February 18th, 2000

This is a sub-page of Proto:Spider-Man (PlayStation).

This prototype is documented on Hidden Palace.

To do: There's much more content to cover than what's currently listed here. The article may have to be broken down into subsections.

The February 18th, 2000 prototype of Spider-Man was released by Hidden Palace on April 17th, 2021 as part of Project Deluge. This build was intended to be used by the press for publications about the game. Being compiled nearly 6 months before the game's release, this build contains numerous differences when compared to the final build.

Menu Differences#

Title Screen#

The title screen is completely different at this point, featuring an earlier version of the game's logo and a background similar to the one that would be used for the final game's main menu. Comparing the background to the final game's main menu, the spider in the center is less stylized and features a lighter shade of red in the center rather than blue. The rest of the screen has most of the game's main characters superimposed.

Proto	Final

Main menu#

The main menu is very rudimentary at this point, featuring an earlier version of the game's logo, and having only New Game and two level select options, Select Level 0 and Select Level 1. The logo has a red to yellow gradient as opposed to the final game's blue one.

Proto	Final

Pause Menu#

The pause menu, like the main menu, is also very early. The screen behind the menu does not get dimmed, and most of the graphical elements seen in the final game are missing. In addition, the "Select" text is the same shade of red as "Paused" rather than blue.

Proto	Final

Cheats#

As the main menu is very rudimentary at this point, cheats are entered on the pause menu by holding down L1. In the final game, there is a cheat code menu which allows passwords to be input. Most of these codes are also present in Neversoft's earlier game, Apocalypse.

Free Camera#

With a second controller plugged in, a free camera can be accessed. To do so, press R1 + R2 on the second controller. The game will pause when this is done. To control the free cam, use the following controls on the second controller:

To turn off free camera, press R1 + R2 on the second controller again. Note that any changes made will remain while playing the game, however crawling on a wall will reset the camera back to normal.

Skip to Restart#

Each level has more than one restart that can be selected from the skip to restart menu once enabled. While some of these restarts are used for checkpoints, many are not used within the prototype. Some restarts also load in alternate object placements that may require the level to be reloaded (ex. by dying) to be seen.

Get to the Bank!#

Proto	Final

Bank Approach#

Hostage Situation#

Stop the Bomb!#

Race to the Bugle#

Spidey Vs. Scorpion!#

Police Chopper Chase#

Missile Attack#

Building Top Chase#

Scale the Girders#

Spidey vs. Rhino!#

Catch Venom#

Sewer Entrance#

Sewer Cavern#

Sewage Plant#

Debug Text#

Debug text appears on the screen during specific situations. When an enemy detects Spider-Man, a single exclamation point will appear above their head. While attacking, this will change to three exclamation points. When an enemy has detected Spider-Man and a nearby enemy has not, a question mark will appear above the nearby enemy. In the bank, when a thug detects a hostage, the text "FUCKFUCKDUFUCKFD" will appear for a few frames.

Gameplay Differences#

• Quitting returns to the title screen rather than the main menu.
• In the level "Stop the Bomb!", the bomb acts the same as any other object Spider-Man can pick up. When thrown, it will rotate and stick to the spot it lands. In the final game, the bomb stays level at all times and slides along the ground for a bit after landing.
• Rhino's sound effects for getting electrocuted are not played
• The animation of Spider-Man when he falls is different.

Proto	Final

Texture Differences#

To do: Many texture differences are present throughout the game. Might be best to cover them in two sections - by level and by object.

Level Differences#

At this point in development, the game is incomplete with the final two levels (l8a5, l8a6) absent entirely. In addition, not all levels present in the game's files are accessible by normal means or even complete. That being said, when starting a new game, the game can be played up to the Venom Chase level. Venom disappears after the cutscene where Spider-Man chases him through a building, leaving meaning this level cannot be completed. Three of the sewer levels can be played as well via level select.

General differences#

• Most of the billboards present in the final game are missing at this point.
• There are no comic books present at this point, and hidden areas designed to house them are absent
• While the texture for the Spidey-Armor pickup is present in this build, the model for the suit itself is absent. As such, the pickup isn't present in any level.

Level Names#

The prototype level-select screens list levels by their filename and use earlier, more generic names for them. While only 11 levels are selectable here, more are playable in the prototype.

Get to the Bank!#

The piping on one of the machines near the starting area extends down further in the prototype.

Proto	Final

Race to the Bugle#

• A timer is present in place of the meter with Scorpion and Jameson on it.
• The lighting is darker, and the building in front of Spider-Man at the start of the level is missing its antennas.

Proto	Final

Police Chopper Chase#

• Green Goblin's Hideout is not yet present.

Building Top Chase#

• Hidden alcove that would be used for a comic book in the final is missing.

Spidey Vs. Rhino!#

• Barrels cannot be lifted
• Group of barrels placed out of bounds
• Sky texture is glitched

Catch Venom#

• No meter to indicate distance
• Death barrier missing from bottom of level
• Incomplete. Venom disappears after the cutscene chase through the office building.
• A floating desk rotates in midair outside the office building where the chase cutscene occurs. A second one will be present after the cutscene is played.
• Placeholder dialogue during the chase cutscene with Spider-Man only using the line "leave him alone, chuckles!" from the Scorpion fight multiple times.

Sewer Cavern#

• Missing cutscene where Venom opens door
• Goes to Sewage Plant rather than Subway

L5A4#

• Not accessible by normal means
• Unfinished copy of the second area of Sewer Cavern
• Spider-Man spawns in the tunnel between the first and second cavern
• The tunnel has no collision toward the part that's normally connected to the first cavern, so Spider-Man will fall through the floor
• Unlike the actual Sewer Cavern, the end of this level leads to Subway.

Subway#

• Skipped over in normal gameplay of the prototype, but present in level select.
• No meter to indicate distance
• Moving backward from the beginning of the level using flight, an unused warp to L5A4 can be accessed.

Sewage Plant#

• End of normally accessible levels, end of level loops back to the start of this level.

Audio Differences#

Dialogue Differences#

While Spider-Man is already using most of his final voice clips, many of the other characters present in this build are using earlier recordings of their dialogue. While most of these recordings have the same script as in the final, there are some differences.

To do: There are many dialogue differences. Upload the prototype and final files for comparison. Sort by character / enemy type.

FMV Differences#

Only four of the FMVs from the final game are present in this build, though the only one that actually plays in-game is Choppers Down. All of these FMVs are early and have differences from the final game. Of note, the prototype's filename for "Choppers Down" is still L1M2 (Level 1, Movie 2) as it is in the final. This suggests that the introduction FMV was already created at this point, but purposely left out so as to not reveal plot details. Apart from Choppers Down, these FMVs are all using an earlier model of Spider-Man than the one seen in this demo. This model is used in the demo found on the disc "Euro Demo 62".

Additionally, there is a test version of Choppers Down present named TEST01. Compared to the version used in the demo, the audio is much rougher, and the contrast is higher (coincidentally making it appear closer to the final version).