[SpeedStarTMQ]

Fuck fuck fuck. I cannot believe what I am seeing. We're on our way to getting some of that concept art in those 'Rock The Rock' screens. Ths is majorly exciting stuff for me, and this is why I joined Retro. Recently this stuff has been lacking.

I thoroughly agree that this concept art was also a test for some things in Flying Battery. As someone said earlier, it makes sense that they used a basic concept and tried variations of it to get an idea of the style of the level. They obviously kept some blue stuff from the colour test by the time Flying Battery came along in Sonic and Knuckles.

Some of you are saying that it can't be because the colours are different. Well, Sonic 3 was meant to have Flying Battery in originally, and I have this to say;

That's the same colour as this;


That must mean that it's at least an early re-used concept, because hasn't a Flying Battery save screen been found in Sonic 3 hidden away, which has the final colour scheme?

This post has been edited by SpeedStarTMQ: 05 October 2011 - 05:14 AM

[XCubed]

Dark Sonic, on 04 October 2011 - 12:41 AM, said:

Hmm, this is drawn in similar style to the other one but it definitely has a Mushroom Hill vibe to it.

The original text was taped over on this as well. Yeah, I'm banking on Wood Zone...



Btw, I always wondered why the Flying Battery "Blimp" from Angel Island was different from the one introduced in Mushroom Hill. Weird design change for something that was supposed to be consistent within one game!

[SpeedStarTMQ]

A simple recolour is all that is needed on the navy blue sections to get this;


Similar, eh?

[Overlord]

...and that does actually work really well, insofar as it looks much more military than the final does, which you'd expect from a Battery. I do wonder if that was why they went for the different colour scheme in the end, though.

[ICEknight]

I think it might have to do with it almost looking like Metropolis acts 4 and 5...

[SpeedStarTMQ]

ICEknight, on 05 October 2011 - 03:16 PM, said:

I think it might have to do with it almost looking like Metropolis acts 4 and 5...

I think you're right. The evidence is present. The fact that the blimp in Sonic 3 is that concept art colour, and that the final actual zone is different really is down to development of the concept. I think that they wanted to go for something different. Metropolis Zone and Metallic Madness already had a similar look, and Sonic was always about variation. They probably didn't change the Angel Island blimp because it was a quick appearance which was already well implemented and detailed, and would mess with the levels palette.

The Sonic & Knuckles apperance of The Flying Battery still has the golden finishing around the sides, but the colour is now a navy blue, and a military pattern has been applied, so the feel of the level is still similar.

[ICEknight]

This makes me wonder, are the palettes of Angel Island's and Mushroom Hill's actually compatible with the actual level? Or between both cutcenes?

This post has been edited by ICEknight: 05 October 2011 - 04:17 PM

[XCubed]

ICEknight, on 05 October 2011 - 03:16 PM, said:

I think it might have to do with it almost looking like Metropolis acts 4 and 5...

Instead of paying then, we are paying now with Acts 4,5, anad 6. -_-


But that's an interesting question. I tried doing a quick search to compare the Angel Island blimp vs. the Mushroom Hill Blimp. I'm surprised the pictures aren't a part of Flying Battery page here at Retro.

[Tanks]

This is all starting to fit into place now...



Ever since I was a kid I knew that looked a tad funny to be a plane. I just chocked it up to being a game and that was the design. But look at that now. The front is curved up funny, it's extremely long, and it has no wings. And now we get this evidence that Flying Battery may have very well been a blimp. Couple that with the evidence that Flying Battery was originally placed within Sonic 3's storyline... I think that's some pretty compelling evidence Flying Battery was, at one point, Bad Egg Blimp Zone...

[Andrew75]

Yellow and blue make green, Red and blue make a purple, both colors are apparent on the blimp. ( well kind of purple Grey is apparent anyways)
could it just be that they wanted to have the fires light the blimp to make a new color?
to me that blimps design kinda looks out of place as it was used in sonic 3. it looks more like the blimp should be a background piece more than something flying overhead of sonic dropping bombs,
You can also kinda make out a platform on there where sonic would be able to run on.( although scaled down)

Perhaps Flying battery zone had been a background prop which was supposed to fire shells from the background rather than overhead dropping.
( sonic team may have been rushed and didn't finish what they set out to do with the prop.

This post has been edited by Andrew75: 06 October 2011 - 12:01 AM

[Sik]

Andrew75, on 05 October 2011 - 11:46 PM, said:

to me that blimps design kinda looks out of place as it was used in sonic 3. it looks more like the blimp should be a background piece more than something flying overhead of sonic dropping bombs,

It wouldn't have been anywhere as cool though.

Also just checked, that plane in Angel Island looks nothing like what we get to see in Mushroom Hill. Then again, Flying Battery is as big as an entire zone, so it's possible we just saw a different part of the blimp.

[Andrew75]

Sik, on 06 October 2011 - 12:01 AM, said:

Andrew75, on 05 October 2011 - 11:46 PM, said:

to me that blimps design kinda looks out of place as it was used in sonic 3. it looks more like the blimp should be a background piece more than something flying overhead of sonic dropping bombs,

It wouldn't have been anywhere as cool though.

Also just checked, that plane in Angel Island looks nothing like what we get to see in Mushroom Hill. Then again, Flying Battery is as big as an entire zone, so it's possible we just saw a different part of the blimp.

Perhaps Flying battery zone had been a background prop which was supposed to fire shells from the background rather than overhead dropping.
( sonic team may have been rushed and didn't finish what they set out to do with the prop.

Edit: WTF is that thing at the helm of the Zone anyways?
looks like some possum/racoon creature wearing a metal turtle shell as a hat from the Mario games.

This post has been edited by Andrew75: 06 October 2011 - 12:11 AM

[muteKi]

True story: I recalled seeing Triple Trouble ads. Knowing it was the 8-bit variation on Sonic 3, I assumed that guy to be Nack or some such.

[JaxTH]

Isn't it one of the enemies from MHZ?

[Andrew75]

muteKi, on 06 October 2011 - 12:15 AM, said:

True story: I recalled seeing Triple Trouble ads. Knowing it was the 8-bit variation on Sonic 3, I assumed that guy to be Nack or some such.

lol wow

also looking at the sprite sheet there seems to be guns that look like they swivel around. possibly twards the screen.
and the mole creature's booth looks like it could tuck up into the bottom of the ship.
hnmm another thing I noticed, if you imagine the Grey sort of part without the army pattern notice the ridge spacing, its kinda layed out to resemble a rounded object,
as well as how the prop moters are attached to that grey area,
yep lools like a blimp to me, lol

JaxTH, on 06 October 2011 - 12:16 AM, said:

Isn't it one of the enemies from MHZ?

yeah thats the mole thingy lol, couldn't tell from memory or the blurry screen I nabbed earlier.

This post has been edited by Andrew75: 06 October 2011 - 12:48 AM