Proto:Dynamite Headdy (Genesis)/June Prototypes

Four localization prototypes were released in drx's massive February 23, 2008 prototype dump:

Mutual Localization Changes
The following differences from the final localized game are already present, even in the earliest prototypes:

June 14th to June 16th Changes
As noted above, the June 16th prototype has a different stage select that's enabled by default. This replaces the Japanese version's stage select, which can only select the first part of each stage.

There are also 8 extra scenes (if they can be called that) that can be selected.

Title Screen

 * "Press Start Button" lost its Button, and the copyright became a little less lengthy.


 * "Configuration" is no longer abbreviated, and "Cancel" is the more descriptive "Cancel Head" in the international builds.

Graphical Changes
Trademark symbols were added to certain graphics starting with this build.

The Cast Roll sign now uses its final, correctly spelled designed. This inexplicable change to the Super Finagler's lasers first appeared in this version of the game. If this was made to make the beam harder to see: Boo. Boo, I say.

Stage Differences
Scene 3-1

The HeadCase in the Flying Soldier arena is gone from this point on in the development.

Scene 6-4

The seperate power-up screens from the Japanese game were merged into one starting with this build.

Scene 8-1 / Scene 8-2

The biggest surprise, gameplay-wise anyway, in these prototypes are in these scenes. In addition to carrying the Pin Head and Spike Head, HeadCase carries the Super Head in the June 14th and 16th prototypes.

This is a most unusual addition. The Super Head doesn't appear here in the final English game, the final Japanese game, or even in the April prototype! It seems to have been added specifically for the localized game, then quickly taken out by the June 22nd build.

Text Changes
Even though the boss dialogue has already been cut out, there are still plenty of text changes. Headdy's buddies are a chatty bunch.

All Rooms
All three of Headdy's friends have more dialogue in the Japanese and June 14th/16th prototypes: One chunk prompting to take the training, two for confirming or declining the training, and one for failing to complete the training. Here they are, in all of their clunky, unedited glory.

Scene 8-4
This stage's title, "VICE VERSA", is misspelled as "VICE VERSE" in the June 14th and 16th builds.

Bonus Game
The June 16th build keeps the Japanese text, while the June 22nd build is mostly the same as the final, save for "FIGHT!" lingering around in the instructions.

Cast Roll
Almost every single character in the cast roll received a name change: {|
 * The June 16th game keeps the Japanese name for almost all enemies, except for the redesigned bosses and, for some reason, Funky Ronmell.
 * Headdy's helpers, Heather, and Dark Demon, on the other hand, already have their final names at this point. Smiley and Trouble Bruin would changed by the June 22nd build.
 * Already depriving them of their invidual identities, the four pink puppets are "Puppetons" in the June 16th game. This was changed to the less interesting "Townsfolk".
 * "Mons Meg" is known as "Castle Cannon" in the June 16th build.
 * "Funky Jeepman" changed to "Funky Jeep Man" because Jeepman is not a word.
 * "Gatekeeper" and "Nasty Gatekeper" are under the preliminary names "Space Keeper" and "Space Keeper 2" in the June 16th script. Which is odd, since with these names, the Ghostbusters reference isn't there.
 * Mr.Kiosaku, Under Soldier, and Jayron got to keep their Japanese names in the June 22nd script.
 * Through some freak accident, Honeywan I and Honeywan II became Honeywan II and Honeywan III in the June 22nd build. They were eventually given different names entirely.
 * Mr.Kiosaku, Under Soldier, and Jayron got to keep their Japanese names in the June 22nd script.
 * Through some freak accident, Honeywan I and Honeywan II became Honeywan II and Honeywan III in the June 22nd build. They were eventually given different names entirely.

Credits
Strangely, in the June 22nd prototype, Stage 9 (and only Stage 9) uses a hybrid format of the old and new styles.

More rewriting, and, like on the title screen, "PUSH START BUTTON" is shortened to "PRESS START".

The final (finally) bit of text that was changed. Just sounds better, doesn't it?