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. Add and update some 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 variant of "Wrong way!" voice clip.

Removed 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.

Booting/Game Intro

• The booting 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 intro cutscene starts just after the Naughty Dog screen, instead of having to wait in the main menu.

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• The SCE message is displayed separately from CTR, Naughty Dog and Universal trademark screen.

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• There are missing "alien speakers" over Coco Park used by Oxide in the opening sequence to message Earth.
• There are no character voices or sound effects during the entire cutscene.
• Penta Penguin is missing during Polar's scene.

Menus

Title Screen

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• The TM trademark next to the game's logo is missing.
• Crash has bigger pupils and his eyes have a darker tone.

Character Selection

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• Crash, Coco, Tiny, Polar, Pinstripe, N. Tropy and Papu Papu are using different icons.
• Crash icon is almost the same, although there are some texture differences.
• A small font is used for the character names.
• Pinstripe and Penta Penguin have switched places 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 has a small font and the stars are inside the cups instead of being next to it.

High Score

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• The menu would show the records of Fake Crash and Penta Penguin in the leaderbords, which were removed in the final version along with its epilogues.
• The menu also uses a small font for the character 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 "checkpoint" 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 position numbers are in red when the race ended.
• The menu placement was further down the screen.

Uka Uka Eyes

To do: Add screenshot.

• 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.

Tiny Tiger

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• The camera is too close to Tiny, making him doesn't fit the screen.

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.

Dingodile

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• Dingodile's kart position is different, pointing right, away from the screen.

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

To do: Add screenshots for some of these diffs.

• 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 won'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.
• The entire character selection screen doesn't have any sound effects or voices.
• Some camera angles are different when you choose a character.

World Map

To do: Update screenshots.

Warp Vortex

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

Extra Bridge

To do: Update screenshots.

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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

To do: Update screenshots.

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• There is no subtitles in the cutscenes.
• His kart is blue instead of orange.

Papu Papu Cutscene

To do: Update screenshots.

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• Papu's hair is untextured.
• His kart was blue instead of yellow.

Pinstripe Cutscene

To do: Update screenshots.

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• After beating Pinstripe, the following cutscene shows him talking to you in front of Oxide's Ship, while in the final version he's in a different angle.
• 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 ..." wasn't added yet.

Pause Menu

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• The pause menu/inventory has a key in Oxide's challenge instead 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

To do: Update screenshots.

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• The Platinum relic times are all just placeholder times. These times are exactly 15 seconds less than the Sapphire records, meaning 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.

101% Completion

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

Dragon Mines

To do: Update screenshots.

• There are no Wumpa crates on the track.

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.

Hot Air Skyway

To do: Update & add screenshots showing other diffs.

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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.
• The track has lot of Wumpas around the track that have been removed.
• A Wumpa crate is missing at the beginning of the level.

Oxide Station

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

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 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 can crash 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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Early Scrapbook

• The Scrapbook didn't yet exist in this version, although a menu option has already been added. By unlocking it from the Main Menu after defeating all Oxide ghosts, the game will take you to the credits.
• After skipping or waiting until the credits end, you will be softlock into a glitchy Adventure Mode while falling forever into a void on Gem Stone Valley hub. In addition, the game loads the latest selected character in Arcade/Time Trial modes, so you can access this glitch as any unlockable character. Lastly, the game for some reason disables automatically the sound effects, leaving only the music.

Early 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 and N. Tropy don't have a cheat code combination to unlock them, making it impossible to play as Penta without hacking.
• 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 seems to keep most of Oxide data intact, since he can be played in almost every level. For example, you can almost play the entire Adventure mode as him, unlike the final version where he 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 this build.