Sonic the Hedgehog (2013)

Sonic the Hedgehog
Also known as: Sonic the Hedgehog Classic Developers: Christian Whitehead, Headcannon Publisher: Sega Platforms: iOS, Android Released internationally: May 16, 2013 This game has hidden developer credits. This game has unused enemies. This game has unused objects. This game has unused graphics. This game has debugging material. This game has a hidden sound test. This game has a hidden level select. This game has a bugs page

Finally, for once, a version of Sonic 1 that isn't a straight-up emulation, Sonic Jam and the really lackluster Game Boy Advance version aside. Powered by the fan-made Retro Engine, this version boasts a constant 60 FPS, smoother animations, a removed speed cap, widescreen, a save function, three playable characters, and much more.

Incidentally, this version was released as an update to the existing iOS version, which was an emulator + ROM.

It is part of Sonic Origins, along with the iOS remakes of Sonic CD, Sonic 2, and a brand new version of Sonic 3 & Knuckles.

Sub-Pages

Bugs

To do: Text for a dev mode similar to the one in the 2011 Sonic CD port is present. Figure out how to access it.

Level Select

Start a "No Save" game, choose a character, then do the following instructions.

• If using a touch screen: On the SEGA logo screen, tap the letters S-E-G-A in that exact order once the entire word appears.
• If using a controller: Press Up, Down, Left, Right at the title screen.

If any of these is done correctly, you will hear the ring chime. Hold two fingers on the bottom of the screen and wait (if using the touch screen), or hold the A button and press Start (if using a controller). After the title screen appears, you'll be taken to a Sonic 2-style Level Select.

To select a Special Stage, play a sound from 00-05 from the Sound Test and select Special Stage. Selecting 06 will pick the seventh Special Stage with the cyan emerald, and selecting 07 will pick the otherwise unused eighth Special Stage.

(Source: Sonic Retro)

There are several options aside from selecting levels and the Sound Test (they seem to become unlocked in the options menu though when you beat the game or perhaps fulfill other special requirements):

• Player - Choose between Sonic, Tails, Knuckles, Sonic and Tails (like Sonic 2), or Knuckles and Tails.
• Spindash - On or Off, like the Settings menu.
• GND SPD Cap - Ground speed cap on/off. "On" simulates the original game.
• AIR SPD Cap - Air speed cap on/off. "On" simulates the original game.
• S1 Spikes - On/off. Toggles the infamous no-invincibility-frame spikes from the original game's initial release.
• Items - S1, S2, S1+3, or S2+3. Seems to control what monitors appear. Selecting an option with "+3" gives Sonic the ability to use elemental shields and the insta-shield move from Sonic the Hedgehog 3.
• Max Emeralds - 6 or 7 Chaos Emeralds. Choosing 7 allows all three characters (including Tails) to transform into their Super forms once you get 50 rings and press jump twice in succession. The 7th Emerald is cyan in color. Some of the Emeralds also change color when toggling this option to match their modern palette.

Alternate/Hidden Level Select

An alternate level select screen can be seen by either choosing the save file of a completed game, or placing an Animal Prison/Goal Sign at the beginning of Final Zone. It is fairly barren, lacking Zone names, options, and the ability to select anything but the first Act of a Zone. It is also not possible to access the Special Stage from this menu, though there is clearly space for it in the bottom-right corner.

Debug Mode

Play sounds 01, 09, 09, 01, 00, 06, 02, 03 (the US/European release date of the original Genesis game) in the Sound Test. During gameplay, tap the upper-left corner of the screen (touch screen) or press B (controller) to access debug mode. To change the item you are placing, tap the + or - on the top of the screen or press A. Place the item with the jump button or X.

(Source: Sonic Retro)

Interestingly, the debug mode allows placement of many, many items that are not present in the main game. It seems the developers looked into the unused content from the original game, finished coding them, and left them unused. This cut content may have been meant to be restored in this port, but ultimately re-cut at the request of Sega as was the case with the 2011 Sonic CD.

General

To do: Confirm the function of the debug monitors.

• Unused monitors - Same as those present in the original game.
  • S - Works like in Sonic 3, turning your character Super.
  • Robotnik - Shows an image of Robotnik. Like Sonic 2 and 3, it hurts the player upon breaking it.
• Debug monitors - Used for toggling new features on the fly.
  • Spikes - Shows an image of spikes. Breaking it plays the "hitting spikes" sound and toggles Sonic 1 spike behavior.
  • Three Shields - Shows an image of the elemental shields from Sonic 3. This toggles the Items option, but only Sonic's ability to use the insta-shield will change instantly; updating level monitors to match the new setting requires a level restart.
  • Chaos Emerald - Plays the sparkle sound from Sonic 2 for Super Sonic. Each one broken toggles your emerald count from having 6, then to 7, then back to zero.
• Image of 4 Robotniks - Also present in the original. Adds collision to several platforms that don't have it normally. When placed, it acts like an invisible platform. A variant with images of Tails exists in Final Zone.

The unused rolling boulder object in Green Hill Zone.

Several unused objects in Marble Zone.

Green Hill

• Rolling boulder - Is now a functional object, unlike in the original game. It rolls down hills, can crush enemies, and can break through walls. You can push it to give it additional momentum and make it roll up hills, but it can crush Sonic if it falls on him.
• Splats the Bunny - Jumps around near a set spot or jumps in a set direction. Oddly, it doesn't seem to be affected by the rolling boulder.

Marble

• Sideways spikes - Also seen in the original.
• UFO - Placing it makes a bunch of UFOs show up in the sky, as they did in early photos, footage and the prototype of the original game. They fade in and out of sight and are merely a cosmetic addition.

Labyrinth

• Goggles monitor - Breaking it gives Sonic goggles which only appear when you're underwater. It increases the time period Sonic can spend in water without air, and it breaks off Sonic's head like a shield if hit. The graphics were taken from the original game, though the function of this item was presumably changed: Dean Sitton stated that the goggles were originally just a cosmetic graphic.

Special Stage

• Prohibitory sign - Deletes items it's placed on.
• Extra life icon - From the original.
• Zone icons: - Don't do anything. A blue "Zone 7" icon was added for this port.
• "W" block - Doesn't do anything.
• 7th Chaos Emerald - A cyan emerald. Collecting this with the rest of the emeralds allows your character to become Super.

Eighth Special Stage and its Editor

The eighth Special Stage does not appear in-game by default; it is a custom level that must be created in a special editor and saved before it can be accessed in-game.

To access the editor for this Special Stage, enter the Stage Select with debug mode enabled, play sound 07 from the Sound Test, and select Special Stage.

The default layout in the editor is nothing but the word "custom" spelled out in generic Special Stage tiles. Upon entering debug mode, you will find three tiles that are not available anywhere else in the game: Load, Save, and Clear icons. You can delete individual objects with the aforementioned prohibitory sign.

• 
  Load icon - Loads your last saved layout for your custom Special Stage when placed. Used in conjunction with the Save icon.
• 
  Save icon - Saves the current layout of your custom Special Stage when placed.
• 
  Clear icon - Clears your custom Special Stage when placed.

After creating your Special Stage, go to the Level Select and set Max Emeralds to 7. Now your custom stage can be accessed during gameplay, or by playing sound 07 from the Sound Test and selecting Special Stage (helpful if you want to test your Special Stage). In both cases, debug mode will not give you the Load, Save, and Clear icons.

Marathon Base Zone

Buried deep in the scripts for the game are references to a cut Zone abbreviated as "MBZ". Every badnik script performs a check for "Zone07", and to load "MBZ/Objects.gif". This file doesn't exist in the RSDK.

Interestingly, the files for Sonic 2's unused Egg Gauntlet Zone are all abbreviated "MBZ", and it also makes a reference to an unused sound file called "MarathonBase.ogg". It's likely that Marathon Base was an early attempt at a boss attack level, even earlier than Egg Gauntlet, but the exact development timeline is unknown.

sub ObjectStartup
    CheckStageFolder("Zone01")
    if CheckResult==1
        LoadSpriteSheet("GHZ/Objects.gif")
        SpriteFrame(-21,-13,40,28,98,127)
        SpriteFrame(-20,-14,39,29,139,127)
        SpriteFrame(-20,-13,39,28,98,156)
        SpriteFrame(-20,-14,39,29,139,127)
    endif
    CheckStageFolder("Zone07")
    if CheckResult==1
        LoadSpriteSheet("MBZ/Objects.gif")
        SpriteFrame(-21,-13,40,28,170,145)
        SpriteFrame(-20,-14,39,29,171,174)
        SpriteFrame(-20,-13,39,28,171,204)
        SpriteFrame(-20,-14,39,29,171,174)
    endif

Hidden Credits/Swap Tails for Miles

The hidden credits are still present. To see them, start a "No Save" game and choose a character. If using the touch screen, tap the letters A-G-E-S in that order once the entire word appears on the SEGA screen. If using a connected controller, press Up, Down, Down, Down, Down, Up at the title screen. If done correctly, you will hear the ring chime and the credits will appear.

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

Additionally, Tails' name will change to "Miles" during gameplay.

(Source: Sonic Retro)

Animations

Each character's animation files have several unused entries, most consisting of empty frames. The only unused animations that have frames are Super Peel Out and Corkscrew H. For Sonic, the Super Peel Out animation is, well, his Super Peel Out, for Tails, it's his fast run animation, and for Knuckles, it's just blank. For more information, see the unused sprites section. For the Corkscrew H animation, Sonic and Knuckles' versions use seemingly random parts of their spritesheets. However, the animation values are actually from one of Whitehead's previous fan game projects, Retro Sonic, and weren't updated to the new spritesheets used in this game. Tails' version of the animation is just blank. It's worth noting that all of these animations also appear in the 2013 remake of Sonic 2, although the latter two animations have Corkscrew in their name replaced with Twirl, and Sonic's animation file replaces Sliding with Flailing 3 which does get used.

   Bored!
   Super Peel Out
   Sliding
   Corkscrew H
   Corkscrew V

An animation file for Green Hill Zone's unused wrecking ball is also present. However, it's incomplete and only has one frame of one animation: Stopped. Instead, a completed, script-based animation system is used by the object. Interestingly, an animation file for the unused wrecking ball in Sonic 2 2013 also has an unused animation file, but while that object at least loads the animation file, it still draws itself using script, instead.

Unused Level Chunks

All unused level chunks from the original game are present here, too. Because the Retro Engine uses 128x128 chunks rather than the 256x256 chunk format used by the original game, each chunk from the original game was split into four chunks when getting translated to the Retro Engine.

Unused Graphics

Most of these are, unsurprisingly, leftovers from the original Genesis game.

Special Stage

Artwork	Name	Description
	"Zone" Icons	Present in the original game, these icons would have indicated which Special Stage you were in. Interestingly, a Zone 7 icon was added to this port.
	1-up Icon	Extra life icon for the Special Stages, listed in the original game's instruction manual but never actually appearing in any of them in any iteration of the game without ROM hacking. It is still fully functional, and can be placed in any Special Stage. The icon disappears like a ring when touched. The Tails and Knuckles icons were added to this port.
	"W" Icon	A solid block. Its use is unknown and it has no function when placed in-game.

Monitors

Artwork	Name	Description
	Robotnik Monitor	Hurts the player, like in Sonic the Hedgehog 2's 2-player mode and Sonic 3.
	Goggles Monitor	Gives Sonic goggles, which increase the time before Sonic drowns.
	"S" Monitor	Makes the player Super when broken.
	Spike Monitor	Breaking it plays the "hitting spikes" sound and toggles the Sonic 1 spike behavior.
	Three Shields Monitor	Toggles the Items option when broken. Changes to the monitors will take effect when you restart the Act or advance to the next Act.
	Emerald Monitor	Breaking it plays the sparkle sound from Sonic 2 for Super Sonic and toggles the maximum Emerald count. The first one broken sets your Emerald count to 6 and enables the good ending, the second one broken sets your count to 7 and enables Super transformation, and the third one broken sets your count to 0. This is the second game to have an Emerald monitor, the first being Sonic Triple Trouble.
	Exclamation(?) Monitor	The only monitor that isn't used in Debug Mode. It's either an exclamation mark or the Shrink powerup from Knuckles' Chaotix.

Zone-Specific

Artwork	Zone	Description
	Green Hill Zone	The checkered boulder can be placed with Debug Mode and actually works now. It can break through walls, deflect projectiles, and crush enemies. An incomplete animation file for it is also present, but a completed script-based animation system is used, instead.
	Green Hill Zone	The two unused faces from the Genesis version appear in Green Hill Zone's tiles. They were likely unintentionally included, as every stage's tile graphics are just dumped from a Genesis' VRAM, unused and garbage tiles included.
	Green Hill Zone	The border-like tiles also from the Genesis version. As with the above tiles, these were likely unintentionally included, too.
	Green Hill Zone	Splats the Bunny is an unused badnik featured in promotional trading cards for the original game. There are two different variants. When placed in-game, he hops around near where you placed him or in a set direction.
	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.
	Marble Zone	Placing it in Debug Mode will cause UFOs to appear in the sky. The UFOs were seen in early screenshots and in the prototype.
	Labyrinth Zone	Sonic will wear these if a Goggles monitor is broken. They increase the amount of time Sonic can spend underwater without air.
	Star Light Zone	Flashing lights that would appear in Star Light Zone. The palette cycle for these is also present. As with Green Hill Zone's unused tiles, these were likely unintentionally included.
	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.

Miscellaneous

Artwork	Description
	Sonic's Super Peel Out sprites from Sonic CD. These sprites are in the same position as they are in the Sonic CD 2011 remake so they are likely carryovers from this remake being built off of the previous one. An animation entry for these sprites is also present, and so is an ANI_PEELOUT define for the game's scripts. In said scripts, the peelout animation is set to play if the player's speed is above 0x9FFFF, but the player's initialization function replaces the Peel Out animation with the normal running animation, rendering these sprites unused. They can be restored by removing said line in the player object's script.
	Leftover Tails life icons from the 2011 Sonic CD port, present among Tails' sprites.
	Leftover Sonic life icon from the 2011 Sonic CD port, present among the HUD sprites.
	The default icon for sprites in the Retro Engine's Scene Editor, usually used for Objects that aren't seen/spawned.
	A file with an unknown name that reads This version of Sonic 1 has been created specifically for demonstration purposes, a phrase typically used for public demo versions of apps pre-loaded onto in-store demo models of iPhones and iPads. This graphic exists in several languages, and is also present in the 2013 remake of Sonic 2, updated to replace the Sonic 1 text with Sonic 2.