Crash Bandicoot: The Wrath of Cortex is the first game in the series released on multiple consoles, and is also the first platforming game not developed by Naughty Dog. Most long time fans say it shows.

Debug Menus

To do: Codes for all Xbox versions and Japanese GameCube version. (if they exist)

At least four separate debug menus of varying functionality can be accessed via one of the following Action Replay codes in the GameCube version:

The following codes activate the debug menu for a varying number PS2 versions, respective to the region and game version. Hold the corresponding button whilst paused to activate the menu:

Main Menu

This menu contains the options typical of a debug menu in a platformer, and was likely used extensively during testing. Any option labelled in bold can be toggled on or off.

Cutscene Debugger

Press Z+R in the main menu.

As the name implies, this "menu" tests the "cutscenes" which play in the game. Note that this isn't a comprehensive list, as it omits any "vortex conversations" with the Elemental Masks and Crunch, in addition to the hologram conversations which play upon defeating a boss or starting a new game.

Draw Settings

Press Z+L in the main menu.

Presumably controls the draw settings in the game.

DRAW DISTANCE: %i/%i

FOG NEAR: %i/%i

FOG FAR: %i/%i

FOG RED: %i/255

FOG GREEN: %i/255

FOG BLUE: %i/255

FOG OPACITY: %i/127

HAZE RED: %i/255

HAZE GREEN: %i/255

HAZE BLUE: %i/255

HAZE WOBBLE: %i/255

Memory Information

Press Z+Y in the main menu.

Shows how much memory is being used up by the game at a current moment in time, relative to the presumed limit.

SUPERBUFFER USED:  %.2fMB/%.2fMB

HIGHALLOCADDR: %.2fMB/32.00MB

joytest_050702.bin

To do: Figure out if it's still possible to get it to connect.

Exclusively in the Gamecube version is an extra GBA rom that appears to have been used for testing.

Unused Graphics

The aptly named "STUFF" folder found in the main directory has an assortment of seemingly random bits and pieces dated far earlier than most of the content on the disc, some of them predating the game's release by a good year and a half.

All Versions

These can be found in all three versions of the game.

Dated all the way back to June 9th 2000, this simplistic looking font is chronologically one of the earliest resources put into the game. The file name ("ARIEL32") suggests it is merely the word processing font Arial, used as a placeholder by the developers until the typical stylised font was created. However, the font is clearly closer to Franklin Gothic than Arial, as can be seen by the uppercase G and Q, as well as the lowercase g.

"COL16", dated June 13th, 2000. Some kind of 16-color test image, featuring a green-to-red gradient and some solid colored rectangles.

"COL256", also dated June 13th, 2000. The same image as above, but with a 256-color palette.

"ENVTXT", dated October 26th, 2001. A basic bumpy chrome texture.

A very early smoke texture, dated even earlier than ARIEL32 (May 3rd, 2000). It may have been a remnant from the project animation demo of Crash And Burn, which was pitched to Universal Interactive by Travellers Tales prior to coding the game.

"SPECTXTF", a small white dot with no obvious purpose. The "SPEC" part of the filename may imply that it was used as a specular highlight.

"TTUNNEL", a larger white spot, purpose unknown.

"CLOUDSLO", an even larger white spot. May have been an early cloud texture that was replaced with a far more refined graphic.

Xbox and GameCube

The Xbox and GameCube versions have a few graphics not found in the PS2 version.

myload.raw is an unused loading screen. The actual loading screen is just text saying "LOADING" against a black background.

copyr1.raw is a splash screen for Travelers Tales. The one used is 3D during the intro sequence.

testfont.bmp is an unused font. It was used when the game was in early development, and contains older HUD icons for Crash and Coco as seen in trailers.

Xbox

Skycube.dds and WaterCubemap.dds are an image of the interior of the Microsoft building. It's from the DirectX SDK.

GameCube

The GameCube version similarly contains leftover data from an SDK, more specifically, an entire folder labeled "carddemo". Normally used for an application designed to test saving and loading data from a GameCube Memory Card.

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Curiously, the Heiho (the Japanese name of Shy Guy) and Yoshi .tpls appear to use sprites ripped directly from the Yoshi Sample demo included in the GBA SDK.

Unused Models

Elephant

Elephant.hgo is a seemingly unfinished model of an elephant, as it has no eyes. Is an unused animal for the level "Jungle Rumble"

Cow

Cow.hgo is a cow.

Lion

Lion.hgo is a lion.

Giraffe

Giraffe.hgo is an unused giraffe for the level "Jungle Rumble".

Unused Text

The Test Zone

btestzonetest

TEST ZONE

References to an area known as the "Test Zone" exist in memory, grouped in with the text for all of the level names, internal or otherwise. It can't be accessed by any means in-game unfortunately, but its existence can be proven by these references.

Development Instructions

An absolute crapload of decompiled text related to game development, graphic pointers and errors exist on the disc. There is far too much to put on one page, but a sample of what it contains can be seen below:

unknown condition code %d

unknown condition '%s' at line %d

Tex Anim Assembler Fatal Error: too many labels

Tex Anim Assembler Fatal Error: too many global labels

scriptname

untiltex

TexAnim Processor Alert: Call Stack Overflow at (%d)

TexAnim Processor Alert: Call Stack Underflow at (%d)

TexAnim Processor Alert: Too Many Nested Repeat Loops at (%d)

TexAnim Processor Alert: REPEND without REPEAT at (%d)

TexAnim Processor Alert: UNTILTEX without REPEAT at (%d)

Alpha multiply underflow

unsupported rendertarget type

unsupported texture format

Quantized - %d colours

Texture width MUST be a power of two, not %d

Texture height MUST be a power of two, not %d

Loaded default mpg

Unknown Viftag (%08d)- stopping decode

VIF code decoded length does not match dmatag length

Duff frame pointer

Misaligned DMATAG

Misaligned DMATAG reference

Unknown tag id

NuGCutRigidSysFixUp: cannot fixup rigid object

EnableFlags

Debug Id

Provisional Level Names

To do: These level names are actually used in the PAL French versions.

Viewing the game's text in a hex editor shows a few early level names grouped next to their finalized counterparts in memory.

BANDICOOT ON ICE

Appears directly before "Arctic Antics", the first level in the game. It was likely changed due to bearing too much of a resemblence to the existing level name "Ice Station Bandicoot".

ROK A GO GO

An early name for "Rumble in the Roks", the first boss battle against Crunch with the Earth Elemental. It is unknown why it was changed.

H2O - OH NO!

An incredibly minor change was made to make this name flow more effectively - it therefore changed from "H2O - OH NO!" to "H2 OH NO".

roknrol

The name for the music file in the level "Bamboozled". Could either stand for "ROK N' ROLL" or "ROCK N' ROLL". The first is likely a pun on the character "Rok-Ko"; the boss from the first warp room, which this level is in.

Miscellaneous

Test message

A very generic test message. Hey, if it works...

proximity_crate

A crate type which goes unused in this game. As the only indicator of this crate's existence is textual, it is unknown how it would function in-game.

MIDGET

A placeholder name closely tied to the cheat menu documented above, that seems to replace any selected name upon using the "RESET GAME" function. It is more than likely an internal joke between the developers.

Unused Stages

Unused stages can be found in the game, all of which retain some form of playability.

To do: Get better videos and information on how to access these. Also, there are a LOT of either beta or unfinished stages to add.

Fire Island

An all red level with geysers and volcanoes that was called "Fire Island". There are no sounds for any of the fire effects, volcanoes, or geysers.

Airship Level

You needed to destroy the guns in Neo Cortex's airship from Weathering Heights using the Glider. Compared to the other unused levels, this one is the most finished. It is also plausible to think that Weathering Heights was an extra part of this level.
Use the code below and enter Arctic Antics to start the level.

E3 Warp Room

A warp room presumably used at the game's E3 2001 presentation is surprisingly still present on the disc, although most of its features have been removed. This old remnant contains numerous differences to the warp room used in the retail product, for starters, it is far more primitive in design and only contains 5 warp pads, and in addition to this, the collision is mostly removed, rendering the hub difficult to navigate. The warp pads themselves also prove interesting, as they feature holograms depicting the respective level overlaid onto the pad itself, a feature which wasn't carried over to the final version. They also don't warp you anywhere, and attempting to walk onto the pads causes you to fall through the floor, as the pads also lack collision.
Use the Action Replay code below to access the warp room.

Unfinished Fahrenheit Frenzy

A Unfinished version of Fahrenheit Frenzy is present in the game file. This version contains some few differences:

• Some objects are either completely missing or don't load correctly.

Test level

To do: Get a video of the entire level.

A test level is present in the game files.

Unused Voice Clips

To do: Check XBox and GameCube versions. Also, find more unused clips.

There are 2 unused voice clips in the PS2 version of the game:

• This voice clip from Coco seems to have been the dialog at the start of the cut airship level, as evidenced by Coco mentioning Crash having to destroy guns on Cortex's airship.

• This voice clip from Aku Aku is a remake of the voice clip from Crash 3.

Regional Differences

• The Japanese version includes gameplay tips from Aku Aku, which was a customary change that had been in place since the original game.

• The Japanese version has some few different animations, and the dance at the credits screen resembles more his Japanese dance.

Revisional Differences

The original PS2 version of the game is notorious for its long load times, averaging around 47 seconds. According to the founder of Traveler's Tales, this was actually a leftover of a small minigame earlier in development that would occur where you could move Crash through hyperspace and collect Wumpa Fruit as he warped into the level, and any Wumpa Fruit collected would be added to your totals when the level loaded. However, due to a fraudulent patent Namco had over loading screen minigames at the time it had to be removed, and due to time constraints the long load times from when the minigame still existed couldn't be removed.

The Greatest Hits re-release shrunk them down to a much more tolerable 17 seconds.