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Sonic 2 Prototype Development Timeline

Information

This table operates under the assumption that the Nick Arcade proto and the Sega Visions '92 proto are one and the same, as there is no evidence to suggest otherwise. Likewise, it assumes that the title screen pictured in the Sonic 2 manual is that of Beta 4.

Betas 1 through 3 are not within our possession (yet) so I didn't bother adding empty columns.

Table

  NA Alpha Wai Alpha Mean Machines VHS Beta 4 Beta 5 Beta 6 Beta 7 Beta 8 Final
Title screen Old Old Old Old (2P) Final (no Options) Final ("Option") Final
Level Select Sonic 1 Rev01 Wai  ? Wai layout, final levels (sans HPZ) Final Final Final
Title cards None None ? Final Final Final Final Final Final
Spin Dash trail N N ? Y Y Y Y Y Y
Spike behavior S1 S1 S1 S1 S2 S2 S2 S2 S2
Lie down pose N N ? Y Y Y Y Y Y
EHZ Coconuts N N Y Y Y Y Y Y Y
EHZ Snail Y Y N N N N N N N
Boss explosions Y (S1 style) N ? Y Y Y Y Y Y
HTZ Seesaw Green Orb Sol Sol Sol Sol Sol Sol Sol Sol
MTZ Nets n/a N ? Y Y Y Y Y Y

Zone slots

Each box contains 2 names: The top name is how it is labeled in the level select. The bottom name is what the zone is or corresponds to in the final

# Alpha builds # Beta and final builds #
Nick Arcade Simon Wai Beta 4 Beta 5 Beta 6 Beta 7 Beta 8 Final
00 00: Green Hill
Green Hill
from Sonic 1
Green Hill Zone
Emerald Hill Zone
00 Green Hill Zone
Emerald Hill Zone
Emerald Hill
Emerald Hill Zone
00
01 n/a 01 empty 01
02 01: Labyrinth
(empty / broken)
Wood Zone
Wood Zone
02 02
03 n/a 03 03
04 02: Marble
(Chemical Plant)
Metropolis Zone
Metropolis Zone
04 Metropolis
Metropolis Zone
Metropolis Zone
Metropolis Zone
04
05 "
Metropolis Zone Act 3
05 "
Metropolis Zone Act 3
"
Metropolis Zone Act 3
05
06 03: Starlight
(Emerald Hill)
empty 06 Sky Fortress
Wing Fortress Zone
Wing Fortress
Wing Fortress Zone
06
07 Hill Top Zone
Hill Top Zone
07 Hill Top Zone
Hill Top Zone
Hill Top
Hill Top Zone
07
08 04: Spring Yard
(Hidden Palace)
Hidden Palace Zone
Hidden Palace Zone
08 Hidden Palace Zone
Hidden Palace Zone
n/a
Hidden Palace Zone
08
09 empty 09 empty 09
0A 05: Scrap Brain
(Hill Top)
Oil Ocean Zone
Oil Ocean Zone
0A Oil Ocean Zone
Oil Ocean Zone
Oil Ocean
Oil Ocean Zone
0A
0B Dust Hill Zone
Mystic Cave Zone
0B Dust Hill Zone
Mystic Cave Zone
Mystic Cave
Mystic Cave Zone
0B
0C 06: n/a
(Sonic 1 ending)
Casino Night Zone
Casino Night Zone
0C Casino Night Zone
Casino Night Zone
Casino Night
Casino Night Zone
0C
0D Chemical Plant Zone
Chemical Plant Zone
0D Chemical Plant Zone
Chemical Plant Zone
Chemical Plant
Chemical Plant Zone
0D
0E 07: n/a
(Sonic 1
Special Stage)
Genocide City Zone
empty
0E Death Egg Zone
Death Egg Zone
Death Egg
Death Egg Zone
0E
0F Neo Green Hill Zone
Aquatic Ruin Zone
0F Neo Green Hill Zone
Aquatic Ruin Zone
Aquatic Ruin
Aquatic Ruin Zone
0F
10 n/a Death Egg Zone
empty
10 Sky Chase Zone
Sky Chase Zone
Sky Chase
Sky Chase Zone
10
# Nick Arcade Simon Wai # Beta 4 Beta 5 Beta 6 Beta 7 Beta 8 Final #
Alpha builds Beta and final builds
Sonic 1 final S2 Nick Arcade S2 Simon Wai S2B4 S2B5 S2B6 S2B7 S2B8 S2
00 Green Hill 1 Green Hill 1 00 Emerald Hill 1 Emerald Hill 1
Green Hill 2 Green Hill 2 Emerald Hill 2 Emerald Hill 2
Green Hill 3 Green Hill 3 01 empty empty
empty empty empty
01 Labyrinth 1 empty,
garbled mess
02 Wood 1
Labyrinth 2 Wood 2
Labyrinth 3 03 empty
Scrap Brain 3 empty
02 Marble 1 Chemical Plant 1 03 Metropolis 1
Marble 2 Chemical Plant 2 Metropolis 2
Marble 3 Chemical Plant 3 04 Metropolis 3
empty empty empty
03 Star Light 1 Emerald Hill 1 05 empty
Star Light 2 Emerald Hill 2 empty
Star Light 3 empty 06 Hill Top 1
empty empty Hill Top 2
03 Spring Yard 1 Hidden Palace 1
Spring Yard 2 Hidden Palace 2
Spring Yard 3 Hidden Palace 3
empty empty
04 Scrap Brain 1
Scrap Brain 2
Final
empty
05 Ending
empty
empty
empty

Palette slots

  NA Alpha Wai Alpha Mean Machines VHS Beta 4 Beta 5 Beta 6 Beta 7 Beta 8 Final

Sonic 3 Prototype Development Timeline

Yeah I'm going there.

Information

The S&K 0525 prototype will be examined while locked on to Sonic 3 final as dumped (it's a garbled mess otherwise as they hadn't finished splitting it). For reference, all of these were from 1994.

Table

  S3 final S3C 0408 S3C 0517 S&K 0525 S&K 0606 S&K 0608 S&K 0610 S&K 0612 S&K 0618 S&K 0619 S&K final S3K final
Title S3 S3 S3 S3 S&K S&K S&K S&K S&K S&K S&K S3K