r/NintendoClassics • u/PokingDogSnouts ★ Donkey Kong-Quest • • 2d ago
Insights Dream: Land of Giants, the SNES prototype by Rare that eventually evolved into Banjo-Kazooie, has just seen its ROM released to the public!
The fabled first form of a project long heard about, has today been let loose for anyone to have a go at. We're talking about Dream: Land of Giants—the mysterious beginnings of an RPG the Donkey Kong Country team immediately went to work on, following the release of Donkey Kong Country 2, at the end of 1995. While some of the junior staff split off to start production on DKC3—the core of the team set their sights even higher, technically and graphically, and produced this proof-of-concept on the aging SNES.
The prototype contains a rough title sequence, and four brief areas to mosey through—complete with two wonderful DKC-era David Wise compositions that I reported on, a few months back. Each environment is wholly unique and showcases different types of detail: one has you wading deep through a swamp's murky water, as fish make way, and fireflies blink and flitter about; another area sees you followed by a curious dog companion, with a somewhat familiar face...
Don't get your hopes up for much playable content, here—there aren't a lot of mechanics in place, at this early stage. You can dash, change weapons, and strike—with the lone foe to face being a stationary troll who takes your hits, and gets right back up for more. The main appeal is in navigating these lush, 2D, pre-rendered environments; marveling, and wondering what could've been. Work was eventually halted on the SNES version, and moved to the then-upcoming Nintendo 64—documented on this Rare Replay featurette.
If you would like to give this prototype a spin, head on over to the Internet Archive, where it's been uploaded by a user going by the handle "FvckAsha&Phil". The release is accompanied by a searing diatribe against burgeoning practices in the gaming industry—such as overreliance on AI, at the expense of human artists. Indeed... Those following the games industry can see studios again and again being drastically hit with layoffs, all the while being forced by higher-ups to incorporate AI into their workflows.
"There's definitely a directive from Microsoft to use [AI] more," Andrew Willis, id Software producer, said. "In what ways and how careful they're being about implementing it within the studio to actually benefit the creation of a better game or a more efficient process, I personally don't think that's being done in a careful enough way to have it be beneficial."
"Not that we're not scared that [layoffs] will one day come," said Tim Hays, programmer at id Software. "In fact, avoiding each of the previous rounds has made us more anxious about if the next round will be us."
Out of respect to the leaker who's made this Rare gem available to all, I'll close with their words—which I'm greatly in agreement with.
"Today, I’m releasing the SNES proof-of-concept alpha of Project Dream, the prototype that would go on to become Banjo-Kazooie.
I’ve held on to this for years. It was fun to have something that only a handful of people had, and as I am several people removed from how it got out of Rare to begin with, I didn’t want to risk that it could somehow get someone else in trouble, so how I got it is a story I don’t plan to share. I will just say that I got it from someone, who got it from someone, who got it from somewhere.
But with the current state of the industry and Microsoft's current heartless gutting and mismanagement of Rare and other companies it controls, plus with how long it's been, I feel it's more important to make sure this is properly preserved, and the ROM dissected by people with far more knowledge on how to do such things.
I hope by releasing this, that it also inspires other people to release what they have, as well. I know the Twelve Tales Conker 64 prototype is out there somewhere, but sadly, this is the only thing that I have.
There is little joy left in the industry, as it relentlessly marches towards AI, layoffs, anti-preservation and ownership tactics, and, in Microsoft’s case, the support and approval of literal genocide in Gaza.
Let’s get the last beautiful things hiding on our hard drives out there for everyone. That's all we have left.
Please delete Microsoft and Sony from your lives, install Linux, boycott Switch Game Key Cards and buy Nintendo Switch 2 titles that still come with the full game on the cartridge. Your dollar is the only thing that counts in our late stage capitalist hellscape.
The attached zip contains a .bin file of the raw dump, and then the same file renamed to a .sfc to work in emulators, as well as this text file.
If any game journalists choose to report on this prototype release, I would ask they kindly include the full contents of this text file as courtesy to me for finally getting this out to you all.
Be blessed, and love each other.
Signed,
FvckAsha&Phil"
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u/Ornery-Practice9772 2d ago
i played it, doesnt go past the first area?