Doubutsu Banchou

Text RevisionsOnce a dark glimpse into the future?

There are a number of gameplay differences you should be aware of.

1. Clash does not exist in this prototype! Instead, it uses DarkRage, a combination of similar color dark and rage meat. Like a normal color palette, pale + dark + rage evens out to dark.
2. As soon as you get your 100th mutation you are transported to the Sacred Cubivore Clearing to battle King Cubivore and the four Divabeasts. You visit Venery Beach if you lose against King Cubivore and select "continue". This is good, because that map is bugged as all heck. If you win, the game restarts from level 1, certain bonus stages are unlocked, and you can try to complete your not-Pokédex.
3. You only get a bonus EZ-Mutate at your 50th mutation. At 150, all mutations become EZ-Mutate.
4. No bugs are colored red but they can certainly bite.
5. Mating is always 100% successful.
6. Almost no bonus stages are accessible in the first lap. Rainbow Heaven is now a bonus stage and also an exception to this rule.
7. When replaying (NewGame+) you do not have the option of leaving a stage at any time from the start menu.
8. Biting at a cubivore does not necessarily iterate through each of its limbs. Leaping consistently nets the same combinations.
9. There is a memory limitation on the number of cubivores that will appear at any given time, so occasionally one will only appear after others are eaten. Remaining ones appear when the stage is refreshed. This happens automatically when you sleep, when you move between areas, when the dead are finally garbage-collected, and when you open the Start menu.

Stage organization is a bit different in the prototype. Rainbow Heaven and Venery Beach are both special stages, not in the usual cycle. The stage list is as follows:

0x1 stage 2 Lap 1.2 Bleach White Highlands (???)
0x9 stage13 Venery Beach (Area 1)
0xA stage 6 Lap 2.2 Whitestill Highlands (???)
0xB stage 6 Lap 2.2 Whitestill Highlands (???)
0xC stage 6 Lap 2.2 Whitestill Highlands (???)
0xD stage 4 Lap 1.4 Mupopo Desert
0xE stage 5 Lap 2.1 Paw Rainforest
0x10    stage 3 Lap 1.3 Frog Bog
0x11    stage14 Sacred Cubivore Clearing
0x12    stage 1 Lap 1.1 Paw Dunes
0x14    stage 2 Lap 1.2 Bleach White Highlands (???)
0x15    stage 2 Lap 1.2 Bleach White Highlands (???)
0x16    stage 7 Lap 2.3 Lake Getum (Main Area)
0x17    stage 7 Lap 2.3 Lake Getum (Boss Area)
0x1A    stage11 Lap 3.3 Killing Plains (NE Training Grounds - Wooden Horse)
0x1B    stage11 Lap 3.3 Killing Plains (NW Training Grounds - Bullfrogstool)
0x1C    stage11 Lap 3.3 Killing Plains (Main Area)
0x1D    stage11 Lap 3.3 Killing Plains (W Training Grounds - Wooden Horse)
0x1E        
0x1F    stage 7 Lap 2.3 Lake Getum (???)
0x20    stage 8 Lap 2.4 Ultimarsh
0x21    stage13 ??? (unfinished, numerically Venery Beach)
0x22    stage13 ??? (unfinished, numerically Venery Beach)
0x29    stage 9 Lap 3.1 Paw Pasture (Main Area)
0x2A    stage 9 Lap 3.1 Paw Pasture (Training Grounds - Treadmill)
0x2B    stage10 Lap 3.2 Verdigrass Highlands (Area 1)
0x2C    stage10 Lap 3.2 Verdigrass Highlands (Area 2)
0x2D    stage10 Lap 3.2 Verdigrass Highlands (Area 3)
0x2E        Intro 2
0x2F        Intro 5
0x30        Intro 3
0x31        Intro 4
0x32        Intro 1
0x33        Credits (0: Victory Dance *Best Ending)
0x34        Credits (1: Music)
0x35        Credits (2: Programming *Best Ending)
0x36        Credits (3: Graphics *Best Ending)
0x37        Credits (4: Shadow)
0x38        Credits (3: Graphics)
0x39        
0x3A        
0x3B        Game Start / Options Menu
0x3C        Title
0x3D    stage12 Lap 3.3 Wildlife Safari
0x3E    stage 2 Lap 1.1 Paw Dunes Bonus Stage: Meatmaze
0x3F    stage 6 Lap 2.2 Whitestill Highlands Bonus Stage: Rainbow Heaven
0x40    stage12 Lap 3.3 Wildlife Safari Bonus Stage: Smorgasbord Clearing
0x43    stage18 (Post-Game) Zoo
0x44    stage 7 Lap 2.3 Lake Getum: Snake in the Grassland
0x45    stage 8 Lap 2.4 Ultimarsh Bonus Stage: Colorful Crossings
0x46    stage 3 Lap 1.3 Frog Bog Bonus Stage: Budokan
0x47    stage10 Lap 3.2 Verdigrass Highlands Bonus Stage: Cat Trails
0x48        Attract 1
0x49        Attract 2
0x4A        Attract Alt 1   (mutation chains, but background has a clearly defined stage and backdrop)
0x4B        Attract 3   (4 Pale Yellows pose, 4 Dark Greys chase them off; not sure if in rotation)
0x4C        Ending (100 mutations, victory)
0x4D        Ending (150 mutations)
0x4E        Credits (2: Programming)
0x50        ??? (Ulti-mate placeholder?)

Whitestill Highlands#

Rainbow Heaven doesn't exist as a standalone stage in the prototype. Instead, it's accessible from a warp point in this stage.

Lake Getum#

There are four pieces of Raw-Claw instead of Raw-Shnoz, and this stage does not contain an active portal to Snake in the Grassland in the first lap.

Ultimarsh#

The prototype has a Rampage Bowl instead of a Wooden Horse. The bonus stage is not Smorgasbord Clearing, it's Colorful Crossings! It's only available after the first lap.

When the stage ends you'll move on to Paw Pasture Rainbow Heaven is not a normal stage in this version.

Colorful Crossings#

Because this stage occurs at a different point in the stage progression, the cubivores here have a different number of limbs than the final game.

Paw Pasture#

There are some minor layout differences here. The Wooden Horse is in the east, not in the cave to the west. That's now a Treadmill. The Rage Yellow Closeknees doesn't seem to exist in this version. The secret passage only contains two bits.

Verdigrass Highlands#

Stage 10 appears unfinished in the prototype. No Rage types are present in later loops, only Pale, PaleDark, and Dark. There are no changes on replay. The full list is as follows:

The teleporter, once you drive back the wilderness, is always open and goes to Cat Trails. This might not have been intended either, considering in final the stage is reserved for NewGame+.

Unlike final there isn't a Howdy inside a crate, only a rejuvenator and a lot of pesky bugs.

Killing Plains#

This stage contains 3 raw meat, not 2. Once again, the drops are a bit different.

The Pursesnatcher (first boss) drops the Raw-Shnoz and the Conman (second boss) has the Raw-Claw. Unlike in the final game, you'll also face the Muscleman after mating a second time. The Raw-Peeper opens the door to the next stage.

Unlike in the final game, this stage is followed by Wildlife Safari. Venery Beach is not a normal stage.

Wildlife Safari#

The bonus stage here is not Colorful Crossing, but Smorgasbord Clearing!

The Hitman doesn't spawn until after you mate. Stealing the Raw-Life from it will end the stage. You'll see the "incomplete" ending and restart in Paw Dunes. Bosses Galore does not exist!

Smorgasbord Clearing#

Because this stage occurs at a different point in the stage progression, the cubivores here have more limbs than in the final game.

Sacred Cubivore Clearing#

The King Cubivore fight automatically starts at the 100th mutation. Unlike the GameCube release, you will find a number of rejuvenators and some snackgrass around. The snackgrass might regenerate under certain conditions?

Defeat the bosses and the ending will play before returning you to Paw Dunes. If you lose and select "continue" though you'll appear at Venery Beach.

Venery Beach#

When you start, you're startled and surrounded by 1-limb beasts who eventually run away. You'll be continually ambushed by swarms of 1- and 2-limb beasts until you hit the door. There's a fair number of rejuvenators here for your rematch. The exit leads to Sacred Cubivore Clearing for a rematch. These two areas repeat until you defeat the King Cubivore.

This area is incomplete and collisions don't necessarily coincide with the displayed geometry. Expect to be pounced through walls. Two other areas are assigned, but unfinished. There's no end poem, only placeholder ACKs.