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'''Genocide City Zone''', also known as '''Cyber City Zone''', is a scrapped level from ''[[Sonic the Hedgehog 2 (16-bit)|Sonic the Hedgehog 2]]'' on the [[Sega Mega Drive]]. Designed primarily by [[Tom Payne]], it was to be a single act zone with a mechanical or industrial theme, but was dropped due to time restraints. Its map was subsequently reworked, becoming [[Metropolis Zone]] act 3.
  
'''Genocide City Zone''' is a scrapped level from ''[[Sonic the Hedgehog 2 (16-bit)|Sonic the Hedgehog 2]]''. It was meant to be a single level which used the map that ultimately became [[Metropolis Zone]] Act 3. Concept art of it has been {{LinkRetro|topic=5925|title=released}} revealing that the level's name was originally Cyber City. Due to the level being mechanically themed, instead of grim and deadly as the name implied, the theory that this [[:Image:Flamingskeleon.png|magazine clip]] referenced the  boss of Genocide City seems unlikely.
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==Design==
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Like most levels of the game, Genocide City was envisioned by [[Hirokazu Yasuhara]] and [[Yasushi Yamaguchi]]. Yamaguchi drew some initial concept art for the level{{intref|Tom Payne interview by SageXPO (July 30, 2009)}} and delegated in-game graphics responsibilities to Tom Payne. Graphics for the level and a map were produced, but before the contents were added to the game proper, a decision was made to axe the level due to time restraints.
  
It is listed in the level select menu in the [[Sonic the Hedgehog 2 (Simon Wai prototype)|Simon Wai prototype]] but selecting it simply brings the player to a empty level. [[Chemical Plant Zone]] music plays with Emerald Hill's palette (discovered in Esrael Sonic Editor), and the player will simply fall to their death at the bottom of the stage. Enabling debug reveals that the only objects in this level are the two default objects, a [[Rings|ring]] and a [[teleport monitor]].
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According to Sonic 2 level designer [[Tom Payne]], the name "Genocide City" being chosen was due to the development team's "not quite complete grasp of the English language."{{intref|Tom Payne interview by SageXPO (July 30, 2009)}} During an interview with Payne, he went on to say that the team "may have been looking for a name that sounded dangerous," which resulted in the name "Genocide City"{{intref|Tom Payne interview by SageXPO (July 30, 2009)}}. It is now believed that Cyber City was the name conceptualized later on in order to remedy the zone's former name.
  
According to Sonic 2 level designer [[Tom Payne]], the name "Genocide City" being chosen was due to the development team's "not quite complete grasp of the English language." During an interview with Payne, he went on to say that the team "may have been looking for a name that sounded dangerous," which resulted in the name "Genocide City" appearing in one of the Sonic 2 betas. It is now believed that Cyber City was the name conceptualized later on in order to remedy the zone's former name.
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Unlike its contemporaries, [[Wood Zone]] and [[Hidden Palace Zone]], the existence of a fully designed map for Genocide City meant the level was able to survive in a different form - as the third act of Metropolis Zone (going some way to explain why this is the only level in ''Sonic 2'' with three acts).
 
 
According to [[ICEknight]], Tom Payne used the theme of the level to create some graphics for an unreleased game called ''B-Bomb''. He then used them in the ''[[Sonic the Hedgehog Spinball (16-bit)|Sonic Spinball]]'' level, [[The Machine]].{{ref|http://www.sonicdatabase.com/S2CD/s2clevels.html}}
 
 
 
==Info From Staff==
 
[[Tom Payne]], the zone artist in charge of this level, stated that it was dropped before it was even started. Instead, he worked on the third act of [[Metropolis Zone|Metropolis]]. In the ''[[Sonic Jam]]'' strategy guide [[Yuji Naka]] stated basically that the third act of Metropolis Zone used the layout meant for Genocide City and that it was meant to be a single act. Here is the quote in full:
 
  
 
{{quote|1=Act 3 (of Metropolis Zone) was going to be a different Zone that would only appear once (one act)... We had already finished the map, and it would have been a shame to waste it, so this is what we went with.|2=[[Yuji Naka]], from the ''[[Sonic Jam]]'' strategy guide}}
 
{{quote|1=Act 3 (of Metropolis Zone) was going to be a different Zone that would only appear once (one act)... We had already finished the map, and it would have been a shame to waste it, so this is what we went with.|2=[[Yuji Naka]], from the ''[[Sonic Jam]]'' strategy guide}}
  
==Hacks/Mock-Ups==
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Metropolis and Genocide City are thought to have been fairly similar in design, however Genocide City is thought to have had a purple colour scheme. No boss for Genocide City was ever designed.
[[Image:Genocidecityhack.png|thumb|right|200px||Genocide City Zone as seen in [[Sonic 2 Long Version]]]]
 
Many people have wondered what Genocide City would look like if it was finished. A hack, [[Sonic 2 Long Version]] actually made a complete act of a grim, dark, stormy city complete with sewers and skeletons.
 
  
There has also been [http://genocidecity.ytmnd.com/ a mock picture] of Genocide City, with the looks of a stormy graveyard which utilizes background sprites from the Capcom game [[wikipedia:Ghouls 'n Ghosts|Ghouls 'n Ghosts]].
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==Implementation==
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In the [[Sonic the Hedgehog 2 (Simon Wai prototype)|"Simon Wai" prototype]] of ''Sonic the Hedgehog 2'', Genocide City is listed in the level select, but selecting it simply brings the player to a empty level. [[Chemical Plant Zone]] music plays with [[Emerald Hill Zone]]'s palette, and the player will simply fall to their death at the bottom of the stage. Enabling debug reveals that the only objects in this level are the two default objects, a [[Rings|ring]] and a [[teleport monitor]]. Beyond the camera's sight is a couple blocks of [[Emerald Hill Zone]] tiles.
  
==Discoveries==
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Genocide City's Level Slot (0E) was later re-used for [[Death Egg Zone]].
[[Image:GCZFinal.PNG|thumb|left|200px||Genocide City Zone as it appears in the final.]]
 
It has been discovered in the ''Sonic 2'' Simon Wai prototype that Genocide City Zone is not entirely empty. Above Sonic's placement, beyond the camera's sight, is a couple blocks of [[Emerald Hill Zone]] tiles. It has also been discovered the Genocide City, in this same prototype, uses all Emerald Hill tiles, possibly as a placeholder.  
 
  
Genocide City's remains can also be accessed in the final version by entering the [[Game Genie]] code, '''ACLA-AWD8''' ('''AB6X-AWBR''' in ''[[Knuckles in Sonic 2]]''), and pressing start on "Sound Test" ([[Special Stage (Sonic the Hedgehog 2 16-bit)|Special Stage]] in ''Knuckles in Sonic 2'') in the stage select menu. Rather than using the Chemical Plant Zone theme as its background music like the Simon Wai prototype, this version of the stage uses the [[Sky Chase Zone]] theme instead. The stage has very little collision data, complete with broken, garbled tiles in some areas. Unlike the [[Hidden Palace Zone]], a placeable Egg Prison is not present in the debug mode, making the stage impossible to finish by any means.
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Tom Payne's work was not entirely wasted - some of the graphics were recycled for the unreleased Mega Drive game ''[[sega:B-Bomb|B-Bomb]]'', before being recycled ''again'' for the ''[[Sonic the Hedgehog Spinball (16-bit)|Sonic Spinball]]'' level, [[The Machine]].{{ref|http://www.sonicdatabase.com/S2CD/s2clevels.html}}
  
 
==References==
 
==References==

Revision as of 02:41, 7 April 2023

Sonic Retro emblem.svg Sonic the Hedgehog 2 (16-bit)
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Scrapped Levels
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Genocide City Zone
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Genocide City Zone
Beta level, Sonic the Hedgehog 2
Level theme: industrial

Genocide City Zone, also known as Cyber City Zone, is a scrapped level from Sonic the Hedgehog 2 on the Sega Mega Drive. Designed primarily by Tom Payne, it was to be a single act zone with a mechanical or industrial theme, but was dropped due to time restraints. Its map was subsequently reworked, becoming Metropolis Zone act 3.

Design

Like most levels of the game, Genocide City was envisioned by Hirokazu Yasuhara and Yasushi Yamaguchi. Yamaguchi drew some initial concept art for the level[1] and delegated in-game graphics responsibilities to Tom Payne. Graphics for the level and a map were produced, but before the contents were added to the game proper, a decision was made to axe the level due to time restraints.

According to Sonic 2 level designer Tom Payne, the name "Genocide City" being chosen was due to the development team's "not quite complete grasp of the English language."[1] During an interview with Payne, he went on to say that the team "may have been looking for a name that sounded dangerous," which resulted in the name "Genocide City"[1]. It is now believed that Cyber City was the name conceptualized later on in order to remedy the zone's former name.

Unlike its contemporaries, Wood Zone and Hidden Palace Zone, the existence of a fully designed map for Genocide City meant the level was able to survive in a different form - as the third act of Metropolis Zone (going some way to explain why this is the only level in Sonic 2 with three acts).

Act 3 (of Metropolis Zone) was going to be a different Zone that would only appear once (one act)... We had already finished the map, and it would have been a shame to waste it, so this is what we went with.

Yuji Naka, from the Sonic Jam strategy guide

Metropolis and Genocide City are thought to have been fairly similar in design, however Genocide City is thought to have had a purple colour scheme. No boss for Genocide City was ever designed.

Implementation

In the "Simon Wai" prototype of Sonic the Hedgehog 2, Genocide City is listed in the level select, but selecting it simply brings the player to a empty level. Chemical Plant Zone music plays with Emerald Hill Zone's palette, and the player will simply fall to their death at the bottom of the stage. Enabling debug reveals that the only objects in this level are the two default objects, a ring and a teleport monitor. Beyond the camera's sight is a couple blocks of Emerald Hill Zone tiles.

Genocide City's Level Slot (0E) was later re-used for Death Egg Zone.

Tom Payne's work was not entirely wasted - some of the graphics were recycled for the unreleased Mega Drive game B-Bomb, before being recycled again for the Sonic Spinball level, The Machine.[2]

References


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