Proto:Crash Team Racing/September 3rd, 1999 build

This is a sub-page of Proto:Crash Team Racing.

To do: Use this video to document all the changes here. Some screenshots needs to be updated. Add and update screenshots.

Before a game is released, a copy is usually sent to professional reviewers, so they can prepare an article about the game beforehand. Review copies are usually identical (if not exactly the same) as the respective commercial releases, but sometimes there is still work put into the games after they're sent to reviewers.

Crash Team Racing's review copy was "officialy" leaked to the public in 2012 (although some videos show that it was already on the internet at least since 2009). Though it's mostly complete, it features a lot of small differences from the final release, with some elements having been changed and others removed altogether.

Unused Audio

Aku Aku/Uka Uka Voice Clips

There are more unused voice clips of Aku Aku and Uka Uka found only in the prototype, these voice clips would have been played in the races but they were never programmed in.

Gotcha

This would have played if the player goes out of bounds.

Juiced up

Either they are going to be played if the player goes out of bounds or it could have been played when the player uses the mask item.

Oh yeah

These could be most likely played with the mask item.

That's the wrong way

An unused version of "Wrong way!" voice clip.

Crash's Voice Clip

Crash has a different pain sound that can sometimes be heard when firing bombs/missiles at him, which is never heard in the final game.

Boot & Intro

• The boot sequence before you get to the menu is animated the same way, but the music is a shorter, different version, and Clancy Brown doesn't announce the publisher and developer identities.
• The SCE message is displayed separately from CTR, Naughty Dog and Universal trademark screen.
• The introduction cutscene here starts just after the title screen, instead in the final version you have to wait in the main menu and then it will play.
• Missing "alien speakers" over Coco Park used by Oxide in the opening sequence to message Earth.
• Pura, N. Gin and Penta Penguin are racing on the wrong way of Coco Park.
• Penta Penguin is not behind Polar as an easter egg.

Menus

Title Screen

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The menu didn't have the TM trademark next to the game's logo. Crash had bigger eyes on the prototype.

Character Selection

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• Some character icons were changed between the prototype and the final build. These were Crash, Coco, Tiny, Polar, Pinstripe, N. Tropy and Papu Papu. * Also note the small font used in the character select screen of the prototype.
• Pinstripe and Penta Penguin also used to be switched in order with each other.

"Loading" Screen

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In the "loading" screen, the "Loading..." is missing.

Cup Selection

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The cup names had a small font and the stars were inside the cups instead of being next to it.

High Score

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• Originally the best times menu would show the records of Fake Crash and Penta Penguin in the rankings, which were removed in the final version along with its epilogues.
• The menu uses a small font for the characters' names.

Race Differences

• The lap counter used to be separated by a hyphen, whereas in the final version, it's separated by a slash.
• * The lap time used to be recorded only after the lap was completed, while in the final version the player can check the time of his own lap while he is in it.
• There's no sound effect for when you cross the finish line.

Start Lights

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• The start lights differ in the prototype compared to the final version.
• Notice the long sentence referring to the demo mode.

Race Finish

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• The numbers were in red when the race ended.
• The menu position was further down the screen.

Uka Uka Eyes

• Uka Uka's eyes have a different texture.

Adventure Mode

Character Selection

No stats

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In the character selection for the prototype version, the stats for each character are absent unlike in the final version. Dr. Neo Cortex

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Cortex has his model from previous games and in game, changed to his actual model in the final version.

Dr. N. Gin

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• N. Gin's rocket that he is shown hammering seems to be untextured.
• The hammer sparkling hit & sound effects are missing.

Polar

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• Polar's background ice seems to be much more dull.
• His model has different eyes.
• His kart moves position.
• There are no frozen ice textures and no boxes next to his kart.

Other Differences

• Tiny Tiger's much bigger, the underground as well, so he doesn't fit the screen.
• Dingodile's kart position is different, it's pointing right, away from the screen.
• Pura turns a bit slower when he's running in circles.
• Some camera angles are different when you choose a character.
• If you cancel after choosing a character, the screen doesn't flash white and instantly return the character to his/her position as usual. Instead, they actually reverse their animations for being chosen. This actually doesn't look too bad apart from N. Gin, who looks weird because his animation is hitting his thumb with a hammer.
• There are no character sounds whatsoever.
• Some camera angles are different when you choose a character.

World Map

Warp Vortex

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• The colored floor around most of warp vortices in Adventure Mode has a checkered pattern.

Extra Bridge

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• There was an additional extension on the bridge leading to Roo's Tubes.

Removed Sign

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• A directional sign pointing to The Lost Ruins was removed from the final game.
• The textures of the entrance to the ruins have been changed.

Cutscenes

Ripper Roo Cutscene

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There were no subtitles in the cutscenes, and his kart is blue instead of orange.

Papu Papu Cutscene

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Papu's hair was untextured and his kart was blue instead of yellow.

Pinstripe Cutscene

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• When you beat Pinstripe, the next cutscene shows him talking to you in Gem Valley, in front of Oxide's Ship, while in the final version, he's still in Gem Valley, but in another location.
• His kart is blue instead of black, and he's looking to the right.

Aku Aku/Uka Uka Hints

• It's impossible to skip Aku Aku/Uka Uka's hints during Adventure Mode, which is fairly annoying.
• There is no sound effect when the mask shows up.
• The message "To hear this hint again ..." is not displayed.

Pause Menu

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• The pause menu/inventory has a key in Oxide's challenge in place of a star.
• The font used is different.
• The gems are placed one after the other, instead of being in a zigzag.
• The "Paused" text has been removed from the final version.
• The text box is bigger in the final version.

Relic Race

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• The Platinum relic times are all just placeholder times. These times are exactly 15 seconds less than the Sapphire records. This means that getting all Platinum relics is insanely easy.
• The relics obtained at the end of the race appear next to the time instead of appearing at the bottom of the screen.
• The Platinum relics were dark grey instead of white.
• Whatever relic you get, Gold or Platinum, the relic that will appear on the podium will always be a Sapphire.

N. Oxide's Projectiles

When you race against Nitros Oxide, he uses a variety of different weapons like in the final version, but after the second lap, he starts using bombs only. He also doesn't spin out of control when you hit him with a weapon, making the race harder.

Completion Percentage

Instead of getting a star for beating Nitros Oxide and another star for beating him after getting all the relics, you are apparently awarded with a single boss key instead. This means that when you complete everything, you will only get 100%, as opposed to the 101% that is achievable in the final game. The game doesn't count that 5th key, though.

Track Differences

N. Gin Labs

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• These tall, yellow laboratory devices could be seen in N. Gin Labs. They're not present in the final version, but they can be seen in the track preview.
• There also used to be three directional arrows in this part of the track instead of two in the final.
• There's no sound effect for when you cross the finish line from the first lap to the second lap.

Hot Air Skyway

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• In Hot Air Skyway, when positioned at this part of the track, there seems to be a blimp missing where there is one present in the final version.
• If you fall down during the big jump near the beginning of the Hot Air Skyway, the fall lasts a lot longer until your mask comes to rescue you.

Oxide Station

• The tunnel leading to the big fall used to be entirely covered in Turbo Pads.

Dragon Mines

• There are no Wumpa crates on the track.

Turbo Track

• The turbos on Turbo Track are not animated.

Podium Differences

• The Podium has no voice and sound effects for the characters.
• Cortex uses his model from previous games.
• Ripper Roo has more jumping animations.
• Penta Penguin doesn't have a victory or defeat model.
• The unlock message for a new battle arena is spelled wrong.

Sound Effects/Voice Clips

• There are no lines for when a character jumps from a great height. For example, Dingodile never says "Woah, baby!" when flying through the air (although these lines are already present in the game files).
• A different sound is heard when you get a power-up and 10 Wumpa fruits.
• A lot of sound effects are missing.

Glitches

• There are several minor glitches throughout the game, from graphical ones, to sound and sometimes even gameplay. Also, the game crashes randomly sometimes.

Credits Differences

• In the final version, during the ending, is told about what all the characters did after the game, except Penta and Fake Crash. Interestingly, in the prototype version, both have their own story that was removed from the final version.
• Their animation is frozen and cannot be seen, like the other characters in the prototype version, so their animations are their victory dances from the final version.

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Scrapbook

The Scrapbook didn't exist in this version, however a menu option is already added. By unlocking it in the Main Menu, the game would take you to the credits, and if you skip or wait until the credits end, you'll be strangely teleported to a totally bugged Adventure Mode while falling forever into a void on Gem Stone Valley hub. In addition, the game puts you as the last selected character in Arcade/Time Trial modes, so it's possible to access this glitch with any unlockable character. Lastly, the game for some reason disables automatically the sound effects, leaving only the music.

Cheat Codes

• Cheat codes imputs are totally different from the final version. They always end in Square and don't require you to hold down L1 and R1.
• Penta Penguin doesn't have a cheat code to unlock him, so it's impossible to play as him without hacking.
• N. Tropy also doesn't have a cheat code, so you can't unlock him via cheats.
• A lot of cheats are missing, such as Infinite Masks, Super Engine, Turbo Counter, 1 Lap Races, etc.

Cheat list

• Spyro 2 Demo: L1, R1, L1, R1, Left, Right, Left, Right, Square.

• Unlimited Wumpa Fruit: Up, Up, Down, Down, Square.

• Unlock Ripper Roo: Up, Down, Left, Right, Square.

• Unlock Papu Papu: Down, Up, Right, Left, Square.

• Unlock Komodo Joe: Left, Up, Right, Down, Square.

• Unlock Pinstripe: Right, Up, Left, Down, Square.

• Unlock Fake Crash: Right, Right, Down, Down, Square.

Playable Nitros Oxide

Like the final version, using hacks it's possible to play as Nitros Oxide. However, this version has a better feature in this aspect, since N. Oxide can be played on almost any map. For example, you can almost play the entire Adventure mode as him, unlike the final version where it can only be loaded in the Citadel City hub. But there are still some tracks that crashes when the game attempts to load him, such as Mystery Caves, N. Gin Labs and Oxide Station. In addition to these, the rest of the game can be played as N. Oxide, while in the final version there are several tracks that would crash instantly while trying to load him, including the red death screen that appears in the level selection screen, while it doesn't happen in the review copy.