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Sonic 2 is probably one of my most favorite Sonic games full of secrets. So lets begin with the history.
As sonic 2 was in development and getting close to being released game magazines started showing pictures for hungry sonic fans. There were pics of zones that were and werent in the final game. One famous one is the Hidden Palace Zone that was appearing everywhere.
Then the day came. Everyone got their copy of sonic 2. Die Hard fans noticed many changes from the "beta" pics from before launch. One big change was the fact that Hidden Palace Zone didnt show up during play. Many believed that it was "hidden" and to unlock the level you had to find all the chaos emeralds. Still no one found it. So anyway here are the things that are missing, changed, and unknown.
Hidden Palace Zone
This is the zone that started the whole thing. Magazine previews flood its pages with pictures of Hidden Palace zone. It became common knowledge that once Sonic 2 was release many wanted to know how to get to it. People tried all sorts of things like collect all the emeralds and do something bizarre. But no luck, no one found the level. Then along came a game genie code that open up a scrambled version of the level but it indeed was the level. But the only way to know what this level looked like was to see the pics from the magazines.
I have seen this pic with my own eyes in a magazine before the game was released.
This is one of the enemies that inhabit Hidden Palace Zone. Its no where in the full version.
Here is a bat enemy that was also in Hidden Palace Zone. ALso no where in the final version.
This pic is really intresting because the score is the same font style as Sonic 1 instead of 2. Also the background seems to be different.
Hidden Palace Zone is in Final version
Somewhere along the lines people found game genie codes to open up the Hidden Palace Zone. The zone is in fact in the game. There is no way to play it as a normal game but its there. One unfortunate thing is that the palete and sprites for the level was deleted causing you to see garbage image of the level. Furthermore, the level is really undevelope such as glitchy floors and no floors. You basicly start the level falling to your doom. But rings and power ups remain.
Personally with me this whole lost level started when i heard that Sonic 2 had a few levels that were suspose to be in the game then taken out. Track 10 on the sound test proves that. But a heard later on a wild glitch to get to Hidden Palace Zone. You play through the game once then play again til you get to Death Egg Zone. I forgot what he said exacly to do but i bet its not real.
Get your Sonic 2 Betas!!
It appears that after much talk about the lost levels in Sonic 2 a beta version of the game appears in 1999. This is what got the Sonic 2 rumor going even farther then before. This version had 3 new zones that were not in the final game: Hidden Palace Zone(sortof there), Wood Zone, and Genocide Zone. I am lucky enough to find the rom version of Sonic 2 Beta.
Get them while there red hot! Or just get the rom. :) sonic2gammacartscan.jpg
Dust Hill Zone
As magazines showed pictures of of Sonic 2 through their beta version there was one mystery everyone wondered. They showed pictures of Mystic Cave but it said the name was Dust Hill. This didnt make much sence since there is no dust in the cave but who knows. There were pictures that date all the way back to previews of Sonic 2 that showed a level that is not on the full version nor the beta. It was a desert level hence Dust Hill that is most peoples guess now. But when the Beta was found, if you use the level select, there on the list is Dust Hill. But when you go to that level it starts as Mystic Cave. So now people at contradicting each other. My guess is that Dust Hill is infact the desert level but was taken out and the link to play Mystic Cave is that same one that shows Dust Hill. There is also another theory that it started as a desert level but was changed into a cave level because japanese people would not like western desert type levels.
Looks like dust hill to me. But there is no playable version ANYWHERE.
It is thought that Dust Hill could also be a level in Sonic CD. I read somewhere that the beta version of Sonic CD has a level titled Dust Hill and that Quartz Quadrant was not there. Many believe this might be that level but had a name change.
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Heres Sonicology's idea for this zone.
"This desert zone didn't make it into the final version of the game. Quicksand would have played a part in this level, with Sonic having to keep moving to avoid sinking. The crocodile is a badnik. The second act of Dust Hill Zone was to be set in winter, with a change of pallete and scenery. The cacti would have been replaced by Christmas trees and the sand would become white snow."
Changes from Beta to Final
There are a few things that are interesting to note about the 2 her are as follows:
Sonic Running in Beta.
Sonic Running in Final.
Sonic and Tails Spindash in Beta.
Sonic and Tails Spindash in Final.
Sonic during a quick stop in Beta.
Sonic during a quick stop in Final.
Some more Pics??
Here some more pics i found. The second one was found to be fake but who knows with the first one. The third one we know is real but look at the back groud. Its way different then the other pics or the beta version. I wonder....
Some interesting facts
Here is some info i got from Offical Player's Guide to Sonic the Hedgehog by Jason Rich.
"When Sega decide to create a sequel to their best-selling Sonic the Hedgehog gamr, the first step was to create an initial concept. This involved writing a brief overview of the game." -Sorry. theres more but i ran out of time tonight. I will fill it up later
Did Sonic 2 have a time travel storyline??
There has been a rumor going around for a very long time. It started alittle after Sonic 2 was released. For the most part i don't believe this is true even though im following up and keeping an open mind.
The first possible fact that the enemies in Hidden Palace Zone seem to resemble dinosaur type bots. It could but im not too sure.
The second possible theory is one that people have brought up. There could have been 2 different zones for each area. Something like Sonic CD. There could have been a Past and Future. Such as Aqua Ruin Zone and Chemical Plant zone.
Also use the facts from the music with the lost levels in the beta version, there are a few levels that use the same music as some of the normal levels. Even thought its possible i don't think so. 2 reasons. The first is that Sonic CD uses the method of time travel and when you go to the past or future the music IS different. And the second would be that in the sound test there are songs that have 2 different tracks. The lost levels could use the music track number not the same as the normal level. In this case they were just leaving something there so they could fit the the zones true tracks easy.
Heres something intresting. The left is Metropolis Zone and right is Wood Zone. This could prove that there was time traveling as Wood could be the past and Metropolis is the future.
Ideas about Genocide City Zone
(1) Genocide city zone may have had something to do with the new character that was added in sonic 2, Tails. If you look at the translation of the japanese story to sonic 2 it tells of how sonic found his way to an Island where there once lived a race of multi-tailed foxes, the kitsune. But these foxes were all wiped out in a war over the chaos emeralds. The story also says of how the kitsune used the chaos emeralds to build a great city. So maybe Genocide City was going to be in the City of the Kitsune after they had all killed each other (by Jenuall)
Sonic 1 || Sonic 2 || Sonic 3
