- Accidental Downer Ending: Ends with the revelation that Pey'j has been infected by a Domz parasite. Given that Beyond Good and Evil 2 has been in Development Hell for almost twenty years and is a prequel on top of that, it's unlikely we're going to get follow-up on this.
- Acclaimed Flop: The game was well received, but sold quite poorly at the time of its original release; so much so that plans for a trilogy were put on hold, and the sequel has been stuck in Development Hell for over a decade.
- Creator-Driven Successor: To Rayman 2: The Great Escape. Both feature a pristine, Scenery Porn laden location invaded by machine-like beings, who kidnap many of the protagonist's friends. Since they were made by the same developer, this is hardly surprising.
- Troubled Production: When it came to porting the game to the PC they hired a group of talented Italians to help, getting them to travel to France in the process. One of the programmers got kidnapped, locked in the boot/trunk of his car, stripped naked and then unceremoniously left abandoned in the French countryside. As you might imagine a naked man, who didn't speak the language, knocking on peoples doors in the middle of the night didn't get help quickly. Turns out they just wanted his car for a bank robbery but reportedly the programmer was just so happy to be alive he worked even harder on the game.
- Working Title: Project BG&E, and Between Good and Evil.
Miscellaneous Trivia
- The introduction to the song "Akuda House Propaganda," with a woman speaking, came from part of a phone conversation with a Bulgarian woman that composer Christophe Heral recorded. The rest of the song, however, is in nonsense.
- The clanging noises in "Metal Gear DomZ" were achieved by Heral recording his neighbour's son playing with scrap metal.
- Heral provided the voices of the Hillyan citizens.
- The bar was originally supposed to use a song called "Funky Mullah", which included sampled muezzin vocals. Heral removed it because 9/11 occured during the game's production and he thought it would have been in bad taste.
- In several rooms of the upper levels of the Lighthouse, there are photographs on the wall. Several of them depict Jade's first model—she was more angular, had longer hair, and more almond-shaped eyes.
- This model was redesigned and changed over the course of a single week to the current Jade model. The reason for the change was to avoid more Mood Whiplash than the story already packed—they felt the cute, cartoony model clashed with her character, who was supposed to be a mature young woman.
- In the "Security Camera" MDisk you accquire in the factory, one guard makes reference to removing Pey'j's "jumpsuit." In the early versions of the game, Pey'j did indeed wear a jumpsuit—however, his model was altered before the final release. Because the dialogue was already recorded, the reference stayed.
- The "Pearl and the Currents" MDisk you get on your first visit to IRIS headquarters similarly displays the Dummied Out model for Double H. He has a much larger Lantern Jaw of Justice, less pronounced cheekbones, and slightly spikier hair. His model changed so late in production, most official screenshots of him use the old head.
- In the very earliest stages of the game's development, Jade was called Sally. The name was changed because Ancel was worried it sounded too "old-layish."
- There is a possible reference to the original name of the IRIS Network ("SPOON"): when Jade recites the IRIS password to the newspaper seller in the city, he asks if it's a spoonerism.
- The original idea for the game came from a glitch in Rayman 2: The Great Escape, where a player could jump onto a flying ship and fly over the world. The dev team wanted to make a game that could capture that same feeling of flying over a world.
- As a homage to Rayman, one creature Jade can photograph (an insect in the Nutripils Factory) is called Aedes raymanis. It bears a striking resemblance to Mosquito from the first Rayman game.
What Could Have Been: The Original Story
The revealed "alternative scenario" documentsnote present both a radically different take on the game's story line and a rather different game. The most striking difference between the two is the addition of a third alien race—the Nazh, who take the role of primary antagonist the DomZ have in the final game. Gameplaywise, in addition to more dungeons, the original story featured a third partner character for Jade, named Toy'l. A second set of recently-revealed documents is a set of storyboards from 1999, with an even more different take on the story.
- Base on Wheels: The SPOON's (the original name of the IRIS Network) flying air treatment plant.
- Brother–Sister Team: In the '99 storyboards, Jade had a brother who was supposed to be kidnapped instead of Pey'j. The brother as a character was axed, but his character model eventually became Nino.
- Collector of the Strange: The collector Jade meets who collects pictures of one specific rare animal, and that's it.
- Cool Airship: To an extent, the SPOON base.
- Dances and Balls: Jade must find a way to attend a fancy dance in order to meet with her benefactor, Colonel Garis.
- Dangerous Deserter: The government propaganda treats Double H as one, although he really made an off-screen Mook–Face Turn.
- Goggles Do Nothing: Jade's very first design—created in 1999, when the game was still in preproduction, and not shown to the public until a recent storyboard reveal—wore these and radio antenna. To paraphrase the fansite that revealed them, "She looked like a giant fly."
- Good Is Not Nice: Jade's secret ally in the Slaughterhouse—helpful, but not exactly friendly.
- James Bondage: Pey'j was always one, but he spends a much greater time being kidnapped in this game version.
- Last Episode, New Character: Toy'l, who joins you in the final dungeon.
- Power Limiter: Jade's inability to use her powers without the DomZ around.
- Psychic Powers: This is the nature of Jade's powers in this game. However, she can only use them when Toy'l is around.
- Reasonable Authority Figure: Col. Garis, much like his replacement, the Governor.
- Stone Wall: Toy'l's power is to allow Jade to defend herself. Psychically.
- Suspiciously Similar Substitute: Colonel Garis, who is extremely similar to the Governor in the final game.
- Who You Gonna Call?: In the '99 storyboards, Jade, Pey'j, and Jade's now-nonexistant brother were members of the alien-busting "Insecticide Gang."
"Fun and Mini-Games"/"Spanish Bar" lyrics, in Spanish with English translation
Spanish
- Un poquito de bencina
- Para tu lindo coche,
- Juanito el mecániconote
- Está pa' petar el turbo
- Para que quedes el mejor. (¡El mejor!)
- ¡Ole, olé! ¡Ole, olé!
- Cuatro ruedas al sol.
- ¡Ole, olé! ¡Ole, olé!
- Cuatro ruedas al sol
- Tres, dos, un, ¡VAMOS!
English
- A little bit of benzinenote
- For your handsome car,
- Juanito the mechanic
- is here to boost your turbonote
- So that you end up the best. (The best!)
- ¡Ole, olé! ¡Ole, olé!note
- Four wheels under the sun.note
- ¡Ole, olé! ¡Ole, olé!
- Four wheels under the sun.
- Three, two, one, LET'S GO!
