Proto:Mega Man 7/Slash Man

Level Changes
The actual stage layout is identical, though some of the shrubbery here was rearranged for the final. The fences and signs were given a darker palette. The two Row Bird swarms were Coilns in the sample, and the second Stegoras is absent.

Two pterosaurs were added as background objects for the final build. The color of the ladder top is lighter in the prototype.

Higher up in the stage, a lot of clouds were put in the final to fill up the otherwise empty sky. A platform to the right of the second Technodon was removed to tone down the difficulty of this section. There are 3 Gobots here compared to the 8 in the final release, and the extra life was changed to an E Tank.

More foreground clouds that were added to class up the place.

Still more clouds. The three pits in the prototype were filled up with spikes.

The tree trunks in the sample are lined with mechanical devices. This machinery was removed for the final version, and some snakes were added so they wouldn't be barren. The bottom of the trees' leaves have added vines in the retail version. The four beehives in the final aren't present in the prototype. Though the ladder is present in the sample, it's impossible to climb up to the next room without hacking the screen borders.

The design of the eggs in the windows is of a much less detailed form in the sample: It was changed to look more like the Tamagon eggs in the final version. Slash Man's area has a very different design, featuring a large dinosaur skull and various scientific instruments. These unique graphics were removed, but a ceiling was added. The sample has five Tamagon eggs compared to the final's four.

Another instance of the egg design change. The tree on the left was fixed for the final version. Beat is locked here in the final, but he's absent in the sample.

Background Changes
I hope you're not sick of clouds by this point because here's more.

The background here actually seems more complete in the sample version. The final version removes the trees on the right and the top of the first tree, as these graphics are never actually seen in normal play. The dark trees in the far back are completely black in the final. The tops of trees had their designs changed slightly. The broken shrub graphics at the bottom of the screen were fixed for the final version.

Other Differences

 * King Gajuras doesn't have any AI programmed. He walks toward Mega Man until the screen stops scrolling, but that's it. He's also missing his vestigial arms.
 * The sample has no scroll stop between the 6th and 7th section.