Line #10 WhatCouldHaveBeen/MegaMan


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5	[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/maverick_hunter_art.jpg]]
6	[[caption-width-right:350:ConceptArt from the cancelled ''Maverick Hunter''.]]
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9	[[foldercontrol]]
10	[[folder:Classic Series]]
11	* An interview with planner Akira Kitamura reveals that ''VideoGame/MegaMan2'' was supposed to have an EasterEgg in [[TheLostWoods Wood Man's stage]], where shooting off an Atomic Fire blast would start a forest fire and cause all of the Battons nesting in the trees to fly away. This was scrapped before release, but the animated palette that was supposed to be used for the fire animation is still in the ROM. The idea may have inspired the ability to burn away foliage in Sting Chameleon's stage with Fire Wave in ''VideoGame/MegaManX1''.
12	* The classic yet infamously cheesy and OffModel [[WesternAnimation/MegaManRubySpears Ruby-Spears cartoon]] was originally planned to actually be design-accurate to the game artwork, complete with all of the cast members being sized to their almost chibi-esque selves, as revealed in the [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tfoeasCeh44 uncovered sales pitch VHS.]] Unfortunately, or perhaps fortunately depending on one's view point of how the series held up at the time, the art style did not gel well with focus test groups, causing Ruby-Spears to rework everything to better fit the more marketable styles of children's action cartoons in the early-to-mid 90's. Parts of the sales pitch animation are still used in the final opening, and one can attribute the poor test reception to anime simply not having caught on quite yet in the west at the time. Incidentally, the exact animation style would be reused for ''Anime/MegaManUponAStar'', done by the same studio that both animated for the cartoon and the sales pitch as it was originally intended to be a special episode for the series.
13	* At one point, [[http://vignette3.wikia.nocookie.net/megaman/images/8/8b/Baroque%26Crash.jpg/revision/latest?cb=20110314214852 these guys]], Baroque and Crash, were meant to be Mega Man and Rush's rival, but they were heavily reworked into, you guessed it: Bass and Treble.
14	* And then, there's [[http://www.themmnetwork.com/2010/08/16/bond-man-the-phantom-robot-master/ Bond Man]]. Concept art shows that the original ''Mega Man'' was intended to have 8 Robot Masters instead of 6, but technical limitations pushed the number down to 6. The cut Masters were the oil-themed Oil Man and the glue-based Bond Man. Oddly, despite the remake ''VideoGame/MegaManPoweredUp'' reviving Oil Man, Bond Man was replaced with Time Man, because the developers wanted the former to remain an enigmatic "lost" character. On a related note, a "Bubble Man" character (unrelated to the one from ''Mega Man 2'') was designed for the first game, but scrapped and replaced with Ice Man.
15	* Because the developers took fan submissions for Robot Masters from ''VideoGame/MegaMan2'' to ''VideoGame/MegaMan8'', roughly ''750,000'' bosses were at one point or another under consideration for the games.
16	* Mega Man was originally going to have the ability to crouch in the first game. This was scrapped when it was decided that the graphical limitations of the NES made it too hard to determine whether a projectile needed to be crouched under or jumped over. The [[FanSequel fan-made]] game ''VideoGame/MegaManRocks'' averts this by allowing Mega Man to crouch.
17	* In ''VideoGame/MegaMan3'', Rush's third ability was to have been Rush Drill rather than Rush Jet.
18	* Back when ''VideoGame/{{Mega Man\|Classic}} Anniversary Collection'' was announced, there were going to be two versions - the console version we got and a handheld version for the Game Boy Advance that would bring back the five Game Boy ''Mega Man'' games. However, it's rumored that the games' original code was lost and thus the project was scrapped.
19	* For ''VideoGame/MegaMan9'', we could have gotten [[http://megaman.wikia.com/wiki/File:CementMan.jpg Cement Man]], [[http://megaman.wikia.com/wiki/File:WeatherMan1.jpg Weather Man]], [[http://megaman.wikia.com/wiki/File:OceanMan.jpg Ocean Man]], [[http://megaman.wikia.com/wiki/File:PlasmaMan.jpg Plasma Man]], [[http://megaman.wikia.com/wiki/File:DiamondMan.jpg Diamond Man]], [[http://megaman.wikia.com/wiki/File:HoneyWoman.jpg Honey Woman]], and [[http://megaman.wikia.com/wiki/File:SpaceMan.jpg Space Man]]. In other words, Splash Woman and Hornet Man ended up swapping genders during production.
20	* ''VideoGame/MegaMan11'' would have featured a female Robot Master (the second one after Splash Woman), but she was scrapped due to her weapon not meshing well with the game's play style.
21	[[/folder]]
22
23	[[folder:X Series]]
24	[[AC:''VideoGame/MegaManX1'']]
25	* Keiji Inafune initially designed Zero as the main protagonist of the series. He then decided that the main protagonist should more closely resemble the original Mega Man, and so he had Hayato Kaji design X while he made Zero a side character.
26	* Early concept art for ''X1'' shows some really different designs.
27	** There are multiple designs for a BigThinShortTrio of older-looking Reploids as villains, though they were finally combined into one character as Sigma. This idea was later revisited with the X-Hunters in ''X2''.
28	** Sigma's logo was also a cobra with a subtle "W" shape in its hood, foreshadowing a connection to Dr. Wily from the very start.
29	** There's art for a female navigator Reploid, though this idea wouldn't be implemented until Alia in ''X5''.
30	** Vile had a "Z" on his helmet, implying he'd have a different name of some kind.
31	* [=GamePro=] had some previews for ''Mega Man X'' in magazines, with some radically different concepts.
32	** X's First Armor was colored all blue, had a thinner rectangular buster, and a CoolMask.
33	** X was in a white-colored urban environment, nicknamed by modern fans the mythical "White City" stage, with different enemies and the [=RT-55J=] miniboss.
34	** The story blurb used "[=RoboPolice=]" as the name for the Maverick Hunters, and mentioned two support characters called RX and RY, neither of whom exist in the final game.
35	** There was also a [=GamePro=] commercial that showed the silhouette of an unused Maverick boss resembling a manticore.
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37	[[AC:''VideoGame/MegaManX2'']]
38	* There was supposed to be a fourth, female member of the X-Hunters, but she was scrapped due to technical limitations. They were also supposed to be called the "Four Guardians" before the cut; the name was later reused in the ''VideoGame/MegaManZero'' series.
39	* Violen was supposed to have a second form for his rematch, like Serges and Agile do, but it was cut for technical limitations.
40	* The game's ending music was originally composed for the battle with the Sigma Virus, but they repurposed it when they decided it sounded too mellow.
41	* According to a tweet by [[https://x.com/sa1999_/status/1784818157070569699 Yoshihisa Tsuda,]] there were ideas floating around during ''X2'' that Zero could actually be [[VideoGame/MegaManClassic Roll]] of all characters, who was kidnapped and modified by Wily to serve as a base for his final creation (almost like Quint). This was deemed too hardcore and never went anywhere, as Zero remained his own robot. He's also mentioned that they entertained the idea of X being an upgraded form of Mega Man after all, which nowadays is a point of CommonKnowledge.
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43	[[AC:''VideoGame/MegaManX3'']]
44	* A [=3DO=] port of the game was announced, but evidently never released.
45	* A potential Vile MK-II design has him with a huge flail in place of an arm and a cannon on the other, an idea that was later reused by ComicBook/MegaManArchieComics.
46	* Two prototypes of ''X3'' have been leaked, with some notable differences:
47	** Completely different sprites for the majority of bosses, which were redrawn for the final game.
48	** The white parts of X's body - such as his gloves or Max Armor - would change color depending on which enhancement Chip he had equipped (green for Head, yellow for Body, red for Arm, blue for Foot). Having all of them via the Hyper Chip would color them black instead.
49	** The Item Radar was more accurate, showing different colors and symbols for each upgrade on the map rather than the red squares used in the final version.
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51	[[AC:''VideoGame/MegaManX4'']]
52	* A whale Maverick was planned but scrapped. The idea was later revisited with Tidal Whale in ''X5''.
53	* Concept art and notes for the Ultimate Armor show that X can ride it like a hoverboard and it can emit a blade from the buster, but he never actually does these things in the game.
54	* Hitoshi Ariga designed an Ultimate Armor for Zero too, but it never made it into the game. He can still be recolored into Black Zero using a code, which is likely a leftover from this idea.
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56	[[AC:Other]]
57	* The ''[[VideoGameRemake Maverick Hunter X]]'' series was supposed to be Keiji Inafune's reimagining of the ''VideoGame/MegaManX'' series, with updated graphics, voice acting, animated cutscenes, and better focus on plot and characterization. Unfortunately, low sales of the first ''MHX'' game has scrapped the series.
58	* When the ''Mega Man X Collection'' was first announced, there were plans to add enhancements and redub the later games. However, the idea was scrapped when the developers decided to simply put those features into the ''Maverick Hunter X'' remakes. Thus, players received a collection of straight ports retaining the same faults as the originals, and the proposed series was, as mentioned above, cancelled.
59	* After ''VideoGame/MegaManX5'', Inafune intended the series to end so he could begin with the ''VideoGame/MegaManZero'' series, but Capcom executives released a ''VideoGame/MegaManX6'', without his input, just so they could continue to cash in. And that is the reason you don't mention [[TheScrappy Axl]] in hardcore ''MMX'' fan forums. Also, when the ''Zero'' series was being made, Inafune had to adjust his desired plot due to the continuing ''X'' series and ExecutiveMeddling.
60	* As shown [[http://www.themmnetwork.com/2013/04/09/maverick-hunter-the-mega-man-x-fps-that-almost-was/ here]], there was going to be a first person shooter game based on the ''VideoGame/MegaManX'' series.
61	[[/folder]]
62
63	[[folder:Zero Series]]
64	* X was supposed to be the villain of the first game but due the existence of X6 it was changed to an imperfect clone. It was also going to delve into Zero's origin, but that was scrapped.
65	* Ciel was originally planned to be a playable character, she was described to be a wizarf character who used Cyber-Elves to fight. Also an enemy Cyber-Elf user was considered.
66	** Speaking of Ciel she was also going to be a cyborg in the early plans.
67	* Phantom was going to have a transformation like his fellow Four Guardians, his was a giant bat, unfortunately his death on the 1st game prevented its use.
68	* Zero 3 was going to be the final game of the series, instead of 4 they were going to develop a Zero 1.5 which as the name suggests would happen between 1 and 2. The Z-Knuckle was meant to represent how Zero had to steal from the enemies to survive without his equipment which was damaged.
69	* Weil had many different proposed designs, like a young child with an over-developed brain.
70	* There were many scrapped Mutos Reploid whose design appear in the Official Complete Works like a owl, a centaur, a kirin, a griffon, among others.
71	[[/folder]]
72
73	[[folder:ZX series]]
74	* Giro was going to have a younger sibling who went missing, a brother in Aile's story and a sister in Vent's story. The sibling would later join as a third hero.
75	* The animated promo that features both Vent and Aile was meant to be the pilot for a TV show.
76	* [[https://www.rockman-corner.com/2021/12/mega-man-zx3-was-in-development-at-one.html?m=1 A third ZX game]] was in development until Inti Creates was told to focus on Mega Man 9.
77	[[/folder]]
78
79	[[folder:Battle Network Series]]
80	* ''VideoGame/MegaManBattleNetwork'''s prototype storyline originally had a few differences from the final product:
81	** Lan was supposed to lead a group called Right to fight against a prototype World 3 called WWPO (it was scrapped so that Lan could go solo, although he joins a group in BN 5).
82	** Chaud was supposed to be rich and to treat net navis as no more than tools.
83	** There was supposed to be a character named Mike Kenan, who was to be a high school age kid, that was an official netbattler (these two were merged, to create Chaud's final personality).
84	** Mike was to pass his net navi Roll.EXE to Mayl/Maylu and then take Bass.EXE as a new navi (changed to her having Roll from the beginning, and to Bass being a solo net navi).
85	** Mayl/Maylu was supposed to participate in the final battle against the Lifevirus (changed, but she still appears [[http://lparchive.org/Mega-Man-Battle-Network/Update%2016/ prior]] to that battle, along side Chaud).
86	* The Complete Works artbook mentions how the original pitch for the series was going to have ''three'' game versions, version A (for Anime), B and C.
87	** Version A is the one starring Lan and was going to release alongside the show so people could experience the show's story.
88	** Version B and C were going to release first, the protagonists were twins tentatively called Seimai and Roudou Kazami, their netnavis were Mega Man Buster and Mega Man Blade respectively. It's unknown how different the storylines would be from Lan's.
89	* When Ishihara heard Cossack was going to appear in Battle Network 3 he made some sketches for a BN version of Kalinka, unfortunately there's no indication she exists in the BN universe.
90	* Battle Network 4 was going to have a Bass Soul and a Duo Soul but those had to be scrapped due lack of ROM space, the frameworks exist within the game but are too barebones to be playable.
91	[[/folder]]
92
93	[[folder:Star Force Series]]
94	* Before deciding to create the Noise Forms SF3 was going to reuse the Tribe On, two more transformations were created called [[https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/024_5.jpg Pirate Mega Man and Angelus Mega Man]].
95	* ''VideoGame/MegaManStarForce 4'' would feature the game going in a DarkerAndEdgier direction. Geo Stellar would have teamed up with a boy named Kazuma who happens to be a direct descendant of Lan Hikari. The two would become hackers and be wanted by the Satella Police. The game was in production at one point but was cancelled due to lackluster sales from both ''Star Force 3'' and ''Operation Shooting Star''.
96	[[/folder]]
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Context WhatCouldHaveBeen / MegaMan