Sonic the Hedgehog (Genesis)
From The Cutting Room Floor
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| Sonic the Hedgehog |
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Developer: Sonic Team
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Sonic the Hedgehog is more or less the definitive game of the Genesis in the early '90s.
Contents |
Level Select
One of the most well-known codes in gaming history: press Up, Down, Left, Right on the title screen, then hold A and press Start. In early versions of the game, the level order is different from the order in normal gameplay.
 | To do: Document the early order. |
Debug Mode
Another well-known code. While Up, C, Down, C, Left, C, Right, C is the most common version, a shorter version is C, C, Up, Down, Left, Right. The main requirement for the code is that you press C twice before the final input of Right. After entering the code, press Start while holding A and continue holding A until Sonic appears in the level.
To activate Level Select and Debug Mode, simply enter the Level Select code, push any direction on the D-Pad after the ring sound, then enter the Debug Mode code.
From here, you have access to a variety of things:
- Invincibility
- Infinite Time
- Debug Coordinates (in place of score)
- Sprite Counter (in place of time)
- Placement Mode: Press B during gameplay. From there...
- Press A to move forward one object.
- Hold A and press C to move backward one object.
- Press C to place the object.
- Pause Options: press A to go back to the title screen, B to enable slow motion, or C to enable frame advance.
Unused Sprites
Special Stage
Note that all of these can be seen in-game by using the Debug Mode to fall outside the playing area of the Special Stage. It is easier to see them when advancing frame-by-frame by pausing and pressing C.
| Artwork | Name | Description |
|---|---|---|
| "Zone" Icons | Labeled as Zones 1-6, they act as solid blocks but have no known use. Dean Sitton, a former Sega of America employee, suggested that they marked which Special Stage the player entered. |
| 1-up Icon | Extra life icon for the Special Stages, listed in the instruction manual but never actually appears in any of them. It is, however, fully functional, and can be placed in any Special Stage. The icon disappears like a ring when touched. |
| "W" Icon | A solid block, its use is unknown and it has no function when placed in-game. |
Monitors
| Artwork | Name | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Robotnik Monitor | Does nothing. Was likely intended to hurt the player, as it does in the 16-bit Sonic the Hedgehog 2's 2-player mode and Sonic the Hedgehog 3. |
| Goggles Monitor | Does nothing. Note that it is an image of Sonic's unused goggles, leading some to believe it was originally a power-up. |
| Static Monitor | Does nothing. This is found in various areas of Scrap Brain Zone the player cannot normally access, such as inside walls. It is possible to break one of them, however, by "digging" into the wall in a jump and popping it (the image of the monitor being a portion of the "zappers"). This can be placed in debug mode. |
| "S" Monitor | Does nothing. This monitor also appears in Sonic CD Prototype 510, where it grants the player both extra speed and invincibility. That is most likely the intended function of the monitor here, as a Computer & Video Games issue alludes to a power-up which grants extra speed and invincibility. This suggests that the S monitors were functional at that point in development. |
Sonic
| Artwork | Description |
|---|---|
| Sonic standing while gasping for air. This was presumably used in Labyrinth Zone. |
| Sonic holding his breath while running. It is speculated that this was used during the countdown to signify no air is left for Sonic. |
| A sliding sprite similar to one used in Sonic CD's Wacky Workbench. |
| Seen in a couple of prototype screenshots in magazines, Sonic appears to be striking a victory pose after passing the signpost. |
| Spin Dash-esque sprites, use unknown. Some theories are that they were used for a move similar to the Spin Dash or that they are animations for some sort of warp movement, perhaps through winding tunnels. It's also possible that a teleporter like the one found in the 8-bit Scrap Brain Zone would have played the animation. |
| Sonic falling or shrinking. Their intended use is unknown, although it most likely would have been either an early death animation or an extended falling transition from Scrap Brain Zone Act 2 to 3. |
Zone-Specific
| Artwork | Zone | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Green Hill Zone | The checkered ball that is part of the final Green Hill Zone boss was originally its own independent object. Earlier in development, Sonic did not have the ability to roll through certain walls and instead used the checkered ball to crash through; this explains why this ability is unique to Green Hill Zone. Magazine pictures have also shown Sonic riding down hills on it. |
| Green Hill Zone | The two faces here are not in their original palette, but these appear to be an earlier version of the faces on the totem poles of Green Hill Zone. |
| Green Hill Zone | Found in Green Hill Zone's tileset, and appear similar to the areas used in the underground areas of Green Hill in the 8-bit Sonic 1. These may have also been used for a cut underground area. |
| Marble Zone | Horizontal spikes, rather than the vertical ones actually used in Marble Zone. They are also slightly thinner. They fully work upon placement, though. |
| Spring Yard Zone | Found in the tileset for Spring Yard Zone, and can be seen in several prototype screenshots. |
| Labyrinth/Scrap Brain Zone | A horizontal sprite of the Burrobot. |
 
| Star Light Zone | These lights were found in Star Light Zone's data but not used. |
 
| Star Light Zone | Three machines found in Star Light Zone's data, they appear to have been background objects rather than obstacles. |
| Final Zone | The left image shows the back of Robotnik's legs, which can't be seen normally. The right image is what is normally seen. |
| Ending | A bumper that appears to be a rosebud with an incorrect palette. The ending level shares its debug item list with the Special Stage, so the bumper is usable in both. |
Press Start Button
Many early previews of Sonic 1 showed "Press Start Button" on the title screen. While the graphics are still in the ROM, it does not appear due to a bug. You can make it appear by either accessing the secret credits screen in the Japanese version via a cheat code, or using Game Genie code AB3A-DADV.
Splats the Bunny
A prototype Badnik that, despite not appearing in-game, appeared in a set of promotional trading cards for the game, was shown on the box of a series of Japanese Sonic figures, and was featured in the UK Sonic the Comic. When the Nemesis compression format was finally cracked in 2002, the sprites were discovered in Sonic 1.
Some controversy has broken out over Splats' true coloring: though the sprites have Sonic's palette applied to them and the trading card scan appears to have a bluish tint, the quality and validity of the card has been called into question. Other theories to his coloring include purple (for Spring Yard Zone's palette) and green (for Star Light Zone's second palette line).
Goggles
Found in the original ROM, it was thought that they were meant to give Sonic the ability to breathe underwater due to a matching monitor icon. However, Dean Sitton has gone on record to say the goggles were originally a cosmetic change showing that Sonic was underwater (à la Kirby). Each frame of the graphic fits together with one of Sonic's usual poses:
Unused Eggman Graphics
Again, their purpose is unknown, but it is speculated that they may be part of an "alternate ending sequence" in which Eggman explodes in the background while Sonic runs across the ending level in victory.
Invisible Credits
While used in-game, they're invisible due to the palette for the credits being black. With a palette editor, they can be made visible again. Alternatively, with the region set to Japan, press C, C, C, C, C, C, Up, Down, Down, Down, Left, Right. Then, when the demo starts, hold Down + A + B + C.
The credits translate to:
| Position | Person |
|---|---|
| Program | Naka Yuuji |
| Plan | Yasuhara Hirokazu |
| Design | Ooshima Naoto Ishiwatari Jina Kataoka Rieko |
| Sound Produce | Nakamura Masato |
| Sound Program | Kubota Hiroshi Makino Yukifumi |
Misplaced Crabmeat
In Green Hill Zone Act 2, there is a Crabmeat at coordinates 10D0 0370, under the section with the moving pillars and spikes, just before the checkpoint. It cannot be seen in gameplay because it is below the camera's boundary, and Crabmeats are programmed to attach themselves to the floor beneath them, but there is no floor beneath it.
Revisional Differences
| To do: Should we include the differences in the Mega Collection bonus edit (most notably the so-called "spike-bug") since it was technically a modified Mega Drive ROM, even though no evidence of official cartridge release exists? Should we also mention the Sonic Jam edition on top of that, which implements the unused skidding effect and includes spin dash/"spike bug" toggle? |
A revision was silently released which is more common in the Asian market. Most compilations and re-releases include this altered version. Below are the changes:
- The clouds at Green Hill Zone and on the title screen now scroll from right to left. This became common in most depictions of Green Hill in the series.
- The water in the game has been given a ripple effect not unlike that of Sonic CD.
- The level select is now rearranged. In the initial release, the zones were listed in a pre-release order that doesn't represent the final game.
- The game checks and detects if it is being played on a Japanese console, though it is not regional lockout - it merely affects small things on the title screen like trademark and level select code.
- The points system has been slightly altered: lives are gained every 50,000 points, and the final boss now awards 1,000 points in defeat.
- Minor programming changes of certain properties such as Caterkiller's nuances, lamppost / game over and drowning music exist.
- Generally, the game code is tighter, more efficient and removed unnecessary remnants like certain unused sprites.
Labyrinth Zone's Extra Ring
There is one extra ring in Labyrinth Zone Act 1 of Revision 01. After the player presses a button near the two rising platforms, a platform spawns above, something few people know about. It's possible to reach this platform with a well-timed jump, and if the player rides on it, it'll take them to an alternate path which has an extra ring, or not.
Cleanup > To do
Games > Games by content > Games with debugging functions
Games > Games by content > Games with hidden level selects
Games > Games by content > Games with hidden sound tests
Games > Games by content > Games with regional differences
Games > Games by content > Games with unused enemies
Games > Games by content > Games with unused graphics
Games > Games by content > Games with unused items
Games > Games by release date > Games released in 1991
Games > Games by series > Sonic the Hedgehog series
Games > Genesis games
