The holy grail of Rareware history has finally leaked. A full SNES proof-of-concept alpha of Project Dream—the isometric RPG prototype that eventually mutated into Banjo-Kazooie—has officially surfaced on the Internet Archive.
After decades of existing as urban legend and low-res developer tapes, gamers and preservationists can now download and emulate the actual code that started it all.
What’s Included in the Prototype?
This raw .bin dump offers a rare, unfiltered look at Rare’s mid-’90s experimental phase. The build is extremely raw, but it gives us a clear look at what the team was testing on Super Nintendo hardware before shifting development to the Nintendo 64.
- 4 Unfinished Stages: Highly preliminary levels showcasing early isometric engine testing and basic art assets.
- Invincible Enemy: An enemy spawns across several scenarios. You can hit it or clip right through it without taking or dealing damage.
- Giant Dinosaur Foot: A massive creature (only its foot is visible) stamps through one of the stages, capable of crushing the player.
- Companions & Sound Effects: A dog follows the player around without interactive mechanics, paired with early sound effects and preliminary audio tracks.
Why the Leaker Dropped It Now
The anonymous leaker, signing off as FvckAsha&Phil, held onto the ROM for years out of fear of legal repercussions for their sources. However, frustration with modern gaming trends pushed them to release the code to the public.
“With the current state of the industry and Microsoft’s current heartless gutting and mismanagement of Rare… 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.”
The Leaker’s Full Statement
Per the uploader’s request to gaming media, here is the unedited text file included with the Internet Archive release:
Today, I’m releasing the SNES proof-of-concept alpha of Project Dream, the proto-type 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, l 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
Play It Yourself: Gear Setup
To run the raw .sfc file accurately, you will need a solid emulator setup or a flash cartridge for original hardware.
- Best SNES Emulators: Run this ROM using Mesen or Snes9x for maximum compatibility.
- Flash Carts: If testing on real hardware, load the
.binor.sfconto an FXPAK Pro (SD2SNES).
