Prototype Zones/Hill Top

Nick Arcade Prototype

Hill Top Zone can be accessed by choosing Scrap Brain Zone from the level select screen. The level is only partially playable, as we'll soon see.

Act 1

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  These lifts aren't fully functional yet. The platforms don't fall like they're supposed to.

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  Lava isn't painful yet.

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  Notice the green orb on the end of the lever there...

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  Whoa, wait, where'd this come from? Did Sega Visions get the same prototype as we did? It's impossible to tell from this one screenshot (the only one we have from Visions), but the two shots do look awfully similar.

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  Odd spot for a signpost

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  Lifts are broken.

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  This one's stopped before reaching the bottom of the line. Oops.

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  And finally, a tunnel leading to death. There actually is more level underneath here, but the developers hadn't changed the screen limits yet.

Hill Top Zone Act 1: Nick Arcade Prototype

Hill Top Zone Act 1: Final

There are clear differences in the level's layout between prototype B and the final game. In this layout dump, we can also see the inaccessable area after the second tunnel. Layout dumps courtesy of Sonic CulT.

Act 2

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  Slope detection doesn't seem to be working properly.

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  No objects have been placed either.

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  In fact, the entire second collision layer is missing. It's obvious that this Act was in early beta.

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  Hmm... what happens if I start walking forward...

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  WHOOPS, CRASH!!! But why did that happen? Remember that Sonic 2 is based off the Sonic 1 code, and at this point in Sonic 1, Robotnik would jump on a button and the floor would fall out, sending Sonic to Act 3. The data for this event no longer exists, and when the program attempts to load it, it freaks out and crashes. The exact same thing will happen if you attempt to play Final Zone, and for the exact same reason.

Hill Top Zone Act 2: Nick Arcade Prototype

Hill Top Zone Act 2: Final

The differences here are much more marked than in Act 1. More evidence to show that this Act was in its early design phase. Layout dumps courtesy of Sonic CulT.

Act 3

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  Not much different from Labyrinth Zone, now is it. Remember that Scrap Brain Zone 3 used graphics from Labyrinth Zone, and those are now missing, so you get the same result here as you would if you actually tried to play Labyrinth Zone. Note that if you use edit mode to move to the right and over the top of the screen, you'll be taken to Final Zone.

Simon Wai Prototype

There's no enemies in this zone, other than the fireballs sitting on seesaws.

Act 1

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  Don't miss the first lift or you're history.

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  Sonic prefers running through a tunnel this time.

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  Silent earthquakes.

Act 2

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  As in other incomplete zones, act 2 signs are often placed at weird locations.