Sonic the Hedgehog 3 (prototype; 1993-11-03)/Comparisons/Lava Reef Zone

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Lava Reef Zone, like other Sonic & Knuckles Zones, is a generally broken and inaccessible mess if the level is forced to load by regular codes, but it surprisingly has a lot of leftover content from an earlier build buried at the end of the ROM. To properly access it, the game must be hacked in order to force it to load this leftover data, which just so happens to contain all of the necessary data for Act 1. The only data that is missing is collision.

Act 1

Sonic 3 prototype

Sonic & Knuckles final

The Act begins with Sonic and Tails dropping in from the top like they would do in the final. However, they are not in their "falling" animations.

Sonic 3 prototype

Sonic & Knuckles final

As the player can clearly see, Lava Reef looks vastly different than it does compared to the Sonic 3C prototypes and in Sonic & Knuckles, sporting different palettes, rock formations and even different pipes. There are no objects, aside from a few placeholder Rings found embedded in the left wall at the start. The HUD even has incorrect colours.

Sonic 3 prototype

Sonic & Knuckles final

The posts that decorate the Act are taller and purple-coloured.

Sonic 3 prototype

Sonic & Knuckles final

Lava cannot hurt the player.

Sonic 3 prototype

Sonic & Knuckles final

The Death Egg in the background looks different than it does in the final.

Sonic 3 prototype

Sonic & Knuckles final

There is no boss. Going to the right of where the Act ends leads to the loopback.

Map

Sonic 3 prototype
Sonic & Knuckles final

Act 2

Map

Sonic 3 prototype
Sonic & Knuckles final