Sonic CD's Mysterious Cut R2 Level Discussion - Post Origins Edition

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its from a certain part of a song call techno power mix thats in the same album Sonic Stream came from.

 

For context here is the link to the song:

You can use the top comment if you are looking for any timestamps, but the potential R2 stuff in question is at 0:07 and 3:19.

This next part isn't related to R2 I just thought it'd be fun for the newer people finding this album.
As a fun tidbit, I'm pretty sure this album is where the Time Attack theme for 2011 came from.

 

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I think that Dubious Depths and Tidal Tempest are related in some ways.
Let's look at the map of Little Planet:

Both levels take place underground. DD and TT were not present in ending animation of the original SEGA Mega-CD version of the game.
In my opinion, this rainbow waterfall artwork shows an early version of Tidal Tempest, which is quite different from what is seen in Sonic CD.

Stardust Speedway drawing also looks differently compared to the level in the game.


Little Planet map from Sonic Origins reflects Sonic's progression through all 8 levels. For example, after TT he reaches Quartz Quadrant - underground / cave area - and then he gets out from the cave (look at 11:11).

It all looks quite logical - like level transitions in Sonic 3.
It's interesting - Sonic CD originally included 8 stages - and music composers divided themes between them:
4 compositions by Naofumi Hataya - Palmtree Panic, Quartz Quadrant, Stardust Speedway, Metallic Madness
4 compositions by Masafumi Ogata - Dubious Depths, Collision Chaos, Tidal Tempest, Wacky Workbench

Fun is ∞ with SEGA Enterprises!
Wait a minute... ∞ ... 8 levels in Sonic CD ... 8th special stage ...

... 8 tracks on SONIC THE HEDGEHOG-REMIX album, which features a song called #8th SPACE ...

 

8B um, actually, this concept is a R2 concept art, that was showed in developer diary video, or something...

 

I'm loving all these new discoveries and discourse on Sonic CD. Nice to put a name to the concept of "Dubious Depths" finally. Also love the analysis of the Sonic the Hedgehog Remix tracks that's happening. One of my personal favourite albums related to the franchise. Three tracks magazine promo tracks may be worth delving into:





The intro to the AMBIENT MIX in particular may be related to a potential Dubious Depths Good Future?

 

I don’t recognize anything in Sonic After Mix or 6290 that would resemble anything that we’ve heard of R2 so far.
I have no idea where the intro to Ambient mix comes from as I don’t recognize it but I’m going to argue it was made for the CD as it doesn’t match the same style that all of the other Past era tracks have. What I will ask is that were these recorded before or after they were compressed for the sega CD? The instruments sound much higher quality than I’m used to hearing.

 

I've been thinking about Ridicule Root | Dubious Depths. According to Naoto Ohshima, that level took place in a dungeon. Some vegetation can be seen in extended animation from Sonic CD. There was a robot leaping from the ground. All this reminds me of Labyrinth from Sonic 1.
Early background of that level featured rocky underground structures, and Labyrinth was a second round in some versions of level select from Sonic The Hedgehog.
And what about water? There's water in rainbow waterfall concept art, but no water in extended animation (and Little Planet map). There's water in Labyrinth, but no water in prototype Labyrinth...

 

Maybe the Sonic CD developers were working off a prototype of Sonic 1 instead of the final product of Sonic 1.

 

Unlikely. If they were using the originally intended level order, it would be "Tidal Tempest" next since the original order was:
Green Hill Zone > Labyrinth > Marble > Star Light > Spring Yard > Scrap Brain.

Even then, I don't recall Marble Zone having water either. And rainbow falls does not suggest water in the actual level: for all we know, the viaducts were a background element, where in the past they flowed water, in the present they flow lava, and the future either returns the water or makes the lava worse.

 

Collision Chaos has water in the foreground (also on the map of Little Planet).

 

But it's not the primary focus, it's simply a connecting element hidden away (some members here didn't realise the water was there until it was brought up), hence my supposition that the viaduct might be a background element instead of something to do with the level itself.

 

This is one of the most fascinating threads I've read in a while... one of my favorite Mysteries with so much new tidbits of info that help paint a much more full picture. Makes me wish we'd get more of that original Sonic 1 styled special stage too.

also its nice to see Sonic Stream finally getting the respect it deserves, heck that whole remix album is straight fire.

 

It was based off of Sonic 1 REV01.

 

For what it's worth (which, you know, isn't much), that channel did eventually upload another video claiming to be a prototype version of the intro animation.

 

100% agree.

 

A thought occurs. Sonic the Hedgehog Spinball reused the concept art from a very early cut Sonic the Hedgehog 2 level, Cyber City Zone, for the level The Machine.

Might it be possible that a similar thing might have occurred with Dubious Depths' concept art at some point?

 

If that were the case, I'd assume we would hear at least something, if anything of it by now.

The game is 30 years' old now, and we know so little of a single cut level than practically all of the other cut levels from Sonic 2, which is so strange to me, but understandable, knowing the rough development cycle that game had compared to CD.