Proto:Spyro: Year of the Dragon/Crash Bash Secret Demo

The latest known demos of the game are the secret demos hidden within Crash Bash, accessed by using a cheat code. There are two versions of the demo corresponding to the NTSC and PAL versions of Crash Bash. The PAL version is slightly later than the NTSC version.

Version Differences

There are a small number of differences between the earlier NTSC version and the later PAL version.

• The usual regional differences are present - the different aspect ratio and frame rate are the most apparent. The PAL version also contains three text strings saying "TRANSLATION NEEDED" where text strings hadn't been translated yet. Earlier versions of the game featured more of this text string, and both the NTSC demos and the final version of the game lack this string entirely.
• When Hunter asks the player if they want to play either of the lizard skateboarding challenges in Sunny Villa, in the NTSC version and all prior demos the options are "Yes" and "No". In the PAL version and the final game, the options are "Yes." and "No.".
• If hacking is used to access the main section of Sunny Villa, in both the NTSC version and all prior demos, the Sheila portal is open. In the PAL version, however, it's blocked by a door, as though Sheila hasn't been unlocked yet (despite this, her sublevel in Seashell Shore is still playable). On top of this, the collision for the door appears to be back to front, and walking near the door causes Spyro to get sucked through the door and trapped.

Other Differences

There's also a number of differences between these demos and the final game.

General Differences

• Like most of the demos, the levels featured are Sunny Villa's skateboarding sublevel, Molten Crater and Seashell Shore. Through hacking the rest of Sunny Villa can be accessed too.
  • Furthermore, also agreeing with the previous demos, Sunny Villa and Seashell Shore (even the Sheila sublevel) use a shortened version of the Enchanted Towers skateboarding music, Molten Crater uses the Fireworks Factory music and there's an unused shortened version of the Sheila's Alp music.
• The Game Over screen features Spyro's usual flight sequence and "Game Over" text from the final game, but the background image is the Game over screen from Spyro 2 rather than Fireworks Factory.
• Skill points are present but no "Skill Point!" text is seen on screen when they're collected, just like in Spyro 2.
• Moneybags is nowhere to be seen. As per usual his dialogue is present but unused, so this isn't an indication that he was originally not in these levels, but rather that he was removed to make the demo more playable.

Sunny Villa

• Two of Hunter's lines were re-recorded in the final game.
• Before playing the first lizards minigame, a text box with green text saying "Catch the lizards." appears, with a difficulty indicator in the bottom right of the screen indicating that the difficulty of the minigame is 2/5 stars. This difficulty indicator and green text isn't present for any other minigame, though it matches the way in which challenges were introduced in Spyro 2.
• Upon completing the lizard challenges, Spyro can attempt to get the skateboarding course record. Hunter claims that to complete the challenge you have to break the record and manage to stay on your board for the whole two minutes. He says this in the final game too, but in the final game, wiping out doesn't reset the challenge. In this build, though, wiping out counts as a failure and you're forced to start the challenge over again.
  • In the final game, a menu appears presenting your score and the course record appears when you the time is up. In this demo, the menu only appears if you break the record.
  • Furthermore, in the final game, you are awarded an extra life the moment your score is greater than the course record. In this demo, you're only awarded an extra life after breaking the record, finishing the challenge, and exiting the course record screen, presumably because you need to survive without wiping out for the record to count.
  • The default course record is 4000 rather than 3200.