JumpStart Adventures 3rd Grade: Mystery Mountain/Pre-release and Unused Content

Pre-release and Unused Content

This is a list of pre-release and unused content from JumpStart Adventures 3rd Grade: Mystery Mountain. They were only used during the E3 1995 event at the Los Angeles Convention Center.

Classroom Prototype[]

A trailer for the game from KnowledgeLand contains a pre-release image of Botley meeting the player in the 3rd Grade Schoolhouse.

(Click "Expand" to see a list of differences that the pre-release content has compared to the final release)

In the pre-release image, Botley is inside the classroom with the window still intact, when in the final release he breaks through the window upon entering the classroom. This could possibly imply that Botley was originally going to enter the classroom a different way.
The TransQuizzer and exit button are missing.
The paper on the desk closest to Botley has a different appearance.

Unused Polly Shot[]

The JumpStart website circa 1996 included this shot of Polly in her father's secret chamber. The equivalent shot in the final game has Polly posed differently and an image on the monitor.

Incidentally, the back cover of JumpStart Summer Vacation Activity Book for 3rd Grade included an image of Polly that was clearly derived from this unused shot.

Ms. Winkle/TransQuizzer Prototype[]

One of the game's digital manual images depicts an early design for Ms. Winkle and the TransQuizzer.

(Click "Expand" to see a list of differences that the pre-release content has compared to the final release)

Ms. Winkle's prototype is completely different from her final design. Her prototype is pale and pudgy with black hair in a bun, a black top with a white frilly collar and glasses, while her final design is dark-skinned and thin with short bob-like brown hair, a purple shirt and no glasses.
The background behind Ms. Winkle is dark blue instead of yellow.
A different pose is used for Polly.
Botley and the QuizDisk are absent.
The single button near the top of the TransQuizzer is orange instead of yellow.
The screens that display text on the TransQuizzer are slightly darker.
The left screen shows a longer section of text. It appears to show all of Ms. Winkle's speech, as opposed to simply summarizing her final question.
Polly's response text is centered in the right screen instead of near the top.

Unused Mystery Mountain Design[]

An unused graphic depicting what appears to be an early design of Mystery Mountain appears in the game's files.

(Click "Expand" to see a list of differences that the pre-release content has compared to the final release)

The prototype mountain is wider overall, while the final design becomes much slimmer near the top. The prototype mountain is also brown while the final design is more gray.
The door appears to be bigger.
Both the Observatory and Biosphere domes have slightly different appearances. While both have a glass-like appearance and are about the same size in the prototype, in the final design the Observatory has a whitish appearance and is smaller than the Biosphere dome, which is yellow.
A series of linked towers appears in the prototype design, but in the final design there is only one.
There appears to be some snow on parts of the mountain, which is completely absent from the final design.
A different backdrop is used.

Unused Music Hall Door Background[]

The file MD001.RSC contains an unused version of the background for the music hall door.

(Click "Expand" to see a list of differences that the pre-release content has compared to the final release)

The floor and the wall have different colors.
The sign on the top of the door frame, represented as a sheet music book, not only has a different color, but it's music symbols are absent.
On the right side of the door frame is what appears to be a button panel, which is absent in the final release.

Time Machine Prototype[]

The JumpStart website circa 1996 included this image of Mort as one of the Missing Robots. In the final game, Cosmo-Bot is the robot retrieved from Poland, 1531.

Kitchen/Polly Screen Prototype[]

A trailer for the game from KnowledgeLand contains a pre-release image of Polly communicating with Botley via a screen in the kitchen. Mort is completely absent, and both the appearance of the screen and Polly are somewhat different.

First Floor Prototype[]

A trailer for the game from KnowledgeLand contains a pre-release image of Botley on the first floor.

(Click "Expand" to see a list of differences that the pre-release content has compared to the final release)

The stairway leading to the second floor doesn't appear to have any steps, giving it the appearance of a slide.
Botley's sprite has numerous differences. The pre-release sprite has lighter outlines for the most part, Botley's body lacks shading in certain areas, and the shadow beneath him is missing. Botley's hands also have a bright outline that makes them appear to glow. Whether this was intentional or simply due to the sprite not being finished is unclear.
The score indicator on the utility belt uses a different color and font for the numbers.

Basement Landing Graphic[]

A simple graphic saying "Basement Landing" appears in one of the resource files. It is presumably a placeholder graphic, but its purpose is unclear.

Progress Report[]

A pre-release image that appeared in the JumpStart Preview of the Progress report depicts the chart with several differences from the final release.

(Click "Expand" to see a list of differences that the pre-release content has compared to the final release).

The font differs.
The name font is smaller and aligned to the left, as well as being white as opposed to blue.
The date is abbreviated and aligned to the right; it is white as opposed to blue.
The attempts ratio color is a much lighter shade of purple as opposed to the final.
The success/attempts ratios are displayed as two different numbers as opposed to the final's "_ out of _" format.
The chart (which is white instead of blue) divides the bars and success/attempt ratios into separate cels with lines not found in the final.

Christopher Blake Williams' Website[]

The website of Christopher Blake Williams includes samples of his work, which includes some JumpStart 3rd Grade backgrounds that in some cases differ substantially from the final game.