August 2, 2002 build

This is a sub-page of Proto:Ratchet & Clank (PlayStation 2).

This prototype is documented on Hidden Palace.

A beta preview of Ratchet & Clank that predates the final build by approximately two months.

The only publicly-released version of this build has been modified to remove a security check that would prevent it from running on consoles without a WibuKey security dongle attached.

To do: There are several screenshots and asset rips missing. These are marked with a todo tag or a placeholder image. Take a closer look at some of the later planets for differences, most of which have not yet been analyzed in detail. Document interesting findings in dumped mission preview images. eg: The transport vessel in the Pokitaru mission preview screens.

General Differences#

• In-game cutscenes cannot be skipped.
• The last four planets are missing and will crash the game when attempting to load them.

To do: Verify if level data is missing or just absent from the game's TOC.

• Some cutscene establishing text is very different with a flaming red background.

Proto	Final

• The animation that plays when collecting a gold bolt is primitive and lacking in character animation.

Proto	Final

• The Bot-Devices (Gadge-Bot doors) have a slightly different appearance.

Proto	Final

• Gadge-Bots always have red antennae which do not change color depending on their current action (wait, follow, attack, enter).

Proto	Final

• Skill points have not been implemented.
• The camera is more prone to colliding with geometry instead of moving around it.
• The game can be paused during a death animation.
• Raritanium is pink and is much larger than in the final game.

Proto	Final

• The final ship model is used throughout the game and is incomplete. The ship is always open and Ratchet is unable to stand on any part of it.

Proto	Final

Weapon Differences#

To do: Document the rest of the weapons.

Morph-o-ray#

• The Morph-o-ray equip animation plays upside-down. Interestingly, this may have once been the intended pose for the weapon as evidenced by the game's NTSC box art.

Proto	Box Art

• The Morph-o-ray beam looks different and lacks sound effects.

Proto	Final

Decoy Glove#

• The Decoy Glove uses an older texture of Ratchet without stripes.

Proto	Final

Walloper#

• The Walloper is red and lacks any electrical effects.

Proto	Final

Gadget Differences#

To do: Document the rest of the gadgets.

Hydrodisplacer#

• Hydro-faucets have a different appearance.

Proto	Final

Sonic Summoner#

To do: Add screenshots.

• The Sandmouse does not fight and follows Ratchet on foot instead of flying.
• Leading a Sandmouse to another Sandmouse spawn point will award Ratchet with bolts.

Text/HUD Differences#

To do: There are a lot more interesting changed and unused strings in the game executable to be documented.

• Some messages on Orxon refer to the Ultra Nanotech upgrade as "Super Nanotech", such as "Buy the super nanotech upgrade for 30000 bolts?" and "You purchased the super nanotech upgrade!".

Proto	Final

• The HelpDesk message informing the player about Ultra Nanotech mentions that it will increase maximum health "by 100 percent" instead of three spheres.

Proto	Final

• Boss enemy health bars have a more primitive, early HUD design.
• The description for the Glide move in the Moves help menu refers to it as the "Super Glide".
• In the help descriptions for weapons and gadgets, there are trademark symbols for Gadgetron products which were removed in the final game.

Menu Differences#

General#

• Main menu items are thinner, have white text (instead of blue) and a different border compared to the final game.
• HUD elements are not hidden when opening menus.
• Weapon and gadget icons have a white fill when selected. Interestingly this is missing from the final game.
• When reaching the end of a menu, the cursor does not wrap back to the start like it does in the final game. The exception to this is the main menu screen.
• Returning to the main menu from some submenus breaks the layout of the main menu items.

Proto	Final

Weapons Menu#

• The 3D weapon preview in the Weapons menu is not functional, however the 3D ammo preview works fine.

Proto	Final

• When Ratchet has the Drone Device deployed, the Defense Drones don't circle Ratchet in the 3D Ratchet preview window unlike in the final game.

Gadgets Menu#

• The 3D gadget preview in the Gadgets menu is not functional.
• Foot items like the grindboots don't have any menu animation in the Gadgets menu, and they clip through Ratchet's feet in the preview.

Proto	Final

Quick Select Main Menu#

• The 3D weapon/gadget previews and ammo counter in the quick select main menu screen are not functional.

Proto	Final

Items Menu#

• The exit button prompt is missing in the Items menu.

Proto	Final

Help Main Menu#

• The title of the Help menu is "Help Main Menu" instead of "Help Menu" like in the final game.
• The Help Log option in the Help menu is missing.
• The preview images for the Controls and Moves options in the Help menu are different.
• The preview images for the Weapons and Gadgets options in the Help menu are using placeholder question marks.

Proto	Final

Controls Help Menu#

• The Controls screen in the Help menu uses a slightly different graphic to show game controls.

Proto	Final

Moves Help Menu#

• The "Glide" move is referred to as the "Super Glide" in its description.

Proto	Final

Weapons Help Menu#

• The Weapons Help menu has a different layout and non-functioning 3D weapon previews.

Proto	Final

Gadgets Help Menu#

• The Gadgets Help menu has a different layout, non-functioning 3D previews and the area that shows the gadget's target (eg: Invinco-Locks, Versa-Targets .etc) is non-functional.
• The Gadgets Help menu is incorrectly titled "Weapons Help".

Proto	Final

Options Main Menu#

• The title of the Options menu is "Options Main Menu" instead of "Options" like in the final game.
• All image previews in the Options menu are using placeholder question marks.
• There are three options in the Options menu that are greyed out and cannot be selected: Video Options, Sound and Quit Game.

Proto	Final

Vibration Options Menu#

• There's a Vibration submenu in the Options menu that's missing in the final game.
• The Vibration submenu in Options is titled "Subtitles options" and contains one option called "Controller vibration" that cannot be toggled.

Proto

Camera Options Menu#

• The Camera submenu in Options is titled "Subtitles Options" and is missing the option to change camera rotation speed.

Proto	Final

Local Map Screen#

• The local map screen shows the location of taxis. This was removed in the final game.
• Choosing "View Missions" from the local map screen then backing out breaks the layout of the map screen.
• The "Play Infobot" option on the local map screen is non-functional.

Proto	Final

Level Differences#

Novalis#

• The mushrooms in the cave section cannot be broken.
• The gold bolt path that requires the hydro pack lacks any enemies and the gold bolt itself is in a different place.

Proto	Final

• The flame effect used on the burning buildings is completely different and looks very primitive compared to the final game.

Proto	Final

• Underwater plants are an untextured solid black color.
• The floor of the main lake (the one with a high current) is an untextured solid black color.

Proto	Final

• The gold bolt in the cave path behind the ship is missing.

Proto	Final

• There is a misplaced "tower" object out of bounds which was removed in the final game.

Proto

• The landing pad for the ship is in a slightly different position.

Proto	Final

• The ship takeoff animation is different.

To do: Capture video of this

• There's an extra pillar and slightly different crate placement on the waterworks path.

Proto	Final

Aridia#

• The HUD on the sandshark clearing mission for Skid uses different icons.

Proto	Final

• Skid's Agent's phone does not despawn after he leaves.
• The gold bolt at the end of the Trespasser path is missing, with only a few crates in its place.

Proto	Final

• The small animation after collecting the trespasser that pans to the Invinco-Lock is missing.
• Dying at the end of the trespasser path respawns Ratchet at the start of the path instead of in the final room.
• The metal platform at the end of the trespasser path is red.

Proto	Final

• Two of the Versa-Targets on the Swingshot course are placed differently.

Proto	Final

Kerwan#

• There are wanted posters around the city. According to developer Mike Stout, these were removed due to localization difficulties as it was not possible to alter text within an image when translating the game to different languages.

Proto	Final

• Blimps have the old "The Adventures of Ratchet & Clank" logo on them.

Proto	Final

• There is a Blarg Chopper at the end of the "Ride the train" path.

Proto	Final

• The Qwark robot cannot be blown up.
• Helga is wearing a different outfit.

Proto	Final

Eudora#

• The initial spawn point and camera angle when arriving on Eudora are slightly different.

Proto	Final

• There is an unused enemy entry animation used twice on the Suck Cannon path.

To do: Capture video of this

• There is no animation when picking up the Suck Cannon.
• The camera angle when Ratchet's ship lands is different. In the beta, a tree obstructs the camera view.

Proto	Final

• The ground texture near Ratchet's ship and in several other areas is different. In the final game the texture has patches of dirt.

Proto	Final

• The ground texture is slightly too high in some areas, causing various objects such as the floor pad of Invinco-Locks and Ratchet's feet to clip into the ground.

Proto	Final

• The door that connects the end of the main path back to the ship looks different.

Proto	Final

• There's a railing around the ship landing pad that's not present in the final game.

Proto	Final

• The doors on the main path have a different appearance when opened.

Proto	Final

• Bolt cranks clip into the ground when activated.

Proto	Final

Nebula G34#

• The initial spawn point and camera angle after landing on Nebula G34 is different.

Proto	Final

• The gold bolt in the Clank section can be picked up by Clank.
• Clank has an idle animation that was removed from the final game.

To do: Capture video of this cut animation

• The airlock door that Ratchet's ship flies through is missing.

Proto	Final

• The ship takeoff animation is different.

To do: Capture video for this

• The computer terminals cannot be broken.
• The elevator button at the start of Clank's section is an unfinished placeholder.

Proto	Final

• The "Big Red Shiny Button" cannot be activated with triangle and must be hit instead.

Proto	Final

• The bonus room behind the hard trespasser lock only contains the trap crates and none of the real crates.

Proto	Final

• The laser grids at the end of the main path are positioned differently.

Proto	Final

• The floating warship outside the station is static in the beta and does not bob up and down.
• The propellers on the transport shuttle don't spin.
• The cutscene that plays after pushing the big red button is missing the explosions as the camera pans through the warship.
• There are smoke effects missing while the warship is self destructing that exist in the final game.
• It's possible to board the warship again immediately after blowing it up.
• The doors that lead to the clank section outside the station do not close all the way.

Proto	Final

• The electric/laser grid doors do not animate when destroyed.
• The Blarg fire projectile is buggy and fires into the air before dropping to the ground, unlike in the final game where it is more tethered to the ground.
• The enemy awareness trigger in the circular room with a vendor that leads to the Alien Queen boss fight is larger, meaning enemies can partially follow you back outside the room.
• The Alien Queen boss fight has a different HUD and initial camera angle after the introduction cutscene.

Proto	Final

• The salesman at the end of the grindboots path is not being attacked by frogs.
• The skybox is slightly different and features a red nebula in the distance.

Proto	Final

• The door leading to the grind-rail section does not fit properly and is missing some detail.

Proto	Final

Rilgar#

• The R.Y.N.O. dealer is missing.

Proto	Final

• The hoverboard race HUD is different.

Proto	Final

• Qwark addresses Ratchet & Clank by name in the hoverboard post-win cutscene instead of the robotic voice used in the final game.
• The elevators lock Ratchet in place and the camera angle is different.

Proto	Final

• The taxi back to Ratchet's ship doesn't actually stop at the taxi rank.

Proto	Final

Umbris#

• The initial spawn location and camera angle are different.

Proto	Final

• The starting vendor next to Ratchet's ship is in a different place.

Proto	Final

• The gold bolt room has different lighting and lighting fixtures.

Proto	Final

• The Qwark statue is unfinished and is lacking in detail.

Proto	Final

• The boss fight arena has a more primitive appearance with less detail and different lighting.

Proto	Final

• The teleporter before the boss fight has a completely different design, sounds and animation.

Proto	Final

• The cutscene after the boss fight is unfinished and includes an untextured ship, among other differences.

Proto	Final

Batalia#

• The initial spawn location and camera angle are slightly different.

Proto	Final

• The waterfall is a solid light blue texture.

Proto	Final

• The tanks near the bolt crank inside the compound are missing.

Proto	Final

• There's a taxi that takes Ratchet back to his ship from the Deserter instead of the teleporter in the final game.

Proto	Final

• The propeller on the taxi is not animated and doesn't spin.

Gaspar#

To do: Properly document this level's differences.

• There is no animation when picking up the Pilot's Helmet.

Orxon#

• The platforms near the start of the Infobot/Premium Nanotech path have a different appearance

Proto	Final

• There are photos on some monitors including a car and alien-eyed human which were removed in the final game. According to developer Mike Stout, this is likely the car and child of level designer Craig Stitt.

Proto	Final

• There are no animations or particle effects on the Gadgebot teleporters in the Clank section.
• There are additional enemies in the Clank section which were removed in the final game.

Proto

• There is no animation for Clank picking up the magneboots.
• The Pokitaru Infobot plays when Clank picks it up instead of when returning to Ratchet's ship like in the final game.
• There is no unique animation for Clank entering the ship.
• Ratchet does not remove his O2 Mask and the fog doesn't clear when entering the room with the Premium Nanotech dispenser.
• There are no cutscenes when buying the Premium and Ultra Nanotech.

Pokitaru#

• The low flying ships which drop toxic waste into the water are not present.
• The resort owner has issues with his eyes while in an idle pose.

Proto

• The walls near both teleporters on the sewer path are solid black.
  • This is likely because at some point in development there was a transport vessel there instead of a teleporter, and when the transport vessel was removed a wall was hastily put in its place. This is evidenced by the mission preview image which shows the transport vessel.

Mission Preview (Proto)	Proto	Final

• The Persuader salesman lacks collision and does not have an idle animation.
• The waterfall and surrounding rock formation on the main path are much taller and have a very different appearance.

Proto	Final

• The rock formation after the double waterfall is larger and partially obstructs the walkway

Proto	Final

• The second waterfall on the main path before the second boat ride sequence is missing.

Proto	Final

• The ship dogfight HUD is different.

Proto	Final

• Pressing start during the dogfight brings up the regular pause menu instead of the "Quit?" dialog like in the final game.

Proto	Final

• The fighter ship weapons do not have any sound effects.
• The teleporter to Bob's Roboshack exists from the beginning of the level and simply doesn't function until reaching the other end. In the final game, the teleporter is missing until the other end is reached.

Proto	Final

• The teleporter prompt refers to the shop as "Hal's Roboshack" instead of "Bob's Roboshack", however the mission checklist still refers to the owner as "Bob".

Proto	Final

• There is a regular floor button instead of a power-slam button to activate the bridge on the gold bolt path.
  • The button itself doesn't actually seem to function since it never turns green and even jumping over it causes the the bridge to activate.
  • Activating the button/trigger also resets and replays the bridge opening animation each time, even if the bridge is already opening/opened.

Proto	Final

• There is no water on the gold bolt path.

Proto	Final

Hoven#

• The camera angle when Ratchet's ship lands is different and has objects obstructing the camera view.
• The cutscene that introduces the Planetbuster when landing on Hoven is different.
• The ankle biters have a different appearance and don't cast a shadow.

Proto	Final

• There is no active snowfall unlike in the final game.

Proto	Final

• The teleporter at the end of the Hydro-pack path uses the same early design as the one on Umbris.

Proto	Final

Oltanis Orbit#

• In the opening cutscene, Ratchet is missing the O2 Mask muffle audio effect.
• The ships that in the final game need to be broken to obtain a skill point are unbreakable and lack collision in this build.
• The turrets don't despawn after the enemy is killed.
• The robo-dog enemies are purple instead of orange.

Proto	Final

• There is an extra platforming segment after the door that reveals two fighter ships opens.

Proto	Final

• The shield towers have a different animation when destroyed.
• The Qwark boss fight intro cutscene is very unfinished.

To do: Capture video of this

Oltanis#

• The location is named "Gorda City Remains" unlike the final game where it's named "Gorda City Ruins".
• The cutscene with the salesman uses T-Posing models with no animations.

To do: Extract this cutscene from the game data.

• The salesman is misplaced and not standing behind the counter.

Proto	Final

• The ladder at the end of the salesman path is untextured.

Proto	Final

• Taxi in the main area says "Take taxi to new area".

Proto	Final

• Streetlights are not breakable and have no collision. In the final game, breaking all of them awards a skill point.
• The Morph-o-ray pickup does not glow.

Proto	Final

• Ratchet leans the wrong way on the backwards-facing grind rail section.