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SegaSonic the Hedgehog

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This page details one or more prototype versions of SegaSonic the Hedgehog.

Revision A of SegaSonic the Hedgehog was paraded around various arcade expos for testing and getting player feedback.

General Differences#

Rev. A

Final

  • The title screen has no background and Sonic is the only character shown. Ray and Mighty aren't pictured.
  • The character selection screen is not present either. Instead, each character is assigned to a specific player slot.
  • The tutorial is slightly shorter than the final version.

Rev. A

Final

トラックボールを回しながら
 ボタンを押す!!
(Press the button while
turning the trackball!!)

トラックボールを回しながら
 ボタンを押すとスピンジャンプ!!
(Press the button while turning
the trackball to spin jump!!)

  • The level order is different and some of the level names lack the alliteration present in the final game.
  • The ring bonus tally at the end of each level is not present, so the game goes back to Eggman after a level ends.
  • The furthest the player can go is Desert Dodge Zone, where upon completion a "To be continued" screen appears and the game will end.

(Source: Sonic Retro)

Sprite Differences#

Title Screen#

Rev. A

Final

Sonic's quills have a slightly different shape in this early version. This was later changed in the final version, but it's still present in the graphics data.

Chase Scene#

Sonic, Ray, and Mighty's running animations in the chase scene are more cartoonishly compared to the final version's chase sprites, resembling their in-game medium speed running animations. These sprites did appear in a screenshot on an old version of Sega's official US website, Sonic Central.

SegaSonic-proto_run.gif SegaSonic-proto-scared-run.gif SegaSonic-proto-ray-run.gif SegaSonic-proto-mighty-run.gif SegaSonic-proto-mighty-scared-run.gif

Unused Dialogue#

Some pieces of dialogue that aren't seen in the final game. What's notable is that Sonic has some dialogue here in a word balloon, which isn't seen in the final.

Japanese

Translation

エッグマン!今度は何をたくらんでいるんだ?!
ええい、しつこいやつめ!来るなら来てみろ ソニック!
全能の塔はわしのものだッ!
全能の塔?
待てッ!
ここまで来ればこっちのものだ
この塔はこの島を自由自在に操れるのだ
その威力を思い知れッ!
これでどうだッ!
今度はこうだッ!
これで勝ったと思うなよ!

Eggman! What are you planning this time?!
Grr, you sure are persistent! Come at me, Sonic!
This almighty tower is mine!
Almighty tower?
Wait!
If you've come this far, this is as far as you go.
This tower can freely control this island.
Realize its power!
How about this!
Now take this!
Don't think you've won!

(Source: Plasma Captain (translations), Ragey, Kallus)

Unused Graphics#

The prototype has many unused graphics of its own.

Segasonic_Proto-Unused-sonicup1.gifSegasonic_Proto-Unused-sonicup2.gifSegasonic_Proto-Unused-rayup.gifSegasonic_Proto-Unused-mightyup.gif
Unused animations for the characters looking up. Only Sonic has two animations for looking up.

SegaSonic_Proto-Unused-fish.gif SegaSonic_Proto-Unused-fish2.gif
Some fish badnik that would have been seen at Wild Water Way. The palette here is a placeholder, as its palette is currently unknown.

Segasonic_Proto-Unused-orb.gif
An unusual orb with an unknown purpose, possibly for explosions.

SegaSonic_Proto-Unused-eyeball.gif
Two more badniks that aren't in the final game. It's unknown where these would have been placed.

Segasonic_Proto-Unused-dome.gif
An unused dome, with 足 (leg) written on it. This was the base for an unused boss in Landslide Limbo.

Segasonic_Proto-Unused-machinery.gif
This would've been used for the Landslide Limbo boss that's seen in Revision A.

Segasonic_Proto-Unused-spikeplatform.gif Segasonic_Proto-Unused-spikeplatform2.gif Segasonic_Proto-Unused-spikeplatform3.gif
A sort of weird spiky platform with suction cups.

Segasonic_Proto-Unused-spikeplatform4.gif
What it would have looked like in-game.

SegaSonic_Proto-Unused-gameover.gif
A version of the Game Over graphic with Sonic. Both this build and the final use the standard Eggman one.

(Source: Ragey, Kallus)

Pattern Viewer#

This needs some investigation.
Discuss ideas and findings on the talk page.
Specifically: Find out what the SAVE function does.

Watch on YouTubeWithin this prototype, there seems to be a graphics viewer that has been completely removed from the final build. You use Player 2's trackball for moving the cursor, and Player 2's jump button for selections.

(Source: Suddenデス)

Option

Effect

OBJECT

Player 2's trackball Y-axis will change the ID of the current object.

CLEAR

Removes existing objects and spawns a new one with default settings.

COLOR BANK

Player 2's trackball Y-axis will change the palette of the current object.

BASE POINT

This changes the relative location of the current sprite.

ZPOS

Changes the Z position (the "layer") of the current object.

16-256

Changes the tile color depth.

SAVE

H-V FLIP

Sets or clears horizontal/vertical flip flags on the current object.

ZOOM

Player 2's trackball Y-axis resizes the current object.

EXIT

Quits the viewer.

END FLAG

Sets or clears the end flag on the current object; this will fix graphics on objects that have random horizontal lines.

NEW OBJECT

Spawns a new object using the current object's settings.

Level Differences#

All levels have less rings overall. Wild Water Way and Eggman's tower are not accessible in this version. Despite this, they already have some data present, such as sprites and WWW's placeholder name that is Water Zone.

Tutorial#

Rev. A

Final

There aren't any obstacles in the character's way and the text is different.

Volcanic Vault#

The level is significantly shorter, only having two long corridors. The magma boulder, seesaw and falling bridge sections are nowhere to be seen.

Rev. A

Final

The level starts at a corridor with lava pools instead of a sloped down one. There are no breakable spots on the walls compared to its final counterpart.

Rev. A

Final

The treadmill section is only a turn to the right away instead of having to get launched by a seesaw.

Rev. A

Final

The next corridor has flamethrowers instead of the bursting lava pools.

Rev. A

Final

The level ends just after the second corridor. Unlike the final version, the exit is facing the same direction as the corridor. It closes just before lava floods in.

Icy Isle#

It appears as the fourth level, under the name "Ice World" in the prototype. The background music is the same as Trap Tower's. The snow mounds have been rearranged and are destroyed by spin jumping instead of bumping into them.

Rev. A

Final

Eggman's dialogue is different.

Rev. A

Final

The first stretch of the level doesn't have rings floating around.

Rev. A

Final

There are twice as many rings between the spears. The spears make no sound when going up.

Desert Dodge#

It appears as the fifth and last level, under the name "Desert Zone". The background music is an unfinished version of Eggman's Tower's music. The sand mounds are destroyed by spin jumping instead of bumping into them.

Rev. A

Final

The centipede badnik has a vivid blue and red color palette. Placement of some sand mounds is also different.

Rev. A

Final

Instead of jumping worm badniks there are slow moving, high damage-dealing rectangular centipede badniks. Bumping into them quickly depletes health, as the player characters can get hit several times consecutively.

Rev. A

Final

There are no tiles at this ledge in the prototype.

The game ends after this level.

Trap Tower#

It Appears as the second level.

Rev. A

Final

There aren't any glowing breakable spots on the walls at the beginning of the level. Eggman's dialogue is different.

Rev. A

Final

The electric traps section is longer and has way more traps than the final version. The traps explode after being bumped into.

SegaSonicTT3Proto.png

There are also breakable walls with Eggman's face on them, which only appear in the tutorial in the final version.

Rev. A

Final

A stopper temporarily blocks the giant rolling gears. The boxes block the way and have to be pushed out of the way. Unlike the final version, they drop rings after being pushed instead of getting broken.

Rev. A

Final

The final section has the breakable Eggman walls.

Rev. A

Final

In the final, the player characters keep going right until they go offscreen . In the prototype, they are standing on the brown platform until it lifts them to the exit.

Landslide Limbo#

It appears as the third level, under the name "Landslide Zone". The background music is an unfinished version of Eggman's Tower's music.

Rev. A

Final

An electric fence blocks the middle path to the catapults.

Rev. A

Final

No rings fall out upon colliding with this wall.

Rev. A

Final

There is a glitched graphic in the corner during the boss' explosion animation.