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Mysteries

Pre-beta Version

This page explains many differences found in a pre-beta version of the game, the most ancient playable version in the history of Crash to be set into the wild.

Submitted by drx
Title Screen/Tawna
- As you can see, the title screen looks nothing like the final one. It's a still image that shows Cortex and Brio about to give a smiling Tawna the old Cortex Vortex treatment. This is what everyone always assumed to have happened after the game's intro, but it's cool to actually see it after all this time. Needless to say, the Vortex had no effect on her.
- The options are on the right, and they're presented in buttons that are completely different from the text-only options seen in the game.
- Notice how the start menu lacks a password option. Passwords are functioning in the beta, though (see "Beta Bonus Bonanza" below).
- Tawna's colour scheme is very different from the final one: blue mascara instead of grayish purple, brown fur instead of orange, a pink shirt instead of a red one and a green skirt instead of a blue one. She appears like this in every instance of the beta, including icons.

Music (submitted by psx-collector): There isn't any.

Submitted by drx
OADING
The original loading screen for the game.

Submitted by drx
Map Screen
The level select screen wasn't always done in 3D. The beta version had a top-view 2D map, which was actually rather neat. It also shows a nice Aku Aku icon that isn't seen anywhere else in the series.

Submitted by psx-collector
Font
The font used in this version is quite different.

Submitted by drx
Mask Sparkles/Tawna Mug
- Aku Aku has little sparks of various colours around him. He does have sparks in the final version, but they're all yellow and only during his second (red) form.
- The Tawna icon has different colours, to match her appearance in this version.

Gems (submitted by psx-collector): Gems aren't present in the game, so one must wonder if they were planned from the start or added later for replay value.

Submitted by psx-collector
Beta Bonus Bonanza
- The first thing you'll notice here is all the boss icons floating on the left of the screenshot. This is how the old password system worked. Rather than button inputs you could type with the controller, you'd be presented with icon sequences you'd have to recreate in order to continue. Passwords were 6 icons-long and weren't presented in a screen of their own. They just appeared as soon as you reached the end of a Bonus Round.
- There was no text regarding completion percentage.
- Tawna is present in every Bonus Round, even Brio's and Cortex's.

Submitted by psx-collector
POW
- Shown here is never after seen POW Crate. When broken, small fireworks come out with no harm or purpose.
- The Crates and totem statues in this screenshot aren't present in the final version of the level (Jungle Rollers).

Submitted by psx-collector
Polygons Out
This is the level Lights Out, which is hard to tell because of the lack of certain structures and textures. Aku Aku doesn't appear in the white ghostly lantern form like he does in the final version, but it hasn't been revealed if this purpose was already implemented at the time or not.

Submitted by psx-collector
Cortex Power Entrance
As shown here, the door to Cortex Power used to be quite different.

Submitted by psx-collector
Removed Enemies
A couple of removed robot enemies floats in front of the pipe at the left. Their behaviour hasn't been explained yet.

Submitted by psx-collector
Sunset Vista
The design of this level used to be vastly different and even harder than in the final version, with a lot of unforgiving platform placement and an overuse of torches.

Submitted by psx-collector
Different Crate Placement
These Crates aren't present in these spots in the final version.

Unwinnable Bug (submitted by psx-collector): There is a bug in the Brio boss fight that prevents the game from being finished. After his health drops down to nothing, he keeps charging at Crash, and with every extra hit he takes, he charges a little faster (until he becomes impossible to avoid). This happens occasionally in the final version too, but here it seems to happen all the time.

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