Release of Dreamcast and PS1 prototypes for Re-Volt

Revolt Dreamcast prototypes

Re-Volt mixed two great passions of many children: remote-controlled cars and video games. Acclaim looked to a rather original racing game featuring these little boosted cars. Here we have a mix between Micro Machines, Mario Kart and other more conventional games.

The studio Acclaim Studios London (formerly Probe Entertainment) had planned no less than 28 miniature cars, each with a different behavior, to be driven in 14 races spread over 7 different environments. Here, the circuits can be as much the shelves of a supermarket as the passageway of a ship, the sidewalk of a typical American suburb like Desperate Housewives or even the aisles of a museum. And it is indeed remote-controlled cars that we control.

The game modes are relatively few and rather classic: "Single Race", "Training", "Championship", "Time Trial", "Stunts" and "Savage Horde".

"Cascade", the most fun mode, is a special circuit: A skate park, where the goal is to collect 20 stars in order to unlock "Savage Horde". All acrobatics are fair play. Who will make the most beautiful jump with style and aesthetics ?

The player is rewarded many bonuses for putting a few spokes in the wheels of the opponents. And thus, on the menu are water bubbles, paralyzing rays or even explosive darts.

To extend the replay value of Re-Volt , the game includes a circuit editor. Few games offer one. Don't forget the 4-player mode for wild games with friends.

Revolt Dreamcast prototype vroum vroum.jpg

The specifics of the build in the menus :

The interest of this prototype lies in the fact that everything is unlocked from the start: all circuits, all cars and all game modes. No need to cheat or progress in Re-Volt!

Before arriving at the title screen, normally the "VMU MESSAGE" screen should appear. This is not present in this prototype version.

At the bottom right, it's written "DEV", which means version under development. It remains displayed throughout the game.

On the title screen, leaving the game running without pressing START, the auto-demo starts on a light blue background. The sound is present, but the replay videos are not. You will need to restart the game to play it again.

Prototype Revolt Dreamcast Main Menu.jpg

Re-Volt Dreamcast prototype Audio Settings.jpg

Re-Volt prototype Dreamcast View Gallery.jpg

Prototype Re-Volt Dreamcast Bigvolt Car.jpg

Extract from a Build computer

Re-Volt Dreamcast Frontend Track (prototype).jpg

In the main menu, the color of the font is gray and not white. The background of the box, with the 6 possible selections, is transparent and not black. These differences are noticeable in all similar menus of the game ( option, progress table, etc.).

By going to "Option", then "Audio Settings", the "Speaker Type" and "VMU Buzzer" options are not present. The default values for the volume of music (80% instead of 100%) and sound effects (100% instead of 80%) do not correspond to that of the final version. These are seen when pausing during a game.

Going into "View Gallery" of "Options", 3 drawing screens are missing. Here the number is 12; it should be 15.

Trying to see the "Credits" of the "Option" menu, the auto-demo problem mentioned above is again present. However, the names of people and the functions they held during the development of Re-Volt are displayed on this screen with a blue background. The credits are different, too, with additional people and roles listed. It may be the credits of the N64 version. The song should repeat normally.

Before getting to the car selection window, it is possible, on this screen, to type and choose its name. This is where you can enter the cheat codes. These cheat codes do not work on this beta version (to be confirmed).

When choosing your vehicle, a box with the performance of the racing car appears. Question marks replace the power bar for the abilities "Speed", "Acc" and "Wheigt" from the car "Bigvolt" and until the last. The "Bigvolt" and "Bossvolt" cars have no representation of them. While driving the "Bigvolt" car, we realize that it has no wheels...

Prototype

Final

When choosing the race, at the window "Select Track", the image representing the track "Rooftops" differs from the final version. There is another angle of view and the moon is missing. The "Length" information is mentioned as "Unknown" and not "588 Meters". In the next window after choosing this race, Length is this time indicated as "0 M".

When entering "Multi-Player" mode, the game directs the player to a screen in which the number of human opponents must be chosen. In the background, there are 3 kinds of TVs, 2 small and one large, displaying the icon of the last race selected. The final version does not have this display.

Revolt Final Version Dreamcast Multi-Players.jpg

The specifics of the in-game build:

Once in-game, the color used to highlight the information "Lap (number of laps completed)", "Lap (current time for the lap)" and "Race (time in game)" is light blue and not dark blue. The current position "TH" and the speed at which the car is moving "SMPH" are also in this color. The numbers themselves are the correct color, but smaller than usual.

One of the camera view options is missing, the one for the view in replay mode. The view from the inside does not go directly into the car. This somehow creates bugs ( see the video at 4:27 )

The color around the numbers when counting 3 - 2 - 1 - Go , at the start of a race, is yellow instead of white.

When you pause in-game, the small box with the writing "Paused" is missing.

The "Rooftops" race is unplayable: it is played in absolute darkness. This track should be lit and the scenery, visible.

Re-Volt Dreamcast prototype Rooftops in game.jpg

"Frontend" is Re-Volt 's main menu with the theme of a closed toy store. This track is not selectable in the game in its commercial version. This race is not optimized, and the game crashes. No collision is implemented. We can, for example, pass through the walls. System information is displayed at the top of the screen ("Pos" and "Look").

As for "Frontend", other races are present in the circuit selection, while they are not there in the final. This prototype allows you to choose the 4 environments of the "Battle" mode and the track of the "Stunt Area" mode.

The specifics of the "Track Editor" mode:

When you want to create your circuit in "Track Editor", the default starting point is on the right and not on the left.

The font is different, the color of it is gray and not white.

Re-Volt Sega Dreamcast prototype Track Editor.jpg

Track Editor Revolt Dreamcast help (final).jpg

The information to access the help window, "Press X+Y for help" is not written at the top of the screen on the right, but it can be accessed. By opening the help menu, we notice that it corresponds to the PC version and not to that of the Dreamcast. The red box is much smaller.

Wanting to save the created circuit, the game asks if you want to save the changes made. The red in the box where you type your name is lighter. "No Name" should be written there. "Save" is red, not yellow.

Revolt prototype Dreamcast Track Editor Module.jpg

Re-Volt Dreamcast Final Version Module Track Editor.jpg

By selecting Module after pressing Start, the red box is lighter than the commercial version and the other Track Editor menus of this prototype.

During the precautionary messages (example just below), the Yes or No is highlighted in red and not yellow, like for the Save prompt previously explained.

When trying to save, there is no precautionary message "A Memory Card with at least 7 blocks...", the circuit will save automatically once Save has been validated.

You can download the Re-Volt Dreamcast build below

RE-VOLT (Oct 25, 1999 prototype)

The other normal Re-Volt Dreamcast prototypes:

RE-VOLT (Nov 01, 1999 prototype)

RE-VOLT (Nov 03, 1999 prototype)

RE-VOLT (Nov 12, 1999 prototype)

RE-VOLT (Nov 17, 1999 prototype)

RE-VOLT (Nov 23, 1999 prototype)

RE-VOLT (Nov 24, 1999 prototype)

The November 24 build has a small particularity. The "VMU Message" window, just before the title screen, displays a box with text in Japanese. Is it an intermediate prototype, a translation build ?

The other prototypes of Re-Volt, for other consoles :

RE-VOLT (Jul 19, 1999 PSX prototype)

RE-VOLT (Jul 26, 1999 PSX prototype)

RE-VOLT (Jul 29, 1999 PSX prototype)

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"