Actions

Sonic the Hedgehog CD (Mega-CD prototype; 1993-05-10)

From Sonic Retro

(Redirected from Sonic the Hedgehog CD (prototype 510))
SonicCD002 MCD Title.png
Sonic the Hedgehog CD "510"
Prerelease of: Sonic the Hedgehog CD
System: Sega Mega-CD
Build date: 1993-05-10
Source: CD-R
Found by: Sega Extreme

Sonic the Hedgehog CD prototype 510, referred to as CD Sonic the Hedgehog on the title screen, is an early prototype of Sonic the Hedgehog CD for the Sega Mega-CD produced on May 10th, 1993. It was 'discovered' by a group of fans called Sega Extreme in the summer of 2000. The original disc has since been sold and is now lost.

The game contains all the stages of the final game, but in a normal playthrough the player can only play the first three: Palmtree Panic, Collision Chaos and Tidal Tempest. The rest can be viewed through the Level Select. This prototype contains several differences from the final game.

Comparisons

Sonic Retro emblem.svg Main article: Sonic the Hedgehog CD (Mega-CD prototype; 1993-05-10)/Comparisons

Various Differences

Sonicretro-round.svg This article needs cleanup.
This article needs to be edited to conform to a higher standard of article quality. Specifically, issues with this article are:
This section needs moving to the comparisons page(s)

After the article has been cleaned up, you may remove this message. See How to Edit a Page for help.

Gameplay

  • Code is in place for saving data, but only in Time Attack mode at this point.
  • Save data made by this prototype uses the filename "CDSONIC0000" instead of "SONICCD__xx", and is incompatible with later prototypes and the final.
  • Name entry is not yet possible in Time Attack mode.
  • You cannot control your momentum if you jump from a roll, which is normally the case in the Mega Drive games. This was changed in later prototypes and the final.
  • The time warp sequence cannot be skipped by pressing Start yet.
  • Destroying both of the robot teleporters in the Past does not change the future in Act 3 to a Good Future.
  • The game-ending "I'm outta here!" Easter egg does not work properly. The camera will follow Sonic as he jumps off the stage, and he'll die from a bottomless pit, losing a life and restarting the Act instead of causing an instant Game Over.
  • It is possible, using the second controller, to control a second, "virtual Sonic" in gameplay. Whether this is for debugging purposes or an early 2-player prospect is unknown.

Audio

Music

  • Tracks 2 to 24 and 32 are the same, but without fadeout.
  • Track 25 and 26: Early version of the title song, very different from the final version. It is a shortened version of Sonic - You Can Do Anything.
  • Track 28: Super Shoes song. A rather strange remix of "Sonic - You Can Do Anything".
  • Track 31: Special Stage song. It is longer than the original. It lasts 4 and a half minutes, and is considerably more "remix" than the original.
  • The Past stages all play the music from the Present, as their own tracks have not been implemented yet.
  • The Invincibility and Speed Shoes monitors do not play their respective music.
  • Pausing the game does not pause the music.

Sounds

  • Several object sound effects are missing.
  • The jump sound plays at a lower pitch.
  • The Super Peel-Out doesn't play any sound effects, but the Spin Dash does.
  • Destroying a badnik plays a different sound rather than the traditional badnik explosion sound.
  • The time warp sound is different, and very grating on the ears. It was changed to a CD audio track in the 712 prototype and then changed to a different sound in the final.

Opening FMV

  • The home video is transmitted on a screen in a fund brick. Each brick has the name SONIC inscribed on it.
  • A scene from the mountains with Robotnik's face and the attached chain is shown, but is not included in the final version.
  • The Opening Song glitches throughout, with some bugs and breaks during play.

Special Stages

  • The only three special stage backgrounds in this version are Time Stones 2, 3, and 4 from the final game.
  • In a hack by SegaLoco which enabled controls in this special stage demo, it was found that the oil slick object is non-functioning and that there is no goal in this version of the special stage.[1]

Palmtree Panic

  • Amy acts differently than in the final. She will still latch on to you if you run past her, but if you stand still, she also just stands there. (In the final she latches on even if you stop.)
  • There is a section of a tunnel that appears in the final game, but not in the beta.
  • There is a section of a trunk in a waterfall, which does not appear in the final version, and there's also a section of a tunnel in the final game, which is in prototype but is inaccessible.
  • In the tunnel, Sonic is not wound to enter, and cannot leave through the other opening. Therefore, Sonic must enter the tunnel at top speed to leave through the other opening. In a secret tunnel, Sonic walks horizontally to climb.

Collision Chaos

  • The beginning of the first two zones are different.
  • In the beginning of Zone 1, Metal Sonic is able to electrify Sonic.
  • The yellow cups do not function properly yet. They'll catch Sonic, but he won't get sucked inside and will simply freeze there, playing the last animation he was in prior to touching it (jumping or running) until he is freed. The cups won't earn you any points yet, either.
  • The glass bumpers don't have a breaking animation yet and won't award any points for breaking them.
  • A strange group of three spinning teleporter-like objects that don't appear in the final can be placed with Debug Mode. When Sonic jumps into one, he freezes in place and they light up, then he teleports to another object in the group.

Tidal Tempest

  • There is no splashing effect when jumping in and out of water.

Quartz Quadrant

  • All objects use the same sprites across all timezones, appear slightly different from the final, and have incorrect palettes.
  • The conveyor belts were intended to be controlled by standing on buttons, but they don't do anything.
  • Act 2 is devoid of objects in the Past and both Futures, and some of the tubes don't work.

Wacky Workbench

  • In the Present, the background has a different color scheme. It's more green-colored in this prototype, while the final has more of a blue color.
  • The Bad Future's background has a purple color scheme.
  • Tubes and tunnels do not work.

Stardust Speedway

  • Acts 2 and 3 has a slightly higher starting position.

Metallic Madness

  • There are several objects in this Zone that were taken out of the final:
  • Collapsing platforms have different graphics.
  • The starting positions in Act 3 is much higher up.
  • The conveyor belts and spinning wheels in Act 2 don't work yet.
  • The shrink/growth lasers (placeable with Debug Mode) have a delay before firing each laser. In the final, they are constantly firing.
  • Act 2 is cut off in the "Mini Sonic" maze, as the Goal is at the same coordinates as this area.
  • Act 3 has a different layout.
  • The iron curtain in Act 3 is covering the turntable and spiked wall when it shouldn't.

Downloads

Download.svg Download Sonic the Hedgehog CD (Mega-CD prototype; 1993-05-10)
File: Sonic_CD_(510_Beta).rar (49.1 MB) (info)

External links

References


Sonic the Hedgehog CD (Mega-CD prototype; 1993-05-10), prototype version of Sonic the Hedgehog CD
SonicCD002 MCD Title.png

Main page | Comparisons | Maps | Hidden content | Technical information

Part of Sonic the Hedgehog CD development

Sonic the Hedgehog CD
Scd titlescreen.png

Main page (2011)
Comparisons (2011)
Maps
Achievements
Credits


Manuals
Promotional material
Magazine articles
Video coverage
Reception


Development
Hidden content (2011)
Bugs
Hacking guide