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Find me the desert level

Discussion in 'General Sonic Discussion' started by Black Squirrel, Sep 15, 2019.

  1. Black Squirrel

    Black Squirrel

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    Sorry, I'm obsessed over this at the moment.

    [​IMG]
    ???

    [​IMG]
    https://retrocdn.net/index.php?title=File:SegaVisions_US_10.pdf&page=5

    [​IMG]
    https://info.sonicretro.org/index.php?title=File:Mega_UK_01.pdf&page=29

    Here's a shock to nobody - all our screenshots of "Dust Hill Zone" are terrible. With the aid of modern technology I'm hoping to track down better versions. Two of the three scans we have are accounted for - I don't know where that original oversaturated version came from, and there's two other occurances whose origins weren't written down:

    https://info.sonicretro.org/File:SegaGuideBefore.jpg
    https://info.sonicretro.org/File:SegaGuideAfter.jpg

    (the wiki just says "Sega Guide". Thanks for that.)

    As a "screenshot" sent by Sega to the press, I'm expecting it to turn up a few times. Bonus points for any other official mockups/screenshots, preferably ones which are of better quality than the current set. Any clues?
     
  2. Black Squirrel

    Black Squirrel

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    And then 10 minutes later he found half of what he was looking for:

    https://retrocdn.net/index.php?title=File:EGM_US_059.pdf&page=60

    The first shot is from an issue of EGM as it discusses a completely different Sonic game. The full magazine scan is from Retromags scan, and it... actually kinda sucks as there's too much contrast. Whoever scanned the original image above got better colours at the expense of resolution (and 20 years worth of JPEG compression as it made its way around the internet).

    The other two are from issues of Game Players Sega Guide! that we don't have. It would be nice to know which ones.
     
  3. JustAMotobug

    JustAMotobug

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    I can relate to this since I have a fascination with Desert Palace Zone. I still want to see that stage put into a full-fledged concept. Dust Hill luckily got that treatment in Mania, so there's still hope, right? Though, seeing more of this beta stage past its mock-ups will be a joy to see...
     
  4. biggestsonicfan

    biggestsonicfan

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    Would Taxman have seen it in better resolution for Dessert Dazzle? Or was that all on his own?
     
  5. Sappharad

    Sappharad

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    Just looking at it, you can tell it was all newly created art. I believe he confirmed at one point that he made it.
     
  6. Rika Chou

    Rika Chou

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    Speaking of the Desert Level, I thought this post was pretty interesting but didn't get any attention. Specifically the Cactus flower using art from GHZ, which I don't think anyone had noticed before. (I certainly never did)

     
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  7. biggestsonicfan

    biggestsonicfan

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    That is OP. I think that's what he meant about being obsessed over it. Though it is nice to crosspost that info. I wonder why @Black Squirrel didn't crosspost it themselves.
     
  8. Hez

    Hez

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    Damn. That is actually pretty cool. I've never noticed that before. I also was always curious about the bottom right. Is that a circular backdrop object on top of the sand?
     
  9. Black Squirrel

    Black Squirrel

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    I think it's all level tiles save for Sonic, the badniks, the rings and that platform.

    It's really difficult to see but on top of the sand there is a line of dots - I'm thinking movement was set to be simulated with a rotating palette, similar to the conveyor belts in other levels (including Brenda Ross' other stage, Wood Zone). Don't know for sure though, because the scans suck.
     
  10. Hez

    Hez

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    To black squirrels point. There's got to be a way to get a better scan.
     
  11. Mastered Realm

    Mastered Realm

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  12. Blue Blood

    Blue Blood

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    The cactus using art from the GHZ flowers is something I remember reading about way back on Cult. The pillar directly behind Sonic is slightly modified from Labyrinth tiles too. I'm kind of surprised to see that this is new to some folk, but I guess if it isn't documented then it's to be expected.
     
  13. Antheraea

    Antheraea

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    aren't all EGMs archived somewhere or am I mistaken? if I'm mistaken I can buy this. :)
     
  14. Hez

    Hez

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    Not sure. That issue had no problem accepting my payment and shipping address so I guess we'll see what it has.
     
  15. Black Squirrel

    Black Squirrel

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    Lads, it was in the second post. Wakey wakey*.



    *that collection isn't complete, we have all of 1992.
     
  16. Kat

    Kat

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    Yes, but you also mentioned a couple times in this thread that the current scan sucks. Now we can get a better scan.
     
  17. Mastered Realm

    Mastered Realm

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    That's exactly the case. If we can get a 2400dpi scan I can try to reconstruct the image from the halftone dots.
     
  18. Black Squirrel

    Black Squirrel

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    Fair enough, just checking the board hadn't gone mad ;)
     
  19. Hez

    Hez

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    will Electronic Gaming Monthly 59 have a decent shot? I guess I'll find out this weekend.

    Also, never seeing the screenshots with more to the top. This looks like a recolored copy and paste

    https://imgur.com/VqpgFDY

    [​IMG]

    EDIT:

    For what its worth, and I don't mean any disrespect to Brenda or the American team, I can see why some of these levels were canned over others. Overall, the art is really repetitive and bland. Even Hidden Palace has just a ton of repeating rocks over and over and over again. Looking at Wood Zone, it's also the same case of blandness. If there was a time crunch, I can't say I wouldn't have made some of the same calls in their shoes. Comparing this art to say, Chemical plant, you can see why.
     
    Last edited: Sep 18, 2019
  20. Hez

    Hez

    Oldbie
    Double post. Going to be scanning these tomorrow at work, and then professionally somewhere in the area. Until then, here are some shitty phone shots. Not super impressed with this magazines quality but it does have a TAD bit more detail.

    [​IMG]
    [​IMG]
    [​IMG]

    Bonus HPZ phone picture. I'll be getting it too.

    [​IMG]