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From Sonic Retro

A prototype is a stage of design before the final one. Prototype video games are created during development for playtesting and bug reporting purposes. Usually, a prototype game doesn't leave the developers' offices, but occasionally one finds its way out and onto the internet.

Prototypical stages

• Pre-Alpha: Only used in certain games for very early development
• Alpha: All the development up to beta
• Beta: All major game modes and features are closed; game is now being heavily tested for bugs by SOA's QA
• Final/Gold: Finished and sold product

Examples of well-known prototypes

• Sonic the Hedgehog 2 (Nick Arcade prototype) (Sega Mega Drive/Genesis)
• Sonic the Hedgehog 2 (Simon Wai prototype) (Sega Mega Drive/Genesis)
• Sonic the Hedgehog CD build 510 (Sega Mega CD)
• Sonic Crackers (Sega Mega Drive/Genesis)
• Sonic 3D (cartridge prototype) (Sega Mega Drive/Genesis)