don't click here

What really was the Sound Test #10 in STH2 going to be used for?

Discussion in 'General Sonic Discussion' started by Nick Gemini, Apr 21, 2019.

  1. It has long been said that the unused song in Sonic 2 was for the Hidden Palace Zone, Since the stage used it when it was accessed with a cheat device, But the Demo Version of the track doesn't stop but slows to a stop & fades out. Ruling it out as a stage theme, Meaning it was going to be for a cutscene, Possibly for Sonic transforming into Super Sonic after collecting of the emeralds. But the final version of the track sounds somber.

    Because of that, I have a feeling this was intended for a bad ending should the user fail to collect all the chaos emeralds, but was scrapped. After Time Travel stuff didn't make it. This does make sense. Due to it's length. But was reused & looped into the Track #10
     
  2. Blue Spikeball

    Blue Spikeball

    Member
    2,346
    956
    93
    I don't personally agree that having an ending rules it out as a stage theme, as the song is still loop-friendly, and the in-game version of the tune does loop. There are a number of games that have one or more songs that loop repeatedly until an event is triggered, and then finish the current loop before playing the ending. They may have intended to use it like that, depending on what they had planned. In fact, I'd say that's the most likely explanation, seeing how they implemented it so that it loops.

    So it's still possible that they would have had it play as HPZ's BGM, and then have it end after some event is triggered -- possibly the cutscene in which Sonic is granted his Super form, which would have led to Super Sonic's theme playing afterwards.

    We can't know for certain what it was going to be used for until someone asks the devs. But I still hold to this day that it would have fit HPZ to a T, being a nostalgic-sounding song, which would go with an ancient, forgotten place like Hidden Palace. So serving as its BGM is its most likely purpose in my mind.
     
  3. I totally agree with this. Upon listening closely on the Demo Track, It does not sound as somber as the Final Version. It has a rather triumphant & more dramatic feel to it & fits the Hidden Palace Zone perfectly as you said. The sparkling sounds in the background of the sound fits the Chaos Emeralds as well. The way the track ends too, Fits the Super Sonic Transformation.
     
  4. ICEknight

    ICEknight

    Researcher Researcher
    Has the data of that track been looked into, in case that there's some unused ending?
     
  5. Hmmm, Not that i know of. But this is something definitely worth looking into. Surprised it hasn't already.
     
  6. Laura

    Laura

    Brightened Eyes Member
    I think the fact it's used in Hidden Palace in the final game and it's the only track in the game to go unused is pretty conclusive evidence honestly.
     
  7. Hez

    Hez

    Oldbie
    You beat me to it! I've wanted to make a topic like this for a while. I've been wondering more about other tracks as well as this one. The way I see it, we have a few missing tracks. Some fairly more obvious. This one bugs me because the 2P MCZ track seems to fit the zone so much better. So that leaves 10 still not used. Im still not convinced "Secret Palace" is not a complete separate zone than hidden palace. Maybe a one off stage where sonic got his super sonic powers? Then Hidden Palace was a normal zone? Secret palace may have had a pallete swap of Hidden Palace? Especially after seeing that time travel layout with all the similar zones.

    I am also more curious about what track 2P EHZ would have been. 2P Casino Nights was obviously (and SO MUCH MORE FITTING) Oil Ocean zones. Oil Ocean Zones final music was Dust Hills or Desert Hills. I still ponder what 2P EHZ music may have been.
     
  8. Yash

    Yash

    CHOCOLATE! Member
    752
    342
    63
    I always figured 2P EHZ was Wood Zone.
     
  9. Sky Chase Zone's BGM was definitely for the Scrapped Winter Zone. Has a very wintery feel to the track. Especially the Demo Version.

    2P EHZ fits Wood Zone well.

    Oil Ocean does fit Dust Hill but so does Aquatic Ruin Zone's BGM because of the "Spagetti Western" Sample heard at the very beginning.
     
  10. Sid Starkiller

    Sid Starkiller

    Member
    1,457
    358
    63
    Virginia, USA
    Paying off student loans
    It always seemed to me like Hidden Palace would've featured a brief actual level before getting Super Sonic. I had thought 2P MCZ would be used through the level, before switching to track 10 at the cutscene. But that's speculation.
     
  11. Laura

    Laura

    Brightened Eyes Member
    There's no evidence whatsoever that Sonic 2's 2 player music was going to be used for anything other than the competition mode. The prototypes are just using incorrect music tracks on certain levels, I don't think there's anything deeper than that.

    I mean, take Oil Ocean Zone, that music obviously has a middle eastern sound to it, presumably because Masa instantly thought 'middle east' when he thought of 'oil' (which is pretty hilariously stereotypical when you think of it). It also fits the design of the stage.

    2 Player Emerald Hill Zone just sounds like a different take on Emerald Hill, it has first level music written all over it with its glimmering sound effects and exuberant and upbeat tone. It sounds horribly unfitting for Oil Ocean Zone.

    The other 2 player tracks fit the zones they are for perfectly. 2 Player Mystic Cave sounds like a song you would put with a cave level, it even sounds kind of like Endless Mine in that sense. 2 Player Casino Night sounds like something which would go with a night city level.

    I don't think we should be taking wild leaps about music tracks being re purposed when there's no evidence for it whatsoever.
     
  12. TheOcelot

    TheOcelot

    Scooty Puff Jr sucks! Member
    I've always thought track 10 (especially the demo version) would have been a fitting track (maybe moreso) for Sonic 2's ending-cutscene music when Tails goes to rescue Sonic.



    I think Taxman confirmed (after he & Stealth finished developing the mobile remaster) that Mystic Caves 2p music was originally going to be the full-zone music for Hidden Palace and track 10 was for a Hidden Palace cut-scene (presumably to show Sonic becoming Super Sonic).
     
  13. Fred

    Fred

    Taking a break Oldbie
    1,563
    117
    43
    Portugal
    Sonic 3 Unlocked
    Can you cite a source for this ludicrous claim?
     
  14. Plorpus

    Plorpus

    Hog Blue So What Member
    977
    261
    63
    Didn't a person who worked on HP zone (Craig Stitt?) play the mobile port and say that the original used different music?
     
  15. Dark Sonic

    Dark Sonic

    Member
    14,631
    1,610
    93
    Working on my art!
    I don't recall them ever confirming track 10 wasn't designed for the level, just that they felt like the 2p Mystic Cave track fit the zone they designed better than track 10.
     
  16. Powpuck

    Powpuck

    Member
    350
    65
    28
    I don't understand how it couldn't not be Hidden Palace's proper BGM, particularly when it is similar to Lava Reef 2/S&K's Hidden Palace (at least for my musically illiterate ears)



    To me both sound pensive and wistful, heavy with the burden of long ancient history. (not to wax lyrical or anything)
     
  17. Laura

    Laura

    Brightened Eyes Member
    When I interviewed him, he said that he thought it used different music in the mobile port than it was supposed to use originally (supporting the idea it was supposed to use track 10), but I wouldn't count it as any confirmation as he really couldn't remember exactly on the music side.
     
  18. E-122-Psi

    E-122-Psi

    Member
    2,469
    611
    93
    Well, the final build does use track 10. Even if it was designed to be a placeholder or was put there by mistake, that would be a truth.
     
  19. ICEknight

    ICEknight

    Researcher Researcher
    Nope, that track was reassigned due to personal preference.
     
  20. Black Squirrel

    Black Squirrel

    no reverse gear Wiki Sysop
    8,531
    2,456
    93
    Northumberland, UK
    steamboat wiki
    To actually answer the question, ~~nobody knows~~

    ...aside from Masato Nakamura and a few bods in the game's production. Fundamentally there's not enough evidence to suggest anything, really - Hidden Palace Zone hasn't got any graphics in the final game but it's music is almost certainly correct!!!



    The Mystic Cave Zone 2P tune is a better song and from the demo, sounds like it was originally meant for something similar to a prehistoric, rocky, underground motif. It's a more sensible option than track #10 - that's probably why it was used in the remake for Hidden Palace.

    But the true nature of Hidden Palace is also not known. So I'd wager it's just as likely track #10 was used in the final scene when Sonic and Tails get married.


    This could be answered in part if and when another Sonic 2 prototype emerges.