Mega Man V

Mega Man V
Also known as: Rockman World 5 (JP) Developer: Minakuchi Engineering Publisher: Capcom Platforms: Game Boy, Super Game Boy Released in JP: July 22, 1994 Released in US: September 10, 1994 Released in EU: 1994 This game has hidden development-related text. This game has unused graphics. This game has unused music. This game has unused sounds. This game has debugging material. This game has a hidden level select. This game has regional differences.

Mega Man V is the last Game Boy Mega Man game, and the only one with Super Game Boy functionality. It's also the only one to feature all new bosses instead of recycled robot masters.

Unused Damage Values

To do: Replace the video, since it was recorded using a modified ROM hack. A table of the exact values would also be nice.

By setting the value of memory address $C2F3 from 00 to 01, Mega Man can use the Deep Digger weapon anywhere outside of select stages. Certain Stardroids and other bosses deal damage from the weapon, especially Wily's 1st phase which does 4 damage per hit (and skips the second phase).

A video demonstration can be found below.

Debug Content

Debug Menu

A debug mode is located in the game. Use the Game Genie codes C55-0CF-2AA+045-0DF-E6B to access it via soft-reset button combination (A + B + Select + Start). It's largely the same as the Mega Man IV menu (both games were made by the same team), with some additions.

• C1-C4 are the crystals in the latter four Stardroid's stages.
• CL is the Grab Attack.
• MH is the Magnet Hand.
• PG is the Power Generator.
• MSGNO displays texts by ID. When a message is over, "END" message appears on the screen.

• NRB - Level of Mega Arm enhancement upon receiving a game over a number of times.
• SSA - unk.
• SSB - unk.

As for the Stage IDs...

• 01: Mercury.
• 02: Venus.
• 03: Mars.
• 04: Neptune.
• 05: Jupiter.
• 06: Saturn.
• 07: Pluto.
• 08: Uranus.
• 09: Dark Moon.
• 0A: Terra.
• 0B: Sunstar.
• 0C: Space shooter stage.
• 0D: Wily Star.
• 0E: L+R Knuckle.
• 0F: Got Weapon screen.
• 10: Dr. Light opening scene.
• 11: Neptune interior.
• 12: Brain Crusher.
• 13: Stage Select.
• 14: Post-Dark Moon cutscene.
• 15: Wily Star cutscene.
• 16: Sunstar cutscene.
• 17: Wily Star-Before L+R Knuckle.
• 18: Opening.
• 19: First fight against Terra.
• 1A: Stardroid invasion.
• 1B: Escape from Wily Star-Part 1.
• 1C: Escape from Wily Star-Part 2.
• 1D: Wily Star descruction.
• 1E: Ending.
• 1F: Thank You For Playing screen.

Miscellaneous Debug Text

The following text seems to be for debugging purposes, but it isn't actually used anywhere. Text starts at 0x4036A in the ROM. Similar debug routines may be found in the previous version of this game.

ALL 0

DMON MINI
DMON MAX
KOUHAN MINI
KOUHAN MAX
EART   MIN
EART   MAX

(Source: Original TCRF research)

Alternate Neptune Stage Palette

Normal Palette (Stage ID #4)	Alternate Palette (Stage ID #11)

Stage ID 11 is a duplicate of Neptune's stage's interior. The only difference is the SGB palette. This alternate palette is used nowhere else in the game.

Presumably you were meant to warp here from the exterior part of Neptune's stage, but the final version has the exterior and interior parts under the same stage ID.

(Source: Original TCRF research)

Unused Music

This game contains a whopping 6 unused tracks! Unlike Mega Man IV, these don't appear to be variants on used tracks. There's also one track that's never heard in its entirety. Game Genie codes ??0-BAB-3B3 + 11D-18E-4C2 will play any song ID at the title screen.

Alternate Fanfare

Another take on the music used after Wily Star explodes. ID 74

Placeholder Fanfare

This track originates from Mega Man IV, where it's used after defeating Wily. It's probably included here as a placeholder for the new fanfare. ID 71

Placeholder Sting

A short dramatic sting, this is another track taken directly from Mega Man IV. ID 5B

Rush Space

This track is used five times in the game (i.e. when Mega Man first goes to space, when he heads for the Wily Star, during the transition between the giant hands and Dr. Wily, during the transition between Dr. Wily and Sunstar, and during Mega Man's escape from the Wily Star), but the last 18 seconds are never heard during normal play, nor does it ever get a chance to loop. ID 63

Unknown Song

A song of unknown purpose placed immediately after the alternate fanfare by ID. ID 75

Unused Stage Track #1

A discarded track for a normal stage. This is sandwiched with the first four Stardoid tracks. Given its placement, and the position of Venus' final track as the last music piece by ID, this might have been the original theme for that stage. ID 5F

Unused Stage Track #2

Another unused track for a normal stage, this one is placed with the last four Stardroid tracks. Given this placement, it's possible this theme was intended for a mini-stage prior to Terra's boss battle, as was the case with Punk and Ballade. In the final game, selecting Terra brings you to a one-screen arena where only the boss music is heard. ID 66

(Source: Bean1227, nensondubois for access method and proper song IDs)

Regional Differences

Title Screen

Japan	USA	Europe

Grab Buster

Japan	International

• Mercury's weapon is known as the Grab Buster internationally, but the Snatch Buster in Japan. It's possible this was done due to "snatch" also being a slang term for the female genitalia.

Intermission Screen

Japan	International

• As per his name change, "Right Lab" was altered to "Light Lab" on the screen after getting a new weapon.

Miscellaneous

• The leader of the Stardroids is named Earth in Japan and Terra elsewhere. However, his weapon, the Spark Chaser, is labeled EA (instead of TE) on the HUD and the pause menu in all regions.
• The final boss' name was changed from Sungod to Sunstar outside Japan, presumably because of Nintendo's policies on religious content at the time.