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.
We also have a Sonic & Shadow in Team Sonic Racing t-shirt which is currently being bundled together with a Team Sonic Racing logo pin badge. Click here to be taken to the listing on the UK SEGA Shop. This item is currently priced at £20.
Numskull designs have revealed a brand new Sonic the Hedgehog knitted Christmas jumper for 2018. The new design features Sonic, Tails and Knuckles snowboarding/skiing in an environment not too dissimilar to Ice Cap from Sonic 3.
The jumper is available to pre-order now from Geek Store and is priced at £39.99. The jumper will ship nearer the end of November 2018.
More details have emerged in regards to Michael Jackson’s involvement in the Sonic 3 soundtrack and it’s coming from an unlikely source. Brad Buxer who used to play keyboards in The Jetzons was working with Jackson on the soundtrack to the game but in a previous interview he wasn’t aware of what songs made it into the final release.
A staff member over at Sonic Retro has discovered an amazing similarity with a Jetzons song called ‘Hard Times’. Check out the song below and you might be surprised as to how similar it is to a song that features on the Sonic 3 soundtrack:
Yep, that melody is unmistakably Ice Cap! What an amazing find!
Our latest video on the SEGADriven YouTube channel once again takes a look at our updated Mega Drive collection. We also take questions from our Facebook and Twitter followers. Check it out below:
Like the video? Why not subscribe to the SEGADriven YouTube Channel by clicking here.
Sonic Retro user Deef has discovered (in August 2010 no doubt! Thanks TimmiT) that if you leave Sonic 3 idling on the save select screen the music changes after a whopping 47 minutes. You can see an example of this below:
Pretty amazing that people are still finding secrets in 19 year old games!
It’s snowing and London and the Internet is throwing a wobbler! However, we think snow is pretty awesome so we thought we’d celebrate with a bumper edition of SEGA Tunes featuring loads of themes from different snow stages in the Sonic series! Click the links below to enjoy some wintery fun!
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