Proto:Mega Man X3 (SNES)/August Prototypes

This article is a work in progress. ...Well, all the articles here are, in a way. But this one moreso, and the article may contain incomplete information and editor's notes.

This page details one or more prototype versions of Mega Man X3 (SNES).

A Japanese sample version of Mega Man X3 found by one C. Davis, rendered and fixed-up by the good people at arduino.cc, and released by the Rockman Corner.

Dated 08/23 in the game itself, the Rockman X3 Sample Version appears to be a nearly-finished build from four months before the commercial release. Almost all stages and features are implemented in some form or another. However, it's pretty clear the game is not quite finished.

(Prototype source: Rockman Corner)

Sub-Pages

Game Start Not a lot of changes from the final, but some things of note.

Graphical Changes

Color-Coded Enhancement Chips

Prototype	Final
File:MMX3-SNES-Proto ChipCapsule1.png	File:MMX3-SNES ChipCapsule1.png

The capsules that give you the chip upgrades are indistinguishable from the normal armor capsules, whereas in the final, they're salmon pink.

Head Chip (green trim)	Arm Chip (red trim)
File:MMX3-SNES-Proto ChipCapsule1.png	File:MMX3-SNES-Proto ChipCapsule2.png
Leg Chip (blue trim)	Body Chip (gold trim)
File:MMX3-SNES-Proto ChipCapsule3.png	File:MMX3-SNES-Proto ChipCapsule4.png

Each Enhancement Chip you can use places a distinct coloration on the whites of X's armor in this version. In the final version of the game, there is no way to tell which enhancement chip you have installed. However, this feature may have been dropped due to the fact that X's explosions and the extra lives both share the same palette as his body, thus becoming oddly-colored.

Prototype (black trim)	Final (gold armor)
File:MMX3-SNES-Proto ChipCapsule5.png	File:MMX3-SNES ChipCapsule5.png

In the final, only the all-inclusive chip you find in Doppler Stage 1 affects how X looks.

Oddities

Older sprite	Used sprite

Vile briefly flickers to this much more detailed sprite while his Ride Armor explodes, during the first fight. It looks to be an earlier design which sticks closer to his official art than what the ended up with. However, it does lack his back-mounted shield/shell (which he never uses anyway).

The Dumping Ground

To do: Make these into actual sub-pages. Some day…

Intro Stage

• The intro stage has some differences:
  • Mac's stun shot has different graphics.
  • Zero's theme does not play when you control him.
  • The screen scroll won't lock movement to the left when you first gain control of Zero, allowing you to backtrack to almost the beginning of the stage. In the final game, the game will prevent you from going to the left.
  • Mac's energy trap that surrounds X is a different color to the final version.
  • X's sprite is different while being captured. In the prototype, X is in his jumping/middle air sprite. In the final game, X is in "damaged" sprite.
  • The Hangerter that holds X takes more damage to destroy
  • Two small health capsules appear after Mac's room, despite serving no purpose since X will have full health
  • The final climb to Maoh the giant has an additional window
  • You can go back to the left wall while fighting Maoh, making the fight incredibly easy.

Stage Select

• There are no miniature previews of each stage in the Stage Selection screen.
• Some boss intros are missing, don't play, or glitch up.
• When you defeat all 8 Mavericks, the animation of Doppler's lab emerging from the ground will play every time you go back to the stage selection screen. In the final game, the animation only plays once, and doesn't repeat.
• Having the helmet upgrade won't show the powerups you are missing on each stage.

Blizzard Buffalo

• Simpler blizzard effect in the final part of Blizzard Buffalo's stage.
• Blizzard Buffalo does not move during his boss introduction screen.
• Blizzard Buffalo doesn't seem to have his infamous wall-hugging glitch in this build.
  • Buffalo fires his freeze beam from his palm rather than from an X-buster style arm cannon
  • The ice shard graphics created when X breaks free from being frozen by Buffalo's freeze ray are glitched
  • The foreground blizzard in the city area before entering Buffalo's building has different graphics
  • The upgrade capsule is shifted a few pixels to the left (?)

Toxic Seahorse

Prototype	Final
File:ToxicSeahorse-Intro-Proto.gif	File:ToxicSeahorse-Intro-Final.gif

• Toxic Seahorse has a different animation on his boss introduction screen.
• Toxic waste lacks transparency on Toxic Seahorse's stage.
• Minor stage graphic differences, for example ladders in Toxic Seahorse' stage. In the prototype the ladders have two fences at the top. In the final game the ladders feature no fences.
• There is no miniboss (Hotareeca) in Toxic Seahorse's stage. The miniboss room is not yet there.
• The first boss entrance shutter in Seahorse's stage will sometimes be glitched. It might be linked to going through the previous room(s) quickly.

Tunnel Rhino

• Different background elements in Tunnel Rhino's stage (Large pipes, different-looking crystals, etc). Background is different in general.
• Extra background elements in the beginning of Tunnel Rhino's stage. Spikes also look different, as does the platform where the Heart Upgrade is.
• Tunnel Rhino's miniboss (Hell Crusher) wheels lack animations.
• Tunnel Rhino won't knock you off the wall as easily if he charges into it.
• Tunnel Rhino seems to lack his drill attacks. He only uses his charge attacks.

Volt Catfish

Prototype	Final
File:MMX3-VoltCatfish-Proto.png	File:MMX3-VoltCatfish-Final.png

• Volt Catfish's sprites are entirely different

Gravity Beetle

• Different background in Gravity Beetle's stage.
• Gravity Beetle's giant black hole attack will not always be spawned at the screen's center, it can also completely devour the top of the walls, which makes the fight harder.

Blast Hornet

Prototype	Final
File:MMX3-Shurikein-Proto.png	File:MMX3-Shurikein-Final.png

• The polygon ninja star enemy on Blast Hornet's stage, Shurikein, looks entirely different. More like a wheel with spikes. It's also WAY easier, being destroyed with 3 charge shots.
  • Its movements are extremely limited, simply rolling across the walls clockwise. The final version also rolls back and forth across the ground, bounces into the air, and even spins horizontally like a top.
• The airship receiving cargo was slightly redesigned, adding a Doppler logo to the side.

Crush Crawfish

• The game doesn't stop dead on your tracks during the 'cutscene' with the enemy dropping from the sky and breaking the floor in Crush Crawfish's stage.
• Some nice little extra graphics for Crawfish when he's shocked by Triad Thunder. Sparks surround his body.
• Crawfish's boss room is larger.

Neon Tiger

• Different backgrounds for the second half of Neon Tiger's stage.

Prototype	Final
File:MMX3-NeonTiger-Proto.png	File:MMX3-NeonTiger-Final.png

• Entirely different sprites for Neon Tiger.
• Neon Tiger's Ray Splasher is twice as fast, in addition to having a different spread.
• It is possible to glitch Neon Tiger's guard move so that it no longer blocks your shots for the duration of the fight.
• Neon Tiger glows a white-ish color instead of orange when doing his charge attack

Doppler Stage 1

• In Doppler 1, the edges of the horizontal crushing walls become invisible if they're near the vertical edge of the screen. This occurs only while they are in motion, and was fixed in the final.
• During the REX-2000 fight (Doppler 1 miniboss), if Zero has not died and X ends the fight on the right side of the screen, behind REX-2000, X will moonwalk to the left and then walk to where Zero is. This was fixed in the final.

Prototype	Final
File:MMX3-Godkarmachine-Proto.png	File:MMX3-Godkarmachine-Final.png

• Godkarmachine O Inary was completely redrawn.
• Under normal circumstances, the Press Disposer boss is nowhere to be seen. Destroying Bit and Byte during the Maverick levels in the final game causes the first boss of Doppler Stage 1 to be the Press Disposer. In the prototype, destroying Bit and Byte early won't cause the final part of Doppler Stage 1 to change. You will still enter the room where you fight Godkarmachine O Inary (There won't be a boss room at the part of the wall). However, entering the boss room will end the stage without a boss fight.
  • However, using the checkpoint modifier PAR code 7E1FB503 either before entering or after dying, it is possible to fight the Press Disposer boss.
  • The Press Disposer seems completely finished. However, it has absolutely no invulnerability frames, so you can wail on it with rapid-fire weapons to easily defeat it. (This also includes both Zero and X's Z-Saber blades.)

Doppler Stage 2

• Entirely different background for Doppler Stage 2. Water graphics seem to be glitched, it was not visible until the game was paused and unpaused. (Seems to be intermittent glitch, need to test more in order to replicate)
• The sequence for obtaining Zero's saber can sometimes be broken. Sometimes, the screen scrolling will lock in place after defeating Mosquitus, making you unable to escape the room. Other times this doesn't happen. Need to make more tests in order to find out what causes this bug to happen. A related glitch can sometimes make the dialog box during this scene to be invisible. The music of the stage will stop after this scene and won't start again unless the player gets killed. 
• In the final game, Zero takes a knee when Mosquitus crashes into him and begins exploding. In the prototype, Zero will only take a knee after Mosquitus has disappeared after exploding. Also, it's possible that X and Zero won't be facing each other during this cutscene, while in the final game, Zero's sprite will be reoriented to face X. 
• After defeating Mosquitus (Doppler 2 miniboss), the camera scrolling can get locked in place occasionally. Additionally, all terrain and background palette animation stops.
• Escanail's head dome changes color: red for going up the wall, yellow for going down
• Volt Kurageil's body has strange behavior. If you climb the walls out of the water, the boss' body will follow your altitude. In the final game it cannot leave the water. Deafeating Volt Kurageil will end the game with a "Coming Soon" screen, unless you use PAR codes to proceed further. In the final game, Mosquitus cannot be encountered in the destroyed version of Doppler Stage 2
• During the fight against Volt Kurageil, the vertical screen scrolling won't lock the upper part of the room out of the screen, allowing you to reach the platform where the entrance door is. In the final game, the screen won't allow you to climb that high during the boss encounter.
• Volt Kurageil (Doppler 2 boss) has no invincibility frames, allowing him to be easily taken out with rapid-fire uncharged shots. (This also includes both Zero and X's Z-Saber blades.) This was fixed in the final.
• The fight against Vile in his Goliath Ride Armor is reachable, although it requires a special method to do so. First, get to Volt Kurageil in Doppler Stage 1. During the fight, activate PAR code 7E1FAE0E (This will set the stage ID to the destroyed version of Doppler Stage 2) and let yourself be killed by Volt Kurageil. You will be teleported to the hall before the boss, but the stage will be changed. The fight against Volt Kurageil will be skipped and you will be able to advance to Vile's boss room at the bottom. Vile's AI patterns seem to be finished in both his Goliath Ride Armor version, and his individual version. However, the Goliath Ride Armor only causes 1 damage per physical contact (Maybe for combat testing purposes?), and Vile's sprites during the second part of the fight are glitched. Defeating Vile, just as with Volt Kurageil, will end the game with a "Coming Soon" screen, after which the game will reset.
• The exit door to the Mosquitus boss room in the destroyed version of Doppler Stage 2 doesn't work in any way. The only way to access the second part of this version of the level requires to first go to the normal version of Doppler Stage 2, defeat Mosquitus and proceed normally through the door. Activate a further checkpoint, activate PAR code 7E1FAE0E and then let yourself be killed. The checkpoint will reload you in the destroyed version of Doppler Stage 2, just after the locked door of the Mosquitus room. You can proceed further from here in the destroyed version of the stage and encounter Vile Mk-II at the end.

Doppler Stage 3

• In Doppler Stage 3 (Maverick boss rematches) there are 12 capsules in the room instead of 8. The mechanical tower that gives you items when you shoot it in the final game is not present in the prototype. 8 of the capsules take you to the 8 Maverick rematches, however the spawning spot of X is incorrect in several of these rooms. It will spawn you in the top left of the screen and you will be stuck in the ceiling, unable to move. Only 3 or 4 Maverick rooms actually teleport you in correctly.
• The 4 extra capsules take you to empty rooms and you get stuck in the ceiling, unable to escape.
• You can actually open the exit door and continue the stage without beating any Maverick rematch.
• The background of Doppler Stage 3 is different.
• The elements of Dr. Doppler's armor that are blue in the final game, are gray in the prototype.
• Dr. Doppler's fire shield has a different, more muted color palette.

Doppler Stage 4

• The stage background for Doppler Stage 4 (Final Sigma level) is completely different. It features several Sigma bodies from Mega Man X2's sprite.
• Sigma's ground-crawling fireballs are a few pixels higher than they should be, preventing them from hurting X while he's on the ground.
• When the lights turn off during Kaiser Sigma's introduction, the prototype shows 3 glowing lights. The final game only shows 2 (The eyes in the armor's chest).
• Sigma's final body (Kaiser Sigma) is glitched (His right arm overlaps his chest). Sigma's also more aggressive
• After escaping the rising lava, X walks to the right like in the final version. However, he stops short of the wall and teleports out, bringing you back to the level select screen.
  • Attempting to re-enter the Doppler Stage instead places you in Volt Catfish's stage.
• A proper ending sequence can be activated using the PAR code 00DA390B. It plays out more or less like the final version, though instead of sending you to the ending, it puts you back at the beginning of whatever stage you have active PAR codes for. If you disable any PAR codes for any particular stage, the game will default to Blast Hornet's stage and send you there after the sequence with Zero/Doppler attacking Sigma with the vaccine.
• Some very strange side-effects occur, depending on when the above code is enabled:
  • Enabling the code at the start of the level will disable all enemies on any level, as well as messing up with events.
  • Enabling it before the first ladder will disable the Zero cutscene where he breaks through the wall.
  • Enabling it before seeing the boss room will prevent Sigma from spawning, as well as prevent the door from closing.

Ending

• While the ending can't be reached through normal means, using the PAR code 7E00D106 then starting a new game will allow viewing of the ending. (Thanks, GoldS!)

Prototype	Final (Japan)

• The epilogue has significant graphical differences. Doppler's Lab has an entirely different design. The mountains in the background are also drawn differently than in the final version. The sun has been added on the background behind the montains with sunrays scattering around. The cliff where Zero and X stand during the final game is nowhere to be seen, instead a blue strip fills the bottom of the scene. The music that plays at this point is the Cast Roll music instead of the Epilogue music that plays in the final game
• X refuses to stop moving during the epilogue.
• What would be the Cast Roll in the final version lasts about five seconds in this one and shows a whole lot of nothing.
• The "Thanks for Playing" screen will play the "You Get" music from when you obtain a new weapon. In the final version this screen simply keeps playing the Cast Roll music.

The Nightmare Police and Vile Mk-2

• Dr. Doppler's symbol in the Mavericks' lifebars is slightly different to the final version.
• Bit's homing's fireball is faster, and thus harder to dodge. Also, in the final game, when Bit's lifebar has been depleted around 2/3, he will launch two homing fireballs simultaneously. In the prototype he only launches one at a time during the whole fight.
• Vile just appears at the start of the fight in the prototype instead of having a warp-in effect like the final game
• Vile's first Ride Armor is blue instead of gray like in the final game. It also lacks sound effects.
• Vile stops in mid air to throw his fire bomb attack. In the prototype, the fire beam generated by the bomb absorbs shots, while it doesn't in the final game (need to confirm which weapons are absorbed).
• Even when defeated using Ray Splasher, Vile teleports away after his death speech instead of exploding like in the final game. Need to see if the same effect occurs when using Spinning Blade.
• The timer for X to escape from the abandoned factory is set to 60 in the prototype vs 50 in the final

Prototype	Final
File:MMX3-Byte-Proto.png	File:MMX3-Byte-Final.png

• Byte's sprites are entirely different during his fight. Oddly, he uses his final sprite during cutscenes, such as the one with Doppler after defeating your first two Mavericks. It is worth noting that his cutscene sprite is different from his neutral combat sprite in both the prototype and the final version (I assume this was an oversight in the final game). Also his magnetic mine is nowhere near as effective as in the final game.

Weapons, Armor and Items

• X's picture doesn't change color during the "You get" screen. Also, there is no demostration of the weapon. The wireframe of the weapon is white instead of a unique color like in the final version.
• The usage of Sub Tanks is glitched in the weapons menu. It works, but the graphics don't reflect it.
• The Charged Shot with the upgraded arm cannon is glitched. If you fire a fully charged shot, X will remain in "charged status". You can continue to fire normal bullets, but you cannot charge. You have to switch to a weapon and then back to fix it. This is also fixed by obtaining the Z-Saber.
• The helmet part's radar detects more than upgrades. It also marks mini boss and boss rooms. However it doesn't show missing items on each stage on the stage select screen.
• X gets locked out of switching weapons with the trigger buttons every time you get a new armor upgrade. Pausing and unpausing fixes this.
• Zero's Z-Saber is not an instant-kill attack on bosses with invulnerability frames, like it is in the final. It instead does a flat 4 damage.
  • Similarly, a direct hit using the Z-Saber with X seems unable to do more than 4 damage to most bosses. In the final, it does a whopping 16 damage to most bosses.
• X's Z-Saber beam surrounds normal enemies as it does to the bosses. In the final game, the saber goes straight through the normal enemies and destroys them.
  • X's Z-Saber energy wave only does 2 damage to most bosses, rather than continual damage. It sometimes immobilizes certain bosses, as well.
• The charged-up S. Blade can only be swung up using the D-pad. In the final, you can also swing it down.
• Use the Pro Action Replay code 7E1FCEFF to enable I. Tracer from X2 in weapon select, though it will crash the game if you try to use it.
  • The icon for the I. Tracer's weapon energy uses the VRAM placeholder graphic, due to not having a special graphic to load. Said graphic is a "W" (weapon) and is present in Mega Man X1-3.
  • Additionally, when quick weapon switching is used (L/R shoulder buttons) it will simply use whatever icon is currently loaded to that slot in VRAM.

Other Differences

• Zero's death lacks sound effect.
• No password screens after beating the bosses.
• If X or Zero are hit by an attack that does 6 damage or more, they will take a knee and be stunned for about 3.77 seconds (or 226 frames).
• Some bosses, like Gravity Beetle or Blizzard Buffalo, will pause their assault and let X/Zero recovery, should they take a knee in their presence.

(Research/PAR codes: GoldS)