Sonic Chaos (May 17, 1993 prototype)

Sonic Chaos
The title screen of this prototype.
Development staff
Developer(s)	Aspect
Publisher(s)	Sega
Video game overview
Genre(s)	Platform
Platform(s)	Sega Game Gear

This prototype of the Sega Game Gear version of Sonic Chaos has a build date of May 17, 1993. The prototype is referred internally as "Sonic the Hedgehog 3", as its header states "MS SONIC.THE.HEDGEHOG.3". Being the earliest prototype of Sonic Chaos available as a whole, it features the most drastic differences. In addition, it does not play any music nor sound effects.

It was discovered and acquired by drx of Hidden Palace in conjunction with The Cutting Room Floor, who also discovered and acquired other prototypes of Sonic Chaos and other Sonic games. They dumped them as part of "Sonic Month 2019" from October to November 2019.

General Differences

• There's no sound at all. The points of code where the sound is supposed to play are filled with #FF.
• The game is referred to by "SONIC 3." This makes this the third Sonic game that completes the 8-bit Sonic the Hedgehog trilogy.
• At offset 0xC0, this text can be seen:

MS SONIC.THE.HEDGEHOG.3 Ver0.00 1993/02/01 @SEGA/Aspect Co.,Ltd

Considering the version number and date, it's probably from an even earlier build.

• The SEGA screen in this game is like the other 8-bit Sonic games.
• There is no opening demo.
• Tails doesn't give a thumbs up, but his tails are now visible. However, they get removed from visibility when the game gets released...
• "PRESS START BUTTON" does not flash.
• The character selects and game over screens are just text on a blue background. "Turquoise Hill Zone" is misspelled as Turquise Hill Zone in the level select.
• There are no title cards, and the lives counter only have one digit.
• Holding 1 will let the player move around freely around the act. Special Stages aren't present in this build. Instead, getting 100 rings work like how you expect it too; it gives the player an extra life. Speaking of rings, losing them don't work correctly.
• Jet shoes are a permanent powerup, and you can't move up or down.
• Some 10-ring monitors don't work correctly.
• Spindashing does not break monitors.
• Bosses do not flash when being hit, and Sonic just runs off when it's over instead of a real outro. The final boss also isn't in the game, leaving the game unbeatable.
• Many acts don't have a death plane.
• 3D bridges sometimes don't work, forcing Sonic to sink instead of have him fall off.

Zones

Turquoise Hill Zone

• Uses a palette similar to the Sega Master System version.
• There are some layout differences.

Gigalopolis Zone

• A spring object is misplaced next to an item box in Act 1.
• Collision in the tubes seem broken. The player gets stuck in tiles above the tube.
• Halfway off-screen in Act 3, there's an item box placed near the beginning.
• When the boss for Act 3 loads, the palette gets corrupted.
• The platform in this version of the zone is larger than the one in the final.

Sleeping Egg Zone

• The starting position is always in mid-air, and the layout is completely broken. No objects have been implemented.
• The zone uses the tiles for Mecha Green Hill Zone. However, the background is more similar to the final version.

Mecha Green Hill Zone

• Animated tiles have not been implemented yet.
• The Moto Bugs' use the same palette as in Turquoise Hill Zone.
• When the player runs over tilted bridges, the player slowly drifts off the edge. In the final build, Sonic is always at the center.
• There are no splash effects when the player jumps into oil.
• Act 2 has a static item box. It is a ring monitor, but doesn't show an icon.
• A big chunk of the level is missing in Act 2.
• The boss battle has more animation, and animates differently. There are slight graphical differences to the platforms.

Aqua Planet Zone

• The zone is totally different from the final build.

May 17, 1993	Release

• Water has not been implemented yet.
• Acts 2 and 3 load in black and white palettes, and are copies of Act 1.

Electric Egg Zone

• There are no cycling colours or animation yet.
• No objects are implemented, with one exception.
• Act 2 has a boss, it is an early version of Aqua Planet's boss. However, Phase 2 softlocks the game.
• Buttons that activate the various lasers don't do anything.
• Act 3 has layout differences.
• Minecarts haven't been implemented yet, though sprites for riding in them do exist. The minecarts themselves look different.

References

Sonic Chaos

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