Prototype screenshots

Flyer	Final
These images were taken from the European flyer for the game. This screenshot shows a ton of enemies to fight early on in the first stage, however in the final version there are no enemies here. Another difference is that it looks like you'd have a grenade sprite for every grenade you had originally, the final version changes this by having a single grenade sprite with a number next to it telling you how many you have in stock. The enemy names were also different originally. Nick is about to throw someone called "Bakosu" in this screen, in the final game he was renamed Leon.

Flyer	Final
Another example of different enemy names.

Flyer	Final
This shot shows that for the first level boss, there were going to be kids on the seats, but these were removed from the final version. Their sprites are still in the game, they just don't get used -see below for more info.

Flyer	Final
This is from stage 2. Nick is using an assault rifle, which you can't get here in the final game. He's also shooting an enemy called "Minimum" who doesn't have that name in the final.

Flyer	Final
From stage 3. "Eric" is known as Cool in the final version.

Flyer	Final
This section of stage four shows Punisher and Nick fighting enemies with guns, in the final version you fight different enemies here who don't have firearms.

Flyer	Final
Another part of stage 4. "Crap" was apparently the early name for Leon.

Flyer	Final
This screen shows part of stage 5, but the background here has a different layout, to anything seen in the final version. "Matt" was changed to Trench as well.

Unused bonus stage

There is an unused and unfinished bonus stage in the game. When the stage starts, you see a pilot and copilot flying a plane, when suddenly the cockpit is hit by an explosion, and they are both set on fire!

Two of the gun wielding punks somehow jump in and start running down the fuselage, revealing worried passengers along with several bound and gagged stewardesses.

They run right past you and leave the screen. All of the passengers start celebrating and you have a few seconds to move your character. If you are fast enough, you can untie some of the stewardesses by attacking them. They will run off the screen. They can also hug you, when they do they will drop a food item.

This bonus stage ends almost as soon as it begins. The game counts this as you clearing stage 7. After the score totals up, you'll get the alternative credits sequence (which is only usually seen when the game is beaten on one credit), then the game ends. I've not much clue on how this stage was meant to work, maybe lots of punks were meant to keep coming into the plane and you had to kill as many as possible to win.

Unused sprites

Punisher and Nick walking away from the screen. One sprite for each character is used in the opening cutscene for stage 5, but the rest go unused.

Lots of unused Bruno sprites, you were clearly meant to fight him at one point. There are sprites of him punching, kicking, laughing and picking up an object. There are also sprites of him aiming and firing a gun, plus to confirm you were meant to fight him, there are sprites of him at various angles for Punisher and Nick's giant swing move.

Some kind of bonus item, I guess? Maybe it was just a test item.

In stage 2 there are three prison cells, two of which have women in them who will have "Help!" speech bubbles. However there are also these two speech bubbles that aren't used.

As noted in the prototype screenshots, there were originally going to be kids on the bus in stage 1. The sprites are still in the ROM. It seems that the intention was that once Scully (the first boss) had been beaten, the kids would start to celebrate. Given that Punisher flat out murders Scully by shooting him after the fight is over, it was probably for the best that the kids were removed.

This woman can be freed from the cells in stage 2. However there are also these unused sprites of her tied up in a couple of ways, along with sprites of her being freed.

There are also tied up and freed sprites for this guy, who only appears in the game during the cutscene in stage 1 (where the school bus leaves). He's seen running off. But he was clearly meant to be someone you could rescue originally. There are even sprites of him holding onto the bars of the cells featured in stage 2.

Unused sprites of unused sprites! The pilot and co-pilot featured in the unused bonus stage (see above) both die at the start of it, but there are celebration sprites for them both -the pilot puts his hand on his heart in relief, and the copilot starts clapping his hands.