Proto:Wallace & Gromit in Project Zoo

This page details one or more prototype versions of Wallace & Gromit in Project Zoo.

This article is a work in progress. ...Well, all the articles here are, in a way. But this one moreso, and the article may contain incomplete information and editor's notes.

  This prototype is documented on Hidden Palace.

An Xbox preview build of Wallace & Gromit in Project Zoo dated June 5, 2003 (three months before the final build) was released by Hidden Palace in September 2021.

Level Differences

Jungle House & Temple

Area 1

• The large door located behind Gromit at the start has a different texture.
• A Zoo Token is placed above the baby elephant cage. Possibly removed as it invites players to rescue the baby elephant via an unintended route.
• The east side Banana Gun target is positioned slightly differently.
• The "one Tool door" has a different texture. It also has a player-operatable button which opens/closes the door.
• The transition when travelling between Area 1 and Area 2 is seamless.

Bonus Level

• Only one Zoo Token can be retrieved instead of two. The moving platform to the missing Zoo Token isn't present.
• There is an extra moving platform before the end of the level, making the platforming more difficult.

Area 2

• The "shoot six" Zoo Token challenge uses Monkeys again instead of Parrots.
• On the ground floor east side is a vase surrounded by a ring of Nuts (the Nuts can still be found in the final game). If the player collects the Nuts, an unused slow-motion effect triggers as the vase breaks revealing a Zoo Token.
• A crate texture is mistakenly used on the first floor west side.
• There's a set of extra platforms on the top floor far west side with a Zoo Token located on top. The Zoo Token is located behind a nearby breakable door in the final game.
• No Zoo Token is placed on top of the hut at the highest floor. There is also incorrect texturing on the hut's roof.

Bonus Level

• The Jungle House music is used.

Temple

• The Jungle House music plays all throughout the level.
• The room with moving platforms has no upper alcove containing a Tool; instead, the Tool is located on some scaffolding. The ladders are also positioned differently.
• The Tool retrieved during the "path of death" is positioned higher.
• The Lost Property room is dark, has no window or door, and doesn't hold a Zoo Token.
• The booby trap boulder has a more simple grey texture. The knocked-down statue is also positioned differently.

Boss

• The blast door is partly open.

Mines

Area 1

• There is a button on the west wall at the beginning which spawns a Zoo Token on the platform past the first turntable.
• There are no targets or Zoo Token located above the tunnel west to the first turntable.
• The "30 Nut platform" is up by default and won't go down temporarily after stepping on it.
• The two turntables located left of the "30 Nut platform" are set to a different position and don't have any mine carts on them; the leading mine cart track also lacks a support structure. This was possibly changed to stop players from skipping part of the level.
• The platform that can be hit to be knocked down to create a walkway rewards seven Nuts instead of one Bolt.
• The ceiling of the tunnel with a target above is lower.
• The target for the turntable before the double turntable set is not attached and is floating.
• There is no target or Zoo Token in the cave containing the rope swing.
• A Zoo Token is positioned on a platform above the lift to Area 2.
• There is no button on the wall by the baby beaver cage to call the cage over.
• The Flamethrower Penguin does not automatically die upon the TNT exploding.
• The doors to the lift to Area 2 are missing along with a sound effect. The lift buttons also have a different texture.

Bonus Level

• The boulders on the winding ramp are smaller and are textured differently. There is also no lava texture on the part where the boulders come from.

Area 2

• The machine located directly left of the entrance has a different model with no railings and can be climbed on top of before it's gummed up by the Porridge Gun, however only a Zoo Token is placed on top and no Tool. Gumming up the machine to the lower the platform also serves no purpose as the top of the machine is accessible from the start of the level.
• There is no Tool in front of the closed gate on the mine cart track. It is instead positioned in an alcove further along the track.
• There is no Zoo Token or Nuts below the ground-poundable wooden platform.
• No Zoo Token or bolts are located on top the water in a crevice behind a tub of acid.
• There is no crate or Information Point by the "40 Nut machine".
• The machine directly above the "40 Nut machine" requires eight Tools to fix.
• A large Hedgehog enemy is on floor 2 by the tunneling machine. There are also no railings in this area.
• A pushable box hides the Zoo Token located in the upper alcove next to the mine cart track leading to the Gyrocopter. There are also no railings in this area.
• A different Zoo Token challenge is used on the small platform at the end of mine cart track on floor 3. The challenge also rewards Nuts.
• The switch that reveals two Zoo Tokens and unlocks the gates for the mine carts to run on floor 3 is not present (the mine carts are already running).
• There is a Tool on the "red" platform at the top of the level.
• The standard button model is used to trigger the "five gates" Zoo Token challenge on floor 3. The gates also have pressure plates beneath them.
• The baby beaver cage operated by the "six Tool switch" is stuck underwater, meaning the baby beaver is unrescuable.
• There is a button on floor 3 that spawns a coin on top of the crane device on the same floor.
• A different Porridge Gun target model is used for the target which operates the lift that Wallace uses.

Boss

• The Gyrocopter is harder to control; it also spawns with full Nitro and is damaged when hit by flying Penguins. This was most likely changed to make the boss easier.

Volcano

Area 1

• Danger sign is missing on the floor at the top of the zip line.
• There are crates positioned on the ledge at the end of the zip line. Terrain on this ledge is also not slopped.
• A structure serving no purpose is fixed on a platform by the zip line.
• There is no pressure plate to spawn a Zoo Token on the grey square platform on the lower level.
• There is no Zoo Token or platform on the wall at the end of the rope bridge near the "four pressure plates" Zoo Token challenge.
• There is no pressure plate to stop the player from shooting the target used to move the baby gorilla cage so it can be rescued.
• Gromit can stand on the horizontal pipe above the tool inside the central area without sliding off, making it easier for the tool to be retrieved via an unintended route.
• There is no Zoo Token in front of the door to the "crusher room" played after the Gyrocopter chase.
• There is no Zoo Token or platform on the wall next to the lowered cage where the baby beaver can be rescued from.

Bonus Level

• This level is broken and cannot be completed - the rolling barrels get stuck midway up the level, causing a blockade and a pile-up of barrels.
• The lighting is different and doesn't match the lighting used in the main areas.

Area 2

• There is no Zoo Token in the dark alcove on the bottom floor in the "large Hedgehog room".
• There is no Zoo Token or platform underneath the lower end of the rope bridge leading to the Lava River puzzle.
• The method to cross the Lava River is easier. There are three standard button switches located on the machine Wallace fixes for 50 Nuts which, when fixed, is of no use as there are three conveyor belts which can be used to cross the river without the need of three boulders. The multi-colored wire interface with three targets above is not used. This is most likely a work-in-progress version of the Lava River puzzle.
• Large Hedgehogs are used in the tunnel that leads between the two sides of the river, and no Zoo Token is awarded for destroying all crates in this area.
• After the baby gorilla is rescued, the adult gorilla is sunken in the floor.

Bonus Level

• Different lighting and textures are used throughout.
• The level backdrop is pitch black.
• Only one Zoo Token is awarded.

Area 3

• There is no collision on the claw arm that drags Wallace over the lava.
• There is no button in the brick archway to spawn a Zoo Token on the opposite platform.
• Wallace and Gromit both need to be in the lift in order for the level to end.

Other Differences

• Pressing LT + RT in the main menu will open up a level select menu.
• During gameplay there is a version number on the bottom-right of the screen that reads "A1.33".
• You can skip most cutscenes with Start.
• Pressing LT + RT with the inventory open will give you all the weapons.
• Pressing LT + RT + Black + White restores all your health and teleports you to your last checkpoint.
• The hint system in the pause menu has not been added yet.
• The loading screen uses a different image and is in the middle of the screen.
• You cannot damage hedgehogs with the turnip launcher.
• You cannot damage lice while they are doing their shoot attack.
• Replaying a level displays "Arcade Mode" in the top-right of the screen, breaks the level's lighting, and doesn't keep your tool/coin count from before.