Proto:Mega Man 7/Shade Man

This stage cannot be accessed without the following code:. Starting the game will send you to Shade Man's stage.

Level Differences
The first screen already shows a gaggle of graphical alterations. The only graphics not changed here are the rocks, and even the rocks got a new palette for the final version. The trees were altered from green and slanted to brown and upright, and as a whole the final version looks like more "modern".

The White Bear Machines here are obvious placeholders. The final has proper enemies.

More overhauling of the level graphics. The sample's graphic design here is darker and looks more natural than the final's, which adds a lot more mechanical details.

An Astro Zombieg and large bolt were added in the final build.

Hey, more graphical changes. Actually, the sample looks a lot more like a typical crypt.

This is the only room where the objects are identical between versions. The Ragger enemies are disguised with the background in the final, compared to the conspicuous palette the prototype has.

Yet more graphical changes. The glowing eyes in the final are machinery in the prototype. The sample does have cobwebs in the upper left corners of the room, but they're much smaller.

The Kyorown robots aren't programmed yet, so have some Icicle Tekus.

The spikes on the ceiling are many smalls ones in the sample, but four big ones in the final. The gap in the floor under the second set of spikes was removed.

The final has 5 Batton M548 robots compared to the sample's 4. This is the only level where the Battons show up in the prototype. The boss in the middle is completely different between versions, with a giant humanoid robot in the sample and VAN Pookin in the final. The three Metalls were replaced with two Astro Zombiegs and a large energy capsule.

Significant layout changes here. The prototype only shows the left half of this room, but the other side does exist. The ceiling here was lowered, and the floor raised. The alcove holding the extra life was shortened in length and elevated. In addition to the usual art changes, the windows here were widened for the final version.

The prototype has no objects other than 3 superfluous Count Bomb NEOs.

The sample version is bare compared to the final, which added some pillars and fences to the foreground.

The two Sniper Joes were substituted with Gilliam Knight, and the Coilns removed entirely. A moon object was added to change the Gilliam Knights in and out of werewolf form.

The same art differences as room 2.

A Petaforce resides here in the sample, but in the final version it was replaced with...nothing! There are no enemies here in the final.

From this point on, there are no background details in the prototype. These are strictly outlines of what the rooms would become. The final has painted windows, some nice curtains, and a picture of Count Dracuwily.

The two Battons and Trio the Wheel were replaced with three True Shield Attackers.

Still missing background details. The edge of the platform was lengthened a bit in the final.

No enemies are present in the final release.

Background details? No. Someone hasn't been paying attention. The gap in the ceiling was shortened in the final to reflect the change in the previous room. The sample's right border stops at the boss gate, but hacking the screen boundaries reveals that the boss room is more or less intact, though the second ledge before the boss room was lengthened for the retail version.

A cutscene with Bass was implemented in the final, but in the sample there's just another Trio the Wheel.

The lower path has its layout basically complete, but it can't be accessed at all without hacking the screen boundaries. This is the last room with any background details, though that's only to the first part of the screen. The gates here use the same graphics as the midboss gates, but in the final version both gates have different graphics.

Notice the room on the right. This is where you fight Proto Man in the final. In the retail version it's completely flat, yet in the prototype part of the floor is elevated. It looks like the level where you fought Break Man in Mega Man 3! It's a shame this visual reference wasn't kept for the final version.

Just some missing background details and objects.

Just some missing background details and objects. Again.

Plenty of layout differences here. The passage where you get the extra life in the final is closed off in the sample. No spikes here, and there's only two floating platforms compared to the final build's three.

Background Changes
The moon in the background is part of the scenery in the prototype, but it was turned into an object for the final version. The background palette is brighter in the final. The clouds are placed differently, the trees were given the same design change as the foreground trees, and the...things from the prototype were changed to scrap metal.

As above, the moon was changed to a sprite, the palette brightened, and the clouds placed differently.

Other Differences

 * Cloud Man's theme plays in this level.