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Proto:Mega Man X2/The Eight Mavericks Part 1

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This is a sub-page of Proto:Mega Man X2.

Generic Differences

  • Strangely, the Maverick boss stage intros can be skipped by pressing Start in the prototype - a missing feature which didn't get implemented until Mega Man X3.
  • In the early prototype, there is no elaborate destruction sequence for the Mavericks. They simply explode like normal enemies, followed by X teleporting out abruptly.
  • Mavericks don't have boss music in the early prototype.

X-Hunters

  • The X-Hunter fights have just barely been started on in the early prototype:
  • Only Wire Sponge, Flame Stag, and Magna Centipede's stages have working X-Hunter doors.
  • Agile is the only X-Hunter that can be encountered. Serges is coded but can't be fought anywhere without hacking, while Violen has his graphics in the ROM but hasn't been programmed yet.
  • Agile is always present in each of the aforementioned stages. Defeating him does nothing; if the player loses a life or exits the stage, Agile will respawn.
  • The X-Hunters have no entrance or exit dialogue.
  • Even though the X-Hunter theme is in the game and is already used by the Gigantic Mechaniloid boss, it doesn't play during the X-Hunter fights.
  • The "You got Zero Part No. 1/2/3!" strings aren't in either prototype.

Agile

Damage Taken
MMX2WeaponIcon0.png MMX2WeaponIcon1.png MMX2WeaponIcon2.png MMX2WeaponIcon3.png MMX2WeaponIcon4.png MMX2WeaponIcon5.png MMX2WeaponIcon6.png MMX2WeaponIcon7.png MMX2WeaponIcon8.png MMX2WeaponIconG.png
Proto 1/1/2/4 0/0 1/1 1/1* 1/2 1/1 1/2 1/1 1/2 2
Final 1/1/2/4 0/0 1/1 1/1* 1/2 1/1 1/1 3/4 1/1 2
  • Agile is weak to Silk Shot in the prototypes... unless he's encountered in Crystal Snail or Wire Sponge's stage. He takes 1/1 damage from the crystal and leaf shots, 4/6 damage from the rock shot, and 6/6 damage from the junk shot. In the final game he takes 1/1 damage except for the rock shot, which does 3/5 damage.
  • The final version adds a consistent weakness to Magnet Mine.

Serges

Damage Taken
MMX2WeaponIcon0.png MMX2WeaponIcon1.png MMX2WeaponIcon2.png MMX2WeaponIcon3.png MMX2WeaponIcon4.png MMX2WeaponIcon5.png MMX2WeaponIcon6.png MMX2WeaponIcon7.png MMX2WeaponIcon8.png MMX2WeaponIconG.png
Protos 1/2/3/4 0/0 2/2 1/2 1/1 1/1 1/1 1/1 1/1 2
Final 1/1/2/4 0/0 1/1 1/2* 1/1 2/5 1/1 1/2 2/1 2
  • Serges takes full damage from the X-Buster but is weak to Bubble Splash in both prototypes, while he's weak to Sonic Slicer and crystal Silk Shot in the final game. Speed Burner was added as a secondary weakness.
Damage Given
Protos Final
Contact 2 HP 3 HP
Mine 1 HP 4 HP

Violen

Damage Taken
MMX2WeaponIcon0.png MMX2WeaponIcon1.png MMX2WeaponIcon2.png MMX2WeaponIcon3.png MMX2WeaponIcon4.png MMX2WeaponIcon5.png MMX2WeaponIcon6.png MMX2WeaponIcon7.png MMX2WeaponIcon8.png MMX2WeaponIconG.png
Proto 1/2/3/4 0/0 1/1 1/1 2/2 1/1 1/1 1/1 1/1 2
Final 1/1/2/4 0/0 2/2 1/1* 1/1 2/2 1/1 1/1 1/1 2
  • Violen is only weak to Spin Wheel in the later prototype, but he takes full damage from the X-Buster. The final game gave him weaknesses to Bubble Splash, Sonic Slicer, and leaf Silk Shot.
Damage Given
Proto Final
Contact 4 HP 3 HP
Mace 6 HP 5 HP
Used Unused
MMX2ViolenMaceSmall.png MMX2ViolenMaceBig.png
  • In the early prototype, there's an extra morning star graphic with larger spikes in Violen's tileset. The smaller-spiked morning star is already in his tileset, so it's not clear where the larged-spiked version would have been used. This graphic was deleted in the later prototype.

Wire Sponge / Wire Hetimarl

Level Graphics

Early Prototype Later Proto + Final
MMX2WireSpongeBG1E.png MMX2WireSpongeBG1F.png

The stage background is 64 pixels wider in the early prototype. Later versions sacrifice the symmetry of the older background to save space.

Layout

Early Prototype Later Prototype Final Game
MMX2WireSponge01E.png MMX2WireSponge01P.png MMX2WireSponge01F.png

In both prototypes, this stage is missing its heart tank, and there isn't really a place to hide one either. To fix this, the developers extended the starting wall further right and hid a heart tank inside.

Each version of the game uses a different palette for the building sections of Wire Sponge's stage. The palette is a dull yellow-green scheme in the earlier prototype, while the later prototype uses darker green and bright blue-gray colors. The final game changes the green floor to use a lighter palette, while the columns in the back are darker.

The blue-gray walls were redrawn in the final version. The pipes and tubes in the background are arranged differently in each version of the game - this is a change common throughout the stage.

Early Prototype Later Proto + Final
MMX2WireSponge0AE.png MMX2WireSponge0AF.png

The leaves in Wire Sponge's trees have basic, flat shading in the earlier prototype. The leaves were redrawn in the later prototype to give them more depth. The flora on the ground were similarly touched-up and rearranged, with a few stems that seem to float in the air being trimmed.

Early Prototype
MMX2WireSponge0BE.png
Later Prototype
MMX2WireSponge0BP.png

There are fewer background details in the large interior rain section, and those that are present are arranged differently. The top of the room has no detail at all!

Later Prototype Final Game
MMX2WireSponge1BP.png MMX2WireSponge1BF.png

In the final version, the second Croak Hopper was moved away from the Sub-Tank on the right.

Early Prototype
MMX2WireSponge0CE.png
Later Prototype
MMX2WireSponge0CP.png

The background details in the lower part of this room were also rearranged. Check out the openings in the wall: In the prototype they curve up and down, while in later versions they're always at the same height.

Later Prototype Final Game
MMX2WireSponge1CP.png MMX2WireSponge1CF.png

The final version places the third and fifth Probe 8201-U platforms lower to the ground.

Both Prototypes Final Game
MMX2WireSponge02P.png MMX2WireSponge02F.png

There's a Bar Waying at the start of the elevator section that only appears in the prototype builds. The floors are lighter in the final version, and the brown strip that separates the outside and inside areas -- the one to the left of the Bar Waying -- had bits of detail added to it.

Both Prototypes Final Game
MMX2WireSponge03P.png MMX2WireSponge03F.png

The Bar Waying at the end of the elevator section was removed, and a spike-laden ceiling was added on top.

Early Prototype Later Proto + Final
MMX2WireSponge0DE.png MMX2WireSponge0DF.png

Even more background detail rearrangements. Note also the different, less-detailed spike graphics in the earlier prototype.

Early Prototype Later Proto + Final
MMX2WireSponge0EE.png MMX2WireSponge0EF.png

The bricks to the left of the spike pit are assembled differently in the later prototype and final game.

Early Prototype Later Proto + Final
MMX2WireSponge0FE.png MMX2WireSponge0FF.png

Someone must not have liked that bare patch of grass to the right of the spike pit, because it was covered up in later versions.

Early Prototype Later Prototype Final Game
MMX2WireSponge04E.png MMX2WireSponge04P.png MMX2WireSponge04F.png

There are more pipes / tubes in the background in the final version.

Early Prototype Later Prototype Final Game
MMX2WireSponge05E.png MMX2WireSponge05P.png MMX2WireSponge05F.png

Standard pipe and tube changes. Two more Scrivers were added to this once-empty area, and the remaining Scriver was replaced by a more formidable Aclanda.

Early Prototype Later Prototype Final Game
MMX2WireSponge06E.png MMX2WireSponge06P.png MMX2WireSponge06F.png

The green vines at the bottom and the metallic vines that surround Wire Sponge's arena have different art in both samples. The metallic vines look blocky in the earlier sample; the later prototype adds transparency to those tiles to make them look properly vine-shaped.

The vines in the ground are designed to perfectly fit a 224 length screen, but since this game's camera is actually offset one line down, the player can see where the vines end. The final version fixes this by extending the vines all the way down.

Boss

Damage Taken
MMX2WeaponIcon0.png MMX2WeaponIcon1.png MMX2WeaponIcon2.png MMX2WeaponIcon3.png MMX2WeaponIcon4.png MMX2WeaponIcon5.png MMX2WeaponIcon6.png MMX2WeaponIcon7.png MMX2WeaponIcon8.png MMX2WeaponIconG.png
Protos 1/2/3/4 0/0 1/1 1/1 1/1 2/1 1/1 1/2 1/1 2
Final 1/1/2/4 0/0 1/1 1/1 1/1 2/5 1/1 1/2 2/1 2
  • Most of the Mavericks take more damage from the X-Buster in the prototypes. The final game reduces the damage to 1/1/2/4 for all Mavericks.
  • The final version adds a second weakness for Wire Sponge in the Speed Burner and makes the powered-up Sonic Slicer properly powerful.
Damage Given
Protos Final
Seed 3 HP 2 HP
Vine 3 HP 2 HP
Both Prototypes Final Game
MMX2WireSpongeLightningP.png MMX2WireSpongeLightningF.png
  • In both prototype builds, when Wire Sponge powers up, four bolts of lightning will fall from the sky simultaneously. The final version reduces this to three bolts of lightning and makes them drop one at a time.
  • Wire Sponge is silent in the earlier prototype. The later prototype implements sounds for Wire Sponge's antenna popping up and his lightning bolts, but he's still missing his charging sound effect.
  • In the early prototype, despite the fact that the Mavericks don't have their long explosion sequence when killed, Wire Sponge will still do his "sliced in half" animation when killed by an uncharged Sonic Slicer before unceremoniously going poof.

Miscellaneous

Later Prototype Final Game
MMX2WireSpongeIntroP.png MMX2WireSpongeIntroF.png
  • In the prototype intro, Wire Sponge does his little electricity dance. In the final game, he whips his chain around for a bit.
Early Proto + Final Later Prototype
MMX2WireSpongeWarmF.png MMX2WireSpongeWarmP.png
  • While the early prototype and final game have properly implemented haze effects for sunny and foggy weather, the later prototype does not. Something must have broken between builds...

Morph Moth / Metamor Mothmeanos

Level Graphics

Early Prototype Later Proto + Final
MMX2MorphMothBG1E.png MMX2MorphMothBG1F.png

This is a little hard to see, but check out the rightmost set of clouds. They look fine in the early prototype, but in the later prototype and the final version, one of the cloud tiles has been incorrectly flipped upside-down.

Early Prototype Later Proto + Final
MMX2MorphMothBG2E.png MMX2MorphMothBG2F.png

Some of the backgrounds in the early prototype have industrial waste barrels in what looks to be toxic ooze. These tiles were removed in later versions, and the space was taken up by duplicates of those rectangular pipe tiles.

Early Prototype Later Prototype Final Game
MMX2MorphMothBG3E.png MMX2MorphMothBG3P.png MMX2MorphMothBG3F.png

The version of this background in the earlier prototype is 448 pixels tall. The later prototype extends this upwards by 128 pixels, but in a pretty sloppy way. Look at that piece of brown wall just floating in the middle there. They also erroneously flipped two of the fence / pipe pieces that flank the brown wall at the bottom. Just like the previously mentioned clouds, this error persists into the final version.

The final version adds another 64 pixels to the length of the background, but does it at the bottom instead of the top.

MMX2MorphMothBGOversight1.png
Extending the background downward fixes a BG cutoff error that can be seen in both prototypes, but it's not clear what the upward extension was supposed to fix.

Early Prototype Later Proto + Final
MMX2BigGarbageE.png MMX2BigGarbageF.png

The large chunks of garbage are more efficiently crushed in the later prototype.

Layout

Early Prototype Later Proto + Final
MMX2MorphMoth0AE.png MMX2MorphMoth0AF.png

Three of the chunks of ground here look a bit out of place with the adjacent tiles, especially the one of the right of the junked Bee Blader. These were fixed in the later prototype, but in a lazy way: They were all replaced by the same strip of land. The background junk that stretches between the two green platforms looks connected in the early prototype but not in later versions.

Early Prototype Later Proto + Final
MMX2MorphMothA01E.png MMX2MorphMothA01P.png

One of the tiles under the second Hanging Reploid was changed. In the early prototype, that tall brown beam looks like it's floating in the air. Not so much in later versions.

Both Prototypes Final Game
MMX2MorphMoth01P.png MMX2MorphMoth01F.png

The secret area near the start of the stage already exists even in the earliest prototype, but nothing's been placed there yet and it's inaccessible. The final version adds an extra life, a heart tank, and the Disk Boy 08 that the player has to freeze to get up there.

Two more Hanged Reploids were added at the start of the first gravity section.

Early Prototype Later Proto + Final
MMX2MorphMoth0BE.png MMX2MorphMoth0BF.png

The long orange beam was moved over to the left by 16 pixels. It's not possible to get into the Light Capsule room in the early prototype -- the object that makes those tiles destructible by Spin Wheel hasn't been coded yet -- but we can see that the destructible tiles would have extended a bit further down.

Early Prototype Later Prototype
MMX2MorphMoth02E.png MMX2MorphMoth02P.png

Only being able to see half of that long orange beam in this area is probably why it was moved in later versions.

Later Prototype Final Game
MMX2MorphMoth02P.png MMX2MorphMoth02F.png

There were two changes in the Light Capsule room that fixed developer oversights. The first was adding an extra 128x128 foreground block to the left of the room.

MMX2MorphMothBGOversight2.png
In the later prototype, it's possible to see where the foreground ends by sliding down the left wall into the chamber. Adding that extra block fixed that.

The second was the addition of a thin platform to the entrance of the area.

MMX2MorphMothCapsuleGlitch1.png MMX2MorphMothCapsuleGlitch2.png
That platform was added to fix a glitch where the player coaxes one of the Hanging Reploids from above to enter this area. If the player gets hit while the Dr. Light hologram is talking, they'll be able to move around freely.

MMX2MorphMothCapsuleGlitch3.png MMX2MorphMothCapsuleGlitch4.png
This includes entering the Light Capsule before the hologram is finished talking. There are several graphical glitches that can occur if X performs a Giga Crush here, including a sprite of Dr. Light's portrait from the first game appearing (apparently it's always present, just hidden behind the dialogue box) and the dialogue box extending to the length of the screen. Pausing and unpausing the game will correct these glitches.

Both Prototypes Final Game
MMX2MorphMoth03P.png MMX2MorphMoth03F.png

I'm seeing double! Eight Hanged Reploids!

Both Prototypes Final Game
MMX2MorphMoth04P.png MMX2MorphMoth04F.png

Both Scrivers were replaced by Disk Boys, which now properly face X. The upper-left alcove is where the heart tank sits in the prototypes; the extra life remained, but it moved more to the right.

Both Prototypes Final Game
MMX2MorphMoth05P.png MMX2MorphMoth05F.png

A single Pararoid V-1 was added to this room. It's in a prime position to latch onto the player's head, giving them a nice introduction on how they can manipulate the player's movements before they start swarming the stage later.

Early Prototype Later Prototype Final Game
MMX2MorphMoth06E.png MMX2MorphMoth06P.png MMX2MorphMoth06F.png

There are six Spin Wheel-destructible blocks here that, well, block the way to the X-Hunter room. Those blocks were taken out of the final version, which is now obstruction-free.

Five pipe corner tiles (The ones on the edge of the two ledges on the bottom-left and one on the topmost ledge) are incorrectly flipped in the later prototype. They're correct in the earlier prototype, so it's not really clear what causes them to suddenly flip. They were all fixed in the final version.

The three Scramblers (their only appearance in this stage) were replaced by Disk Boys, which now sit on the once empty ledges. Two large energy pickups were placed on the bottommost ledges.

Both Prototypes Final Game
MMX2MorphMoth07P.png MMX2MorphMoth07F.png

One last Hanged Reploid placed before the X-Hunter room. While the player has to double back after beating the X-Hunter in the final game, in both prototypes there's one more shutter...

Both Prototypes Final Game
MMX2MorphMoth08P.png MMX2MorphMoth08F.png

...leading to a short alternate path! There's not much here -- just a long drop down to the end of the large gravity room -- but it's something. This room was worked on a bit after the later prototype; check out the extra life embedded in the wall where the platform on the right used to be. It's not clear why this was removed, since both versions' chunks end up occupying the same amount of space in the ROM.

Both Prototypes Final Game
MMX2MorphMoth09P.png MMX2MorphMoth09F.png

No layout changes here besides the hole in the ceiling for the alternate path, but plenty of object changes. In both prototypes, all Garakuta robots are on the lower path and are either on spikes or are spike-adjacent. The final game places one on the upper path and moves the other two, making them more of a threat. Plop another Pararoid R-5 and a large energy pickup in there and the area is complete.

Both Prototypes
MMX2MorphMoth10P.png
Final Game
MMX2MorphMoth10F.png

There are only four Pararoids in the sample builds, and they're all facing left for some reason. The final layout reorients them and adds four more: two that are grounded, and two that drop from the ceiling.

Early Prototype Later Prototype
MMX2MorphMothA11E.png MMX2MorphMothA11P.png

The bottoms of the hanging wires tiles are transparent in the early prototype, letting the player get brief glimpses of the background. They're opaque in later versions.

Both Prototypes
MMX2MorphMoth11P.png
Final Game
MMX2MorphMoth11F.png

The layout seen in the samples has spikes on the ceiling wires that don't appear anywhere in the final version. Like the spikes in the large gravity room, these deal non-lethal damage to X. The Pararoid V-1s are positioned such that if the player gets unlucky, they'll latch onto X's head and make him jump into the spikes. Three Pararoid R-5s take the place of those spikes in the final game, and a Cannon Driver replaces the three Hanged Reploids at the end.

Boss

Damage Taken
MMX2WeaponIcon0.png MMX2WeaponIcon1.png MMX2WeaponIcon2.png MMX2WeaponIcon3.png MMX2WeaponIcon4.png MMX2WeaponIcon5.png MMX2WeaponIcon6.png MMX2WeaponIcon7.png MMX2WeaponIcon8.png MMX2WeaponIconG.png
Protos 1/2/2/4 0/0 1/1 1/1 1/1 1/1 1/1 1/1 2/3 2
Final 1/1/2/4 0/0 1/1 1/1 1/1 1/1 1/1 1/2 3/6 2
  • The final version makes Speed Burner more effective -- doubling the damage for the charged version -- and makes the charged Magnet Mine do more than base damage. Since that weapon also sucks in the debris that Morph Moth's cocoon is constantly generating, it's a nice alternate.
Damage Given
Proto Final
Debris 1 HP 2 HP
Dust 1 HP 2 HP
Both Prototypes Final Game
MMX2MorphMothDebrisP.png MMX2MorphMothDebrisF.png
  • The way that Morph Moth sucks in debris is different.
  • In both prototypes, the garbage comes in on a line that slowly rotates clockwise. Two pieces of debris are generated on opposite ends of that line and flow into the cocoon.
  • In the final version, the garbage comes in like a spiral on a wheel that rotates clockwise. Up to five pieces of junk are on-screen at one time, and the tighter formation of debris and faster rotation makes dodging a more active process.
Both Prototypes Final Game
MMX2MorphMothTopP.png MMX2MorphMothTopF.png
  • All versions have the same boss room layout, but only in the sample versions can the player reach the top. The final version cuts it off before they can see the ceiling.
  • Morph Moth is silent in the earlier prototype. In the later prototype, the only action that has a sound effect is Morph Moth's laser, which uses Wire Sponge's lightning sound as a placeholder.

Miscellaneous

Early Prototype Later Proto + Final
MMX2MorphMothOldRobotE.png MMX2MorphMothOldRobotF.png
  • The cutscene of Pararoid S-38 breaking out of the glass capsule and possessing the Old Robot doesn't exist in the early prototype, though the capsule is already present at this point. Old Robot just rises out of the ground instead.

Flame Stag / Flame Stagger

Level Graphics

Early Prototype Later Proto + Final
MMX2FlameStagBG1E.png MMX2FlameStagBG1F.png

There are a lot of small changes that were made to this background. Going from bottom to top:

  • In the earlier prototype, the bottom-most tree layer is barely filled in. The later prototype and final game fills in every blank space with tree tiles.
  • The tree layers further away from the camera are arranged differently, and the one furthest away from the camera is lower in the final tilemap.

MMX2FlameStagBGCutoff.png

  • The second mountain in the early prototype goes up further but just cuts off. It's easy to see where the mountain ends. The later layout mirrors the top of that mountain instead. Both mountains have more edge tiles in later builds.
  • In the early prototype, the clouds are horizontally symmetrical and they're placed closed together. Later versions add more unique cloud tiles to the tileset, making them a bit smaller but asymmetrical. One of the clouds was moved to the left, just above the first mountain.
Early Prototype Later Proto + Final
MMX2FlameStagBG3E.png MMX2FlameStagBG3F.png

The background after the rising lava section is made up of two layers: The main layer is used for the brighter clouds near the second cave section, and the secondary layer is used for the darker clouds. The early prototype only has the main layer of clouds...

MMX2FlameStagNoBG.png
...meaning that a simple single-color background is all the player sees for most of that section.

Early Prototype Later Proto + Final
MMX2FlameStagBG2E.png MMX2FlameStagBG2F.png

The two thick pipes in the early prototype's background were moved to the foreground layer in the final game.

Layout

Early Prototype Later Proto + Final
MMX2FlameStag0AE.png MMX2FlameStag0AF.png

The pipes at the bottom use slightly different shading in the early sample. Two of the cliff tiles on the bottom-right are the ones that should be used in the interior sections, which don't have transparency. These were both fixed in the later prototype.

Early Prototype Later Prototype
MMX2FlameStag0BE.png MMX2FlameStag0BP.png

The cliff at the very top of the first section has a steep drop-off in the middle in the early prototype. It slopes more gradually in later versions. The later prototype adds an invisible, unclimbable wall on the upper-left side to keep the player from going over the cliff.

Note that the cliff tile decorations (those little rectangular brick-looking dealies) are different between the early prototype and the later prototype / final game, something that applies to every single cliff.

Both Prototypes Final Game
MMX2FlameStag01P.png MMX2FlameStag01F.png

In both prototypes, there's an extra life on the cliff where the Sub-Tank sits. All versions have another extra life a couple of screens to the right, so the prototypes are being a bit too generous here.

Early Prototype Later Proto + Final
MMX2FlameStag0CE.png MMX2FlameStag0CF.png

Hey, there it is! In addition to the expected cliff face changes, the earlier prototype also starts the cave section of the stage earlier on.

Early Prototype Later Prototype Final Game
MMX2FlameStag02E.png MMX2FlameStag02P.png MMX2FlameStag02F.png

There are three more Barite Lastars in the first cave section. In both prototypes, all of the Barite Lastars except for the one at the top-right are the walking type, while in the final game, they're both stationary. A small number of life and weapon energy pickups were added to the bottom-left part of the cave.

The usual cliff face changes can be seen here, as well as the repositioning of background walls, rocks, and lights.

Early Prototype Later Proto + Final
MMX2FlameStag0DE.png MMX2FlameStag0DF.png

More wall decorations were added after the early prototype. The cliff wall on the bottom left is missing edge tiles in the earlier build.

Standard cliff face changes.

Early Prototype Later Prototype Final Game
MMX2FlameStag03E.png MMX2FlameStag03P.png MMX2FlameStag03F.png

The climb up is straightforward in the early prototype. The later prototype adds a chamber to the middle of this section but doesn't include anything in it; the final game places a small life energy pickup and a large weapon energy pickup there. The wall on the upper-right has a deeper indent in both samples, making the climb up more difficult without switching to the left wall.

Standard cliff face changes.

Early Prototype Later Prototype Final Game
MMX2FlameStag04E.png MMX2FlameStag04P.png MMX2FlameStag04F.png

Again, the chamber doesn't exist in the early prototype and is empty in the later prototype. The final game adds a Heart Tank and Bar Waying, and fills in the right wall. The dark brown rock wall behind the large life energy pickup uses an incorrect tile in both prototypes - the final game fixes this by extending the floor to the left.

Standard cliff face changes!

Early Prototype Later Prototype Final Game
MMX2FlameStag05E.png MMX2FlameStag05P.png MMX2FlameStag05F.png

The floor to the left of the first lava platform section dips further down in both prototypes. The later prototype adds a grassy tile before the lava starts...it looks out of place. The platforms coming out of the lava use an unfitting, cooler palette in the early prototype.

Standard cliff face changes? Yes.

Early Prototype Later Prototype Final Game
MMX2FlameStag06E.png MMX2FlameStag06P.png MMX2FlameStag06F.png

The ceiling pipe tiles were flipped after the earlier prototype for reasons unknown. The first platform has a pipe on it in the early prototype, but is all-natural in later builds. The edge tiles for the gap at the bottom were added after the early prototype.

Two Barite Lastars greet the player when they reach the X-Hunter room's entrance. The final game is more kind, giving the player a large life energy pickup instead.

These cliff face changes are standard.

Early Prototype Later Proto + Final
MMX2FlameStag0EE.png MMX2FlameStag0EF.png

Ceiling pipes flipped once more, and four lights (not five) were placed below those pipes.

Are these cliff face changes out of the ordinary? No, they're standard fare.

Early Prototype Later Prototype
MMX2FlameStag07E.png MMX2FlameStag07P.png
Final Game
MMX2FlameStag07F.png

Background walls, lights, small rocks? Repositioned, rearranged, and cleaned up in the later prototype to benefit you, the player.

The trip across this large lava-filled room is considerably tougher in the sample versions: there are only four platforms, they're spaced further apart, and there aren't any floating platforms to guide the player down if they're dropping down from above. Large life and weapon energy pickups were added to the bottom-left corner, the large life energy pickup and heart tank were replaced with an extra life, and the chamber at the bottom of the right wall was filled up.

Cliff face changes come standard with all new models.

Early Prototype Later Prototype Final Game
MMX2FlameStag08E.png MMX2FlameStag08P.png MMX2FlameStag08F.png

The small hill in the upper-left in the early prototype was partially leveled in later versions. The two small horizontal pipes behind the two larger, angled pipes aren't on the same level in the early prototype, but are in later versions. Wow. Incredible.

More cave indent filling-inning in the final version, along with moving two Morguns (those flaming, flying squirrels). The pipes outside were redrawn; they look a bit flat in the prototypes.

Clandard stiff chace fanges.

Early Prototype Later Prototype Final Game
MMX2FlameStag09E.png MMX2FlameStag09P.png MMX2FlameStag09F.png

The wall above the right boss shutter was fixed in the final game.

Cliff faces.

Early Prototype Later Prototype
MMX2FlameStag0FE.png MMX2FlameStag0FP.png

This is where those deleted background pipes ended up in later versions. Makes for a better visual setup. The set of railings at the bottom was broken up into two sets. Two of the piles at the bottom moved more towards the wall, while the one in the middle underwent some sort of pile mitosis.

Standard changes.

Later Prototype Final Game
MMX2FlameStagA0FP.png MMX2FlameStagA0FF.png

A single cliff tile above the boss shutter was changed. That's not standard. That's not standard at all!

Boss

Damage Taken
MMX2WeaponIcon0.png MMX2WeaponIcon1.png MMX2WeaponIcon2.png MMX2WeaponIcon3.png MMX2WeaponIcon4.png MMX2WeaponIcon5.png MMX2WeaponIcon6.png MMX2WeaponIcon7.png MMX2WeaponIcon8.png MMX2WeaponIconG.png
Protos 1/2/3/4 0/0 2/2 1/1 1/1 1/1 1/1 1/1 1/1 2
Final 1/1/2/4 0/0 2/2 1/1 1/1 2/2 1/1 1/1 1/1 2
  • The final game adds Sonic Slicer as a second weakness. It's an effective second option, considering how often he's triangle jumping around the place.
Damage Given
Protos Final
Contact 3 HP 2 HP
Uppercut 3 HP 2 HP
Speed Burner (Blue) 3 HP 2 HP
  • Hitting Flame Stag with Bubble Splash in either version will reset his pattern. In the prototype, he starts by doing wall jumps. In the final game, he'll throw two fireballs.
  • Sound effects haven't been assigned yet.
Hmmm...
To do:
Does this happen on real hardware, or just an emulation flaw?
Prototypes Final Game
Blown away like paper. Solid as a rock. Drops like one, too.
  • In the prototype version, Stag seems to, er, stagger after the last hit. In the final version, he just stops moving horizontally, even if he's in mid-air at the time of impact.
    • During this animation, he frequently jumps back toward X by 13 pixels, but not always.

Miscellaneous

  • The early prototype is missing all palette cycling effects.
  • The platforms in lava sink twice as quickly in the early prototype.
  • In the early prototype only, the rising lava rubberbands; it rises faster if it's offscreen, and slower if it's onscreen.
  • In the early prototype, the lava in the sinking platform sections kills X on contact, but in the later prototype and final it only does 2 damage.

Magna Centipede / Magne Hyakulegger

Level Graphics

Early Prototype Later Proto + Final
MMX2MagnaCentipedeBG1E.png MMX2MagnaCentipedeBG1F.png

The background at the start of the stage was extended both upwards and downwards to a full 256x256 pixels. The background is actually big enough in the early prototype to avoid seeing where it cuts off...

MMX2MagnaCentipedeBGCutoff.png
...but if the player uses a charged Crystal Hunter, the ripple effect will reveal where the background ends.

Early Prototype Later Proto + Final
MMX2MagnaCentipedeBG2E.png MMX2MagnaCentipedeBG2F.png

The centers of the lights(?) in the background at the end of the stage are orange in the early prototype and dark blue in the later prototype and final game.

Layout

Early Prototype Later Prototype Final Game
MMX2MagnaCentipede01E.png MMX2MagnaCentipede01P.png MMX2MagnaCentipede01F.png

The early prototype has two Scrivers in this hallway; after those enemies were taken out of the stage's object set, the area was left empty. The final layout repopulates the hallway with two Barrier Attackers.

Early Prototype
MMX2MagnaCentipede02E.png
Later Prototype
MMX2MagnaCentipede02P.png
Final Game
MMX2MagnaCentipede02F.png

Searchlights have yet to be placed in the early prototype; to make up for this, the Bleckers (yes, those falling blocks have a name) and bridges fall automatically. The first hiding place has wider walls in the early sample.

The later prototype removes the first Barrier Attacker, while the final version adds two more and another Blecker. The Barrier Attacker that was already in the stage was moved away from the searchlight pileup at the end.

Early Prototype Later Prototype Final Game
MMX2MagnaCentipede03E.png MMX2MagnaCentipede03P.png MMX2MagnaCentipede03F.png

The shutter on the left is always present in both samples, but it's not solid so it's not that big of a deal. Not ideal, but whatever, they fixed it. The gap in the floor is wider in both prototypes. The final layout has another ledge on the right with a large life energy pickup.

Early Prototype Later Prototype Final Game
MMX2MagnaCentipede04E.png MMX2MagnaCentipede04P.png MMX2MagnaCentipede04F.png

This is the only area with a searchlight trap in the early prototype. The shaft starts out narrow and opens up as the player falls down.

In the later prototype, the searchlight shaft immediately opens up as soon as the player reaches the first Scrambler. The enemy placement matches the early prototype, but the more open layout makes them trivial to avoid. Two searchlight traps have been added, but the player can ignore them by staying a safe distance away from the left wall.

In the final game, the searchlight shaft is narrower and the Scramblers and Barite Lastars are spaced out better. These changes try to nudge the player to the right wall, away from the enemies and into the safe cover behind the searchlights.

Early Prototype Later Prototype Final Game
MMX2MagnaCentipede05E.png MMX2MagnaCentipede05P.png MMX2MagnaCentipede05F.png

The layout in the earlier prototype is almost identical to the later prototype, though the two platforms at the top don't jut out as much and extend further down. As usual, no searchlights have been placed yet.

It's very hard to get through this section without getting caught by the searchlights in the later sample. The final version narrows this section, but gets rid of the three Scramblers (replacing one with a Barite Lastar), places the searchlights further away from each other, and makes the safe area behind the final searchlight wider.

Early Prototype Later Proto + Final
MMX2MagnaCentipede0AE.png MMX2MagnaCentipede0AF.png

The images of X on the monitors are closer together in later versions. Two of the blank monitors in the early prototype were filled with images copied from other monitors in the later prototype.

Both Prototypes Final Game
MMX2MagnaCentipede06P.png MMX2MagnaCentipede06F.png

A large life energy pickup was placed before the X-Hunter shutter.

Early Prototype Later Prototype
MMX2MagnaCentipede07E.png MMX2MagnaCentipedeA07P.png

The foreground railings in Raider Killer's arena are clearly anchored in the bridge in the early prototype, while those tiles were deleted in later versions. Those railings are also properly layered in front of X and Raider Killer in the earlier version, while in the later prototype they're layered behind them. The background decorations on the blue wall to the right were all moved down by 16 pixels.

Later Prototype Final Game
MMX2MagnaCentipede07P.png MMX2MagnaCentipede07F.png

The final layout opens up Raider Killer's arena, giving the player more space to avoid its attacks. The foreground railings were deleted.

Early Prototype Later Proto + Final
MMX2MagnaCentipede0BE.png MMX2MagnaCentipede0BF.png

The ceiling is higher in the early prototype. It was probably lowered to give the player more warning of the two Installer blocks, which can be hard to spot even without taking TV overscan into account.

Boss

Damage Taken
MMX2WeaponIcon0.png MMX2WeaponIcon1.png MMX2WeaponIcon2.png MMX2WeaponIcon3.png MMX2WeaponIcon4.png MMX2WeaponIcon5.png MMX2WeaponIcon6.png MMX2WeaponIcon7.png MMX2WeaponIcon8.png MMX2WeaponIconG.png
Protos 1/1/2/4 0/0 1/1 4/6 1/2 1/1 1/2 1/1 1/1 2
Final 1/1/2/4 0/0 1/1 2/4 1/1 1/1 2/2 1/1 1/1 2
  • Magna Centipede doesn't teleport in during his intro animation, he just kinda pops into existence.
  • The Silk Shot is more effective in the prototypes by 2 HP. Final game adds Strike Chain as a second weakness (though it was already partially a weakness in the prototype) and nerfs the charged Spin Wheel.
  • Silk Shot destroys Magna Centipede's tail in both the early prototype and the final game, but not in the later prototype.
  • Magna Centipede is silent (but deadly) in the sample versions.

Miscellaneous

Later Prototype Final Game
MMX2MagnaCentipedeIntroP.png MMX2MagnaCentipedeIntroF.png
  • Magna Centipede does the same action in both the later prototype and the final game, but the prototype intro lasts a little too long and he ends up snapping back to his idle pose.
Both Protos Final Game
MMX2SpotlightP.png MMX2SpotlightF.png
  • In case you haven't caught on yet, the searchlights are larger in both prototypes.
  • The early prototype is missing the checkpoint after the Chop Register fight.
  • The next checkpoint comes before the Raider Killer fight in the early prototype; in the other versions, this checkpoint is placed after the fight.

MMX2MagnaCentipedeNoBG1.png MMX2MagnaCentipedeNoBG2.png

  • The background layout in the samples doesn't account for the hidden Heart and Sub-Tank rooms. Pretty sloppy.
  • In the scan section before Raider Killer, the speed of falling boulders is ridiculously fast - may or may not be a result of unknown glitches present in this build, so the developers tweaked the falling speed to a generally acceptable speed for the final.
  • The warning klaxon and red lights in the final section before the boss aren't present in either prototype. The objects in that area also behave differently:
  • In the early prototype, the Bleckers and bridges fall when X approaches them, but the Installers stay put.
  • In the later prototype, the Bleckers don't fall down, but the Installers and bridges do.
  • In the final game, all objects fall when X gets in close enough proximity to them.