Revision as of 12:54, 14 April 2018
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Emerald Hill Zone (or "Star Light Zone" as it's still called) is the only fully functioning level in the Nick Arcade prototype. The stage is still incomplete, but it was good enough at this stage to show behind closed doors at Summer CES 1992.
Act 1
Aside from the rolling demo, you apparently weren't meant to see Tails in this build of Sonic 2, as he's completely missing from this zone. If this is indeed a prototype intended for Nick Arcade, Tails might have been disabled to prevent him from interfering with the 25 ring challenge. The background also scrolls differently - it has a "choppier" look than later prototypes.
In true Sonic 1 tradition, hold right and you'll immediately be killed by an enemy. This time, however, it's a snail that was removed in the final game in favour of Coconuts. These robots are hard to avoid due to their speed, and their positions are reset if far off-screen - it's not hard to see why they were removed from the first stage of the game.
Expression error: Unexpected < operator.
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Nick Arcade prototype
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The Buzzers also look slightly different, although they function the same.
Seconds in and the layout differences become obvious. This section has more in common with Green Hill Zone from Sonic 1, and the moving platform only appears in Hill Top Zone in the final game.
Though not visible in this static image, the circles in the background pulse quicker than in the later versions.
Act 1 has a signpost, but no score tally.
Act 2
Act 2 is much the same - a fully playable level, but with a different layout to the final game. It's more partial to the yellow spring than later builds.
This one takes you into one of the paths inside the wall.
At the end of the stage, Eggman appears, but unlike the final, game, he descends from the top of the screen, landing on a buggy that's already there.
Beat Eggman and he explodes, but the graphics are from Sonic 1, not Sonic 2.
And thats the end of the playable part of the game! Rather than take you to another zone, the game resets.
Act 3
Being built on Sonic 1 code, a third act can be accessed through the level select. Here, Sonic starts in the middle of a wall before plunging to his death.
Save him through debug mode, and you'll find it's a copy of act 1, sans any objects.
There are rings though, albeit in odd locations.
And then the level ends here.
References