User:Darkaiser/Prerelease:CTR/September Builds
This is a sub-page of User:Darkaiser/Prerelease:CTR.
At this point in development, the versions were built around near of the game's development cycle, so most of the changes come from late/near-final prototypes.
Review Copy
The September 3rd, 1999 review build was widely used by many American and European gaming magazines, and it's actually close to the final release.
Prima Guide Build
In the Prima's Official Strategy Guide, released shortly after the game's release, at least three builds were used, according to the pictures: The September 3rd, 1999 prototype, an even later build, and the final version. In this near-final build, most of the relic requirements are identical to the final times, with small exceptions. It can be identified by the early lap counter, which still uses a slash.
The guide used mixed images of different builds until the Citadel City's tracks. After that, only screenshots of the what is believed to be the final game were taken.
Also, some relic times written on the guide differ from the final release:
| Level | Guide | Final |
|---|---|---|
| Tiger Temple | 1:33:00 1:05:00 0:37:00 |
1:20:00 1:02:00 0:43:00 |
| Blizzard Bluff | 1:17:00 1:08:00 0:45:00 |
1:30:00 1:08:00 0:43:00 |
| Dragon Mines* | 1:20:00 1:02:00 0:43:00 |
1:28:00 1:11:00 0:54:00 |
| Tiny Arena | 3:45:00 3:22:00 3:00:00 |
3:45:00 3:22:00 2:58:00 |
Pictures of the near-final build, however, are using the final Platinum times on Tiger Temple and Dragon Mines, so it's unknown where those written times come from.
Dragon Mines' relic time is identical to the final Tiger Temple's time, so it's very likely the written time is actually linked to the wrong level.
Japanese Review Copy
This build seems to be almost identical to the September 3rd, 1999 prototype, except all of the game's text and voices are in Japanese. None of the localization changes are present yet.
- The unused Coco's head in Coco Park can be seen floating in the background at 0:59.
- Some Japanese translations are more literal to the original text, like ファイナルラップ! (Final lap!), instead of あと 1しゆうだよ! (1 lap to go!).
- It's worth noting the texts are using the small font in the menu boxes, just like the International versions. In the final NTSC-J version, all menu texts use the large font to accommodate the Japanese characters for the sake of readability.
Tokyo Game Show Demo
This build was playable at the Tokyo Game Show 1999 event. Most of the Japanese localization changes are implemented, however, it still retains some pre-final elements from late NTSC-U pre-release builds.
- The order of the main menu options is different - Adventure and Time Trial options were moved to the bottom, respectively. In the final Japanese release, Arcade and Time Trial options were switched. This order is also used in the Japanese Store Demo.
- Tiny Tiger is still using his old icon.
- There are no difficulty rankings for tracks.
- The traffic lights still use the old design.
- A different sound effect can be heard when the player receives a power-up.
