Unfinished Sonic 2 levels

Here are some Sonic 2 levels that I bet you don't remember... because they never made it into the final product (although some Gens Roms such as Sonic 2 Delta have these levels hence the YouTube videos).

Hidden Palace Zone, which had Act 1 nearly finished, but not Act 2. Both the Simon Wai and drx prototypes contain identical versions of this zone. A re-imagining of Hidden Palace Zone was later included in Sonic & Knuckles. Unlike the other scrapped levels, a working remnant of this zone (sans graphics, but retaining a playable structure) can be found within the data of the final "Sonic 2." The music for this zone was also left in the final game, and can be listened to on the sound test (Track 10).

Hidden Place Sonic 2 Gameplay - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0VWJQz4hQyM

Wood Zone had Act 1 partially completed (with a small, playable area at the start), but Act 2 remained completely empty.

Wood Zone Gameplay - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hTadXWKB-qw

Genocide City Zone (also known as Cyber City Zone)[20], an intended one-act zone, never underwent level construction. As such, entering the zone results in Sonic falling to death. However, concept art has been discovered; and it was later revealed that the planned level design was adapted into the level that would take its place - Metropolis Zone Act 3

Genocide City Gameplay - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BaQvhLnBLmY

Note: I always wondered why Metropolis had 3 zones?

Dust Hill Zone , a desert zone, isn't found in any prototype; and only one mock-up screen shot exists.[21] Contrary to popular belief, the name was not reused as a working title for Mystic Cave Zone; Mystic Cave merely appeared in its level select slot in the Simon Wai prototype.

Dust Hill Gameplay - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dMSKLCh7-ck

Rock Zone has had no screen shots released, and is not found in any prototype. It was going to be a past version of Dust Hill Zone, back when Sonic the Hedgehog 2 was planned to contain time travel, a concept later used in Sonic CD

Custom made Rock Zone Gameplay - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6pDIG9k9s3k

Note: This is the only video I can find on this level which is not supprising considering that no layout design was ever made and the only thing ever shown about this level was concept art, so all signs point to this video looking nothing like how it intended.

Winter Zone also saw no released screen shots, and is not found in any prototype. This zone would have been a continuation of Dust Hill Zone, featuring appropriately recolored variations of its graphics. Later Sonic titles such as Sonic the Hedgehog 3 and Sonic Adventure would include zones based in snowy conditions.

Custom made Winter Zone Gameplay - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CNOwm0CMsdI

Note: This level can be found on the Sonic 2 Delta rom, but as pointed out above, has been created by someone from scratch.

So there you have it... Sonic 2 the longest of the Megadrive Sonic games, could have been longer.

I downloaded this last year, really stuck on one place though, it's Act 3 of somewhere, it's really mechanical.

Discopants wrote:

I downloaded this last year, really stuck on one place though, it's Act 3 of somewhere, it's really mechanical.

The only level in Sonic 2 to have 3 acts is Metropolis Zone and I agree it is hard (especially the boss on it with all the balloons... Also that was in the finished game.

If you want hard though try playing Sonic 2 and Knuckles (sonic 2 with Sonic and Knuckles lock-on cartridge) and fighting the last boss (giant Robotnik) with Knuckles who can't jump as high as Sonic (bare in mind you'll have no rings at this point and one wrong jump will kill you).