Sept. 10 2008 XBLA Prototype

This is a sub-page of Proto:Banjo-Kazooie.

This prototype is documented on Hidden Palace.

To do: Analyze differences in the db360.cmp asset file. It's a smaller size and many bytes are changed. Most assets are stored the exact same as Nintendo 64 so use this for reference. Some Japanese text in the X360_strings.dat file were changed. Figure out how to decode and document changes. The executable has code differences from the final build. Decompile and check for differences. The Nintendo 64 version has been fully decompiled, use that for reference. The db360.cmp asset file might be missing the input files for the Bottles Bonus demos. Confirm whether they're inside that file.

A prototype dating to September 10th, 2008 was found containing minor differences to the final build of Banjo-Kazooie XBLA. This was built 10 days before the final revision.

General Differences#

Xbox Live Arcade Project Version#

The XBLA project version of this prototype is 1.0.169.0, while the final game is 1.0.173.0. This most likely confirms the prototype's XBLA information is four revisions before the final.

Game Icon#

Prototype	Final

The game icon used in the system settings is different from the final build. Oddly, the prototype icon is used in Banjo-Tooie XBLA as its game icon. Since Banjo & Kazooie can't split up in Banjo-Kazooie, this might have been changed to keep consistent with the game it was representing.

Marketplace Banner#

Prototype	Final

The marketplace banner used in the game's Xbox Marketplace page is different from the final build. The prototype includes the Rare logo, the Banjo-Kazooie title, and the graphic of Banjo & Kazooie bursting out of a jiggy wall. In the final version, it ditches the Rare logo and adds the Japanese logo of Banjo-Kazooie (roughly translating into Banjo & Kazooie's Great Adventure).

Game Rating Board Rating#

GRB (Game Rating Board) was the Korean game rating system, similar to ESRB or PEGI. It was replaced with GRAC (Game Rating and Administration Committee) in 2013. The prototype lacks any data associated with GRB, including XML data and an image of the GRB rating.

XML Line Missing in the ArcadeInfo.xml File#

<System id="kmrb" ImagePath="Rating_GRB_ALL.png">전체이용가</System>

GRB Rating Image Missing in the Game Directory#

Text Changes#

French Text#

This is the French version of the text used in an Xbox menu pop up when the game detects the player using a guest gamer profile which isn't allowed in Banjo-Kazooie XBLA. The final game adds "de joueur" at the end of the sentence to make it more clear that a real "gamer profile" is needed, not a "profile".

Unused Strings#

Many strings that are not used in the various menus inside the prototype are called "". In the final, these were changed to "NOT USED".

Bottles Bonus Demos#

Watch on YouTube

During the Bottles Bonus minigame in Banjo's house, there are demos that play predetermined inputs inside a certain room in real gameplay. In this prototype, the demos are completely broken inside this minigame. It has Banjo & Kazooie moving in random places, and it changes the game speed constantly in a very glitchy manner. With this build being so close to final, it's reasonable to assume that 4J Studios ported Bottles Bonus very late into the game's development, explaining the game-breaking bug within the minigame in the final release.

Prototype Bugs#

Jinjo Jiggy Softlock#

Watch on YouTube

One of the biggest differences between the N64 and XBLA release of Banjo-Kazooie is the addition of note and jinjo saving. When you die or either leave a world in XBLA, the game will save your collected notes and jinjos. However, in the prototype, there is a pretty game breaking bug associated with the jinjo jiggy in each world because of this. If you don't grab the jinjo jiggy after collecting the last jinjo and either die or leave the world, once you spawn back, the jiggy will be permanently gone from your save file. Because jinjos are permanently collected, there is no way of respawning the jiggy. This applies to all nine jinjo jiggies and can stop the player from collecting all the jiggies or even completing the game if this happens enough times. This was fixed by the final release by respawning the jiggy when you reenter the map after dying or leaving the world.