Proto:Sonic the Hedgehog 3/Stage Differences/Sonic 3 Zones

This is a sub-page of Proto:Sonic the Hedgehog 3/Stage Differences.

Angel Island Zone

Being the first zone in the game, Angel Island Zone is the only one that is in a mostly functional state, having proper stage transitions. That being said, it is still unfinished in several places.

General

To do: Layout and object differences. (AIZ was finished as Jorge Nuno had a good collection of differences on his user page. Different subpages for each zone are now necessary at this point.)

Act	Proto	Final	Sonic & Knuckles Collection
ACT1
ACT2

• The intro features Sonic riding a surfboard into Angel Island Zone. In the final game, Sonic rides the Tornado, jumps off, and turns into Super Sonic. The surfboard Sonic object still exists in the final game, but goes unused.
  • The only way to see this intro is if you wait on the title screen for the demo. Going into Angel Island Zone Act 1 normally does not play the intro.
  • Knuckles also has completely different sprites and simply blocks Sonic's path instead of punching him out and stealing the Chaos Emeralds. Because they share the same palette, Knuckles also causes the HUD text to turn green; the developers actually implemented two different fixes for this in the final game: Knuckles was given a different palette, which uses yellow for his socks instead of green (and, oddly, pinker shades of red) plus in this particular scene the HUD isn't even drawn at all anymore.
  • Knuckles is visible even when skipping the intro, which is a problem since the player has full control at that point, and moving past Knuckles before he leaves will glitch him out.
• Tails does not seem to spawn into the level for a while, aside from flying above the first badnik. The player can be airlifted by Tails, interestingly.
• A fire shield and badnik right before the miniboss are missing.

• Underwater countdown timer graphics do not load correctly.
• In the debug list, there is a strange object that seems to test sprite scaling. It causes some very adverse effects on the game, the level collision, and its VRAM.
• In one of the upper alcoves early in the level, there are 2 static monitors that hurt the player when broken. These were replaced with monitors containing Power Sneakers and 10 Rings in the final game.
• The area before the miniboss has a few tiles incorrectly placed.
• The miniboss cutscene is slower, rougher, and the miniboss plays a different sound when launching missiles.
• The second part of Act 1 loads much more slowly, leading to some garbage object graphics at first.
• The waterfall platform objects do not play any sounds.
• Act 1's boss arena has the decorative flame objects like final, but they load incorrect graphics.
• During the tunnel to the end of the level in Act 2, you can see for a moment when the flying ship graphics are loaded.
• The HUD pauses for the entire duration the flying ship is present, and it resumes once it leaves. This was scrapped in the final because it also stalls the ring counter from refreshing, should the player get hit by the ship's bombs.
• Eggman's "whooshing" sound when he goes through the trees at the end is completely different.
• The sound that plays when Eggman burns the bridge is different.
• The boss palette tends to cause issues with rings.
• Even if you jump off the bridge while Knuckles destroys it, you still go to Hydrocity Zone anyway.

To do: Actual comparisons.

The full set of Knuckles sprites used during the intro cutscene. All of the other cutscenes use the finalized cutscene graphics already, complete with pink-ish palette. Notably, these sprites more closely match the April 1993 design of Knuckles.

Layout Differences

Angel Island Zone Act 1 Map

Proto
Final

Angel Island Zone Act 2 Map

Proto
Final

Act 1

To do: Replace the current CSS image crops with separately cropped images of level potions.

Proto	Final

A floating platform was added above the first palm tree, making it easier to access the small Monitor alcove.

Also, in the 1103 prototype, the monitor subtypes are not set, which results in the player being damaged when breaking them.

In the final version, a ceiling was added to the entire level.

A tall column of path swapper objects were added to help reset the collision plane when starting the level.

Proto	Final

The final version adds 3 rings and a small alcove with a Super Ring Monitor.

A floating platform added in the final, hinting that something up there.

And a ceiling was added to the area.

Proto	Final

In this area in the 1103 prototype, Tails will fly down to pick Sonic and carry him to the upper right ledge.

In the final version, a Rhinobot was shifted further to the right.

Proto	Final

3 rings were removed from the final.

Some aesthetic layout changes between the versions.

Proto	Final

A palm tree with a Monkey Dude was deleted from the final game, and the Rhinobot has been moved to the right.

The unset hidden Monitor on top of the palm tree was changed to a Fire Shield.

A pair of spikes was also added in the final version, just before the zipline rope ride.

Proto	Final

The floor changed slightly, and the final version adds a second, backwards-facing spring.

The foreground plants' graphics were updated slightly.

Proto	Final

The monitor has been changed to an invincibility one; perhaps a Robotnik Monitor in the first level was a bit out of place?

Some rocks were added in the final version, to help make the area feel less empty.

The swinging rope's position was slightly moved to the right.

Proto	Final

A Bloominator was added in the final version.

A group of spikes was changed to a harmless rock, and the sneaky Rhinobot was deleted.

In the loop's exit, the path swapper object's range was lengthened so it now touches the bottom of the floor above it. Originally, the player could miss the object entirely, breaking collision.

Under the underwater ledge, formed by the loop's exit, the the 1-Up Monitor was changed into a Water Shield for the final game.

Proto	Final

To make room for a palm tree with a Monkey Dude hanging off it, the floor was lowered.

The Rhinobot was removed.

The underwater grotto was filled with goodies, and had a seemingly useless path swapper object added; perhaps it was meant for a Special Stage Ring?

Proto	Final

The spring, and the rock it's hidden under, were moved to the right in the final version.

A small floating island was added, along with a Starpost and a cluster of rings above it.

Proto	Final

The palm tree, with its Monkey Dude inhabitant, were removed to make room for an additional loop on the way to the giant tree trunk.

Proto	Final

There used to be a second 1-Up Monitor above the second loop, but was swapped for a Super Ring Monitor in the final. It was also shifted left, so it's hidden by the leaves.

The final versions adds more path swapper objects, preventing Tails from being on the wrong collision layer if he skips the loops by flying over it.

The giant trunk 1-Up monitor's position was adjusted slightly.

Act 1.5

Proto	Final

The ledge, with its Starpost, were moved 128 pixels to the left, shortening the orange sky transition area.

The cavern containing the Special Stage ring moved 128 pixels to the right.

Proto	Final

In the proto, the cavern is much smaller than in the final, which also adds rings and a passage to the area below.

The giant waterfall starts much sooner. It's also filled with falling logs, which were removed in the final version.

Proto	Final

A ceiling was added to the top of the waterfall, and a small alcove was created with a Super Ring monitor in the final.

Proto	Final

The entrance to the Special Stage room was made less obvious, and the hazards were removed from the path in the final version.

Most of the lake that used to exist in the proto in this area was filled with earth and its objects were removed.

Proto	Final

A log bridge with 4 rings is missing in the prototype.

A collapsing platform was added to the left side, making it easier to avoid falling into the water in the final.

Proto	Final

The floor between waterfalls changed between the proto and the final, the version in the proto is more even.

The log bridge turned into a collapsing platform, and is now an extension of the solid ground preceding it.

Proto	Final

There are more layers of terrain in the final game; the prototype only has a series of descending terrain platforms to the cavern below.

A ledge with a Bloominator and a few objects was added in the middle of the waterfall in the final version.

Proto	Final

This underwater cavern used to be a simple tunnel in the prototype.

Proto	Final

A loop was added in the final version, with a Thunder Shield Monitor hidden on top of it.

Proto	Final

Some spikes were added in the final version to prevent Knuckles from climbing into Sonic's boss area.

A helpful Fire Shield Monitor was added in the alcove to the left, now guarded by a Bloominator.

In the final version, a Super Ring Monitor was added in the bottom route.

Proto	Final

Like the rest of the level, Sonic's miniboss area had a canopy ceiling added for the final version.

Act 2

Sonic's Route

Proto	Final

The final version's tunnel at the beginning of Act 2 received an extra bend, losing three rings in the process.

Proto	Final

More of the tunnel.

Proto	Final

Upon exiting the tunnel, Sonic falls into the the water. The final drains most of it, with the only underwater section being a small pool containing 3 rings.

This is where the level begins in the final version, either from entering the level with the level select, or respawning as Sonic when you haven't touched a Starpost yet.

Proto	Final

In the prototype, the Waterfall's plunge pool is a direct extension from the previous area. The waterfall was also wider.

The prototype's collapsing platform in the was replaced with a log bridge, with 2 rings added, in the final.

The obscured 1-Up Monitor was changed to a Water Shield.

Proto	Final

The waterfall had a ceiling added, and a small nook was created, containing a 1-Up monitor and Bloominator.

A falling log spawner was added, letting Sonic access this area.

Proto	Final

The upper path was changed, with a small left-facing ledge breaking up the middle section, the rings were removed, and the Rhinobot was moved closer to the edge.

A swinging rope was added on the left, and a pair of collapsing platforms were added to both sides, in the final.

Proto	Final

A small floating island was added in the final version.

The lower terrain was changed slightly, adding a small slope on the rightmost ledge.

Proto	Final

More terrain changes, but overall the same concept, the pool's exit both being taller and shifted to the left, along with a few accompanying changes.

Proto	Final

The way the path splits was changed, with the lower one exiting into a spin tunnel, and the upper one reachable via a moving platform, in the final version.

Proto	Final

The upper path adds a secret room to the left, containing a Thunder Shield Monitor.

The spikes on the ledge were removed, and a swinging rope was added for better accessibility.

Proto	Final

The upper path was made more dangerous in the final version, with a Rhinobot and a spike pit added to this area, while the rings were removed.

The waterfall is half of its original width in the final.

Proto	Final

A second dedicated switch room for draining the water, and thus, opening the upper passage was added in the final. In the proto, the upper passage was always open.

To the left, an empty alcove was added above the waterfall, with an added Fire Shield and Bloominator.

Proto	Final

Both a ceiling, and a cluster of rings, were added in this upper path area.

Proto	Final

A small floating islet, a rope and a floating platform were added, making it easier to reach the ledge on the left.

The upper portion has an added ceiling in the final version.

Proto	Final

In the final, a ceiling was added, and the cave now continues through and exits on the right.

Unfinished Cutscene

In addition to the surfboard cutscene, an early version of the final intro does exist in the prototype ROM, as shown in the embedded video. It can be enabled using the PAR codes 003CC6:0003 and 003CC8:5AD2. There are a few differences:

• Some of the graphics are glitched.
• The Tornado doesn't bob up and down while flying.
• The final Knuckles object is present in addition to the prototype one. However, he doesn't jump up to uppercut Sonic (although it makes Sonic lose his super form), which softlocks the game because it leaves the player unable to move.

Hydro City Zone

Proto	Level Select Icon

• The background in Act 1 is completely different from the final game, featuring gray bricks and pillars, waterfalls, and rows upon rows of plant life. It also completely lacks any parallax scrolling. This early background design can still be seen in the level select icon for Hydrocity Zone in the final game.

• Sonic and Tails do not play their falling animations when entering the level.

• After dying, the background does not seem to load properly.
• The giant fan object does not play any sound.
• When Sonic runs across water, there is no sound associated.
• The Buggernauts use different graphics.
• The grabbing hand booster object plays no sounds.
• The Turbo Spikers play no sounds.

• There are some misplaced spikes in Act 1.
• Destroying a Blastoid causes the player to bounce back the other direction as if they hit a boss.
• The pseudo-3D water effect in Act 1 has different graphics and lacks any horizontal parallax. It is also incorrectly placed later in the level.
• The Big Shaker's underwater palette is incorrect.
• If Sonic is twirled around by the miniboss, he uses his death-animation instead of his floating animation.
• When the miniboss enters, no sound is played.
• The "whooshing" sound is played more frequently when the miniboss causes a whirlpool.
• The drowning miniboss music bug exists in this prototype, but it plays Ice Cap Zone Act 2's track instead of the Sonic & Knuckles miniboss theme.
  • Turning super in either act, triggering the drowning music, and then leaving the water surface will instead play Mushroom Valley Act 2's track for until the super ability wears off.
• Some walls in Act 2 use slightly different sprites during the wall crusher segment.
• The wall crushing segment plays no sound.
• Sonic will play his previous animation when jumping on a spinning cylinder.

• Rings overlap tubes.
• Knuckles is blue when first loading in.
• The boss overwrites the water surface graphics.
• Trapdoor objects have issues with sprite priority.

To do: Screenshot

• There is a section in Act 2 involving a vertical bar object that is unused in the final game.
• The Knuckles cutscene is very different and unfinished - he immediately charges towards Sonic upon seeing him, which in turn presses the button and makes the bridge collapse in under a second.
  • The small wall between the two also doesn't stop Knuckles from running, which results in him floating in air near Sonic.
• The pathway to the boss has no objects.
• Act 2's music has issues with volume.
• After defeating the boss, the level music does not start back up.

• In the final version, the level includes a couple of swinging balls and water droplet objects as eye candy. The proto lacks this, making the level look rather bland.

Unused Level Chunks

Act 1:

• 

  ID DF A colorful mosaic? This is really too colorful to see in Hydrocity.

Act 2:

• 

  ID 28

Layout Differences

To do: Actual comparisons.

Hydrocity Zone Act 1 Map

Proto
Final

Hydrocity Zone Act 2 Map

Proto
Final

Marble Garden Zone

To do: Object & Layout differences

• The player doesn't start up in the sky.
• The drillbot enemy seen throughout the level does not play any sounds when drilling.
• Tails seems to be able to influence the spinning top object when both he and Sonic are on it.
• The spinning top object doesn't fall out of the level when hitting a dead end.
• The chain with spike ball object plays no sound.
• The spinning wheel object makes no sound.
• Neither Sonic nor Tails have animations for grabbing pulleys, instead continuing whatever animation they were playing before grabbing on.
  • The "switch" sound plays when grabbing the pulley.

• There are some misplaced rings in Act 2.
• It's possible to see below the level in Act 2.
• When the player encounters the Act 2 boss, the background is buggy. The player also dies when they hit the bottom of the screen, so two-player Tails must be used to start the fight properly.
• The game lags a lot during the Act 2 boss, and it's possible to stand on the air.
• Like with Hydrocity Zone, there's no transition to Carnival Night Zone.

Marble Garden Zone Act 1 Map

Proto
Final

Marble Garden Zone Act 2 Map

Proto
Final

Carnival Night Zone

Act	Proto	Final	Sonic & Knuckles Collection
ACT1
ACT2

• Both acts use a completely different music track. MIDI renditions of these songs would go on to be used for the same zone in Sonic & Knuckles Collection (although Act 1 is in a different key).
• The Act 1 boss arena has no walls.
• Once the Act 1 boss is beaten, there's no way to progress further without using the level select.
• The underwater palette is very different, identical to the one seen in early screenshots.
• Knuckles doesn't appear in Act 2 at all, though an early version of his first cutscene exists. This means the blackout and subsequent flood never happen, as well as Sonic not being able to leave Knuckles' ending area of Act 2 outside of Tails and debug mode.
• The capsule at the end of Act 2 is not present.
• Touching one of the spinning cylinders as Tails will crash the game, possibly due to the game trying to load incorrect/missing graphics.

Carnival Night Zone Act 1 Map

Proto
Final

Carnival Night Zone Act 2 Map

Proto
Final

Unfinished Cutscene

Much like Angel Island, a preliminary version of Knuckles' Act 2 "blackout" cutscene exists. It can be enabled using the PAR codes 1FC022:1DE0 1FC024:032C 1FC026:C70C 1FC028:1E00 1FC02A:0338 1FC02C:C904, though nothing happens after Knuckles lands on the switch and runs away. The level just continues on as normal, though Knuckles' theme will continue to play until another song is loaded.

Ice Cap Zone

To do: The prototype map of ICZ Act 1 needs fixing. Map exist, but there's a error in TCRF that won't let it show.

Act	November 3	Final	Sonic & Knuckles Collection
ACT1
ACT2

• Both acts use a completely different music track. MIDI renditions of these songs would go on to be used for the same zone in Sonic & Knuckles Collection. Act 1's appears to be unfinished due to unfinished drums and a general lack of polish.
• Sonic begins the stage running down the mountainside. In the final, he snowboards down it.
• The "trap" glitch (in which the game treats the vertical screen wrap position as a bottomless pit under specific circumstances) affects both playable characters at this stage in development. The final version of the game fixed it for Sonic, but Tails would be stuck with it until Sonic the Hedgehog 3 & Knuckles.

• There are some misplaced ice spikes in Act 2.
• Act 2 doesn't have water.
• Though the tunnel leading to Launch Base Zone is present, the game does not actually send the player there like in the final game.

IceCap Zone Act 1 Map

Proto
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Final

IceCap Zone Act 2 Map

Proto
Final

Launch Base Zone

Act	November 3	Final	Sonic & Knuckles Collection
ACT1
ACT2

• Both acts use a completely different music track. MIDI renditions of these songs would go on to be used for the same zone in Sonic & Knuckles Collection (although the MIDI version of Act 1 is in a slightly different key).

Proto	Level Select Icon	Final

• The background has a different palette, resulting in a bluer ocean, a somewhat pink sky (not unlike Act 2) and a greenish Death Egg with darker supports. Much like Hydrocity Zone and Flying Battery Zone (initially), this palette would show up in the final game in Launch Base Zone's level select icon.

To do: Add better documentation for the Twin Hammer fight (and possibly a video)

• The player does not start by launching through the snow.
• Knuckles' palette and sprites mess with some objects.
• Some animated tiles are missing.
• The building doesn't collapse, though the transition to the boss still works.
• There are four warp tubes in the Twin Hammer boss arena, two on the floor and two on the ceiling. Entering a floor tube will warp the player to a corresponding ceiling tube.
• The top of Act 2's background is buggy.
• Jumping on the first floating platform encountered in Act 2 triggers a series of FM chirps. This can be found in a few other areas of the level. This does not seem to be found as a playable value in the sound test. Instead, this appears to be a bug related to jumping out of the water while only partially submerged.
• Part of the first Act 2 boss is overlapping the foreground.
• Knuckles stands on a bridge. The animated tiles also disappear for some reason.
• After a certain point in the cutscene, Sonic freezes, making it impossible to beat the stage.

Water Level

Just like the final version, the water level is disabled, but intact. To activate it, follow the same directions as in the final version of Sonic 3.
Unlike the final version, these color palettes are greenish. The final version points to a copy of Launch Base Zone Act 2's palette. It would appear that water was intended for a much earlier layout, as the water levels do not match with the layout very well.

Pallete	In-game
‎	‎

Layout Differences

To do: Actual detailed comparisons. LBZ2 Final map doesn't cover the same amount of level space as the 1103 map.

Launch Base Zone Act 1 Map

Proto
Final

Launch Base Zone Act 2 Map

Proto
Final