Actions

Difference between revisions of "R2"

From Sonic Retro

m
 
(18 intermediate revisions by 5 users not shown)
Line 1: Line 1:
 
{{Breadcrumb
 
{{Breadcrumb
 
|Sonic the Hedgehog CD|:Category:Sonic the Hedgehog CD levels|l2=Levels|{{PAGENAME}}}}
 
|Sonic the Hedgehog CD|:Category:Sonic the Hedgehog CD levels|l2=Levels|{{PAGENAME}}}}
−
<!-- ATTENTION: If you are thinking about adding a reference to "Mercury Mine", THAT IS A HOAX. It's from the "Sonic CD 4/09" beta hoax created by [[User:Nemesis|Nemesis]] in August 2007. -->
+
[[Image:Scd510 level select.png|thumb|right|320px|The level select screen in the ''Sonic CD'' [[Sonic the Hedgehog CD (Mega-CD prototype; 1993-05-10)|510 prototype]] shows every level in the game on one screen. Note the jump from "1" to "3".]]
 +
'''R2''' (or '''R'''ound '''2''') is an unfinished level from ''[[Sonic the Hedgehog CD]]''. Set to take place between [[Palmtree Panic]] (Round 1) and [[Collision Chaos]] (Round 3), it was removed at an early stage of development. Remants of its existence can be found in both the original [[Sega Mega-CD]] version of the game and its [[Windows PC]] port.
  
−
[[Image:Scd510 level select.png|thumb|right|320px||''Sonic CD'' prototype 510 level select, with level 2 missing. The final level select can be seen [[:Image:StageSelectSonicCDFinal.png|here]].]]
+
R2 is thought to be analogous to [[Marble Zone]] in the original ''[[Sonic the Hedgehog (16-bit)|Sonic the Hedgehog]]'', with leaked concept art suggesting a stage that took place at least partially underground. Director [[Naoto Ohshima]] has claimed R2 was at one point called '''Dubious Depths'''{{ref|https://forums.sonicretro.org/index.php?posts/1032560/}}. Designer [[Masato Nishimura]] has confirmed this assertion, revealing the level was also called '''Ridicule Root''' during development{{ref|https://web.archive.org/web/20230125090716/https://twitter.com/Mazin__/status/1618163967633010691}}.
−
'''R2''' is a reference to a deleted level from ''[[Sonic the Hedgehog CD]]''. Proving its existence is possible by examining the game files on a PC. When examining the level files, the levels skip from R1 (Round 1) to R3 (Round 3), with no R2 to be found. Its existence is also proven by using the level select menu, where when switching between levels, it skips from level 1 to level 3, again leaving out level 2. In an interview with [[Jim Tretheway]], it was stated that the level was likely cut as it didn't meet quality standards.{{ref|1=https://web.archive.org/web/20160313083350/https://randomsonicnet.org/srz/index.php?page=interviews/jt.htm}}
 
  
−
Based on the missing file's name, the level would have been placed between [[Palmtree Panic]] and [[Collision Chaos]]. Judging from the level selection, it would have been 3 Zones, like every other Round in the game.
+
==Design==
 +
[[File:SCDconcept-R2RainbowWaterfalls.jpg|thumb|320px|right|Rainbow waterfalls and aqueducts, attributed to R2.]]
 +
[[File:SonicCD MCD Development LittlePlanet.png|thumb|320px|right|Little Planet concept, complete with "2R" design.]]
 +
For many years, the existence of R2 was little more than speculation, gathered from inconsistencies in the game's files. Proof of its existence came in a ''Sonic CD'' developer's diary video, uploaded by [[Sega Europe]] onto YouTube on November 29, 2011 (to promote [[Sonic the Hedgehog CD (2011)|the 2011 re-releases of the game]]){{ref|https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/9TFgFSF5Lb4|2=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9TFgFSF5Lb4}}. In the video, a sketch of what appears to be rainbow-coloured waterfalls appears, something confirmed by 2011 port's lead developer, [[Christian Whitehead]] as concept art for R2{{ref|1={{LinkRetro|post=647570|title=Sonic Retro forum thread: Sonic CD now out for everything except Nintendo consoles}}}}.
  
−
The default song in D.A. Garden mode, "Little Planet", is a leftover from this level.{{ref|1=https://web.archive.org/web/20201121034606/https://twitter.com/Mazin__/status/136837158827851777}}
+
With the release of ''[[Sonic Origins]]'' in 2022, further concept art was released, with mentioned of an "2R" level on a map of Little Planet, with the level order again suggesting R2 being located between (what looks like) Palmtree Panic and Collision Chaos. The art shows a forest of trees and what appear to be iron beams or totems, and an underground section with traps and obstacles such as fans that would have possibly lifted [[Sonic the Hedgehog|Sonic]] in the air. Mountains can be seen further behind.
  
−
==Design==
+
===Enemies===
−
[[File:SCDconcept-R2RainbowWaterfalls.jpg|320px]]
+
Three normal enemies and one boss are known to belong to the R2 level, according to Whitehead. This includes an antlion enemy, a worm or snake, and a enemy armed with a drill. Concept art depicting Eggman in a wheel mech may indicate plans for the boss.
 +
 
 +
<gallery widths="320px" heights="260px" perrow="3">
 +
SCDconcept-R2Worm.png|Worm/Snake (CDS probably stands for CD Sonic, an early name for ''Sonic CD'')
 +
SCDconcept-UnusedEnemy.png|Drill armed enemy
 +
SCDconcept-R2Boss.jpg|Wheel boss concept
 +
</gallery>
  
−
The above concept art shows what was intended to be the missing R2 level. The concept art was released in the ''Sonic CD'' developer's diary video, uploaded by SegaEurope onto YouTube on November 29, 2011.{{ref|1=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9TFgFSF5Lb4}}  [[The Taxman]], developer of the [[Sonic the Hedgehog CD (2011)|2011 re-release]], claimed this concept art was for R2.{{ref|1={{LinkRetro|post=647570|title=Sonic Retro forum thread: Sonic CD now out for everything except Nintendo consoles}}}} The uncut extended ending video, which was released later, also shows what R2 was intended to look like. The video shows a ruins area with a enemy bursting out of the ground. The sequence takes place after the first level is shown, serving as further evidence that the level was R2.
+
[[File:R2Sprites.png]]
  
−
What can be gathered from the concept art is that it had structures like the [[Aquatic Ruin Zone]] of ''[[Sonic the Hedgehog 2 (16-bit)|Sonic 2]]'', and that rainbow waterfalls were present. The background seems to be a cliff with grass on the top, or perhaps more ruins with moss or grass on top. Mountains can be seen further behind.
+
Unfinished sprites also shared by Whitehead{{ref|1={{LinkRetro|post=733117|title=Sonic Retro forum thread: Sonic CD now out for everything except Nintendo consoles}}}} show how these enemies may have appeared in game. This time, Eggman is depicted riding a vehicle with a giant wheel on the bottom and a spring on the back.
  
−
As the ending video was probably made before the game was finalized, there are differences between what is portrayed in the videos as opposed to what is in the final game. So what is learned from the ending video may or may not have been in the final version. What can be gathered from the uncut extended ending video is that there are metallic structures, perhaps pillars. Stone tiling with sections that collapse when Sonic gets near them are also present. There are vines and other vegetation that grow in various places. The only thing for sure that coincides with the concept art is that the level was a ruins type level.
+
With the removal of R2, the Antlion enemy was considered for [[Metallic Madness]] (R8) before being scrapped entirely (the sprite was slightly redrawn, with the highlight on it being smaller). It is speculated that parts of Metallic Madness' level design, namely the sloped pits, may have been created with the Antlion enemy in mind, before being repurposed. The leaked prototypes suggest the developers experimented with these sections before deciding on regular, upwards spikes.
  
−
===Uncut extended ending video screenshots===
+
==Removal==
−
A animated gif of the scene can be found [[:File:SCD R2GIF.gif|here]].
+
Several explanations have been given for R2's removal. Naoto Ohshima has suggested it may have been down to the design being incompatible with Sonic's speed{{ref|https://forums.sonicretro.org/index.php?posts/1032560/}}, while [[Masato Nishimura]] believes the decision was made because the music data did not fit into the CD-ROM of the game{{ref|https://archive.ph/knK6u|https://twitter.com/Mazin__/status/1606052153914982400}}.
  
−
<gallery>
+
In an interview with [[Jim Tretheway]] regarding the PC version of the game, it was stated that the level was likely cut as it didn't meet quality standards{{intref|Jim Tretheway interview by RyogaMasaki (September 2000)}}.
−
File:SonicCDR2Video 0.png
 
−
File:SonicCDR2Video 1.png
 
−
File:SonicCDR2Video 2.png
 
−
File:PossibleR2.png
 
−
File:SonicCDR2Video 3.png
 
−
File:SonicCDR2Video 4.png
 
−
</gallery>
 
  
−
==Enemies==
+
==Final game leftovers==
−
Three normal enemies and one boss are known to belong to the R2 level, according to The Taxman. This includes the Antlion from the uncut ending video, the Worm/Snake, and the Drill Armed enemy. Concept art for the boss has not been shared, but some sprites have been found. See the sub-section below.
+
Questions of R2 were raised shortly after ''Sonic CD'''s release. Performing its level select code, the level order jumps from "1-2-D" (Palmtree Panic 2, bad future) to "3-1-A" (Tidal Tempest 1, present), with the time warp screen, introduction and an unused "comin' soon" screen occupying the level slots in between (1-3-C and 1-3-D, Palmtree Panic 3, not appearing in the list until after Tidal Tempest). With no levels beginning with a "2", it was speculated that the second level no longer existed on the disc. This pattern was later mirrored by the PC version, which in the game's files, has folders for "R1" and "R3", but not "R2".
  
−
<gallery widths="320px" heights="260px" perrow="3">
+
Perhaps the biggest clue that something is missing from the game is the ending sequence, which shows animated sections of the game, in level order. After a sequence in Palmtree Panic, Sonic is seen what looks like a ruined area with blue or grey metallic structures or pillars, with areas of vegetation growing around. Stone tiles collapse as Sonic touches them, revealing quicksand, and at the end, Sonic is attacked by the unseen Antlion enemy. Nothing resembling this sequence exists in the final game.
−
File:SCDconcept-R2Worm.png|Worm/Snake (CDS probably stands for CD Sonic, an early name for ''Sonic CD'')
+
<gallery>
−
File:SCDconcept-UnusedEnemy.png|Drill armed enemy
+
SonicCDR2Video 0.png
 +
SonicCDR2Video 1.png
 +
SonicCDR2Video 2.png
 +
PossibleR2.png
 +
SonicCDR2Video 3.png
 +
SonicCDR2Video 4.png
 
</gallery>
 
</gallery>
 +
(an animated gif of the scene can be found [[:File:SCD R2GIF.gif|here]].)
  
−
===Sprites===
+
These animated sequences were created in advance of much of the game, and are therefore thought to be based on older concept art and ideas, including those of R2. This sequence was left in the final game (being re-drawn for the Mega-CD's limited colour palette) and subsequent re-releases, as well as the video included in the [[Sega Saturn]] compilation, ''[[Sonic Jam]]''.
−
Sprites shared by The Taxman.{{ref|1={{LinkRetro|post=733117|title=Sonic Retro forum thread: Sonic CD now out for everything except Nintendo consoles}}}} Note the boss with a giant wheel on the bottom and a spring on the back, although the sprite itself appears unfinished. Also, when R2 was scrapped, the Antlion was considered for R8 ([[Metallic Madness]]), but scrapped. The R8 version of the sprite was slightly redrawn, with the highlight on it being smaller.
 
  
−
[[File:R2Sprites.png]]
+
According to Masato Nishimura, the default song in the D.A. Garden mode, "Little Planet" (composed by [[Masafumi Ogata]]), is a leftover from R2{{ref|1=https://web.archive.org/web/20201121034606/https://twitter.com/Mazin__/status/136837158827851777}}. A brief remix of the "Bad Future" theme of the stage is also present in Ogata's song "Techno Power Mix", composed for the 1994 album ''[[Sonic the Hedgehog - Remix]]''. "Sonic Stream", another of Ogata's tracks from the same album, is also speculated to feature pieces, or be a full remix of R2's "Good Future" theme.
  
 
==References==
 
==References==

Latest revision as of 14:49, 3 August 2023

Sonic Retro emblem.svg Sonic the Hedgehog CD
»
Levels
»
R2
The level select screen in the Sonic CD 510 prototype shows every level in the game on one screen. Note the jump from "1" to "3".

R2 (or Round 2) is an unfinished level from Sonic the Hedgehog CD. Set to take place between Palmtree Panic (Round 1) and Collision Chaos (Round 3), it was removed at an early stage of development. Remants of its existence can be found in both the original Sega Mega-CD version of the game and its Windows PC port.

R2 is thought to be analogous to Marble Zone in the original Sonic the Hedgehog, with leaked concept art suggesting a stage that took place at least partially underground. Director Naoto Ohshima has claimed R2 was at one point called Dubious Depths[1]. Designer Masato Nishimura has confirmed this assertion, revealing the level was also called Ridicule Root during development[2].

Design

Rainbow waterfalls and aqueducts, attributed to R2.
Little Planet concept, complete with "2R" design.

For many years, the existence of R2 was little more than speculation, gathered from inconsistencies in the game's files. Proof of its existence came in a Sonic CD developer's diary video, uploaded by Sega Europe onto YouTube on November 29, 2011 (to promote the 2011 re-releases of the game)[3]. In the video, a sketch of what appears to be rainbow-coloured waterfalls appears, something confirmed by 2011 port's lead developer, Christian Whitehead as concept art for R2[4].

With the release of Sonic Origins in 2022, further concept art was released, with mentioned of an "2R" level on a map of Little Planet, with the level order again suggesting R2 being located between (what looks like) Palmtree Panic and Collision Chaos. The art shows a forest of trees and what appear to be iron beams or totems, and an underground section with traps and obstacles such as fans that would have possibly lifted Sonic in the air. Mountains can be seen further behind.

Enemies

Three normal enemies and one boss are known to belong to the R2 level, according to Whitehead. This includes an antlion enemy, a worm or snake, and a enemy armed with a drill. Concept art depicting Eggman in a wheel mech may indicate plans for the boss.

  • Worm/Snake (CDS probably stands for CD Sonic, an early name for Sonic CD)

  • Drill armed enemy

  • Wheel boss concept

R2Sprites.png

Unfinished sprites also shared by Whitehead[5] show how these enemies may have appeared in game. This time, Eggman is depicted riding a vehicle with a giant wheel on the bottom and a spring on the back.

With the removal of R2, the Antlion enemy was considered for Metallic Madness (R8) before being scrapped entirely (the sprite was slightly redrawn, with the highlight on it being smaller). It is speculated that parts of Metallic Madness' level design, namely the sloped pits, may have been created with the Antlion enemy in mind, before being repurposed. The leaked prototypes suggest the developers experimented with these sections before deciding on regular, upwards spikes.

Removal

Several explanations have been given for R2's removal. Naoto Ohshima has suggested it may have been down to the design being incompatible with Sonic's speed[1], while Masato Nishimura believes the decision was made because the music data did not fit into the CD-ROM of the game[6].

In an interview with Jim Tretheway regarding the PC version of the game, it was stated that the level was likely cut as it didn't meet quality standards[7].

Final game leftovers

Questions of R2 were raised shortly after Sonic CD's release. Performing its level select code, the level order jumps from "1-2-D" (Palmtree Panic 2, bad future) to "3-1-A" (Tidal Tempest 1, present), with the time warp screen, introduction and an unused "comin' soon" screen occupying the level slots in between (1-3-C and 1-3-D, Palmtree Panic 3, not appearing in the list until after Tidal Tempest). With no levels beginning with a "2", it was speculated that the second level no longer existed on the disc. This pattern was later mirrored by the PC version, which in the game's files, has folders for "R1" and "R3", but not "R2".

Perhaps the biggest clue that something is missing from the game is the ending sequence, which shows animated sections of the game, in level order. After a sequence in Palmtree Panic, Sonic is seen what looks like a ruined area with blue or grey metallic structures or pillars, with areas of vegetation growing around. Stone tiles collapse as Sonic touches them, revealing quicksand, and at the end, Sonic is attacked by the unseen Antlion enemy. Nothing resembling this sequence exists in the final game.

  • SonicCDR2Video 0.png
  • SonicCDR2Video 1.png
  • SonicCDR2Video 2.png
  • PossibleR2.png
  • SonicCDR2Video 3.png
  • SonicCDR2Video 4.png

(an animated gif of the scene can be found here.)

These animated sequences were created in advance of much of the game, and are therefore thought to be based on older concept art and ideas, including those of R2. This sequence was left in the final game (being re-drawn for the Mega-CD's limited colour palette) and subsequent re-releases, as well as the video included in the Sega Saturn compilation, Sonic Jam.

According to Masato Nishimura, the default song in the D.A. Garden mode, "Little Planet" (composed by Masafumi Ogata), is a leftover from R2[8]. A brief remix of the "Bad Future" theme of the stage is also present in Ogata's song "Techno Power Mix", composed for the 1994 album Sonic the Hedgehog - Remix. "Sonic Stream", another of Ogata's tracks from the same album, is also speculated to feature pieces, or be a full remix of R2's "Good Future" theme.

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 https://forums.sonicretro.org/index.php?posts/1032560/
  2. ↑ @Mazin__ on Twitter (Wayback Machine: 2023-01-25 09:07)
  3. ↑ http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9TFgFSF5Lb4 (Ghostarchive)
  4. ↑ [
    Sonic Retro
    Sonic Retro forum thread: Sonic CD now out for everything except Nintendo consoles
    Sonic Retro
    Sonic Retro forum thread: Sonic CD now out for everything except Nintendo consoles    ]
  5. ↑ [
    Sonic Retro
    Sonic Retro forum thread: Sonic CD now out for everything except Nintendo consoles
    Sonic Retro
    Sonic Retro forum thread: Sonic CD now out for everything except Nintendo consoles    ]
  6. ↑ @Mazin__ on Twitter (archive.today)
  7. ↑ Jim Tretheway interview by RyogaMasaki (September 2000)
  8. ↑ @Mazin__ on Twitter (Wayback Machine: 2020-11-21 03:46)


Sonic the Hedgehog CD
Scd titlescreen.png

Main page (2011)
Comparisons (2011)
Maps
Achievements
Credits

Manuals
Promotional material
Magazine articles
Video coverage
Reception

Development
Hidden content (2011)
Bugs
Hacking guide
show;hide
  • Levels
  • Enemies
  • Bosses
  • Prereleases
  • Media

Scrapped Levels:

Original game – R2 | Bonus Stage
Remake – Desert Dazzle | Final Fever
Retrieved from "https://info.sonicretro.org/index.php?title=R2&oldid=359841"