I just played through the whole first prototype (Panzer Dragoon Saga (Prototype - Sep 16, 1997)) using SSF (the emulator works fine for the most part). Here are the differences that I noticed:
Intro with Atolm’s theme as the music before the title screen is the same, but the music seems a bit glitchy (the glitches were possibly due to using SSF).
Title screen is the Azel: Panzer Dragoon RPG title screen, with options for New Game and Continue (Continue greyed out until a save point is used).
The intro FMV is the same as in the final game, but the game restarts back to the title screen when Edge first encounters Azel in the mine. Also there is no sound. There doesn’t seem to be sound in any of the FMVs besides the one before the title screen. When I skipped this intro the second time it goes straight to the movie of the Divine Visitor reviving Edge. There is no name entry screen.
The first walking around section is basically the same, except the Caravan music plays in the background. Also, the far left pillar only gives you one item instead of two, but I’m not sure what it is (can’t select items on the menu screen, and it’s in Japanese).
Pause Screen - This looks the same as in the final game, however all submenus are disabled with the exception of the second menu which shows your dragon. This means that you can’t heal outside of battle or leave to go to the campsite.
FMV - Edge meets the dragon. No differences besides the lack of sound.
Above the Excavation Site - Edge doesn’t say anything right at the start of the level (“Now that I’ve got a dragon…”). Interesting controls - right trigger moves the dragon forward and he keeps going until you press the left trigger to stop. Down is up and up is down by default (similar to PD1 controls) and there isn’t a way to change them. The save point at the end of the map is still there, however the menu option don’t seem to do anything when you select it. It does, however, create a save file in the background, but you get no confirmation on screen of this.
When you go through the door at the end of the first valley level there is some white Japanese text on a blue background. This could either be some sort of story explanation or, more likely, a message there for a beta tester.
Excavation Site #4 (second walking round section). Again, the caravan music plays in the background. Is it just me or is everything darker in this level?
FMV - Edges captain dies. No differences besides the lack of sound.
Excavation Site #4 flying section - in the tutorial there is only 5 different options, about half of what there is in the final game. When you get the Field Map of the area, there is no way to view it. There is no save point opposite the wind fans.
The battles seem very similar the final game, however on completion it says “BATTLE RESULT”, rather than the usual Excellent, Great Fight, etc. I have seen the Battle Result text in Green, Yellow and Purple which I think may correspond to the different rankings (Excellent, etc). However, I was getting purple writing on some battles that I didn’t get hit or take a long time in, so I’m not sure how accurate this is. When the dragon is attacked in battle there are red borders at the top and bottom of the screen instead of the standard black cut scene borders. Berserk attacks are all on one screen (they aren’t divided into separate screens for defense, attack, extra, etc. The “Heal” berserk attack requires two bars instead of one.
Baldor Queen - this boss has the standard mutated monster music rather than the mutated subboss music. A sound repeats in the background until the first Baldors are hatched.
Arachnoth - Weird airplane noises at the start of the cut scene before the boss appears. There are also red borders during cut scenes that take place at the start and end of a battle sequence, however the borders aren’t red when you’re attacking the enemy.
Cut scene where Edge meets Gash - heaps of echoing, glitches. This may partially be caused by SSF, although the echoing definitely isn’t there in the final version when using SSF.
World Map - Seems much the same in layout, although there a lots of details missing. You can’t choice to see “Craymen’s Fleet Advance…”
FMV - Arrival at Cainus. No differences besides the lack of sound.
Desert Campsite - By the tent there is what appears to be the music box that Rhoda gives you later in the game. However, it doesn’t do anything when you select it it appears and disappears. Also, the dragon is always asleep (the lazy creature!) it doesn’t matter if it’s day or night. Nothing happens when you select him. Gash doesn’t provide a whole heap of information (About the Desert, etc), just a few lines when you select him and there’s no scene where he pleads you to take him across the desert when you try to leave the camp, you can leave straight away it seems (although you may have to talk to him first; I had already done this).
Garil Desert - a mixture of Stryders and Naynds can be found on the first and second maps… as far as I can remember there were never any battles involving both until you reached the Blue Ruins. Also, the stryders, naynds, and hoppers have a yellow icon next to their name when the battle begins - if I recall correctly this colour was normally reserved for subbosses. It is light blue when fighting the plunger, however another time it was a red Craymen enemy symbol, and another time the normal green mutated monster symbol so I don’t know what’s going on there. It seems these icons are a bit random. The Lathum has the same music as the Baldor Queen (normal mutated monster music). The secret tunnel down to where you can get the Mauler is still there, however these is no way to equip it (if indeed the item you get is the Mauler in this version).
Gigra - The roof of the cave turns bright green at times. This appears to be a glitch that was fixed in the final version of the game. A blue screen with white writing appears again after this battle.
There’s no farewell to Gash cut scene after the desert, you’re taken straight to the campsite. When you exit the campsite, there’s no way of accessing the Caravan from the map, but if you try to entering the camp again you’re given a menu choice. The first option takes you to the Caravan, and second back to the campsite.
There are a few glitches in the Caravan, e.g not loading some sound files (and displaying an error message on the screen). Interestingly, you can speak to An’jou before you even go in the tent (he’s sitting by the campfire at night). You’re not given an option to talk with the shop keeper (I seem to recall that you could in the final version, once the Caravaners decide that you’re not with Craymen), just options to Buy or Leave (no middle option).
The Forbidden Zone - there’s no morphing tutorial when you first enter the level. When battling the Lazara, it quite easy to get behind them and fire a few rounds of lasers before they have a chance to put their shields up (you can completely destroy them before they put their shields up). Also, I swear the Lazara make the same noise that is heard when you defeat a monster in Shining the Holy Ark - did anyone else notice that?
Craymen’s Flagship - this fight seems a lot easier than in the final game. I don’t think I even got hit once, and I defeated it really fast.
FMV - arrival of Atolm. The same, but no sound.
Atolm - Atolm’s health decreases rapidly and then the fight is suddenly over before it even begun! I didn’t even get a chance to fire at him. Another blue screen appears, this time prompting you to enter disc 2. This is as far as the prototype goes. The game automatically saves at this point and you can’t go any further.
Overall, although nothing hugely different, there were enough differences to make playing through this prototype at least an interesting experience. I’m looking forward to trying the other ones.
