August 27th, 1998 build

This is a sub-page of Proto:Spyro the Dragon (PlayStation).

This prototype is documented on Hidden Palace.

Watch on YouTubeThe August 27th, 1998 prototype of Spyro the Dragon is a localisation prototype for the European release of the game, built between the final North American and European builds. It was released online in around 2007 but was assumed to be a standard Europe ISO, and as such was subsequently lost. This build was not re-released until March 21st, 2020.

Build Dates#

The following is a table comparing the various modification dates of each of the files within the ISO between the August 27th prototype and the final European build.

The date of the WAD.WAD does not appear to be accurate given that it still matches the US final build. Interestingly we can see that MUSIC2.STR seems to be the only STR to change in the final release.

The given build date of August 27th is taken from the primary volume data:

General Differences#

• Like the North American version, the title screen displays the option "PRESS START," unlike the final European build which reads "START GAME" instead. Also, changing the language in the prototype leaves this option untranslated.
  • When choosing a language, "Deutsch" is incorrectly spelled "Deutch."

Aug 27 Prototype	Sep 1 Final

• In the game's "demo mode," accessed after leaving the title screen stationary for a long enough period, there are apparent differences in the gameplay shown off throughout the featured levels.
• Many of the translations are incomplete and differ from the final release.
  • The file select screen's translations are unfinished, leaving "empty" for the blank save slots untranslated, as well as some other translations that would later be adjusted in the final.
  • All major cutscenes are in English regardless of which language the game is set to.
  • Accents are not yet displayed correctly on portals.
  • Various other things throughout the game are translated differently, such as level names.
• When attempting to enter Terrace Village or Haunted Towers in this build, Spyro misses his glide and doesn't land where he was intended to begin the level, resulting in an immediate death. This is likely due to adjustments that had yet to be made to accommodate for the framerate difference between NTSC-U and PAL televisions, or just a result of this being a bad dump of the prototype.
• As there are a number of differences between the North American and European final builds, many of these changes have not been implemented into the game yet.
  • For example, the gem placement in Metalhead matches the North American version, while the retextured dragons match the final European version.

Differences From North American and European Final Builds#

Gnasty Gnorc#

Mysteriously, Gnasty Gnorc reuses an early design seen in a small handful of magazine screenshots and in the June 15th prototype, as well as unfinished animations despite being fully complete and present in the NA final build. He still retains his normal appearance in the game's opening cutscene, so the exact cause for this is unknown. One likely explanation is that Gnasty’s animations simply had not been exported to 25fps since he received his final design. As a result, he behaves much differently:

• Gnasty is a lot quieter in this version; he doesn't make any noises while performing his idle animations, running, or when he takes damage from the player.
• His animations are different, for the most part.
  • He uses an early idle animation for the majority of the battle, rather than pounding his chest and taunting the player like he does in the final. However, once the player enters the first chase sequence of the fight, if the player waits so that Gnasty stops running away, he'll turn around and begin performing his "chest punching" animation seen in the final, albeit without any sounds.
  • Gnasty runs at the same pace as he normally does, but his running animation appears to be a bit slower, making it look somewhat slidey.
  • In his fainting animation he falls backwards instead of forwards, matching the one used in a currently unreleased prototype that falls somewhere between the June 15th and July 18th builds.
• When Gnasty is backed into a room by Spyro at the very end of the level and the player chooses to stand up close, Spyro doesn't take any damage if Gnasty attempts to slam his hammer down on him, unlike in the final.
• Spyro always says "You're toast Gnorc!" in English upon defeating Gnasty Gnorc, regardless of the language the game is being played on. In the final build, Spyro remains silent when the game is played under non-English languages.