Proto:Spyro the Dragon (PlayStation)/June 15th, 1998 build/Magic Crafters

This is a sub-page of Proto:Spyro the Dragon (PlayStation)/June 15th, 1998 build.

Being from the first three worlds, the differences in the Magic Crafters world are relatively minimal at this point in development. Perhaps one of the most unexpected changes in this prototype, however, came in the form of the Blowhard boss fight at the end of this world.

Differences

Magic Crafters Home

Jun 15	Aug 12 Final

• Like the other worlds, a balloonist can be found behind where you enter the level. In this case, the presence of the balloonist explains why the ledge juts out slightly, even in the final game.
• The second room is lit with blue lighting instead of a warmer yellow lighting, and the walls in this room use the same grey and blue texture used by the first room instead of the red texture featuring suns and moons that is seen in the final.
• Much of the level's lighting was slightly brighter and warmer in the final game.
• The section housing Alpine Cliffs and High Caves contains an empty room decorated in the same sun and moon patterns seen both in Wizard Peak and in one of the rooms in the Magic Crafters home in the final game - this area does not exist at all in the retail build, and the entrance to it has been closed off and merged with the rest of the platform.
• Crystal Flight's portal frame has a soft pink tint as opposed to the light blue color seen in the retail build - the surrounding lighting in the area where the portal is located is changed corresponding to this, using red lighting instead of blue lighting.
• The armored druids use different SFX when attacking and getting hit. The attack SFX is the same as the green wizard's lightning attack and doesn't play on time with the swing.
• The armored druids' attack can't be jumped over here.
• In the final version Spyro could destroy the key chest using supercharge. However, in this prototype this option wasn't implemented yet and Spyro just goes through the chest.

Alpine Cliffs

Jun 15	Aug 12 Final

Alpine Ridge has the name Alpine Cliffs in this version.

• Due to a rendering error, one of the large enemies in the caves at the end of the level can actually be seen from behind by turning around at the start of the level.
• The platform by the exit vortex was extended in the final, making the glide to the egg thief section easier.
• The platforms holding firework chests are slightly further apart in this build.

High Caves

• When Spyro enters the level, he flips in the air like he does in most levels. In the final game, though, he simply glides in.
  • Furthermore, the direction Spyro is facing when he lands is different - he points towards the cave instead of towards the ramp.
• There are several flags placed around the level which never appeared in the final.
• The first green druid moving the platform will actually get hit by the blue wizard shooting at it, causing the druid to get knocked over. Like the rest of the in-fighting that occurs in this level, this won't actually kill the druid and the platform he's controlling won't stop moving either. In the final game, however, this druid would be entirely unaffected by the wizard's projectiles, displaying no knockback animation even if he does get hit.
• Due to a rendering error, landing on the first moving pedestal will cause the entire level model to disappear. Landing on the second pedestal will force the level to re-render, though.
• All fairies in the level use an earlier, goofier appearance. This applies to both the fairy that provides the power-up and the fairies that stop you from falling.

• Instead of providing Spyro with an upgraded flaming ability, the fairy at the end of the cave waves her wand and temporarily causes all beetles in the cave to shrink to a size small enough for Spyro to defeat with his charge.
  • A particle effect emanates from the fairy's wand and around the beetles, similar in appearance to the particle effect that surrounds Sparx when he's blue.
• The camera zooms out while Spyro travels through the cave.
• The area with one of the egg thieves and several pools of water had some slight texture changes to the ground.

Wizard Peak

To do: This level has layout differences, so there should be a map comparison too

• The platform to the left from the beginning of the level is farther, which makes it harder to glide there.
• In the final game, there's an egg thief on a very slim ledge atop one of the platforms. Normally, this thief does not move from their precarious position, as that'd make them harder to catch. In this build, the thief has a reckless regard for safety and still tries to run away from the player despite being so close to the edge - this can make it tricker to catch.
• Some of the armored druids in this level have some oddities that would later be fixed:
  • Their attacks don't use any SFX and appear to have a longer attack window, even hitting before the swing and during its recovery.
  • The ones that don't spin upon dying (through Spyro and not the Snowmen) will use the wizard's death grunt and the ones that do remain completely silent.

Blowhard

• At the start of the level a dialogue prompt (using dialogue ID 40) pops up:

THIS BOSS SEEMS TO KEEP
HIS MAGIC UNDER HIS HAT.
THAT MAY BE THE SECRET.
SO WATCH CLOSELY.

• The format of the fight is quite a bit different - Blowhard is attacked in the same way as he normally is, but additionally he impedes the player by placing hats on all of the enemies in the level. These hats make the enemy invincible until the hat itself is flamed off their heads.
  • When the hat is removed, the enemy remains frozen and cannot attack. It is unknown if this is intentional or the result of unfinished programming.

• All of the small green magicians have been replaced by large blue ones.
• There are extra doors inside the cave which are supposed to lower when the druids are defeated. For some reason they don't always lower, however, preventing the player from continuing.
• There is no extra room in the middle of the cave containing Altair. Instead, a dragon is placed outside on the wooden walkway and is visible from the area where you first attack Blowhard.
  • Furthermore, according to the inventory, this level has two dragons present in it as opposed to only one. Based on the unused dragon names present in the code, this second dragon likely corresponds to the unused name "FINLAY".
• The vertex coloring on the exit portal frame seen in the level's low-poly model more closely resembles that of a magic crafters portal rather than of the terrain around it. The exit portal frame does not exist in the high-poly model for either of these builds, and it's impossible for Spyro to get far enough from the portal to be able to see the low-poly portal frame, so this change is unseen in-game.

Jun 15	Aug 12 Final

Crystal Flight

Jun 15	Aug 12 Final

• The player is given 20 seconds instead of 25.
• The fairies take on an entirely different appearance, matching the ones seen in High Caves and Night Flight in this version.
• The water is filled with quite a few more crystals in this build.