Hill Top Zone

Hill Top Zone
Fifth level, Sonic the Hedgehog 2
Number of Acts: 2
Boss: Hill Top Zone Boss

Hill Top Zone is the fifth zone in Sonic the Hedgehog 2. It uses the same graphics from Emerald Hill Zone. No one knows for sure why they had this zone clone.

Hill Top Zone has extended level blocks, such as Star Light Zone start loops, and Green Hill Zone spin tubes.

The zone also contains lava, and has caverns where you can be trapped during earthquakes (due to a layer of ground moving up and down). Before the boss in Act 2, there is a room full of rising lava and platforms to the exit at the top. This is commonly known as the "volcano."

Instruction Manual Description

Lava boils from volcanoes and earthquakes shake the ground. Spring for the rings on teeter-totters and blast through underground tunnels and caverns.

Sonic Team Commentary (from Sonic Jam Strategy Guide)

The thing that stands out most in this zone is probably the way the whole screen shakes in the areas where the lava is moving. And then the mountain in the background has a slightly polygon-like look to it. We were aiming for a look similar to the kind of thing we had in mind with Sonic 1's Green Hill Zone. (Naka)

Enemies

• Rexon - Plesiosaur enemy, sits in lava and throws fireballs at you. Once destroyed, its body can be used as a platform to stand on.
• Spiker - Cone enemy, launches its cone at you when you jump over it.
• Sol - Spherical enemy, surrounded by 4 fireballs which it throws at you. Referred to as "Sol" in the instruction manual, and "Ghora" in Sonic Jam.

Prototype Differences

Early Prototype/Nick Arcade Beta

• Lava doesn't cause harm
• Green orbs are used as the weight on teeter-totters instead of a Sol without fireballs
• Cable lifts do not work properly
• Due to screen limits not being fixed from Sonic 1, Act 1 cannot be completed normally.
• The collision array in Act 2 is missing
• When the earthquake is triggered in Act 2, the game crashes. This is because the leftover code from Sonic 1 calls for the event between Acts 2 and 3 of Scrap Brain Zone, but the data is not there.

Wai Beta

• Sonic doesn't spin when going through tunnels.
• There is no earthquake sound effect.

Technical Information (Final)

07	Level Value
$2BA2	HTZ Palette (0B)
$C7F2, C964	HTZ layer deformation info
$3FD26	Dynamic pattern reloading for HTZ
$40038	HTZ animated pattern load cue
$40372	EHZ, HTZ misc sprite mappings
$41FFE	HTZ object debug list
$44E50	EHZ and HTZ primary 16x16 collision index
$44F40	EHZ and HTZ secondary 16x16 collision index
$46DD4	HTZ act 1 level layout
$47044	HTZ act 2 level layout
$95C24	EHZ/HTZ main level patterns
$985A4	HTZ 16x16 block mappings
$98AB4	HTZ pattern suppliment to EHZ level patterns
$99D34	EHZ/HTZ 128x128 block mappings
$E4D74	HTZ act 1 ring locations
$E4EAA	HTZ act 2 ring locations
$E8302	HTZ act 1 sprite locations
$E8668	HTZ act 2 sprite locations