Descent Maximum

Descent Maximum
Also known as: Descent II (EU) Developer: Parallax Software Publisher: Interplay Platform: PlayStation Released in US: April 30, 1997 Released in EU: May 1, 1997 This game has hidden development-related text. This game has unused graphics.

This needs some investigation. Discuss ideas and findings on the talk page. Specifically: Verify if there's a FPS viewer like in the original PS1 Descent.

Descent Maximum is a PS1-ification of Descent II, throwing out all the PC levels in favor of a whole new campaign of 36 new maps in order to get around Sony's "no straight PC ports" policy at the time. It was still called "Descent II" in Europe, though, which was probably just a little bit confusing.

Unused Graphics

Graphics from the Descent ending are present in the DESCENT2.HOG file.

Graphics from the briefing of the Descent II Interactive Demo.

Graphics from the ending sequence of Descent.

The menu background from the PC version of Descent II.

The menu background from Descent Destination Saturn.

The menu background from the Japanese version of the port of Descent.

The title screen from the Japanese version of Descent.

The title screen from the original Descent II.

Unused Textures

Like the previous port, all graphics are stored in individual .PST files for each level. However, in addition to this, DESCENT2.HOG also contains every graphic from Descent 2 stored in .TIM files, a simple image format reduced to 16 colors. None of these files appear to ever be used. Among these are graphics that aren't present in any of the .PST files, such as the status bar itself and cut animation frames.

Additionally, the same unused graphics from the previous port, minus the original afterburner gauge, show up in each level's PST file as seen below.

The error texture is present, but never normally appears.

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Key gauges and the energy and afterburner bars for the status bar view are present, but the status bar itself is not present in the .PST files.

Commented-Out Strings

robotpsx.tex is the text file for the briefings introducing each robot, and can be found inside DESCENT2.HOG, the game's main repository file. It has many developer comments and dummied out strings, which include internal names for the robots.

Guide Bot
;;Buddy

Portable Equalizing Standard Transbot (PEST)
;;DimWit

Internal Tactical Droid
;;Baby Sniper

Preliminary Integration Groundbot (PIG)
;;Baby Pig

Smelter
;;$D1 end01.pcx 0 3 20 22 257 177
;;$Zend01.pcx
;;Sloth

Diamond Claw, Second Generation
;;Claw 2

Sidearm
;;(Stripe) White guy with eye on side

Sidearm Modula
;;Baby stripe guy.
;;comes out of the stripe guy.
;;saddles a flash missile tube. TINY!
;;excruciatingly fast little bugger
;;that blinds you when you can't even find him.
;;usually in groups... therefore kind of dangerous.

LOU Guard
;;Toady. fires homing missiles?
;;BRIGHT green guy quite chubby.
;;AI not quite finished yet. Any ideas?

Internal Tactical Security Control Robot
;;$D1 end01.pcx 0 3 20 22 257 177
;;$Zend01.pcx
;;Large Sniper

Fox Attack Bot, External Operations
;;Spreadfire Guy

Bandit
;;Thief

Red Hornet
;;$D1 end01.pcx 0 3 20 22 257 177
;;$Zend01.pcx

TRN Racer
;;(3Fire Claw Guy) Looks like crusher from Tron

E-Bandit
;;$D1 end01.pcx 0 3 20 22 257 177
;;$Zend01.pcx
;;Energy Thief

Omega Defense Spawn
;;Kamikazi Robot

ICE SPIndle DEfense Robot
;;$D1 end01.pcx 0 3 20 22 257 177
;;$Zend01.pcx
;;Ice Spider

Bulk Destroyer
;;Guy with gauss

Seeker
;;$D1 end01.pcx 0 3 20 22 257 177
;;$Zend01.pcx
;;Homing missile guy

BPER Bot
;;$D1 end01.pcx 0 3 20 22 257 177
;;$Zend01.pcx
;;Baby Plasma

Boars Head
;;$D1 end01.pcx 0 3 20 22 257 177
;;$Zend01.pcx
;;Guy with mohawk