Level Design Changes

To do: There's more! Add comparison with the actual levels in-game.

Within the game's files exist a wealth of environment maps depicting various in-game areas in earlier stages of development.

Minigame Design Changes#

Ice Hockey Envmap Changes#

Environment maps found in the files of the Ice Hockey minigame (Archive\hsmmet.nx.bea\scene\hsmmet\env\textures_hsmmmet.bntx) depict the stage in an earlier point of development, with its design leaning closer towards its earlier iterations from Mario Party 5 or Mario Party: The Top 100. This can be seen from the item designs lining the glass walls around the bleachers, but the most notable difference is the large emblem on the ice in the center of the stadium. Unlike the final which depicts two crossed hockey sticks, this early version has a Power Star centered between two hockey sticks laid parallel to one another. Oddly, two of the envmaps appear to picture erroneously placed assets, such as a hockey stick, set of skates, and a round object that's been hastily drawn over (likely a puck).

Block Star Envmap Changes#

Envmaps for the tower from the Block Star minigame from Mario Party 6 and The Top 100 (Archive\hsmg602.nx.bea\mg\hsmg602\env\textures_hsmg602.bntx\hsmg602_chara_rad.bftex) show minor texture differences - most notably, the decorative embellishments on the top and bottom of the tower are solid black, and the back wall of the tower features a more colorful brick pattern. The grass textures similarly differ from final, and the skybox is a generic placeholder image.

Spin Doctor Envmap Changes#

Envmaps found in the files of the Spin Doctor minigame from Mario Party 7 (Archive\hsmg703.nx.bea\mg\hsmg703\model\textures_hsmg703.bntx\hsmg703_floor00_rad.bftex) reveal a different floor emblem than is present in the final game. Whereas here it's a Power Star, the final floor design is a generic star shape.

Money Belts Envmap Changes#

Envmaps from the Money Belts minigame from Mario Party 4 (Archive\hsmg807.nx.bea\mg\hsmg807\env\textures_hsmg807.bntx) show grey bolts on the machine instead of white. The stripes on the machine's marquee are different as well.

Similar to the several envmaps above, but the machine's marquee is missing its details.

Miscellaneous Envmap Changes#

Tag Match Envmap Changes#

The envmaps for the interior of the Tag Match interior area (Archive\hsmm04.nx.bea\scene\hsmm04\env\textures_hsmm04.bntx\hsmm04_bg_rad.bftex) show a different railroad track model than is present in the final game.

Free Play Envmap Changes#

Envmaps found in the files of the Free Play interior area (Archive\hsmm01.nx.bea\scene\hsmm01\env\textures_hsmm01.bntx\hsmm01_bg_rad.bftex) show an earlier state of the model in which the carpet was brown. In the final game, it is red. Identical envmaps also exist in the model's files with the proper red carpet texture.

Mt. Minigames Envmap Changes#

Envmaps present in the files of Mt. Minigames (Archive\hsmmet.nx.bea\scene\hsmmet\env\textures_hsmmmet.bntx) show it in its early stages of development, with one set depicting an incredibly primitive version of the area.