Proto:Mega Man X4/April 29, 1997 prototype
 | To do: Armor, weapons |
This is a sub-page of Proto:Mega Man X4.
This prototype is documented on Hidden Palace.
A sample version of the Saturn game, presumably sent for magazine previews; dated April 29, 1997.
Contents
General Differences
- After the Capcom logo, the text "Rockman X4 Show Version" displays.
- The title screen animation is the same as the international version, lacking X and Zero.
- The title screen has the additional text "Sample" written below.
- Both the title screen and character select lack any sort of sound.
- It is not possible to pause the game.
- No story elements are present, likely to minimize spoilers.
- The "Weapon Get!" screen hasn't been implemented yet.
- Beating a Maverick will skip the stage clear jingle.
- Selecting a stage will cause the character to skip their "exit" animation.
- Getting a game over will cause a "Thank You For Playing" screen to appear, after which the game resets back to the title screen.
- Although Jet Stingray appears alongside the player during his stage, the actual boss fight hasn't been implemented.
Maverick Hunter HQ/Stage Select
| April 29, 1997 | Final |
|---|---|
 |
 |
Three of the Maverick stages (Cyber Peacock, Storm Owl and Split Mushroom) have a "Now Making" symbol and cannot be selected, while Magma Dragoon and Jet Stingray have a strange silhouette portrait, but CAN be selected. Double/Iris are missing from the spot where they normally are.
Music
The music in the Sega Saturn release of Mega Man X4, and this prototype, is stored in form of .BIN files as opposed to the .XA file format. Furthermore, the files in this prototype include varying file modification dates, hinting at the rough time frame in which they were implemented into Mega Man X4.
Opening Stage X (ST00_0_X)
It was fall of 1996. The first song I composed right after I entered the Mega Man X4’s development team was X’s theme song: the same one that can be heard in the opening stage.
— Toshihiko Horiyama
The files for this track are dated October 23rd, 1996. This aligns with the statements made by the game's composer, Toshihiko Horiyama. His involvement with the game began in fall of 1996, and X's opening stage theme was the first song he had created.[1] This version of the track is identical to the final.
Eregion (ST12)
The boss theme for Sky Lagoon's boss is the second-oldest theme present on the disc, dated November 16th, 1996. It is also identical to the final. For some reason, the prototype has eight more copies of the same track; all assigned to the planned main stages. These copies are named "ST0X_0B0", where X represents the stage number (1-8).
Web Spider (ST01)
The version of the track present on the disc is dated February 18th, 1997. It's mostly identical albeit less polished, with some different mixing and less reverb.
Like with the Eregion boss theme, this track was copied over to other stage music slots; as of this prototype, it's also present under "ST06" and "ST07" (the slots for Cyber Peacock's and Storm Owl's stages respectively).
Sound
- The "READY?" and "WARNING" sounds haven't been implemented yet.
- The stage select uses the "Weapon Get!" music track.
Unfinished Stages
Use these codes on the level select screen to load into a specific level on selection.
- 04B659:?? - Level select
- 00 - Air City
- 01 - Jungle (Web Spider)
- 02 - Snow Base (Frost Walrus)
- 03 - Bio Laboratory (Split Mushroom)
- 04 - Volcano (Magma Dragoon)
- 05 - Marine Base (Jet Stingray)
- 06 - Cyber Space (Cyber Peacock)
- 07 - Air Force (Storm Owl)
- 08 - Military Train (Slash Beast)
- 09 - Memorial Hall
- 0A - Space Port
- 0B - Final Weapon
- 04B658:?? - Level area select
- :00 - Area 1
- :01 - Area 2 (when available)
- 04B668:?? - Level area room select (when available)
Bio Laboratory
Split Mushroom's stage is mostly complete, minus a few enemy types. Teleporters and screen transitions work, and the miniboss is implemented.
Cyber Space
Cyber Peacock's stage is in a heavily unfinished state. The tileset, though looking quite polished, is almost entirely different from what appears in the final game. Area 1 is completely empty and teleporters do not work. Area 2 is also empty and includes no objects, though the switches that flip the level are implemented.
Air Force
Storm Owl's stage is somewhat complete. Screen transitions don't work.
Memorial Hall
Colonel's battlefield uses a different, redder palette. The background render uses a farther perspective, showing more detail of the surrounding area. Lighting effects are unimplemented.
Space Port
Space Port is completely empty, using a basic tileset and a sketchy background. The nose of the airship sits stationary in the background, awkwardly following the camera.
Final Weapon
The first area of Final Weapon is entirely skeletal, using only a placeholder tileset to map out the level. It is otherwise completely empty.
Area 2 uses a broken tileset, seemingly in transition from the placeholder set used in Area 1. A simplistic space background is in place, but it shifts diagonally off-screen upon start.
Pause Menu
| To do: Compare to final |
The pause menu is disabled in this demo, but can be accessed with the code 04B64C:02; it's disabled for good reason, though, as it is very unfinished looking in the prototype: All weapon icons are unfinished, as is X and Zero (whom use the wrong palette), although the Option... option does have the correct palette unlike the May 8 build. The weapons were also rearranged for the final, with minor name modifications:
| Prototype | Final |
|---|---|
| Giga Crash (temporary) | Nova Strike |
| Thunder Web | Lightning Web |
| V-Blast (temporary) | Twin Slasher |
