Proto:Meteos (Nintendo DS)/Kiosk Demo

This is a sub-page of Proto:Meteos (Nintendo DS).

  This was documented on Forest of Illusion.

A Japanese kiosk demo of Meteos, dated January 19, 2005 (roughly under a month before the game's final JP build), was dumped by j4m13c0 and released by Forest of Illusion on January 3rd, 2022. It seems to be based on a late prototype of the game, roughly matching the fourth screenshot batch builds.

Sub-Pages

Gameplay Graphics A peek into the past. And into an even further past.

Planet Parameters From a time when everything was much more unbalanced, unpolished, and, above everything, broken.

Build Date

At 0x46928 of the game's ARM9 binary is a version ID, alongside a build date.

ver.0.701 [2005/01/19]

Overview

Menus

• None of the elements of the title screen are animated. The bottom half of the screen, for instance, lacks the sun in the background, and uses a "PRESS START BUTTON" prompt rather than the simpler "TOUCH!", and the Geolyte is also missing. The top half also does not seem to change when entering menus.
• There is no furigana in the intro cutscene.
• The main menu background is much darker in the prototype.
• Challenge/Deluge Mode has not been added yet. As such, the layout of the mode selection menu is slightly different.
• While it is possible to check some of the other menus, the only available game mode is Simple, forced to a match against a single computer opponent.

Jan 19 Demo	Final (JP)

• While none of the options of the Extra menu can be selected yet, its layout is slightly different in the prototype. Additionally, there are no graphics relating to the game's Download Play demo version.

Jan 19 Demo	Final (JP)

• Only thirteen planets are available. Those are, in order: Geolyte, Firim, Jeljel, Oleana, Freaze, Anasaze, Mekks, Layazero, Boggob, Dawndus, Gigagush, Hevendor, and Florias.
• The Meteo rate counters display bogus data that changes every time the game is reset. Note that Soul and Time meters, which go unused in the final game, can appear.
• The text in the "Game Start" graphic is written in a different font.
• Many of the alien icons represent different, earlier variations. These can also be seen in unused Fusion Room graphics found within this build.

Jan 19 Demo	Final (JP)

Gameplay

• The boxes that are used to display a player's associated color are much darker in the prototype.
• A different, simpler speeder design is used.
• The position of the timer and of the mode indicator in the top screen are swapped.
• There is no counter for sent Meteos.
• No camera toggle function is present.
• Computer players have no "CP" label in the gameplay and results screens.
• The pause screen is completely different, and its animations take longer to finish. Choosing to exit a game will take the player back to the title screen.

Jan 19 Demo	Final (JP)

• The minimap that sometimes can be seen on the top screen uses a different palette.

Jan 19 Demo	Final

• The initial Meteo rolls can cause an ignition, which is impossible in the final game.
• The combo counter displayed whenever an ignition is done has not been implemented yet.
• Screen clear bonuses have not been implemented yet.
• There is no cheering when doing high combos.
• It is not possible to target an opponent in the demo.
• Tapping an item does not activate it, nor makes its activation timer go faster.
• The explosion effect used when a falling and a lone launched Meteo of the same type collide is more realistic.

Jan 19 Demo	Final

• Winning during a stock game doesn't stop the background music from playing. Additionally, while letting the timer end stops the music, the selected planet's Win or Lose theme will not play.
• Florias uses Vubble's sound set, Natural Paradise. Similarly, forcing the game to load Vubble will result in it playing Florias' sound set, Indie Music Troupe.
• Items, like the Fury Hammer, will continue to function even after a game has ended.
• Planets in the top screen don't explode after topping out, nor their boxes in the bottom screen flash.
• The screens for winning and losing are much simpler in the demo, and don't have a background filter. The latter detail also applies to the Time Up screen.

Jan 19 Demo	Final (JP)

• The results screen contains many differences; the position of the Zoo and Herb counters in the top screen are swapped, launched and bonus Meteos are not displayed at the same time, the font used for the mode indicators is much blockier, and, much like the gameplay screen, the colors used for each player are darker. After some time, the game will return to the title screen.

Jan 19 Demo	Final (JP)

Unused/Unseen Features

Other

• Suburbion's planet description was slightly modified:

	Text	Translated
Jan 19 Demo	宇宙に幾百と並ぶ、人 口の居住区群。好戦的 なコロニオン宇宙人には 母星が存在したが、戦 争で滅亡した。いまも 彼らは戦い続ける。	Hundreds of populated colonies lined up in space. The belligerent Colonionites had a home planet, but it was destroyed in a war. Even now, they continue to fight.
Final	宇宙に幾百と並ぶ、人 工の居住区群。好戦的 なコロニオン宇宙人にも 母星が存在したが、戦 争で滅亡した。いまも 彼らは戦い続ける。	Hundreds of artificial colonies lined up in space. The belligerent Colonionites had a home planet, but it was destroyed in a war. Even now, they continue to fight.

• The button images for the Wireless Mode menu are slightly different.

Jan 19 Demo	Final (JP)

• The Options Menu's hand selection graphic uses screenshots from the third prerelease screenshot batch.

Jan 19 Demo	Final (JP)

• Nearly all instances of the word "ビュウブーム" [ Byuubuumu / Byuuboom ], which is Bavoom's Japanese name, are written as "ビュゥブーム". Examples can be seen in its name graphic and during gameplay.
• The Time Attack menu's UI received a complete overhaul.

Jan 19 Demo	Final (JP)

• The graphics for the Tutorial use the old Speeder design (and to a greater extent, a screenshot from a Nintendo World-era build).

Jan 19 Demo	Final (JP)

(Source: tikal.)

Star Trip

• The Star Trip menu uses an older icon for the Branch course, which aligns with prerelease footage from late January.

Jan 19 Demo	Final

• The graphics for the map displayed at the top screen are very different from the final game, revealing different layouts for each of the three types. A detail on the map base was also removed.

Jan 19 Demo	Final

• The text for the missions of the Multi Star Trip, which is contained in the file strip_font10.bnm, contain some slight differences:

	Context	Text	Translated
Type specificator	Jan 19 Demo	のメテオを	Meteos of
	Final (JP)	メテオを	Meteos
Launch x Meteos	Jan 19 Demo	個以上ゲットして勝て！	Get... ...or more!
	Final (JP)	コ以上打ち上げて勝て！	Launch... ...or more!
Win under x time	Jan 19 Demo	分以内に勝て！	Win in under...!
	Final (JP)	以内に勝て！	Win in under...!

• The planet name graphics are also noticeably in an early state; none of them have background, Gravitas and Wiral use their earliest names "Gravion" and "Wirem", Thirnova's slot has "Third Noda" crudely written in it (perhaps an inside joke?), and Gigagush's slot is completely empty.

• The mission and alien boxes are also in a noticeably rudimentary state.

(Source: tikal.)

Bonus

• The unused "Opening Movie" button, which can be found within the Bonus menu graphics, has a slightly different appearance.

Jan 19 Demo	Final (JP)

• The Sound Test Menu's inner disc graphic is black instead of yellow. Each of the discs also have slightly thinner outlines for the aliens.

Jan 19 Demo	Final (JP)

• Most of the planets have different Sound Set names, as listed below:

	Jan 19 Demo	Final (JP)	Final (EN)
Geolyte	ブラーボ [Bravo]	ブラーボ [Bravo]	Bravo
Bavoom	Funky Magic	ファンキ～ホーン [Funky Horn]	Funky Horn
Firim	Rock'n Heart	ロック魂 [Rock Spirit]	Rocking Spirit
Jeljel	Ghost Party	恐怖の館 [House of horrors]	Hall of Horrors
Oleana	LOOKIN' FOR SHININ'	シャイニング [Shining]	Shinin'
Freaze	ふゆのゆきづれ [Winter Deadlock]	ふゆのゆきづれ [Winter Deadlock]	Winter Impasse
Anasaze	Western Cowboy	荒野のカウボーイ [Wilderness Cowboy]	Wild West Cowboy
Forte	STEPPIN'	ステッピン [Steppin']	Steppin'
Cavious	ガララン [Gararan]	ガララン [Gararan]	Ambient Pipes
Grannest	Techno ism	電磁色 [Electromagnetic Color]	Tech 'n' Knock
Mekks	Famicomic	ファミコミック [Famicomic]	Famicomic
Suburbion	よみがえれ！ [Revive!]	よみがえれ！ [Revive!]	Hot Revival
Gravitas	Live In The Metal	メタリア [Metallia]	Metallia
Layazero	Euroian Dance	ユーロピアン [European]	Eurorockitude
Boggob	けちゃ ちゃっぷ [Kecak Chop]	ボンゴ [Bongo]	Cha Cha Chop
Wuud	Bongo de Beat	大地のリズム [Rhythm of the Earth]	Earth Rhythms
Megadom	メイジャー [Major]	メイジャー [Major]	Major Tempo
Dawndus	アラーラー [Araaraa]	アラーラー [Araaraa]	Drumline
Thirnova	Caf? la Bossa	カフェでボッサ [Bossa at the Cafe]	Bossa Cafe
Gigagush	異星人 [Aliens]	異星人 [Aliens]	Aliens
Hevendor	Space community	時空空間 [Spatiotemporal Space]	Space-Time Continuum
Brabbit	PON	ブービー [Booby]	Pon!
Yooj	ナンバー５ [Number 5]	ナンバー５ [Number 5]	Number 5
Hotted	Transpace	トランスペース [Transpace]	Transpace
Florias*	German miracle	独音楽隊 [German Music Ensemble]	Indie Music Troupe
Wiral	MAGICAL SPEED	マジカルスピード [Magical Speed]	Speed of Magic
Vubble*	Natural Paradise	自然の楽園 [Natural Paradise]	Natural Paradise
Globin	体内バブル [Internal Bubble]	体内バブル [Internal Bubble]	Inner Bubbles
Starrii	Chours Line	休日の歌声 [Holiday Singing]	Holiday Laughter
Lastar	キララ [Sparkly]	キララ [Sparkly]	Solar Chimes
Luna=Luna	It's a Scratch Show	スクラッチショー! [Scratch Show!]	The Scratch Show
Meteo	惑星メテオス [Planet Meteo]	惑星メテオス [Planet Meteo]	Planet Meteo

(Source: tikal.)

Fusion Room

• The top image of the Fusion Room has the placement of the Herb and Zoo counters swapped.

Jan 19 Demo	Final (JP)

• The image for Time Meteos has a broken palette. An unused, earlier version of the image can also be found in the prototype.

Jan 19 Demo	Final (JP)

• All of the item images for the Fusion Room, labeled as labo_item_name_[ID].bnm, use the 12x11 items that can be found unused in the final game, which reveals some of their functions. There are also additional slots, which have placeholder icons.
  
  
• Each of the menu images for the planets' sound sets are labeled differently, as "[planet]'s Sound Set" rather than "[planet] Set". The Opening and Menu sets are also labeled as "Main Theme" and "Menu's Theme".

Jan 19 Demo	Final (JP)

• Some of the planets use different descriptions.

	Version	Text	Translated
Mekks	Jan 19 Demo	メックス：機械文明の星	Meks: Planet of the Machine Civilization
	Final (JP)	メックス：機械化された鉱物	Meks: Mechanized Mineral
Wuud	Jan 19 Demo	ウドー：大木が守護する星	Udo: Planet Protected by a Large Tree
	Final (JP)	ウドー：巨大樹がそびえたつ星	Udo: Planet with a Towering Tree
Dawndus	Jan 19 Demo	ダウナス：夕暮れの星	Dawnous: Planet of Dusk
	Final (JP)	ダウナス：夜明けと夕暮れの星	Dawnous: Planet of Dawn and Dusk
Gigagush	Jan 19 Demo	ギガントガッシュ：時空の裂け目	Gigantgash: The Space-Time Rift
	Final (JP)	ギガントガッシュ：周囲を巻きこむ渦	Gigantgash: The Engulfing Vortex
Hotted	Jan 19 Demo	ヒートヘッズ：極度の白熱の星	Heatheads: Planet of Extreme Incandescence
	Final (JP)	ヒートヘッズ：極度に白熱した星	Heatheads: Extremely Incandescent Planet

(Some translations: Lains)

• The only file containing fusion costs of any kind in the prototype is recipe_planet.bin, which contains the costs for the planets. Some of the values are different from any of the final builds.

	Jan 19 Demo	Final (JP)
Planet	Cost	Cost
Bavoom	2300 AIR 200 H2O 100 ZOO	↓1000 AIR 200 H2O ↑200 ZOO
Firim	500 FIRE	N/A
Jeljel	666 FIRE 666 SOIL 666 ZAP 666 ZOO 3 DARK	666 FIRE 666 SOIL 666 ZOO 3 DARK
Freaze	400 AIR 1000 H2O 1 SOUL	↓100 AIR ↓200 H2O
Forte	3800 SOIL 1 ZOO 10 DARK 1 SOUL	↓2980 SOIL 1 ZOO ↓8 DARK
Cavious	400 FIRE 100 H2O 3500 SOIL 1000 IRON 100 DARK 2 TIME	+1 AIR 400 FIRE ↓1 H2O ↓2000 SOIL ↓500 IRON +400 ZAP +400 HERB +1 ZOO +1 GLOW ↓1 DARK 2 TIME
Grannest	400 IRON 400 ZAP 3 GLOW	↓200 IRON ↓200 ZAP
Mekks	2048 IRON 1024 ZAP 1 TIME	↓1024 IRON ↓800 ZAP
Suburbion	78 AIR 77 FIRE 75 H2O 7000 IRON 4000 ZAP 1800 HERB 2400 DARK 3 SOUL	78 AIR 77 FIRE 75 H2O ↓1200 DARK ↓2 SOUL
Gravitas	1010 SOIL 2424 IRON 121 ZAP 161 ZOO 2 TIME	↑1221 SOIL ↓1441 IRON 121 ZAP 161 ZOO ↓1 TIME
Layazero	512 AIR 512 FIRE 512 H2O 512 SOIL 512 IRON 512 ZAP 512 HERB 512 ZOO 32 GLOW 32 DARK	↓256 AIR ↓256 FIRE ↓256 H2O ↓256 SOIL ↓256 IRON ↓256 ZAP ↓256 HERB ↓256 ZOO ↑64 GLOW ↑64 DARK
Boggob	250 H2O 300 SOIL 1150 HERB	↓50 H2O ↓100 SOIL ↓600 HERB +100 ZOO +1 GLOW
Wuud	800 H2O 4200 HERB 1 SOUL	800 H2O ↓3000 HERB 1 SOUL
Megadom	200 AIR 200 H2O 200 SOIL 600 IRON 200 ZAP	200 AIR +200 FIRE ↓100 H2O ↓100 SOIL
Dawndus	500 AIR 1500 FIRE 500 SOIL 800 HERB 800 ZOO 10 GLOW	↓300 AIR ↓1200 FIRE ↓300 SOIL ↓700 HERB ↓700 ZOO 10 GLOW
Thirnova	5000 FIRE 7000 ZAP 800 GLOW 5 TIME	↓1000 FIRE ↓2800 ZAP ↓400 GLOW ↓2 TIME
Gigagush	50 AIR 100 FIRE 150 IRON 300 ZAP 4000 ZOO 80 DARK 1 SOUL	↓20 AIR ↓10 FIRE +30 H2O ↑300 IRON ↓1500 ZOO ↓30 DARK 1 SOUL
Hevendor	1111 AIR 1111 FIRE 1111 H2O 1111 SOIL 1111 IRON 1111 ZAP 1111 HERB 1111 ZOO 333 GLOW 333 DARK 3 SOUL 3 TIME	↓777 AIR ↓777 FIRE ↓777 H2O ↓777 SOIL ↓777 IRON ↓777 ZAP ↓777 HERB ↓777 ZOO ↓77 GLOW ↓77 DARK ↓1 SOUL ↓1 TIME
Brabbit	2000 AIR 200 FIRE 300 H2O 200 SOIL 200 ZAP 200 HERB 200 ZOO 2 SOUL	↓1800 AIR ↓150 FIRE ↓150 H2O ↓150 SOIL ↓150 ZAP ↓150 HERB ↓150 ZOO ↓1 SOUL
Yooj	4000 AIR 2000 FIRE 2600 H2O 100 GLOW 2 TIME	4000 AIR ↓500 FIRE ↓500 H2O 100 GLOW ↓1 TIME
Hotted	7200 FIRE 1800 IRON 240 DARK 2 SOUL	↓4000 FIRE ↓800 IRON ↓50 DARK 2 SOUL
Vubble	2600 AIR 8600 H2O 10 IRON 10 HERB 300 GLOW 2 TIME	↓2500 AIR ↓3000 H2O ↓80 GLOW ↓1 TIME
Wiral	600 IRON 5400 ZAP 120 DARK 1 TIME	↓600 IRON ↓2000 ZAP +50 GLOW 1 TIME
Florias	1500 AIR 800 H2O 600 SOIL 3000 HERB 100 GLOW 1 SOUL	1 SOUL
Globin	999 AIR 999 H2O 999 HERB 7777 ZOO 999 DARK 6 SOUL	↓4444 ZOO ↓666 DARK ↓3 SOUL
Starrii	3333 AIR 3333 H2O 3333 SOIL 5000 HERB 5000 ZOO 500 GLOW 5 TIME	↓2500 HERB ↓2500 ZOO 500 GLOW ↓3 TIME
Lastar	3000 GLOW 3 TIME	↓1500 GLOW ↓2 TIME
Luna=Luna	1000 FIRE 3800 SOIL 2400 IRON 800 HERB 200 DARK 5 SOUL	↑1500 FIRE ↓1500 SOIL ↓1500 IRON +100 ZAP '↓100 HERB ↓100 DARK ↓2 SOUL
Meteo	3000 AIR 3000 FIRE 3000 H2O 3000 SOIL 3000 IRON 3000 ZAP 3000 HERB 3000 ZOO 3000 GLOW 3000 DARK 12 SOUL 12 TIME	↑5000 AIR ↑5000 FIRE ↑5000 H2O ↑5000 SOIL 3000 IRON 3000 ZAP ↓2000 HERB ↓2000 ZOO ↓1000 GLOW ↓1000 DARK ↓5 SOUL ↓5 TIME

(Source: Just A Dataminer, tikal.)

Music

Menus

SEQ_BRIG1, which is the theme normally used for Star Trip intermissions but goes unused in this demo, was completely redone for the final version.

Jan 19 Demo	Final

SEQ_BRIG2, which is the results theme, was also redone. Both this and SEQ_BRIG1 share the same melody.

Jan 19 Demo	Final

Bravo (Geolyte)

Planet Geolyte's soundset uses a different trumpet sample in the prototype. This is easily noticeable in all of its launching and landing sounds, as well as its Lose theme.

	Jan 19 Demo	Final
SEQ_FANG0A_N00
SEQ_FANG1A_N00
SEQ_FANG2A_N00
SEQ_FANG3A_N00
SEQ_FANG4A_N00
SEQ_FANG0B_N00
SEQ_FANG1B_N00
SEQ_FANG2B_N00
SEQ_FANG3B_N00
SEQ_FANG4B_N00
SEQ_FANG0C_N00
SEQ_FANG1C_N00
SEQ_FANG2C_N00
SEQ_FANG3C_N00
SEQ_FANG4C_N00
SEQ_FANB0A_N00
SEQ_FANB1A_N00
SEQ_FANB2A_N00
SEQ_FANB3A_N00
SEQ_OVER_N00

Drumline (Dawndus)

The voice samples used for the falling and Win sounds are less distorted in the prototype.

	Jan 19 Demo	Final
SEQ_DOWN00_N02
SEQ_DOWN30_N02
SEQ_WIN_N02

Cha Cha Chop (Boggob)

The voice samples used for the background music are less distorted in the prototype.

	Jan 19 Demo	Final
SEQ_BACKSNG0_N04
SEQ_BACKSNG1_N04
SEQ_BACKSNG2_N04

Winter Impasse (Freaze)

None of the percussion instruments have any reverb in the prototype.

	Jan 19 Demo	Final
SEQ_BACKSNG0_N05
SEQ_BACKSNG1_N05
SEQ_BACKSNG2_N05
SEQ_DOWN00_N05
SEQ_DOWN30_N05
SEQ_OVER_N05
SEQ_WIN_N05

(Source: Sui)

Ambient Pipes (Cavious)

In the prototype, the spacing between the notes in the Win theme is much more irregular.

	Jan 19 Demo	Final
SEQ_WIN_N07

Meteo Slot

Curiously, the slot used for Planet Meteo's sound set (Planet Meteo) in the final game stores a completely different one in the demo, seemingly themed after traditional Chinese music. Do note that this sound set goes completely unused, as forcing the game to load Planet Meteo reveals that it uses Geolyte's sound set (as well as its blocks and alien sprites).

SEQ_BACKSNG0_N08
SEQ_BACKSNG1_N08
SEQ_BACKSNG2_N08
SEQ_FANG0A_N08
SEQ_FANG1A_N08
SEQ_FANG2A_N08
SEQ_FANG3A_N08
SEQ_FANG4A_N08
SEQ_FANG0B_N08
SEQ_FANG1B_N08
SEQ_FANG2B_N08
SEQ_FANG3B_N08
SEQ_FANG4B_N08
SEQ_FANG0C_N08
SEQ_FANG1C_N08
SEQ_FANG2C_N08
SEQ_FANG3C_N08
SEQ_FANG4C_N08
SEQ_DOWN00_N08
SEQ_DOWN30_N08
SEQ_FANB0A_N08
SEQ_FANB1A_N08
SEQ_FANB2A_N08
SEQ_FANB3A_N08
SEQ_OVER_N08
SEQ_WIN_N08

Number 5 (Yooj)

The launching sound effects seem to be structured much differently in the prototype; the same sound is used for all Launch 1-4 sounds, and a different one is used for Launch 5. The final game makes all five Launch sounds different, though keeps the old Launch 1 sound.
Additionally, the strings in the Lose theme are much louder in the prototype, completely obscuring the harpischord.

	Jan 19 Demo	Final
SEQ_FANG0A_N09
SEQ_FANG1A_N09
SEQ_FANG2A_N09
SEQ_FANG3A_N09
SEQ_FANG4A_N09
SEQ_OVER_N09

Hot Revival (Suburbion)

In an unusual divergence, the falling sounds are higher-pitched in the prototype.

Additionally, the landing sounds are completely different as well.

	Jan 19 Demo	Final
SEQ_DOWN00_N14
SEQ_DOWN30_N14
SEQ_FANB0A_N14
SEQ_FANB1A_N14
SEQ_FANB2A_N14
SEQ_FANB3A_N14

Metallia (Gravitas)

All of Gravitas' music tracks use different sounds for the drums.

Additionally, the structure of the launch sounds is also different, with only the Launch 5 sounds being the same.

	Jan 19 Demo	Final
SEQ_BACKSNG0_N29
SEQ_BACKSNG1_N29
SEQ_BACKSNG2_N29
SEQ_FANG0A_N29
SEQ_FANG1A_N29
SEQ_FANG2A_N29
SEQ_FANG3A_N29
SEQ_FANG0B_N29
SEQ_FANG1B_N29
SEQ_FANG2B_N29
SEQ_FANG3B_N29
SEQ_FANG0C_N29
SEQ_FANG1C_N29
SEQ_FANG2C_N29
SEQ_FANG3C_N29

Natural Paradise (Vubble*)

The second and third background tracks do not fade in in the final game. Due to these tracks' very long length, only the first 10 seconds will be shown here.

	Jan 19 Demo	Final
SEQ_BACKSNG1_N29
SEQ_BACKSNG2_N29