- Back to: Sonic the Hedgehog 2 (Nick Arcade prototype)/Comparisons.
"Spring Yard Zone" is likely the most interesting level in the Nick Arcade prototype as it houses one of the most infamous scrapped levels in Sonic history; the fabled Hidden Palace Zone. Its existence here not only shows that it was one of the first levels planned, but that it was one of the first levels scrapped, as very little development was put into the stage after this prototype was built.
Only remnants of Hidden Palace Zone remain in the final game. The palettes, ring and object locations exist, but the graphics have been removed, replaced by corrupted tiles from Oil Ocean Zone.
Act 1
Hidden Palace is an incomplete and very linear level. While sections of the layout suggest more was planned, the majority of this zone was demonstrated in prototype videos and magazines from the era.
The stage nevertheless has more going for it than others in this prototype. It has Badniks, such as this red dinosaur that walks back and forth.
After a brief bit of jumping, the player encounters a tube and a shield monitor. Sonic does not automatically curl into a ball when entering the tube.
At the bottom, water and a emerald-coloured bridge.
Below this section, and only accessible through debug mode, are a few platforms that lead nowhere. In this prototype, Sonic's underwater palette is the same as in Labyrinth Zone in the original game.
At the top of a half pipe, the infamous Tails 1-up monitor which grants Sonic an extra life. Given what has been learned in this prototype's version of Green Hill Zone (where the monitors use Sonic 1 mappings despite changes made for Sonic 2), it is suspected that once upon a time, this was a Sonic 1-up monitor.
Collapsing platforms.
A bat enemy, which swoops down in an arc motion when Sonic comes near it.
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| Sonic 2 Nick Arcade prototype
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Another Hidden Palace staple; the glowing bridge, which lights up when Sonic or Tails stand on it. This effect is never used in Sonic 2; however, the concept of a glowing bridge was later re-purposed for Sonic the Hedgehog 3's IceCap Zone.
This curved platform appeared in a mock-up screenshot of the zone.
The zone's level design gets a bit wonky here. If you don't jump to the left and immediately aim for the platform below by holding right, you will fall to your death.
This emerald was designed to block tubes, much like those found in Chemical Plant Zone in the final game. It's completely solid in this prototype.
There is a strange bit of collision detection going on here. If you Spin Dash from the left, you will be taken into the tube...
...and promptly die, because the tube leads nowhere.
Eventually you will reach this extremely steep slope. You can't get a foothold on it, so it is thought to have been designed for some sort of lift.
Horizontal rings start appearing as you go up. But the path stops at the ceiling...
...only to continue at the very bottom of the level. It suggests that Hidden Palace Zone was meant to have a wrap-around feature, similar to Labyrinth Zone in Sonic 1 (and eventually Metropolis Zone in Sonic 2).
Then there are some animated waterways. They have no effect on Sonic or Tails.
And finally, a submerged platform where the stage ends.
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| Sonic 2 Nick Arcade prototype
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| Sonic the Hedgehog Spinball
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While this iteration of Hidden Palace never saw the light of day (at least, until the 2013 remake), sections of it were recycled for other projects. The background for example, drawn by Craig Stitt, appeared as part of Toxic Caves in Sonic the Hedgehog Spinball.
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| Nick Arcade prototype
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| Final game
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Act 2 and 3
Act 2 and 3 share the same layout as Act 1, but without any objects or rings. They cannot be played through normal means - Sonic and Tails spawn inside a wall. The level dimensions are also different, being brought over from the original Sonic the Hedgehog.
Remnants of Labyrinth Zone exist in Act 3. At certain points, a rumbling noise is triggered (which in the original game signifies a new route has opened), and the water height is raised and lowered. At the very end, the boss theme starts playing as this is where Eggman would usually spawn, but as the boss has been removed, nothing is seen.
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