Sonic the Hedgehog (2013)

Sonic the Hedgehog
Developer: Christian Whitehead, Headcanon Publisher: Sega Platforms: iOS, Android Released internationally: May 16, 2013 This game has unused graphics. This game has debugging material. This game has a hidden sound test. This game has a hidden level select.

Finally, for once, a version of Sonic 1 that isn't a straight-up emulation, Sonic Jam and the really lackluster GBA version aside. Powered by the fan-made Retro Engine, this version features smoother animation, achievement/leaderboard support, and the ability to choose between three playable characters.

Incidentally, this version was released as an update to the existing iOS version, which was an emulator + ROM. But there's more...

To do: Text for a dev mode similar to the one in Sonic CD (2011) has been found. Figure out how to access it.

Level Select

To access the level select, start a "No Save" game and choose a character. On the SEGA logo screen, tap the letters S-E-G-A in that order, once the entire word appears. If done correctly, you will hear the ring chime. Then hold two fingers on the bottom of the screen and wait. After the title screen appears, you'll be taken to a Sonic 2-style Level Select.

(Source: Sonic Retro)

There are several options aside from selecting levels and the Sound Test:

• Player - Choose between Sonic, Tails, Knuckles, or Sonic and Tails (like Sonic 2).
• 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 3.
• Max Emeralds - 6 or 7 Chaos Emeralds. Choosing 7 allows Sonic to transform into Super Sonic once you get 50 rings and double-tap the screen. The 7th Emerald is cyan in color.

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 to access the debug mode. To change the item you are placing, press the + or - on the top of the screen.

(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, giving Super Sonic.
  • Robotnik: Shows 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. Assumed to toggle the Items option but it doesn't work on the fly.
  • Chaos Emerald: Plays the sparkle sound from Sonic 2 for Super Sonic. Assumed to toggle the maximum emerald count.
• 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 the Final Zone.

Several unused objects in Marble Zone.

Green Hill

• Rolling ball: 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 ball.

Marble

• Sideways spikes: Also seen in the original.
• UFO: Placing it makes a bunch of UFOs show up in the sky. 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 to the port and unused.
• "W" block: Doesn't do anything.
• 7th Chaos Emerald: Cyan, and it allows Sonic to transform into Super Sonic. However, there's no way to actually get it normally. It can be placed with debug mode in a Special Stage.

Hidden Credits

The hidden credits still are present in the game. To see them, start a "No Save" game and choose a character. On the SEGA logo screen, tap the letters A-G-E-S in that order, once the entire word appears. 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

(Source: Sonic Retro.)

Unused Sprites

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. It is still fully functional, and can be placed in any Special Stage. The icon disappears like a ring when touched. It will change appearance based on which character you are playing as.
	"W" Icon	A solid block. Its use is unknown and it has no function when placed in-game.
	Prohibitory Sign	A prohibitory sign used to delete tiles in debug mode.
	Load, Save and Clear Icons	These likely would have been used for managing save files, but they don't show up at all, not even in the debug menu.
	7-10th Chaos Emeralds	A whopping 4 emeralds got cut from the game! The cyan emerald can be placed in a Special Stage with Debug Mode and allows you to become super.

Monitors

Artwork	Name	Description
	Robotnik Monitor	Hurts the player, like in Sonic the Hedgehog 2's 2-player mode and Sonic the Hedgehog 3.
File:Tv goggles.png	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 Sonic 1 spike behavior.
	Three Shields Monitor	Assumed to toggle the Items option when broken.
	Emerald Monitor	Breaking it plays the sparkle sound from Sonic 2 for Super Sonic and is assumed to toggle the maximum emerald count.
	Exclamation Monitor	The only monitor that isn't used in the debug mode. It's either an exclamation mark or the Shrink powerup from Knuckles' Chaotix.

Zone-Specific

To do: Get a graphic rip of the Marble Zone UFOs.

Artwork	Zone	Description
	Green Hill Zone	The checkered ball can be placed with Debug Mode and actually works now. It can break through walls and crush enemies.
	Green Hill Zone	Splats the Bunny is an unused badnik featured in promotional trading cards for the original game. His coloring seems to be based on the trading cards. When placed in-game, he hops around near where you placed him.
	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	A UFO can be placed with debug mode which will cause UFOs to appear the sky, like in prototypes of the original game.
	Labyrinth Zone	Sonic will wear these googles when an unused goggles monitor is broken. They increase the time period Sonic can spend in water without air.
	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.

SCRIPT

No idea, honestly. Probably something related to the Retro SDK's level editor from which the game was built.