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

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Sonic the Hedgehog CD (Mega-CD prototype; 1993-05-10)
System(s): Sega CD
Publisher: SEGA
Developer: SEGA, Sonic Team
Genre: 2D Platform

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Sonic the Hedgehog CD prototype 510, referred to as CD Sonic the Hedgehog on the title screen, is among the first prototypes of the game Sonic the Hedgehog CD for Sega CD. This prototype was discovered by a group of fans called Sega Extreme in the summer of 2000. The game contains all the stages of the final game, but at first sight the player can only highlight the first three: Palmtree Panic, Collision Chaos and Tidal Tempest. The rest can be viewed through the Level Select. This prototype deviates in many ways from what is the final game.

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

Various Differences

Differences between this prototype and the final version span multiple different aspects of the game, including the graphics, music, zones, Special Stages and the Opening FMV.

Graphical

• The prototype begins with the display of the American Sega CD.
• A 3D SEGA logo displays while the SEGA sound plays.
• The Title Screen is very different:
  • Sonic appears in the medal in the shape of his face, and under the medallion, the SEGA sign is golden.
  • In the band with the name, the title CD Sonic The Hedgehog appears. Also, instead of the sign that indicates the SEGA logo and the year 1993.
  • The clouds appear at left, the mountain with the face of Dr. Eggman is larger, the menu is top-down and there are fewer mountains.
  • Also appearing in the credits is Keiko Utoku, a singer in the Japanese and European Opening.
• In the Time Attack screen, the exit logo displays an image of the Little Planet and the chain attaching it to the mountain with Eggman's face, instead of the logo in the final version.
• At the end of a level, Sonic has a different smile on his face, and it looks completely different overall.
• The original game had 3 different power-ups in the video monitors:
  • Super Monitor: Sonic has increased speed and an invincibility shield. It has a red "S" symbol.
  • Blue Belt: Functions identically to the Super Monitor, with the image of a blue ring.
  • Freeze time: Has the image of a clock. This does not work correctly, but its role was to freeze time for a few seconds.
• Amy Rose has larger eyes and quills.
• Passing the first 3 levels of the game, it displays a screen that says "COMIN' SOON".
• The lives counter is slightly higher than normal, and there are no zeros in the SCORE and RINGS counter, but adds the numbers when getting rings or scoring.
• The flowers that come from each badnik are different.
• In the Good Future of every zone, there are badniks.

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.

Opening FMV

• The home video is transmitted on a screen in a fund brick. Each brick has the name SONIC inscribed on it.
• Also under the screen is some Japanese symbols 开発画面, it means image development.
• There is a scene where there is a chain extending from the ground to Little Planet, Little Planet being subject to the chain. In the final, this scene is put into reverse.
• The video in the beta has a speed of 50Hz.
• A scene from the mountains with Eggman's face and the attached chain is shown in the beta's video, but is not included in the final video.
• The Opening Song plays badly, with some bugs and breaks in-between.

Special Stages

The Special Stage design is not 100% completed, although in the demo of the game, one of them is displayed while showing a text at the top that reads: "The programmer has a nap. Hold out! Programmer!"

Zone Differences

Palmtree Panic

• This is the only level where you can find the 3 special monitors.
• 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.
• In the Bad Future of Act 3, there is a flaw, which is shown if Sonic is launched by a spring at the beginning of the level, it gets out of focus and the same scenario sticks in the same position.
• The palm trees of the Bad Future of Zone 3 have the same aspect of the palm trees of the Good Future.
• The EGG-HVC-D01 in the prototype has a different aspect. The robot is entirely gray, the feet are flat with sharp edges, and have pincers rather than shields with a star center. In the final version, the robot has different aspects depending on whether it's the Good or Bad Future. In the Bad Future, parts of the robot are red, while in the Good Future it is lilac.

Collision Chaos

• The beginning of the first two zones are different.
• In the beginning of Zone 1, Metal Sonic is able to electrify Sonic, this does not happen in the final version of the game.

Tidal Tempest

• The water is a different color in all zones, the graphics are somewhat different.
• In the prototype, spikeballs appear in fours, this doesn't occur in the final version.
• In the final game the waterfall is much higher than this prototype.

Other Zones

The other zones can be viewed through the Level Select. This is the highlight of some:

• In Quartz Quadrant, a Sonic the Hedgehog TV can be found at the very beginning of Act 1 Good Future. This doesn't appear in the final. In both prototype 510's Bad Future and the final version's Bad Future there is an Eggman TV in the same position.
• At the beginning of Wacky Workbench, the background has a different color scheme. In 510, the background is more green colored, while the final has more of a blue color.
• In Stardust Speedway, Zone 1, there is a crazy mixture of colors. This is due to the lights of substance in the stage.
• In Stardust Speedway, Zone 3, Metal Sonic does not appear to make the race.

Cheat Codes

The Level Select screen

• Level Select: On the title screen, press START on the second controller and then hit START on the first controller. A black screen with a bunch of numbers and letters similar to selector Sonic CD appears. Choose a level and press START to select it.
• Debug Mode: In the middle game, press START on the second controller.

Debug Controls:

: Toggle normal and debug mode

: Advance forward through the debug object list

+ : Advance backwards through the debug object list

: Place the selected object at the current coordinates

External Links

• CD Sonic the Hedgehog 510 on "Secrets of Sonic Team"
• CD Sonic the Hedgehog 510 on Sonic Cult.
• Sonic CD Beta Page
• CD Sonic the Hedgehog on Wikipedia (Spanish)