RH Wiki:Pre-Release, Unused, Regional Content

This policy is is a writing guidelines page designed to show how to organize the information present on the Unused Content pages, instead of having it flood the trivia section.

Overview
This template is used at the top of the pages in question. They collect, display, and source, all known pre-release and unused content on a given subject. While not technically unused, regional differences are also included in these pages because having a separate subpage just for those would result in too many small pages.
 * unused

For brevity, all versions of a given Rhythm Game (including those exclusive to a Remix) are documented in these pages, instead of having separate pages for say, The Clappy Trio, The Clappy Trio 2 and The Snappy Trio. Any content existing in one version of a game but not the other (such as the offbeat cue in Packing Pests 2 in the other versions of Packing Pests, or the Japanese text in Karate Man games also existing in the localized versions) are leftovers from when the developers copied one version to make another, and most of the time aren't worth mentioning.

Example: The fact that the sign used to hide the hairs in Rhythm Datsumo in Remix 8 in Rhythm Tengoku also exists, unchanged, in Rhythm Datsumo, Remix 1, Rhythm Datsumo 2, Remix 6, Remix 7, Rhythm Datsumo and Extra Remix, is not worth mentioning. The fact that it was remade and updated with two new variations in Rhythm Heaven Megamix, but goes unused, is.

Early ideas
Some ideas may be seriously considered during parts of development and even have concept art drawn for them, but are subsequently abandoned before even being programmed into the game.

Example: The basis of Ringside in Rhythm Heaven Fever stemmed from the idea of cutting of a wedding cake, as while one would be trying to concentrate on the cutting of the cake, wedding guests would take pictures and request the person's attention. The developers thought that the idea of a cake-cutting rhythm game didn't seem too promising and came up with the interview scenario instead. The wedding cake concept was not programmed into the game before being abandoned, but the fact that it was considered at all is still a significant aspect of the game's history and development.

Early iterations
Some games get completely overhauled during development, resulting in the finished products sharing almost nothing with their earlier incarnations. Other games jump from one console to another, and even if the look or gameplay appears to change very little from one platform to the other, it is still a major shift in the game's development.

Note that general differences between versions (such as between Karateka in Rhythm Tengoku and the remake Karate Man Returns! in Rhythm Heaven Megamix are better off presented in the Gameplay section of the main page rather than in the Unused subpage.

Example: Rhythm Tengoku at first was entirely focused on drumming, and a prototype was made in 2002. Development of the game officially started in 2004 as a minigame collection, and the original drumming idea evolved into the Drum Lessons in the final game.

Example: Monster Tennis is an unused game originally planned for the Wii, and was intended to become a side mode in Rhythm Heaven Megamix on the 3DS, but was ultimately cut from the final game. Nevertheless, the fact that it was created for the Wii is a marked difference from the original plan.

Early builds
A build closer to the final game may have content not present in the data of the final version. Cut content can often be found in press kit material (screenshots, videos, etc.) or in appearances at conventions such as E3, the Consumer Electronics Show or the Tokyo Game Show. Outdated screenshots in the instruction manual and public demos also fit in this grouping.

Since builds are rarely named, they should ideally be named by the time and place they were exposed. For an example, a build shown at the 2011 Electronic Entertainment Expo should be named "E3 2011 build".

Example: In the Nintendo Direct 2015.4.2 build of Rhythm Heaven Megamix, the background in Rhythm Tweezers 2 was green with bright circles. In the final build, the green color was moved to the short version of Rhythm Tweezers, and the circles were removed.

Unused content
Often, unused assets (sprites, sound files, etc.) remain on the disc.

Example: Several of the scrapped rhythm games from Rhythm Tengoku have sound effects or music internally labeled as belonging to them, most of which are never used, though some are repurposed for other games.

Note: Saying that "there is unused content" on the disc/cartridge and then describing the content without supporting media is not enough. Unused content needs to be uploaded directly to the wiki, or else there must be a properly cited reference link to a page or video describing the unused content. If you cannot supply said media or reference for some reason, please use the image template.

Miscellaneous
Any other information that doesn't fit neatly in the above groupings can be placed here. This info frequently takes the form of magazine or website writeups, which report that something is different from the final product. Title changes (if they're not paired with platform changes or retooling of the game) also go under this header.

Example: Preview builds of Rhythm Heaven and Rhythm Heaven Fever have game titles such as "Assembly Line", "Chorus", "Robot Factory" and "High-Speed Peas".

Regional differences
Any visual or audio changes across regions. Plain text changes due to localization are not counted.

Example: Moai Doo-Wop and Moai Doo-Wop 2 both had the Moai on the prologue redrawn in the localized versions of Rhythm Heaven.

Note: Regional differences as big as having an entire game removed (for example, Manzai being replaced with Mr. Upbeat) should not be relegated to a subpage. Instead, the removed game should be given a page of its own, and mentioned in relevant lists (such as Endless Games) while noting that the content is exclusive to one version of the game. Instead, regional differences in the subpage should detail minor changes like a character's design or to compare dubs of sound effects. Names in other languages should remain at the bottom of the main page, while lyrics to songs in other languages shoud remain in tabbers on the main page.

Order
The general order of information should be as follows: Early ideas, Early iterations, Early builds, Unused content, Miscellaneous. Regional differences can be noted next to any unused content relevant to them, or after everything else. If the subject appears in multiple games, ideally all of the information for one game should be grouped together, then start the order for the next game it appears in.