April 4 Prototype

This is a sub-page of Proto:Comix Zone (Genesis).

This prototype is documented on Hidden Palace.

This page or section needs more images.
There's a whole lotta words here, but not enough pictures. Please fix this.

To do:
Glitches and more level changes.

The prototype from April 4, 1995 contains many differences from the final. While the game can be finished, you are more likely to get an illegal instruction error.

General Differences#

Sega Intro#

Both the SEGA and STI logos are entirely different.

April 4 Prototype	May 26 Prototype onward (US/EU)

One of the only components retained in the final build is the initial sprite scaling effect on the SEGA logo.

Title Screen#

The title screen has a few small changes:

April 4 Prototype	Final

"All Rights Reserved" is "PAT. PENDING" at this stage.
Copyright text is higher up.
The drop shadow on the "START" and "OPTIONS" text is bolder.

Unused and Changed Music#

The SEGA boot-up music has a completely different composition, it is unable to be heard in full however as the SEGA logo and STI logo automatically transition to the title screen after 11 seconds.

April 4 Prototype	Final

Gameplay Differences#

Episode title cards are not present.
When an enemy is attacked and they hit the edge of the panel, a green "Slam!" graphic will appear.
You can not hold the A button to have Sketch make a paper airplane.
When you don't press any buttons for a while, Sketch starts talking to player in the prototype. In the final, he smells his shoes.

WHAT'S THAT NOISE?
WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR?
GET ME OUT OF HERE!
LET'S GET GOING...

In the final version, when pausing the game, Sketch will say "SEGA!" after 7 seconds. However, the messages that show are much more varied in the April prototype:

DON'T MIND ME
TWO SUGARS IN MINE
IS THAT THE PHONE?
I'LL JUST WAIT HERE
DON'T BE LONG...
I'M GETTING A CRAMP...
NEED A BREAK ALREADY?
WHAT'S FOR DINNER?
LET'S GET GOING...

In the final version, if Sketch dies on the last life, he will say "GAME OVER, MAN, THE END". In this prototype, it's "GAME OVER, MAN, GAME OVER!", which is a reference to Aliens. There is no Game Over cutscene.

Level Changes#

Note that levels are not categorized as episodes, so they are not here.

Page 1#

Items are not present in the intro panel.

Sketch and Allisa's conversation at the beginning is different.

Prototype

Final

OUCH!!
OH, HERE YOU ARE!
WHAT THE ?@!#?
YOU MUST BE THE CHOSEN ONE...
WHO?? HEY DO I KNOW YOU?
WE HAVE BEEN EXPECTING YOU.
IM GEN. ALISSA CYAN. YOUR NAME?
SKETCH TURNER... WAIT A MINUTE!
SKETCH!?!
WELL, SKETCH, THIS MISSION IS OF UTMOST IMPORTANCE...
I'M IN MY OWN COMIC BOOK.-- NOOOO!!!
I BEG YOUR PARDON?
ALISSA, I'M NOT YOUR SUPER-HERO!
JUST RELAX! LET'S NOT WASTE ANY TIME...
YOU HAVE A JOB TO DO.
A JOB? WHAT ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT??
THAT'S ALL FOR NOW.-- I'LL BE IN TOUCH...
THIS IS CRAZY!@#!!
YOU MAY NEED SOME OF THESE ITEMS...
GOOD LUCK!
YEAH, RIGHT...
JUST MOVE IT, TURNER!!

OUCH!!
OH, HERE YOU ARE!
WHAT THE ?@!#?
YOU MUST BE THE CHOSEN ONE...
WHO?? HEY, DO I KNOW YOU?
I HAVE BEEN EXPECTING YOU.
I'M GENERAL ALISSA CYAN. YOUR NAME?
SKETCH TURNER... WAIT A MINUTE!
SKETCH?!?
WELL, SKETCH, THIS MISSION IS CRITICAL.
I'M IN MY OWN COMIC BOOK -- NOOOOO!!!
I BEG YOUR PARDON?
ALISSA, I'M NOT YOUR SUPER-HERO!
JUST RELAX LET'S NOT WASTE ANY TIME...
YOU HAVE A JOB TO DO.
A JOB? WHAT ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT??
THAT'S ALL FOR NOW -- I'LL BE IN TOUCH.
THIS IS CRAZY!@#!!
YOU MAY NEED SOME OF THESE ITEMS...
GOOD LUCK!
YEAH, RIGHT.
JUST MOVE IT, TURNER!!

A few points to note.

General is abbreviated to "Gen." in this build.
The conversation is glitched in the prototype, as some of the dialogue is not displayed in the game.
"WE" Not "I" have been expecting you.
The mission is "OF UTMOST IMPORTANCE", instead of just "CRITICAL".

Page 4#

The levels are not finished by this point.

Page 5#

In the beginning of the page, there are 2 Strigils instead of 3 Spawn Mutants.
Big Mouth behaves differently.

Page 6#

There are no enemies or objects in this level.
Mortus's quotes are quite different.
Defeating Mortus sends the player back to the first level.

Misc. Differences#

The "DON'T LOOK AT THIS!" message at the top of the ROM is missing.
The prototype's header is "JOE PENCIL IN THE COMIX ZONE", followed by the French "JEAN CLAUDE CRAYON DANS LE ZONE COMIQUE".
The intro logos are very different compared to the final's.
The Comix Zone logo does not bounce into place.
The credits are in the options screen, since the game does not have an ending at this point. Even then, they are incomplete.
A debug option is available on the bottom of the options menu, which allows the player to go to any level and any panel in that level. The text for it remains in the final version.
The jukebox only has six tracks available rather than the twenty in the final version. These are all opening tracks to the six levels.
In the control menu, the "Macho Yell" is called the "Bonus Yell".

Intro Cutscene#

The scrolling is rather quick compared to the final version. Toward the end, the art even starts to repeat itself.
The text is positioned lower than it is in the final.

Prototype

Final

PRESENT DAY, BOWERY, NYC.
LOOK AT ME, SKETCH -- I'M JUST A DRAWING!
BUT I'LL BE FREE SOON ENOUGH...
...AS SOON AS YOU'RE DEAD!!!
I CANNOT KILL YOU HERE, BUT...
...I KNOW OF A PERFECT PLACE TO DO IT!
HAVE A NICE TRIP!!!

NEW YORK CITY, PRESENT DAY.
LOOK AT ME, SKETCH -- I'M JUST A DRAWING!
BUT I'LL BE FREE SOON ENOUGH...
...AS SOON AS YOU'RE DEAD!!!
I CANNOT KILL YOU HERE, BUT...
...I KNOW OF A PERFECT PLACE TO DO IT!
HAVE A NICE TRIP!!!

The only significant text difference is that it specifies the story takes place in Bowery, which is in Southern Manhattan. It was likely removed due to the obscurity of the name.

Glitches#

Sometimes if you are doing a combo on an enemy, Sketch will be moved up in the air and be standing. If you perform a uppercut while in this state, sometimes, Sketch will get frozen in the uppercut pose and keep moving up.