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Unreleased Music

From Sonic Retro

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This page or image should be deleted.
  • This information should be listed in each games' "game secrets" page. Or in the case of prototypes, documented on each prototype page.

This page would have made more sense when we were hosting MP3s.

Much like game development, the creation of music goes through a gradual process that involves a lot of changes, replacements, and cuts. However, unlike piece of data, an unfinished recording or half-written song is capable of being enjoyed (unlike incomplete code, which is just unusable).

The following are the songs whose incomplete forms have, through some way or another, leaked onto the internet.

Sonic the Hedgehog 2

Special Stage In the Sonic the Hedgehog 2 (Simon Wai prototype) the special stage music is slightly different.
Boss Battle In the Simon Wai prototype, the music used for boss battles (or, to be more accurate, the one boss battle) is much slower and more menacing.
Final Boss In the Simon Wai prototype, the final boss music is slightly different.
Results Screen In the Simon Wai prototype, the results screen is slightly different.
End of Act In the Simon Wai prototype, the end of act screen music is slightly different.
Super Sonic In the Simon Wai prototype, the Super Sonic music is slightly different.
Continue In the Simon Wai prototype, the continue music is slightly different.
Continue Awarded In the Simon Wai prototype, the music played when earning a continue is slightly different.
Chaos Emerald In the Simon Wai prototype, the Chaos Emerald music is slightly different.
Emerald Hill Zone (2player) In the Simon Wai prototype, the music is slightly different.
Casino Night Zone In the Simon Wai prototype the music in Casino Night is played much slower.
Hidden Palace Zone Music was actually written for the scrapped Hidden Palace Zone, which does not appear in the Wai beta (and, of course, Hidden Palace is inaccessible by normal means in the final). However, the tune is still linked to as Track 10 in the sound test. Due to the inaccessibility of the song by normal means, this qualifies as an unreleased song.
Oil Ocean Zone In the Sonic the Hedgehog 2 (Simon Wai prototype), the music used for Oil Ocean is actually what would later become the music for the two-player Casino Night Zone (not unlike Hidden Palace in the beta used the two-player Mystic Cave Zone music). However, this version is slightly slower.
Metropolis Zone The version present in the Sonic the Hedgehog 2 (Simon Wai prototype) has different drumming and different FM voices. This song is also heard in Wood Zone.
Sky Chase Zone In the Simon Wai prototype, the music is slightly different.
Wing Fortress Zone In the Simon Wai prototype, the music is slightly different.
Death Egg Zone The version present in the Sonic the Hedgehog 2 (Simon Wai prototype) is (intentionally or not) played at a much faster speed than the version in the final.

Sonic CD

Opening Theme The earliest circulating version of the game, Sonic the Hedgehog CD (Mega-CD prototype; 1993-05-10), features a completely different opening theme than any other version. The tune is neither Sonic - You Can Do Anything nor Sonic Boom, and is entirely instrumental. Incidentally, the tune would be re-used in the fan-led Sonic Megamix project over a dozen years later.
Speed Shoes Despite the apparent lack of Sonic - You Can Do Anything at this stage of development, the Speed Shoes music was still based around the chorus of the song: however, this version is totally different, sounding much more tinny and featuring a voice sample (not unlike the music for Launch Base Zone). This is also used in Sonic Megamix.

Sonic 3

Ending Medley Present in the Sonic the Hedgehog 3C (prototype 0517) is a piece of music (ultimately scrapped) based around the Sonic & Knuckles ending medley, featuring several songs from Sonic 3 (which was, of course, locked onto the game).

Sonic & Knuckles

Title Screen Sonic & Knuckles Prototype 0525's title screen, even though it's using the Sonic 3 title screen, plays a slightly different version of the Sonic & Knuckles title screen music. The difference can be heard a few seconds before the song ends.
Game Complete   In the Sonic & Knuckles Prototype 0525, the song which plays upon completion of the game plays differently.

Sonic Spinball

Theme Music The Sonic the Hedgehog Spinball (Mega Drive prototype; 1993-08) and some early USA prereleases featured theme music based on the title music from Sonic the Hedgehog and Sonic The Hedgehog 2. However, due to royalty issues (the music was not owned by Sega), these were changed.
All Emeralds Collected The music played when all the Emeralds in the level have been collected is different in the early versions of Sonic Spinball.
Game Over   The Game Over theme was based on the game over theme from Sonic the Hedgehog in the Sonic Spinball prototype and the first release of the game.
Unused Song   The Sonic Spinball prototype contains an entirely different song that was probably intended as BGM for The Machine. The game plays the music of Showdown in this level, so it can only be accessed by hacking. (reference post)
Intro Music   The intro music in the prototype of Sonic Spinball is slightly different. The prototype also contains an additional unused variation of the song which can only be accessed by hacking.

Sonic the Fighters

Track 25 An extra song is found in Sonic the Fighters, but is unused anywhere in the game.

Sonic 3D Blast

Unidentified Parade Tune Some early protos of Sonic 3D Blast had an unused tune. Sonic 3D: Flickies' Island (Mega Drive prototype; 1996-08-25) features an update to this track with an added instrument around 10 seconds into the song. This would later become the Boss Theme for Sonic 4.
Unidentified "Special Stage" Tune Some early protos of Sonic 3D Blast had an unused tune.

Sonic Adventure

Open Your Heart (Jun Senoue Demo) This very early version of Open Your Heart was found on SEGA's website. It seems to be a rough draft of the song, featuring only the first two verses and choruses. The vocals, instead of being delivered by usual vocalist Johnny Gioeli, are instead performed by Japanese singer Eizo Sakamoto of Animetal. This would mean the recording pre-dates Gioeli's presence in the band, being the oldest recording of Crush 40 (or, as they would first be named, "Sons Of Angels") that exists.
BIG: Miss! Apparently intended for fishing, this song never plays, even when Big loses a life because his fishing line snaps.
"Extend" Extra Life Jingle There is a scrapped music track for an extra life which was replaced by a simple sound effect. This track would later be used in Sonic Generations.
Title: Station Square Likely originally intended to play during the loading screens between adventure fields but scrapped. It was, however, used for the "Coming soon" screen in the PC version demo.
Title: Mystic Ruin Adventure Field loading screen.
Title: M. Ruin ~The Past~ Adventure Field loading screen. Note that a "Title: Egg Carrier" exists as well and was probably intended for the same purpose, but was in fact used for the ship transformation sequences.

Sonic Adventure 2

Live & Learn (Instrumental Demo) Leaked on the internet, this early demo of Live & Learn is a mostly-complete instrumental of the finished song. The lead vocals are entirely gone, replaced with a synth lead (which plays a totally different melody than would appear in the final song, suggesting that the song had not been finalized yet). The guitar solo was also not yet present, and the drums are mixed differently (with the kick drum mixed much higher, almost like the version that would later appear on True Blue; additionally, a four-beat count-in is present during the intro that was edited out in the final).
E3 Theme The teaser trailer shown at E3 (which featured only Sonic, Knuckles, and Eggman referred to by name and Shadow only appearing near the end featured an electronic tune not featured anywhere in the game.
Escape From The City (Instrumental) The trial version of Sonic Adventure 2 distributed to stores (featuring only City Escape) had a different version of Escape From The City: because of either the need to raise suspense or the song not being done yet, the lead vocals on the song are removed and replaced with another guitar lead.

Sonic Advance

Unused Tunes By hacking the sound test, the selection can pass the limit of 39 and an unused track can be found at position 72.
Glitch screen with unused music By editing the memory in an emulator, a strange glitch screen will appear consisting of four gray rectangles over a light blue background, with background music not heard anywhere else in the game.

Sonic Advance 2

Unused Track During the Sonic Advance 2 preview in Sonic Mega Collection there is a track that is nowhere to be found in the final game. There is much debate on whether or not this was intended to be used for Leaf Forest.

Sonic Adventure DX

Dreamcast Internet Feature Music The song labeled as "Jingle#D" on SADX Sound Test is actually unused in this game, although it was used on the original release for the Internet Option.
Dreamcast World Ranking Music Labeled "Jingle#E" in the Sound Test. It was used for the World Ranking pages accessed with the Internet Option in the original game.
Super Sonic Racing (Sonic R) Orphaned from Dreamcast DLC
Palmtree Panic Zone JP (Sonic CD) Orphaned from Dreamcast DLC
Dream Dreams: A-Capella Ver. (Christmas NiGHTS into Dreams, NiGHTS Perfect Album) Orphaned from Dreamcast DLC
Dream Dreams: Sweet Mix in Holy Night (Christmas NiGHTS into Dreams, NiGHTS Perfect Album) Orphaned from Dreamcast DLC
Letz Get This Party Started ...for CHAO Race Entrance This song was replaced by Chao Race Entry from Sonic Adventure 2 Battle. Oddly, this song would go on to replace the Chao Lobby in SA2B.
Chao Race Gate Open Taken from Sonic Adventure 2 Battle along with the new Chao system but was not used.

Sonic Heroes

Theme Song (Demo)   Leaked onto the internet, this is an extremely rough attempt at what would become the game's theme song. This take covers only the first verse and chorus: however, none of the lyrics are written at all with the exception of the title ("Sonic Heroes"). As a result, the majority of the song is Johnny Gioeli screaming random gibberish. This version of the song can also be heard in Sonic Mega Collection Plus, when watching a video of the storyboard for the intro of Sonic Heroes. In the 10.8 prototype it is missing the bridge vocals.
What I'm Made Of (Demo)   Also leaked onto the internet, this is a rough draft of what would become the closing theme. It fairs slightly better than Sonic Heroes, featuring the introduction, an attempt at the chorus (which is only the first half of the chorus repeated twice), and ending.
Follow Me In the 10.8 prototype, there are no vocals and has different drums.
Sea Gate/Seaside Area In the 10.8 prototype, the song uses different drums and is missing the main melody synth. The Xbox E3 Prototype uses an earlier version of Seaside Area's track.
Ocean Palace Even though it's not accessible in the Xbox E3 Prototype, the stage uses a slightly different version of Sea Gate's music.
Grand Metropolis/City Area The song in the 10.8 prototype is a WIP track of the final version composed entirely with synth.
Battle 3 In the 10.8 prototype, the music seems to be missing an instrument. Something seems missing, anyway.
Ocean Palace In the 10.8 prototype, the music has different percussion, and possibly the bass is louder.
Casino Park The song in the 10.8 prototype is entirely different; the same as in the OST.
Rail Canyon In the 10.8 prototype, it uses a synth percussion. The melody is not much more different from the final.
Hang Castle 1 In the 10.8 prototype, it has different instrumentation and more reverb.
Hang Castle 2 Missing instrument in the 10.8 prototype. Guitar is missing from the middle of the song, listen to Part C to hear the difference. Vocals also start up much later in the loop.
Mystic Mansion In the 10.8 prototype, the bells are different and the guitar is synthesized. Some instruments are missing in part F of the song. The song here is arranged similarly to the final OST for comparison purposes.
Final Fortress In the 10.8 prototype, it's missing an instrument. Guitar that plays the main melody is missing. Also has different percussion and is missing the main melody synth.
Two-Player Grand Metropolis In the 10.8 prototype, there is different note progression in the intro, different instrumentation.
Miniboss In the 10.8 prototype, "Shut Up Faker!" from Sonic Adventure 2 is used as a placeholder.
System Menu In the 10.8 prototype, it's missing one instrument, and the whole bridge (the chorus loops over and over).

Sonic Rush

Title Screen An unused title screen theme.
Leaf Storm Beta In the E3 beta, an extended version of "Enemy or Friend?" (or "Blaze Appear" as it is known in the in-game sound test) plays in Leaf Storm. In this particular case, it is this version that is more "complete" than what appears in the final game or the OST (both of which only feature the first 10 seconds of this theme).
End of Act An unused act clear theme.
Boss An unused boss theme. It incorporates some of the music from Leaf Storm Beta.

Sonic Riders

Sonic Speed Riders An earlier version of the game's main theme appeared in one of the first trailers of the game's opening animation. The lyrics are simpler and quieter behind the music, which also sports a stronger emphasis on the electric guitars.

Sonic The Hedgehog (2006)

His World (Instrumental) On the game disc is an unused music file called "main_theme.xma". When opened, it appears to be a totally alternate instrumental version of His World. This is not simply an instrumental of the normal version. There is also another version which was played at E3.
Dreams Of An Absolution (Instrumental)   Another file on the game disc is " silver_theme.xma", which is an instrumental version of Silver's Dreams Of An Absolution. The lead vocals are replaced with a simple synth lead.
All Hail Shadow   A file called "shadow_theme.xma" appears and is also unused, but it is just the original Magna-Fi version of All Hail Shadow (as opposed to the Crush 40 remake used in the game).
Kingdom Valley 1 Two songs of three heard when the Sonic The Hedgehog 2006 site first launched. These were early versions of "Kingdom Valley ~The Water" and a complete arrangement of the level's three other songs, "~The Wind~", "~The Castle~", and "~Lakeside~." The songs used slightly different instruments from their final counterparts or sounded like they were in a slightly lower octave. The song may be found in a severely lower and slower form, but this was due to the media player the site used being lagged by poor site design. These tracks were called "Kingdom Valley 2" and "Kingdom Valley 1" respectively.
Kingdom Valley 2
Crisis City Similar to the last two tracks, it was also initially on the Sonic The Hedgehog 2006 website and sounds lower than the final version and is missing a few violins in places. This is also the full mix of the track, as opposed to being broken up to suit the different sections of the level in the game. Crisis City ~Tornado~ is not a part of this "medley", showing it's separate from the original track. It was listed as "Crisis City".