Soulstar was a Mega-CD game created by Core Design, and after its release, two seperate conversions were planned. One was a port to the Jaguar CD, under the same name, whereas the other was an updated version for the 32X, under the name Soulstar X. In the end, neither of them were released.
In the YouTube channel of Sammature there’s a video from Twilight Princess that shows the beta bombs, an early version of the item that is still in the code of the game and can be seen thanks to a GameShark code. These bombs are similar to the ones that Link uses in the previous games, while the final ones in Twilight Princess have a more “realistic” design.
Stop ‘N’ Swop is a hidden feature in Banjo-Kazooie. Rare announced that special areas and items in the game could only be reached by completing certain tasks in its sequel, Banjo-Tooie. BT was released in 2000 and offered a way to retrieve the items but without the need to acquire them in Banjo-Kazooie. It was later discovered that Banjo-Kazooie contains seven special items which can be accessed using in-game cheat codes or by using a cheat cartridge. These items would then be viewable in a menu entitled “Stop ‘N’ Swop”. There was also an inaccessible Ice Key shown in the sequence, which induced gamers to search for a way to get it.
In 2004, a patent filed by Rare was published which suggests that Stop ‘N’ Swop involved swapping cartridges with the power off to transfer data. The information would be momentarily retained by utilizing the Rambus memory in the Nintendo 64. As a result of changes done to the Nintendo 64 systems produced in 1999, the system could no longer do this effectively. [Info from Wikipedia]
At the RareWitchProject website they are working from many years to research the mistery behind the “Stop ‘n’ Swop” and a couple of days ago they have found another interesting proof of the Banjo kazooie / Donkey Kon 64 connection. As SubDrag says in his latest news: “DK64 has always had a mysterious connection to Stop ‘n’ Swop. In our DK64/BK SNS Special, we broke a revolutionary news story about Stop ‘n’ Swop originally not being between BK and BT, but BK and DK64!”. Runehero has find a way to activate the Ice Key in DK64, that was meant to open a secret door in the game!
For more info you can read the original topic in the RWP Forum! Huge props to Runehero and all the RWP users :)
Today the Unseen 64 family would like to welcome another beta-geek that is going to help us to expand the unseen archive: Tilemaxx is now part of the U64 Staff! But the list it’s not finished yet, as there are still a couple of new friends that could join us soon.. but we are still working on that ;)
This is probably an old news for hardcore Sonic fans, but everyone else will be happy to know that at the Sonic Retro website they are working on a playable remake of the Sonic 1 beta! As they write on the project page: “Sonic 1 Beta Remake is a Sonic 1 hack created by Mistergambit, first released on September 14th, 2006. This hack has all of the Sonic 1 levels redesigned to look like their prototype counterparts as seen in various magazine screen shots. This hack also has new objects, such as a functioning Splats, The Checkered Ball that was scrapped from GHZ, and more. To make it seem more like a genuine prototype, Some levels are made to look unfinished.“
You can read more info and download the beta remake at Sonic Retro! Props to them :)
Here’s a video from the remake of the beta Marble Zone:
