PS2 Alpha 124

To do: There's still more. Document the debug features, too.

A later build of Need for Speed: Most Wanted, known as "Alpha 124" dated September 20th, 2005. Clearly much closer to the final game than the PS2 demo, but it still has differences worth noting.

Interface#

• The loading screen is different. It has graffiti stains in the background, which would be replaced by an animated bar in the final game.
• The pursuit duration milestone's string is missing so it's displayed in-game as "FENG: Default string error".
• All of the event and place markers are different.
• The Challenge Series' lock icon is white.
• With the use of a debug menu, menus for online multiplayer, which was cut from the PS2 version, can be seen.

Imagery#

Webster's Blacklist profile image is different. He has an extremely smug expression and is facing the camera, unlike his final render where he looks over his shoulder.

Audio#

Interface#

• The clicking sound is different.

Engine sounds#

• GIN_BMW_LagSeca_V2 sounds more aggressive and is bass-boosted.
• GIN_TRCK_Accel and GIN_TRCK_Decel are slightly shorter.
• The over-revving sound of the BMW M3 GTR is different.
• The sweetener sounds for the Dodge Viper SRT-10 is different.
• The Aston Martin DB9 uses the Lamborghini Murciélago's engine sound entries, including the unused Lamborghini Diablo engine sound.

Gameplay#

• You can encounter cops during drag races and during boss races.
• Speedtrap mode is in a primitive state. Instead of the usual camera-like checkpoints, it uses tornado-shaped checkpoints, similar to those found in the July 2005 PlayStation 2 demo.
• Razor is nowhere to be seen during his first blacklist race due to a glitch. Also, the finish line is floating mid-air.
• The final pursuit is slightly different (due to a glitch). Instead of driving the BMW M3 GTR, you are driving the last car used before the pursuit. This can be fixed by starting the pursuit from the main menu. Also, upon finishing the pursuit, no ending credits are shown, the game instead returns to the main menu, and attempting to enter career mode again will repeat the final pursuit instead of sending you to the safehouse like in the final game.

Cutscenes#

• The story intro uses the pursuit cooldown music, probably as a placeholder.
• The sequence when a cop spots the player (starts a pursuit) is slightly unfinished as the world doesn't pause for a second like in the final version.
• Rog's dialogue in the prologue doesn't play despite the audio files being stored in the NISAUDIO.BIG file.
• By this point, Rog drives a Pontiac GTO rather than the Mustang used in the PS2 demo.

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