Sony

Jaguar, Others, Playstation, Saturn, Sega, Sony

Rayman [Beta – Jaguar, Playstation,Saturn]

U64 Staff & Contributors
29-07-2008
12 Comments

Rayman is a video game designed and published by Ubisoft. It was originally released in September 1995 for the Atari Jaguar and MS-DOS, and in November 1995 for the Sony PlayStation and Sega Saturn. A port of this game was to be released for the Sega 32X, but when the system died off due to low popularity, the port was canceled. Rayman is a traditional side-scrolling platform game which revolves around the titular character’s quest to save his world from the evil Mr. Dark.

Early in its development, Rayman was going to be about an eleven-year-old boy named Jimmy. Jimmy takes advantage of the realms that he discovers within his computer to create a fantasy world called Hereitscool. When evil invades Hereitscool, Jimmy turns into a superhero named Rayman to save Hereitscool. This idea was scrapped, and Rayman is his own being in his own world in the final version. There were a few comments in the story, such as “Sorry folks, this apparently can’t last. Do you want to play or what?”, but they were cut for the final version.

[Info from Wikipedia]

In these old screens from the back of the box from the Jaguar version, we can see some beta-differences.

beta rayman video:  there is no sound and also the life icons are different. The life is in the top middle along with 8 life dots and instead of the orbs count you have a blue guys count but in the final version life count is in top left at the edge of the screen and the blue orbs in the top right rayman can also walk on his hands in this video (not sure about the final version).

Thanks to The_IT_08, Wilco and kieranmay for the contributions!

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Playstation 2 (PS2), Sony

WCW Mayhem 2 [PS2 – Cancelled]

U64 Staff & Contributors
26-07-2008
2 Comments

WCW Mayhem 2 was a professional wrestling video game to be published by Electronic Arts. The game was rumored to have been developed by AKI for the Sony PlayStation 2. A branching storyline as well as over 1000 moves would accompany the game. Match types like first blood and gauntlet were going to be implemented as well. Unfortunately for fans, WCW Mayhem 2 was never completed as the WWF’s purchase of the WCW in March of 2001 negated Electronic Art’s licensing deal. The technology and engine, however, were later used in part for EA’s future wrestling title, Def Jam Vendetta.

Thanks a lot to Steven Diggs Jr. for all these info and screens!

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Playstation, Sony

Crash Bandicoot 3: Warped [PSX – Beta]

monokoma
23-07-2008
4 Comments

crash3logo.jpg

Crash Bandicoot 3: Warped is a platform game developed by Naughty Dog for the PlayStation. The game serves as a direct sequel to Crash Bandicoot 2: Cortex Strikes Back. It was the last platformer in the series developed by Naughty Dog, who then developed Crash Team Racing. [Info from Wikipedia]

In these screens from the beta version there are some differences: an early design of the HUD, changes in the the Load/Save Monitor room and in the Warp room, a missing background in the “Under Pressure” area, a removed bonus stage in the medieval levels, a removed Lab assistant that was supposed to  

Playstation, Sony

Crash Bandicoot 2 [PSX – Beta]

monokoma
21-07-2008
4 Comments

cvrashbandicoot2logo.jpg

Crash Bandicoot 2: Cortex Strikes Back is a platform game and the sequel to Crash Bandicoot. It was developed by Naughty Dog and published by Sony Computer Entertainment for the PlayStation video game console and released in 1997. [Info from Wikipedia]

In the beta screens and videos there are some interesting beta stuff that were removed or changed: 3 levels that are shown (one with snow, the space one and another one in the sewer) are not used in the final version, while the warp room was really different from the one that we played. Even the HUD was changed (similar to the one from the first game), there was a Jetpack enemy (removed), a couple of animations and the design of some of the levels (like in the Turtle Woods) were not like the final version. For more informations you can check the Crash Mania website, that has donate these images for the U64 Archive! Thanks a lot to HPZr :)

In the second video below, OKeijiDragon noticed some more differences:

From what can be made out, the video shows vast differences compared to the final. Most of the levels layouts shown don’t resemble anything we know, except maybe the Jet Pack levels. Details include Crash 1’s HUD, and Easy / Hard poll in the middle of a Road to Ruin-like level, suggesting alternate routes were planned for levels.

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