Sonic the Hedgehog (16-bit) (prototype)

Sonic the Hedgehog (prototype)

Prerelease of: Sonic the Hedgehog
System: Sega Mega Drive
ROM size: 512 KB
Source: EPROM cartridge
Found by: Buckaroo^[1]

The Sonic the Hedgehog prototype is a prototype build of Sonic the Hedgehog for the Sega Mega Drive.

This prototype build is very incomplete, with a number of incomplete Zones. Attempting to play the game normally, only the entirety of Green Hill Zone and Marble Zone, as well as the first Acts of Spring Yard Zone (Sparkling Zone) and Star Light Zone are playable. Most other levels in the game can only be accessed via the level select, and neither of them can be completed due to the lack of signposts and bosses, with Scrap Brain Zone (Clock Work Zone) Act 3 and Final Zone being nonexistent.

Among the Zones present in this prototype, there are many things that are different from the final build, such as different backgrounds, very different level layouts, and objects that would be deleted or dummied out. The existence of many of these differences has been known for years via early magazine scans and video footage, and their presence in this prototype reveals some insight on the game's development.

History

An EPROM cartridge of the prototype was found by Buckaroo, who dumped the cartridge to be released by drx of Hidden Palace. The prototype was streamed on Twitch on December 31, 2020, with the ROM being released on January 1, 2021.

By the end of January 2021, Buckaroo put the original cartridge up for auction on eBay with a starting price of £5,000, and was won by drx with a bid of £9,600 ($13,182.72 USD at the time) on January 31st, 2021.^[2]