This article pertains to the beta elements from Sonic the Hedgehog CD.
Prototype 510
Discovered by a group of fans in the summer 2000, this prototype dates itself to 10 May 1993, making this the earliest known beta of the game, and thus features many differences from the final release of the game.
Changes
Bosses
In Palmtree Panic, the EGG-HVC-001 was meant to have claws instead of Bumpers.
In Quartz Quadrant, the conveyor belt boss had a dull-blue palette, and the spike wall was much more simplistic in its design.
The Stardust Speedway boss has not been implemented yet.
Music
The title screen music and the Japanese/European Power Sneaker music was changed dramatically during development. The beta Power Sneakers music is a high energy remix of "Sonic - You Can Do Anything".
| Music track | Description |
|---|---|
| Beta Title Theme | |
| Beta Speed Shoes Theme |
Stages
Zone 3 of Palmtree Panic uses placeholder graphics for the scenery that more resemble simple recolors of the Present time period in both Futures. Not that this is not the case with Zones 1 and 2, which both use their proper graphics that would go on to be used in the final game.
Tidal Tempest uses different palettes for when underwater, though these are likely placeholder graphics since the actual palettes are used for the Time Attack menu.
The conveyor belts in Quartz Quadrant were meant to be activated by pressing down on buttons rather than running past switches like in the final game. Additionally, there is a monitor displaying Sonic’s face that can be found in the Good Future of Zone 1 that goes unused in the final game. Of note is that this sprite was eventually restored and used in the Good Future of Zone 3 in the 2011 remake of the game.
Many of the colors in Wacky Workbench are different from the final release, including a slightly greener background in the present, and a blue foreground palette for the past rather than a green one. The electrical conduits also feature pointed nubs instead of round ones like in the final.
Likewise, many sprites in the Past time period of Stardust Speedway are blue instead of yellow. The Good Future is also completely blue instead of purple like in the final release.
Metallic Madness features many changes that go completely unused in the final game, including but not limited to trapdoors similar to the ones in Scrap Brain Zone, a set of scales that shift according to Sonic’s weight, and bottomless pits in Zones 1 and 2 (Which only appear in Zone 3 in the final game).
Unused character sprites
Sega CD
| Image | Description |
|---|---|
 |
This sprite shows Sonic being electrocuted, revealing his skeleton. This sprite would be reused in the 2011 remake when being damaged by electricity in Wacky Workbench. |
 |
Sonic with his eyes closed. |
 |
A top-down sprite of Sonic falling. |
 |
Sonic running while swinging his arms, possibly for while underwater. |
 |
Sonic looking up behind him. |
 |
Sonic sneezing. |
 |
The regular Death/Drowning sprites, only upside down. Interestingly, Tails got his own version of these in the 2011 remake, also unused. |
 |
Sonic appearing to grab onto something. |
 |
An alternate version of Sonic’s shimmy animation. |
 |
Sonic appearing to be dangling from something. |
 |
Sonic pushing his chest out in front of him. |
 |
An unused frame of Sonic’s turning animation. |
 |
An unused set of sprites of Sonic shrugging his shoulders as he descends slowly into the ground and his quills turn upward. |
 |
An animation of Sonic being knocked backward. |
 |
An animation of Sonic jumping with his arms in the air. |
 |
Unused of Amy with hearts in her eyes. However, in the 2011 remake of the game, these sprites are utilized whenever Amy hugs Sonic. |
PC
| Image | Description |
|---|---|
 |
Two different angles of Sonic rolling. |
 |
A black and white death sprite, which was ripped right out of the original Sonic the Hedgehog. |
Unused objects
Waterfall
An unused waterfall. There is leftover symbol data that, which can be found in Sonic Gems Collection, called "taki", which translates to "waterfall".
| Image | Description |
|---|---|
  |
In-game, the object that moves downwards quickly for a bit and then disappears. As it moves down, it overwrites the level blocks with a singular block. Modifying the code can correct it to its full potential and animation. |
Round elements
| Image | Name | Description |
|---|---|---|
 |
Unused oil pattern | These oil slicks are graphics that would have been used in Special Stages. |
 |
Unused broken switch | A sprite of an unused broken switch. |
  |
Unused moving platforms | These platforms were meant for Quartz Quadrant and came in pairs or groups of four. While they are used in the Future versions of the stage, the variants for the Present and Past do not make an appearance anywhere. |
  |
Unused conveyor belt platforms | These platforms only exist in the Past version of Quartz Quadrant. |
 |
Unused swinging conveyor belt platform | This object only exists in the Present and Future versions of Quartz Quadrant. |
 |
Unused item | This is an unused object with a hand insignia on it. Its purpose is unknown. |
Monitors
| Image | Description |
|---|---|
 |
The S Monitor can be found in this game. It grants Sonic with the Invincibility, Power Sneakers, and Shield items all at once. The icon is later used in the 2013 remakes of Sonic the Hedgehog and Sonic the Hedgehog 2. |
 |
In the v0.02 and 510 prototypes of the game, this object performs the same action as the S Monitor. In the v0.51 and 712 prototypes, it grants Sonic an invisible shield that can be used with a regular shield. The icon was later reused for the Combine Ring in Knuckles' Chaotix. |
 |
This monitor is supposed to stop time but it does not work properly. However, it does stop the animations of Rings, monitors and rotating palettes. |
Unused sounds
| Clip | ID number | Description |
|---|---|---|
| N/A | A sound effect that is used on the CD audio portion of the disc. When the game disc is inserted into a CD player, it can be heard on track #2. | |
| FM NO.21 | Unknown. FM NO.22 is a duplicate of this sound. | |
| FM NO.26 | Unknown. | |
| FM NO.48 | A different version of the sound heard when pressing any button. | |
| FM NO.49 | The warning bell usually heard underwater in other Sonic games, only high-pitched. It was later used in the 2011 remake of the game, but at a lower pitch. | |
| FM NO.50 | Sounds like something being shot. | |
| FM NO.54 | An electrical sound of sorts. | |
| FM NO.55 | A loud, harsh buzzing sound. | |
| FM NO.60 | Unknown. | |
| FM NO.61 | Sounds like FM NO.55, but this one has a resonating sound underneath it. | |
| FM NO.63 | An echo-y spike-like sound. | |
| FM NO.66 | A very high-pitched "ding" sound, which was later used for the Hyper Ring power-up in Sonic Mania. | |
| FM NO.67 | Sonic losing his Rings in a higher pitch. | |
| FM NO.68 | Sounds just like FM NO. 63, only without an echo. | |
| FM NO.69 | Sounds similar to the door sound at the end of the Metal Sonic race. | |
| FM NO.75 | A variant of FM NO. 68. | |
| FM NO.76 | A variant of FM NO. 68. | |
| FM NO.77 | A variant of FM NO. 68. | |
| FM NO.78 | A variant of FM NO. 68. | |
| PCM NO.02 | Sonic saying "Alright!" | |
| PCM NO.05 | Sonic saying "Yeah!". This was used as the extra life sound in the v0.51 and 712 prototypes. In the final game, he says "Yes!" instead. |
Beta Special Stage
In an early prototype version of Sonic the Hedgehog CD, a different special stage design was present, similar to the Special Stages in Sonic the Hedgehog (1991).
R2
A mysterious scrapped stage known as R2 can be found in the game's files. It is unknown what was supposed to be of the stage though it was to be placed between Palmtree Panic and Collision Chaos.
External links
- Sonic the Hedgehog CD (Sega CD) at The Cutting Room Floor
- Sonic the Hedgehog CD/Hidden content at Sonic Retro
