Proto:Ren & Stimpy: Stimpy's Invention

This page details one or more prototype versions of Ren & Stimpy: Stimpy's Invention.

This page is rather stubbly and could use some expansion. Are you a bad enough dude to rescue this article?

To do: There are a lot more differences here to cover.

  This prototype is documented on Hidden Palace.

An early prototype of Ren & Stimpy: Stimpy's Invention found its way on BBS back in October 1993. Luckily, this early video game prototype wasn't forgotten about back in the day, unlike some others.

That said, the prototype is way different than the final in every respect. In addition, only three of the levels in the prototype were used in the final.

General Differences

• The marching log scene used for the Sega logo in the final has not been implemented at this point, instead using the standard logo.
• Health is determined by the face at the top left corner of the screen, with lives in the top center. The final build uses a health bar and shows the remaining amount of lives at the bottom center of the screen. On top of this, there are no invincibility frames at this point, so this can be an easy way to get stuck in the second level of this build.
• Stimpy uses some of Ren's sprites in certain situations, mainly when he's standing on the edge of a platform.
• Not much in the way of voice samples has been done, since most are absent.
• Powdered Toast Man doesn't drop you in a predetermined location like he does in the final, instead you stay on him until you jump off. Also, no health is lost when Powdered Toast Man rescues you.
• Pressing Start does not bring up a pause menu, instead skipping to the next area.
• Quickly pressing Start two times switches between the characters. The change is temporary, and going to the next area switches back to the character selected from the menu.
• The Happy Happy Joy Joy dance is absent in this build. After the "final" level, the prototype dumps you back to the Sega screen.

Main Menu

The title screen is absent, instead consolidating the option and main menus into one menu. Further, the controls shown on this screen are incorrect. The A Button is Action, the B Button is Interaction, and the C Button is Jump.

Scrapped Levels/Level Differences

To do: A WHOLE lot more. We've only touched the tip of the iceberg with these as far as levels go.

Grocery Store

The first level in this build is a grocery store, with not much in it as far as obstacles or enemies go.

The start area, although not shown here, has two shopping carts that can warp you inside them when they touch you. They don't do any damage, and neither do most of the objects in this level.

Further past the carts is Mrs. Buttloaves, the lady from the Fire Dogs episode of the show. She is mainly the only thing that can hurt you in this level. And yes, the kisses she blows at you can hurt you too.

After getting past her and using Stimpy to get onto the conveyor belts, cash registers can be seen in the background. The cash registers have buttons that are spawned randomly (sometimes they won't have any buttons at all), and jumping onto them causes the till to open and a flag to come up.

In between cash registers are void stamps that are meant to be enemies. They lack collision and don't hurt you.

And this is the end of the level. The Fizz bottle most likely would have popped open, pushing the bottle cap up, sending you to the next level. Time for a level skip.

Early Freezer

The freezer level, from what can be seen, was already picked to be the second level at this point. Although it is in more of a rough shape in the prototype, a reworked version was used in the final.

Looks like the Eye Scream pun was already thought up at this point, albeit the only available thing supporting this being the box, which in itself is also in a rough shape. The final version of the level has actual enemies made from this.

There is a thermometer hanging under where you spawn at in the early version of the level.

Popsicles are used in some spots as platforms.

Looks like the chickens were already designed as enemies as well, the pies and chickens functioning fully. There is one small problem though: If a chicken pins you up against the wall and starts attacking you, it will keep attacking you. With a lack of invincibility frames, this prevents you from getting any further in the level, making the only way out by way of level skip or by resetting the game.

Unused Screens

By entering the Pro Action Replay code, FF800A:????, while replacing the ???? with one of the values down below, you can see unfinished and unused screens right after the Sega logo.

(Source: LucybonesSquirrel)

0000

An early title screen for the game. It plays the same music as the final game.

0001

The same as the last one, but with the wrong color palette.

0008

The rest of these until 0010 are for the opening cutscene. This one is Stimpy's lab room glowing from outside the door, similar to the episode from the same name.

0009

Ren and Stimpy next to the machine.

000A

Stimpy places a sock onto the machine, turning it into meat.

000B

A very creepy screen of Ren staring blankly into the machine with a green border of hams.

000C

Stimpy working on the machine. It's a closeup of 0009.

000D

Stimpy now places a shoe onto the machine. The device shocks it until...

000E

0010

This is a very simple test level with various geometric shapes. There is not a whole lot of collision here, so you can fall through some of the platforms.