Prerelease:Mega Man 6

This page details pre-release information and/or media for Mega Man 6.

Electronic Gaming Monthly #049, August 1993

First Page

Prerelease
Final

A map of Wind Man's stage.

• Second screen: The placement of the two Pandeeta enemies differ. The top of the yellow ground the second Pandeeta is standing on looks different. Instead of jumping up a stair-like structure, the player has to jump on what looks like the same kind of rotating spikey platforms found in Tomahawk Man's stage.
• Third screen: there is a Teck enemy, it's a Twin Roader in the final version.
• Fourth screen: There are four destructible blocks, in the final version there is only one and a ladder was added. The Pandeeta was moved further back. In the pre-release version, it looks like the player could get stuck without having the Power Armor, destroys the four blocks, but doesn't have the Jetpack Armor to fly up, which along with the other data from the second page (see below), suggests that the player would have started the game with both armors on the inventory.
• Fifth screen: The palette of the Cannopeller and of its projectile differ. The Cannopeller may look slightly different.
• Sixth screen and the following scroll: The Cyber Gabyoall are all missing. On the first screen, they are replaced by a Cannopeller.
• In the final version, the top part is two different scrolls that separate in the middle, after the last Cyber Gabyoall. In the pre-release version, it looks like the entire top part is a single scroll. In the final version, the more solid ground was added and there are fewer sprite platforms.
• At the very end of the scroll, in the pre-release version, a wall makes the final jump more difficult.
• The placement of the ladder at the end of the scroll differs slightly.
• On several indoor screens near the start, the darkened background on the sides look different.

Prerelease
Final

A map of Blizzard Man's stage.

• First screen (top left): The destructible ice block seems to be missing in the pre-release version, instead there is an ice block coming down from the ceiling.
• Bottom left screen: The spikes in the water are missing in the pre-release version.
• Next screen: There are spikes on the ground at the very start of the screen, while there is solid ground in the final version; this, and the way the screenshots are glued together, suggest that the entire bottom area was a single scroll in the pre-release version. In the final version, the first screen is separate. Indeed, if they were separate like in the final version, the player would fall down directly on the spikes as they enter the second screen, which doesn't happen if they are part of the same scroll.
• The submarine has a different palette and is constructed differently, in the final version the round shape was moved all the way to the front of the ship. Some of the platforms on the top of the ship look different also and the windows are missing in the pre-release version.
• There are fewer spikes on the ceiling in the pre-release version.
• In the pre-release version, the part of the ship where the E tank would be is lower than in the final version, and there are spikes below it, making it more dangerous to go there. And above that, some blocks of ice in the ceiling are missing in the pre-release version.
• At the end, the placement of the time bomb platforms differs and the ceiling is missing in the pre-release version.
• The water spikes look different.
• Small decorative blocks of ice were added to the water for the final version.

Second Page

Prerelease	Final (US)

• There are placeholder icons on the stage select screen, the "under construction" ones being the same which were seen in pre-release material of Mega Man IV.
• The article mentions that you need to turn on the Power Armor to make the Pooker fall over. In the released version, you can do that with a regular charge shot also. This, along with the four destructible blocks from Windman Stage (see above) suggests that the player would have started the game with both armors and that they weren't in the inventory just for demo purposes.

Prerelease	Final

• The Pooker is on a higher ground level in the pre-release version.
• The pool of oil is deeper in the pre-release version, seemingly leading to the player's death.
• Behind the Pooker, bricks were deleted for the final version, creating a shadow that makes the Pooker stand out more.

Game Player #050, August 1993

Prerelease	Final

A screenshot taken on Wind Man's stage, for some reason it was mirrored.

• Unless the player starts at the top of the screen which is not the case in the final version, this room can not be completed without the Jetpack Armor, as the jump above the spikes is not feasible.
• In the final version, this screen comes right after the scroll in Wind Man's stage shown above. Notice that the position of the end ladder differs at the end of that scroll, and the position of the bottom right ladder also differs in this screenshot, and the position of both ladders (previous scroll + this screen) match in either version. This tells us that it is highly likely that this screen was already placed right after that scroll, which would mean that the player would indeed enter the screen from the bottom and that it could indeed not be completed without using the Jetpack Armor.
• Several differences regarding the background layout of the room. A piece of cloud near the energy refill was taken out for the final version. The absence of walls on the left of the screen may be a clue that there was a multi-path.
• A Shield Attacker is present in the pre-release version, it is a Cyber Gabyoall in the final version.
• The Shield Attacker appears with a blue palette that no Shield Attacker uses in the final version.

Nintendo Power #051, August 1993

The middle screenshots matches the EGM #049 preview, the version shown here is therefore close to that version or identical.

Prerelease	Final

The planet is missing in the preview, in its stead a SAMPLE text. The letters TM are in the place of the © of the final version.

Prerelease	Final

The level layout differs. A Curlinger enemy can be seen whereas none can be found in this area in the final version, it is apparently in the process of falling from the niche above him. The palette of the foreground rocks at the bottom and of the mountains in the background use a purple hue, contrary to the blue from final. The placement of the Count Bomb differs, forcing the player to jump on it.

Consumer Software Group '93

A video preview from the Consumer Software Group '93 Autumn-Winter.

Prerelease	Final

The text above Mr. X during the intro is missing.