Whizz

This prototype appears to be in an advanced state, but lacks things found in the final version of the game. Thanks to Thanks to drx and Hidden Palace for this release. By: Evan G Last updated: July 28, 2026

Whizz looks like a promising game with a unique isometric perspective. However, the game is brutal due to three design choices. First, the timer is very short, so you really can only progress by memorization through repeated plays. Second, when you die, you restart the level. The levels are really long! You do not get a lot of free lives. Perhaps the biggest design flaw is that in the default difficulty, every time you use your spin attack, you lose health. Since the controls are pretty loose, this means that it is almost preferable to take a hit from an enemy rather than try to destroy them with your attack. Remove the timer and the health drain from attacking, and I think this would be a nice game.

Note that all comparisons are against the US release of the game (the prototype has a NTSC CIC chip, so a US release might have been targeted first).

The prototype appears to have the main game engine working, and the first two levels were nearly complete (I am not good enough to get further). The controls in the prototype are different than the defaults in the final version, with A button to jump, and B to attack (the final version is B and Y, respectively). There is a complete lack of sound effects and the music is different. Another difference is with the barriers that the rabbit faces. In the final version, you have to collect items that allow you to smash through the barriers. In the prototype, the items are there, but you can smash through the barriers without them.

Copyright screen

The prototype has a 1995 copyright year, while the final version is 1996.

Prototype	Final release

Title screen

The final version adds a sun and fence to the title screen, and the rabbit will spin across the screen. The options menu, although it appears here, does not work in the prototype. The font size is also different for the options.

Prototype	Final release

Start of Stage 1-1

The prototype lacks the text that shows the stage number and lives when you start a level. Stage 1-1 gives you 50 seconds in the prototype, but only 42 in the final version. There is also a rain or wind graphical effect in the final version that is not in the prototype. The rest of the graphics and level design looks basically the same.

Prototype	Final release

PCB scans

The prototype is a 2 EPROM board, with one chip that has a label that says "WHIZZ", while the other is just a white sticker.

Prototype PCB - front

Prototype PCB - back

Download here