This article has a talk page!This page details pre-release information and/or media for LEGO Star Wars: The Video Game (PlayStation 2, Xbox, GameCube, Windows).
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Yellow Skin Builds (2003)#
Some screenshots of the earliest versions of the game can be found online. In addition, in 2018, Jon Burton, the founder of Traveller's Tales, released clips from some of the earliest versions of LEGO Star Wars on his YouTube channel GameHut. The time they were recorded varies as there are changes seen throughout, but they were all still filmed before the earliest public showcase of the game. The description claims that the footage was filmed 2 years before release, putting the general time of recording in 2003 - the intro features a cutscene from these builds.
Overall Differences#
- Characters all have yellow skin as opposed to flesh-tone skin. This makes the characters look closer to the older LEGO Star Wars sets.
- The studs that are already in a level will hover up and down. They simply rotate in the later builds.
Build 1#
General Differences#
- The heart icon does not exist in this build - instead, it's a generic green healthbar split into fourths.
Build 2#
General Differences#
- At one point, cutscenes may have been skippable, as the cutscenes feature a △ button in the top right corner revealing this is for the PlayStation 2 version.
Negotiations#
- The cutscene for Negotiations here was never used in the game. The cutscene only features Obi-Wan fighting battle droids on the Saak'ak, so it is also possible it was created as a tech demo of sorts.
3D Heart Builds (2003-2004)#
The video Jon Burton uploaded showcases early versions of the hub, Retake Theed Palace, Darth Maul, and Discovery on Kamino from this build in addition to the early Negotiations cutscene.
General Differences#
- The HUD uses 3D heart icons that rotate around instead of 2D heart icons.
- The HUD lacks the iconic character icons.
- When switching characters in Free Play, it would flash the name of the selected in the center of the screen in white text as character icons did not exist.
- The droid panels are much more discreet, not showing which type of character you need or whether it is on or not. It is entirely possible that the panel mechanic for protocol droids was not present in this version, so the game would not have needed a way to discern the two panels.
- Characters would turn completely black when hit by a blaster.
Characters#
- Darth Maul only has 1 blade on his lightsaber.
- Anakin Skywalker (Boy) is simply named Anakin Skywalker in Free Play.
- Jango Fett appears to have his face visible while wearing his helmet as opposed to his head being all black. He only carries one pistol instead of two.
- Darth Sidious has yellow skin instead of grey skin. He also has Obi-Wan Kenobi's animations.
- Jedi Master Obi-Wan can be seen with yellow skin in the background of one scene. He is missing animations.
- R2-D2 has a "dizzy" animation (not to be confused with the stunned animation) with stars flying around him which was removed from all consecutive versions. It can be seen in the Retake Theed Palace opening scene.
- Padmé uses her normal figure (which actually isn't used in any levels outside of Free Play in the final game) in Retake Theed Palace. This is likely the only variant of her figure to appear in this version of the game.
Mos Espa Cantina/Dexter's Diner#
- The main hub is a completely different map, taking place in the Mos Espa Cantina as opposed to Dexter's Diner. A version of this map can be found in the files of The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe.
Retake Theed Palace#
- An earlier version of the opening cutscene can be seen. The characters jump out of a crashed flash speeder instead of the royal guards using it to fire at enemies.
- The level is much less decorated, as can be seen in the cutscene. On the other hand, it has a crazy number of coins in the level.
- The ledge at the beginning is much shorter - short enough for a blaster character to jump upon, so the staircase that is built using the Force is removed. It still appears too tall for R2-D2, so the way he would have gotten up is unknown.
- The sequence with the bridge involves a different way of getting upon the bridge for each character. Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon would have built a tower in the middle of the bridge for Padmé and Captain Panaka to get up, Anakin would have made his way up through a chute (which is still in the final level, but not attached to the bridge). R2-D2 gets on the bridge by flying like he does in the final version.
Darth Maul#
- An early version of the opening cutscene is shown. Once again, it is lacking special cinematic animations for characters like the Retake Theed Palace cutscene, and it is missing Padmé and Captain Panaka.
Discovery on Kamino#
- Padawan Obi-Wan and R2-D2 were used as placeholder characters - the version of Obi-Wan Kenobi used in the final version appears unfinished in the background near the end of the video.
- The video showcases a cut segment in which the characters would make their way across platforms in a part of the map that appears to be under the cloning chambers seen outside the windows of the Kamino facilities. It most likely took place outside due to the lamps seen in the level, and the general aesthetic also matching.
Intermediate Build (2003-2004?)#
Only one known screenshot exists of this build. It bridges the gap between the 3D heart builds and the first trailer build.
Trailer Build #1 (2004)#
This build was used for a rare prerelease trailer. Differences between this and the July 2004 build indicate that it was made before the Comic-Con public playtest.
July 2004 Build#
August 2004 Build#
September 2004 Build#
Boga Chase/Bounty Hunter Pursuit Build (2004)#
Jon Burton has also released two videos containing footage from an early build of the game that is in his possession. The differences between footage from early public tests of the game and the January 2005 prototype show that this build was created in late 2004. The most striking difference in this version is the inclusion of Bounty Hunter Pursuit, Boga Chase, and the unnamed Jango chase level, the three levels that are nowhere to be found in the release. LSW footage begins at 1:18:00 in the livestream.
General Differences#
- The start screen is much more basic, simply telling you to "press the START button." By doing this, the game will instantly start with no way to save or load the game.
- The Force glow is different in this build - it has a circular aura similar to the final, but it is very clearly a circle with lines going in and out.
- The radius of Force usability is higher, causing you to be able to use the Force on objects through walls.
- Free Play is usable in levels even before the player has actually completed them in Story Mode.
- The names of levels show up behind the doors as you walk past them. It says the chapter of the level on the metal door that you enter to begin the level.
- The infamous stud bar was not implemented visually. Here, it's just a percentage of how close you are to obtaining True Jedi that appears at the top of the screen.
- Studs in the HUD aren't separated by commas (1,000 will be displayed at 1000).
- The viewcam debug tool is found in Options as opposed to the debug menu.
- Each and every level is split into 8 subsections for some reason.
- Doing a double jump and using the lightsaber slam as a Jedi won't play a slam noise.
- The status screen has no music.
- The color of the total stud counter in the status screen is green. It doesn't have pictures of studs on its sides, either.
- The grid for the list characters is in totally different - it's more of a honeycomb design than the square side-by-side order it takes in the final.
- The characters who are unlockable with studs are listed in order of their character type (blaster, Jedi, battle droid, small, so forth) instead of the order in which they are unlocked.
- When you unlock a character, it doesn't show the name of who you unlocked. In addition, the giant icon (the one that shows which character you unlock) enlargens at the center top and then shrinks instead of falling into place in the grid.
Characters#
- An Episode 2 clonetrooper can be seen among the section of characters unlocked by progressing through the story. Due to it appearing next to Episode 3 Anakin and Obi-Wan, it is entirely possible that the Episode 2 clonetrooper was used as Commander Cody in this build.
- Darth Sidious's icon has flesh-toned skin instead of grey skin.
- General Grievous's icon is much more zoomed out to the point that you can see a portion of his arms.
- Anakin Skywalker has a different running animation.
Mos Espa Cantina/Dexter's Diner#
- This video has a much more detailed view of the Mos Espa Cantina. It shows that this version was a completely different version from the Mos Eisley cantina used in the sequel.
Negotiations#
- The chairs early on don't play the cantina music as they dance.
- The door to the room where the PK droids spawn will occasionally close.
- You only need 10,000 studs to get True Jedi.
Invasion of Naboo#
- The level has a dull grey ambient color.
- The floating block puzzle is unfinished with missing textures, and the section of the level where it appears is nowhere near complete either. One side of the wall is completely unmodeled and you can see out into the skybox.
- The ending cutscene skips the part showing Jar Jar and the Jedis swimming to the underwater city. In addition, lots of textures are missing, and the meeting with Boss Nass appears to take place in space instead of underwater.
- The scene where Qui-Gon, Obi-Wan, and Jar Jar get into the bongo is almost completely untextured except for the characters & the bongo. On the other hand, the scene is extended, actually showing them getting into the ship and taking off.
- The status screen shows the Gungan bongo swimming in the void.
Bounty Hunter Pursuit#
- Bounty Hunter Pursuit is shown off here, being very different from The Complete Saga. It's a fast-paced chase level through Coruscant. You would have had to destroy power couplings throughout the level (but they don't do anything because they haven't been coded to destroy the speeder yet). When you did enough damage to Zam's speeder, it would cut to the next portion of the level. The level was eventually cut due to concern that George Lucas would disapprove of the fact that there were 2 speeders chasing Zam, making it untrue to the original movie.
Jango/Asteroid Belt#
- For a split second, as Jon opens the debug level selector, the cut Jango level can be seen next to the hub level. This level had to have been cut early in development, as it had not even been properly named or put in order yet. According to Jon, the level involved "flying around the asteroid belt as Obi-Wan shooting down Jango and Boba Fett," but the level is also said to only contain the Jango boss fight verbatim from Discovery on Kamino at this point. It didn't get far in development for the same reason that the other 2 unused levels were scrapped (seeing a pattern here yet?).
Gunship Cavalry#
- Gunship Cavalry is entirely different from the final. The camera flies around just like in Battle over Coruscant and the cut Bounty Hunter Pursuit level instead of the straight line and diagonal angle approach that the final revision took. The layout is also completely overhauled to fit the different camera style. The early version was cut and replaced because it felt "twisty-turny and confusing." It barely has any enemies and is missing textures.
- The level's second act was not the same as the time-limited, anxiety-inducing version that the developers chose to go with. You would take time destroying parts of the core ship from a distance, and the game would move you closer to the center as you destroyed more bits of it.
- This level had a third act that was completely cut from the final game after the level was redone. In this act, you would play as the gunship making its way to Dooku's hangar, which would have tied it in directly to the following Count Dooku level's opening cutscene.
Battle Over Coruscant#
- Battle Over Coruscant was also heavily changed. The style of play is similar to the final, but the level is split into three parts. The level has a completely different path and scenery and you spent more time flying around the Invisible Hand before eventually landing in. The last section of the early level is still present of the files, including the prototype.
Chancellor in Peril#
- Chancellor in Peril is called "Cruiser."
Boga Chase#
- Boga Chase is also present and accounted for here. The scenery is half complete, but the boga uses a temporary, unfinished model and Grievous's speeder uses a vulture droid as a placeholder. The level would have taken you across the interior and exteriors that were shown on Utapau in the movie, and the unique part of the level was that you would be able to walk on walls with the boga. The first (exterior) part of the level was simply getting to the end like the other flying levels and the second (interior) part of the level was a loop that would have you do chase and do damage to General Grievous until enough was caused to trigger the third part. The third (underground) part of the level is totally unfinished and is merely a blockout (no textures, no background) of what would have been the final layout for it. The level was cut for the same reason that Bounty Hunter Pursuit was cut: George Lucas may not have approved of there being a second player.
Darth Vader#
- Darth Vader was still in development as they were deciding how they would have the fight play out. The layout was completely changed and is mostly focused on getting through the level rather than the teamwork aspect the final version has. For instance, the original version of the first section takes place on the Mustafar landing pad where Obi-Wan and Anakin begun fighting. This part only appears in the opening cutscene in the final game and was replaced with the part where they jump across the breaking floor.
- The level has very primitive texturing.
- The cut fourth room is present, which is documented on the main page. Using the Force on the block at the end is supposed to end the level, but instead crashes the game.