Kraftwerk Prototype

This is a sub-page of Proto:Dr. Robotnik's Mean Bean Machine (Genesis).

A late prototype of Dr. Robotnik's Mean Bean Machine. Once exclusively known about through a video on David Javelosa's youtube channel, this prototype was eventually shared by CartridgeCulture on September 18, 2026. This prototype has quite a few differences compared to final game and has more similarities to Puyo Puyo than the final.

ROM Header Differences#

Proto	Final

• Header says "robotonic" instead of "Dr. Robotnik's Mean Bean Machine"
• Prototype is dated August 1993 instead of September 1993.
• Prototype has PD in the notes (short for Product Development).
• Serial number says MK-1706 instead of GM MK-1706 like in the final

General Differences#

• Whilst the Region Lockout & Checksum Code check code exist in the ROM, the game does not call for them to be used, allowing the game to be run on any region system.
• Region Lock Text goes unused, only contains NTSC-U lockout text.
• You can skip the Sega Screen at any point (in the final, it's only skippable after the outline fades in)
• Password Screen plays Stage 9-12 Theme instead of Memories of Puyo Puyo
• Gameplay Demo plays stage BGM
• 2P VS Mode plays Sticker of Puyo Puyo instead of Final of Puyo Puyo
• "All right!" Sparkles don't disappear when the timer runs out after a 2P Match
• Password accepted sound effect plays regular confirmation sfx
• Victory jingle uses the final win jingle
• The SFX for when the password is displayed uses the regular bonus SFX
• Music hard stops from the password screen instead of fading out
• Final of Puyo Puyo plays when in danger
• Puyo Popping SFXs have different pitch bending
• Opponents Screen plays before Robotnik's fight
• The Graphics header is labelled under Design instead.
• The Sampling Option does nothing (as the code to check whether to play a PCM doesn't exist)
• Proto switches between Game Match and Games Match depending on the VS matches setting (final only says Game Match)
• Command FE is listed as All Clear whereas in final it's listed as Music Clear
• Command 6F (SFX Clear) does not exist
• Getting a chain of 4 or more repeats the 3rd Magic Attack SFX (instead of playing an extra 4th one)
• Inputting a password where all colours match, will boot into the first stage on normal difficulty.

Title Screen#

Proto	Final

• Compile Copyright is above the Sega Copyright.
• Title Sequence lasts a little bit longer.
• Pressing buttons on the title screen does not trigger any animations with the MEAN BEAN text.
• Pressing Start on the Title Screen immediately boots to the Main Menu.
• Puyo Puyo Sound Test Cheat still functions.

Intro Cutscene#

Proto	Final

• Robotnik doesn't have an animation for when he's laughing, instead, he jumps here.

Tutorial#

Proto	Final

• Second last block of text in the tutorial has a typo ("beans whichcannot" instead of "beans which cannot")

High Scores#

Proto	Final

• Scenario Rankings says DDR instead of DRR

Proto	Final

• Exercise Rankings says DSR instead of DS

Options#

Proto	Final

• There are dashes in the subheaders for each player's control settings, much like in Puyo Puyo.

Proto	Final

• Buttons set to not be used says "No Use" (like in OG Puyo Puyo) instead of "Don't Use" like in the final game

Sound Test#

Proto	Final

• Sound Test screen says "Sound Track" (like in OG Puyo Puyo) instead of "Sound Test" like in the final version.
• All music tracks are selectable and in sound ID order. In the final game, it skips unused tracks and locks viewing them behind playing on a Japanese system.

Game Over#

Proto	Final

• Robotnik does not laugh when the Game Over timer hits 1.
• The font used for "Game Over" is slightly lighter.
• Game Over Screen plays what would become the In Danger BGM.

Opponent Cutscenes#

• Background scrolling in the intro cutscene scrolls in the opposite direction

Sir Ffuzzy-Logik#

Proto	Final

• No leaves blow in the wind in Sir Ffuzzy-Logik's stage.

Dragon Breath#

Proto	Final

• Dragon Breath's second-last line of dialogue doesn't have a " ' " before round.

Dr. Robotnik#

Proto	Final

• Scratch and Grounder do not appear in Robotnik's Intro Cutscene.
• Robotnik's Cutscene uses Brave of Puyo Puyo (instead of the remix of it like in the final)

Proto	Final

• Dr. Robotnik's Stage has a traditional stage transition unlike in final.

Role Call#

Proto	Final

• Robotnik's Lair has smoke billowing out in the Role Call segment instead of blowing up.
• The smoke is positioned differently, and also using the wrong palette.

Proto	Final

• Fade in on Robotnik's Screen in the Role Call seems a little wonky.
• Dr. Robotnik's face only appears in the Rost Call block when his normal sprite is already centered on the screen.
• The name Dr. Robotnik does not have a space between "Dr." and "Robotnik".

Proto	Final

• The AND... & HAS BEAN text in the Role Call is slightly shifted to the right.
• When Has Bean falls onto the screen, the ground lighting effect is not present.

Staff Roll#

Proto	Final

• Staff Roll has Has Bean drop down in the credits screen.
• The palette transition for the credits background is more basic.
• The stars in the Credits background do not flicker.
• End Credits show the Lair not billowing in smoke anymore.

Proto	Final

• The Credits headers lack pluralisation.
• Credits formatting is different with all the text being in all-caps and kerned to the left side of the screen.
• Staff Roll doesn't include credits for Compile's Team, the Producers or Sega of America's Staff. CUBE Staff don't have CUBE labelled next to them.

Proto	Final

• Layout of the Let's try "difficulty" text is different.
• And once again, Compile Copyright is above the Sega Copyright.
• End Credits doesn't have the slow fade out at the end of the sequence.

Proto	Final

• The message for beating the game on Hardest Difficulty reads "thank you for your playing." instead of "Thank you for playing."

Sound Differences#

General Differences#

• Many instruments have different sustain and release parameters set, making them more closer to the original Puyo Puyo instruments.
• Lacks the added high octave for FM frequencies.
• Features only one PSG instrument.
• Lacks two modulation envelopes from the final game.
• The Dialogue SFX breaks PSG noise playback for the music upon playing (due to using PSG3 instead of PSG1)

Sample Differences#

This prototype features noticeably different drum samples compared to the final game, along with some unreference samples not present in the final game.

Mechanical whirring similar to an unused sound effect in the final game. A cut off duplicate of the "Yohoho" sample.

SFX Differences#

• SFXs IDs 6E-72 are not present in the ROM.
• Blank SFX IDs 65, 66 & 6C lack the rest note from the final.

Music Differences#

Unused Music#