Sonic the Hedgehog 2 (8-bit)/Development

Back to: Sonic the Hedgehog 2 (8-bit).

Sonic the Hedgehog 2 had gone through several changes over its development process. There are several rejected ideas, level designs, and other things that were left on the cutting room floor. The following details several of these things.

Prototype screenshots

AutoDemo screenshots

These screenshots are consistent with the content seen in the Sonic 2 AutoDemo, and were most likely captured from that release.

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  This map was stitched together by a magazine via individual screenshots, and turned out to be quite accurate.

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Under Ground Zone

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  Wheels can be seen sparking. Different life icon, along with the lack of a ring icon. HUD is smaller than usual. Possible mockup.

Sky High Zone

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  Prototype screenshots show Sky High and Green Hills using some very basic checkered floors, similar to Sonic 1.

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  There's palette differences and more trees than in the final game too.

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  The checkerboard style is used in the opening cutscene, the ending and can be seen scrolling in the title card animations.

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  Blue rings? Early graphics for the clouds are seen here.

Aqua Lake Zone

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  A slightly different title card, with Sonic and Tails jumping onto a different type of floor.

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  Checkerboard floor and different palette for being underwater within the 2nd act. Found on the outside of a US Sonic 2 Game Gear bundle box.

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Green Hills Zone

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  This image is thought to be a mockup, as far too many sprites are being rendered at once, for the hardware, the boss (and Robotnik) do not appear in this zone and there are a great deal more rings (in addition to the differing HUD, with the timer staying the same when compared to the possible mockup of Under Ground Zone, mentioned earlier).

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  A later build with finalized trees, alas with the rest of the graphics yet to be redone.

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  Found in Sega Visions: Issue August/September 1992.

Miscellaneous

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  Title screen with rearranged copyright information and no ™ symbol.

Video footage

Sega Shinsaku Soft Video Vol. 23

Footage of Sonic the Hedgehog 2 was featured in the 23rd volume of the Sega Shinsaku Soft Video VHS series. The build shown in the video is of a later build than the AutoDemo prototype, though is still very early in development, showing footage of Under Ground Zone, Sky High Zone and Aqua Lake Zone.

Under Ground Zone is shown to be the most complete of the Zones in the build, with Badniks, lava pits, jumping fireballs and the minecarts all functional. The footage shows Act 2 with some layout differences, such as having more Rings in the lower route beneath the starting point. Whenever Sonic took damage in this build, his animation would use the death/drowning sprites.

Title cards have been implemented, though Sky High Zone is displayed as "Sky Hi Zone". Sky High in this build is shown to have the same early tileset as seen in the AutoDemo, albeit with a rotating palette having mistakenly been used for the springs and bridges. The level design for Act 1 is shown to have been updated from the AutoDemo, but is still very different from the final game, and features rolling boulders as a hazard that would become unused in the final game. A "?" Monitor, which would also go unused, is shown, however it does nothing. The Bonus Panel has been implemented and is shown at the end of the Act, but uses early sprites.

Finally, Aqua Lake Zone Act 1 is shown with an early layout and a very early tileset. While it features the fountains and background pillars that would be in the final tileset, its foreground is copied from Green Hills Zone's early tileset, and various other early graphics can be seen. Water is present in the Zone, but has no effect on Sonic's movement. Sonic is also shown breaking 1UP and Power Sneakers monitors in this Zone, though both monitors make Invincibility stars appear that don't protect him from damage.

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  YouTube video.