OK, so in the infobot for the Jowai Resort, the owner mentions that you can use complimentary flippers to partake in "speed swimming".rnWere these a gadget and race-type-thing that were later scrapped from the game, the former being replaced by the Hydro-Pack? or just a trivial line added to the dialogue?

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I would guess it's just a 'trivial line in the dialogue', but I suppose it could always have been the gadget used to swim fast, you never know... (well, you could maybe, if you asked someone at Insomniac Games who worked on the first Ratchet game maybe, but even then, they might not remember...)

actually if you go into the insomniac museum in GC it explains that they cut an entire world from the game and it was a "water world" where you ran around on a jet ski thingy. they also cut a weapon called the revolverator which was a big drill. it however was carried over as the drill the miner on hoven holds.