La-Mulana (2006)

This page details pre-release information and/or media for La-Mulana (2006).

Development Timeline#

2001

• Oct.: Development on the game starts on the 28th.
• Nov.: The first known build, the Sample prototype, is compiled on the 6th.

2002

• Apr.: The demo is released on the 28th to the developer, GR3Project's website in its dedicated page.
• ~Aug.: An "English version" of the demo (here called Preview) is released. Not much else is known about it.

2003

• ~May: The website goes through a renewal, featuring more screenshots of the game; although they are from later areas, one of them (specifically 16.gif) still uses the demo's Japanese font, confirming that it appeared in a later build.

2005

• ~Feb.: GR3Project announces that they are 70% done with the game.
• Aug.: A more final, albeit not finished version is unveiled to the public on the 14th for testing, known as the Early Release prototype.

2006

• Jun.: La-Mulana finally releases on the 27th.

Spritesheets#

This is the first tileset made with the new style in mind. Naramura, director of the game, said he made it after seeing the Sample prototype.

Public Screenshots#

'02#

'...But does it make sense?' The translations on this page need to be proofread. If you are fluent enough in this language, please make any corrections necessary!

Images found in the How to Play and old View sections of the GR3Project website's La-Mulana page.

04.gif shows a bunch of Mulanese letters. By transcribing these using the Mulanese font of the Demo, the only build of the game that was out by the time of the image, it can be seen that this is actually a different version of one of that prototype's lines:

Since the only surviving snapshot is from when the Demo was already released, all evidence present points to the image having been made after the Demo.

'05#

In October 14th, 2005¹, a subpage of the GR3Project website's La-Mulana page called "Showroom of the Ruins' Artifacts" was opened. It showed many things about development on the game, one of them being screenshots of in-dev parts.

Early	Final	Description
		The earliest screenshot of the game2, older than even the Sample prototype.
		A very early version of the Surface, with the Life Jewel in place of the Feather.
		Ditto, but showing a sketch-like Algol.
		An early version of the Mausoleum of the Giants and its Giants statues. The Japanese text reads ぼす (bosu, "Boss"), indicating that this is the Guardian, Sakit's room.
		A version as early of the Temple of the Sun's room leading to the Blazing Cavern, along with an early Buer.
		The room with the Knife sub-weapon.
		This build's version of the Spring in the Sky, featuring the Boots in place of its Life Jewel. Naramura, the game's director, stated that he changed its location because he wanted to entwine it with the Temple of the Sun's slope instead.
		The room with the Gloves item, instead featuring the sub-boss Nuckelavee.
		Taisui's room, showing an early Infinite Corridor.
		The Twin Labyrinths, here called "Chamber of the Twins" from when all Fields had 間 (ma, "Chamber") in their names. This is an early version of Peryton's room, who is blue instead of beige here. Naramura said that he was just doing what he wanted by that point which was pointed out by duplex, one of the programmers, so the layout was changed.
		A helmet modeled after Kinnikuman's Robin Mask is here, which was changed to the final Helmet item after Naramura "got killed by duplex". This shows that it was originally not able to be bought in a store.
		Another item that can be bought in a store in the final build but not here, the earliest version of the Lamp of Time, adopting a staff-like design. It was changed to the Stone Mask later, which was changed to the final version after duplex "killed" Naramura again.
		Laham's room in the Dimensional Corridor, showing that he was originally a fish instead of a knight.

Early Music#

In September 5th 2006, GR3Project released on their website a program called La-Mulana Jukebox that allowed you to listen to the game's OST, bundled with a number of music tracks that didn't make it into the final game; this was when most of them saw the light of day.

Temple of Moonlight#

Crazy Moon, located in m62.sgt, appears to be an earlier version of the area's theme, Moonlight Dance.

Manual Screenshots#

Screenshots of a build made between the Demo (for having the more rough Japanese font) and Early Release (for having content only found in the final game) prototypes can be seen in the game's manual, made downloadable on the official website when the game released.

p03.gif#

A screenshot of the ROM selection menu, with Ruins 8K RAM equipped and Castlevania highlighted. The ROM placement seems about equal to the final.

p05.gif#

A screenshot of the Options menu. Notable differences here are CONTINUE being misspelled CONITNUE, MUSIC MODE and its choices SSCC/SC88 labeled MUSIC Device and Soft/Hard instead, and the absence of a second music option.

p06.gif#

A screenshot of Elder Xelpud asking if you want to save the game. There's notably another の in the text, which might be a typo.

p07.gif#

A screenshot of the Continue screen. Notice how there are no slashes in the date unlike the final, and the timestamp's right colon is missing.

References#