Twisted Metal 4 is the fourth entry in the Twisted Metal series, made by 989 Studios and released in 1999 for the PlayStation.
Dated a month before release, the game is rather similar to the final build gameplay-wise. It's missing polish in some aspects, notably, the game's many boss vehicles are not unlockable yet - no 8 Minion games for you.
The prototype versions use a different icon animation than the green T M 4 seen in the final.
To do: Put the animation here. Not sure how to extract memory card icons, though - might have to create a GIF by hand from screenshots?
Intro
The Calypso carnival story is visually the same.
Prototype
Final
The dialogue voiceovers are less refined and polished.
There is no music during the classical scenes.
The third, modern-day music uses a mix of Dragula by Rob Zombie here (in the final, it uses an instrumental of "South Central" by One Minute Silence).
There is no loading screen/copyright text before the main menu.
Menu
The menu is overall less polished, but usable.
There is no loading screen when first loading up the game (legal screen) loading up the menu, however they exist in the files.
Note: the original images are transparent, they have been edited using imgcolor for visibility. Click the file to view the original transparent version.
Prototype Legal
Final Legal
Prototype Loading
Final Loading
The main screen is different:
it's zoomed out.
Load Game is "Memory Card" here.
The letters on the board are more spaced out.
There is also traces of a "Credits" option under Options.
Prototype Menu Screen
Final Menu Screen
All menus show that X is for Accept.
Save & Load screens are different:
smaller display
no name plate
the pedestals are higher
For Save, the wooden panels have extra bevels.
Note that games cannot be saved in this version, so this is from the files.
Prototype
Final
Prototype
Final
The Options menu has an Accept Changes button, instead of Triangle automatically accepting changes like in the final game.
The Credits are entirely the same as TM3's credits.
Prototype Credits example
Final Credits example
The save prompt defaults to No in this version. It also has bad contrast by having red text on darker yellow background and has no metal borders.
The Password screen does not play any correct/wrong password sound, and passwords like the ones mentioned in the non-prototype article don't work (they do in the October build).
Tournament Options menu does not have its graphics in this build, so you only see the light indicators.
Prototype
Final
Difficulty levels are called by their TM3 names here - Easy is Cream Puff, Medium is Twisted Metal, and Hard is Pure Lunacy. The default difficulty is Medium here, while it is Easy in the final.
Prototype
Final
Deathmatch allows you to pick 7 CPU enemies! (Some crashes can occur when using it in heavier levels, such as Amazonia.)
Prototype
Final
The deathmatch level select globe does not update when changing maps, instead displaying Amazonia's globe.
Controller Options has a white background and acts very much like TM3.
Prototype
Final
Assigning Triangle to a function backs you out of the menu.
Square is assigned to Brake by default, rather than Emergency Brake.
Car Select
Note: When entering Car Select or Create Car, the game will stutter for about 10 seconds. It is unknown what it does here, but trying to do things without waiting eventually crashes the game.
There is no "Select Car" name board, revealing that the Car Select is a crane machine.
Prototype
Final
In the car select menu, Character info is Square, and the Controller menu is Circle (inverted in the final version).
Microblast is called Wind-Up in this menu and in-game, but Micro Blast (sic) is in his driver info. Interestingly, the driver info discrepancy remains in the final game.
Music does not mute when viewing driver info, so the driver's voices are drowned out.
Character Info & Bio Differences
There are many character info & voice bio differences :
Orbital
Prototype
Final
Orbital's special mentions "teleporting the opponent away" (see In-game car differences). Also, the car has less Handling and Armor stats.
Proto Bio
Final Bio
I'm not seeking revenge. I'm not looking for compensation. All I want is to be like everyone else. I just want to be able to lead a normal life, like the next man. That's it really.
I'm not seeking revenge. All I want is to be like everyone else. I just want to be able to lead a normal life, like the next man.
Pizza Boy
Prototype
Final
Pizza Boy's special weapon is rated 3 here.
Captain Grimm
Prototype
Final
Captain Grimm has 1 additional point of armor here.
Calypso
Prototype
Final
Calypso has a rating of only 3 for Armor and Special Weapon.
Quatro
Prototype
Final
Quatro's Special Weapon rating is... five!? Also, The Speed stat is only 4 here.
Meter Maid
Prototype
Final
Meter Maid has an unrealistically high handling stat for a 3-wheeler.
General Warthog
Prototype
Final
General Warthog's technical Special is rated 3 instead of 4 here.
Proto Bio
Final Bio
I commanded an army once. It was a great army! Now comPYUters are in command of the circuitry and firepower. of the satellites, and even solve most of the Pentagon's scenario & strategy problems. Ha! Well I'm from the old days! Where wars were fought, not calculated! I'll have an army yet that will have no losses, no fear, and no weak walk!
I commanded an army once. It was a great army! Now comPYUters are in command of the circuitry and firepower. Ha! Well I'm from the old days! Where wars were fought, not calculated! I'll have an army yet that will have no losses, no fear, and no weak walk!
Goggle Eyes
Goggle Eyes' bio has an extra line telling why he wishes to destroy the "nuisances".
Proto Bio
Final Bio
My purpose is simple. I live to exterminate the PESTS! These disgusting, disease-carrying, loathsome creatures threaten our way of life! Armed with the most toxic chemicals ever formulated, I will finally rid the world of this nuisance!
My purpose is simple. I live to exterminate the PESTS! Armed with the most toxic chemicals ever formulated, I will finally rid the world of this nuisance!
Microblast
Prototype
Final
Microblast has a generous Armor rating of 3 here, in exchange for being less wieldy (less Speed and Handling).
Trash Man
Prototype
Final
Trash Man is rated more realistically to a real garbage truck.
Proto Bio
Final Bio
Trash is my kingdom! What other people throw away, I turn into treasure! So this is my master plan. This is the place of the future! This is what my pets need to survive. When I win this tournament, I will turn the world into a playground for all my pets! (laugh)
Trash is my kingdom! This is what my pets need to survive. When I win this tournament, I will turn the world into a playground for all my pets! (laugh)
The Joneses
Prototype
Final
The Joneses are more generously rated as average Joes rather than the underdog ratings it eventually would get.
Drag Queen
Prototype
Final
Drag Queen only has a single flamethrower in the final game. In this prototype, the car spits out a triangular flame reminiscent of TM3's flamethrowers instead.
Rob Zombie
Rob Zombie's bio used to be an entire poem. There's also two duplicates in the final version for some reason.
Proto Bio
Final Bio
He writes the songs that make the young souls scream, he writes the songs that make the undead dream, he writes the songs that make the old souls cry, He writes the songs, he writes the songs... (laugh)
He writes the songs, he writes the songs... (laugh)
It's worth noting that these ratings are manually made, and so may be inaccurate to how the cars actually are in-game. (ex: Quatro's special deals rather minor damage)
Also, the bio voices are quieter compared to final and same as the 25th October prototype.
Create car menu
The menu is called "Design Car", and the font is slightly narrower.
Most text have a white color & black shadow, like TM3.
Prototype
Final
Saved cars are only visible in Load Car when the game is first loaded.
Some cars are different:
Small 2 is a lot bigger than in the final version.
Prototype
Final
Large 1 (monster truck) seems to have a stray rectangle at the front (like a bull bar/plate number).
Prototype
Final
Large 2 (SUV) does not have the green "police" design or the gray camouflage paintwork - instead, a dark grey and purple paint.
Prototype
Final
Prototype
Final
Large 3 (RV) does not have flames on the paint job.
Prototype
Final
Prototype
Final
Prototype
Final
The specials are different: Funnybomb is Funnymine, Laser is Taser, and Detnoball is Deathball (8 Ball in-game).
Funnymine sounds more like General Warthog's special - but with a sensor? Would have been far more useful.
Prototype
Final
Taser seems like Meter Maid (Outlaw in previous games)'s special.
Prototype
Final
Detnoball adds "Press Fire again" to the description.
Prototype
Final
Twintorchers' text was polished.
Prototype
Final
Different "wrong input" sound when trying to delete no letters or inputting too many letters.
The name input font is different, looking more like the after-match screen font (see "Prepare For Road Rage" screenshot above). Some letters like. and # do not display properly.
Prototype
Final
In-game car differences
This page or section needs more images. There's a whole lotta words here, but not enough pictures. Please fix this.
Many cars' machine gun models are rotated 45 degrees compared to the final, giving them a slightly sharper look.
Calypso & Goggle Eyes' specials do not work.
Drag Queen's special appears to spit out three flames but doesn't do damage yet.
Orbital's special is different: first it pulls you into a blue light-looking thing, then creates a teleporter to a random part of the stage. It doesn't seem to do very much damage, either.
The Joneses' special are called Destroyers (ironic, as they deal less damage than a Fire missile combined, and have no knockback). It also uses the MIRV missile sound.
Pizza Boy is slightly faster when using Turbo, able to reach 200 instead of just 190.
Captain Grimm's special is lacking its iconic recoil.
Microblast and any custom car have no voice taunt.
Mr. Zombie doesn't have his red 3D skull yet - the special looks very similar to Orbital's (blue light) and does not have a burning explosion.
Custom cars:
Funnymine doesn't work.
Taser is actually a Laser, which does not burn, has a longer cooldown, only explodes if it misses, and shoots forward even if used by Rear Attack. Worth noting this you more or less get Thumper's special from TM2 if stacked using Rear Attack.
Detnoball has homing properties and the premature explosion doesn't work, so it's used much like a Fire missile.
Custom car specials recharge once every 5 seconds!
Large 1 (monster truck) has ridiculous speed easily doing above 200, a stark difference from its sub-150 in the final game.
General gameplay differences
To summarize, just about everything in this version has more homing and does more damage.
Password after beating a stage.
Password in the pause screen, showing current stage password.
Some Energy commands are different from the final release:
Freeze: Left, Right, Up
Rear Freeze: Right, Left, Up
Massive Attack: Right, Left, Down
Invisibility: Up, Down, Left, Right
For reference, the identical ones are :
Hyperspace: Up, Up, Down, Down
Jump: Left, Left, Up
Others (Shield, Rear Massive Attack) are unknown so far.
You get 4 of each weapon when starting a level other than Auto Lob (it doesn't seem to be accessible in this version)
Tournament gives you passwords, but they don't seem to work (in TM3, entering a level password gets to the car select screen immediately).
This page or section needs more images. There's a whole lotta words here, but not enough pictures. Please fix this.
The "No energy for " messages only appear for Jump.
Jump uses 20 energy instead of 10, lacks the visual & sound effects, and uses energy even if the jump was not successfully performed.
Freeze uses only 1/3 of the energy bar.
Massive Attack shoots the sequence of weapons faster and has better homing (since most weapons have better homing in this version).
The energy bar is bluer like in TM3.
Health bars simply flash in transparency like in TM3, while in the final game anything below 33% flashes red.
Some vehicle and weapon names use their full form, thus going past the name box: General Warthog, Captain Grimm; Twin Torchers, Freeze Remote, ...
The Pause menu uses the blue gradient seen in other 989 Studios games, like TM3 and 3xtreme.
The camera Mode has an In-Car option from TM3. The retail version also has its code, the option is simply dummied out from the menus and the Select button. It can be accessed by memory editing the camera mode to 0 instead of 1,2, or 3.
When selected, the Sound and Music show the Left direction button instead of the X button in the final.
Prototype
Final
The range to catch fire from another vehicle is larger.
The thawing effect looks like an explosion of smoke.
Picking up items doesn't have a fadeout light effect.
All weapons have 20 max capacity, and most pickups give 2.
Many weapons have greater knockback - for example, a Homing will always knock a car airborne.
Rapid firing weapons by switching doesn't work in this version. However, the spamming rear attack works just like in TM3.
Napalm on direct hit deals massive damage, better homing, and visible knockback, a bit like TM3.
Rain 2 (called N_Rain here) is like a lesser-range MIRV that deals Rain-amount damage.
Proximity has a different model, does less damage, and doesn't always trigger correctly. Worth noting you can stack more than 4 by spamming Rear Attack.
Freeze Remote doesn't actually freeze yet, it simply deals tiny damage without knocking cars back.
Ricochet uses the MIRV missile sound.
Lightning is given at each level, but doesn't work.
Picking up Auto-Lob gives nothing.
Speed has half the fire rate.
You can't use the Turbo button while holding down Gas. You can reverse and then use the Turbo button, though, to do a reverse turbo (which isn't possible otherwise).
Driving mechanics are less polished, you can get stuck in the ground/walls more often, and the game has trouble flipping upside-down cars.
Boss announcements/after-match text use a cleaner green font with a bright green outline (the same in the Create Car name menu above).
Attempting to save the tournament accesses illegal addresses and opcodes and thus crashes the game.
Tournament crashes when reaching Stage 5 Amazonia on most emulators, making the endings unreachable.
Loading Screen Differences
Load screens in this version are an overview shot of the level, rather than the poems seen in the final. Some show the stage from even earlier stages of development.
Prototype
Final
Prototype
Final
Prototype
Final
Prototype
Final
The Bedroom uses a different shot - bigger FOV, slightly different position, and the camera's rotation is different.
Prototype
Final
Amazonia shows a vastly different level's loading screen here. The pit areas are colored green, and you can get out of them easily with the ramp. The stone monument's base is also not orange here.
Prototype
Final
Oil Rig lacks the fences, some caution lines, and the hole is instead a double ramp. It's also worth noting the drill is missing from both the prototype and the final shots. Also, there may be a yellow Medium Style 2 (supercar) near the ramp. Finally, the Loading... text is aligned to the right, unlike the other prototype loading screens.
Prototype
Final
Minion's Maze shows an overview of the maze from the sky, while the retail version shows one of the four cloth effigies in the level.
Notably, the monster face floor has red eyes instead of white like the level itself.
Prototype
Final
The Carnival shows a rather dull shot of the level - however, the ground is brown soil instead of blue-grey tarmac. The Carnival also has more symbols on the side, presumably simplified to save on memory. The final version instead gives a menacing shot of Sweet Tooth's clown face, with the carnival door open.
The bonus levels simply show the first image (Construction Yard) instead although they each use different files.
Game levels
All levels have differing item placements; particularly notable ones such as Health placements are mentioned.
Construction Yard:
Is called Junkyard in the deathmatch menu.
Conveyor belts mostly prevent you from moving when you are on it unless you jump and turbo.
In the area with the green acid, the ramps use the ground/mud texture instead.
Prototype
Final
The crane is different:
No button prompt instructions are given for the crane.
The crane moves far, far faster.
No flames on the crane killing areas, but...
Dropping an enemy into the crane killing area is an instant death!
Prototype
Final
The skydome for the secret area near the Super Health does not have its backface polygons yet, and is a little brighter.
Prototype
Final
Neon City:
Prototype
Final
TBA - just imagine the collision is at the fence
One of the dead-ends has a slightly longer alleyway collision, allowing you to go a bit into the fenced area.
The collision inside the railway tracks are narrower, so you're likely to be rammed by the ground train.
The ground train is indestructible by weapons, making it the real threat of the level until the boss.
The teleporter near the air train takes you to the far corner of the level, instead of the street directly below.
Teleporter Location
Prototype
Final
Riding the air train will magnet you directly onto the ship's bottom, and disorients your car.
Prototype
Final
Road Rage:
Different pickups, notably in the secret alleyway, the glass building not having Super Health (instead near the highway), and a Health pickup near one of the garages.
One of the billboards is placed too close to the secret alleyway, so the pole may appear to be inside it from certain angles.
Moon Buggy is here for some reason in Tournament, so expect instant death (out-of-bounds zones are prominent here).
Super Thumper is much smaller, looking more like a Medium Style 3 reskin (lowrider custom car).
The Bedroom:
Crusher, Moon Buggy, or Super Thumper may spawn here in Tournament.
The ramp's side has a bit more detail.
Prototype
Final
The lamp is NOT breakable.
The jump pad on top of the chest is missing.
Prototype
Final
The teleporter in the secret area near two Gasoline cans and the radio is missing.
Prototype
Final
The "Regeneration Activated" mechanic does not display unspawned enemies as it would in the final, making the enemy count suddenly jump when it activates.
The music "Alien Magnet" by Ghoulspoon plays uncut. In the final release, the low-key breakdown sections are cut. (Specifically, from 1:48 (youtu.be link) to 3:35 of the song.) That's almost half of the song cut!
Proto
Final
Amazonia:
The loading screen shows a different version of the level, containing a dirt ramp into the pit.
The stone monuments do not have the glowing jump pad.
Prototype
Final
The big monument accessed through the cliffs' teleporter has normal Health where the Super Health and Lightning normally are.
The secret area has slightly higher walls.
Prototype
Final
There is an extra teleporter placed inside a secret tunnel that you can shoot open, making the white pit area somewhat more complex to navigate. The Greatest Hits release simply adds this portal where the tunnel's entrance would have been (to be added).
Prototype
Final
Oil Rig:
The helicopter follows a much rougher path, making sharp turns at many points.
Using a small vehicle like Small Style 3 (Mini Cooper) to get around the doorway teleporters will make you fall into the void.
There is a Health on the left side of the red building, underground entrance.
The drill is static rather than animated.
The helicopter is indestructible.
There are different weapon placements and fewer exploding barrels.
Minion's Maze:
Minor geographical changes, such as the top which has the teleporter in the very center of the map's peak instead, and a bloody circular X marking where the Lighting pick up would be.
The teleporter leads to no pickup...
...and the Lightning pick-up is on a bloody pedestal.
In the final, the Lightning pickup is on a teleporter.
There is a Super Health pickup on the cliff. The retail version has no Super Health at this level, instead a Health here.
The Health in the underground area is in the center, instead of being near Sweet Tooth's glass face.
Ramming into some of the gates causes the camera to behave weirdly. Sometimes, you may even pass straight through them.
The Carnival:
Is called Sweet Tooth's Carnival in the Deathmatch menu.
There is a grate above the ring pit of fire.
Prototype
Final
Below that, there is a pillar full of realistic clown-looking faces (in comparison to Sweet Tooth's cartoony-looking clowns).
Prototype
Final
The pit of fire does not have flames from the walls yet.
The castle has blue light shafts and no ghosts.
Prototype
Final
Prototype
Final
The sewer uses different walls and has no gravestones & ghosts.
Prototype
Final
Prototype
Final
Prototype
Final
Walls in the castle require more than just a simple collision to break.
The roller coaster wall closest to the Sideshow Freaks building has a different texture when viewed from a distance (a bug).
Prototype
Final
The roller coaster thankfully cannot ram you.
Extra Levels
Every level's music is Dragula (Hot Rot Herman Remix), compared to the final's music which mirrors the tournament's music playlist.
The Advances level order is different: The Pits, The Citadel, Nowhere to Hide, Octa-Gone, King of the Kill, Tic-Tac-Toast, The Islands, Son of a Ditch
The sky has some neon purple things (the sky is pitch black in the final).
Prototype
Final
Some polygons like the side of the maps are missing.
The Islands' jumper acts like Neon City's - you need to go into the arrow itself to jump.
Son of a Ditch is named Variety Pack.
The Citadel:
The green pit at the center is a normal blue pit.
Lacks teleporters, leaving the citadels' roofs unused.
The upper ramp also lacks the pitfall, instead there is a floor and a one-sided wall where you can camp and shoot others outside.
Prototype
Final
To be added
The lower ramp graphically looks like a pitfall, but you can drive around in it until you get bored and use Hyperspace. The AI may get stuck here as the triggers (?) for them to use Hyperspace are not here yet.
Prototype
Final
To be added
Weapon pick-ups are much scarcer than final, so you will run out of weapons rather easily.
Endings
The endings are not finished yet in this version.
Only 6 endings are featured in the build.
All endings have only voice-overs, no sound effects (like in the intro).
Some don't have the wish twisting scene yet.
Other characters that don't have their endings yet use Mr. Grimm's ending from Twisted Metal III.
In Captain Grimm's ending, there's no sword fight at the end but Melvin still says "The soul of the first one dead."
Orbital has the most different ending of the build:
When Orbital first talks, they are at front of a reception desk with Melvin on top of the desk and Sweet Tooth sitting on a chair. (very different style - this might be how the rest of the other character's endings would be and Sweet Tooth might have spoken).
The wish-twisting scene is entirely different, no shots of his coworkers are presented, instead there is only one man that swivels to face Orbital, and finally Orbital just admits defeat, saying "Oh well". Melvin also does not taunt Orbital.
In Quatro's ending:
There are no subtitles for Quatro, making it hard to understand him.
One of the police ship shots have "Scene 12" at the bottom left corner.
When the police show up to back up Quatro, the "Your move, Sweet Tooth" scene ends earlier.
Trash Man's ending does not have the garbage world scene yet, instead there's filler shots of the ending cast and Melvin saying the usual "Your wish has been granted, driver!".
General Warthog's ending is the most unfinished:
He is simply represented by a concept render with two lights on a gray background.
No "powerful army" scene is presented here.
Rob Zombie's ending does not feature the Superbeast music video yet.
This prototype is documented on Hidden Palace.
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