Among the files included in the Gigaleak, a massive 2020 content leak of internal data from Nintendo, are models associated with Dōbutsu no Mori depicting three human characters not seen in the final game: two redcoat soldiers, one tall and one short, and a middle-aged woman in an apron. These characters appear to be early versions of Copper, Booker, and Joan, respectively, which is corroborated by the fact that the woman's filename is "oba," with Joan's sleeping animation being labeled "Sleeping_Obaba" in the files for Dōbutsu no Mori.
All of this appears to indicate that special characters were originally intended to be human before being changed to unique animals later in development; in the final game, the only humans that appear on-screen are the player characters. Copper and Booker would later reincorporate the scrapped redcoat motif in Animal Crossing: Wild World and Animal Crossing: City Folk.
All of this appears to indicate that special characters were originally intended to be human before being changed to unique animals later in development; in the final game, the only humans that appear on-screen are the player characters. Copper and Booker would later reincorporate the scrapped redcoat motif in Animal Crossing: Wild World and Animal Crossing: City Folk.
Contributed by game4brains
Several unused enemies, as well as evidently bosses, still exist within the game's data and can be spawned in-game with a proper third-party cheating device.
A Naga-styled enemy (In Japanese mythology, the Naga is a snake-based monster with the upper torso of a vicious woman) is one notable example, as well as an anthropomorphic demonic tiger which utilized some type of area-of-effect based ice powers. Most notably of all is a towering, multi-armed Hindu-inspired being with green skin and wind-based attacks, who also has functioning "jiggle physics" coded for her breasts during certain animation frames. This unused boss noticeably towers over the player's when hacked in, filling a decent portion of the player's screen.
Although not yet explicitly stated by any developers of Shaolin Monks, it's possible that should these unused characters have made it into the final release, their designs could have emphasized the lore and world building aspects that John Tobias was publicly passionate about in the early installments of the Mortal Kombat continuity. It's equally possible that the two bosses in particular were scrapped simply due to their in-game models holding such stature that extra time and resources would need to be invested in specially designing stages which would house their positions in the linear progression of the story. Hacking either boss in as mentioned above will cause them to clip through surfaces in many of the playable environments.
A Naga-styled enemy (In Japanese mythology, the Naga is a snake-based monster with the upper torso of a vicious woman) is one notable example, as well as an anthropomorphic demonic tiger which utilized some type of area-of-effect based ice powers. Most notably of all is a towering, multi-armed Hindu-inspired being with green skin and wind-based attacks, who also has functioning "jiggle physics" coded for her breasts during certain animation frames. This unused boss noticeably towers over the player's when hacked in, filling a decent portion of the player's screen.
Although not yet explicitly stated by any developers of Shaolin Monks, it's possible that should these unused characters have made it into the final release, their designs could have emphasized the lore and world building aspects that John Tobias was publicly passionate about in the early installments of the Mortal Kombat continuity. It's equally possible that the two bosses in particular were scrapped simply due to their in-game models holding such stature that extra time and resources would need to be invested in specially designing stages which would house their positions in the linear progression of the story. Hacking either boss in as mentioned above will cause them to clip through surfaces in many of the playable environments.
There were three levels planned and almost finished for the game but cut: The first was a level in the Episode I chapter which has the player playing the scene where Anakin accidently attacks and destroys a Trade Federation ship in the space above Naboo. The second one was for the Episode II levels and featured a playable version of Anakin and Obi-Wan's chase of Zam Weasel in a speeder throughout Coruscant like in the beginning of the movie. The third was the scene in Episode III where Obi-Wan chases General Grevious around Utapau on a Boga creature.
The first level was cut because the developers thought that it bloated its Episode's level count, and they wanted the number of levels between all of them to be mostly even. It is unknown why the Speeder chase was cut, but the Boga chase level was cut due to the developers thinking it clashed with the game's co-op multiplayer feature. Nonetheless, the Trade Federation ship level and the Zam Weasel Chase would eventually be realized in LEGO Star Wars: The Complete Saga. However, the Boga chase level didn't appear in that game at all.
The first level was cut because the developers thought that it bloated its Episode's level count, and they wanted the number of levels between all of them to be mostly even. It is unknown why the Speeder chase was cut, but the Boga chase level was cut due to the developers thinking it clashed with the game's co-op multiplayer feature. Nonetheless, the Trade Federation ship level and the Zam Weasel Chase would eventually be realized in LEGO Star Wars: The Complete Saga. However, the Boga chase level didn't appear in that game at all.
Contributed by PirateGoofy
Sprites for an unfinished dragon boss can be found in the game's data. This boss has no working code and cannot be activated in-game.
Contributed by MehDeletingLater
An unfinished boss resembling a cowboy rabbit can be found in the game's data. This boss has an unused animation depicting it firing its gun. According to an early sketch of the game's cover art by Hideyuki Suganami, this boss was named "Lambda Bunny".
Contributed by MehDeletingLater
An unused boss resembling a hand can be found in the game's data and can be fought in Stage 13 through hacking. This boss was featured in pre-release screenshots of the game, and was named "Love Penguin".
Contributed by MehDeletingLater
Seven Force, a boss from Gunstar Heroes that appears in this game as the boss of the Underground Mine stage, was originally intended to have two extra forms: Harpy Force and Nemesis Force. These forms were never finished due to time constraints, but voice clips of the game's announcer saying each form's name can be found in the Voice Test, and their idle sprites can be found in the game's data.
Contributed by MehDeletingLater
A scrapped graphic for a match between Rey Mysterio vs. Jushin Thunder Liger from WCW Starrcade 1996 can still be found in the game's code suggesting the match was originally meant to be featured in the game's Showcase mode focusing on Rey Mysterio's career. The match was likely scrapped due to licensing issues with Jushin Thunder Liger.
Although the match was scrapped; Jushin Thunder Liger's mask can still be found within the game's Create a Superstar, and WCW Starrcade 1996 Rey Mysterio was released as DLC.
Although the match was scrapped; Jushin Thunder Liger's mask can still be found within the game's Create a Superstar, and WCW Starrcade 1996 Rey Mysterio was released as DLC.
In the files of WWE 2K22 can be found base dialogue and social media interactions for a scrapped female MyRISE storyline that would have seen Bray Wyatt possess Dana Brooke and turning her into “The Shiend”, to get revenge on his former associate Alexa Bliss. The storyline would have included a Hell In a Cell match between Alexa Bliss and "The Shiend", and a "Elimination Chamber of Horrors" match. A "Firefly Funhouse set" area can also be found in the game's files that would have presumably been used in some of this story's cutscenes.
This storyline was ultimately scrapped as Windham Rotunda (Bray Wyatt) was released from WWE on July 31st, 2021 due to "budget cuts".
This storyline was ultimately scrapped as Windham Rotunda (Bray Wyatt) was released from WWE on July 31st, 2021 due to "budget cuts".
Although WWE had released Bray Wyatt on July 31st, 2021 due to "budget cuts" (8 months before the release of the game), it seems Visual Concepts had put significant work into him in WWE 2K22 before his release as new entrance motions, championship victory motions, and nameplates for both Bray Wyatt and The Fiend can be found in game.
The entrance motions can still be selected in Create an Entrance as "Funhouse Friend" and "Fiendish", while the championship victory motion is also listed in Create a Victory as "Fiendish" (though the "Fiendish" championship victory is listed twice in game, both motions are the exact same). The nameplates however are hidden in the game files.
The entrance motions can still be selected in Create an Entrance as "Funhouse Friend" and "Fiendish", while the championship victory motion is also listed in Create a Victory as "Fiendish" (though the "Fiendish" championship victory is listed twice in game, both motions are the exact same). The nameplates however are hidden in the game files.
The developers really wanted a character from Square Enix's Final Fantasy series to make an appearance, but Square Enix refused to loan their characters due to SuperBot being a relatively new team and the game they were developing being relatively new as well.
Contributed by PirateGoofy
Lara Croft was planned for the game, but Eidos declined on the grounds that they had different plans for the character and her Tomb Raider series at the time, presumably leading into the series' 2013 reboot.
Contributed by PirateGoofy
Sony tried to obtain the rights to use characters and assets from Activision IPs in the game, such as Crash Bandicoot and Spyro, but negotiations fell through when Activision offered a hefty price tag for them.
Contributed by PirateGoofy
In February 2022, a Twitter user datamined Super Mario Strikers to reveal several unused character models. The unused character models include:
• Generic Mario-style humans, and unused Donkey Kong-like characters (most likely suggesting that captains were going to have their own unique sidekicks themed after them).
• An early model for the Medic that resembles Dull Bones from Paper Mario.
• A Security Pianta that only appeared in the pre-release builds of the game.
• A Goomba Guard that appears to be related to the cut stage "peach_palace"
• Generic Mario-style humans, and unused Donkey Kong-like characters (most likely suggesting that captains were going to have their own unique sidekicks themed after them).
• An early model for the Medic that resembles Dull Bones from Paper Mario.
• A Security Pianta that only appeared in the pre-release builds of the game.
• A Goomba Guard that appears to be related to the cut stage "peach_palace"
Contributed by Yoshispacedragon
There is an unused character with unfinished dialogue in the game's files that likely would have been a potential marriage candidate: Princess Vanilla from the mythical Prune Kingdom. Her general storyline prior to the unused event "Princess Vanilla and the Turtle" features her getting kidnapped by a mole, being cursed to take the form of a turtle, and was going to be forced to marry a frog in this form. The player finds the princess after she had been talking to the Harvest Sprites. She explains in the event that she has not been seen in a long time by humans, but all the bachelorettes seem to have the ability to see her. If he chooses to pick her up, despite her warnings that her curse is transferable by touch, he will become a turtle as well. After this, the player learns from her that the only person that can reverse the curse is a friend, and he proceeds to wander around and talk to the villagers so they can react to him. Eventually, upon interacting with the bachelorette the player has the highest affection with, he returns to normal, and proceeds to turn the princess back into a human as well. From then on, Princess Vanilla stays in Flowerbud as a regular character and seems to have the same amount of events that the other marriage candidates have as your relationship progresses, including special scenes with all five bachelorettes and a line about having a child with the player.
Contributed by MehDeletingLater
Midway’s executive director, Roger Sharpe, claimed that wrestler Adam Bomb (whose real name is Bryan Emmett Clark) is in the game. Sometime later, one of the game’s developers, Sal DeVita, confirmed this, but he remained unfinished.
Contributed by GamerBen144
Anita from the Darkstalkers series is a playable character exclusive to the Japanese version of the game. She was originally used only for testing purposes, but was soon added in the home console versions of the game. With the use of hacking tools, she can be playable in the U.S. version, although she lacks a name tag, quote, character portrait and ending, who instead borrows everything from Thanos.
In addition, Anita's moveset is glitchy and features other cameos such as Akuma from Street Fighter, Mei Ling and Donovan from the Darkstalkers series.
In addition, Anita's moveset is glitchy and features other cameos such as Akuma from Street Fighter, Mei Ling and Donovan from the Darkstalkers series.
The SNES, Game Gear, and Game Boy versions of the game omit Colonel, Diesel, Leotsu, Nezu, and Auroch from the roster unlike in the Sega Genesis and Amiga versions, where in those versions have the character roster complete.
Both the Game Gear and Game Boy versions lack the Tournament Mode and digitized voice samples found in the console versions of the game.
Both the Game Gear and Game Boy versions lack the Tournament Mode and digitized voice samples found in the console versions of the game.
Scrapped character ideas included Silver Surfer (his fighting style — energy blasts & zooming around on his board—didn't mesh well with a fighting game system), Dr. Strange (too similar to Dr. Doom), Mr. Fantastic (his stretching abilities were too hard to draw into sprite form), Daredevil (not compelling as a fighter), Black Widow (Same reason as Daredevil), Hawkeye (Not enough abilities for a moveset) and Scarlet Witch (too overpowered). Dr. Strange, Black Widow and Hawkeye eventually made their way into later games in the series.
Scrapped ideas for potential characters included Howard the Duck (cut because the director felt Norimaro already filled the gag character role in the series and the failure of the Howard the Duck movie), She-Hulk (cut because the fourth-wall shenanigans wouldn't fly in arcades and she'd be a slightly-worse Hulk otherwise) and Spider-Ham (who Capcom USA suggested instead of Howard the Duck. He was cut for the same reason as Howard). She-Hulk later appeared in Marvel vs. Capcom 3: Fate of Two Worlds.
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