Prerelease:Sonic the Hedgehog (Genesis)/Pre-WCES Build
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This is a sub-page of Prerelease:Sonic the Hedgehog (Genesis).
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Five possible builds that are dated prior to the Winter Computer Electronic Show Build.
Contents
Title Screen
| Tokyo Toy Show 1990 | Tera Drive Store Demo |
|---|---|
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It might not be noticeable at first, but the background doesn't actually scroll! The background in this screenshot matches with the first frame of the background in the released prototype, yet Sonic is at the final frame of his animation. (Which implies that this was taken some time after Pre-WCES). The issue was fixed in the WCES Build. Compared with the Tokyo Toy Show 1990 title, Green Hill Zone's background is now used in this build, and Sonic's title screen design is finalized.
Computer Chronicles B-Roll and Winter 1991 CES Footage
The Computer Chronicles 1991 WCES Event episode (slowed down for better visibility) shows two versions of Sonic the Hedgehog. The earlier of these builds - seen in the direct-feed footage - is simply part of the event B-roll and is not directly related to the version of the game seen at the event. Some of the most notable differences seen in this build include:
- A different version of Ballhog that faces towards the player and sends down bombs from overhead ledges. It bears a resemblance to Buton from the 8-bit version of Sonic 2. As shown above, the graphics for this early Ballhog would eventually be leaked by enemy artist Tom Payne - however, the leaked versions still differ from the ones seen in this video. In the video, the Ballhog hops from its left foot to its right foot; the leaked graphics seem to be a later version which instead jumps in place, which was presumably intended to animate similar to the final side-facing version. The version seen in the video still exists unused in the prototype version discovered in very late 2020, suggesting the changes in artwork (and presumably functionality) were made after that point in development.
- Monitors that cycle between the various powerups, including the unused Robotnik face.
- Wonky physics (noticeable with ramps).
- Sonic is moved pixels to the right when moving instead of being in the center of the screen.
- An earlier design for the debug mode, which is on the bottom right of the screen instead of replacing the score.
- A minor aesthetic change: the water and sky colors of Green Hill are the same, similar to how the title screen looks in the final game.
- Sonic's jumping animation kicks in one frame late.
The second version of the game, shown in the latter half of the video, is the version that was actually playable at the event. A notable change from the previous version is that Green Hill Zone now attains its final water color.
Sega Visions 4 April/May 1991
Green Hill Zone
Debug Mode is placed in a different position on-screen in this version. When it's active, the lives counter seems to disappear. Instead of using the SCORE VRAM, it uses an area in VRAM that the Motobug would later use.
Green Hill has some minor differences, such as the background being brighter, and the water is very similar to the title screen in that the sky and the color of the water seem to match, unlike the final where the water is a lighter blue. The RINGS HUD is lacking its S, and the Ring Counter is positioned more to the left because of the S being removed. The level design is drastically different.
More of Green Hill Zone. The flowers here have purple centers that would be changed to green by the GPSG build. Flowers matching these ones can be seen in the ending screen in the final game, however. This area matches up with Green Hill Act 2's and is shown to be missing the spikes, the swinging platform and slope at the bottom right.
The lower section of Green Hill. Since Debug Mode isn't activated here, Sonic is shown to have three lives; it seems the number of lives a player starts with was finalized early on. This area also matches with the Winter CES Act 3 lower section, but what was once a platform to the right has been replaced with a slope and a Crabmeat.
Marble Zone
The lava in Marble Zone is using a different set of tiles, and the interior background is lacking lit torches.
Later in the level is a horizontally-oriented spiked chandelier, unused by the final game but functional here.
Spring Yard/Sparkling Zone
The level design in this zone is different, having pink Rollers, Motobugs and different design for the foreground and the background.
Zero UK Issue 22
Green Hill Zone
Same place as the other screenshot, but in a different position. This loop seems to match up best with Green Hill Zone 2's, though in the final game it's moved to the left a bit.
Mega Drive Fan June 1991, 1991-05-08
Green Hill Zone
This picture seems to be taken at Act 2's loop as the background waterfall matches identically with the early background placement. The waterfall likely indicates that this picture is from a later build, though there's no life monitor and no rings on top of the loop, and the rings inside the loop have a slightly different layout compared to even later builds.
Tokyo Toy Show 1991
This footage of the 1991 Tokyo Toy Show shows a different title screen.
- The title screen doesn't scroll, as seen in the Tera Drive Store Demo.
- There is no "Press Start Button" text on the title screen.
