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The Video Game History Foundation (VGHF) revealed that it has found evidence of lost stages in Sonic the Hedgehog 2. As part of the VGHF annual Winter Fundraiser donation drive, it presented a 14-minute long video of the lost levels, while asking those who are interested in preservation of video games to help donate to keep the foundation running.
Presented in the video, three designers, Brenda Cook, Craig Stitt, and Tom Payne each had contributed to level designs for the game. Sonic 2’s focus was on the mechanics of time travel, which for these levels didn’t quite fit in with the game, unfortunately, this meant not making the cut into the Genesis/Mega Drive sequel. You can see the video below:
The stages were named Winter Zone, Cyber City Zone, and Sand Shower Zone. Thanks to the VGHF for digging deep into the archives, fans are able to see new gameplay footage and assets from those stages. Both Brenda Cook and Tom Payne were also able to preserve the lost stages for future records. Some documentation includes a collection from Payne such as sprite art and color palette information.
Brenda Cook shares information from previous interviews along with her VHS portfolio of some of the designs she worked on these levels, as well as why they didn’t make the cut. The development team was also able to partially reconstruct Cyber City Zone following Sonic 2 game designer Hirokazu Yasuhara’s design sketches and map for this stage, so players are able to get a glimpse of the level.
How awesome is it to see these lost levels that never made it into Sonic 2? Let us know what you think in the comments below.
Source: The Video Game History Foundation YouTube Channel
