en

This is a sub-page of Proto:Sonic the Hedgehog 3/Data Leftover.

The ROM contains two kinds of leftovers. There are various references to source code and assembler linking data for Star Trek: The Next Generation: Echoes From the Past, mainly in the area where the sound driver is located.

Toward the end of the ROM are two large areas containing some leftover stage layouts and palette data from various earlier builds of Sonic 3. This includes the stage layout data for Lava Reef Zone Acts 1 and 2, and various 2P Zones in various states of completion. The stage palette table and the data it points to for two earlier builds still exist in their entirety. In the following tables, the contents of leftovers are described and wherever a discontinuity occurs, it means that the previous data just ended and what follows is an even older leftover dataset which normally means that its beginning is missing to a certain extent, or it's a new data array in use by the game aligned to a certain region, which in this case it cuts the previous leftover data from the end.

Chunk 1 (0x1AACAE-0x1C7FFF)#

Chunk 2 (0x1EAF4A-0x1F6FFF)#

Chunk 3 (0x1FFBD8-0x1FFFFF)#

Extracting the archives from these lost regions makes it possible to have a small peak on how stages progressed over time. Generally, the stages layout didn't change significantly: Lava Reef though the visuals are very different from the final redition on Sonik & Knuckles, its layout is very similar. The competition stages had some slight adjustments, mostly repeating the layout more or less as the game development progressed and finally shifting the layouts down by 256 pixels in some cases to add some ceiling barriers, preventing players from cheating by going over the top. The older layouts, using placeholder tiles and blocks don't specify any background with the exception of Azure Lake, which had its art already by that point. The color palettes are mostly the same in regards of the competition zones with the exception of Balloon Park which changed drastically in color tone, and to a lesser extent, Chrome Gadget having an additional gradient color in the sky.

Stages#

Lava Reef Zone#

8 copies of Lava Reef Act 1's layout can be found in the early data alongside most of its data (palette, art, blocks, chunks, palette cycle, animated background routine, small rock locations, etc.) can be found deep within the leftover data alongside one Act 2 layout, seemingly used as placeholder data. The only data missing is collision and object/ring data (assuming the latter existed at this point).

Azure Lake#

Foreground
Background

Old Azure Lake has a different background, not including any water but instead filling the corresponding area with flowers, somewhat resembling Emerald Hill's background. The 2 lost copies of Azure Lake's data are identical (incompleteness aside) and differ from the files used in the game. It also has a cyan background color, unlike the version in use.

Balloon Park#

Foreground
Background
Placeholder art files

Old Balloon Park used to have different color tones, having more purples.

Desert Palace#

Foreground
Background
Placeholder art files

Old Desert Palace has a slightly different quarter pipe chunk leading to the lap checkpoint.

Chrome Gadget#

Placeholder art files
Placeholder art files

No art present as it's below the cutoff region at 0x1c7FFF, only placeholder tiles and generic mappings exist from the older block.

Endless Mine#

Placeholder art files

Like Chrome Gadget, no art is present. Both layouts are identical.

Gumball Bonus Stage#

The Gumball stage data present in these lost archives is exactly the same as the version referenced by the game.

Palette Tables#

The palette block used in-game is the one on the left.

0x1E96D4 (Used)	0x1F25AE (Very Old)	0x1F4E6A (Old)
The prototype main color palette array, a large majority of which are referenced and used. It does not contain the palettes for Mushroom Valley or Lava Reef.	The oldest group of unused palettes. Hydrocity's bricks have orange/purple colors, and the outside palette for IceCap Act 2 does not exist. The Mushroom Valley and Lava Reef palettes are still present, and of all the Competition Zones, only Azure Lake has an entry, and early boss palettes are present as well.	Another group of unused palettes. Mostly similar to the previous one, except Hydrocity now has the final brick brown shades, an early version of IceCap Act 2's outdoors palette exists, and more of the Competition Zones have palettes with only Endless Mine still missing.

To do: Add the rest of the offsets and images.

Hydrocity Zone Act 1 underwater

Original	Alternate

Hydrocity Zone Act 1
The bricks in the oldest palette are red in the foreground and lavender in the background. Later palettes changed them to green and purple.

Original	Alternate 1	Alternate 2

Hydrocity Zone 2
Apparently Act 2 was intended to use a different background earlier in development.

Original	Alternate 1	Alternate 2

IceCap Zone Act 1 and 2 "Cavern Area"

Original	Alternate 1	Alternate 2

IceCap Zone Act 2 "Outside" Act 2 does not have a unique palette in the oldest palette table, possibly indicating the level was entirely indoors.

Original	Alternate

Mushroom Valley Zone Act 1 and 2

Original	Alternate 1

Lava Reef Zone Act 2
Although the colors are arranged very differently, this color palette is somewhat recognizable to Lava Reef Act 2.

Original	Alternate

Balloon Park
This palette matches the final Competition Mode icon's colors.

Original	Alternate

Chrome Gadget
This palette shows an otherwise-unseen part of the background, and also matches the final icon's colors.

Original	Alternate

Angel Island Zone Act 1 (used in an early cutscene?)

To do: Offset for the Very Old version.

An unused AIZ1 color palette appears to be a mix between the beach cutscene and the forest interior, as if the forest background did not exist. This color palette has been removed in the version used by the prototype.

Alternate 1