Fur Fighters Dreamcast
All is good and peaceful in the land of the Fur Fighter until the evil General Viggo escapes and kidnaps their baby animals. Your mission is to lead the Fur Fighters on a rescue mission to save their families and their planet from evil.
The prototype in video
The Fur Fighters are a fluffy bunch of heroes united to fight the forces of the evil General Viggo. Years ago, they fought Viggo and managed to put him behind bars. Today, he escaped. Part of his evil plan is to kidnap their families. They aren't the type to back down from a fight. They are ready, once again, to let Viggo know!
Fur Fighters gives the players a chance at a colorful adventure, in the company of adorable, furry creatures. The humor characterizing this game is second-degree. Contrary to their appearance, with bright colors, Fur Fighters is not a game for children.
Bizarre Creations released a rather surprising game, with the risk of being more surprising than would be deemed acceptable. This title is a Doom-like, mixed with platforming.
Some characters:
Each of these critters has the same moves as the other, but with the added bonus of a special ability that is unique to each. Our team of vicious animals is as diverse as possible since it is no less than a dog, cat, panda, kangaroo, penguin and even a baby dragon that you can play over the levels of the game. 6 bearing adorable names like Roofus, Juliette, Bungalow, Tweek, Rico and Chang. Do not be deceived by appearances.
Roofus
Species - Dog
Age - 9 years
Place of birth - Glasgow, Scotland
History - Roofus is the leader of the Fur Fighters. His experience, reliability and rock-hard demeanor make him well suited for the task. Raised in a war-torn country, Roofus joined the military to fight for what he believes is right. After serving his country well, he formed the Fur Fighters, a heterogeneous group of specialized fighters who do not serve any country, but help everyone. Now the villainous Viggo is holding his wife Winnie and children hostage. Never one to run away from a fight, Roofus will do anything to save them!
Special Skill - Dig
Roofus will make good use of his foxhole digging experience in the battles to come. Whenever the dog encounters a mound of dirt, it may burrow into another mound connected elsewhere. To dig, stand on the hole and press the jump button. Some holes act as shortcuts or lead to secret areas; most must be walked through in order to save any lost baby animals.
General Info - Roofus isn't the slowest fur hunter, but he's definitely not the fastest either. When fighting as Roofus, it is best to stand back and use precise and powerful weapons to deal with enemies.
Roofus Babies - Roofus puppies are easily identified by their yellow overalls and floppy ears.
Juliet
Species - Cat
Age - 4 years
Place of birth - Paris, France
Story - Raised in the luxury of beautiful Paris, Juliette may seem posh and sophisticated at first glance, but she is as tough and skillful as all the other Fur Fighters! It will quickly be proven in combat. She may appear mildly hostile towards her comrades, especially Roofus, but Juliet will nonetheless fight bravely alongside them in the battles to come. With razor-sharp claws and a deadly temper, she fights to save her husband Claude and her many kittens.
Special Skill - Climbing
Juliet's claws are useful for more than just shredding bears. She can use them to climb any surface marked with claws. There are also a few unmarked walls that she can climb to gain access to secret areas. Jump on any scalable wall and Juliette will grab onto it.
General Info - Juliette has feline agility and reflexes, so she's a bit faster than some of her mates. Plus, her athletic physique makes her a slimmer target. Juliette's speed allows her to get close to Bears in order to get the most out of weapons like the shotgun.
Juliette Babies - Juliette's kittens are as cute as their mother, with big pink eyes and green sweaters.
Rico
Species - Jumping penguin
Age - 5 years
Place of birth - Tierra Del Fuego, Argentina
History - Before joining the Fur Fighters, Rico lived among thousands of other penguins in Argentina. However, he always knew he was meant for something bigger. Eventually, he joined the Fur Fighters to make his dreams come true. Although slow and at times lazy, his underwater abilities make him a unique and necessary member of the team. If he can concentrate long enough, he intends to save his chicks and his wife, Juanita.
Special skill - swim
Although other fur fighters can paddle the surface of the water, only Rico can swim freely underwater. Pressing the surface jump button will cause Rico to dive. There are many tokens and items hidden in large bodies of water, so exploring them is essential.
General Information - Rico waddles slowly like penguins do, and his jump leaves something to be desired. It's a good thing he has weapons or else he wouldn't be a fighter at all.
Rico Babies - Baby penguins are all decked out for the cold water in hot pink hooded coats.
Some places to visit:
There are 7 regions to visit, each divided into 4 zones except the village (the starting point) which has only one. For the multiplayer mode, there are 6 new maps.
Your quest begins in the village. Every Fur Fighter has a home there where their children will return once they are rescued. After heroically saving a few children, return to the village and they will teach you how to play with the toys in your home.
New Quack City divided into 4 levels (World Quack Center, Lower East Quack, The Quackenheim Museum, Guardian One - Saving Gwyneth):
Welcome to New Quack City, a bustling, snowy place that will introduce you to your first enemy - the Blue Bears. Start by approaching the statue of General Bristol; he will appear there to explain the recommended route. This sparkling metropolis is an urban aviary.
The first step in Viggo's global domination plans is to steal the Roquefort Diamonds, the world's largest pair of diamond earrings! While Viggo oversees the operation from his office at the World Quack Center, his bears go wild in Lower East Quack. Somewhere in downtown New Quack, Tweek's mother, now a mutated ferocious beast, sets buildings ablaze.
Dinotopolis divided into 4 levels (Dinos Downstairs, Dinos Upstairs, The Rumpus Room, Saving Esmerelda):
This middle-class dinosaur civilization was, until very recently, unknown. Now General Viggo spends his free time spying on these Mesozoic monstrosities in the hopes of uncovering the secret to their way of life and advanced technologies.
While drilling in God Machine Valley, Viggo stumbled upon a dinosaur civilization lost under the crust of the planet! With technology 65 million years ahead of anything on the surface, Viggo has set out to appropriate some of Dinotopolis' unique treasures. With the help of Bungalow's wife, he might succeed.
Beaver Poser divided into 4 levels (Compound Factions, God Machine Valley, Beaver Dam, Saving Juanita):
This massive construction is the result of the civil engineering of the beaver. Despite being masters of masonry, these semi-aquatic mammals are shy and really bad at balancing a budget.
Though foiled in New Quack City, Viggo's evil plans continue. Without the diamonds, he is forced to buy the Beaver Power Dam to quickly earn money to subsidize his growing empire. The babies of the Fur Fighters are forced to work alongside the captive beavers. Rico's beloved wife is waiting for him somewhere… but will he be happy to see her ?
Some enemies:
Brown bears
Brown bears spawn more often than any other enemy. Each of them pack heat in the form of a shotgun. Alone or in groups, they are always a threat. Try to knock them down with a shotgun round to the head. When they turn around and attack, take cover and retaliate.
Weapon: Shotgun
Health: Medium
Speed: Medium
Difficulty: Medium
The weapon to use to defeat them: Shotgun
Peacocks
Definitely not a feathered friend, peacocks will unfold their beautiful tails at the first sign of trouble. Don't stand around admiring their plumage, as they will start throwing rockets at you. Remember that despite their heavy armament, peacocks have little health. Try to walk away before they see you. If they start bombarding you with rockets, move away from the walls, as the damage will still reach you.
Weapon: Rocket Launcher
Health: Low
Speed: Medium
Difficulty: High
The weapon to use to defeat them: Submachine gun
Foxes
Small, fast and deadly, foxes are difficult to hit. They wield a pair of revolvers with deadly precision. Foxes will try to surround you, shooting at all times. Hit them as soon as you see them with the shotgun or submachine gun. They may deal damage, but they sure can't take it.
Weapon: Double Revolver
Health: Medium
Speed: High
Difficulty: High
The weapon to use to defeat them: Shotgun or submachine gun
Some Bosses:
As part of Viggo's evil plan, each of the Fur Fighters' spouses (or in Tweek's case, a parent) were kidnapped, subjected to evil experiments, and transformed into a powerful monster. In order to break Viggo's mind control, the Fur Fighters will have to use rock-solid love, fighting their own family members until they come to their senses. Each of the bosses can only be effectively fought by their loved ones. The player will most likely be forced to choose the appropriate character before they can reach the main arena.
Viggo
Viggo is a bad kitty. Roofus and the Fur Fighters foiled his plans many years ago, but Viggo has since escaped jail time. He has devised new towers to take over the world. His intentions are to steal the world's largest pair of diamond earrings, redeem the most powerful dam ever built, attack the technology of a long-lost civilization, build an army of the dead and drop an anvil on Roofus's head from orbit! To keep the Fur Fighters away, he kidnapped their children and turned their spouses into fierce monsters. He may have underestimated the bravery of the Fur Fighters. Roofus and his comrades will have to be extremely careful.
Claude
Claude, once a noble feline, is almost unrecognizable in his giant, space-friendly form. Wielding a deadly beam laser, Claude intends to stop his wife, Juliette, unless she can prove him right. Juliette dons a spacesuit to fight her husband. She will have to be careful on the satellite panels, because one misstep can sink her into the sidereal void.
Esmerelda
Bungalow's beloved is waiting for him in the dinosaur pool. Unfortunately, she is outside and uses a giant machine gun. Chances are it's a happy reunion. Esmerelda is impervious to all weapons in the Fur Fighters arsenal, but that doesn't mean she's invincible. Obviously she can't swim in lava, so you'll have to drop her in there. The float Esmerelda is on can be sunk if you pull on the valve.
Some weapons:
The Fur Fighters know that the only way to manage an army of stupid, heavily armed bears is with an arsenal that could punch a hole in a mountain! Machine guns, shotguns, lasers, rockets... there is nothing subtle about the way these animals fight. Viggo, you had better watch out !
Heavy Machine Gun
The mother of all bullet guns, the Heavy Machine Gun will remove fur from most bears in seconds. Unfortunately, its accuracy is horrible over long distances, and ammunition will run out quickly. Only use the heavy machine gun under difficult circumstances.
Plasma Beamer
The Laser Beamer provides a beam of constant energy that keeps an enemy immobilized while firing. The laser is much more effective at taking out big killers than the Photon Blaster. Use it sparingly and in short bursts.
Freeze Gun
While it doesn't deal any damage on its own, the Freeze Gun turns any enemy except Bosses into an ice sculpture for a few moments. When immobilized, frozen enemies can be smashed using other weapons, knocked back from ledges, or, as is often the case, destroyed by crossfire from another enemy. One hit will do. The effects of freezing only last a few seconds, so hurry !
Conclusion:
This bit was written thanks to the work of "David Boyle" , writer of the game's walkthrough guide.
"Fur Fighters is one of the few games that I look forward to since I first heard about it, long before I wrote strategy guides. How could I resist bringing six Fluffy Warriors into a world of cartoons and detonating the stuffing of countless teddy bears? I was lucky enough to work for Acclaim when Fur Fighters were in testing. This gave me the chance to take a look at the game long before anyone else. I got to see it develop and grow. It was worth the wait."
You can download the archive used to write the solution/guide here:
Game development:
The original name of Fur Fighters was Furballs. A model containing the original logo can still be found in the files of the PC version of the game. The first images of the prototype show that Furry Forest was one of the first levels in the game, even though it was cut. In the first screenshots of the prototype, only Roofus, Juliette and Bungalow can be seen, making them the first Fur Fighters ever created.
The video below shows a version of Fur Fighters when it was still named Furballs.
"This video was recorded before finding an editor. After Acclaim saw it, they signed for the game"
Furballs (Fur Fighters) Prototype
Furballs (Fur Fighters) ECTS Demo
The prototype menus:
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The copyright screen in this game isn't the same as final.
prototype
Finale
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Language selection is not available (no selection screen). It should appear before the warning screen about save game space.
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The title screen is pretty basic, with just the game logo and without Roofus holding a gun. There is a resemblance to some loading screens in the final version, though.
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The auto-demo is pretty notable. It had to be temporary since Artworks (being the same as the strategy guide) scrolls. This non-animated presentation of the characters is specific to this build. The replay occurs afterwards.
Prototype-final version comparison
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In the menus, the various texts are white and not gray.
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The "Internet" page in "Visual Option" is under construction. When left idle, it gets weird.
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There are differences in adjustment and annotations for certain menus or warning messages, some examples (on the left is the prototype; on the right, the final version :
After choosing a new game
Visual Option-Screen Offset
Controller Configuration
Internet Caution Message
The Debug Menu and cheats:
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By pressing the left trigger in the main menu, a level selection window appears. Some levels do not load, especially slightly blurred ones. " Pool Test ", it works with the loading screen of the old name of the game " FurBall", however the player will arrive on a black screen (sometimes this level loads, see the video from 2:37 ). This black screen problem is recurring.
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In " Visual Options ", 2 cheats are unlocked automatically. Even if " Cheat Menu " is grey, you can still access it to activate " Invunerability " and " Cheat 8 ". " Cheat 8 " corresponds to " All Subgames " of the final version. If you start a game and pass the dialogues when you are in the village with " cheat 8 " activated, the villagers will be back and the games will be televised available. Bat and ball games are up and running (roofus tv).
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The trick to open the Debug Menu was not found. Maybe it is not present without using the " Cheat Engine " program. Follow this " tutorial " to access it, the code to modify on the prototype is as follows: 2C187494 . It is in the last 200 lines. The Free Camera can be very useful.
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The Debug Menu is pink unlike the yellow of the final version. I managed to have it complete (more than 3 menus) only twice. Does it run randomly as the game is not optimized?
Loadings:
The loading time windows on this prototype are shown with other artworks . The word " Loading " is placed at the top of the screen, it is centered. A black box appears at the bottom of the image. Maybe it was to show the loading progress (nothing happens). The Artworks used are not refined, they are drawn, in a way, in pencil and not in felt.
De "New Quack City" à "Good Flutters"
De "Cap Canardo" à "Flutted in Space"
De "Viggo à Gogo" à "You only Fluff Twice"
De "Uncle Gravy" à "Test DM"
De "Beaver Power à "Dam Flutters"
De "Dinotoplis" à "Fluff Thats Time Forgot"
De "Antat Tatanat" à "King Solomon's Fluff"
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" The Village " and " Undermill " have no equivalent on the retail version.
Fluffmatch mode levels
Levels in multiplayer mode are not completed. There are texture issues and adjustments different on-screen annotations. Pickup items appear in other locations. The pictures speak for themselves.
King Solomon's Fluff
The Fluff that Time Forgot
Fluffed Space
The other multiplayer levels " Good Fullers ", " Dam Fluffers " and " You only fluff twice " have no significant differences.
Some magazine photos match the deathmatch levels of this prototype.
Levels
The levels are not finished. Some peculiarities are recurrent for almost all maps:
Textures are different, the colors of the scenery changes.
Decorative elements have been removed, added or modified. The layout of some levels differs.
The cutscenes, the scenes before the levels do not exist yet except the intros of the " Level Select " cheat menu. There is a gap (to be confirmed) between the sound and what happens in the video.
The lines of dialogue underwent changes between the prototype and the final version. Some words have been changed by another. On the prototype, words start with a lowercase letter, they are normally in uppercase.
Items placed in certain levels are not implemented
In order to progress and access the following areas, you must collect a certain number of " Tokens " or " Babies ". The number requested on this beta is higher than on the conventional game.
Undermill (Cut Area)
You can do this too using Demul and Cheat Engine . Change the value of this address " 2C187494 " to 04 to get the Free Camera , press the jump to place your character, then change this value again to 00 to resume the game (read the " Debug Menu " section).
There are tokens in the unused room of this prototype version. The cut area is still connected to the main path.
New Quack City :
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The items (tokens) to be picked up are not implemented. At the place where the character appears at the beginning of the level, the panel should indicate the direction of the " Fur Fighters Village " and the " Central Quak ", these indications are placed much higher, it is the same throughout the level. When reading some signs they point in the direction of Furball Village and not Furfigthers Village . By advancing a few meters, a dialogue is triggered with General Bristol . The lines of dialogues will undergo changes on the final version. Some changes have been made in the level adjustment (photos of the bridge). Enemies do not spawn in the usual locations. The number of Tokens required to access certain areas is higher, for example 150 instead of 120 for the Quackenheim Museum or 100 Tokens instead of 60 to enter Lower East Quack (increased difficulty).
World Quack Center
Quackeinheim Museum
Beaver Power
VLF Facility
VAB Bulding
Saving Esmeralda
Saving Claude
Space Station Meer
Jungle of Despair
Viggo a Gogo
Saving Winnie and Mai
Secret Island
Dino Upstairs
The Village
The General's Lair
Dinotopolis
Dino Downstairs
In-depth file analysis:
Japanese Cake was able to quickly look at the game files in detail. Short on time, he couldn't try to rebuild another build hiding inside this prototype, maybe it wouldn't work :
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There is another 1st_read.bin on the disk in the bitmaps folder. It's a different version of the main binary (another build). It definitely had to be started via ginsu.
"I tested it but it crashes when loading a level, textures are not good (related to my quick test?). To reactivate and test this, you have to rebuild the image. There are several hours. There are a few parameters to test without knowing if it will work"
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The pack.exe binary in the root of track03 was used by the developers to make the pak archives present in the game.
"There are many routines to display a debug menu (I have not yet tested on the console to see how to activate it, in the code there is nothing obvious to do so. We should look further."
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The 1st_read contains the ginsu lib, a lib used to put several executables on a disc like demo cds. However, it lacks the ginsu binaries. This means that the devs must certainly have used it to put test programs with the game.
"Having received the prototype the same day of the release of the project " Duffy's Dreamcast Collection ", a more thorough analysis could not be made. I suspect a debug menu to exist, the same as it is possible to have by modifying the game. I count on you to update this article."
You can download the Fur Fighters Dreamcast build below
The other normal Dreamcast Fur Fighters prototypes:
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Acclaim Prototype from the " Duff'y Dreamcast Collection " Project: Dave Mirra Freestyle BMX - Dead or Alive 2 - Ducati World Racing Challenge - ECW Hardcore Revolution - F355 Challenge - Fur Figthers - NFL Quarterback Club 2000 - Re-Volt - South Park: Chef's Luv Shack -South Park Rally - Spirit of Speed 1937 - Vanishing Point
Acclaim prototype of the project "Duffy's Collection Part 2" : Shadowman (Unreleased) PC - Shadowman Ps1 - South Park Rally Ps1 - South Park Rally PC - Re-Volt Ps1 - The Red Star (Unreleased) Xbox - NFL Quarterback Club 2002 Ps2 - NFL Quarterback Club 2002 Gc - Heaven's Drive (Unreleased) Ps2 - Crazy Taxi Gc - Armorines: Project S.W.A.R.M. Ps1 - Dave Mirra Freestyle BMX: Maximum Remix Ps1 - Forsaken PC - Machines PC - 18 Wheeler: American Pro Trucker Gc - All-Star Baseball 2003 featuring Derek Jeter Gc - Aggressive Inline Ps2 - Jeremy McGrath Supercross World 2002 Ps2 - XGIII: Extreme G Racing Ps2 - XGIII: Extreme G Racing Gc
More than 200 prototypes, documents, press kit have been dumped or scanned, you will find them in free download in the "Releases de prototypes et documents"