proto	Final

The wooden frames were removed for the final, for whatever reason.

Proto	Final

This area was shortened for the final, and the platform changed.

Proto	Final

The moving platforms were exchanged for static bricks, making it harder to reach in the final. Despite this, the chains were kept in.

Proto	Final

There's a point here instead of the partial spin recovery (which can make it difficult to reach the next platform without).

Proto	Final

A condo enemy is here instead of a bushrat.

Proto	Final

Different point placement, and the falling rocks are missing.

Underground Caves Level 3

An extra minute was added to the timer.

Proto	Final

There's a full spin powerup at the beginning.

Proto	Final

This slope ends abruptly in the prototype.

Proto	Final

There's a (broken sprite) invincibility here instead of the egg in the final.

Proto	Final

Missing Danger! sign.

Proto	Final

Another missing Danger! sign, plus a different point placement.

Proto	Final

There are points here that go missing in the final.

Proto	Final

More points that were removed in the final.

Proto	Final

Another slope that ends abruptly that was fixed for the final.

Proto	Final

Items were moved around.

Proto	Final

There's a bird enemy here instead of the falling rocks.

Proto	Final

The birdy is a bat again.

Proto	Final

The prototype only has one partial spin restore, the final has two. The missing one is on the slope.

Proto	Final

Missing Danger! sign.

Proto	Final

This stretch was redesigned, featuring two moving platforms instead of bushrats.

Proto	Final

The exit has more space around it in the prototype.

Underground Caves Boss

Proto	Final

The platform is longer in the prototype.

Proto	Final

Just down here, there's a spring leading back to the top.

Proto	Final

The above platforms are at different heights on the prototype.

As with the previous boss levels, you can't actually defeat the boss. Just behind Axl is the Exit sign. The final removes this and the camera never pans further. Standing here causes graphical glitches and lag.

Desert Level 1

Proto	Final

A point at the start was removed.

Proto	Final

More points were removed in the final here.

Proto	Final

There's a kangaroo here instead of a cactus.

Proto	Final

Due to the behavioral change, the kangaroo was pushed forward for the final.

Proto	Final

There's a stick of dynamite that got removed.

Proto	Final

There's a scorpion instead of a cactus.

Proto	Final

A scorpion is here instead of a cactus.

Proto	Final

There's different foliage here, plus the Danger! sign is absent.

Proto	Final

The Danger! sign is missing again.

Proto	Final

A piranha plant is here instead of a kangaroo.

Proto	Final

A scorpion can be found here instead of a cactus. A point is also missing.

Proto	Final

A point is here that's missing in the final.

Proto	Final

This stretch of road is longer in the final.

Proto	Final

There's a crude background here.

Proto	Final

The kangaroo (and a point) changes position.

Proto	Final

There's a bushrat instead of dynamite here.

Proto	Final

Final stretch is longer in the final.

Desert Level 2

Proto	Final

The background is crudely illustrated again.

Proto	Final

There's a scorpion instead of a cactus here.

Proto	Final

As above, a scorpion instead of a cactus.

Proto	Final

Danger! sign is missing, and the bushrat is instead a stack of dynamite.

Proto	Final

There's no 1-Up here, nor is there the secret pathway just beneath it.

Proto	Final

The platform is the same from the opening levels. It was redesigned to match the level in the final.

Proto	Final

A scorpion is in the place of a cactus again.

Proto	Final

This platform contains a bushrat instead of a 1-Up, which makes little sense given how difficult it is to reach this point. Speaking of which, you can't get onto the platform in the prototype at all, due to Taz's swinging mechanics being very basic.

Proto	Final

No Danger! sign and a scorpion replaces the dynamite.

Proto	Final

Another absent Danger! sign.

Proto	Final

Collectables re-arranged.

Proto	Final

The dynamite is missing and there's a scorpion here instead of a cactus.

Proto	Final

Danger! sign is missing.

Proto	Final

Another missing Danger! sign and the scorpion enemy is there instead of a cactus.

Desert Level 3

Proto	Final

Different foliage and missing Danger! sign.

Proto	Final

The Danger! sign is absent.

Proto	Final

The scorpion replaces two cactus enemies, and there's another missing Danger! sign.

Proto	Final

There's no enemy here, but a cactus appears in the final.

Proto	Final

Another missing cactus foe.

Proto	Final

Missing Danger! sign and the point is at a different height.

Proto	Final

Different point placement, one less point and yet another missing Danger! sign.

Proto	Final

The partial spin recovery was moved further right in the final.

Proto	Final

The points are missing.

Desert Boss

Neither of the bosses work here at all. They're just sprites with no collision.

The boss begins much lower.

Proto	Final

The prototype is a long stretch of road, but in the final, after you take down Bull's plane, you have to leap down further to face off against him again.

As with all the bosses in this game, you can walk all the way to the right where an Exit sign finishes the level.

After completing this level, you're shown Taz rescuing Jake, and then the high score screen appears. The ending cutscene has not yet been programmed at all.