For the final week of Hidden Palace’s Sonic month, the prototype archivists have released something very special. The team have dumped a November 1993 prototype of Sonic the Hedgehog 3 which features different music and sprites which are based on those from Sonic 2.
This prototype comes from a time when Sonic 3 was supposed to contain all the stages from Sonic 3 and Sonic & Knuckles, and while Sonic 3’s stages are mostly complete, the Sonic & Knuckles stages are often incomplete, showcasing an early insight into that game’s development. Screenshots from this prototype made their way into the Sonic 3: Exclusive Story of the Year! preview supplement which we also have archived in our merchandise section.
The real discovery comes with the game’s soundtrack. Sonic fans will know that the PC version of Sonic 3 features different tunes for Ice Cap, Launch Base and Carnival Night Zone. Well it appears that these tunes actually pre-date the versions that were eventually included in the final release of Sonic 3, as they make an appearance in this prototype. This is the first time anyone has heard these tunes powered by the Mega Drive’s YM2612 sound chip and it makes for some truly fascinating listening.
Check out a playthrough of the prototype ROM below. You can download the ROM to play yourself via this link to the game’s entry at Hidden Palace.
[Source: Hidden Palace]
Webmaster and lead writer at SEGADriven. Likes old games, heavy music and too much pizza. Follow on Twitter @kronkblats
