| Tomb Raider [26/7/96] |

By: Core Design Planned for release in: 1996 Type: 3D Action Adventure Players: 1 Peripherals: N/A

This early version of Tomb Raider is rather interesting. Despite containing only one level (City of Vilcabamba)
and the Gym training level, it has several rather interesting bits that save it from being just an ordinary demo
or preview version. First of all is the 'Record demo' mode, which wasn't in the retail version. That said, it doesn't
appear to do much. You'll be able to start and record something but it won't playback after selecting the 'demo
playback' option. Strange.

However, this demo playback option actually is rather interesting because Core recorded some demos themselves,
which you are able to see. The demo starts with what looks like a cheat (various flips, it's kinda how the weapon
and levels select cheats worked on the PC version) and sometimes ends with some sort of glitch which has Lara
floating in the air like she's swimming (see screens 24&25). I was unable to make this glitch appear again.


There are plenty of in-game differences between the retail version of Tomb Raider and this prototype. Here's a list;

*Overall this version is a LOT brighter
*Lara starts in front of the large doors (which are closed and use generic texturing, see screen 11)
*Various places have ammo scattered around where none is found in the retail version
*There are no save crystals
*The skeleton key cannot be found, there's some pottery in the place where it would normally be
*The Idol is found on the top floor just before dropping down instead of in the alcove seen on screen 15
*The Gold Idol is called 'Level 2 Puzzle 1'
*The texture of the door of the secret chamber (screen 12) that is opened by the underwater lever is different
*The skeleton-key-locked door can be opened by a normal switch
*There a no blowdarts behind the door (screen 16)
*The crumbling tiles texture is generic and looks a lot more detailed in the final version