Sonic 2 Development Lore

One of the Brenda mockups uses much of the Sand Shower/winter zone art:



Could it be another planned S2 area? Olympus perhaps? The warp point pyramid? Rock World (which was a counterpart to Sand Shower)?

Or is it just for an unrelated game?

 

Just saw the video. Story is being made here, folks.

Also, we need to talk about this unused Sonic Spinball level.

 

I don't even think it was meant for any specific game. It looks like one of the many pixel art scenes on the video, which I'm inclined to believe were moreso art mockups for her portfolio than they were actual game scenes.

 

The original Genesis plans shows that Toxic Caves was two separate levels; Underground Caves and Toxic Pools. So I guess then the question is which of the two does the Brenda artwork belong to?

 

Frank said that it might not be related, but we shouldn't dismiss it quite yet in my opinion.

However, it should be noted that there's no rings, enemies or Sonic himself to be seen.

 

Toxic Pools is what they call the final Toxic Caves in the Master System version, so I'm inclined to believe that Brenda's level is Underground Caves.

 

Wait, so if Balkiry was originally meant for Blue Lake, then that means...

Oh my god.


EDIT: Y'know, come to think of it, Balkiry's behavior in Sky Chase isn't dissimilar to Jawz in Hydro City...

 

Sky Chase containing the remains of Blue Lake is perhaps the thing I'd least expected to be a factual in any sense.

Almost wondering now, if Aquatic Ruin being a somewhat slap-dashed feeling water level where you never actually have to go in the water was a result of Blue Lake, the game's intended designated water level, getting scrapped.

 

Perhaps, but, to be honest, what I find mildly interesting and kinda amusing is how this, and the Winter zone concept art, actually proves an entirely different thing; the uppermost floor tiles in Sand Shower didn’t use the browns, but rather the reds associated with one of the cactus tops, meaning the reds had to be on the same palette line.

 

To think we've gone literal years not knowing something as simple as "there was an extra cactus in the dessert mockup image the whole time"

 

You know what Sand Shower needs? +1 CACTUS

 

Observations I've made regarding the water level sketch:

1. There are arrows present, dictating the movement patterns of the animals and the submarine. The whale moves in a figure-8-ish pattern, the dolphin jumps back and forth along the surface like a real dolphin would and the submarine moves back and forth in a very small area. It is unclear whether or not these are merely for ambiance or if they are gameplay mechanics of some kind.
   Spoiler: Movements

   
2. There is a second tunnel, on the leftmost side of the map. It seems to connect the left wall to the submarine wreck at the bottom. It can be hard to notice due to its faint outlines, leading me to believe that it was either meant to be a secret path or that it was removed from the level.
   Spoiler: Second tunnel

   
3. There's a small bit of text above the surface that has arrows pointing at two entities, a dolphin and a floating platform. It reads... "Dolphin or ice"? What the hell is an ice floe doing in a tropical level with palmtrees?
   Spoiler: Dolphin or ice

   
4. Maybe the level's name would give an answer to all of these mysteries. However, in an extremely cruel case of irony, the zone's name is left out of the scan's crop, with only the very bottom of the word "Zone" remaining.
   Spoiler: Hidden Name Zone Act ?

   

 

I find it much more awkward that we never even considered the idea of the cacti flowers moving. Not one single fan hack has ever done this, despite moving flowers being part of green hill in Sonic 1.

At least Mirage Saloon got that part right...

 

I find it surprising that nobody noticed that the sand had a pattern nor considered that it moved.

 

I always felt it moved, because why else would it be funneled down into the ground like that? And as far as the pattern, I tried to make out the pattern in the past, but the image was just too grainy.

But even if I figured the sand moved, I never guessed the plants animated. That's what truly blew me away.

 

I’m certain that won’t be an issue for too long, hopefully. Chances are the zone name is on the original paper still, so the VGHF can provide the original name written there.

 

It's not the scan's fault, that's a photocopy of a notebook, that's where it is physically cropped.

 

Someone did notice the pattern.

 

One thing I'll say that gives me confidence is there are many times the level sketches and notes are just as sloppy as the ones I do for my own work.

 

Someone did notice the pattern.[/QUOTE]

Oh. I remember that thread. I never really paid close attention to that mockup. Really cool to see!