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Difference between revisions of "Sonic the Hedgehog 2 (16-bit)/Development"

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Filled to brim with ideas, one of the first elements the team decided on was that they wanted a new main character to be introduced in the game. Before Yuji Naka agreed to become a part of the ''Sonic 2'' team, one of his requests was that there would be a two-player mode, a feature he wanted to include in the original title, but did not have the time to implement. An internal competition was held within Sonic Team and STI to find the best character that could be used for this new addition to the franchise, and though many entries were submitted (including one from artist Craig Stitt for a flying turtle named "Boomer"), it was [[sega:Yasushi Yamaguchi|Yasushi Yamaguchi]] who won with his two-tailed fox character. Originally wanting him to be named "[[Miles "Tails" Prower|Miles Prower]]," the rest of the team felt his name should simply be "Tails," to match the simplistic nature of Sonic's name. Unhappy with this idea, Yamaguchi (who became the lead zone artist in the game) decided to sneak the name "Miles Prower" into various concept art and in the game, making both names legitimate in the end.
 
Filled to brim with ideas, one of the first elements the team decided on was that they wanted a new main character to be introduced in the game. Before Yuji Naka agreed to become a part of the ''Sonic 2'' team, one of his requests was that there would be a two-player mode, a feature he wanted to include in the original title, but did not have the time to implement. An internal competition was held within Sonic Team and STI to find the best character that could be used for this new addition to the franchise, and though many entries were submitted (including one from artist Craig Stitt for a flying turtle named "Boomer"), it was [[sega:Yasushi Yamaguchi|Yasushi Yamaguchi]] who won with his two-tailed fox character. Originally wanting him to be named "[[Miles "Tails" Prower|Miles Prower]]," the rest of the team felt his name should simply be "Tails," to match the simplistic nature of Sonic's name. Unhappy with this idea, Yamaguchi (who became the lead zone artist in the game) decided to sneak the name "Miles Prower" into various concept art and in the game, making both names legitimate in the end.
  
Being nothing less than ambitious, the original plan was to make a sprawling, 18-zone epic, revisiting the unique level tropes Sonic Team had created for the first game, putting their own spin on traditional platformer levels like desert and snow worlds, and even come up with some ideas that would be totally new. [[Emerald Hill]], [[Hill Top]], [[Oil Ocean]], [[Hidden Palace]], [[Dust Hill]] and the never-formally-titled [[Winter Zone]] were some of the first levels to be worked on, the concept of time travel also being talked about in early production meetings. However, it became obvious early on that if they were to have the game ready for the Christmas season of 1992, they could not finish every world that was on the drawing board. The time travel concept was dropped almost immediately, and Dust Hill and its winter counterpart were some of the first zones to be put on the chopping block, much to the chagrin of Brenda Ross, the artist responsible for their appearence.{{ref|[[Brenda Ross interview by Deviance (February 2001)]]}}
+
Being nothing less than ambitious, the original plan was to make a sprawling, 18-zone epic, revisiting the unique level tropes Sonic Team had created for the first game, putting their own spin on traditional platformer levels like desert and snow worlds, and even come up with some ideas that would be totally new. [[Emerald Hill]], [[Hill Top]], [[Oil Ocean]], [[Hidden Palace]], [[Sand Shower]] and the never-formally-titled [[Winter Zone]] were some of the first levels to be worked on, the concept of time travel also being talked about in early production meetings. However, it became obvious early on that if they were to have the game ready for the Christmas season of 1992, they could not finish every world that was on the drawing board. The time travel concept was dropped almost immediately, and Sand Shower and its winter counterpart were some of the first zones to be put on the chopping block, much to the chagrin of Brenda Ross, the artist responsible for their appearence.{{ref|[[Brenda Ross interview by Deviance (February 2001)]]}}
  
 
Though the two sides of STI tried to work together, the language barrier proved to be too much at times. Most of the meetings for the direction of ''Sonic the Hedgehog 2'' were done in Japanese (Mark Cerny being fluent in the language), leaving the American side in the dust. Trying to mesh the two cultures and work ethics became a challenge in itself, with some members unable to get along with Yuji Naka's intense personality. Tom Payne, who himself never had any issues with the Japanese half of the team, recalled in an interview later the stark differences between the American mindset of a nine-to-five job and the Japanese mindset of working almost all hours of the night, with members like Yamaguchi and Yasuhara being extremely passionate with the quality of the whole:
 
Though the two sides of STI tried to work together, the language barrier proved to be too much at times. Most of the meetings for the direction of ''Sonic the Hedgehog 2'' were done in Japanese (Mark Cerny being fluent in the language), leaving the American side in the dust. Trying to mesh the two cultures and work ethics became a challenge in itself, with some members unable to get along with Yuji Naka's intense personality. Tom Payne, who himself never had any issues with the Japanese half of the team, recalled in an interview later the stark differences between the American mindset of a nine-to-five job and the Japanese mindset of working almost all hours of the night, with members like Yamaguchi and Yasuhara being extremely passionate with the quality of the whole:
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The game was released simultaneously in the United States and Europe on "Sonic 2sday." A marketing campaign promoting the concept of "blast processing" was pursued, while back in Japan the campaign focused on the introduction of "Tails." The entire team, both American and Japanese, celebrated together on November 23rd, 1992, proud of the game that, against the odds, would not only be the biggest selling Sonic game on the Mega Drive, but the best selling game of the 16-bit era.
 
The game was released simultaneously in the United States and Europe on "Sonic 2sday." A marketing campaign promoting the concept of "blast processing" was pursued, while back in Japan the campaign focused on the introduction of "Tails." The entire team, both American and Japanese, celebrated together on November 23rd, 1992, proud of the game that, against the odds, would not only be the biggest selling Sonic game on the Mega Drive, but the best selling game of the 16-bit era.
  
Just like the first game, [[Masato Nakamura]], leader of the band [[Dreams Come True]], was in charge of creating the soundtrack to ''Sonic 2''. Wanting to stay faithful to what he had done in the first game, but give the audience even more, Nakamura felt the pressure of writing music that would satisfy fans of the first. With the game released and receiving all sorts of praise, Nakamura decided to give something back to the team that had given him the chance to create the music in the first place.
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Also of note is the fact the game contained references to some of the biggest pop culture phenomenons on both sides of the Pacific. The Death Egg, Eggman's ultimate weapon in the game, was modeled after the Death Star, the superweapon featured in the ''Star Wars'' trilogy. Meanwhile, the seven [[Chaos Emeralds]] and the introduction of [[Super Sonic]] were homages to the well-known Chinese fable ''The Golden Warrior'' and its then-current interpretation being published in Japan, ''Dragon Ball.''
  
{{quote|1=[A]fter finishing all of the tracks for the sequel, Nakamura sent me a fax saying, "I've got a present for you. It's a surprise!" The other members of Sonic Team and I tried to figure out what it might be, but we could never have guessed that Nakamura reworked the ending theme that he provided for us for ''Sonic the Hedgehog 2'' into a song entitled "SWEET SWEET SWEET" for inclusion on the DREAMS COME TRUE album that he worked on in London. I remember how ecstatic and moved all of us on Sonic Team were upon learning of our "present." That particular song remains a huge favorite of mine, and continues to hold very strong memories for me. For that, I am truly grateful.|2=Yuji Naka, Chief Programmer for ''Sonic the Hedgehog 2''{{ref|[[Sonic the Hedgehog 1&2 Soundtrack#Scans]]}}}}
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It is also possible that a [[sega:Mega-CD|Mega-CD port]] of ''[[Sonic the Hedgehog 2 CD|Sonic the Hedgehog 2]]'' was planned early on in the development cycle, but it was decided that the team should remain focused on the Mega Drive cart.
  
Also of note is the fact the game contained references to some of the biggest pop culture phenomenons on both sides of the Pacific. The Death Egg, Eggman's ultimate weapon in the game, was modeled after the Death Star, the superweapon featured in the ''Star Wars'' trilogy. Meanwhile, the seven [[Chaos Emeralds]] and the introduction of [[Super Sonic]] were homages to the well-known Chinese fable ''The Golden Warrior'' and its then-current interpretation being published in Japan, ''Dragon Ball.''
+
===Music===
 +
Just like the first game, [[Masato Nakamura]], leader of the band [[Dreams Come True]], was in charge of creating the soundtrack to ''Sonic 2''. Wanting to stay faithful to what he had done in the first game, but give the audience even more, Nakamura felt the pressure of writing music that would satisfy fans of the first{{fileref|Sonic1&2Soundtrack JP Booklet.pdf|page=9}}. With the game released and receiving all sorts of praise, Nakamura decided to give something back to the team that had given him the chance to create the music in the first place.
  
It is also possible that a [[sega:Mega CD|Mega CD port]] of ''[[Sonic the Hedgehog 2 CD|Sonic the Hedgehog 2]]'' was planned early on in the development cycle, but it was decided that the team should remain focused on the Mega Drive cart.
+
{{quote|1=[A]fter finishing all of the tracks for the sequel, Nakamura sent me a fax saying, "I've got a present for you. It's a surprise!" The other members of Sonic Team and I tried to figure out what it might be, but we could never have guessed that Nakamura reworked the ending theme that he provided for us for ''Sonic the Hedgehog 2'' into a song entitled "SWEET SWEET SWEET" for inclusion on the DREAMS COME TRUE album that he worked on in London. I remember how ecstatic and moved all of us on Sonic Team were upon learning of our "present." That particular song remains a huge favorite of mine, and continues to hold very strong memories for me. For that, I am truly grateful.|2=Yuji Naka, Chief Programmer for ''Sonic the Hedgehog 2''|ref={{fileref|Sonic1&2Soundtrack JP Booklet.pdf|page=7}}}}
  
 
==Time travel==
 
==Time travel==
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Sonic 2 Level Map Concept 02.png|"Now 2", the "ruined present time"
 
Sonic 2 Level Map Concept 02.png|"Now 2", the "ruined present time"
 
Sonic 2 Level Map Concept 04.png|"Ancient time"
 
Sonic 2 Level Map Concept 04.png|"Ancient time"
 +
Sonic 2 Level Map Concept 05.png|After a big tsunami
 
Sonic 2 Time Travel Document.jpg|"Now, Medieval, Now 2, Ancient, and Future times showed in the diagram"
 
Sonic 2 Time Travel Document.jpg|"Now, Medieval, Now 2, Ancient, and Future times showed in the diagram"
 +
Sonic 2 Time Travel Document 2.png|
 
</gallery>
 
</gallery>
 
The plot is believed to have been much the same as ''Sonic CD'' - Eggman travels into the past, and his actions damage the future. Sonic's task would be to follow Eggman into the past and right the wrongs. To travel through time, Sonic would go to a "warp point", though the precise mechanics are not understood. Arrows suggest the levels were set to be tackled in a clockwise direction.
 
The plot is believed to have been much the same as ''Sonic CD'' - Eggman travels into the past, and his actions damage the future. Sonic's task would be to follow Eggman into the past and right the wrongs. To travel through time, Sonic would go to a "warp point", though the precise mechanics are not understood. Arrows suggest the levels were set to be tackled in a clockwise direction.
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*"Sand Shower Zone" - a potential desert-themed level
 
*"Sand Shower Zone" - a potential desert-themed level
 
*"Metropolis Zone" - [[Metropolis Zone]]
 
*"Metropolis Zone" - [[Metropolis Zone]]
*"Ocean Wind Zone" - a potential water-themed level
+
*"Ocean Wind Zone" - [https://info.sonicretro.org/File:Sonic2_ConceptArt_OceanWind.jpg Concept art] of the same name
  
 
===="Future"====
 
===="Future"====
 
*"Chemical Plant Zone" - [[Chemical Plant Zone]]
 
*"Chemical Plant Zone" - [[Chemical Plant Zone]]
 
*"Casino Night Zone" - [[Casino Night Zone]]
 
*"Casino Night Zone" - [[Casino Night Zone]]
*"Genocide City 1 Zone" - likely scrapped stage, [[Genocide City Zone]]
+
*"Genocide City 1 Zone" - [[Genocide City Zone]]
*"Genocide City 2 Zone" - and another version of [[Genocide City Zone]]
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*"Genocide City 2 Zone" - Genocide City Zone
  
 
===="Ruined present"====
 
===="Ruined present"====
*"Dust Hill Zone" - a level whose theme is unknown
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*"Dust Hill Zone" - expected to have become [[Mystic Cave Zone]]
*"Rock World Zone" - a potential rock-themed level that may or may not differ from the above
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*"Rock World Zone" - a potential rock-themed level, possibly [[Mystic Cave Zone]]
 
*"Oil Ocean Zone" - [[Oil Ocean Zone]]
 
*"Oil Ocean Zone" - [[Oil Ocean Zone]]
  
 
===="Ancient"====
 
===="Ancient"====
 
*"Hill Top Zone" - [[Hill Top Zone]]
 
*"Hill Top Zone" - [[Hill Top Zone]]
*"Blue Lake Zone" - a potential water-themed level
+
*"Blue Lake Zone" - a potential water-themed level, possibly [https://info.sonicretro.org/File:Sonic2_ConceptArt_BlueOcean.png Blue Ocean]
*"Rock World Zone" - a potential rock-themed level
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*"Rock World Zone" - another potential rock-themed level, possibly the rocky [[Hidden Palace Zone]]
*"Tropical Plant Zone" - a potential tropical-themed level
+
*"Tropical Plant Zone" - a potential tropical-themed level, likely [https://info.sonicretro.org/File:Sonic2_ConceptArt_TropicalSun.png Tropical Sun]
*"Olympus" - a potential Greek or tropical-themed, water based, or shrine-like level (which would become either the rocky Hidden Palace or [[Aquatic Ruin Zone]])
+
*"Olympus" - a potential Greek or water based, or shrine-like level, possibly [[Aquatic Ruin Zone]], [[Hidden Palace Zone]], or [https://info.sonicretro.org/File:Sonic2_ConceptArt_BlueOcean.png Blue Ocean]
  
 
===="Medieval"====
 
===="Medieval"====
 +
*A medieval era is suggested in the diagrams (since five eras are suggested here but only 4 are labelled) but no level maps where shown for this era. Concept art of [https://info.sonicretro.org/File:Sonic2_MadnessMountain_ConceptArtScrapped.jpg Madness Mountain], which appears to be in a castle, was likely a level for this setting.
  
*A medieval era is suggested in the diagrams (since five eras are suggested here but only 4 are labbelled) but no level maps where shown for this era.
+
Yasuhara's plans here are very early, likely debuting before any meaningful development work had begun on the game. The concept is believed to have been dropped prior to the game's public announcement, but these initial plans still shaped the final product. For example, [[Hill Top Zone]] contains volcanoes and dinosaur enemies, something usually associated with the distant past, and graphics are shared with [[Emerald Hill Zone]], its present counterpart.
 
 
Yasuhara's plans here are very early, likely debuting before any meaningful development work had begun on the game. The concept is believed to have been dropped prior to the game's public announcement, but these initial plans still shaped the final product. For example, [[Hill Top Zone]] contains volcanos and dinosaur enemies, something usually associated with the distant past, and graphics are shared with [[Emerald Hill Zone]], its present counterpart.
 
 
 
===Early cartridge labels===
 
On July 1st 2014, [[sega:Al Nilsen|Al Nilsen]] posted on his Twitter account, early holographic labels for ''Sonic 2''. They were not used on the final game due to the amount of money it cost to produce the labels, but one label was used for the [[Sonic the Hedgehog 2 (Nick Arcade prototype)|Nick Arcade prototype of Sonic 2]].
 
 
 
<gallery>
 
File:Early Sonic 2 Label 1.jpg
 
File:Early Sonic 2 Label 2.jpg
 
</gallery>
 
  
==Concept Art==
+
==Concept art==
  
===Character Art===
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===Character art===
  
 
<gallery>
 
<gallery>
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</gallery>
 
</gallery>
  
===Enemy Concept Art===
+
===Enemies===
 +
{{mainArticle|Sonic the Hedgehog 2 (16-bit) scrapped enemies}}
 
<gallery widths="148px" heights="140px" >
 
<gallery widths="148px" heights="140px" >
 
File:CollectionItem 118.png|A collection of various enemy doodles, used in the Japanese manual. Scan from ''Sonic Generations''.
 
File:CollectionItem 118.png|A collection of various enemy doodles, used in the Japanese manual. Scan from ''Sonic Generations''.
File:Sket banper.png|Concept art of [[Banper]].
 
File:S2enemyconcepts18.JPG|Sketches of fleshed out, unused badniks, seemingly using springs in their design.
 
File:Sket fishfrog.png|Concept art of the [[Frog]].
 
File:S2badnikconcepts.jpg|Features the Frog.
 
File:S2badnikconcepts7.jpg|The Frog yet again, along with a sketch of Sonic.
 
File:S2enemyconcepts12.JPG|More of the Frog badnik.
 
File:S2frogconcept.JPG|Working out the Frog in motion.
 
File:Sket bubbler.png|Concept art of [[Bubbler]] and [[Bubbler's Mother]].
 
File:Bubblerconcept.JPG|Further art of Bubbler.
 
File:S2badnikconcepts3.jpg|Concept art of Bubbler's Mother.
 
File:S2mbubblerconcept.JPG|More of Bubbler's Mother.
 
File:Sket bee.png|Concept art of [[Bee]].
 
File:Waspconcept.JPG|Concept art of Bee.
 
File:Sket snail.png|Concept art of [[Snail]].
 
File:S2badnikconcepts4.jpg|More concept art of the snail-like enemy.
 
File:S2enemyconcepts14.JPG|Working out the sprite look for a Snail enemy.
 
File:S2enemyconcepts15.JPG|More of the snail-like enemy.
 
File:Snailconcept.JPG|Concept art for Snail.
 
File:Snailconcept2.JPG|Descriptions of the Snail enemy.
 
File:S2crawlconcept.JPG|Concept art of [[Crawl]].
 
File:S2crawlconcept2.JPG|More Crawl concept art.
 
File:S2fishconcept.JPG|Early concept art for [[Masher]].
 
File:S2fishconcept2.JPG|Paper devoted to the Masher badnik.
 
File:S2badnikconcepts2.jpg|Features [[Other Scrapped Sonic 2 Badniks|Penguin]].
 
File:Tricerabotconcept.JPG|Concept art of [[Stego]].
 
File:Tricerabotconcept2.JPG|Further art of Stego.
 
File:S2sonicenemies.jpg|Working out Stego in sprite form.
 
File:S2badnikconcepts5.jpg|Sketches of the various Hidden Palace dinosaur enemies.
 
File:S2badnikconcepts9.jpg|More of the dinos.
 
File:S2enemyconcepts17.JPG|Various sketches, from Hidden Palace to Dust Hill (also, a friendly reminder to buy a new pad of paper).
 
File:S2badnikconcepts10.jpg|Possible enemy ideas for Dust Hill.
 
File:S2gatorconcept.JPG|Concept art of [[Gator]].
 
File:S2pillbugconcept.jpg|Idle drawings of Gator and an unused Pillbug, along with a sketch of Sonic.
 
File:S2badnikconcepts6.jpg|Numerous unused enemy concepts.
 
File:S2badnikconcepts8.jpg|A Spring-Orb badnik.
 
File:S2badnikconcepts11.jpg|Artwork for a squid badnik, most likely for underwater sections.
 
File:S2enemyconcepts13.JPG|Various sketches.
 
File:S2enemyconcepts16.JPG|Various sketches.
 
File:S2enemyconcepts20.jpg|Various sketches.
 
 
 
</gallery>
 
</gallery>
  
===Level Concept Art===
+
===Levels===
====Metropolis Zone====
+
====Metropolis Zone/Genocide City Zone====
 
 
 
<gallery widths="148px" heights="140px" >
 
<gallery widths="148px" heights="140px" >
Image:Metropolis concept.jpg|An early piece of concept art for [[Metropolis Zone]].
+
Metropolis concept.jpg|An early piece of concept art for [[Metropolis Zone]].
File:Metropolis conceptalt.jpg|An alternate coloration of the same image, the description being erroneously changed to "Interior of a blimp."
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Metropolis conceptalt.jpg|An alternate coloration of the same image, the description being erroneously changed to "Interior of a blimp."
File:Sonic2_Metropolis_ConceptArt1.jpg|Later revision of the previous concept art.
+
Sonic2_Metropolis_ConceptArt1.jpg|Later revision of the previous concept art.
File:S2metropolisconcepts.jpg|Early concept art.
+
Sonic2 MD TomPayne metropolisconcepts.jpg|Early concept art.
File:S2metropolisconcepts2.jpg|Early concept art. Text humorously refer to the level as "Sonic sweat shop."
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Sonic2 MD TomPayne metropolisconcepts2.jpg|Early concept art. Text humorously refer to the level as "Sonic sweat shop."
File:S2metrpolisconcepts3.jpg|Early concept art. Windows can be seen.
+
Sonic2 MD TomPayne metrpolisconcepts3.jpg|Early concept art. Windows can be seen.
File:S2metropolisfgconcept.jpg|Early concept art of the foreground.
+
Sonic2 MD TomPayne metropolisfgconcept.jpg|Early concept art of the foreground.
File:S2metropolisbgconcept.jpg|Early concept art of the background. Furnaces can be seen.
+
Sonic2 MD TomPayne metropolisbgconcept.jpg|Early concept art of the background. Furnaces can be seen.
File:Rhombusds.JPG|The unused diagonal elevators.
+
Sonic2 MD TomPayne Rhombusds.jpg|The unused diagonal elevators.
File:S2obstacles3.jpg|Art of the diagonal elevators.
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Sonic2 MD TomPayne obstacles3.jpg|Art of the diagonal elevators.
File:S2mtzchunks.jpg|Art of various elements to the Metropolis design.
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Sonic2 MD TomPayne mtzchunks.jpg|Art of various elements to the Metropolis design.
File:S2obstacles.jpg|Concept art for various obstacles. Drawn on STI letterhead.
+
Sonic2 MD TomPayne obstacles.jpg|Concept art for various obstacles. Drawn on STI letterhead.
File:S2obstacles2.jpg|Concept art for various obstacles. Drawn on STI letterhead.
+
Sonic2 MD TomPayne obstacles2.jpg|Concept art for various obstacles. Drawn on STI letterhead.
File:S2obstacles4.jpg|Concept art for various obstacles.
+
Sonic2 MD TomPayne obstacles4.jpg|Concept art for various obstacles.
File:S2obstacles5.jpg|Concept art for various obstacles.
+
Sonic2 MD TomPayne obstacles5.jpg|Concept art for various obstacles.
File:S2obstacles6.jpg|Concept art for various obstacles.
+
Sonic2 MD TomPayne obstacles6.jpg|Concept art for various obstacles.
File:S2gearconcept.jpg|Concept art of the iconic gears.
+
Sonic2 MD TomPayne gearconcept.jpg|Concept art of the iconic gears.
File:S2gearconcept2.jpg|More of the gears.
+
Sonic2 MD TomPayne gearconcept2.jpg|More of the gears.
File:S2obstaclelist.jpg|A list of obstacles slated for use, including those unused.
+
Sonic2 MD TomPayne MZNut.jpg
File:Metropolis1a.jpg|Early Act 1 map. Has diagonally slanted rotating steel drums. Very different from final. Only two things seem very similar to final; the general positioning of the starting area, and the short downward ramp leading to a flat area with the end sign.
+
Sonic2 MD TomPayne obstaclelist.jpg|A list of obstacles slated for use, including those unused.
File:Metropolis2a.jpg|Early Act 2 map. Has giant crusher. Very different from final. Aside from the immediate starting area and an area with a half-loop leading to a ramp in the top-left, almost nothing recognizable remains.
+
Sonic2 MD TomPayne Metropolis1a.jpg|Early Act 1 map. Has diagonally slanted rotating steel drums. Very different from final. Only two things seem very similar to final; the general positioning of the starting area, and the short downward ramp leading to a flat area with the end sign.
File:Metropolismapx.jpg|Another Act 2 map.
+
Sonic2 MD TomPayne Metropolis2a.jpg|Early Act 2 map. Has giant crusher. Very different from final. Aside from the immediate starting area and an area with a half-loop leading to a ramp in the top-left, almost nothing recognizable remains.
File:Metropolis3a.jpg|Early Act 3 map. Has a diagonal elevator.
+
Sonic2 MD TomPayne Metropolismapx.jpg|Another Act 2 map.
File:Metropolis3b.jpg|Early Act 3 map. Features a horizontal spike obstacle, similar to the ones removed from [[Marble Zone]] of the first game.
+
Sonic2 MD TomPayne Metropolis3a.jpg|Early Act 3 map. Has a diagonal elevator.
File:Metropolis3c.jpg|Early Act 3 map.
+
Sonic2 MD TomPayne Metropolis3b.jpg|Early Act 3 map. Features a horizontal spike obstacle, similar to the ones removed from [[Marble Zone]] of the first game.
 +
Sonic2 MD TomPayne Metropolis3c.jpg|Early Act 3 map.
 +
Sonic2 MD TomPayne MZ1 Map1 1.jpg
 +
Sonic2 MD TomPayne MZ1 Map1 2.jpg
 +
Sonic2 MD TomPayne MZ2 Map1 1.jpg
 +
Sonic2 MD TomPayne MZ2 Map1 2.jpg
 +
Sonic2 MD TomPayne MZ3 Map1 1.jpg
 +
Sonic2 MD TomPayne MZ3 Map1 2.jpg
 +
Sonic2 MD TomPayne MZ3 Map1 3.jpg
 +
Sonic2 MD TomPayne MZ3 Map2 1.jpg
 +
Sonic2 MD TomPayne MZ3 Map2 2.jpg
 +
Sonic2 MD TomPayne MZ3 Map3 1.jpg
 +
Sonic2 MD TomPayne MZ3 Map3 2.jpg
 +
Sonic2 MD TomPayne Map 1.jpg
 +
Sonic2 MD TomPayne Map 2.jpg
 +
Sonic2 MD TomPayne Chunks.jpg|Chunks
 +
Cybercity concept.jpg|Concept art for the scrapped [[Cyber City Zone]].
 +
Sonic2_CyberCity_ConceptColor.jpg|Cyber City Zone
 +
Sonic2 MD TomPayne gczconcepts.jpg|Concepts of various items belonging to Cyber City.
 +
Sonic2 MD TomPayne GCZ Chunks1.jpg|Genocide City Zone chunks
 +
Sonic2 MD TomPayne GCZ Chunks2.jpg|Genocide City Zone chunks
 
</gallery>
 
</gallery>
  
====Assorted Levels====
+
====Assorted levels====
 
<gallery widths="148px" heights="140px" >
 
<gallery widths="148px" heights="140px" >
Cybercity concept.jpg|Concept art for the scrapped [[Genocide City Zone|Cyber City Zone]].
+
 
File:Sonic2_CyberCity_ConceptColor.jpg|Concept art for the scrapped Cyber City Zone.
+
Sonic2_ConceptArt_DeathEggScrapped.jpg|[[Death Egg Zone]]
File:Sonic2_MadnessMountain_ConceptArtScrapped.jpg|Concept art for the scrapped Madness Mountain Zone.
+
Sonic2 ConceptArt SecretJungle.png|Concept art for Secret Jungle, which resembles the scrapped [[Wood Zone]].
File:Sonic2_ConceptArt_DeathEggScrapped.jpg|Concept art for the scrapped Death Egg Zone.
+
Sonic2 ConceptArt EmeraldIsle.png|Concept art for Emerald Isle, which resembles [[Aquatic Ruin Zone]].
S2concept-1.png|Sonic and Tails near a large ramp. Most likely the [[Emerald Hill Zone]].
+
Sonic2 ConceptArt OceanWind.jpg|Ocean Wind Zone
 +
Sonic2_MadnessMountain_ConceptArtScrapped.jpg|"Madness Mountain"
 +
Sonic2 ConceptArt TropicalSun.png|"Tropical Sun"
 +
Sonic2 ConceptArt BlueOcean.png|"Blue Ocean"
 +
S2concept-1.png|Sonic and Tails near a large ramp. Most likely [[Emerald Hill Zone]].
 
S2concept-2.png|The familiar "moving blocks" area from [[Chemical Plant Zone]].
 
S2concept-2.png|The familiar "moving blocks" area from [[Chemical Plant Zone]].
S2concept-3.png|Various ideas for [[Sky Chase Zone]] and possibly [[Hill Top Zone]].
+
S2concept-3.png|Various ideas for [[Sky Chase Zone]], and possibly [[Hill Top Zone]].
GD Sonic2 Plane.jpg
+
GD Sonic2 Plane.jpg|Sky Chase Zone, and possibly [[Wing Fortress Zone]].
 
</gallery>
 
</gallery>
  
===Objects===
+
===Miscellaneous documents===
 
<gallery widths="148px" heights="140px" >
 
<gallery widths="148px" heights="140px" >
Image:Sket ball.png|A bouncing ball which was scrapped before release. Its [[:File:Spr ball.gif|sprites]] were located in a prototype version in Oil Ocean Zone.
+
File:Sonic2 MD TomPayne spritesystem.jpg|Explanation of the sprite system.
File:RollingBallConceptArt.jpg|More bouncing ball concept art. Taken from [[:File:S2badnikconcepts2.jpg|this file]].
+
File:Sonic2 MD TomPayne spritelist.jpg|List of sprites.
File:S2ballframes.jpg|Page dealing with the frames of the bouncing ball.
+
File:Sonic2 MD TomPayne TASKLIST.jpg|Task list from which Tom Payne worked with.
File:S2ballthingy.jpg|Artwork of the bouncing ball in full color.
+
File:Sonic2 MD TomPayne tasklist2.jpg|A more informal list of tasks Tom Payne had to do.
File:S2gczconcepts.jpg|Concepts of various items belonging to Cyber City.
+
File:Sonic2 MD TomPayne paldata.jpg|File dealing with the palette data of the game.
 +
File:Sonic2 MD TomPayne lavabubds.jpg|Information about a lava bubbling animation.
 +
File:Sonic2 MD TomPayne Collisionarray.jpg|Information on the collision array of ''Sonic 2.''
 +
File:Sonic2 MD TomPayne Collisionarray2.jpg|More on the collision array.
 +
File:Sonic2 MD TomPayne Collisionarray3.jpg|More on the collision array.
 +
File:Sonic2 MD TomPayne Collisionarray4.jpg|More on the collision array.
 +
File:Sonic2 MD TomPayne Collisionarray5.jpg|More on the collision array.
 +
File:Sonic2 MD TomPayne Col4 29.jpg|More on the collision array.
 +
File:Sonic2 MD TomPayne enemylevels.jpg|A list determining which enemies go with which stage.
 +
File:Sonic2 MD TomPayne sludgehog.jpg|A joke image of Sonic brandishing a gun, unknowingly foreshadowing the game ''[[Shadow the Hedgehog (game)|Shadow the Hedgehog]]''.
 
</gallery>
 
</gallery>
  
===Miscellaneous Documents===
+
==Early cartridge labels==
 
+
On July 1st 2014, [[sega:Al Nilsen|Al Nilsen]] posted on his Twitter account, early holographic labels for ''Sonic 2''. They were not used on the final game due to the amount of money it cost to produce the labels, but one label was used for the [[Sonic the Hedgehog 2 (Nick Arcade prototype)|Nick Arcade prototype of Sonic 2]].
<gallery widths="148px" heights="140px" >
+
<gallery>
File:S2spritesystem.jpg|Explanation of the sprite system.
+
File:Early Sonic 2 Label 1.jpg
File:S2spritelist.jpg|List of sprites.
+
File:Early Sonic 2 Label 2.jpg
File:S2TASKLIST.jpg|Task list from which Tom Payne worked with.
 
File:S2tasklist2.jpg|A more informal list of tasks Tom Payne had to do.
 
File:S2paldata.jpg|File dealing with the palette data of the game.
 
File:S2lavabubds.JPG|Information about a lava bubbling animation.
 
File:Collisionarray.jpg|Information on the collision array of ''Sonic 2.''
 
File:Collisionarray2.jpg|More on the collision array.
 
File:Collisionarray3.jpg|More on the collision array.
 
File:Collisionarray4.jpg|More on the collision array.
 
File:Collisionarray5.jpg|More on the collision array.
 
File:Col4 29.jpg|More on the collision array.
 
File:S2enemylevels.jpg|A list determining which enemies go with which stage.
 
File:S2sludgehog.jpg|A joke image of Sonic brandishing a gun, unknowingly foreshadowing the game ''[[Shadow the Hedgehog (game)|Shadow the Hedgehog]]''.
 
 
</gallery>
 
</gallery>
  
Line 231: Line 206:
 
In the early months of 1992, Sega released a small handful of ''Sonic 2'' "screenshots" alongside confirmation of the game's existence. However, under closer inspection you can see that these are not screenshots at all, but instead mockups using what few assets were currently available at the time (and sprites from ''Sonic 1''). In all these mockups, Sonic is off-centre, the layout does not exist in the final game, and enemy and ring placements are strange.
 
In the early months of 1992, Sega released a small handful of ''Sonic 2'' "screenshots" alongside confirmation of the game's existence. However, under closer inspection you can see that these are not screenshots at all, but instead mockups using what few assets were currently available at the time (and sprites from ''Sonic 1''). In all these mockups, Sonic is off-centre, the layout does not exist in the final game, and enemy and ring placements are strange.
 
<gallery widths="320px" heights="240px" >
 
<gallery widths="320px" heights="240px" >
mag_compare4a.jpg|An early mockup of the zone with an off-center Sonic. Note the [[Green Hill Zone]] clouds in the background and the Sonic 1 HUD.
+
mag_compare4a.jpg|An early mockup of [[Emerald Hill Zone]] with an off-center Sonic. Note the [[Green Hill Zone (Sonic the Hedgehog 16-bit)|Green Hill Zone]] clouds in the background and the Sonic 1 HUD.
 
EHZ mockup hires.jpg|(Better quality version of the mockup, albeit with the top and bottom missing).
 
EHZ mockup hires.jpg|(Better quality version of the mockup, albeit with the top and bottom missing).
 +
GD Sonic2 EHZ Mockup 3.png|Another version - full resolution but blurrier image quality.
  
 
mag_compare1a.jpg|An early mockup screenshot of [[Hidden Palace Zone]]. Sonic is off center and there is a background not seen in any later screenshots.
 
mag_compare1a.jpg|An early mockup screenshot of [[Hidden Palace Zone]]. Sonic is off center and there is a background not seen in any later screenshots.
 
HPZ diffBG.png|A different scan of the previous image.
 
HPZ diffBG.png|A different scan of the previous image.
mag_compare3a.jpg|The only shot of [[Dust Hill Zone]], a conceptual mockup. "[[Gator]]" exists within early prototypes of the game.  
+
mag_compare3a.jpg|A conceptual mockup of a desert zone. "[[Gator]]" exists within early prototypes of the game.  
 
DesertlevelCorrectColor.JPG|A color-corrected version of the same image.
 
DesertlevelCorrectColor.JPG|A color-corrected version of the same image.
 
</gallery>
 
</gallery>
Line 272: Line 248:
 
Sonic2 MD Development EHZ2P 07.jpg
 
Sonic2 MD Development EHZ2P 07.jpg
 
Sonic2 MD Development EHZ2P 03.jpg|...while here, "Tails" has his own icon, though it still says "Sonic".
 
Sonic2 MD Development EHZ2P 03.jpg|...while here, "Tails" has his own icon, though it still says "Sonic".
mag_compare25a.png|Tails is still in his spawning location, but has collected 24 rings in 16 seconds. Is the HUD being shared?
+
Sonic2 MD Development EHZ2P 08.jpg|Tails is still in his spawning location, but has collected 24 rings in 16 seconds. Is the HUD being shared?
 
mag_compare14a.jpg|Also of note is the score counter, removed in the final game's two player mode.
 
mag_compare14a.jpg|Also of note is the score counter, removed in the final game's two player mode.
 
Sonic2 MD Development EHZ2P 01.jpg
 
Sonic2 MD Development EHZ2P 01.jpg
Line 279: Line 255:
 
Sonic2 MD Development EHZ2P 04.jpg
 
Sonic2 MD Development EHZ2P 04.jpg
 
Sonic2 MD Development EHZ2P 05.jpg
 
Sonic2 MD Development EHZ2P 05.jpg
 +
Sonic2 MD Development EHZ2P 09.jpg
 
Sonic2 MD Development EHZ2P 06.jpg|Perhaps ''[[sega:Marukatsu Mega Drive|Marukatsu Mega Drive]]'' didn't get the memo - you're not supposed to show Eggman in 2-player mode! Only the lower part is visible, but the graphics are less corrupted than in the Simon Wai build.
 
Sonic2 MD Development EHZ2P 06.jpg|Perhaps ''[[sega:Marukatsu Mega Drive|Marukatsu Mega Drive]]'' didn't get the memo - you're not supposed to show Eggman in 2-player mode! Only the lower part is visible, but the graphics are less corrupted than in the Simon Wai build.
 
Sonic2 MD Development CPZ 01.jpg|At the bottom right of Sonic and Tails, a section of underwater background is lighter than the final game (and the CENSOR prototype). The Simon Wai prototype also features this.
 
Sonic2 MD Development CPZ 01.jpg|At the bottom right of Sonic and Tails, a section of underwater background is lighter than the final game (and the CENSOR prototype). The Simon Wai prototype also features this.
Line 287: Line 264:
 
CNZ pink.jpg|...it's not without missing features, though.
 
CNZ pink.jpg|...it's not without missing features, though.
 
Sonic2 MD Development CNZ2P 01.jpg|2-player mode with final level graphics, but the score display is still present.
 
Sonic2 MD Development CNZ2P 01.jpg|2-player mode with final level graphics, but the score display is still present.
mag gamepro 3.jpg|Signs that [[Mystic Cave Zone]] is still being mistakenly referred to as "Dust Hill Zone".
+
mag gamepro 3.jpg|Signs that [[Mystic Cave Zone]] is still being referred to as "Dust Hill Zone".
 
Sonic2 MD Development MCZ2P 01.jpg|Score counter in 2-player mode.
 
Sonic2 MD Development MCZ2P 01.jpg|Score counter in 2-player mode.
 
OOZ ball.jpg|The ridable balls are still in place in [[Oil Ocean Zone]].
 
OOZ ball.jpg|The ridable balls are still in place in [[Oil Ocean Zone]].
Line 306: Line 283:
 
</gallery>
 
</gallery>
  
==See Also==
+
==See also==
 
*[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XbshEiRferY Sonic Panic] - A ten minute look into the creation and development of ''Sonic the Hedgehog 2'', featuring Yuji Naka and some guests. Was given away in Japan to those who had preordered the game.
 
*[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XbshEiRferY Sonic Panic] - A ten minute look into the creation and development of ''Sonic the Hedgehog 2'', featuring Yuji Naka and some guests. Was given away in Japan to those who had preordered the game.
  

Revision as of 05:31, 31 March 2020

Sonic the Hedgehog 2 went through many ideas and changes during the development process. What follows is a collection of items related to the game's development.

Development Process

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Due to changing events, this article is either no longer correct or needs information added to it to make it complete. Please update it so that it meets current knowledge.
Behind the scenes of the Sonic the Hedgehog 2 Japanese commercial.

After the tremendous success of Sonic the Hedgehog, it was only natural to expect a sequel to the game. Though many would have assumed the original team would be already scheduled to spearhead the second entry in the series, right off the bat, problems arose that would turn the production of Sonic the Hedgehog 2 into the words legends are made of. Yuji Naka, the man responsible for the engine of the first game, had run into issues with the management of Sega of Japan. Though the game had been a success, the powers that be at the company were not happy with how everything turned out, among the disagreements the amount of time that had been spent programming the project. Growing weary of politics, Naka quit Sega, intending to look for work elsewhere.

Back in the United States, Mark Cerny, the man who had come up with the gaming classic Marble Madness, had been hired by Sega to create a new gaming studio for the company, the Sega Technical Institute (STI). The general idea behind the studio was to hire talented individuals who were only getting their start in the industry and teach them the ways of the gaming development world, not only with the talent already established in the U.S., but by talent originating from Japan who had proven themselves in a far different commercial environment. Placing advertisements in local newspapers, the resumes began pouring in, with such people as Tom Payne, Brenda Ross, and future-creator of Spyro the Dragon Craig Stitt becoming employees of this new experiment in game development.

During the production of the original Sonic the Hedgehog, Mark Cerny had already secured Hirokazu Yasuhara, the director of that project, to come out to the United States and work for STI once his job back at Sega of Japan was done. However, when Cerny learned of Yuji Naka's departure from the company, he immediately called up his long-time friend, attempting to persuade him to come out to America as well, and become a part of his venture. With the promise of a better salary and more executive power, Naka took Mark up on the offer, hiring back into the Sega fold.[1]

Though the American staff of STI cut their teeth on the game Kid Chameleon, with the arrival of Naka, Yasuhara, and a handful of other Japanese staff members, Cerny was sure Sega would give the team their biggest and most obvious assignment - the sequel to Sonic the Hedgehog. With two of the three main people behind the success of the first game (the third, Naoto Ohshima, stayed behind and eventually directed Sonic CD) it only made sense to devote the entire studio to Sega's biggest franchise. Even though the Japanese staff arrived in September, it would be two months until work on the sequel began.

I'd managed to reunite two of the three key Sonic Team members...at my Sega Technical Institute. They were ready to start work on their next project, and so I asked marketing the obvious question, "would you like another Sonic?" Bizarrely, the response was, and again I kid you not, "no, it's much too soon." So we found another game to make, and in November, as we were getting started, marketing came back and said "oops, we do need that game, and we need it now." So the team lost two months out of an eleven month schedule!

— Mark Cerny, programmer for Sonic the Hedgehog 2[2]

Filled to brim with ideas, one of the first elements the team decided on was that they wanted a new main character to be introduced in the game. Before Yuji Naka agreed to become a part of the Sonic 2 team, one of his requests was that there would be a two-player mode, a feature he wanted to include in the original title, but did not have the time to implement. An internal competition was held within Sonic Team and STI to find the best character that could be used for this new addition to the franchise, and though many entries were submitted (including one from artist Craig Stitt for a flying turtle named "Boomer"), it was Yasushi Yamaguchi who won with his two-tailed fox character. Originally wanting him to be named "Miles Prower," the rest of the team felt his name should simply be "Tails," to match the simplistic nature of Sonic's name. Unhappy with this idea, Yamaguchi (who became the lead zone artist in the game) decided to sneak the name "Miles Prower" into various concept art and in the game, making both names legitimate in the end.

Being nothing less than ambitious, the original plan was to make a sprawling, 18-zone epic, revisiting the unique level tropes Sonic Team had created for the first game, putting their own spin on traditional platformer levels like desert and snow worlds, and even come up with some ideas that would be totally new. Emerald Hill, Hill Top, Oil Ocean, Hidden Palace, Sand Shower and the never-formally-titled Winter Zone were some of the first levels to be worked on, the concept of time travel also being talked about in early production meetings. However, it became obvious early on that if they were to have the game ready for the Christmas season of 1992, they could not finish every world that was on the drawing board. The time travel concept was dropped almost immediately, and Sand Shower and its winter counterpart were some of the first zones to be put on the chopping block, much to the chagrin of Brenda Ross, the artist responsible for their appearence.[3]

Though the two sides of STI tried to work together, the language barrier proved to be too much at times. Most of the meetings for the direction of Sonic the Hedgehog 2 were done in Japanese (Mark Cerny being fluent in the language), leaving the American side in the dust. Trying to mesh the two cultures and work ethics became a challenge in itself, with some members unable to get along with Yuji Naka's intense personality. Tom Payne, who himself never had any issues with the Japanese half of the team, recalled in an interview later the stark differences between the American mindset of a nine-to-five job and the Japanese mindset of working almost all hours of the night, with members like Yamaguchi and Yasuhara being extremely passionate with the quality of the whole:

Well for me-- this was my first job so I only had Sonic 1 to go by & tried to make it match that style. I'd say [that] it was Yamaguchi who laid out the look. He would stay all night & fix everything that we did wrong. Quite an amazing fellow.

— Tom Payne, Zone Artist for Sonic the Hedgehog 2[4]

With the American and Japanese teams having very different approaches to using color in the zone art and in creating the level layouts themselves, it was up to the senior members of the Japanese staff to help unify the look of the final product, cutting through the cultural differences to provide the best product they could muster in the time allowed.

The much-discussed Hidden Palace Zone.

Even if tensions could rise as the leaders of the project demanded perfection, work on Sonic the Hedgehog 2 continued unfettered. With each passing day, the hype behind the project grew more and more, immense pressure being put on the collective team. Not content with just the random screenshot from time to time, Sega wanted to advertise the game in as many ways possible. Getting in contact with the children's TV network Nickelodeon, a special cartridge was put together to be played on the gameshow Nick Arcade, featuring an early version of Emerald Hill. This prototype, later referred to as the "Nick Arcade prototype," was eventually leaked onto the Internet in 2006. Sometime after the airing of the show, another early build was put together to help drum up interest, being a playable demo to the public at a New York toy show. However, security was not up to snuff, and at the end, the cartridge was stolen. Later to be known as the "Simon Wai" prototype (named after the man who discovered the ROM image on the Internet back in 1999), it was this build that was the source of many prerelease information related to the game.

Even knowing early on they would not have enough time to work on everything they had set out to in the beginning, as the release date drew nearer, it became more than obvious that the team would have barely enough time to finish the eleven zones that ended up in the final game. Cyber City Zone, a one-act level that was meant to follow Metropolis Zone (and was briefly called "Genocide City", but was changed once the Japanese staff fully realized what the word meant), was scrapped, most of it being converted into the third act of Metropolis. The very last level to be removed was one of the first that had been worked on, the Hidden Palace Zone. Conceived as an area Sonic would warp to after collecting all seven Chaos Emeralds, both game flow and deadlines forced the team to drop it, instead awarding the power of Super Sonic immediately after the seventh special stage was completed.

My only complaint was that if art had to get cut out it always seemed to be the American's on the team who's art got cut. Sometimes this was because the art wasn't working, but on other occasions, I don't believe this was the case. (such as with Hidden Palace, although I never was happy with the far background).

— Craig Stitt, Zone Artist for Sonic the Hedgehog 2[5]

Sega of America's CEO Tom Kalinske along with a plethora of early 90's TV stars, gathered to promote the release of Sonic 2.

To make the deadline, Sega of Japan, only a few weeks before the Christmas selling season, had thirteen additional Japanese staff members fly out to San Francisco to iron out any issues or problems the game had. Details, such as the title screen, were changed days before it was to be certified, and even the game credits were thrown together at the last minute, causing some people to be miscredited in terms of what they contributed to Sonic 2.

The game was released simultaneously in the United States and Europe on "Sonic 2sday." A marketing campaign promoting the concept of "blast processing" was pursued, while back in Japan the campaign focused on the introduction of "Tails." The entire team, both American and Japanese, celebrated together on November 23rd, 1992, proud of the game that, against the odds, would not only be the biggest selling Sonic game on the Mega Drive, but the best selling game of the 16-bit era.

Also of note is the fact the game contained references to some of the biggest pop culture phenomenons on both sides of the Pacific. The Death Egg, Eggman's ultimate weapon in the game, was modeled after the Death Star, the superweapon featured in the Star Wars trilogy. Meanwhile, the seven Chaos Emeralds and the introduction of Super Sonic were homages to the well-known Chinese fable The Golden Warrior and its then-current interpretation being published in Japan, Dragon Ball.

It is also possible that a Mega-CD port of Sonic the Hedgehog 2 was planned early on in the development cycle, but it was decided that the team should remain focused on the Mega Drive cart.

Music

Just like the first game, Masato Nakamura, leader of the band Dreams Come True, was in charge of creating the soundtrack to Sonic 2. Wanting to stay faithful to what he had done in the first game, but give the audience even more, Nakamura felt the pressure of writing music that would satisfy fans of the firstMedia:Sonic1&2Soundtrack JP Booklet.pdf[6]. With the game released and receiving all sorts of praise, Nakamura decided to give something back to the team that had given him the chance to create the music in the first place.

[A]fter finishing all of the tracks for the sequel, Nakamura sent me a fax saying, "I've got a present for you. It's a surprise!" The other members of Sonic Team and I tried to figure out what it might be, but we could never have guessed that Nakamura reworked the ending theme that he provided for us for Sonic the Hedgehog 2 into a song entitled "SWEET SWEET SWEET" for inclusion on the DREAMS COME TRUE album that he worked on in London. I remember how ecstatic and moved all of us on Sonic Team were upon learning of our "present." That particular song remains a huge favorite of mine, and continues to hold very strong memories for me. For that, I am truly grateful.

— Yuji Naka, Chief Programmer for Sonic the Hedgehog 2Media:Sonic1&2Soundtrack JP Booklet.pdf[7]

Time travel

In May 2017, Sonic 2's "planner", Hirokazu Yasuhara detailed some of the earlier stages of Sonic the Hedgehog 2's development as part of a game design presentation at Digital Dragons 2017[8]. Of particular note is the idea that Sonic 2 once incorporated a time travelling mechanic - a feature that was never mentioned in public at the time, but found itself in a different guise as part of Sonic the Hedgehog CD.

However, Sonic 2's version of time travel was something very different - time zones would be accessed in a more linear way, and rather than appear as re-skinned and slightly tweaked versions of the same levels, each time period would have an entirely new set of stages.

Yasuhara's presentation featured four slides containing planned time periods, and a rough idea of how they linked together:

The plot is believed to have been much the same as Sonic CD - Eggman travels into the past, and his actions damage the future. Sonic's task would be to follow Eggman into the past and right the wrongs. To travel through time, Sonic would go to a "warp point", though the precise mechanics are not understood. Arrows suggest the levels were set to be tackled in a clockwise direction.

Early names of levels are detailed in these slides:

"Present"

"Future"

"Ruined present"

"Ancient"

"Medieval"

  • A medieval era is suggested in the diagrams (since five eras are suggested here but only 4 are labelled) but no level maps where shown for this era. Concept art of Madness Mountain, which appears to be in a castle, was likely a level for this setting.

Yasuhara's plans here are very early, likely debuting before any meaningful development work had begun on the game. The concept is believed to have been dropped prior to the game's public announcement, but these initial plans still shaped the final product. For example, Hill Top Zone contains volcanoes and dinosaur enemies, something usually associated with the distant past, and graphics are shared with Emerald Hill Zone, its present counterpart.

Concept art

Character art

Enemies

Sonic Retro emblem.svg Main article: Sonic the Hedgehog 2 (16-bit) scrapped enemies

Levels

Metropolis Zone/Genocide City Zone

Assorted levels

Miscellaneous documents

Early cartridge labels

On July 1st 2014, Al Nilsen posted on his Twitter account, early holographic labels for Sonic 2. They were not used on the final game due to the amount of money it cost to produce the labels, but one label was used for the Nick Arcade prototype of Sonic 2.

Promotional Screenshots

Early Mock-Ups

In the early months of 1992, Sega released a small handful of Sonic 2 "screenshots" alongside confirmation of the game's existence. However, under closer inspection you can see that these are not screenshots at all, but instead mockups using what few assets were currently available at the time (and sprites from Sonic 1). In all these mockups, Sonic is off-centre, the layout does not exist in the final game, and enemy and ring placements are strange.

Summer 1992 Screenshots

Over the summer, possibly for Summer CES 1992, Sega released a handful of "real" Sonic 2 screenshots. They appear to be consistent with the "Simon Wai" prototype, with different graphics and Tails showing signs of his older AI scripts. However saying that, it is fully possible he was being controlled by the second player, in order to get the best possible screenshot composition.

This marks the first time Sonic 2 was shown to the general public at large - the "Nick Arcade" prototype was likely shown to journalists behind the scenes at Summer CES 1992 (and of course appeared on Nick Arcade, as well as being teased in Sega Visions), but cruicially, this is the first time Tails was seen on-screen.

In North America, Sonic 2's box art uses three of these screenshots, rather than images from the final game.

Later Prototypes

Between the "Simon Wai" and "CENSOR" prototypes lies at least one, but likely two prototypes sent to the gaming press to promote Sonic 2. Beta 4 and all later prototypes were only used internally - the following likely shows the last non-final Sonic 2 ROM to be covered by game publications.

In all of these screenshots, Sonic and Tails have their final animations, but are often seen in zones which were altered (or scrapped!) before release. This prototype was also used for the game's manual in North America.

See also

  • Sonic Panic - A ten minute look into the creation and development of Sonic the Hedgehog 2, featuring Yuji Naka and some guests. Was given away in Japan to those who had preordered the game.

References


Sonic the Hedgehog 2 (16-bit)
Sonic2 title.png

Main page (KiS2|2013|3D|Ages)
Comparisons (KiS2) (2013)
Maps (KiS2) (2013)
Achievements
Credits


Manuals
Promotional material
Magazine articles
Video coverage
Reception
Merchandise


Development
Hidden content (KiS2) (2013)
Bugs (KiS2) (2013)
Region coding
Hacking guide
Bootlegs