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Proto:Mega Man X4/May 8, 1997 prototype

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This is a sub-page of Proto:Mega Man X4.

The sample version of Rockman X4 appeared on a Special Trial Disc which also contained demos of Rockman 8 (identical to the final, but with a debug menu) and Rockman: Battle & Chase.

Gameplay Difference

The all-around differences between the prototype and final.

Start Screen

RMX4-Proto-Startscreen.png

The start screen when this version is loaded. It cautions, "Because this software is still in development, even if there are bugs or other problems with this version, we unfortunately cannot do anything about it."

Main Menu

RMX4-Proto-Mainmenu1.png

The main menu of this work-in-progress build. It plays music from Rockman: Battle & Chase.

Rockman X4 Rockman 8 Rockman: Battle & Chase
RMX4-Proto-Mainmenu2.png RMX4-Proto-Mainmenu4.png RMX4-Proto-Mainmenu13.png

It contains a detailed explanation of the default key mapping of the three games. The promotion art of Rockman 8 and Rockman: Battle & Chase was finished at this point, but the Rockman X4 part was barely started and used a picture of Zero as placeholder.

  • If the game idles for about 5-10 minutes, it will also jump back to this game select screen, like most demo/trial versions of games. If the game keeps idling at the Rockman X4 demonstration screen, it will advance to the Rockman 8 part of it followed by the Rockman: Battle & Chase demonstration.

Maverick Hunter HQ

Prototype Final
RMX4-Proto-HunterHQ.png RMX4-Final-HunterHQ.png

More details are present in the final version, chairs are green instead of purple, and the light at the center of the Maverick Hunters HQ room is green instead of yellow.

Prototype Final
RMX4-Proto-StageSelect.png RMX4-Final-StageSelect.png

The "Now Making" symbol is a placeholder for inaccessible stages, while the accessible stages that lack bosses are given a strange black Maverick portrait. X has an angrier pose in the final because of the implementation of background story.

Intro Stage

Prototype Final
MMX4Demo-AirCity.png MMX4Final-SkyLagoon.png

The stage is known as Air City instead of Sky Lagoon.

Prototype Final
RMX4-Proto-intro5.png RMX4-Final-intro5.png

Due to altered enemy locations, it's not possible to jump over enemies and open the door without taking damage in the prototype.

Prototype Final
RMX4-Proto-intro1.png RMX4-Final-intro1.png

Due to no story element existing here in the prototype, the player can walk around for a while before leaving the screen.

Prototype Final
RMX4-Proto-intro2.png RMX4-Final-intro2.png

One more extra life is in the prototype version, and the player can collect two extra lives and then die in the crusher repeatedly to reach the maximum extra lives, unlike in the final version.

Prototype Final
RMX4-Proto-intro3.png RMX4-Final-intro3.png

The location of a life refill item has been moved a bit in the final version.

Prototype Final
RMX4-Proto-intro4.png RMX4-Final-intro4.png

When Zero dies, his bubble color is the same as X's (blue); in the final version the bubbles have been changed to yellow.

Aiming Laser Soul Body
RMX4-Proto-AimingLaser.png RMX4-Proto-SoulBody.png

Only Aiming Laser and Soul Body are available by default. The boss is immune to Aiming Laser, but Soul Body works.

Web Spider Stage

Prototype Final
RMX4-Proto-Spider1.png RMX4-Final-Spider1.png

There is an enemy which isn't present in the final version.

Prototype Final
RMX4-Proto-Spider2.png RMX4-Final-Spider2.png

There is a gold variant of the Blast Raster enemy placed at various points of the level not found anywhere in the final. It is immune to all attacks, though hitting it does pause its movement for a bit, and races along the wall at a high speed. Perhaps because its movement is extremely annoying to deal with, it was removed, and in most cases, replaced by the Metal Gabyoall enemy that can be destroyed by X's Ground Hunter and Zero's Raijingeki attack in the final.

Prototype Final
RMX4-Proto-Spider3.png RMX4-Final-Spider3.png

The cave housing the armor capsule has not been implemented yet.

Prototype Final
RMX4-Proto-Spider4.png RMX4-Final-Spider4.png

There are some sections of trees that can be destroyed by fire attacks in the final. In the prototype, the tree has no hitbox and hit-flashes.

Prototype Final
RMX4-Proto-Spider5.png RMX4-Final-Spider5.png

Web Spider is largely the same, but has an important difference: he can shoot two electric webs at once, but the webs don't trap the player or home onto the player's position like they do in the final.

Prototype Final
RMX4-Proto-Spider6.png RMX4-Final-Spider6.png

Once again, the player can move freely for a moment after beating the boss in the prototype.

Magma Dragoon Stage

Prototype Final
RMX4-Proto-Magma5.png RMX4-Final-Magma5.png

The Giga Death enemy has received heavy sprite changes. Additionally, the entire stage is devoid of the lava bursts that come out of the ground.

Prototype Final
RMX4-Proto-Magma2.png RMX4-Final-Magma2.png

The ride armor enemies have not been implemented yet. The stage graphics received some changes, as well as a slighly different palette.

Prototype Final
RMX4-Proto-Magma1.png RMX4-Final-Magma1.png

The ride armor location has been changed in the final.

Prototype Final
RMX4-Proto-Magma6.png RMX4-Final-Magma6.png

The blocks that can be destroyed by X's charged Twin Slasher and Zero's Shippuuga attack in the final are missing. The Armor capsule they would be guarding is also missing.

Prototype Final
RMX4-Proto-Magma4.png RMX4-Final-Magma4.png

The blocks on the lower path to the would-be boss area cannot be destroyed, forcing the player to take the top route. Additionally, the Giga Death enemy has been replaced by a ride armor enemy in the final.

Prototype Final
RMX4-Proto-Magma3.png RMX4-Final-Magma3.png

The Batton Bone and Mettaur enemies have been replaced with lava bursts in the final.

Jet Stingray Stage

Prototype Final
RMX4-Proto-Jet.png RMX4-Final-Jet.png

The flying enemies have been changed. Besides some graphical edits, in the prototype they are green and purple, while in the final version they are light green and orange.

Frost Walrus Stage

Prototype Final
RMX4-Proto-Frost1.png RMX4-Final-Frost1.png

The heart tank location in the prototype may not have been decided yet.

Prototype Final
MMX4Demo-FrostSecret.png MMX4Final-NoFrostSecret.png
MMX4Demo-FrostSecretLife.png

At the end of the upper path at the beginning of the stage, there is a secret area a dash jump's distance away that is not found in the final. It consists of long pathway filled with enemies that leads to an extra life sitting at a dead end.

Prototype Final
RMX4-Proto-Frost2.png RMX4-Final-Frost2.png

There is an area not found in the final that is blocked off by a chunk of ice not dissimilar to the one blocking the Heart Tank in the final. Despite this, like the trees in Web Spider's stage, the block does not have a hitbox and can not be destroyed.

Prototype Final
RMX4-Proto-Frost4.png RMX4-Final-Frost4.png

The EX-item location may not yet have been decided. Notice the slightly darker palette for the background.

Prototype Final
RMX4-Proto-Frost3.png RMX4-Final-Frost3.png

Some background changes were done.

Game Over and Commercial Screen

RMX4-Proto-Gameover.png

When you lose all your lives, the game over screen fades out. After that, the screen changes to an advertisement for the final game. After showing this, the game resets.

RMX4-Proto-CM1.png

Japanese English
あそんでくれてありがとう!

だがオレの力はこんなもので
はない。「ロックマンX4」で
本当の強さをみせてやるぜ!

Thank you for playing!

However, that wasn't the true extent of my power.
Check out "Rockman X4" to see what my real power is like!

RMX4-Proto-CM2.png

Japanese English
あそんでくれてありがとう!

私の正体が知りたくばぜひ
「ロックマン8」を買って
くれたまえ。まっているぞ!

Thank you for playing!

You'll have to buy "Rockman 8" if you want to know
my true identity. I'll be waiting!

RMX4-Proto-CM3.png

Japanese English
あそんでくれてありがとう!

「バトル&チェイス」には
この他にもいろんなコース
があるよ。絶対かってね♡

Thank you for playing!

There are many other courses you can play in "Battle & Chase".
You simply must buy it!♡

(Translations: Bast)

Similar screens appear in sample versions of Rockman 8 and Rockman: Battle and Chase, present on the same disc and shown when you are about to quit the respective games. Duo wants the player to buy the final Rockman 8 game and discover his secret, and Roll says that there are other courses in the final Rockman: Battle and Chase game.

Unused/Changed Graphics

Weapon Get/Title Screen

MMX4B Title.png

The title screen has the word "SAMPLE" written on it, but otherwise appears to be similar to the final game. Also, the preceding animation is bare-bones, containing only the logo animation present in the final version, similar to the US version.

Prototype Final
FACT - The strange mismatching blue here is in the tiles and is used to fill the gaps in X's leg, since there is no matching 16x16 blue tile.
FACT - This graphic's transparency is broken in the actual game.
MMX4 Xweapget.png
MMX4 Zeroweapget.png

In this build, the Weapon Get screens do not exist, as the game is programmed to go back to the Stage Select after completing a stage or defeating one of the two available Mavericks. Also, these graphics are not used in the title sequence due to obvious reasons. Both use 16-color palettes here, and both are rough sketches.

Stage Select

Prototype Final
MMX4B Xbeta.png X gon' give it to ya.

X himself has all of the story poses he uses in the final, though the shading was tweaked to be a little more consistent. An error with one pose was also corrected.

Prototype Final
X, I think something's wrong with me... MMX4B Zerofinal.png

Zero is more or less in the same state as X, with the exception of his action pose here, which wasn't quite up to snuff with the rest of his sprites. Otherwise, shading tweaks were done for the rest of his sprites.

Prototype Final
MMX4B Doublebeta.png MMX4B Doublefinal.png

In the stage select graphics, Double is the only side-character present in X and Zero's particular graphics files. Iris does not appear to exist at this point. At any rate, most of Double's changes were touch-ups between now and the final, although in particular he was no longer part of Zero's story by the time the final rolled around.

Prototype Final
'Colonel' Zol! Get it? Now with a more copyright-friendly design!

Although the Repliforce stages do not exist in this build, Colonel has a placeholder portrait. His design may not have been decided upon by this point in development, although Repliforce as a concept already had. The placeholder portrait depicts Colonel Zol from the television series Kamen Rider.

Space Port "08" Final Weapon 1 "09" Final Weapon 2 "0A"
MMX4DemoSpaceportPortrait.png MMX4DemoFinalWeapon1Portrait.png MMX4DemoFinalWeapon2Portrait.png

By using GameShark code 3013C1E7 00XX, replacing XX with 08, 09, or 0A, you can view placeholder portraits for the Spaceport and the two Final Weapon stages repectively.

Unused Ability Icons

MMX4DemoZeroHUDIcons.png


When playing as Zero, this set of ability icons for the HUD are loaded into VRAM. Despite the fact they're only loaded when playing as Zero, the fact that a lot of them don't seem to represent Zero's abilities and that an early trailer shows the two stick-figure one being used for X's Soul Body suggests that these are early icons for X's sub-weapons and not necessarily meant for Zero.

In-Game

Fourth Armor

Prototype Final
In progress! Not so in progress!
MMX4DemoPaletteIssues.png

Using GameShark code 300FBA57 000F to give yourself all of the armor pieces reveals that it's in a bit of an unfinished state. While they seem to attach to X correctly at first, many animations can cause parts of them to disappear or become a garbled mess. Additionally, changing weapons does not change the palette of the armor which can cause some issues when firing them.

The leg parts do give X an air dash but do not grant him the ability to hover in mid-air. Additionally, the head and body parts do not appear to have any of their effects implemented yet, including no Nova Strike.


Due to there being two different arm parts, the above code will only give the ability to charge sub-weapons. Use GameShark code 300FBA68 00XX, replacing XX with 01 for the Stock Shot Arm Parts or 02 for the Plasma Shot Arm Parts.

Prototype Final
MMX4Demo StockShot.png MMX4Final StockShot.png

The Stock Arm Part actually appears to be mostly finalized, with the only difference being the lack of graphics showing how many shots you have stocked.

MMX4Demo PlasmaShotArms.png

The Plasma Arm Parts on the other hand are very unfinished with them not having any color at all when having no sub-weapon equipped.

Prototype Final
MMX4Demo PlasmaShotSubWeapon.png MMX4Final PlasmaShotArms.png

Equipping a sub-weapon gives them color and reveals that although the gloves are still blue they do have black cuffs like the final.

The charge shot shoots a broken, almost invisible graphic forward, and doesn't leave a ball of plasma behind. Although it deals 18 damage to normal enemies as opposed to the final's 16, it only does one damage to bosses.

Sub-Weapons

By default, this demo only gives you access to Soul Body and Aiming Laser. Using GameShark code 300FBA69 00FF will unlock all eight weapons and the above armor code will allow you to charge them. With the exception of Soul Body, none of the charged versions deal any damage towards any enemy. Inversely, all enemies that have immunities to certain sub-weapons in the final can be damaged with them in this version, with the exception of the mid-boss Eyezard who is already immune to Frost Tower.

Lightning Web

Prototype Final
MMX4Demo LightningWebShot.png MMX4Final LightningWebShot.png

Lightning Web behaves mostly identically but doesn't shoot as far. The Giga Death and Ice Wing enemies are not weak to it as they are in the final.

Prototype Final
MMX4Demo LightningWebChargedShot.png MMX4Final LightningWebChargedShot.png

Same for the charged version.

Frost Tower

MMX4DemoFrostTowerShot.png

Very unfinished and exhibits behavior likely unintentional. When fired, it shoots a garbled mess of graphics from where your last shot ended, most easily seen when using shorter ranged attacks like Lightning Web or Soul Body beforehand. The shot that comes out does actually do damage but you can only fire one and won't it allow you to switch weapons afterward. The charged version behaves similarly, but shoots a regular buster shot that enemies are immune to instead.

Soul Body

Prototype Final
MMX4Demo SoulBodyPalette.png MMX4Final SoulBodyPalette.png

One of the only two unlocked by default and appears to be the most finished as it and its charged version function identically to the final with the only difference being X's palette. This is the only charged sub-weapon that can actually deal damage in this version.

Rising Fire

Prototype Final
MMX4Demo RisingFireShot.png MMX4Final RisingFireShot.png

Functions identically to the final but X uses a different palette and reuses his victory pose instead of having a unique one. Eyezard is weak to it, as is Frost Walrus although he doesn't go into a special animation from it. The E-AT, Ice Wing, and Mega Nest enemies are not weak to it as they are in the final. The charged version is completely non-functional and just has X sticking out his buster until you interrupt it with something else.

Ground Hunter

Prototype Final
MMX4Demo GroundHunterShot.png MMX4Final GroundHunterShot.png

Very unfinished with it only shooting a single buster shot that does 4 damage, and like with Frost Tower, you can only shoot it once and cannot switch weapons afterwards. The charged shot is the same, but while it doesn't affect enemies like the other charged sub-weapons, it bounces off of enemies instead of continuing forward.

Aiming Laser

MMX4Demo AimingLaserChargedShot.png

Completely idenetical with exception of the charged version not hurting enemies.

Double Cyclone

MMX4Demo DoubleCycloneShot.png MMX4Demo DoubleCycloneChargedShot.png

Mostly the same, just missing sound effects and has a slightly longer startup, and is also an example of the armor's lack of palette change causing issues.

Twin Slasher

Prototype Final
MMX4Demo TwinSlasherShot.png MMX4Final TwinSlasherShot.png

X uses a very different palette and shoots what looks to be a regular buster shot, but actually appears to be two overlayed on top of each other. Like Frost Tower and Ground Hunter, you cannot switch weapons after using it, but you can continue to fire afterwards. Despite its unfinished appearance, Web Spider is weak to it, but you can't cut his web with it like you can in the final. The charged shot looks the same but doesn't allow you to shoot afterwards.

Zero

Hmmm...
To do:
Confirm Kuuenbu, Hienkyaku or any other of Zero's abilities are present. I couldn't get any of them to work no matter what I tried, aside from the armor code giving him an air dash.
Prototype Final
Run away!
That extra trail!
Don't stop!
That went away...

Zero's sprites are in the middle of some all-around improvements in this build. Some sprites are identical to the final, while others are a bit rough around the edges. Although palettes for Zero's other techniques are present, the only ones that function in-game are the Raijingeki, Kuuenbu, and Hienkyaku.

Pause Menu

While disabled for this version, using GameShark code 8013A7F8 0206 will force it open.

MMX4DemoXPauseMenu.png

While the background itself is identical all of the other graphics use the wrong palette. Additionally, the only thing you can do on this menu is unpause.

By using the above GameShark codes for all sub-weapons and armor, you can fill out the menu to better compare to the final version's.

Prototype Final
MMX4DemoXAllAbilitiesMenu.png MMX4FinalXAllAbilitiesMenu.png
Prototype Final
MMX4DemoZeroAllAbilitiesMenu.png MMX4FinalZeroAllAbilitiesMenu.png

Differences include:

  • While all of X's icons are in the same place as the final's, many of the names are in different places.
  • Zero on the other hand not only has some of his icons and names in different areas (often with them not even matching together), he also has two different icons altogether.
  • Zero's menu still has all of the ammo meters from X's menu whereas the final only has it for Rakuhouha.
  • The button for using Rakuhouha is referred to as SS instead of G.
  • When using the code for all sub-weapons, there are a bunch of Xs at the bottom of Zero's weapon menu.
  • The health meter always shows as empty and is at its max length despite only being the default in-game.
  • The sub-tanks are shown as full despite not having any.
  • The boxes around the icons are not present.
  • The life counter is more centered.

In addition to abilities, the menu does track your current lives and weapon energy, however, the meters that drain when using weapons are often very different from where their icon or name is. For example, using Soul Body will drain the meter that has Frost Tower's icon and Ground Hunter's name.

Despite using the wrong palette for much of the pause screen, the palettes for these graphics do exist.

Character Prototype Final
X MMX4DemoXPauseScreenPortrait.png MMX4FinalXPauseScreenPortrait.png
Zero MMX4DemoZeroPauseScreenPortrait.png MMX4FinalZeroPauseScreenPortrait.png

Both X and Zero's portraits are slightly different with darker shading over their eyes and their pupils are looking higher up.

Ability Prototype Final
Ryuenjin MMX4DemoPauseScreenRyuenjinIcon.png MMX4FinalPauseScreenRyuenjinIcon.png
Shippuuga MMX4DemoPauseScreenShippuugaIcon.png MMX4FinalPauseScreenShippuugaIcon.png

Both Ryuenjin and Shippuuga use different icons.

Prototype Final
MMX4DemoPauseScreenRakuhouhaIcon.png MMX4FinalPauseScreenRakuhouhaIcon.png

Rakuhouha's icon is an interesting case. Despite the sprite being identical to the final's, no palette gives it the same colors as the final's. Here it is given the palette for Kuuenbu's icon, which is what it shares in the final.


Music and Sounds

There are only two tracks that are present on the disc that go unused in this demo, that being Split Mushroom and Slash Beast's stage themes. Cyber Peacock and Storm Owl's stage themes, along with any of the tracks from post-Maverick levels of the game are not present. Additionally, the title jingle, character select, dialogue music, and character-specific victory themes do not exist in this version, and the title screen, character select screen, and the WARNING event before bosses are all missing sounds.

In general, all of the music tracks seem to be quieter than the ones used in the final release, even for the ones that are otherwise identical to the final version.


Hmmm...
To do:
Sniff for more unused and changed sounds.

Split Mushroom

Prototype Final

Although this stage is inaccessible in this build, by way of a stage modifier this track can be heard in-game. It is unfinished, lacking a lot of the instruments and being structured differently when compared to the final, though this may have been intended to be similar to Frost Walrus' stage, where two different tracks of music are used for the two parts.

Slash Beast

Prototype Final

Also goes unused in this version. Missing sections that the final version has at 0:51 and 1:53, making it much shorter as a result.

Weapon Get/Stage Select

Prototype Final


An earlier form of the final's Weapon Get tune that has a slightly longer intro, although here it is used as the Stage Select music. The final's stage select music isn't present.


'Capcom' Voice

Found in both X's (PL00.ARC) and Zero's (PL01.ARC) file data. Just a voice saying "Capcom".

Power Fighters Sounds

Likewise, the above two sounds from the Mega Man arcade games are found in player files.

In an early preview video, X and Zero borrowed placeholder voices from Rockman and Forte. These could be leftovers from a sound archive of the arcade titles.

Other

Hmmm...
To do:
Determine if there actually are any debug mode leftovers in the code.

FONT8X8.ARC

Debugging, debugging debugging... Awesome, it's work- Spoke too soon, it crashed!

This file contains an 8×8 ASCII character set and three palettes for the text. It reappears in the file data of Mega Man X5 and X6, along with its colors, although it doesn't appear to be used there either.

Collision Tiles?

The pin-cushion tiletype!

Similar to the ones in the Rockman 8 prototypes, these tilesets have four colors, and represent individual collision tiletypes. Like the contents of FONT8X8, though, there is no known way to get them to appear in-game. It is loaded into its own space in VRAM, but is removed in the final.

It returns in Mega Man X5, and is loaded into a different section of VRAM in X6.

(Translations: Bast)

Build Date Text

Present in X4.EXE at 0x09D67C.

CAPCOM May  8 1997 14:16:53 CAPCOM