A Test Level, also known as a Test Map or Test Room, is a unused level that can be found within the game's files. During a game's development, they are used by game testers for many various things.
Description[]
Test Levels have been a way to test many features that exist in the final game. They can be used to test the game's collision, mechanics, character AI, items, etc.. After the game's release, they are sometimes left within in game's files and can be accessed via hacking (or sometimes glitches).
History[]
Sonic Adventure 2[]
In Sonic Adventure 2. the character will load the player at a red-yellow platform. The map contains several things such as object shapes, number tiles, slopes using road graphics. and an odd linear red-white that goes around the map. The filename is called KNUCKLES.TEST which suggests that is was used for doing the treasure hunting missions in the game for Knuckles and Rouge.
Sonic Adventure 2: Battle[]
Sonic standing on a number tile, from Sonic Adventure 2: Battle.
In Sonic Adventure 2: Battle, most to all the files from the Dreamcast version were imported GameCube version, including the Test Level. It is the exact same thing as the original, but it can be accessed via using the Chao Key glitch. Beating the level with this glitch will then transport the player to the Test Level. The spawn point is still the same, but there are two white cylinders that the player can throw. If the player were Sonic or Shadow, they can grind on the Red-White shape around the map along with an invisible rail around one of the slopes.
Sonic Heroes[]
In Sonic Heroes, there are two test maps that were used during the game's development. However, these are not found in the files for the final game as they were deleted before the game's release. However, they can be found in the 10.8 prototype and the E3 Demo.
10.8 prototype[]
Team Sonic in the Test level, from the 10.8 prototype version of Sonic Heroes.
In the 10.8 prototype version of Sonic Heroes, the player spawns next to the right side of a triangular slope. Some testing mechanics include a blue-yellow for grinding on rails, a rainbow flooring for possibly testing the Rocket Accel, a height measurement for testing the height of flight formation characters, and a yellow wall for testing the Triangle-Jump mechanics. This test map cannot be found after this prototype suggesting it was removed sometime before the release of the Mario Kart: Double Dash!! Demo Disc.
E3 version[]
In the E3 version, upon loading the level, the player will immediately be falling into the void meaning a jump cheat must be used to get to the level. This has the same layout has the 10.8 prototype, but it now adds several objects and enemies into it. There are also objects that didn't exist in the E3 Demo, such as a smaller slab, a fan (though it does appear in Ocean Palace when hacking the game's files to load the level), a cage, an early version of the pulley, a small pole, a power gong, a target switch, a switch, a pull/push switch, and even an unused balcony-like platform.
There are also enemies that are not found within this game too. These include the Klagen, Falco, Cameron (which is in it's shell at all times) and the Egg Hammer (with some unfinished collision around it). Both the Cameron and Egg Hammer cannot be defeated, not even by the power formation character.
Shadow the Hedgehog[]
In the game files of Shadow the Hedgehog, there are a total of nine test levels.
Stage 0000[]
This test level seems to have recycled most of the stuff from the Sonic Heroes prototypes with some differences and additions: One of the geometry's shaped like volcanic ground makes the player lose a life if touched, an orange wall meant for testing the Triangle-Jump mechanic has reversed use when trying to cling onto the wall, two spines exist within the map where one is unfinished with the other being mostly complete having a three way pathway to take the player around the map, and another wall that allows Shadow to run along (not wall running). This suggests that this mechanic was planned to be used in this game and may relate to the unused voice clips where Shadow could use the Red Slime. However, those voice clips have use it when Wall-Running so it's unlikely they are related to it.
Stage 0001[]
This test level has lots of slopes, suggesting that it was used for testing the game's physics. There is even two long blue slopes that has a somewhat of a concept to the ones used in Circus Park. Upon reaching to the top of either one, the pathway stops and makes the player head back down. The shorter one crosses over the longer one which can allow the player to hop onto the other slope.
Stage 0002[]
A test level containing several material flooring and effects. There are twelve that are included in this room which contains several effects from that player's movements. These include: Grass (Glyphic Canyon), Dirt (Cryptic Castle), Sand (Glyphic Canyon and Sky Troops), Wooden Crates, Red Slime, Water, Electrical (Digital Circuit and Mad Matrix), many metallic-like flooring, and even Snow (which is never used in the final game). Some of them will even generates textures upon running on top of them..
Stage 0003[]
A test level that was seemingly used for testing the UV textures. This loads several cubes and half of a sphere, along with a singular spine that exists in this level.
Stage 0005[]
A test level that contains a grid with a color pallet underneath it. This was most likely used when constructing event cutscenes with this being used as a base. It does appear in the cutscene for Sky Troops and can be briefly seen in the GameCube version when Black Doom starts talking, transitioning the camera to him, in the background next to his left arm.
Stage 9900[]
Only found in the GameCube version, this level contains an unstable test level with a city and several elements borrowed from Sonic Heroes. Upon loading in, the player spawns on top of a red metallic pathway with the flooring around it having several signs and cubes just outside it. Upon following the road tot the end, the player will then come across a tunnel which reaches to a dead end.
Sonic Riders[]
Found only in the PC Version of Sonic Riders is a large oval track. Though only item boxes appear in this level, at the end of the track, there is also invisible barriers which prevent the player from falling off the track.
Sonic the Hedgehog (2006)[]
A large test level (test_enemy) that was intended specifically made for Shadow. The area itself contains vehicles, a grind spline, and a few item boxes, in addition to enemies. As expected, this was used to test out the mechanics for Shadow.
Sonic Origins[]
In the Sonic 3 & Knuckles remaster in Sonic Origins, there exists a test Zone called Blueprint Zone, with simple graphics and lots of slopes. Originally used by Christian Whitehead to test RSDKv5[1], object graphics for the Zone can be found in earlier versions of Sonic Mania, suggesting it to be a very old leftover.
The whole layout of the Zone.
Layout for the Zoo version of Flying Battery Zone.
Additionally, a level called The Zoo exists in the files, presumably for testing Badniks. It crashes the game when loaded. Zoo versions of levels exist, with "Zoo" used in place of "Zone" (eg: Flying Battery Zoo, Hydrocity Zoo). They're merely porting tests.