Proto:Virtual Bart (SNES)

This page details one or more prototype versions of Virtual Bart (SNES).

  This prototype is documented on Hidden Palace.

Download Virtual Bart (Prototype) File: Virtual_Bart_(Prototype).zip (1.5 MB) (info)

A build of Virtual Bart for SNES was released on June 7th, 1994, which predates the final build by just under two months.

General Differences

• The title screen, intro and main menu have no music.
• Pressing Start on a second controller lets you skip levels.
• Certain cutscenes haven't been implemented yet, such as the Pig Bart and Baby Bart endings, and as a result, those said levels are impossible to complete.

Title Screen

Prototype	Final

• Bart in the center of the screen was him in the virtual reality machine.

Prototype	Final

• The drum roll is longer and with less reverb in the prototype.

Intro

Venus Fly Trap

Prototype	Final

• The kid's last name was added to the name tag in the final.

Space Mutant

Prototype	Final

• Another student's full name was put on her tag as well. The space mutant's upper body in the final was darkened, and given the name "DARREN".

Door

Prototype	Final

• In the prototype, the experiment happens behind a wall. In the final game, there's a door to the experiment. "Volunteer Needed" was also changed to "Victim Needed".

Virtual Reality Machine

Prototype	Final

• Bart wears a dark blue helmet with a pointy antennae in the prototype. His clothes were a less saturated along with some small objects on the wheel (these objects appeared to have been assigned the same palette as his clothing).

Baby Bart

Intro

Prototype	Final

• The opening cutscene in the prototype appears crude and unrefined compared to the final. Notably, Homer isn't nearly as fat as he should be, the borders surrounding the animation are of a dark yellow-green color instead of black, and the ice cream truck isn't seen out the window.

Background

Prototype	Final

• There are trees in the background.
• The trees in the foreground have a faded color.
• The house is different and doesn't resemble the Simpsons house.
• The mountains are different.
• A bush was added to the front of the house in the final.

Music

Prototype	Final

• In the prototype, the first stage music consists of the children's songs "This Old Man" and "Pop Goes the Weasel", each looping eight times before switching melodies. In the final game, it was replaced with the Mister Softee jingle.

Enemies

Prototype	Final

• The paper airplane enemy was a remote controlled plane in the prototype.

Prototype	Final

• The frisbee is static and had a red dot in the prototype. The final game made it animated and removed the red dot.

Prototype	Final

• The juggling clown has less detail and a yellow nose in the prototype.

Prototype	Final

• The bouncing clowns are on seesaws in the prototype.

Race

Prototype	Final

• The race with Jimbo and Kearney uses a different background, with different bushes and colors. This section does not have its own music yet, instead playing the circus theme used in the proceeding section. The final game uses a 2nd remix of the Mr. Softee theme, different from the remix used in the preceeding section.

Pork Factory Pig Bart

To do: Play through it to find more differences.

Prototype	Final

• The "For He's A Jolly Good Fellow" rendition played in the ending cutscene is much slower and deeper in the prototype.
• While pressing both L and R, Pig Bart will have free movement with the D-Pad controlling his direction. Time will also be reset to 456 seconds.

Intro

Prototype	Final

• The "KRUSTY" logo was larger, likely intending to make the factory stage belonging to Krusty even more obvious.
• The upper windows show the lights turning on only in the prototype.

Virtual Class Picture

Prototype	Final

• Bart makes a more mischievous smirk than in the final. This may have been changed because the original art breaks several Simpsons style guidelines, most notably the one against "demonic expressions."
• The "CLASS PHOTO TODAY" note was smaller.

Level 1

Prototype	Final

• The mailbox is missing its label.
• The girl in the red dress was made black in the final version.

Prototype	Final

• The music has slightly different percussion in the prototype.

Results

Prototype	Final

• Bart makes different poses with a much more sinister smirk in the prototype. Like his face in the opening cutscene, this was likely changed to be more on-brand.
• The girl in the red dress was again changed to black.
• Mrs. Krabappel's name is misspelled as "Mrs. Kraboppel".
• "I'M A WEINER" and an arrow pointing to Principal Skinner were added to the blackboard in the final.
• The final version plays a fanfare if you manage to hit every student. This is not present in the prototype.

Prototype	Final

After hitting every student, Bart moons the camera in the prototype. This was toned down to a generic silly face in the final version.

Level 2

Prototype	Final

• Level 2 doesn't have its own music in the prototype, so it just reuses the music from level 1.
• Some of the windows on the school were moved around with one extra on the top of the school.
• The egg sprites in the top left corner were changed.
• The jungle gym was moved over.
• Sherri and Terri were switched to the opposite side at the start.

Mount Splashmore

Intro

Prototype	Final

• Bart is animated and drawn much more crudely in the prototype.
• The camera pan is faster.

Prototype	Final

• Several characters have different colors.
• Sherri and Terri are very large in the prototype.
• Chief Wiggum's lip is straighter in the final.

Gameplay

• The slide itself seems to move slower in the prototype.
• Collecting a clock plays a cash register sound instead of the generic pickup sound.

Stuck Homer

Prototype	Final

Homer has a green frown face on his swim trunks that was removed in the final. This is a reference to the level's inspiration, the Season 2 episode "Brush With Greatness", in which Homer wore similar swim trunks.

Girl

Prototype	Final

The girl in the water slide is larger and with a dark yellow outline.

Lion Cutscene

Prototype	Final

The lion is drawn crudely compared to the final.

Wall Cutscene

Prototype	Final

• The whole cutscene is at a different angle, with less detail on the wall.
• Krusty has blue hair.
• The "WELCOME TO" part was removed.

Ending

Prototype	Final

• Bart is making a fist instead of a thumbs up.
• Bart can be seen clipping through the ground after he splashes.
• Sherri and Terri were flipped around and slightly redrawn.

Dino Bart

Dinosaur Bart

Prototype	Final

Dino Bart's thigh is straighter in the prototype.

Intro

Prototype	Final

The background is completely different in the prototype, and is only seen in the opening cutscene. The rudimentary nature of the background implies it had just been worked on before being scrapped, with the scene taking place in the actual level later in development.

Level 1

Prototype	Final

• The sky is an orangeish-pink, like the Genesis Version.
• There are less plants at the bottom of the screen.
• There are cracks in the path.
• The mountains were brown as opposed to blue.

Prototype	Final

• The side of the mountain was a faded brown with no cracks.
• The platforms are solid colors.
• Maggie is in a poorly placed position and seems to be floating.

Doomsday Bart

Intro

Prototype	Final

• Bart had a blue jacket and a five o'clock shadow.
• Bart's head had dark yellow outlines instead of black.
• A few parts of the background were altered.

Game Over

Prototype	Final

In the prototype, Jimbo and Kearney just tug on Bart's arms and it ends. In the final, they stretch his arms out. He also had a five o'clock shadow in the prototype. Oddly, Bart's jacket was not recolored in the final.

Ending

Prototype	Final

• The Simpsons house was changed to being completely destroyed in the final.
• As with the intro, Bart had a five o'clock shadow. His head seems to have been completely redrawn.
• Krusty doesn't say "Hey, surviving kids!" and laughs goofily

Ending

Prototype	Final

• Homer spinning in the wheel is very slow and lasts about a minute before ending.
• Homer lacks his smile and has blander colors compared to the final.
• Blue and red disks (doughnuts?) fly by.
• Once again, the helmet is different.
• There's actually an ending screen, though it's very sloppy and glitchy. The "YOU ARE A TRUE BART SIMPSON" text remains in the final, but is unused.