Project Dream

The only known screenshot of Project Dream, featuring Edison

Project Dream was an unreleased RPG video game that was originally to be developed for the Super NES, but was moved to the Nintendo 64. It was eventually redeveloped into what is now Banjo-Kazooie.

Development

Project Dream started out as a seafaring RPG for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System, with the intent of being Rareware's masterpiece on the console, using pre-rendered graphics much like the Donkey Kong Country games. Development started in 1994-5, and at one point, it was determined that Dream was too big for the SNES, so it was moved to the Nintendo 64, to be retooled as a 3D RPG, featuring unique 3D environments created by stretching out the polygons.

However, the Nintendo 64 didn't have enough processing power to maintain such environments at a steady frame rate. Taking inspiration from Conker's Twelve Tales (which was being developed by the Killer Instinct team, and would eventually become Conker's Bad Fur Day), Dream was remade by the development team (which had also worked on Donkey Kong Country) into a 3D platformer in the vein of Super Mario 64, but kept some of the elements of the RPG. After deeming Edison to be "generic", Rare began to experiment with several woodland characters that had previously been secondary characters, including "a dopey dog, a rabbit that looked like a man, and a bear." That bear character would eventually become Banjo.

Eventually, Dream was scrapped, and the development team started over from scratch, creating Banjo-Kazooie.

There was a demo of the SNES version with a full introduction sequence and one level, and according to composer Grant Kirkhope, if it still exists, it may be locked away somewhere at Rare's headquarters. Mr. Kirkhope also commented this on the demo, "I was blown away. It looked beautiful and a step up above the Donkey Kong Country games."

Plot

Project Dream, while not offering too much of a story, tells the tale of a boy adventurer by the name of Edison who, along with his girlfriend, Madeleine, gets tangled up with a bunch of no-good pirates named Flintlock Jock, Grim Jim, and their leader, the infamous Captain Blackeye, who commands the pirate ship known as the Mudplugger.

Characters

• Edison - The main character for the SNES version. He stirred up trouble with pirates.
• Madeleine - Edison's girlfriend
• Banjo - He was originally designed to be a secondary character. However, he would later appear in his own game.
• Captain Blackeye - The captain of a pirate crew and main antagonist of the game. He later appeared as a character in Banjo-Tooie at Jolly's Bar in Jolly Roger's Lagoon. He repeats the words "Once, I had a dream...", which may be a reference to his original role.
• Grim Jim - One of Blackeye's crew members
• Flintlock Jock - A member of Captain Blackeye's band of pirates
• Cockeye - A "good pirate and a bit of a mad professor", as Grand Kirkhope would put it
• Big Belly - An obese pirate who was part of Captain Blackeye's crew on the Mudplugger, who liked to eat and drink a lot.
• A strange, unintelligent rabbit - This character was going to be a secondary character in the SNES version, but he was later changed to the main character when Edison was considered too "generic".
• Tooty/Piccolo - Tooty was going to appear in the game as Banjo's girlfriend, and her original name was Piccolo, to match her musical instrument. This was later changed to Tooty.
• Grunty/The Giant - Gruntilda was meant to be a giant in the N64 version, but she was later changed to that of an evil witch for Banjo-Kazooie.
• An idiotic dog - Another secondary character.
• Tiptup - He was also going to be a secondary character, much like Banjo was.
• Kazooie - Not originally scheduled to appear as a character in this one, but she appeared as a baby bird in a nest looked after by Ella, who first found the nest with an egg and a mother and father bird. The mother hatched Kazooie and the chick said her first word, "Bweee!!!" because she first appeared as a baby breegull.
• Ella - Edison's girly and princess-ish younger sister, who was originally going to have a high pitched voice. Her original name may have been Leela Burns.

Other minor characters were also recently revealed by Grant Kirkhope on his website. 

Music

Even though Dream was not released, Grant Kirkhope (composer for the music of Banjo-Kazooie) had already composed 107 tunes for it. Some of these songs reappeared in the Banjo-Kazooie series, as well as other Rare games, such as Viva Piñata. Grant has released some of these on his website. Of course, YouTube user RawkHawk2010 uploaded videos of some of these tracks, including the main theme.

Project Dream Music - Main Theme

Project Dream's main theme. Video by RawkHawk2010.

Project Dream Music - Blackeye

Blackeye's theme. Video by RawkHawk2010.

Project Dream Music - Chase

A tune for a possible chase scene. Video by RawkHawk2010

Project Dream Music - Shanty

"Shanty" composed by Grant Kirkhope. Possible theme for a town area. Video by RawkHawk2010.

Project Dream Music - Troll

"Troll" composed by Grant Kirkhope. Possible theme for a troll enemy in the game. Video by RawkHawk2010.

Project Dream Music - Bully

Certain notes from this composition made it into the theme for Mad Monster Mansion. Video By Rawkhawk2010.

Project Dream Music - Madeleine

Theme tune for Edison's lovely girlfriend, Madeleine. Video by RawkHawk2010

Project Dream Music - Voyage

No argument with RawkHawk2010. It is the tune for going from island to island in the game, after all. Video by RawkHawk2010.

Project Dream Music - Cockeye

Cockeye's theme, composed by Grant Kirkhope. Video by RawkHawk2010.

Klagmar's Top VGM 1,220 - Project Dream - Prickly Pear Island

Theme for Prickly Pear Island. Video by Klagmar.

Big Belly (Project Dream) - Banjo-Kazooie Music Extended

Big Belly's theme, composed by Grant Kirkhope. Extended video by BrawlBRSTMs3.