Stepping Stage Special

Some sort of "upgrade" to Jaleco's dancing game Stepping Stage.

Unused Graphics#

As a result of Stepping Stage Special reusing the graphic repository files from the original Stepping Stage, many leftover tiles from the latter can be found. What is also interesting is that, for many of the cases, palettes are also loaded.

Old Sheets#

Title Screen#

Interestingly, one of the older title screen graphics list the game as "VJ Stepping Stage". Perhaps it was meant to be a "companion" game to VJ: Visual & Music Slap.

How To Play#

This creepy pad design doesn't seem to be displayed here.

Style Select#

In the original Stepping Stage, the Basic Step mode was called "Normal Step". Graphics for a "Cross Step" mode also exist, and are most likely unused.

This creepy pad graphic is not displayed here either.

A background from Stepping Stage, which is also seen in the Level and Song Select menus.

In the original Stepping Stage, these graphics referred to the game as part of a "VJ" series of games, much like a previously-shown title screen asset.

Level Select#

Of the graphics here, only the "Practice" and "Twin" graphics seem to be entirely unused. However, the explanation blocks for the other difficulties are slightly obscured by a giant 3 graphic covering the stage count; it seems the original plan was to make different stage counts for each of the modes.

These stage counters are also not displayed.

Gameplay#

It seems developers forgot to erase four early variants of the HUD graphics displayed at the corner of the left and right screens. One of these, which happens to be the earliest one, doesn't seem to have a graphic for the first player.

Style names, which seem to fit the earliest HUD graphic.

Because of Twin Mode's removal, this graphic goes unused.

Three lifebar designs, two of which seem to be early concepts, and the latter being the design used in Stepping Stage.

Three Yeah combo displays which, much like the lifebars, consist of two early concepts and the design used in Stepping Stage.

A different graphic for either a note or a receptor for Free Mode.

The crowd graphic displayed in the original Stepping Stage when reaching a certain number of combo. One of the tiles is missing.

The receptor/path graphics used in Stepping Stage, in their very plain glory.

Results Screen#

Ranking Screen#

The "Cross Mode" style doesn't seem to exist in this game.

Game Over#

A Game Over asset from Stepping Stage. Does not seem to have a palette associated with it anymore.

Other#

A very cybernetic background, perhaps meant for an ending sequence.

A black X, seen several times as a placeholder.

New Sheets#

The only unused graphic originating from Stepping Stage Special's new graphic repository files is this portrait of an unknown song, which does not have a title associated with.

Oddity#

The letters "LE" in this "THE HUSTLE" graphic, which is displayed in the song selection screen, are actually swapped in-game; the original graphic has the song title misspelled as "THE HUSTEL".