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.

The Eight Mavericks The bulk of the game's changes.

Vile, Bit, Byte, and Dr. Doppler Oh, and Sigma. Spoilers.

Sprite Changes Old Maverick designs and such.

Unused Graphics

A frame of Volt Catfish presumably getting energized by the bolt of lightning he strikes himself with.

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 mountains with sun rays 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.

Weapons, Armor and Items

• X's picture doesn't change color during the "You get" screen. Also, there is no demonstration of the weapon. The wireframe of the weapon is always 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.

Miscellaneous Differences

• Zero's death lacks sound effects.
• 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 recover, should they take a knee in their presence.
• Unlike the final, Zero can collect Sub-Tanks and Heart Upgrades. When Zero collects a Heart Upgrade, his max HP actually increases! X will also receive the upgrade when you switch back to him. Unfortunately the upgrade to Zero's max HP is not permanent, although it will last until you switch back to X.
• Zero can enter the Vile stage teleporters. Entering the teleporters as Zero will predictably teleport you to the Vile stage. You will enter the Vile stage as X, and for an instant you'll have a much larger HP meter. This was fixed in the final, as Zero cannot activate the Vile stage teleporters.

(Research/PAR codes: GoldS)