Sonic the Hedgehog 2 (16-bit) scrapped enemies

Numerous enemies were conceived for Sonic the Hedgehog 2 on the Sega Mega Drive, most of which were not used in the final product. The following lists the known Sonic 2 enemies that were scrapped before being implemented in the game at any stage.

This list does not include six enemies that were implemented at some point; BBat, BFish, Gator, Redz, Snail and Stegway. While not seen in the final product, these six can be found in prototypes, with fully working code and graphics.

While some enemies were close to being implemented, others were little more than concept art sketches. This list is roughly ordered top-to-bottom from the closest to completion, to the least finished. Most of these enemies were created by Tom Payne, with Hirokazu Yasuhara helping to decide how they were to behave in game.

Enemies found in prototypes

Graphics for unused enemies exist in some of the leaked Sonic 2 prototypes suggesting they were close to completion, but lack any associated code.

Bubbler (バブラー) and Mother Bubbler (マザーバブラー)

A three-eyed flying enemy (Mother Bubbler) which would drop smaller, exploding enemies (Bubbler) which Sonic and Tails would need to avoid. This is listed as being set to appear in "Chemical Factory" (Chemical Plant Zone).

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  Hirokazu Yasuhara concepts

• Sonic2 MD Yasuhara Bubbler Annotated.jpg

  Hirokazu Yasuhara concepts (annotated)

• Sonic2 MD TomPayne badnikconcepts3.jpg

  Tom Payne sketches

• Sonic2 MD TomPayne mbubblerconcept.jpg

  Tom Payne sketches

• Sonic2 MD TomPayne Bubblerconcept.jpg

  Tom Payne sketches

Ball

Perhaps more of an object than an enemy, a bouncing ball was planned that would cause Sonic to bounce off it it touched. It appears to have been redesigned at some stage.

• Sket ball.png

  Hirokazu Yasuhara concepts

• Sonic2 MD TomPayne ballthingy.jpg

  Tom Payne sketches

• Sonic2 MD TomPayne ballframes.jpg

  Colour information

Bee/Wasp

While the Buzzer enemy made it into the final game, the enemy was extensively worked on during development. At one point a version was capable of firing a shot that would burn the bridges of Emerald Hill Zone. The graphics for these burning bridges can be found in prototypes.

• Sket bee.png

  Hirokazu Yasuhara concepts

• Sonic2 MD TomPayne Waspconcept.jpg

  Tom Payne sketches

Enemies with incomplete artwork

Development floppy disks from Tom Payne suggest work began on producing sprites for the following enemies, but none are ever thought to have made it into a build of Sonic 2.

Frog

A frog-like enemy that, according to the concept art, would make two short hops before making a large jump which reaches roughly twice the height of Sonic. Afterwards it would make two small hops and then turn around and repeat the pattern.

• Sket fishfrog.png

  Hirokazu Yasuhara concepts

• Sonic2 MD TomPayne badnikconcepts7.jpg

  Tom Payne sketches

• Sonic2 MD TomPayne frogconcept.jpg

  Tom Payne sketches

• Sonic2 MD TomPayne enemyconcepts12.jpg

  Tom Payne sketches

Snail

Early prototypes show a Snail enemy in Emerald Hill Zone which behaves similarly to a faster Moto Bug - travelling horizontally until it hits Sonic. A second snail was planned, however - this one climbs walls and when Sonic gets close, rolls into a ball and chases him. Judging from sketches, this "vertical mode" might have been developed first.

• Sket snail.png

  Hirokazu Yasuhara concepts

• Sonic2 MD TomPayne Snailconcept.jpg

  Tom Payne sketches

• Sonic2 MD TomPayne enemyconcepts14.jpg

  Tom Payne sketches

• Sonic2 MD TomPayne badnikconcepts4.jpg

  Tom Payne sketches

Others

Banper (バンパー)

An enemy with springs designed to send Sonic flying if jumped on. The sketches suggest it was designed for "Desert Zone" and "Rock Zone". It might have become the Crawl enemy.

• Sket banper.png

A collection of sketches produced by Tom Payne suggest plenty of other enemy ideas were on the table:

• Sonic2 MD TomPayne badnikconcepts.jpg

  Squid, Lobster, Pterodactyl or Vulture, Dragonfly, Mole and Frog

• Sonic2 MD TomPayne enemyconcepts18.jpg

  Enemies incorporating springs

• Sonic2 MD TomPayne enemyconcepts15.jpg

  Snails and other ideas

• Sonic2 MD TomPayne badnikconcepts2.jpg

  Penguin with a spring, Porcupine

• Sonic2 MD TomPayne badnikconcepts11.jpg

  Squid

• Sonic2 MD TomPayne badnikconcepts10.jpg

  "Desert World" enemies, including exploding cacti

• Sonic2 MD TomPayne enemyconcepts16.jpg
• Sonic2 MD TomPayne pillbugconcept.jpg

  Pillbug

• Sonic2 MD TomPayne badnikconcepts6.jpg

  Pigs, insects, frogs, octopus

• Sonic2 MD TomPayne enemyconcepts17.jpg
• Sonic2 MD TomPayne badnikconcepts8.jpg

  A bonucing orb thing

• Sonic2 MD TomPayne enemyconcepts13.jpg
• Sonic2 MD TomPayne enemyconcepts20.jpg

  Pillbug, mole