Sonic the Hedgehog 2 (Nick Arcade prototype) - Walkthrough
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- Опубликовано: 7 сен 2024
- The Sonic the Hedgehog 2 "Nick Arcade" Prototype is a prototype build of Sonic the Hedgehog 2 for the Sega Mega Drive. It stands as the earliest version of the game to be found and released onto the internet, likely created during the first half of 1992.
While perhaps unlikely to have been built for the show, this release is commonly referred to as the "Nick Arcade" prototype due to its appearance in two 1992 episodes of Nick Arcade - the first sightings of the prototype by the Sonic the Hedgehog community. It is also known to have been shown in issues of Sega Visions and, potentially, a behind closed doors press-only event at Summer CES 1992.
The Nick Arcade prototype is a very early version of the game. Only an untitled Emerald Hill Zone can be played normally, with a further five zones accessible only through a level select code. Much of the game still looks and plays like the original Sonic the Hedgehog - the level select screen is identical, and remnants of the original Green Hill Zone are still somewhat playable. Sonic 1 music is still intact, and the full Blue Sphere game is available when locked on to Sonic & Knuckles.
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6:47 So Sonic predicted widescreen TVs
LOL!
He's watching a tele novela in 16 bit quality
10:40
and down there there is an unused spring monitor
There was a half of the spring item thing there. It fits greatly.
1:18 omg, real physics!
They suck gameplay wise though.
@@pokerang007 Yeah. Considering that being stopped by a wall alone already interrupts the game's flow, I think this would have been way too disruptive.
Come to think of it, most of the vertical walls (hard stops, I guess?) are tied into puzzles or other elements that shift the gameplay from high-speed to lower-speeds.
I know, it’s terrible
If it's the nick ARCADE prototype it's a punishment for the player on the show... HOW DOES NO ONE REALIZE THIS??!
That's like when you have 500 pages of homework.
2:16 i like how he just stares without context, there's no "Sonic has passed Act 1" he's just staring with the victory music
He’s about to murder you 💀
THAT OLD SIGNPOST LOOKS CREEPY (I glad they removed that creepy signpost)
I've been aware of this build since the day it was released and it still _wrecks_ my heart to see that Hidden Palace was exactly as complete as it appears in the Simon Wai beta (helluva complete, and one of the first four zones to be designed, mind you!) and after that it just... vanished.
I always thought it was one of the most potentially fun levels in the game.
Some things were done between prototypes, and the level was actualy being worked on till late August of 1992.
@@blooga3941 there might be a undiscorved build that is much closer
@@abcdefgun6112 Maybe, although I doubt much would have changed.
Yeah, it's a shame we didn't get the dark cavern background, which remnants of exist in both the Nick Arcade and Simon Wai ROMs.
The level design seemed to be abandoned for a while prior to this build too. Hence why monitor mappings are wrong just as they are in Green Hill Zone, leading to Tails life monitors appearing as Sonic. Hidden Palace apparently wasn't touched level design wise since before the monitor mappings were changed from Sonic 1's.
IIRC hidden palace was supposed to be, not only a complete level, but also a storyline set piece much the same way Hidden palace is in S3K. Due to time constraints, many concepts including that, and possibly Time Travel for Metropolis/Wood Zone had to be cut.
There's no telling what the game could've been if given more time.
15:19 for anyone wondering, this happens because this is most likely the point in scrap brain act 3 where sonic springs out of the level to fight robotnik, yet final zone does not exist so the game crashes.
more deleted than not existing
Not really. The game tries to load sbz collapsible platform, Eggman laughing object and PLC but the pointers now are invalid
First person to see actually get through green hill without struggling from what I’ve seen in this prototype.
You deserve a medal.
Make it steel gold
*emerald hill*
@@tend9203 No, he was right. Green Hill.
It would be more impressive if he collected that ring in Somari?
actually their is a green hill and an emerald hill its confusing
Devs: "How many prototypes do we need?"
Director: "Yes."
No
Yes
Mister Xrd yes?
@@garfeltrealtbh Yes
You joke but technically having too many prototypes isn't a thing. Every working build possible in the dvelopment of a game or anything really is to show how progress is coming along AND the fact you have it all in a working state. It's interestign that the NAP has the effect of sonic bouncing off a wall if he hits it at a certain speed.
I like how robotnik is totally calm during the boss fights
1:18 good thing that isnt in the final build!
Emerald Hill- Star Light
Green Hill- Itself (some of the sprites are corrupted)
Chemical Plant- Marble (the bottom of the background was pink instead of green)
Hidden Palace Zone- Spring Yard
Hill Top- Scrap Brain (some areas you can go to crashes the game)
It's incredible that some aspects *almost* seem more polished than the retail release.
*Almost.*
I like when Sonic bumps against the wall and falls in the ground XD
That would get old fast
@@troywright359 haha fast
"falls in the ground"
Thats karens when they realize they didn't vaccinate their child
4:40 Glitch Hill Zone Act 1
6:48 Collision? Who needs that?
8:01 ... Eggman has weird flashing faces where he should be in the Eggmobile. Uhh...
collision? thats too chaotic!
The sprites run smoothly.
Is it just me or does star light zone music fit emerald hill PERFECTLY
8:04 oh that wrecking ball is AMAZING
The fact that sonic falls back a bit when he hits a wall while in ball form is kinda cute, and the fact he has extra frames when stopping after skidding to a halt is interesting. None of this made it into the final, did it?
Also a blue screen of death at the end of the video. Is that due to the game accessing invalid memory, a bad instruction or just missing/corrupted level data that just corrupts the game stack? Even the music hangs and fades out...
I think what’s happening is that Hill Top 2 is built off of Scrap Brain 2 and is still trying to load the cutscene at the end where Eggman drops you into Act 3? That’s what my gut says
@@KrazyScruffy9001 Hmm, didn't think about that. And since Eggman's cutscene would be corrupted due to code being overwritten that would make sense. Does Final Zone work in the prototype? And if so, does it load the Sonic 1 ending?
@@Coburn64 Final Zone actually loads Hill Top Zone Act 3 with its own stage, it's cut VERY short with a Pink Screen of Death crash, but using splitscreen (Tails' Screen) you can explore the stage
@@greenknight9000 Final Zone is actually just Act *1* of Hill Top/Scrap Brain but with a starting point somewhere in the middle. It's strange; considering in Sonic 1, Final Zone is a continuation of Scrap Brain Act *2*. The pink screen happens because of the Final Zone boss being requested access despite being deleted from the ROM.
The reason the running sprite animation was changed, is from the memory, since it was taking up too much space for a how smooth it was
Incredible, they had even pulled the roms off of absent arcade machines and seemingly modified them to be playable on a Genesis emulator, that or the arcade machine had those capabilities to begin with. Either way, I'm impressed they were even able to find it and upload it's rom many years later. Wonderful job on the showcase Razor, you've done it again. ^^
Sorry,but the truth is it was on a tv,with its OWN catridge.
@@fran5678can Really? Huh, that actually makes much more sense.
@@fran5678can Well, thank you for the clarification. I just always heard it was an arcade machine. XD
The animations for sonic are alot smoother and there are more of them too.
And seeing the differences between the prototype and the original makes me want the prototype more.
its prototype and final not prototype and original
Yes the animations are more fluid, but they probably cut down Sonic's animations to make more room for other things.
i wonder why they didn't use the nick arcade sonic animations in sonic 2 remaster or sonic origins?
@@AubyIsRealMaybe to respect the original game although I don't understand that because they added hidden palace and some things were improved/modified anyway.
@@AubyIsReali used it for my gbg sonic engine because I like the smooth movement
who remembered that nick arcade challenge of collecting 25 rings. was i the only one who thought she was insane?
No
Collecting 25 rings is the easiest thing ever
Ahh, yes. That girl was so stupid I guess. 😂
That girl played sabrina the teenage witch I think
Watching that video will make your rage meter go up just by looking at it!
It is still funny that after all these prototypes there is not sprites, music or something related to Genocide City Zone.
I remember reading it actually never existed and it was only a mistraslation, also that one stage from Sonic Spinball actually used the few sprites that supposed to be used for Genocide City Zone.
Really? So SSB (Sonic Spinball) gave us a taste of what Genocide City Zone could've had? Didn't know that.
Cyber City Zone was pretty much just a concept which eventually became the 3rd act of Metropolis.
Some of its graphics were used for Sonic Spinball though.
Genocide/Cyber City was never programmed into the game besides its level slot and placement in level select. As others here have said though, its level design was repurposed for Metropolis 3 (although even that is debatable seeing how much the level design changed in-between the Simon Wai prototype and the final game.)
Genocide city zone was renamed to cyber city zone because the author didn't know what genocide meant. The cyber city zone uses the same layout as metropolis zone 3. The sprites are in a sonic spinball level "The machine"
What sprites are those that are from genocide city and reused for spinball? I could possibly make a glimpse on what genocide city could've looked like
That walk animation tho...
12 whole e frames.
@@Octo4533 :o
I know right? It kinda weird
sonic looks weird
ITS SO SMOOTH AF
Intriguing. Looks like the game engine is either a modified Sonic the Hedgehog game, or a port of said game to a newer engine. Considering the glitchiness of the original levels, I'm inclined towards the latter.
I'm amazed that the sample zones were as complete as they appeared here. Obviously, Chemical Plant is incomplete (8.5/10, not enough water), but Emerald Hill and Hill Top both functioned like normal levels... until the crash at the end.
It's strange that some of the enemies that shared properties (choppers, Buzzbombers, etc) were in a glitched state with the original Green Hill Zone. I wonder if those enemies were re-coded and sprite pallets were moved.
Actually, S2NA used Sonic 1's code as a base, and they began development from there. At this stage, a lot of code was still W.I.P, tho in terms of newer engine...
It was in an intermediate status.
With regards to the enemies: the assets for them are still there, but their art gets overwritten in Vram as soon as the level loads due to sonic team having changed some "generic" (sprites shared through all levels) Vram addresses around
@@111riffi why s2 North America specifically? The Japanese version came out first so wouldn’t it be for all regions?
sonic 2 is actually built off of sonic 1 and sonic 3 does the same with sonic 2
@@cay7809 NA stands for Nick Arcade...
@@greenknight9000 i forgor
Man i realy love sonic 2 sprite animation i wish they never delete it
It has a American Sonic's Design
@@Isaiahdemonwell actually yes and no when they tried to get sonic into 3D they used the American design until sonic R and Sonic Jam which could be the reason some art is the mixture of the American sonic and JP sonic
ok but why is prototype sonic’s walking animation so smooth
4:40 **in sonic voice** green hill’s looking a lot more like glitch hill right now!
Too bad none of the kids play that level in their video challenge at Nick Arcade.
15:19 - Sonic The Hedgehog 2 crashes!
Sonic got splatted into blue
This happens because the game (Sonic 2) tries to run code from Sonic 1 (which the engine is clearly borrowed from) that tells itnto initiate the final boss sequence (which doesn't exist in the Sonic 2 prototype).
That's because the cutscene in Scrap Brain Zone 2 in Sonic 1.
Me when i see Razor and Zenon beat Nick Arcade GHZ without debug mode be like:
*Impossible.*
They use TAS sometimes, y'know.
The McGuinness Experiment what’s TAS
@@schemar17
Tool Assisted Speedrunning
@Sir AZ basically using precise button inputs to make the gameplay more fluid and precise. This can be done by studying the game in slow motion; or by repeating multiple times using an emulator.
4:44-5:36 Wait... That's illegal
Thats a RAM overload
Buggy hill zone more like it
"the collision is broken" hill zone act 1
Green Hill Zooooooooooo...
"Sonic2.exe has stopped working"
@Rowan Conte Dude!!!! It's a meme!!!!
1:17 unused addition to the regular Sonic 2
Hidden Palace Zone: *almost done*
Devs: nah nevermind
:(
It was memory limitations
1:18 I can see where the later Sonic games with the speed boost got that from.
I like that bump so much. So cute.
It looks like the one from Adventure.
But it would probably get annoying in actual gameplay.
Notice: The running animation in this prototype for sonic was reused in Sonic Mania.
no it wasn't, they just made the mania walk animation high quality like this one.
@@Ykwia156 ok so, there was a retro engine prototype?
I love Hill Brain Ork Zone
I tried getting through GH1 with the fucked physics. So cool to see someone do it. Dope vid
There is a GameShark code for it to fix the collision with that level, but it screws up the other levels collision too.
The Sonic 2 Nick Arcade Prototype is basically Sonic 1 with Unfinished Sonic 2 Stages (Except for Broken Green Hill and Empty Labyrinth) and if speaking of Labyrinth Zone, I read in Sonic Retro that a lot of people were debating "is Labyrinth Zone in Sonic 2 Prototype is actually a prototype of Genocide City Zone?" so I think it's actually a Dust Hill Zone (Or Sand Shower) prototype, but it's was scrapped very VERY early in development, and about the magazine of Sonic 2 maybe the screenshot were from an even EARLIER prototype, and not a fan-drawing or something else...
I will never understand why Hidden Palace Zone did not stay. It was such a cool stage. We only have it in the mobile port that was never brought to PC and even that is missing the amazing track it had.
Good news: sonic origins on pc and console has hidden palace zone
the memory would be too big if it had it
@@asocosbad news it’s 30 - 40 bucks.
@@SantosCastellanos-vr1by Nope. The level build is still present in the final code. Just unfinished and was scrapped due to time constraints.
As a '90s kid, a die-hard fan of Sonic 1 as a kid, and someone that watched both seasons of Nick Arcade religiously, I was pissed the fuck off whenever the contestants on the show either failed miserably at this game or didn't play it at all.
I love how robotnik just like “oh well see ya!” after getting beaten
Gotta say I like Sonic's prototype spriteset more than the one in the final, it has a lot more personality.
Yeah, I don't know what they were thinking changing it. The beta sprite sheet looks more finalized than the finalized sprite sheet.
Probably due to memory shortage
Also the music
@@nomore122 the music was from sonic 1
@@Medachod the walking animation-
It’s amazing that he was able to get through green hill zone without debug mode
it’s amazing how tails spin dashed to his death somehow
@@SantosCastellanos-vr1by ya that was pretty funny lol
*hears a Star Light zone music in Emerald Hill zone*
Me:Wait,this is illegal.
Перец
Это (б)анально
@@somerussiandude21 Шо,дурак?
@@somerussiandude21 Я тебе мешаю?
@@costna7683 а я тебе
did bro just complete nick arcade GHZ without debug mode?? you earned my respect
I remember 11 year old me trying to beat this glitchy, buggy version of Green Hill Zone back in 2008. After a million tries, I eventually did beat it without savestates. I also remember watching that Nick Arcade episode on RUclips of Melissa Joan Hart doing the 25 Ring Challenge and thinking, “That’s so easy, Sabrina, come on!” Good times, I kinda miss being a kid. 😊
Bruh... I'm so old I remember watching that episode of Nick Arcade back when it was on TV...
Imma go lament now😭😭
Nick Arcade great show
Green Hill Zone Glitched up.
Minecraft has entered the room
i didn't get it
Sonic's animations are very smooth and fluid for a 1992 Genesis (Mega Drive) Prototype.
Many people prefer the beta animation for Sonic but I think the final Sprite has less frames because there are limitations of some kind
@@thebrainnameditself9530 yeah the beta had 12 frames, they changed it to 4-6 to save up on memory since it was planned to be as long as S3&K.
Oh, so Hidden Palace's layout from the Proto Palace Zone in 2013's mobile phones remaster actually comes from the Nick Arcade prototype. Man, the zone already existed this early in a playable state. I always wondered where the layout said to be the "original HPZone" came from - if it was composed of real assets or just made to look like the real thing but mostly original. Now, I got my answer. Cool. Sonic 2's development is definetely one of the most interesting stories in gaming history.
Finally a real prototype.
@@uuuuuh_28 "remakes"
Such clean animation, Sonic 2 was ahead of it's time even back in 1992.
sonic 3 has a 3d sonic
kinda also the graphics are great in general
@@grasstails9737 sonic 2 also had pseudo 3d special stages
Fun fact: this prototype was released online by drx on November 7, 2006, exactly one week prior to Sonic 06's release in November 14, 2006.
You see those glitches? Get used to 'em. And that Sonic falling on his ass if he runs into a wall too hard mechanic returned in 06, tho it doesn't bounce him back like it does here.
(In all seriousness, this proto's glitchiness makes 06 feel like a finished polished product in comparison. Still no excuse tho.)
2:15 Sonic knows what you did...
Sonic: *"Give me your phone."*
7:24 Spring jump
I've played Sonic the Hedgehog 2 in my old days. Even the Nick Arcade prototype was great! Sonic Beta sprites and Sonic 2 sprites were awesome!
Did you really play the nick arcade prototype? Prove it.
1:18 *DAMMIT*
Various Spring Yard Zone (Hidden Palace) unused badniks can be placed with debug mode, including the piranha, Stego, Gator, early Octus, and early Aquis. Most have glitched sprites, although Pro Action Replay code 01C1D8:0007 will fix most of their graphics.
Oh thank god i can download this i have been searching for ages!!!
i love the animation of sonic!
I'm just getting into playing the old prototypes of sonic 2 but i have no idea how to open a bin file
can someone help me with this ples
Download a Mega Drive/Genesis Emulator
0:14 ah yes emerald hill with star light zone music so Nostalgic
0:42 Look at his legs. Ooooooooooooooo!!!!! His skidding animation was crazy. Walking in about 10 frames. His balancing looks the same as the original. Also if he has about 20mph he will do his rebound falling animation.
Huh the origin of the “new” Mach speed animation of sanic manyaa
Sonic be stairing at your soul 2:18
Fun fact:In sonic mobile, in mystic cave zone without atctavating the triger to get past the giant hole, just getting in it, you will will get in hidden palace zone, a more playable version of hidden palacen zone, with a hard boss fight
the walked animation is so smooth
Come on dude, No one know how to do spin dash at that time!
Good playthrough btw
I find fascinating that this was so early in development that they didn’t even make music they just used sonic 1 music
And the fact that all the levels in the level select are literally all the sonic 1 levels instead of sonic 2
I didn't know that I played this demo for the first time
Fun Fact: Sonic’s break animation in the prototypes were exactly from the 1993 cartoon SATPM (The Adventures of Sonic The Hedgehog at PM)
Fun Fact 2: Sonic hitting the wall and falling is from the old Sonic The Hedgehog Archie Comics
3rd & Final Fun Fact: Sonic 2 was literally planned to be based off of the Cartoons
Fun fact : SATPM does not exist but SATAM exists
@@TerrockE i can tell by...his...spines...ugh America
@@TerrockE cartoons based off
BSOD at the end! XD
The thought hasn't passed my mind before, but… Has anybody that has ever been on Nick Arcade actually managed to collect 25 rings in Emerald Hill in 30 seconds? And not like, post-dump?
Sonic just gives you a hard stare when you finish a level😂😂😂
story : sonic runs through emerald hill, finds eggman, beats him up. the end
Tails is literally getting taken to parallel universes in Green Hill Zone
I calculate Sonic 2 has 13 prototypes:
1- Nick Arcade Prototype
2- Simon Wai Prototype
3- Alpha Prototype
4- Pre-Beta Prototype
5- CENSOR Prototype
6- Beta 1
7- Beta 2
8- Beta 3
9- Beta 4
10- Beta 5
11- Beta 6
12- Beta 7
13- Beta 8
@MecherWulf So sad that Betas 1, 2 and 3 are still lost.
There are no Betas 1-3.
One of the earliest screenshots of the game are EHZ HPZ and DHZ
Green Hill Zone- Itself 3 acts
Marble Zone- Dust Hill
Spring Yard- Hidden Palace
Labyrinth- almost empty, textures look like Emerald Hill
Star Light- Emerald Hill
Scrap Brain- almost empty, textures look like Dust Hill
This prototype looks good,sonic has his s1’s sprite.
He still bumps in a wall.
The wall knockback was probably removed cause it was too annoying but man it would be cool.should have kept the walk animation too.
4:40 Glitch Hill Zone Act 1
Wow, Green Hill was truly not meant for Sonic 2 due to the physics being messed up. Plus how do you get into the level select in the Nick Arcade prototype and debug mode? Because I already know how to get level select and debug mode in the final game
@@K4p1i._ "enter"
0:17 Emerald Star Zone
The Sonic sprites are better and the frames how he walks is so smooth
4:38 Welcome to Fucked Hill zone
correct
why does sonic animation look so S M O O T H
@ɑkemi. i literally searched sonic 2 nick arcade prototype to get to this video, and what does that have to do whit the animation looking smoother on a prototype than in the final game?
ah yes, emeraldlight zone, my favourite sonic zone!!!!!
1:19 Sad Boi Sonic
6:45 so apparently, Monitor got through act 2
PBBT HAHAHAHAHAHA
Playing as something you get items from, man that would be a "spin" on the newer games
2:15 The sign post is so......creepy
Playable Addition Zones
Emerald Hill Zone- April 1992
Chemical Plant Zone- June 1992
Aquatic Ruin Zone- July 1992
Casino Night Zone- September 1992
Hill Top Zone- June 1992
Mystic Cave Zone- August 1992
Oil Ocean Zone- September 1992
Metropolis Zone- August 1992
Sky Chase Zone- September 1992
Wing Fortress Zone- September 1992
Death Egg Zone- September 1992
"do you think you safe?" 2:15
14:20
huh the rotating colour pallet of the lava is affecting the debug info too ! (top left corner)
1:24 I like starlight hill zone!
Me 2
its emerald light-
Sonic 2 is basicaly a ROM hack of Sonic 1.
I think you don't know how was the development of Sonic 2, then.
Just by looking at the video and the code you can clearly see it's built on Sonic 1. So yeah, it's technically a Sonic 1 hack.
@@PaintoOfficial the prototypes not the final
So, you're implying that after making that much progress they just have throw away everything and coded new engine from scratch in few weeks? If yes, which prototype is that transition?
Obviously that would be nonsensical - they already had tough timelines yet they would waste it to code a new game from scratch. Or maybe that was the reason to scrap lots of content? :--DDD
Not to mention lots of leftovers from Sonic 1, including whole objects codes.
All of the classic games were built off one of another. That's why Sonic 2 has leftover sprites and code from Sonic 1, and the same for Sonic 3.
When sonic looks at Eggman 2:16
Hidden Palace was worked on this early and still didnt make it into the final game. Such a shame.
So the secret is revealed
Sonic 2 IS just 2 Sonic 1s stapled together in some kind of inhumane experiment.
4:42 you dealt really well with the messed up collision. How long did it take?
This build feels the same, but also feels very different at the same time.