Small Balls Taste Test
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| Released: Unreleased |
| Platform: PC |
| Developer: Raptisoft, Gator Company |
Small Balls Taste Test was the name given to a "repaint" of the PC game Hamsterball Gold. The name of the mod was created using only the letters available from the original, a process known in the Gatorbox community as Shush Or Hush. Small Balls Taste Test, created in 2015, was the first in a prospective line of repainted games produced by Gator Company and completed to such a state that it received its own Friday night feature where it was played by Davidmurry and Rockyowitz, however it was never fully finished and the project was put on an indefinite hiatus. The recap of this stream was also never shared on the Gatorbox YouTube channel. The primary concern over releasing the mod stemmed from the fact that in order to edit the text of the game Draco had to open the game's executable in a hex editor, remove its copy protection, and then make the desired changes. The text could only be changed by replacing the executable which technically counted as piracy and at the time Hamsterball Gold was not considered freeware. As of 2024 the original game is still for sale through its developer meaning it is unlikely Small Balls Taste Test will see a release.
Impact on Gatorbox
Despite never coming out Small Balls Taste Test was the origin of Rasta Otter, a mascot who has gone on to be very prominently featured in the branding and promotion of the Gatorbox channel. By rearranging the letters in "READY SET GO!", which display at the beginning of every level, Draco spelled out "RASTA OTTER .ORG". To complete the joke Draco actually registered the domain rastaotter.org and put up a picture of the character in case any curious players wanted to see if it was a real website. Because the game mod was never released however the website remained mostly unknown until a 2018 After Hours video where Draco told the story of the game and the character and showed off a small otter plush wearing a handmade Rastafarian beanie.
Additionally, on the splash screen of the game a phone number can be seen, 424-FAN-FICS. Draco also registered this phone number (in Culver City, California) as a way for viewers to eventually call in to the Gatorbox stream during Fanfiction Factory and talk about the stories being read on the air. This phone number was never actually used however and Draco elected not to keep it, so calling it will no longer connect you to the Gatorbox hotline. Fanfiction Factory was also not in production at the time (2015) and wouldn't see new episodes until a brief run in 2018.