Sweet Home

This page details one or more prototype versions of Sweet Home.

To do:

There are way more differences.
When is the Prototype dated?

The prototype of Sweet Home is close to the final version, but has numerous differences.

Gameplay Differences#

The intro does not play when a game is started. Instead, it begins with the entrance being blocked off. In order to rename characters and see the intro, you must first delete the game save. The intro is not skippable in the prototype. The door slam sound fx does not play and the door opening sound fx plays instead.
Every character has far more health in the prototype, most likely to make the game easier to playtest.
Characters move much more slowly in the prototype. Having the Pulley makes much more of a difference here.
Boulders do not activate automatically. Pressing the select button will activate them, but they don't cause any damage.
Tonics do not restore Pray Points in battles, only HP. To restore both Pray Points and HP for entire team, you must heal only outside of battles.
The sticky floor on the second floor of the mansion does not trap characters at all.
All scripted battles with Mirrors, Knights, Armor, and Bats are missing. Knights can be seen during gameplay, but their battles won't trigger. The only way to get into an encounter with any of these enemies is to use cheats.
The same quick-time events may trigger more than once.
When opening the main menu, it will appear on the left side instead of the right like in the final release.
Statues cannot be pushed. Cheats are needed to walk through them. You can however bypass the statues on the veranda by using a rope or bow.
When a character dies, they disappear for good! If they had an important item on them, it is gone!
It is possible to get into an encounter in some areas that are considered safe in the final release, such as the bedroom before the lake. You can also get into encounters while walking with Yamamura before going into the basement.
The 3 types of Spirit enemies are unable to capture you. You can just walk right through them.
The NPCs, cats and mice seem to move a lot faster in the prototype.
Level 18 is required instead of level 16 to open up the final area. The path opens up, but the three statues don't disappear. You will have to use cheats to walk through the statues.
The final area is empty. The encounters with the doppelgangers do not trigger. Cheats must be used to get into a battle with them.
As of now, the game cannot be completed as the Lady Mamiya battle does not trigger in the final area.

Sample Message#

This message shows up before the title screen, identifying it as a prototype.

Title Screen#

Proto	Final

The title screen at this point is less detailed compared to the final product. For example, the final version has an eerie purple sky, while the earlier version has a blander blue sky. Also, the final version added more detail to the mansion instead of having a silhouette. For some reason, the shading on the bloody title was removed in the final.

Inside the Mansion#

Proto	Final

When looking at something in the puzzle menu, items can only be used by the character in control. This was upgraded in the final game to let anyone use items.

Also, frescoes do not have their own theme when being looked at like in the final. Instead, the standard puzzle theme plays.

First Floor#

Proto	Final
Wow, in this version, our team has NO manners. They don't close the door. They...	We have to close the door and―uh oh, broken glass! I can't... get... past... it...! My OCD won't allow!

Some broken glass was added to the final version to force the player to switch to or team up with Asuka, thus teaching the player very early on about party management. Oddly, despite being closed in the previous cutscene, the door on the bottom is wide open in the prototype.

Proto	Final

This room was made more important in the final by having some items added to it, including an extra tonic. Also, Kazuo talks about going into this room in the final when the party enters the main hallway.

Proto	Final

Proto	Final

The floor's palette was changed for the final, and a note involving the frescos was added. The end of the room has an extra item present in the prototype, as well as missing blue wood.

Proto	Final

This room has the lights on in the prototype, while the final has the room be dark until a generator is turned on. A note about rescuing falling team members is missing, too.

Proto	Final

An ax that is normally found here in the final game has a log in its place in this build.

Second Floor#

Proto	Final

Instead of a fire extinguisher and a doll to look at, there is a blue candle and an NPC to talk to.

Screenshot

Transcription with Kanji

Translation

file:Sweet_Home_P_NPC_1.png

私の赤ちゃん……　ここの
間宮夫人に連れ去られたまま
帰ってこないの

"My baby... They were kidnapped
and brought to this sweet home
and haven't come back.

file:Sweet_Home_P_NPC_2.png

きっと地下室に
閉じこめられているのよ。
お願い！ 探してきて……。

Lady Mamiya has 
them locked up in 
the basement, I'm sure.
Please! Go look for them...."

Courtyard#

Proto	Final

In this build, the clay doll that you get in the final game after getting the basement key by pushing the statue into the fountain is just lying around, removing the need to do the puzzle.

Scrapped Cutscene#

While entering the basement, a cutscene not found in the final game starts. Depending on which character you are in control of determines which doppelganger you will encounter here.

Screenshot	Transcription with kanji	Translation
	`秋子エミだ！`
	`秋子エミさん！！無事だったのね！！本当によかったわ！`
	`山村待て！！そいつはあんたらの仲間じゃないぞ…！`
	`山村仲間はまだこの近くに居るはずだ急いで探すんだ。間宮夫人にやられる前に！`	`Yamamura "Your companion should be around these parts still; hurry up and look for them. Before Mrs. Mamiya gets to them!"`

Emi can still be in your party by the time this happens, and she doesn't get separated from the other characters afterwards.

After this sequence, Yamamura is shown to be idling on the stairs in the basement. Characters can go right through him, and leaving the area and returning makes him disappear.

Perhaps at one point, the doppelgangers found at the end of the game were meant to have more significance?

Item Differences#

Many of the items are in different places, and some items are missing from normal gameplay. Cheats must be used to see them.
Wood is not sorted into strong and weak wood, and indeed this build only has the flimsy wood.
- Additionally, if one walks by on top of a piece of wood, the very next step breaks it, rather than it collapsing under their feet, meaning a single person could walk by on top and be fine. However, if two people walk on it repeatedly, the second person will have the wood break underneath them after the first person breaks it.
The Spear for the Knight puzzle is already laying on the ground and you can just take it without using pray points.
The Diary Key is a powerful weapon in this build, but does not open Ichirou's diary. The Diary cannot be read or taken.
The Wax Candles scattered around the mansion have no purpose at this point in development. There's no darkness for the Wax Candle to take effect.
The Gasoline has no use at this point in development. The generator in the east garden can be turned on, but since there's no darkness in the mansion, there is no point in doing so.
The Pail is not seen in normal gameplay and you must use cheats to put it in your inventory. You can still drink from the fountain to turn the water into blood. You can also fill the pail with blood, but there are no aged statues to use it on. Using it on the regular statues doesn't do anything.
The Blue Candles and Slides are multi-use items.
The Dress is a single use item.
Since the statues don't work properly, the Amulet is already visible without needing to push it into the fountain.
The Low Key is already visible and you can just take it without using the shovel or pray points.
Giving the shovel to the man in the basement doesn't do anything and the fire can't be removed without cheats.
The blue flame in the basement is missing so the Gem is not needed.
The coffins in the basement that have poisonous skeletons in them do not actually poison your character if you encounter them.
One of the Pulleys is inside the wall, so a walk-thru-wall code is required to get it.
The Fire Extinguisher does not work.
In the final release, the Gold Key is needed to unlock the room containing one of the slides near the east garden. In the prototype, the 2Keys is needed.
You cannot get the Iron Key without cheats since it is located in an area where you need the Iron Key to get in!
The Rings are useless in the prototype. Even after showing the rings to the guard, he still doesn’t move out of the way. You must use cheats to pass through.
The Picks don't serve any purpose here since you cannot slip on the ice floors.
The Boots can be found during gameplay, but the sticky floors do not work making them useless.
The Ax needed for the lake area, and the Wood have different names than in the final release.

Other Differences#

Extra Statues#

These statues were removed in the final release. You cannot get the 2Keys unless you use cheats to walk through the statue.

Second Gas Container#

There is an additional gas container that can be found here. Interestingly, an NPC mentions the gasoline. Perhaps the generator needed to be filled a second time? This second container and the dialog mentioning the gasoline was removed in the final release.

Dialog Differences#

This dialog box can be seen here on the 2nd floor before arriving at this rope barrier.

When you get to this area, an NPC calls for your attention.

He seems to ask if you will give him your Tonic. If you say yes, he will tell you some information. Also, picking yes does not remove the Tonic from your inventory.

Saying no will give a different response.

When entering the Inner Sanctuary, there is extra dialog that pops up here. It is possible that the ghost NPC is speaking.

Seen here, there are two additional dialog boxes before walking up to the Guard.

There is an additional NPC here that you can talk to.

Battle Differences#

When selecting attack during an encounter, an extra dialog box pops up. It is unknown why, but perhaps there could have been more than one enemy on screen at a time and this option would let you choose which enemy you wish to attack. Also, the timing of when characters attack the enemies seems to be a bit faster in the prototype.

Various Layout Differences#

The ice room before Ichirou's study has a bridge you can walk on or hide under. Perhaps those spirits that capture you were supposed to be in this room. The final release removes the bridge.

If you step on two specific tiles in this area, you will see this dialog box pop up. It roughly translates to the floorboard making a "creaking" sound. The holes are not visible without cheats. You won't get stuck if you walk over these tiles. This dialog and holes are not in the final release.

One of the rings is on the opposite side of where it is normally located in the final release.

The layout of the dungeon is very different. Instead of the blood river, there is blue water. You are unable to cross the water without cheats. The sand traps also don't work as intended. You will get stuck if you try to enter one without cheats.

The layout of this part of the courtyard is different. The Iron Key is in a different place. What is interesting is that you need the Iron Key to get to the area where it is located, preventing you from getting it without cheats. The ghost NPC in the final game that knocks down Yamamura can be seen here. Unfortunately, you cannot interact with it.

A single Spirit can be seen here instead of the Armor enemies that are normally here in the final release. The Spirit just circles around and it cannot capture you.

A few minor differences in this sticky room. The Pick and the NPC have swapped places. That spear is replaced with an ax.

Gloves can be found here on the Veranda. Also, the note is missing.

Walking into Lady Mamiya's bedroom does not trigger her cutscene, nor does the fireplace open up. She just floats there and can't be interacted with. You can't go through the fireplace without cheats.

The room with the replacement items has some differences. The broom is there instead of the spare camera. The photo is there instead of a tonic.

The entrance to the Inner Sanctuary is a bit different. You are greeted by that ghost NPC again. This time there is some extra dialog here. It is possible that the ghost is the one speaking. You are still unable to talk to it. This build doesn't seem to have any boulders in this section. Because of this, those two little areas where you can duck in to avoid the boulders are missing. And you'll notice that there are statues inside the ones to the right.

As mentioned earlier, level 18 is required to make a path to the final area. The statues do not disappear, so cheats will be needed to walk through them.

This room containing the coffin is a bit different. The NPC in the final release that gives you an important clue on the item order for the Lady Mamiya fight is missing. The mallet is missing, so if you don't have one you will need to backtrack. The mirror is missing, but you can still make a path in the wall where it is supposed to be.

The Guard is facing the wrong way for some reason. He doesn't disappear after you show him the rings, so they are useless. You will need to walk through him with a cheat code.

Hey, what's that Pulley doing inside the wall? You'll need a cheat code to get it.

Other than the fresco and the fire that shoots from the walls, this room is empty. In the final release, there is a Tonic, a Blue Candle, and the Photo.

An extra stump is in two of the ice rooms. This makes a bit more difficult to cross with the rope.

When you walk into the Knight Room, the lights are already on and you don't get kicked out even though the dialog box pops up. You cannot get into an encounter with them. The Boots can be found here instead of a Tonic like in the final release. Also, the hallway leading from here to the 2nd floor is unable to be accessed without cheats.

Since the Spirits cannot capture you, these two rooms don't work properly.

Using a Rope or Bow can bypass these statues on the veranda. This is not possible to do in the final release.

Door Differences#

In the final release, the Gold Key is needed to enter this room. In the prototype, you need the 2Keys.

In the final, the 2Keys are needed. In the prototype, Emi's key is all you need.

You'll notice that in the prototype, this door is closed. You need the 2Keys here. In the final release, this door is already opened.

Unused and Different Graphics#

Torch#

file:Sweet_Home_P_Torch.png

Like in the final game, this torch goes unused in the prototype. A cheat is needed to put it in your inventory.

Box#

The purpose of this treasure chest-esque box is currently unknown. A total of four can be found in the dungeon area and inside one of the sand traps.

Magnet#

Unknown use. One possible explanation is that it was supposed to move metal objects around. A magnet can be found near the beginning of the game in the south lake area.

Kazuo's Lighter#

Unseen in normal gameplay. If one were to cheat and place it on the overworld, it uses this graphic.

Thermos#

This object is found along with the rest of the items. The use is unknown as of now. It is not seen in normal gameplay, but can be added to your inventory with cheats. In the final game, this item's tiles were replaced with a copy of Ichirou's diary.

Dirk#

It's unknown where this could have been used. It is not seen normally during gameplay, but on very rare occasions it can be found in Ichirou's study replacing one of the rings.

Light#

A palette swap of the Flashlight that can damage Bats. Cheats must be used to place this in your inventory.

Iron Plate#

file:Sweet_Home_P_Stone.png

The flimsy wood graphic used in-game uses the strong wood graphic from the final game. Meanwhile, in the strong wood's slot is this iron plate, possibly used as an early version of the strong wood. The iron plate unfortunately cannot be placed in gaps. It is not seen in normal gameplay, but can be added in your inventory with cheats.

Emi's Key#

This key with a heart-shaped handle is Emi's key. Artwork of it can also be seen in the game's manual. It goes unseen in normal gameplay. If one were to cheat and place it on the overworld, it uses this graphic. This graphic is not present in the final release and instead uses the same graphic as Ichirou's diary.

Cookie (Akiko's Remedy Replacement)#

Sample	Final

The Cookie uses a different graphic in the prototype. The final release changed it to a box of cookies, explaining why it can be used multiple times. It can be found in the room near the beginning of the game with other replacement items. Interestingly, the instruction manual has artwork for the single cookie.

Chair#

A chair from an overhead angle. Two of these chairs can be found in the dining room area near the steps.

Another chair, this time from an isometric sideways angle. A possible use was so quicktime events would also happen from overworld sprites, similar to the Bats, Mirrors, Knights, and Armors in the final game. This chair can only be seen with a cheat code.

Faceless Doppelgängers#

There are faceless versions of the doppelgängers including Yamamura! All of these are also present in the final release. Other than their brief basement cutscene appearances mentioned earlier, their battle encounters do not trigger in the final area. You must use cheats to get into battles with them, but very rarely, you may encounter Asuka's doppelganger in the bedroom before the lake. There are no doppelgängers with their faces present in the prototype.

Mirror#

The graphic for the Mirror enemy is different. It shows the reflection of another person. It is unknown who the person is. You are unable to get into an encounter with the Mirror without cheats.

Zombie#

This zombie's graphic is slightly different. Their mouths stay closed in the prototype and stay opened in the final release. The red variant of this enemy also have their mouths closed. Perhaps they were intended to open and close at some point in development?

Man#

His animation here differs from the final release. You don't ever see the back of his head. Instead, it just keeps switching between these two frames. Also, his name appears to be different here.

Crows#

These Crows cannot be seen in the game normally without cheats. They have to be placed in your inventory and swapped with another item. Perhaps they were supposed to be enemies similar to the Bats, Knights, Armors, and Mirrors. Here it is just considered as an item and there doesn't seem to be any possible battle with the crow.

Unused Bloody Zombie NPC#

This NPC is not seen through normal gameplay and is only viewable with cheats. Unfortunately, you cannot interact with it.

Glitched Spirit#

This glitched, pulsating Spirit-like object can be seen here. It doesn't move from this spot.

Images From Ending Sequence#

As of now, there doesn't seem to be a way to beat the game or see the ending, but these still images of the ending can be found with cheat codes.

Scrapped Puzzle Screens#

Two unique puzzle screens are present in the prototype. It would seem the developers ran into trouble fitting the rest of the game in the space available resulting into their removal.

Generator#

A dedicated screen for the generator! It can be filled with gas and turned on, but as there are no dark areas in the prototype, it serves no function. Really, there is no reason such an elaborate screen was needed so it sensibly got removed for the final game where the interaction is done from the overhead view.

Lake#

This lake puzzle cannot be accessed without cheats. It is currently unknown what was supposed to happen here and where its intended location was. The text appears glitched by default. In order to be able to clearly read the text, you have to look at a fresco normally first before turning on the code.

Prerelease	Sample

The screen also appears briefly in the commercial for the game present on the VHS version of the movie. The graphics used to be much more detailed.

Unused Rooms#

These rooms cannot be accessed in normal gameplay and are only accessible with cheat codes. The horizontal and vertical hallways were removed in the final release. It is unknown where these hallways were supposed to be connected to. In addition to these two rooms being unused, two other rooms that do appear in the final release of the game were also unused in the prototype. The hallway between the bedroom and lake, as well as the hallway between the 2nd floor and Knight room are only accessible with cheats.