September Prototypes

This is a sub-page of Proto:Legend of Illusion Starring Mickey Mouse.

Back in 2008, six prototypes were released by drx.

September 22 1994#

This is the earliest build, with a lot of differences, particularly in the later levels.

General Differences#

Prototype	Final

• The lives counter was moved several pixels to the left in the final.
• You can clip through just about anything except enemies by leaping and throwing a bubble whilst moving across an object.
• If Mickey holds a Mickey block or a treasure chest, he can defeat any regular enemy simply by walking up to them.
• Treasure chests do not contain health restoration items.
• Chests containing extra lives can also contain a Mickey block. They serve no purpose, as all areas requiring such a block have one that regenerates if you lose it in the level already.
  • Holding Mickey blocks in levels they are not ordinarily present in causes them to be out of sync with Mickey when he's on a moving platform.

Prototype	Final

• Part of the map has been redone in the final, because the level, Crystal Forest, was completely overhauled.
• The blue in the rainbow uses the same palette as the water in the prototype and thus changes with it, whereas in the final it uses a dark blue.
• Mickey lacks the white outline on the map.
• Some sound effects, such as those used when picking up objects, are missing.
• The level select can be accessed the same way as in the final, but it doesn't work very well. It often places Mickey in the wrong level, and returns to the map each time.

Intro#

The story intro has a lot of differences, both in text and their placement on the screen. It was shortened significantly, and all text without accompanying screenshots was removed.

The biggest change is how King Pete is portrayed as a good king in the original script, who initially agrees to go on the search on his own. This was changed in the final of course, because Pete is always the bad guy in these games.

Prototype	Final

The font on this screen was modified in the final. In addition to this, the above words are repeated in the story in the prototype. This was fixed in the final since it's rather redundant.

Image	Prototype	Final
	One upon a mouse, there was a kingdom in a long way from where we live... The kingdom was happy and joyful under King Pete. But...	...That was ruled by the selfish King Pete.
	The dark shadow crept across the land. Crops began to wither and the people grew hungry.	One day, a dark shadow crept across the land... ...withering crops and making people very unhappy.
	King Pete, knowing something must be done, called his advisors together so that he could find a cure for their ailing country.
	Finally, one of the oldest advisors found the solution. In a long manuscript it was found written that the King himself, no matter the danger, should journey forth to find the answer.	King Pete's advisor told him the only way to cure the kingdom... ...was for a king to journey out and find the legendary water of life.
	From the bedroom balcony, King Pete announced to his subjects that he would leave to find a cure. The subjects admired King Pete with pleasure.
	Entering his room, King Pete felt annoyed and held his head in his arms.	But I can't do that! Said King Pete...
	King Pete paced nervously in his room, muttering about how he didn't want to go on such a dangerous journey.	...Trying to hide his fear as he paced nervously..
	Mickey, a lowly laundry boy, came into the room at that time.	Just then, Mickey, a lowly laundry boy, entered the room.
	King Pete stopped and laughed when he saw Mickey.	Hmmmmm.
	It was at that moment King Pete decided to make Mickey an honorary king until the lowly mouse could find a cure for a kingdom Mickey protested, on the grounds that he was not a true king. But King Pete would hear none of it. And with that, he gave his crown to Mickey and left the room.	King Pete told Mickey he was now an honorary king... ..and had to find a cure for the kingdom.
	Mickey was quite at a loss. But after he thought for a moment,	Mickey protested, but King Pete only gave him his crown and left the room.
	He decided that, even if he wasn't a real king, maybe he could another one to help him, and set off for the Kingdom of Goofy to cure his loving kingdom.	Mickey decided even if he wasn't a real king... ...maybe he could find someone who was... ...and set off to find the kingdom of Goofy.

Prototype	Final

The title screen lacks '© Sega', and the shading on 'of Illusion' was changed from a light blue to a light brown.

Castle Goofstein#

There's an extra Mickey step in the prototype, since it's very difficult to grab the one hanging off the edge of the barrel.

Prototype	Final

The final removes some of the windows and replaces them with portraits of Goofy, and the swinging sign was changed from a generic symbol to a 'G'. The barrels were also redrawn for the final.

Prototype	Final

The flower pot was altered to look more like a pot instead of a pipe.

Cutscene#

Prototype	Final

The first cutscene image has a small error on the bottom left of Mickey's cloak.

The cutscene mostly follows the original script, just shortened again.

Forest#

Round 1#

Prototype	Final

• The background tiles were *completely* redrawn for the final, and the palette was changed.

• The bee from the start of this level (just above Mickey) is missing, as is the second one you encounter.
• The first treasure chest just above the start of the level can be thrown offscreen. This was fixed in the final so that it hits the side of the screen.

• When you defeat the shadow, it drops a branch in the prototype. This is missing entirely from the final, although the sprites for it are still loaded in the level's VRAM.

Prototype	Final

• The single stone you move has a hole in the prototype, which was filled in the final.

Prototype	Final

• This area features a slope in the prototype.

Prototype	Final

• The area at the end is different. There's a slope which the possum runs up instead of a tree, and a slightly lower platform.
• If you approach the final shadow with a Mickey block in hand, it defeats the shadow. In the final, it defeats him at the expense of one hit point.
• Speaking of the possum, you don't have to rescue him - just leap behind him to finish the level.

Round 2#

Prototype	Final

• Like before, the background tiles were completely redone, though the prototype reuses the tiles from round one.
• The first snake enemy is lower in the prototype.
  • There's only one snake here, instead of two in the final.

Prototype	Final

• The muddy water has a clear cut-off point in the final, but in the prototype, it's all the same color. The cut-off point for injuring Mickey is also much lower.

Prototype	Final

• There's a hidden area in the water in the prototype with two treasure chests. Both chests and the hidden area were removed in the final.
• The chest on the ledge (after the possums) is absent.

Prototype	Final

• The second muddy water area has no damage detection at all.
• A snake at the bottom towards the end of the level is missing.

• There's a chunk of road with no collision detection.

• There's something that harms Mickey when he first jumps onto the vines. What is it? Nobody knows, there are no enemy sprites here and these vines are meant to be climbable.
• The final chest in the level has an extra life in the final, but it's just got more points in this version.

Cutscene#

The cutscene has been shortened for the final again.

Duckingham Palace#

Prototype	Final

• Right off the bat, the prototype uses a blank red foreground object and a North block just underneath. The final version has two South blocks. All sprite North blocks in the prototype exist solely as red ones, since there's no sprite layer for the North blocks yet.
• Some of the bricks to the left of the window and the left of the door have been changed.
• The enemy here can fall off in the prototype. In the final, he disappears when you move too far away.
• From the very top, the crow appears much earlier, catching players off guard.
• The crow underneath it doesn't hold a pot in the prototype.

Prototype	Final

• The South block changes into a red block when moving them.

Prototype	Final

• These blocks are also different to the final.
  • Not shown here, the area where these blocks are lacks an enemy that is present in the final.

Prototype	Final

• The end of the level was changed a bit from the final. Notably, the position of one of the South blocks was moved, extra crates were added and one removed, one treasure chest was removed, and the (pointless) North and red block were removed. A graphical error in the very bottom right was also fixed.
• There's a crow missing from the last part of the level, when you're moving across the rope.

• Lastly, there's a treasure chest here that was removed in the final. Actually getting to the contents of this treasure chest requires precise moving, because landing on it or on the door will end the level, and even if you throw it to the ground, you still need to leap onto it otherwise a pixel later and you trigger the level ending sequence.

Boss#

• Boss takes double the amount of hits to defeat in the prototype.
• If you're holding the Mickey cube as the boss overlaps Mickey, the block disappears, rendering you unable to complete the fight.
• Goofy does not fall down like he does in the final.

Cutscene#

No music plays during Goofy's cutscene, but it does begin when the screen shifts to Mickey. That cutscene is otherwise identical to the final one, but the sphinx reads differently.

Sunken Ruins#

Room One#

• The little clam here will hurt you in the prototype.
• There's a missing tornado in the first room, which you normally throw the broken pillar at.

Prototype	Final

• Very minor change - the second block down from the right was modified to fit with the rest.

Room Two#

• The first tornado is missing.

Prototype	Final

• There's a rotating pillar in the prototype, that was removed from the final, likely because it's effectively an area skip beyond here. It's still possible to get here in the final with a well timed jump, but it's unlikely that many players will try that first.
• At the top right of the room, another tornado is missing.

• Nearby, there's a black square that appears after you remove the chest.

Prototype	Final

• The water at the bottom starts earlier in the prototype. The final replaces this stretch of water with a tornado.

Prototype	Final

• The bricks here were rearranged a little.
• The spikes run a lot faster, so Mickey must swim across, which is a lot more difficult than just walking through them in the final.
• When Mickey pops his head up for a breather in the space between the spikes, the screen rather awkwardly moves up with him instead of remaining on the same area.
• There's a fish missing next to the broken pillar.

Prototype	Final

• There's an oversight that was created in the final in this area. In the prototype, Mickey can swim upwards to gain access to another area. In the final, the water was lowered and Mickey can only reach this area by getting a well timed jump at the beginning of the level.

• When removing the treasure chest at this point, there's a black void. It acts as land, so Mickey's breath is restored.

Prototype	Final

• The rotating pillar is longer in the prototype (the brown blocks are the same).

Prototype	Final

• The exit door and the surrounding area has a few changes.

Room Three#

This room was redone entirely for the final, and the water lowers (a little) once Mickey enters it. It's much more difficult to complete this area in the final without getting hit by the coral.

Prototype	Final

Also, instead of shooting bubbles horizontally, the clams display this graphical error.

Room Four#

Prototype	Final

• This area near the beginning was widened by a couple of blocks.

• Several areas were redone in the final to add more coral hazards.

Prototype	Final

• In this area, a broken pillar was added.

Prototype	Final

• At the very end, there's a door where Donald normally waits. Like with Goofy, his sprite hasn't been programmed yet. There's also an exit above him, but it leads nowhere.

Cutscene#

Before he returns to the sphinx, this message displays which is not in the final:

Mickey leaves the ruin.

Rainbow Wasteland#

• Surprisingly, the only difference here is the boss - the hit box is more precise, making it much more difficult to actually win.
• The game doesn't register your first key vs your second. In other words, visiting this place first will still prompt Mickey to say that he's got the 'second' key instead of the first. Text is otherwise identical to the final.

Crystal Forest#

Prototype	Final

• The tiles for this level had a complete revamp for the final. The prototype shows a 'forest' made out of stained glass, whereas the final actually uses crystals for decoration. Despite this, all enemies and objects remain the same between both versions.

Prototype	Final

• At the beginning, it's a straight pathway to the first door in the prototype, but the final added a couple of blocks to leap over plus an enemy.
• There's a minor error in the final game not present in the prototype - when sitting atop the queen piece, Mickey bobs constantly in the final. He doesn't in the prototype.

Prototype	Final

• There's an enemy missing in the area with the first crystal puzzle.
• Some of the crystal platforms don't blink.

Prototype	Final

• There's an extra block in this area.

Prototype	Final

• In this area, there's a platform near the top left in the final game which has yet to be implemented.
• There's a treasure chest missing from the first water area (at the bottom right).
• In the second water area, the screen doesn't shift when you swim to the top. Instead, Mickey takes damage from the spikes above (even though they're covered by blocks).

Prototype	Final

• This area is blank at the top, and was fixed to make it look less like a secret passageway.

Prototype	Final

• Your prize for going on an extra journey results in two treasure chests in the prototype, but only one in the final. At least the final guarantees you an extra life, as opposed to the points and potentially extra life in the prototype. If you don't get the extra life, you receive a Mickey block that serves no purpose because you're practically at the end of the level anyway (and there's no use for one in this level, period).

Prototype	Final

• This platform has been changed for the final, and since it's unlikely first time players will land on the final version, there's a treasure chest that is absent in the prototype.

Boss#

Prototype	Final

• As is to be expected, the boss reuses the tiles from the rest of the level.

• If you're lazy, you can also clip through the wall and beat it like this...

Cliff#

As with the majority of cutscenes, some changes were made.

Gardens of Illusion#

Prototype	Final

• The flowers at the start are missing.
• The branch is lower in the final.
• When you allow the thread to pull you up, Mickey falls at the top. In the final, he perches on the branch.

Prototype	Final

• There's a Mickey block to help you cross, instead of a spider. There's also only one row of spikes, instead of two in the final.

Prototype	Final

• The leaves have a palette issue, and part of the leaves on the tree have been cut off.
  • Sometimes, the upper leaf won't display at all (save for the stem).
• After you get to the next area, the screen won't move back up until you leave it completely.

Prototype	Final

• The spikes at the end of the level are absent.

Prototype	Final

• The end of this area is directly in the center, here. Walking past it will not trigger the next part of the level.

Scene Two#

• The musical notes are only three long, and the double quaver is never used. There are no sound effects in the prototype.

Prototype	Final

• The area blocking off the exit is different and the treasure chest is placed elsewhere.

Prototype	Final

• There are three notes in the prototype, compared to two in the final.

Prototype	Final

• You can go offscreen in the prototype. You can do this to some degree in the final, too.

Cutscene#

Tree of Life#

Same as final.

Mountain of Mystery#

Prototype	Final

• The dam palette has changed.
• The water doesn't flow.

Prototype	Final

• The beaver also received a bit of a palette change.

Cutscene#

Merlock#

Prototype	Final

• Different background color.
• Merlock doesn't have a white outline like in the final.
• Less hits are required to take out Merlock.
• The music doesn't change after Merlock transforms into his dragon form.
• There are no sound effects for the dragon boss.
• Dragon Merlock only takes four hits to defeat instead of ten.

• There's a sprite error that occurs when the dragon moves across the screen.
• When defeated, he scrolls offscreen instead of blinking and disappearing.

Falls of Fortune#

Prototype	Final

• There's a bit of a problem with part of the water layer, and it doesn't seam together very well.
• The gems don't make a sound effect when picked up.

Prototype	Final

• This gem is a different shade of blue.
• Mickey can complete the level still on the rope just above the level exit. This was fixed in the final so that the end of level flag can only be set once he's on ground floor.
• The rest of this level appears to be untouched. Even the glitched gems from the final (that don't award points like they should) haven't been amended for the final.

Rainbow Scene#

• The prototype places Mickey's "level complete" animation a smidge too low, and the player can see Mickey pause at the top.
• This "level" can be paused, unlike in the final. Doing so causes the game to glitch a little, and you'll have to continuously press the Start button to advance frame by frame because the game will constantly re-pause it.

King Pete#

Cutscene#

Several mistakes are present in the prototype.

Final Boss#

Prototype	Final

• The background colour was changed so that it doesn't interfere with the sun and clouds.
• You can't actually beat King Pete, because Mickey can't grab items in mid-air in the prototype.

Ending#

• Part of the cutscene won't load on the prototype. It cuts straight to the kingdoms celebrating.
• The prototype also moves Mickey on the map to each kingdom when their respective cutscene shows (with the map dimming at each stop). No music plays at any stage, save for the time it returns to the map where it plays the regular map music.
  • Despite this, music does exist for this cutscene, and it's longer and a little different from the final.

• The last scene with text shows, but there is no accompanying text. It also cuts off abruptly at one point.

Prototype	Final

• Lastly, this scene is missing a chunk of the image.

September 30 1994#

A lot of progress has been made in the near-week.

Image	Prototype	Final
	One upon a mouse, there was a kingdom in a long way from where we live... The kingdom was happy and joyful under King Pete. But...	Once upon a mouse, There was a kingdom in a far away place... ...That was ruled by the selfish King Pete.

• Pete has now been written as the bad guy right off the bat. Aside from the very beginning, it has been shifted to what will be the final version.
• Health items are now included in the treasure chests.
• Clipping has been fixed.
• Flower pot sprite has been changed to final.
• Goofstein's cutscene has had the graphic fixed, but is otherwise the same as the previous prototype.

September 22	September 30	Final

• Forest graphics have been updated. There's a minor change to a background leaf, and a slightly lighter sky colour.

September 22	September 30	Final

• Same as above.

September 22	September 30	Final

• This hole still appears.

September 22	September 30	Final

• The slope has been modified, but still isn't in the final version.
• You still don't have to save the possum.

September 22	September 30	Final

• Water has been changed.

September 22	September 30	Final

• Duckingham house bricks are the same as the former prototype, but it otherwise resembles the final game's layout and placement. The only difference is the crow at the top which is missing.
• The crow at the top of Duckingham (after you move across the first rope) has been removed.
• The blocks in Duckingham have been fixed and the area at the end now resembles that of the final.
• The pillar in the Sunken Ruins stage that you can clip through near the first area of water (without trying) has been fixed.

• The third Sunken Ruins room has been changed, but lacks several of the clams. The horizontal clams do not spray anything.
• The coral in the fourth room of Sunken Ruins have been updated to add more space in like the final.

September 22	September 30	Final

• The broken pillar has been moved.
• The graphical glitches with Sunken Ruins have been fixed, along with the 'breathe underwater' glitch.

September 22	September 30	Final

• The Crystal Forest still resembles the prototype, but the main blocks have actually been modified and now include a darker outline.

September 22	September 30	Final

• Garden of Illusion is a hybrid of the earlier prototype and final at this stage. It starts off like the prototype, but has the background of the final. The first spike pit resembles the final, but the second one is still missing.
• The second Garden stage has a similar effect. The notes now play as they do in the final, but the rest of the stage resembles the prototype.
• Merlock still takes less hits to defeat, but is otherwise the same as the final.
• The gem from the Falls has been updated to the final version.
• The rainbow scene has been fixed.
• Mickey's 'complets' has been corrected to 'complete'.

September 22	September 30	Final

• The final main cutscene has been updated, but still lacks the rainbow found in the final. Mickey is referred to as 'Micky'.

September 30 1994 SEL#

This version is near-identical to the other prototype, but with two changes.

First, the prototype opens with the level select. Outside of hacking, there is no way to get the intro to play.

Secondly, no interactive elements (excluding enemies) work. This includes objects that are required to complete levels, such as the barrels in Castle Goofstein and the switches in the Sunken Ruins. In some cases, attempting to work them causes the game to crash.