Proto:Mega Man X5/May 1, 2000 prototype
This is a sub-page of Proto:Mega Man X5.
This very early build of Mega Man X5 (known as Rockman X5 in Japan) is dated May 1, 2000, predating the final build by almost five months, and was dumped on March 16, 2014. As X5 is based on Mega Man X4's engine, a great deal of content from that game, utilized or otherwise, remains in this build. It seems this build and future builds before July 2000 were used for prerelease screenshots on several sites.
This prototype is documented on Hidden Palace.
 | To do: Still incomplete, need to fix up a few more things and need to add more info. Were there any armor-specific graphics present in the data? |
Contents
Sub-Pages
 | Music Differences What, Duff McWhalen had an original theme?! |
General Gameplay Differences
- As stated earlier, a plethora of leftover data, traits, and graphics, etc. from X4 still remains.
- The animated Capcom logo is the original from Mega Man X4.
- As in X4, you cannot return to the title screen from the Player Select screen.
- The pause menu and the special weapons aren't normally accessible. Using GameShark code 800C7960 0206 to access it reveals that it, along with the Options and Quit Game menu, remains completely untouched from X4.
- There are no continue screens or mission reports. When you lose all your lives, you are booted back to the title screen.
- The Armor Capsules, Heart Tanks, Weapon Tanks, and Energy Tanks have not been implemented yet.
- There are no story elements, dialogue, cut-scenes, or Sigma Viruses.
- Item pickups can only be found as drops.
- The Fourth Armor is the only armor that is accessible, and you can't change your character or armor when selecting a stage.
- Nothing happens when the Eurasia's countdown timer runs out.
- The four available Mavericks can be challenged even after they're defeated.
- Some enemy locations from the prototype are kept in the final version's Xtreme difficulty.
- The health bar is different.
- The secret commands for Ultimate Armor and Black Zero cannot be used in this build.
- "Game Start" is the only available option on the title screen.
- Unlike in the final, Zero cannot cancel his ground slash combo by crouching.
Graphical Differences
Title Screen and Player Select
| Prototype | Final(Japan) |
|---|---|
 |
 |
The blue background appears to be the same one used for some character mugshots in the final version. The "Press Start Button" prompt uses X4's font.
The only option is to start the game. The "Game Start" text also uses X4's font. There is no title screen music.
| Prototype | Final (Japan) |
|---|---|
 |
 |
| Prototype | Final (Japan) |
|---|---|
 |
 |
| To do: Provide direct translations. |
The character select screen is almost entirely different, and it seems based off of X4's character select screen. The text "Player Select" is in Japanese, though the rest of the text is mostly different. The terms "X-Buster" and "Z-Sabre" were added in the final. X's info states that his attack style is a shooting type, while the final build states that he is an all-around type.
Intro Stage
| Prototype | Final |
|---|---|
 |
 |
The starting position was moved to the center, and the street lights in the far foreground are missing in the final.
| Prototype | Final |
|---|---|
 |
 |
The Crusher NEOs and Mad Taxis use different, less polished sprites. An extremely different, primitive-looking health bar is used, probably as a placeholder. The background and foreground were also slightly changed.
| Prototype | Final |
|---|---|
 |
 |
| Prototype | Final |
|---|---|
 |
 |
The floor is totally different. The Snipers look different, and one of them was removed for the final's Xtreme difficulty.
| Prototype | Final |
|---|---|
 |
 |
Likewise, one Crusher is removed from the Xtreme difficulty.
| Prototype | Final |
|---|---|
 |
 |
The ceiling is darker and doesn't crush the enemy in the prototype version.
| Prototype | Final |
|---|---|
 |
 |
The red pillars are a tad darker. The background lacks some details, and there are fewer clouds.
| Prototype | Final |
|---|---|
 |
 |
The statue is slightly less blue and decorated.
| Prototype | Final |
|---|---|
 |
 |
| Prototype | Final |
|---|---|
 |
 |
The statue's explosion has no sound effects. The sky doesn't darken, and the thunder effects are missing. Sigma's life bar follows the color of whichever character you chose, and the character you didn't choose is not present.
In the prototype, the screen simply reverts to normal, and X/Zero does his victory pose and warps out. The X4 victory tune is still used.
Stage Select
| Prototype | Final(Japan) |
|---|---|
 |
 |
The final's stage select has more text, and the stage locations are totally different. For the Eurasia countdown, you are given 24 hours, which was cut down to 16 hours. Again, when the timer runs out, nothing happens. Interestingly, the North American instruction manual and Mega Man X Collection's manual still claim Eurasia will hit Earth in 24 hours instead of 16.
- The time system appears to have a glitch that when you lose a life or went through the Area 2 of Mattrex stage, it may incorrectly count as though you have spent one hour. This was fixed in the final build.
The available stages belong to Grizzly Slash (Crescent Grizzly), Squid Adler (Volt Kraken), Duff McWhalen (Tidal Makkoeen), and Mattrex (Burn Dinorex), though the latter doesn't appear in his stage. Interestingly, even though his mugshot was changed, the one used in the credits roll is still his old one.
| Prototype | Final |
|---|---|
 |
 |
The table doesn't display the hologram map in the prototype. Some other details are changed here and there, and the view appears to be zoomed-out compared to the final.
There is a graphical glitch when you let the timer run out. The glitched graphic appears over the "time left" display and shows name of some parts or the border of parts. It seems to change after you finish a stage.
Listed name of parts and other text:
- いいえ ("NO")
- はい ("YES")
- シャトル発進 ("launch space shuttle")
- シャトルを見る ("check space shuttle")
- ウェポンを見る ("check weapon")
- ウェポン発射 ("launch weapon") (WEAPON refers to the Enigma)
- Nom エックス (Normal X)
- ハイパーチャージ (Hyper Charge)
- ラピッド5 (Rapid 5)
- スピードショット (Speed Shot)
- バスタープラス (Buster Plus)
- アルティメットバスター (Ultimate Buster)
- ZセイバーPlus (Z-Saber Plus)
- ウィルスバスター (Virus Buster)
- 予行 ("Temporary name" or "name undecided")
- X.Wing (Early internal name for Falcon Armor)
- X.Heavy (Early internal name for Gaea Armor)
- X.Mega (Early internal name for Ultimate Armor)
Armors and Weapons
This build contains a load of early designs of Armors and Weapons.
Armors
To change armor, use GameShark code 30094B22 00xx, replacing xx with the below values.
00: Unarmored X. This seems to be the most complete of all of the X variants.
01: Fourth Armor.
02: Early template of Falcon Armor. The High Jump parts start as automatically equipped, but the defense is weaker than in the final build.
03: Early template of Gaea Armor. While the Dash speed has already been reduced, it is not immune to spikes yet.
04: Early template of Ultimate Armor. The Nova Strike and leg jet have not been programmed in yet.
 | Please elaborate. Having more detail is always a good thing. Specifically: What chips are used per each variant? |
05 to FF: Test X's, while 06, 07 and 09 have some enhancement chips activated.
Black Zero
To access Black Zero, use GameShark code 300C79AA 00FF while using Zero. Here, Black Zero was lifted directly from X4 and cannot use the Z-Buster.
Special Weapons
To unlock the special weapons, use GameShark code 30094AF1 00FF.
The charged version of the C-Shot weapon is broken, and it uses a normal shot as a placeholder.
Like the C-Shot weapon, the Goo Shaver's charged version uses a normal shot as a placeholder.
The F-Laser weapon uses the Aiming Laser as placeholder. The normal version does not work, while the charged version uses the charged Aiming Laser from X4.
The Ground Fire weapon uses an early version, which is still present in the July builds. The charged version is broken, and X cannot fire a shot after releasing a charged Ground Fire due to a bug.
The Tri Thunder weapon only has one strike compared to three in the July builds and the final. The charged version being similarly broken.
Unlike in final builds, Dark Hold can be charged and lasts significantly longer. This is also the case in the July builds, so it was likely changed fairly late in development.
Wing Spiral is merely a graphically broken Twin Slasher from X4.
- Zero's special skills were left untouched from X4 and can cause graphic glitches if performed.
Available Maverick Stages
Crescent Grizzly/Grizzly Slash Stage
| Prototype | Final |
|---|---|
 |
 |
You can't jump out of the screen from a truck in the prototype version.
| Prototype | Final |
|---|---|
 |
 |
The train shoots a different laser in the prototype version - one that you don't need to duck to dodge. The background is also slightly different.
| Prototype | Final |
|---|---|
 |
 |
Again, there are different sprites for these enemies, though they're mostly just color changes.
| Prototype | Final |
|---|---|
 |
 |
There is one more Rolling Gear as compared to the final, and it is present in the final's Xtreme difficulty. The noise made when you are hanging from or moving on a rope is missing.
| Prototype | Final |
|---|---|
 |
 |
There is no sound effect for when Grizzly Slash uses his C-Slash attack. Interestingly, a level 96 boss is used in the prototype; In the final, level 96 can only be attained during the boss re-fights, as the final has a limit to the bosses' levels during the normal levels.
- Grizzly starts to perform his ground dive attack when he has about 1/4 HP left instead of final's 3/4.
Volt Kraken/Squid Adler Stage
| Prototype | Final |
|---|---|
 |
 |
There are no power orbs, although the graphics for them are loaded into VRAM.
| Prototype | Final |
|---|---|
 |
 |
The electric lights on the platforms have changed.
| Prototype | Final |
|---|---|
 |
 |
| Prototype | Final |
|---|---|
 |
 |
The Reploid has a slightly different design.
| Prototype | Final |
|---|---|
 |
 |
The Death Press D had a color change. Also, the electric door's sprite is different.
| Prototype | Final |
|---|---|
 |
 |
This is yet another enemy used in the final's Xtreme difficulty.
| Prototype | Final |
|---|---|
 |
 |
The rope was changed to purple, likely to make it more visible. The electric trap door sprite is different.
| Prototype | Final |
|---|---|
 |
 |
Squid Adler's speed is lower overall. When you defeat him, he instead uses the sprite for when you hit him with his weakness.
Tidal Whale/Duff McWhalen Stage
| Prototype | Final |
|---|---|
 |
 |
The color of the water in the final is a murky green instead of the prototype's blue. The color of the fish that the U-555 sends out is green as opposed to red. The Star Traps have a different sprite.
| Prototype | Final |
|---|---|
 |
 |
The submarine's laser is different and unfinished. It can get wonky if you push it to the left side of the screen.
| Prototype | Final |
|---|---|
 |
 |
The damage values against the submarine seem to be the same, though.
| Prototype | Final |
|---|---|
 |
 |
The final version's background is brighter when you get in the shipwreck, and the fish have changed color as well.
| Prototype | Final |
|---|---|
 |
 |
The Fourth Armor's Charge Shot appears to have a bigger hitbox - it can destroy all the cannons in one shot! Also, the plasma appears to have a smaller hitbox like in X4.
| Prototype | Final |
|---|---|
 |
 |
When Tidal Whale goes below 50% of HP, he goes to the right side of the screen and launches ice blocks at high speeds.
On another note, every boss here uses the Sigma symbol, instead of the generic skull.
Burn Dinorex/Mattrex Stage
| Prototype | Final |
|---|---|
 |
 |
The lava wave in the prototype is buggy.
| Prototype | Final |
|---|---|
 |
 |
One wall was heightened up to prevent you from using the Ride Armor to go straight to the Capsule. Also in the final, the camera won't be stuck as in the prototype.
| Prototype | Final |
|---|---|
 |
 |
The final version has a block that you can get onto to wall-jump on the left wall.
- Pteranoid has no invincibility frames.
- Mattrex himself doesn't appear in the prototype. When you reach the boss room, the game tells you that you have cleared the stage, and you will warp out. The timer clocks a playthrough of this stage as one hour.
Inaccessible/Locked Stages
Enter GameShark code 300C796C 00xx the for Stage modifier, and activate it at Player Select screen.
- The main stages use an earlier version of their respective music theme in the final.
- In the X4 leftover stages, several parts of the player HUD would be glitched. This might be because the new format of the HUD is not being compatible with the X4 stages, which still try to load X4-exclusive HUD graphics.
- Further information can be checked here.
Training Stage
Value 16 is the training stage, and the Zero Virus stage theme plays instead of X/Zero's respective theme as in the final.
Magma Dragoon's X4 voice acting is still present! The final version removed all of these save for the "Hadoken" echo as the fire wave sound effect.
When Magma Dragoon is defeated, the game will send you to back to the title screen if you turn off the aforementioned codes before X/Zero leave.
Izzy Glow/Shining Hotarunicus Stage
Enter value 06 to access Izzy Glow's Lab/Castle stage.
| Prototype | Final |
|---|---|
 |
 |
A drawbridge was added, and a background scroll was fixed.
| Prototype | Final |
|---|---|
 |
 |
The background features some minor tweaks.
The Skiver/Spiral Pegasion Stage
Enter value 08 to access a very barebones Skiver stage, where not much work has been done on it yet. Case in point, you can't explore beyond the start point.
Dark Dizzy/Dark Necrobat Stage
Enter value 02 to access Dark Dizzy's stage. Bats exist here as test objects. The player can't go further beyond where the first elevator is in the final.
Axle the Red/Spike Rosered Stage
Enter value 07 to access the Forest/Jungle stage, which has several debugging or placeholder objects and collision tiles.
| Prototype | Final |
|---|---|
 |
 |
This enemy's palette is slightly different, and said enemy was moved to different locations in the final.
| The first rope section + round spikes, Proto | The first rope section, Final | Round spikes, Final |
|---|---|---|
|
|
|
The traps on the first rope are placeholders and were moved to the upper area in the final. Note that the collision tiles of spikes resemble the first few spikes in the final Sigma stage in the final build.
Instead of Axle himself, Split Mushroom from X4 is fought at the end of the stage; perhaps he was meant as a test boss?
Leftover Mega Man X4 Stages
Memorial Hall
Enter value 09 to access the Memorial Hall stage from X4, which is where X originally fought Colonel. There are no objects or music, and the background graphics are broken.
Space Port Stage
Enter value 0A to access the Space Port stage from X4! Sadly, the player can't explore the full stage without cheating since it's heavily broken...
- Interestingly, this stage uses an early version of Dynamo's theme.
Final Weapon Stage, Part 1 & 2
Enter value 0B to access the first part of the Final Weapon stage from X4. When you explore further to the right, the game's framerate will slow down immensely, and it is impossible to enter the boss room.
- The second part of the stage exists in this area's stage set, but it is inaccessible without cheating or hacking.
- The "Meet Sigma" demo music plays in all of the leftover Final Weapon stages.
Final Weapon Stage, Part 3
Enter value 0C to access the third part of the Final Weapon stage from X4. All of the health and weapon energy pickups have been replaced by Heart Tanks.
In the boss rematch room, the background scroll is broken, and the transport devices are missing. The rematch rooms still exist in the stage area set however, along with the room where you meet Sigma.
Others
Auto Play Demo
| Prototype | Final(Japan) |
|---|---|
 |
 |
The Auto play Demo shows "Press Start Button" in X4's font and shows the player's life bar in the prototype. The player's charging effect is the same as in X4.
| Prototype | Final(Japan) |
|---|---|
 |
 |
After the attract screen ends, the Capcom logo fades out. In the prototype version, it is the same as X4's. The final uses a picture of X and Zero on the logo.
Miscellaneous
- Zero's Z-buster has not been finalized. There is no apparent charge time like in X6, and the Z-saber's attack sound is used as a placeholder.
- X and Zero still use their Japanese voices from X4.
- The "READY?" voice is the same one from X4.
- Sigma retains his "Owari da!" ("It's all over!") cry from X4 as a placeholder for when he is charging his Virus Laser. If you beat him while the Virus Laser is shooting, the sound will keep looping.
- Duff McWhalen uses Frost Walrus's voice when he's firing his Goo Shaver and missiles.
