Changed Chunks

This is a sub-page of Proto:Sonic the Hedgehog (Genesis)/Star Light Zone.

Almost every chunk in Star Light Zone was changed between the prototype and the final game. In many cases, the chunk retains its general shape, but its position and art are adjusted.

Notably, the foreground trusses unique to the prototype Star Light Zone take up a significant amount of space within chunks, with some chunks existing just to contain the bottom part of the trusses. This could be one reason the design was changed for the final game.

Changed Chunks#

Chunk 01

Proto	Final

• The foreground trusses and large bolted blocks were removed, giving this common floor chunk a much thinner appearance.
• With the extra space freed up by the removal of trusses, the streetlights could be included directly in the chunk. The prototype has to combine this chunk with Chunk 4A to get the same appearance.

Chunk 02

Proto	Final

• The prototype version of this chunk is a simple floor. Interestingly, the red lights usually embedded into the floor for decorative purposes are absent in this chunk.
• The final version uses this chunk slot for a different purpose; it's used to form the steep slopes present in Act 3. The equivalent chunk in the prototype would be Chunk 38, which looks slightly different and is also an unused leftover in the final game.

Chunk 03

Proto	Final

• These small platforms were replaced with a pretty standard floor chunk containing background trusses.

Chunk 04

Proto	Final

• The trusses hanging from this ledge were removed.
• The position of the ledge was adjusted.

Chunk 05

Proto	Final

• The trusses within this slope were removed.
• The positioning of this chunk was adjusted.

Chunk 06

Proto	Final

• Just like with Chunk 05, the interior trusses were removed and the positioning was adjusted.

Chunk 07

Proto	Final

• Once again, the interior trusses were removed and the slope's positioning was changed.
• The overhanging trusses from a section above were replaced with a simple overhanging wall.
  • In the prototype, the placement of this chunk in Act 2 and 3 doesn't make much sense because the overhanging trusses don't attach onto anything. Chunk 30, being equivalent to this chunk aside from the overhang segment, could have been used instead. For this reason, it's fairly likely that this chunk originally had no overhang, but then was modified to fit the Act 1 layout without updating the Act 2 and 3 layouts in turn.

Chunk 08

Proto	Final

• This collection of small platforms was replaced with the top of a hill.

Chunk 09

Proto	Final

• This rather interesting-looking setpiece, used in the prototype's Act 1, was replaced with a chunk only used once in the final game's Act 3.

Chunk 0A

Proto	Final

• The floor on top of this chunk was removed.
  • The prototype sometimes uses this chunk to form vertical walls, which looks rather odd due to the floor tiles on top of it.

Chunk 0B

Proto	Final

• The design of the wall changed quite drastically, and the standard red floor lights were added.
• The pieces of floor and quarter-pipe at the top of this chunk were moved completely into Chunk 2E.

Chunk 0C

Proto	Final

• The streetlamps were removed and the placement of the green dome decorations were shifted.
• One of the large bolted blocks in the foreground were removed, and the right side of this chunk is now a bit skinnier.
• The background trusses were removed.
  • Even in the prototype, these background trusses sometimes don't seem to make sense with where this chunk is used in the layout.
• The overall positioning of the chunk was shifted.

Chunk 0D

Proto	Final

• These small platforms were replaced with a hill used for one of the slopes in Act 3.

Chunk 0E

Proto	Final

• This stepped staircase was replaced with a simple ledge.

Chunk 0F

Proto	Final

• These traffic cone-covered steps were also replaced with a simple ledge.

Chunk 10

Proto	Final

• This chunk, used for the fireball launcher segment in Act 1, was replaced with a background chunk. The prototype uses Chunk 42 for this background chunk art.
• Notably, the fireball launcher art is a part of the chunk / level art, rather than part of an object. This earlier rendition of the fireball launcher is a lot thinner, and lacks the decorative bolts that the final has. The art for this earlier fireball launcher remains in the final game, unused.

Chunk 11

Proto	Final

• This chunk, used in the vertical drop segment in Act 1, was replaced with a background chunk. The prototype uses Chunk 45 for this background chunk art.
  • Despite only being used as a continuation from where Chunk 0B leaves off, there's a floor on top of this chunk. This leads to a very odd look for the wall. Perhaps this chunk was used for a different purpose in an earlier iteration of Star Light Zone.

Chunk 12

Proto	Final

• The traffic cones and foreground trusses were removed.
• With the trusses gone, there's now space to put some green dome decorations on top.
• The layout of the red floor lights on the top floor and background trusses in the tunnel were adjusted slightly.
• Lastly, the positioning of this chunk was adjusted too.

Chunk 13

Proto	Final

• The chunk was de-trussed and its positioning was adjusted.

Chunk 14

Proto	Final

• This small piece of wall was turned into a chunk that goes well on top of Chunk 13.
• In the prototype, this chunk is only ever used in Act 2 near the end of the level, but its placement there is rather odd and doesn't make much sense. It might be left over from an earlier iteration of the Act.

Chunk 15

Proto	Final

• The traffic cones, foreground trusses, and large bolted foreground blocks were removed.
• The floor was shifted upwards, also shortening the height of the background trusses.

Chunk 16

Proto	Final

• This small ledge, used exclusively in Act 2 leading up to the end of the level, was replaced with a small sliver of land used for Act 3's slopes.

Chunk 17

Proto	Final

• This slope was replaced with another small slope piece used in Act 3.

Chunk 18

Proto	Final

• The quarter-pipe no longer leads up into a tunnel, but into open air.
• Construction barriers were added.
• The floor on the left was made thinner, and the background trusses extend all the way across it.
• The chunk's positioning was shifted.

Chunk 19

Proto	Final

• The chunk positioning was shifted. This chunk is otherwise identical to the final game.

Chunk 1A

Proto	Final

• The chunk positioning was shifted, and there's a very small change to the bottom of the interior trusses.

Chunk 1B

Proto	Final

• Pretty much identical, aside from positioning changes.

Chunk 1C

Proto	Final

• Position of the slope changed, though the decorative tiles and blocks inside the slope stayed exactly where they were.

Chunk 1D

Proto	Final

• The "floor" side of the wall was removed.
  • The chunk is used as a regular wall in some spots outside of Act 3, but the "floor" makes it look somewhat out-of-place.

Chunk 1E

Proto	Final

• The hanging trusses were removed, and the positioning of the quarter-pipe was adjusted.

Chunk 1F

Proto	Final

• The hanging trusses were removed.
• The top floor of this chunk is a part of Chunk 20 in the final game. Compared to Chunk 20, the floor here is thicker, the foreground trusses don't extend all the way across the right side of the floor, and the red floor lights are missing on the left side.

Chunk 20

Proto	Final

• The bottom half of a wall became the top portion of a quarter-pipe and the floor it leads up into.

Chunk 22

Proto	Final

• Act 3 originally had a larger left-facing slope partway through the level. This chunk used to be a part of that slope, but was eventually replaced with a background chunk. The prototype used Chunk 46 for this background chunk art.

Chunk 23

Proto	Final

• The prototype only uses this chunk once within the Act 3 layout. The final iteration with the roof and tunnel removed is a bit more versatile.
• Two of the traffic cones were removed, and the right side of the floor was adjusted like with other similar chunks.
• The positioning of the quarter-pipe was also adjusted, though the tile changes seem to be a bit sloppy.

Chunk 24

Proto	Final

• Another set of small floating platforms, which were replaced with a floor and quarter-pipe combination exclusive to Act 2.

Chunk 25

Proto	Final

• This chunk is used in the prototype to form a slanted "hill" of sorts in Act 3 when combined with Chunk 26. In the final game, it combines with Chunk 24 instead.

Chunk 26

Proto	Final

• The right half of the aforementioned slanted hill. The top right portion of the chunk connects up well with Chunk 0E. The final game makes this chunk a set of two separate floors instead.

Chunk 27

Proto	Final

• This ledge chunk shows up once in Act 3 in the prototype, extending downwards using Chunk 0A (which doesn't look quite right). The final game changes this to a quarter-pipe tunnel combo placed in Act 2, with the tunnel forming a great home for some Bombs.

Chunk 28

Proto	Final

• This loop chunk is two tiles taller than its final iteration. Because of this extra height, the actual floor leading into the loop isn't present in the chunk. The final game uses Chunk 34 for this loop instead, and leaves a pretty standard sloped hill in its place.

Chunk 29

Proto	Final

• The bottom part of this loop. Aside from the positioning shift, all the background trusses were removed and another red light was added to the floor.

Chunk 2A

Proto	Final

• These trusses were replaced by the standard loop chunk.

Chunk 2B

Proto	Final

• The trusses under the loop in the prototype needed their own chunk.
• As the prototype loop is a bit taller due to the lights and trusses on its top, the floor leading in and out of the loop is delegated to this chunk as well.

Chunk 2C

Proto	Final

• This chunk, exclusive to the lower path in Act 2, was replaced with a background chunk. The prototype uses Chunk 47 for this background chunk art.

Chunk 2D

Proto	Final

• This chunk is also exclusive to the lower path in Act 2, and was also replaced with a background chunk. The prototype uses Chunk 4B for this background chunk art.

Chunk 2E

Proto	Final

• The left quarter-pipe was turned into a regular floor and the trusses hanging off of it were turned into regular wall.
• The floor leading up from the right quarter-pipe was extended as it looked a little odd before.
• As mentioned earlier, the top part of Chunk 0B was moved into this chunk.

Chunk 2F

Proto	Final

• The staircased ledge on the right was replaced with a simple flat edge that no longer blocks Sonic's climb upwards.
• The ceiling leading from the quarter-pipe was extended all the way to the right, forming a tunnel rather than an open space.

Chunk 30

Proto	Final

• This small slope, almost identical to Chunk 07 aside from the top portion, was turned into a background chunk. The prototype uses Chunk 4E for this background chunk art.

Chunk 32

Proto	Final

• This chunk provides trusses to hang below Chunk 30, but is also replaced in the final game with a background chunk. The prototype uses Chunk 50 for this background chunk art.

Chunk 33

Proto	Final

• These trusses attach on to the bottom of Chunk 29. The final game puts its standard wall chunk here instead.

Chunk 34

Proto	Final

• Yet another truss chunk, this one can be found placed below the quarter-pipes at the bottom of vertical drops in Act 1 and 2. The chunk stores a loop in the final game.

Chunk 35

Proto	Final

• The prototype loop design is stored in this chunk! The lights and top trusses being removed are the key differences between the prototype and final loop.

Chunk 3F

Proto	Final

• This is the prototype's standard wall chunk, and is an earlier rendition of Chunk 33 in the final game.
• One of the bolted blocks near the middle of the chunk disappeared. This change makes the final Chunk 3F look identical to Chunk 33. Chunk 3F is used only twice in the final game (once in Act 1, once in Act 3), and its existence in the layout may be a very tiny leftover of the original chunk assignments.

Chunk 40

Proto	Final

• This hill, used in Act 1, was replaced with a loop chunk.