Sonic Heroes/Development

Sonic Heroes has gone through several changes over its development process. There are several rejected ideas, levels designs, and other things that were left on the cutting room floor. The following details several of these things.

Development Process

Sonic Heroes was developed to celebrate the twelfth anniversary of Sonic the Hedgehog. The game's director, Takashi Iizuka, stated that he did not want to make Sonic Heroes a continuation of the Sonic Adventure series, as he was worried only core gamers would buy the title, and instead decided to create a game that more casual players could adapt to.

Unlike the two previous main series games, Sonic Adventure and Sonic Adventure 2, Sonic Heroes uses the RenderWare engine so that the game could be programmed and ported easily to the GameCube, PlayStation 2, Xbox, and Microsoft Windows. Despite being able to port some textures and character models from the Sonic Adventure titles, most work on the title was started anew. Despite the use of cross-platform middleware, Sonic Heroes was Sega's first multi-platform title, and the development team found additional challenges in working with the PlayStation 2 and Xbox, platforms that they had very little experience with.

Prototypes

The following Prototype versions of Sonic Heroes have been released:

• Sonic Heroes (GameCube prototype 10.8)
• Sonic Heroes (GameCube prototype 11.18)
• Sonic Heroes (MKDD Bonus Disc Demo)
• Sonic Heroes (Xbox E3 version)

Unused Enemy

Discovered by KT15, this enemy was found while using Nemesis' DFF import script. It appears in Sonic Adventure and Sonic Adventure 2 but is unused here.

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  Unidas

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  Spike ball

Prototype Music

Several pieces of prototype music can be found here.

Early Game Design

Cutscenes

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  In this early video from e3.sega.com this sequence shown Eggman bobbing his head while pointing. The machinery is gone and no robots are present.

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  This early video shows Sonic running through a Green Hill Zone like area. In the final version it was changed to the first level.

Seaside Hill

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  Early videos show the help symbols having a wing on them instead of "FLY".

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  Also has wing and there are 4 instead of 2.

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  Also has wing and on the left dash hoops. Breakable wall with a spring within is replaced by crates.

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  4 Fly icons instead of 2.

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  The icons and green flapper are missing. In the distance a 2nd fleet has 3 green flappers instead of 3 red and 1 green flapper.

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  Team Rose usually starters further down the level in the beach area. Also new is the multi colored score rings.

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  Team Dark in a part of Seaside Hill that they normally cannot traverse.

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  In the distance the second wave platform is up instead of having two smaller columns to get to the next section. There is also 4 "Fly" signs in the distance. This is different from what Team Dark normally experiences.

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  Totally different from what Team Dark finds normally. Usually there are several pillars with Eggpawn atop of them.

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  Eggpawn lifebars don't have speach bubles around them.

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  Team Chaotix in a area they normally cannot reach.

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  Yet again in a area Team Chaotix cannot reach.

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  Team Chaotix in Team Sonic's level.

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  Team Chaotix in Team Sonic's level.

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  Team Chaotix in Team Sonic's level.

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  Team Chaotix in Team Sonic's level.

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  Normally Team Chaotix's level ends here.

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  More of Team Chaotix in Team Sonic's level.

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  More of Team Chaotix in Team Sonic's level.

Ocean Palace

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  Team Rose at Team Sonic's starting point.

Power Plant

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  Background clouds are black instead of white.

Rail Canyon

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  At this part of the level Team Rose normally fights 2 Egg Pawns.

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  Normally this area is unreachable, and if it is reached the fan spins the other way.

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  The help monitor has a picture of a shoe instead of "Speed". Badnik is red instead of green. The second possible way through this section is missing.

Bullet Station

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  Team Dark has balloons in this area.

Hang Castle

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  The HUD indicates that 181 keys are needed instead of 10.

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  Same difference.

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  Same difference.

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  Same difference.