Ahh, I’m so glad all of you at KI enjoyed this! 🙌 Nothing makes me happier than exciting both wizard101 fans AND developers with my content! Got many more awesome video ideas planned, so stay tuned! 😉
Y’all struck gold with the series. Been playing since January 2009. Hopefully the other arc 1 worlds are getting a new coat of paint, but if they stay the way they are, that’s fine too. Get to boot into the game and have a nostalgia trip
it would be super awesome if someone at kingsisle could show us a few more screenshots of the alpha! that would make an incredibly fun video to watch and fans all around would appreciate it.
Kingsisle should totally release a card game version of the spell cards. It would be an awesome physical game set for the franchise and it would be perfect for adults who want to share their childhood with their kids without the need of computers.
As someone who has had their account since October 2008 im so glad to see all this footage. Its nostalgic and brings me back to the simpler times in my life when my only worries were how quickly I could get on to play Wizard101 again. Such an enjoyable game
interesting stuff. i first played around 2010/11ish but didn't get past triton avenue because of the paywall. a nostalgic memory for me is everyone crowding the kraken boss there and watching higher levelled people kill it. imagining an open arena where everyone is waiting for a turn while spectating fights is also pretty cool
Wow! You’ve had an extremely similar experience as me. I began playing wiz in 2011, and also didn’t progress past Triton Ave due to the paywall. About 2 years later I returned and started playing as a member. And agreed!!
honestly same. was it firecat alley and cyclops lane where i was walled off being younger ofc i couldn't convince my parents was still super enjoyable as a kid and daydreaming one day i will buy the areas... still have it downloaded to this day for random nostalgia trips
19:37 That blue smoke was actually limited to just the Banshee enemies! I played Wizard101 way back when before the big texture update, and the Banshee death was... horrifying. She tilts her head back, opening her mouth wide, and screeches pure agony as she dissipates into blue smoke. I can still remember the sound. And the sound of the Ghoul death as well. Triton Avenue was scary as a young paywall-locked player.
I think I might remember that, too! I lovedddd triton avenue as a kid, it was my favorite area in the game out of what I could access due to the paywall
This really brought a tear to my eye, Wizard101 has a very special place in my heart. I started playing around 2011 when my older brother had to put down gaming for adult life, and I was given his account. A lot of this footage looks very familiar to me because I was obsessed with watching him play this game, but was never able to play it myself. Anyways, I'm getting ahead of myself, thanks for this amazing video, one of the best I've seen in a while, it really hit home for me. :)
Aw that’s awesome!! I also started playing back in 2011 myself. This was such a fun a project to make! I’m glad it brought back some amazing memories for you 🙌
Thanks so much for the support everyone ❤ This video's a bit different than my Wiz Iceberg. It's more of an... information dump 😂Still took a lot of time and effort considering how difficult it was to find beta footage from before the game's official launch. I'm sure all you wiz fans will enjoy! Let me know if you like this style of video, and want me to make more deep dives on Wiz-related topics! (And yes.. To answer you all, I'm officially going to begin production on Iceberg Pt 2 😉)
I'll never forget the feeling of opening up the game after 10 years and hearing that music. Literally stole a year or 2 of my life I was so addicted lolol wouldn't have it any other way
Never seen such a in depth video on beta gameplay of wiz, you really did your research on the topic I predict just like the iceberg video this one is also gonna be a banger that everyone will enjoy. Also the nostalgia hit us like a brick
Yoo Pizzaman! The legend himself! 😎 Good to see ya back here, thanks so much for the kind words. Really means a lot! I can only hope this vid blows up like my iceberg did - that would be wild! And yeah that nostalgia hits different 🙌
Good times, I remember around the beta they had a convention in Austin where one of the artists drew me with some ninja pigs. It was amazing. I still have the drawing. They also had computers set up in another room for a 4v4 duel, and I just kept attacking my older brother. We had to leave shortly after I got him as to not make a scene lol. My brother ended up quiting right after the beta since he got locked out right before it went live and couldn't spend his free crowns on Zeke's " special" shop. I, however, made it all the way to Khrysalis, surprisingly. If I'm being honest, even at 22, I find it hard to let these memories go. It's probably why I enjoy these videos and w101 music so much still. Cool video.
I really enjoyed this video, I started playing all the way back in 08 and this is super nostalgic for me. One of my favorite things about Wiz I dont see brought up much is the music, absolutely adore it and your inclusion of it in the video was great
Hey, I’m so glad you enjoyed the video! And I agree - wizard101’s music is fantastic and not enough people talk about it. It’s what really makes the game phenomenal
I found you through the iceberg, here to stay. Love your stuff, and I loved these memories as an OG player myself 😎 I high key believe that a lot of these were changes made even after the final release. Do you remember when prospector zeke used to be in Olde Towne!?! He sold THE pets to have back in the day too, so much so when they moved him he was replaced with a sign that said “sorry I’ve moved” (or something akin to that). If you put that info in the iceberg my bad, but I just had to share another fun memory. Cheers, and thanks for the hard work. Can’t wait to see what’s next
Awesome!! Really appreciate you sticking around my channel man 🙌 And exactly - plenty of these beta features weren’t changed until a little after the final release! Also wow, didn’t know about the sign that replaced Zeke 😂 that’s so cool, i’d love to find more info on that! Thanks so much! 😄
A lot of this stuff existed for a long time after the beta and wasnt changed until much later. I didn't play the beta and I still remember a lot of this stuff from years ago
Hey man came across your wizard101 iceberg video after recently feeling nostalgic and downloading the game after a decade of not following Kingsisle. I had no idea there was such a strong community around Wizard and Pirate still, this makes me want to get a membership and get back into the games again. These wizard101 deep dives are awesome, subscribed. Would love to see more videos about this game and maybe Pirate101 sometimes. Keep up the great work
This means a lot! Thank you! I’m actually almost finished with my next 2+ hour deep dive 🙂 Should have it uploaded by end of February - hope you’ll enjoy it! And yes, the community is surprisingly strong. Pretty neat for a 2008 mmorpg hahaha
After watching that Iceberg video of yours I'm going through the list lol, the amount of nostalgia that hit me from my early days of playing really shining through with this vid. Great work man
Oh wow, I appreciate you looking through my other videos! So glad you enjoyed watching this 🙂 It’s very fun and rewarding making longform content like this
I'm a couple months late but thought I would mention this. At 17:07 that wand animation actually IS still in the game, but I've only seen it used by an NPC with the same model as players. Ivan Soulsinger used it when I last fought him on my death. He's in Dragonspyre's Drake Hatchery for anyone curious. Overall great video, this definitely gave me some nostalgia, especially those old enemy and spell animations!
I think the Brandon minions also use a a similar animation, but with a different wand. though i haven’t used them in a while so i could be misremembering
Not sure if im allowed to post links here, but here’s a video of Storm Brandon’s animation, at 1:23 ish. A few seconds before, you can also hear the old hurt sounds at about 1:11, which i weirdly miss lol. ua-cam.com/video/gPzUZbGvVcE/v-deo.htmlsi=rXFgpdilV8wclOUR
Man, the memories, I started playing during the beta and final release when Malistaire was first introduced and when the Heck Hound was still the Hell Hound card. I still have the spiral trophy that was gifted to members during the KingIsle anniversary around the time Pirate101 launched. Dragons Mouth cave was called the Fire Cave because as a fire mage that's where you would go to gain your first FIRE SPIRIT by standing in front of a giant brazier after collecting the items used to summon a fire bird instead of a dragon.
Oh wow! That’s so cool about Fire Cave - i had no idea! And that’s awesome you have so many fond memories from playing the game. You’ve been playing even longer than I have 😅 (I only started playing right around Celestia’s release). Anyways, thanks for watching, and i’m glad you enjoyed 😄
Having a name for the attack reminds me of the Yugioh anime. They gave names to the attacks of most important cards in the anime which I think is kinda cool.
I appreciate the nostalgia jump, I've played consistently since early 09'. I'd hate to see how many hours I've racked up in W101, easily in the 10s of thousands.
thank you 🙂 exactly - i appreciate you noticing! people often assume the research for these videos is easy. when in reality i’m digging through every single playthrough, dev notes, forums post, old tweet, etc i can find!
this video was amazing i need more of this in my life. you should totally make another video explaining the story from level 1 to level 150 and all the different arcs now that would be god tier.
Thank you! And ooo i was considering doing something like that. Thing is, there’s a LOT of lore… sounds like a very challenging project. But maybe one day i’ll be ready for it 🙌
Interesting find on the blue mist from those banshees in that one clip! 19:41 its still used! Im doing briskbreeze tower right now and i just noticed the banshees in here do the blue mist after dying (Funny quirk about it. Because the animations of banshees dying was changed from them screaming and fading away to them vanishing into the ground the mist appears a bit late)
Hey Joel! Just responded to you on Twitter. I’ll say it again here - I find it very neat how so many of the devs from Wizard101’s beta are still working on the game today! After all these years :) Very cool!
1:56 Not quite. The fire wizard was at least partially done by Dennis Gregg Hargrove, as it also shows up in his portfolio. The artstyle of both wizards in general is a lot closer to the rest of his stuff, so I'd speculate that it was a collaboration between the two artists. Hargrove did a lot of early concept art that made its way to a good chunk of the Arc 1 card illustrations; he doesn't show up in "the making of", so I presume he left before launch to work on other projects. He also has a different Ice Wizard casting animation of his; I've always been looking for the "final". The Wyvern beta card art seems to be in his style, too; as you may know, it can still be seen in the Conjuration Concentration minigame nobody plays. His website's domain went down a couple years ago (as he passed away), but I managed to snapshot some stuff on the Wayback Machine; I recommend checking it out. UA-cam doesn't really like links, but I'll try to plug it in the replies; if that falls through, try "infitizmo" (dot com).
Wow, this is some really great information! Thanks so much for sharing with me. I’ll be sure to check out the link. And I’d feel bad if I incorrectly credited his work as another artist’s.. but perhaps you’re right, and it was a collaboration.. (I was just going off the tweet I found, but of course Twitter isn’t always credible 😅) I love looking through original W101 concept art. It’s very cool to see which designs they chose to continue with, and which designs they steered away from! Anyways, thanks again! :)
What's super interesting to me is, I grew up on the UK server and a lot of the "2009~2010" changes you mentioned were still in UK Wizard101 in 2011~2013. I joined in 2011 and remember vividly bosses not having unique models, the old imp animation and other things. Like you mentioned, this is probably due to the fact the UK server was always like 2 years behind.
Interesting! Yeah, there was definitely some pretty heavy lag in terms of keeping EU up to date. Probably because KI didn’t profit as much from EU servers, so it wasn’t worth putting extra resources into maintaining them.
this brings back memories of using the horrible family laptop to play this game :’) i played during beta and still play today, i use that beta tester mount like a badge of honor
I have a beta account - crazy to see some of the stuff here and realising how it has changed and remembering that it use to be like that absolutely wild. I will always respect and love wizard101 as my first true mmo.
Hi! Ive been playing the game for 10 years now (accountaversaey is coming up!) And i really really appreciate your w101 content. I dont watch a lot of it anymore because it seems as though people have little to no respect for the game. Every video is making fun of things under the guise of enjoyment. The game has many many faults but it is annoying when an entire video is them shitting on every aspect of it whatsoever. It gets frustrating to try to find content for things you like when you feel like youre the only one as passionate as you are! In watching this and your iceberg video I saw someone just like myself, and was delighted to hear you mention you may make more w101 videos! Im definitely subbing! ^^ i did learn a lot from this tbh!
First, happy accountaversary!! 🥳🎉🎊 Thank you so much for all the kind words! Means a lot. I’m glad you finally found a fun, safe space in my channel, and I look forward to seeing you around in my comments section more often :) I agree that most other wiz creators are just negative about the game these days and that’s too bad.. but as you’ve noticed, i’m not like other creators 😉 i’m very passionate about the game! See you around!
Now this. This is what I subscribed after the iceberg video for. Love every last bit of it. I'm an old W101 player and I haven't played in years, but I love hear about games and their developments over the years. Keep. It. Uuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuup.
thank you so much for making such a well thoughtout and informational video. I absolutely loved your iceberg video and this was just as fun and informative to watch!! I have always been so curious about the wizard101 beta days but never saw much about it, also had no idea you could search from specific times on youtube!!! that is so awesome! absolutely loved the video, I cannot wait to see what you work on next :]
Aww thank you so much for the kind words Marissa! I’m so glad you enjoyed watching both this video and my iceberg 😄 And hahaha searching UA-cam by specific dates has been soooo helpful for finding footage during my projects. i can’t wait for you to see my future longform wizard101 videos!! Working on a new one as we speak :)
I played at release when I was a kid. I fell in love with the game. I remember, when dragonsprye wasn’t out yet and pets were just a flex that followed you around. Achieved warlord on several schools before seasons were even a thing. As I got older and got pulled away from the game, and when I came back the game was vastly different, filled with micro transactions and other changes I wasn’t a huge fan of. If they released class servers where dragonspyre was the final world and nothing else after. I would play it in a heartbeat.
It'd be awesome if Kingsisle had limited events where they hosted old versions of the game for like a month, on a Test Realm-esque server. Might even get some people to buy memberships just for it
It’s ya boy Carlos Fire I hope all my friends that haven’t played in awhile is doing fine…but recently I’ve came to realize that some of my old friends from 2010 either quit because they became too busy in real life…or died… and that’s scary when you think about it…and Kingsisle has no way of telling you “hey, this person on your list is no longer available”
About Mr Lincoln being by the golem tower: In the german version (or maybe the european version in general) of the final game Mr Lincoln is still by the golem tower, even after the tutorial. I don't know if he is still there though, as I haven't played that version for a long time.
i still remember the old imp animation, i thought i hallucinated the whole thing cause i never see anyone talk about it haha. i think the seraph's audio was also changed in the same update; i actually found 2009 footage of it by a channel called blackmold12 for those curious. it sounds... much worse lol
Thank you so much! 😄 Your kind words mean a lot! I’m actually working on a 2+ hour long deep dive into more Wizard101 content as we speak 🙌 Should be up in February! Can’t wait for you to see :)
@@Gladrocker i was really young when i first played it so i don't remember much lol, but I'm glad your video helped bring some of the memories back. Thank you
Yeah, it was super interesting to learn about while I was researching everything. Didn’t realize there were so many differences between the game back then, and the game today!!
TRUE though i cant blame em for not knowing its a side quest however it is one of the rare times you fight another wizard in the game (outside of pvp obvs)
I remember doing the first bits of testing in the second phase bring back such crwzy memories this game years and years ago I still play this game off and on I used to play it every day for year's
23:35 i still see names above interactable elements on my account currently, i think by going into your settings and changing your overhead names to "all others" enables this feature.
It’s crazy I never realized the banshee and last soul model changes were 2009? I remember it so well but convinced myself it was like 2011, I’ve been playing this game so long
I remember all this I was like 5-6 at the time and would sit on the old computer with the ball in the mouse and play unicorn way over and over cause the membership and losing my password everyday
Super awesome video Gladrocker, the nostalgia hit us all :). Well done!
Ahh, I’m so glad all of you at KI enjoyed this! 🙌 Nothing makes me happier than exciting both wizard101 fans AND developers with my content! Got many more awesome video ideas planned, so stay tuned! 😉
Y’all struck gold with the series. Been playing since January 2009. Hopefully the other arc 1 worlds are getting a new coat of paint, but if they stay the way they are, that’s fine too. Get to boot into the game and have a nostalgia trip
So glad you enjoyed the vid :)
I am desperately craving a Pirate101 comeback, let's make it relevant again, boys!
it would be super awesome if someone at kingsisle could show us a few more screenshots of the alpha! that would make an incredibly fun video to watch and fans all around would appreciate it.
Kingsisle should totally release a card game version of the spell cards. It would be an awesome physical game set for the franchise and it would be perfect for adults who want to share their childhood with their kids without the need of computers.
ooo i love this idea!!
LOL the star and other spells are gonna make that more like YUGIOH
This is such a good idea!!!!
@@NexroFTW eh probably closer to pokemon tcg than yugioh
As someone who has had their account since October 2008 im so glad to see all this footage. Its nostalgic and brings me back to the simpler times in my life when my only worries were how quickly I could get on to play Wizard101 again. Such an enjoyable game
I’m so glad you enjoyed watching! 🥲
Dame here all 170 also
interesting stuff. i first played around 2010/11ish but didn't get past triton avenue because of the paywall. a nostalgic memory for me is everyone crowding the kraken boss there and watching higher levelled people kill it. imagining an open arena where everyone is waiting for a turn while spectating fights is also pretty cool
Wow! You’ve had an extremely similar experience as me. I began playing wiz in 2011, and also didn’t progress past Triton Ave due to the paywall. About 2 years later I returned and started playing as a member.
And agreed!!
honestly same. was it firecat alley and cyclops lane where i was walled off
being younger ofc i couldn't convince my parents
was still super enjoyable as a kid and daydreaming one day i will buy the areas...
still have it downloaded to this day for random nostalgia trips
yeah i also used to imagine what it would be like crossing the paywall into firecat alley and cyclops lane. it always seemed so fascinating!
i even tried earning enough currency by playing their minigames and stuff hahah but never got enough to move on >.
aww 😂
19:37
That blue smoke was actually limited to just the Banshee enemies! I played Wizard101 way back when before the big texture update, and the Banshee death was... horrifying. She tilts her head back, opening her mouth wide, and screeches pure agony as she dissipates into blue smoke. I can still remember the sound. And the sound of the Ghoul death as well. Triton Avenue was scary as a young paywall-locked player.
Wow! That’s horrifying 😂
Omg I remember that banshee death. As a kid I'd try to replicate the sound with my own voice haha. Same with her attack.
I think I might remember that, too! I lovedddd triton avenue as a kid, it was my favorite area in the game out of what I could access due to the paywall
I always wondered why they changed that
I remember The kraken being so hard lol!!
Closed beta combat theme did not need to go that hard, real end of the world type of vibes
For real! Wish they’d bring it back 🙌
Imagine that playing during one of the bigger boss fights
This really brought a tear to my eye, Wizard101 has a very special place in my heart. I started playing around 2011 when my older brother had to put down gaming for adult life, and I was given his account. A lot of this footage looks very familiar to me because I was obsessed with watching him play this game, but was never able to play it myself. Anyways, I'm getting ahead of myself, thanks for this amazing video, one of the best I've seen in a while, it really hit home for me. :)
Aw that’s awesome!! I also started playing back in 2011 myself. This was such a fun a project to make! I’m glad it brought back some amazing memories for you 🙌
This video has just gotten me to redownload the game. This was my childhood with Roblox and Club Penguin.
Awesome!! That sounds like the perfect childhood to me 🙌
Bet you stuck around long enough to see how badly they screwed the game up then uninstalled
Thanks so much for the support everyone ❤ This video's a bit different than my Wiz Iceberg. It's more of an... information dump 😂Still took a lot of time and effort considering how difficult it was to find beta footage from before the game's official launch. I'm sure all you wiz fans will enjoy! Let me know if you like this style of video, and want me to make more deep dives on Wiz-related topics!
(And yes.. To answer you all, I'm officially going to begin production on Iceberg Pt 2 😉)
I'm missing so much a lot of the older stuff
Me too. I’m on quite the nostalgia trip lately 😂
I'm so very excited for iceberg 2!
woohoo!! cannot wait to see that vid! absolutely loved this style of video too, thank you for making these.
I'll never forget the feeling of opening up the game after 10 years and hearing that music. Literally stole a year or 2 of my life I was so addicted lolol wouldn't have it any other way
That’s awesome! I can totally relate 😂
So this confirms the spiral is indeed a universe and not a galaxy
yep!
You really dug deep more than any other UA-camr into this type of content
Right haha, i love digging into it tho 😎
People like you are keeping this community alive, amazing video!
Thanks Tyler!! 😁😁
Wow- I’ve been playing for so long and I still forgot about half the old thing they’ve changed 😅😅
Me too! It was so cool finding all the footage while working on this project! Love all the nostalgia 😂
Never seen such a in depth video on beta gameplay of wiz, you really did your research on the topic I predict just like the iceberg video this one is also gonna be a banger that everyone will enjoy. Also the nostalgia hit us like a brick
Yoo Pizzaman! The legend himself! 😎 Good to see ya back here, thanks so much for the kind words. Really means a lot! I can only hope this vid blows up like my iceberg did - that would be wild! And yeah that nostalgia hits different 🙌
Good times, I remember around the beta they had a convention in Austin where one of the artists drew me with some ninja pigs. It was amazing. I still have the drawing. They also had computers set up in another room for a 4v4 duel, and I just kept attacking my older brother. We had to leave shortly after I got him as to not make a scene lol.
My brother ended up quiting right after the beta since he got locked out right before it went live and couldn't spend his free crowns on Zeke's " special" shop. I, however, made it all the way to Khrysalis, surprisingly. If I'm being honest, even at 22, I find it hard to let these memories go. It's probably why I enjoy these videos and w101 music so much still.
Cool video.
That’s such a cool story!! 🙂 I’m really glad you have such good memories from the game. It’s great that my vids bring all the memories back
At 17:10 for the spell casting animation, Ivan Soulsinger the boss in Dragonspyre for Sunbrand’s quest line still uses that animation.
Someone else mentioned that too - that’s so cool!! i wish i knew that while making the video 😅😅
Brandon uses it too (The minion from the make a wish jewel thing)
I have my current account back form 2008. I remember most of these changes at 8 years old. The nostalgia….
Aye that’s awesome! 😎🙌
Your wizard101 content is so well done and researched. Some of these things are nearly impossible to find, amazing job!
Aw thanks so much! Really awesome to hear kind words like this about my content. Stay tuned for more vids 😄
I really enjoyed this video, I started playing all the way back in 08 and this is super nostalgic for me. One of my favorite things about Wiz I dont see brought up much is the music, absolutely adore it and your inclusion of it in the video was great
Hey, I’m so glad you enjoyed the video! And I agree - wizard101’s music is fantastic and not enough people talk about it. It’s what really makes the game phenomenal
16:02 Hey that’s me! You did a great job with this video man. Keep up the good work.
Ahaha awesome! 😄 I’m happy to hear you enjoyed this video. Thank you!
I found you through the iceberg, here to stay. Love your stuff, and I loved these memories as an OG player myself 😎 I high key believe that a lot of these were changes made even after the final release. Do you remember when prospector zeke used to be in Olde Towne!?! He sold THE pets to have back in the day too, so much so when they moved him he was replaced with a sign that said “sorry I’ve moved” (or something akin to that). If you put that info in the iceberg my bad, but I just had to share another fun memory. Cheers, and thanks for the hard work. Can’t wait to see what’s next
Awesome!! Really appreciate you sticking around my channel man 🙌 And exactly - plenty of these beta features weren’t changed until a little after the final release!
Also wow, didn’t know about the sign that replaced Zeke 😂 that’s so cool, i’d love to find more info on that!
Thanks so much! 😄
A lot of this stuff existed for a long time after the beta and wasnt changed until much later. I didn't play the beta and I still remember a lot of this stuff from years ago
Exactly! Many changes were kept for a few more years :)
It's that time again where UA-cam recommends me a Wizard101 vid again after months/years, but you know I'll watch it xD
hahahah enjoy!!
Hey man came across your wizard101 iceberg video after recently feeling nostalgic and downloading the game after a decade of not following Kingsisle. I had no idea there was such a strong community around Wizard and Pirate still, this makes me want to get a membership and get back into the games again. These wizard101 deep dives are awesome, subscribed. Would love to see more videos about this game and maybe Pirate101 sometimes. Keep up the great work
This means a lot! Thank you! I’m actually almost finished with my next 2+ hour deep dive 🙂 Should have it uploaded by end of February - hope you’ll enjoy it! And yes, the community is surprisingly strong. Pretty neat for a 2008 mmorpg hahaha
I started playing in may 09. Wizards got me through med school, keeping me sane. I still play.
🙏🙏
God, the elemental shield casting one shield at a time hit me hard. I completely forgot about that, but it hit me hard remembering it.
Me too 🥲
I remember the old friends list, it brings back so many memories
i know right! 🥲
After watching that Iceberg video of yours I'm going through the list lol, the amount of nostalgia that hit me from my early days of playing really shining through with this vid. Great work man
Oh wow, I appreciate you looking through my other videos! So glad you enjoyed watching this 🙂 It’s very fun and rewarding making longform content like this
Memories I didn’t know I had. Lots of fun. Great video, man!
Glad I can bring back some memories man! Thanks! 🙌
This video is what reminded me that I actually managed to play this game during the beta release. I genuinely didn't realize that for years 😂
awesome!! wish i experienced it back then
Every now and again, I keep revisiting your two Wiz videos xD
Aww haha thanks for letting me know! I’m actually working on an iceberg PART 2 right now 🥳 so i can’t wait for you to watch it!
I'm a couple months late but thought I would mention this. At 17:07 that wand animation actually IS still in the game, but I've only seen it used by an NPC with the same model as players. Ivan Soulsinger used it when I last fought him on my death. He's in Dragonspyre's Drake Hatchery for anyone curious. Overall great video, this definitely gave me some nostalgia, especially those old enemy and spell animations!
Oh, great catch! That’s super interesting. And thanks for the kind words 🙂
I think the Brandon minions also use a a similar animation, but with a different wand. though i haven’t used them in a while so i could be misremembering
I've never used them, but I'll have to check that out then at some point!@@TiredFruit12
Not sure if im allowed to post links here, but here’s a video of Storm Brandon’s animation, at 1:23 ish. A few seconds before, you can also hear the old hurt sounds at about 1:11, which i weirdly miss lol. ua-cam.com/video/gPzUZbGvVcE/v-deo.htmlsi=rXFgpdilV8wclOUR
Man, the memories, I started playing during the beta and final release when Malistaire was first introduced and when the Heck Hound was still the Hell Hound card. I still have the spiral trophy that was gifted to members during the KingIsle anniversary around the time Pirate101 launched. Dragons Mouth cave was called the Fire Cave because as a fire mage that's where you would go to gain your first FIRE SPIRIT by standing in front of a giant brazier after collecting the items used to summon a fire bird instead of a dragon.
Oh wow! That’s so cool about Fire Cave - i had no idea! And that’s awesome you have so many fond memories from playing the game. You’ve been playing even longer than I have 😅 (I only started playing right around Celestia’s release). Anyways, thanks for watching, and i’m glad you enjoyed 😄
You're welcome and I enjoyed your video. Keep up the good work!@@Gladrocker
😄🙌
Having a name for the attack reminds me of the Yugioh anime. They gave names to the attacks of most important cards in the anime which I think is kinda cool.
oh very true! hadn’t even thought of that 😄
that beta fighting music was fire. wish they kept it in, at least in a different area/world
Agreed, they should bring it back
I remember when the bosses got updated models and voice lines. It was such a hype back then lol
i can only imagine how surreal it felt at the time
the boy and girl wizard loading screen is still around but is mainly used when loading into your house/dorm room
interesting. thought it still looked familiar
I appreciate the nostalgia jump, I've played consistently since early 09'. I'd hate to see how many hours I've racked up in W101, easily in the 10s of thousands.
awesome!! haha i’ve been playing since 2011, and i too am afraid to know how many hours i’ve spent
extremely impressive you were able to find all of this information despite a lot of it being nowhere to be found when you look it up
thank you 🙂 exactly - i appreciate you noticing! people often assume the research for these videos is easy. when in reality i’m digging through every single playthrough, dev notes, forums post, old tweet, etc i can find!
this video was amazing i need more of this in my life. you should totally make another video explaining the story from level 1 to level 150 and all the different arcs now that would be god tier.
Thank you! And ooo i was considering doing something like that. Thing is, there’s a LOT of lore… sounds like a very challenging project. But maybe one day i’ll be ready for it 🙌
Interesting find on the blue mist from those banshees in that one clip! 19:41 its still used!
Im doing briskbreeze tower right now and i just noticed the banshees in here do the blue mist after dying
(Funny quirk about it. Because the animations of banshees dying was changed from them screaming and fading away to them vanishing into the ground the mist appears a bit late)
Wow really?? Dang i didn’t know 😂 Thanks for telling me!!
That was a blast to watch. I love seeing everyone when they were younger!
Hey Joel! Just responded to you on Twitter. I’ll say it again here - I find it very neat how so many of the devs from Wizard101’s beta are still working on the game today! After all these years :) Very cool!
1:56 Not quite. The fire wizard was at least partially done by Dennis Gregg Hargrove, as it also shows up in his portfolio.
The artstyle of both wizards in general is a lot closer to the rest of his stuff, so I'd speculate that it was a collaboration between the two artists. Hargrove did a lot of early concept art that made its way to a good chunk of the Arc 1 card illustrations; he doesn't show up in "the making of", so I presume he left before launch to work on other projects.
He also has a different Ice Wizard casting animation of his; I've always been looking for the "final". The Wyvern beta card art seems to be in his style, too; as you may know, it can still be seen in the Conjuration Concentration minigame nobody plays.
His website's domain went down a couple years ago (as he passed away), but I managed to snapshot some stuff on the Wayback Machine; I recommend checking it out. UA-cam doesn't really like links, but I'll try to plug it in the replies; if that falls through, try "infitizmo" (dot com).
Wow, this is some really great information! Thanks so much for sharing with me. I’ll be sure to check out the link. And I’d feel bad if I incorrectly credited his work as another artist’s.. but perhaps you’re right, and it was a collaboration.. (I was just going off the tweet I found, but of course Twitter isn’t always credible 😅) I love looking through original W101 concept art. It’s very cool to see which designs they chose to continue with, and which designs they steered away from! Anyways, thanks again! :)
What's super interesting to me is, I grew up on the UK server and a lot of the "2009~2010" changes you mentioned were still in UK Wizard101 in 2011~2013. I joined in 2011 and remember vividly bosses not having unique models, the old imp animation and other things. Like you mentioned, this is probably due to the fact the UK server was always like 2 years behind.
Interesting! Yeah, there was definitely some pretty heavy lag in terms of keeping EU up to date. Probably because KI didn’t profit as much from EU servers, so it wasn’t worth putting extra resources into maintaining them.
this brings back memories of using the horrible family laptop to play this game :’) i played during beta and still play today, i use that beta tester mount like a badge of honor
that’s very impressive :) Super cool that you have those memories!
I have a beta account - crazy to see some of the stuff here and realising how it has changed and remembering that it use to be like that absolutely wild. I will always respect and love wizard101 as my first true mmo.
that’s incredible! glad you enjoyed the vid :)
Haven't even started the vid and I know it's gonna be a banger, love the wiz content!!!
Awww, I can always count on you Lena 😎🫶 And just you wait for my Iceberg Part 2! (May take a few months though 😅)
Hi! Ive been playing the game for 10 years now (accountaversaey is coming up!) And i really really appreciate your w101 content. I dont watch a lot of it anymore because it seems as though people have little to no respect for the game. Every video is making fun of things under the guise of enjoyment. The game has many many faults but it is annoying when an entire video is them shitting on every aspect of it whatsoever. It gets frustrating to try to find content for things you like when you feel like youre the only one as passionate as you are! In watching this and your iceberg video I saw someone just like myself, and was delighted to hear you mention you may make more w101 videos! Im definitely subbing! ^^ i did learn a lot from this tbh!
First, happy accountaversary!! 🥳🎉🎊
Thank you so much for all the kind words! Means a lot. I’m glad you finally found a fun, safe space in my channel, and I look forward to seeing you around in my comments section more often :) I agree that most other wiz creators are just negative about the game these days and that’s too bad.. but as you’ve noticed, i’m not like other creators 😉 i’m very passionate about the game! See you around!
Now this. This is what I subscribed after the iceberg video for. Love every last bit of it. I'm an old W101 player and I haven't played in years, but I love hear about games and their developments over the years. Keep. It. Uuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuup.
Ahh thanks so much for the kind words!! Really means a lot to me! I hope to keep pumping out more content like this, so stay tuned 😄🙌
@@Gladrocker I'll be watching and waiting both patiently and with glee
Dude your channel is awesome, I am learning so much about the history of the game. Thank you for the time and effort you put into your content 🙏
Ayye thanks man, i really appreciate it. Glad you’re enjoying my content. Got plenty more ideas planned, so stay tuned 😎
thank you so much for making such a well thoughtout and informational video. I absolutely loved your iceberg video and this was just as fun and informative to watch!! I have always been so curious about the wizard101 beta days but never saw much about it, also had no idea you could search from specific times on youtube!!! that is so awesome! absolutely loved the video, I cannot wait to see what you work on next :]
Aww thank you so much for the kind words Marissa! I’m so glad you enjoyed watching both this video and my iceberg 😄 And hahaha searching UA-cam by specific dates has been soooo helpful for finding footage during my projects. i can’t wait for you to see my future longform wizard101 videos!! Working on a new one as we speak :)
Found you bc of your iceberg video. I don't play W101 but i love your dedication and speaking voice. Keep rockin!
Aye! Thanks so much for the kind words :) so glad you’re enjoying my content. hope to see you around more!
Thanks for the nostalgia man.. i really needed it. Take care
i’m very glad you enjoyed :)
I remember playing when the pvp arena was like that, thing to worry about was someone joining in your battle if you wanted to 1v1 someone lol
omg didn’t even realize some random kid could just walk in mid fight 😂😂
I played at release when I was a kid. I fell in love with the game. I remember, when dragonsprye wasn’t out yet and pets were just a flex that followed you around. Achieved warlord on several schools before seasons were even a thing. As I got older and got pulled away from the game, and when I came back the game was vastly different, filled with micro transactions and other changes I wasn’t a huge fan of. If they released class servers where dragonspyre was the final world and nothing else after. I would play it in a heartbeat.
Amazing! And i agree - i wish they’d release “Old School Wizard101” servers
It'd be awesome if Kingsisle had limited events where they hosted old versions of the game for like a month, on a Test Realm-esque server. Might even get some people to buy memberships just for it
agreed! i’d love that. i believe even runescape has a fully active live server based on their 2007 version called Old School Runescape
Fun fact: you can easily acces all these features and early versions of the game by just playing on eu! They are so far behind they are still in beta
😂😂😂😂😂
That alone would make me want to go try that server xD
It’s ya boy Carlos Fire I hope all my friends that haven’t played in awhile is doing fine…but recently I’ve came to realize that some of my old friends from 2010 either quit because they became too busy in real life…or died… and that’s scary when you think about it…and Kingsisle has no way of telling you “hey, this person on your list is no longer available”
Aw man, that’s sad to think about 😔 At least you hopefully have tons of amazing memories playing the game with all of your online friends
About Mr Lincoln being by the golem tower: In the german version (or maybe the european version in general) of the final game Mr Lincoln is still by the golem tower, even after the tutorial. I don't know if he is still there though, as I haven't played that version for a long time.
Oh cool! Didn’t know that 🙂
i still remember the old imp animation, i thought i hallucinated the whole thing cause i never see anyone talk about it haha. i think the seraph's audio was also changed in the same update; i actually found 2009 footage of it by a channel called blackmold12 for those curious. it sounds... much worse lol
ooh i’d love to check that out. i still remember all the original audio samples. Listening to them brings back so many memories 🙂
This video is great! I love the deep look and nostalgia of the game
Thank you so much! 😄 Your kind words mean a lot! I’m actually working on a 2+ hour long deep dive into more Wizard101 content as we speak 🙌 Should be up in February! Can’t wait for you to see :)
@@Gladrocker AHHH I CANT WAIT IM READY
Woohoo!!! Keep an eye out on my Community posts + Twitter for updates 😁
Good research man, you really did your searching. Great video! Not much of these for Wiz.
really appreciate it man 🙌
Nice video. A lot of this stuff isnt easily searchable, so thanks for the compilation
thanks for the kind words :) yep, it was definitely a challenge to do all this research!
Omg i remember fighting the dummy from the beta! I thought it was weird that i didn't remember fighting malister when i replayed wizard 101 recently
i’m jealous you got to experience the beta firsthand haha. i only started playing in 2011, 3 years after the release!
@@Gladrocker i was really young when i first played it so i don't remember much lol, but I'm glad your video helped bring some of the memories back. Thank you
you’re very welcome 😄
Genuinely didn't know there was a Beta, and I played pretty much since year 1, although not very frequently until I was a lot older.
Yeah, it was super interesting to learn about while I was researching everything. Didn’t realize there were so many differences between the game back then, and the game today!!
Thanks for making this video ❤
You’re very welcome :)
I stopped playing a few years ago but this is quite the treat.
🙂
17:08 the animation isn't scrapped, Ivan Soulslinger still uses it in his fight against you in dragonspyre.
TRUE though i cant blame em for not knowing its a side quest however it is one of the rare times you fight another wizard in the game (outside of pvp obvs)
Woah! Very interesting, I didn’t know that. Wish i had mentioned that in my video. Thanks for letting me know 🙂
Brandon the neberyx minion tc also uses it
they should have wizard101 classic, not even the graphic settings but like an entire older game, with new saves
reminds me of Old School Runescape
I remember some of these where still around until 2009 when I joined the game. Feels like an age ago
Right! Feels so long ago!!
Well done this was a big nostalgia trip for me
Thank you Blazian!
I played the beta for 1 day before release, and played it everyday till 2010
awesome!
I played during the beta, what a time to play.
wish i did!
This is super cool, you sound like defunctland haha. Awesome video
that’s the nicest thing anyones ever said to me 😂
Super interesting video, thanks for doing this deep dive!
Thank you and absolutely!! I love this stuff 😁
Last time I was this early, chain stunning existed.
😂😂😂
the "cut" casting animation is brandons casting animation now
That’s really neat!
This is wonderful and everything i wish i had the time to research myself :)
Aw thank you :)
Amazing vid dude🖤
Ayee thanks so much 😄🙏
I remember doing the first bits of testing in the second phase bring back such crwzy memories this game years and years ago I still play this game off and on I used to play it every day for year's
that’s awesome!! 😄
It’s crazy to relive the memories since I’ve played since 09
i’m glad i can bring back that nostalgia 🙏
Headmaster combat is so based
🤣🤣💯
23:35 i still see names above interactable elements on my account currently, i think by going into your settings and changing your overhead names to "all others" enables this feature.
ooh, love this info! Thanks!
17:47 this makes me feel like im batman about to save gotham city
lol true!!
Nice video Gladrocker. Keep up the w101 content !
Thanks so much! will do 😄
The more enthusiastic casting animation is actually still seen today! It's just used for staffs instead of wands.
That’s awesome!!
17:05 Brandon, the make-a-wish quest character in Polaris, uses the alpha casting animation :O
Oooo super cool. Wish i knew that while making the vid 😅😅
It’s crazy I never realized the banshee and last soul model changes were 2009? I remember it so well but convinced myself it was like 2011, I’ve been playing this game so long
yeah, exactly i also was surprised to find out those changes were made so early!
Homework? Save the universe. Oh maaan I already did that on Tuesday...
🤣🤣🤣
ah miss the old days, duelmasterjade :( and Autumn Nightgem
me too!! :(
Awesome video!!
Aw, thanks! 😄
I love you Gladrocker
i love you more 😎
I can’t wait to play again, I just got a PC for Christmas
Awesome! 😄
Great video! Keep it up
will do! thanks 🙌
I remember all this I was like 5-6 at the time and would sit on the old computer with the ball in the mouse and play unicorn way over and over cause the membership and losing my password everyday
i remember the ball in the mouse 😂 hahaha those passwords are hard to remember
I just wanted to SAY thank you thé memory you brought made me tear up. KI deserves thé world
Aww you’re very welcome!! I’m so glad you enjoyed watching 🥲
this channel should have wayyy more subs
ayee 🙏🙏 much appreciated, i certainly hope we keep growing 📈
i remember the bosses not having skins and then all of a sudden they did lol I was very confused as a kid
LOL that’s awesome you remember something so early from the game’s lifespan!
I am pretty sure I have a ton of screenshots from myself and my friends from 2009-2010. It's definitely not lost, but I would have to dig it out.
That would be really neat to look through them!