Harmony

Harmony
Developer: Retro Studios Platform: Nintendo Switch This game has unused graphics. This game has unused models. This game has unused sounds. This game has debugging material. This game has a hidden level select.

This game was never completed and/or given a public release. As a result of this, keep in mind that the developers might have used or deleted some of the content featured here, had the game actually been released.

This page is rather stubbly and could use some expansion. Are you a bad enough dude to rescue this article? Notes: Still a lot to do, like cataloging the included levels

Harmony is one of several attempts at an original title by Metroid Prime and Donkey Kong Country developer Retro Studios. Having started development on the Wii U some time after the release of Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze, the project meandered for several years of radio silence before ultimately being canceled by Nintendo in 2017. After the title was shelved, Retro Studios was put back to work on a port of Tropical Freeze, a remaster of Metroid Prime, and eventually rebooted development of Metroid Prime 4.

Builds of Harmony with a smattering of partially-complete levels were released online as part of a Nintendo Switch devkit dump in April 2025. This version of Retro Studios' game engine, RUDE, introduced many features that eventually went into Metroid Prime Remastered.

Can you dig it?

Sub Pages

Debug Menu What's a BOPGUN anyway?

Level Select

The game takes you to the level select right after the splash screen. Any level listed can be played, although some of them are more stable than others. This also lets you toggle the game's planned intro animation and (very unfinished) title screen as well as choose between different language options.

Levels

While not outright confirmed, many levels share characteristics with each other that makes it possible to group them together into different development phases that this game went through. Because of that, mechanics tend to be consistent within those groups of levels.

Development Era 1 The misadventures of Fon, Lumie, Thorn, and the four Wardens.

Development Era 2 Did someone ask for hub worlds?

Development Era 3 Hope you're ready for even more singing than ever before!

Other levels Test levels that don't really fit any categories.

Early Models

Fon

Early	Final

Preload/Fon.pak contains a model of the playable character, Fon, from an earlier point in development. Also included are different flowers that can be affixed to her hair, possibly as part of a removed gameplay mechanic.

Before being packaged into asset packs, the files for this version of Fon were stored in characters/player/fon, while the redesigned character was in characters/player/fon2.

• 
• 
• 
• 
• 

Tos

Early	Final

Worlds/Snowspring Valley/ForlornHill_01.pak contains an early model for the Warden Tos, which is used for a cutscene. His appearance more closely matches the early icons, and he has optional meshes for the same flowers that can adorn Fon's hair.

Bunrel

Unused	Used

The critter "Bunrel" has multiple alternate skins, all of which are of considerably higher quality than that of the used model.

Early Textures

UI/HUD_PrimaryScreen_Style_Final.pak contains many unused assets. While this asset pack is labelled "Final," the used assets are actually in UI/UIPak.pak.

The "PrimaryScreen" specifier may be in reference to the Wii U version of the game.

Wii U Buttons

Buttons for a Wii Remote, Nunchuk, and Wii U Pro Controller.

Warden Icons

A set of icons for the four Wardens, using earlier designs that differ from the in-game models.

Unused Sounds

Fon.pak contains placeholder sound clips for various interactions Fon could have related to Slam and heavy objects.

YpressNoWardenContext1stAttempt

YpressNoWardenContextNextAttempt

YpressWardenUnmountedContext

YpressWardenCloseUnmountedNoContext

YPressNoWardenNoContext

Oddities

Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze / Metroid Prime 3 Leftovers

Several generic visual effects have been recycled from Retro Studios' previous games. Here are filenames for just a few:

D:\CookRep\RS11-Main\NX\effects/!RS10/effects/textures/Glow04alpha.TextureResource.ctex
D:\CookRep\RS11-Main\NX\effects/!RS10/effects/textures/recycled/Litebolt01.TextureResource.ctex
D:\CookRep\RS11-Main\NX\effects/!RS10/effects/textures/recycled/Glow11b.TextureResource.ctex
D:\CookRep\RS11-Main\NX\effects/!RS10/effects/textures/Glow2.TextureResource.ctex
D:\CookRep\RS11-Main\NX\effects/!RS10/effects/textures/JuiceFroth02BW_anim01.TextureResource.ctex
D:\CookRep\RS11-Main\NX\effects/!RS10/effects/textures/Accents/ACCENT_WindCirclePal_02.TextureResource.ctex

While they are typically referred to as files from "RS10," that game's codename, there are occasional specific references to Donkey Kong Country characters:

D:\CookRep\RS11-Main\NX\effects/!RS10/characters/Player/Donkey_Kong/effects/Material_FX/Frozen/textures/Snow_Chunks_02_01.TextureResource.ctex
D:\CookRep\RS11-Main\NX\Audio/Experiments/Player2/Weapon/Cranky_Cane_Sand_Run_1.AudioSampleResource.csmp

As well, enemies use some recycled audio assets from Metroid Prime 3: Corruption, particularly from Reptilicus for the giant enemies:

D:\CookRep\RS11-Main\NX\Audio/Experiments/Enemies/Roblin_Hammer/Metroid_Phazon_Arc_Zap_2.AudioSampleResource.csmp
D:\CookRep\RS11-Main\NX\Audio/Experiments/Enemies/Roblin_Hammer/Samus_Novacharge_LP.AudioSampleResource.csmp
D:\CookRep\RS11-Main\NX\Audio/BopGun/Enemy/Nogalite_Giant/Giant_Layers/Reptilicus_Breath_Light_3.AudioSampleResource.csmp
D:\CookRep\RS11-Main\NX\Audio/BopGun/Enemy/Nogalite_Giant/Giant_Layers/Reptilicus_Breath_Light_2.AudioSampleResource.csmp
D:\CookRep\RS11-Main\NX\Audio/BopGun/Enemy/Nogalite_Giant/Giant_Layers/Reptilicus_Breath_Light_1.AudioSampleResource.csmp
D:\CookRep\RS11-Main\NX\Audio/BopGun/Enemy/Nogalite_Giant/Giant_Layers/Reptilicus_whip_1.AudioSampleResource.csmp
D:\CookRep\RS11-Main\NX\Audio/BopGun/Enemy/Nogalite_Giant/Giant_Layers/Reptilicus_whip_1_2.AudioSampleResource.csmp
D:\CookRep\RS11-Main\NX\Audio/BopGun/Enemy/Nogalite_Giant/Giant_Layers/Reptilicus_whip_2.AudioSampleResource.csmp
D:\CookRep\RS11-Main\NX\Audio/BopGun/Enemy/Nogalite_Giant/Giant_Layers/Reptilicus_whip_2_2.AudioSampleResource.csmp

Retro Choir

Most voice samples contain a name, presumably of a staff member that voiced them. The singing animal critters contain names that christen them the "Retro Choir":

Retro_Choir_03_Test_OneRhythm - FROG (Scott)
Retro_Choir_03_Test_OneRhythm - HEDGEHOG (Raph)
Retro_Choir_03_Test_OneRhythm - BIRD (Jess)
Retro_Choir_03_Test_OneRhythm - TURTLE (Paul)
Retro_Choir_03_Test_OneRhythm - BUNREL (K12)

(Source: Harmony Research Server)