Unused Levels

This is a sub-page of Sackboy: A Big Adventure.

Placeholder Map#

Watch on YouTubeGingerBread/Content/Maps_Prototypes/World/Placeholder/Placeholder_Persistent.umap is, well, a placeholder level that was intended to be used if the player attempted to enter a level with a non-existent persistent map from the world map. It appears to have been made fairly early in development, as it contains an early entrance that is otherwise unused, a backwards Scoreboard that's lodged into the floor, and a primitive looking button that would have awarded the level's Knightly Energy (referred to as "Void Energy" here).

There's also a transparent blue notice board with information about the level that was meant to be loaded, and a notice that reads:

You're on the "Placeholder_Persistent" map.
You're here because you tried to enter a level from 
the world map but the persistent map for this 
level doesn't yet exist.

UnitTesting#

GingerBread/Content/QA/UnitTesting/Tests is a directory found only in the initial 1.00 version of the game, the folders in which contain a combined 109 test maps. These were used for testing various mechanics and gameplay objects, some of which ended up being cut from the final game. All of these maps were removed in later updates.

Example#

Test_Example_Objects.umap#

Watch on YouTubeA fairly small test level showing off a handful of objects, including bouncing cubes of incrementing sizes, which appear to react to Sackboy, Wobble Blobs and Collectabells.

Objects#

Test_Gloop.umap#

Watch on YouTubeContains a puddle of gloop and curved terrain for Sackboy to walk up. The geometry appears to have been ripped from an early version of Sticking With It.

UnT_ButtBomber.umap#

Watch on YouTubeA small testing ground for an unused enemy internally labelled as "ButtBomber". It chases Sackboy from above, and attacks by crashing down to the ground to try and squash him. Upon landing, it gets stuck in the ground for about three seconds, giving Sackboy an opportunity to slap or jump on it. While it was likely intended to deal the same amount of damage as any other enemy, it ends up killing Sackboy regardless of how much health he has, since the game automatically kills Sackboy if he's stuck in the "squashed" state for three seconds...the same length as the ButtBomber's stun timer.

A variant of the ButtBomber is used in Flossed In Space, however, it has a completely different behaviour where it hovers in place and stomps to the beat of the music, rendering the original unused. Other differences include:

• On death, the unused ButtBomber emits different particle effects and awards 200 points, rather than 50 points like the Rhythm variant.
• The unused ButtBomber takes two slaps to defeat, rather than just one like the Rhythm variant.
• The same defeat animation is used regardless of how it dies, whereas the Rhythm variant has different animations depending on whether Sackboy slaps or jumps on it.

UnT_Duopede.umap#

Watch on YouTubeThis level tests Dawdlers in various configurations.

UnT_ElectricPanel.umap#

Watch on YouTubeA level that contains six electric panels: one that's turned off, another that's powered on, and four in a grid. Not much else to say.

UnT_FlowerPlatform.umap#

Watch on YouTubeTests the rotating flower platforms, predominantly featured in the Colossal Canopy, in various configurations.

UnT_MemoryOrb.umap#

Watch on YouTubeA test level that contains a checkpoint and five Dreamer Orbs lined up next to each other.

UnT_PowerUpEquipper.umap#

Watch on YouTubeA test level that contains the Whirltool, Clawstring and Plasma Pump pedestals lined up next to each other. Of note is that the game discards Sackboy's previous powerup when walking up to another pedestal, something that is normally never observed in the final game, as there is never more than one powerup type used in any given level.

UnT_ReloadCrashRepro.umap#

Watch on YouTubeA map seemingly created to try and reproduce a game crashing bug, ostensibly related to reloading a level. Content-wise, it contains a checkpoint and a Grabknot...with nothing to grab onto.

UnT_SecurityCamera.umap#

Watch on YouTubeTests the decorative security cameras from the Interstellar Junction, each with varying detection radii.

UnT_SlapExtender.umap#

Watch on YouTubeTests various interactions and configurations of the Slap Extenders from The Home Stretch. The majority of them are the wider version, though a smaller one is also featured some ways into the level.

UnT_SnappingJaws.umap#

Watch on YouTubeA small test area for the snapping plant that appears in the Colossal Canopy.

UnT_Snowball.umap#

Watch on YouTubeAn empty level containing a Snowball from Ready Yeti Go.

UnT_SpaceHopper.umap#

Watch on YouTubeTests the Space Hopper enemies from the Interstellar Junction in various configurations. Only the last one appears to jump correctly.

UnT_TouchScreen.umap#

Watch on YouTubeTests the touch screens (and their associated components) from the Interstellar Junction in various configurations. Of particular note is an unused, untextured touch screen component that behaves like a Bounce Pad.

UnT_Velociporter.umap#

Watch on YouTubeThis level tests Velociporters and their interactions with certain gameplay elements, including the Whirltool and the heavy, carryable critter found in some of the Teamwork levels.

UnT_VexLaser.umap#

Watch on YouTubeTests the laser beam hazard in various configurations.

UnT_Yeti.umap#

Watch on YouTubeA large, spacious level for testing the giant rolling yetis from Ready Yeti Go.