Sonic 3 Development Lore: Unused Zone ID 0D, Prototype Sound Cue 2E, Concept Art Discussion

Looking at the Sonic origins take on angel island, the tall mountain isn't ice cap. They recolored the mountains to the left blue. There was also a Carnival might barrel on the right hand side implying it's tucked on the back or something. Also I think they stuck mushrooms between sandopolis and Marble Garden. Otherwise the chart is pretty close.

 

Reminder that the developers of Sonic Origins' menu were doing just as much guesswork as we are. South Island and Westside Island also have zone-specific setpieces thrown around pretty indiscriminately.

The zones' placements there could be their canon locations nowadays, but they most likely aren't where they were meant to be located originally.

 

That is a good point; i interpreted it as being like the equivalent of an overworld map, but it really isn't.

It is fun to notice how the zones' background art was allowed be thematically beautiful and immersive for each environment, rather than matching the details of this sprite version of the island.

Of course also, whether the zone art designers actually saw the sprite is unknown unless it has ever been talked about in some kind of interview or questionairre!!

 

The earliest look at the island we got is the version featured in the Sonic 3 Title Screen.

 

Unless you were a Japanese player and looked at the manual before playing the game.


Curious how close it feels to the interpretation I posted. I guess they must have used that map from the manual as a basis for the endgame sprite, albeit expanding it to accommodate the S&K zones.

Also kinda weird how the S3 title screen seems to depict two islands. Or was it all Angel Island, and it was originally going to be a bit deeper into the sea, causing one of its valleys to be submerged?

 

Wasn't there concept art of a map of the island? I think it even indicated Flying Battery (in its original spot, too). A cursory search on my end revealed nothing, however. I might just be misremembering, but I could swear there was something like that at some point.

 

I've been scavenging Sonic world's maps for quite a while now, but never saw anything like that...