Crash Bash (Sep 14, 2000 prototype)

A prototype of Crash Bash for the Sony PlayStation.
==Notes==
* An NTSC-U build dated about a month before the final game.
* The build is dongle protected, which causes a "CHECKING DONGLE" message to appear on the main menu until the dongle is detected. The dongle protection can be bypassed with a patch.
* The save file itself acts as a dongle, so saving will automatically create a dongle for use with the unpatched version of the game.
* Save blocks take up the entire memory card, so a blank card is required to save. This takes significantly longer than saving a single file. Save files have a blank icon and the following info:
** Title: CRASH BASH
** Full identifier string: CRASH BASH DONGLE
** Region: 0x5243 ("CR")
** Product code: ASH BASH D
** Identifier: ONGLE
* Before the main menu is a basic intro sequence silently showing images rather than animated titles with a voiceover.
* The character select screen looks a bit more basic and groups the characters into "GOOD" and "EVIL" groups, as can also be seen in some prerelease screenshots.
** It also appears to be slightly glitchy on occasion.
* There are no cutscenes or end credits in this version.
* The completeness percentage in the pause menu is blue in this version.
* Some rules screens are different from the final.
* There are a number of missing sound effects throughout.
* There are quite a few unfinished text strings.
* A number of levels are named slightly differently.
** POGO-A-GOGO is internally named POGO A GOGO.
** N.BALLISM is internally named NBALLISM.
** SKY BALLS is internally named SKY BALL.
** DANTE'S DASH is internally named DANTES DASH.
** DRAGON DROP is internally named DRAGONS.
** TIE-BREAKER is internally named TIE BREAKER.
** WARP ROOM 1 is internally named HUB 0.
** WARP ROOM 2 is internally named HUB 1.
** WARP ROOM 3 is internally named HUB 2.
** WARP ROOM 4 is internally named HUB 3.
** SECRET WARP ROOM is internally named HUB 4.
** The MEDIEVAL MAYHEM game mode is internally named MEDIEVIL MAYHEM.
** DRAIN BASH is named DRAIN DAMAGE in the warp room.
* Like some of the demo versions, a cheat menu can be unlocked using the following cheat code on the main menu before starting a game:
 Left, Right, Left, Right, Right, Left, Right, Right, Right, Left, Right, Right, Right, Right, Left, Right, Right, Right, Right, Right
* The cheat menu can be accessed via the pause menu and allows a range of debug functionality, including warping to almost any level.
** The unused "Script Stuff" test level is not accessible via the menu, nor is the unused demo hub.
* The Crash Ball Crystal challenge arena is more basic and more closely matches the trophy arena, but with some different lighting.
* The hub world model for Bearminator is completely different.
* In Big Bad Fox, the Komodo Bros T-pose when entering the battlefield.
* Several late-game levels are still in a particularly unfinished state, especially in Crystal challenges.
* Oxide Ride has a somewhat different design with completely different obstacles. There's no phase two; rather, when the first phase finishes, N.Oxide crashes into what appears to be the Earth, rather than flying towards an unspecified planet to transition into phase two.
** In fact, there is a phase two, which can be accessed by attempting to load the Crystal challenge for the level - it's extremely incomplete, however.
** The N.Oxide icon instead uses a shrunken Dingodile icon, for some reason.
* Warp Room 5 looks a lot more basic than it does in the final, and the levels are arranged in a different order within the room.
* Keg Kaboom is especially unfinished.
** On the rules screen the characters can be seen to T-pose.
** For some reason the characters change whenever the level is entered, and change back when leaving the level.
** The AI can't figure out any of the challenges and so they obtain no points whilst walking around aimlessly.
** There is only one keg type.
** The fireballs are more basic in design, orbiting the arena rather than walking around on foot.
** The Gem challenge instantly fails.
** Bizarrely, the Crystal begins by telling the player to "Beware of eggs on legs", and there's a pair of walking eggs (not dissimilar to how the fireballs and the roaming bomb look in the final) orbiting the arena. Other than this the minigame behaves identically to the trophy challenge, rather than involving a roaming bomb like in the final.
* The Tie-Breaker level takes on an entirely different appearance to its final one.
* The unused "Script Stuff" test level contains a bit more scenery than it does in the final, matching its appearance in some of the demo versions. It doesn't appear to have much use in this version on account of the fact that the player instantly wins as soon as the game starts.
* Miscellaneous Notes:
** Game is emulatable: Yes (as of April 17, 2021).
** Game contains dongle protection: Patched.
** Game contains debugging symbols: No
** Dump was originally scrambled: No
==Screenshots==
CrashBash-Sep14-0.png|Title screen
CrashBash-Sep14-1.png|Dongle protection
CrashBash-Sep14-2.png|Character Select
CrashBash-Sep14-3.png|Save Game
CrashBash-Sep14-4.png|Pause Menu
CrashBash-Sep14-5.png|Gameplay
CrashBash-Sep14-6.png|Gameplay
CrashBash-Sep14-7.png|Gameplay
CrashBash-Sep14-8.png|Cheat menu
CrashBash-Sep14-9.png|Cheat menu
CrashBash-Sep14-10.png|Gameplay
CrashBash-Sep14-11.png|Gameplay
CrashBash-Sep14-12.png|Gameplay
CrashBash-Sep14-13.png|Gameplay
CrashBash-Sep14-14.png|Gameplay
CrashBash-Sep14-15.png|Gameplay
CrashBash-Sep14-16.png|Gameplay
CrashBash-Sep14-17.png|Gameplay
CrashBash-Sep14-18.png|Gameplay
CrashBash-Sep14-19.png|Gameplay
CrashBash-Sep14-20.png|Gameplay
CrashBash-Sep14-21.png|Gameplay
CrashBash-Sep14-22.png|Gameplay
CrashBash-Sep14-23.png|Gameplay
CrashBash-Sep14-24.png|Test level
==Origin==
PSX - Crash Bash 9-138.jpeg|Disc front.
==Videos==
<youtube heights="320" widths="224">Edk13IPnXf0</youtube>
==Files==
==Acknowledgments==
A huge thanks to Hwd45, Zoda-Y13, SolidSnake11 for doing the initial research on this prototype!
==See also==
* Project Deluge: PlayStation 1, Saturn, and CD-i (April 17, 2021)
* Cutting Room Floor (TCRF)
* Internet Archive (IA)