Sonic the Hedgehog 4: Episode I

Sonic the Hedgehog 4: Episode I
Developers: Sonic Team, Dimps Publishers: Sega, BMIT (CN) Platforms: Windows, WiiWare, Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, iOS, Android, Blackberry Tablet OS, Windows Phone, Ouya, NVIDIA Shield Released internationally: October 7, 2010 (iOS), October 13, 2010 (360), June 15, 2011 (Windows Phone), January 19, 2012 (Windows), January 25, 2012 (Android), July 20, 2012 (BB Tablet OS) July 9, 2013 (Ouya), July 31, 2013 (NVIDIA Shield) Released in JP: October 12, 2010 (Wii/PS3) Released in US: October 11, 2010 (Wii), October 12, 2010 (PS3) Released in EU: October 13, 2010 (PS3), October 15, 2010 (Wii) Released in AU: October 13, 2010 (PS3), October 15, 2010 (Wii) This game has unused graphics. This game has regional differences. This game has revisional differences. This game has a prototype article

Sonic the Hedgehog 4: Episode I is... an interesting game, to say the least. Starting life as an iOS exclusive, Sonic 4 is a multiplatform 2.5D game that's ostensibly a sequel to the original trilogy, but is generally considered to be Sonic Rush's weird sister that just so happened to be episodic. Compared to other games that had a more "traditional" approach, the game had a monster marketing campaign by SoA, taking unprecedented advantage of the internet by being ported to consoles and rebranding itself from its working title of "Sonic the Portable" to "Sonic 4", further stirring up hype.

While it was relatively well-recieved at release outside diehard spaces like Sonic Retro, it was once a sore spot on the fanbase and a subject of critique (mainly for its art direction, anachronistic sound design, and poor physics), but has since been redeemed as an oddball entry with rearrangements of the game's iconic OST making the rounds from time to time. While it's still purchasable on PSN/XBLA and Steam, the game's online-oriented multiplatform nature has since become a curse in recent years as the closure of some online stores and compatibility issues (namely for the Android versions) create blind spots for our research. The Blackberry Tablet OS version is particularly MIA, with few records of its existence outside of press releases.

To do: There may be more version differences. See if there's any more unused content.

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Prototype Info

Unused Achievements

There are a few unused achievements, though they're nothing particularly special.

• Centurion:

Get 120 rings in Mad Gear Zone Act 1.

• Splash Hill Zone:

Finish all 3 Acts and boss round of Splash Hill.

• Casino Street Zone:

Finish all 3 Acts and boss round of Casino Street.

• Lost Labyrinth Zone:

Finish all 3 Acts and boss round of Lost Labyrinth.

• Mad Gear Zone:

Finish all 3 Acts and boss round of Mad Gear.

(Source: Sonic News Network)

Unused Graphics

Wii

Basic Manual

Early	Final

The file sample.tpl is an early version of the Japanese basic manual. The final manuals are JPEGs, rather than TPLs.

(Source: Original TCRF research)

Test

The file test.tpl is a pink brick-like pattern. It is in the same .app file as the early basic manual.

(Source: Original TCRF research)

Android

Title Screen

A "Lite" ribbon (with the red ribbon being drawn via code) that was used in the OUYA version's demo.

Even though the Windows Phone version uses this to back out to the title screen, the Android/IOS version doesn't, instead using an Exit button.

"Purchase Full Version" screen

Textures for a "Purchase Full Version" screen can be found in DEMO/BUY_SCREEN/D_BUY_SCREEN_[language].AMB, with [language] being one of the languages that were available for the game.

• These are assumed to be used in the OUYA version, as only that version had a demo.

How to Play Menu

An unused texture for "Criware Mobile" found in the graphics for the How to Play menu, which would have been used in the first page of said menu.

• The Android version uses .wav and .mp3 for sound and music instead of Criware's sound system, CRI ADX, so that's probably why it was unused.

Once again, these were used in the Windows Phone version but got removed for the Android/IOS version, results in the Homing Attack and Spin Dash page being duplicated twice.

Options Menu

A button that would have restored the BGM and SE to 100%. This was used in the game's prototypes.

While used, the curved portion of the sprite isnt normally seen.

Loading Screen

A skidding sprite from Sonic the Hedgehog found in the loading screen. It is unknown when this is used.

World Map/Level Select

Leftovers for the old Level Select assets that are used in the prototypes are found in DEMO/STGSLCT.

• Its worth noting that these could be leftovers from the Windows Phone version too, since that version has the old level select.

The World Map's zone text can be strangely found in the same file directory.

• Maybe they were going to port the entire World Map's functions? (The existing World Map that is in the Android version is just the old Level Select but with edited sprites)

Miscellaneous

Low quality controller buttons can be found in DEMO/CMN/D_CMN_BTN.AMB. Probably a leftover from the console versions.

An autosave message that would appear before the SEGA logo. Maybe another leftover from the console versions.

Oddities

The Ferris wheels in the background of Casino Street Zone say "Sonic the Portable". According to Simon Thomley (and later corroborated by Kevin Eva, Sega Europe's community manager at the time), Sonic 4 was intended to be a mobile-only game by that title until Sega of America rebranded it as a sequel to the classic trilogy. However, the developers didn't bother to remove this mention of Sonic the Portable - they just tried to blur it out.

(Source: SEGABits interview with Stealth)

Version Differences

Wii

The Wii version received a few presentation-related downgrades due to both the Wii's hardware limitations and the storage limitations of WiiWare games. Otherwise, it's identical to the other console versions.

To do: Provide screenshots for some of the differences.

• There's no achievement system.
• Sonic's model is a modified version of the one from the Wii/PS2 version of Sonic Unleashed, whereas in the other versions it's a modified version of the one from the PS3/Xbox 360 version of that game. As such, Sonic does not have eyelids and his mouth doesn't move in this version.
• The player can have up to six save files, unlike the other versions (which only support one).
• The Options menu replaced the How to Play button with the Username button. This is because the instructions are already available in the Wii Shop Channel.
• The music uses a sequenced format similar to MIDI or module formats. This results in a few noticeable differences compared to the other versions' audio, notably the title screen and the Boss theme using the default Windows MIDI instruments for no particular reason.
• The Wii version can only run at 480p because the Wii does not support HD graphics. The other versions can run up to 1080p.
• The leaderboards is missing the Score Attack leaderboard and can only view 10 entries only.
• The game saves automatically every time you complete a zone, while the other console versions make you select your XBOX/PlayStation account first.

Xbox 360/PS3/Windows

These versions are mostly identical to each other.

• The 360 and PS3 versions support custom soundtracks.
• The Windows version has considerably downgraded graphics, due to the compatibility of the Windows operating systems at the time.
• Sonic and the environments are noticeably shinier in the 360 version (and only Sonic in the PS3 version) due to higher bloom.
• Super Sonic always wins in the slot machine.

Mobile Versions

To do: Rip the Sonic models and level maps so we can have a direct comparison between models. Also, get a working .ipa file for the older versions for proof of the older Sonic models.

Because Sonic 4 was originally developed as a mobile-only game, the iOS and Android versions reflect the game's prototypes to a greater extent than the other versions.

• The second Acts of Casino Street Zone and Lost Labyrinth Zone are significantly different in the mobile versions and are the same as the ones in the console prototypes. They were changed for the console/PC versions because they were poorly received by fans, being built for mobile rather than traditional devices.
  • Casino Street Zone Act 2 is "100,000 Point Challenge" rather than "Road of Cards". This Act is a simple score attack in which Sonic is stuck in a pinball board and must rack up 100,000 points to clear the stage. The music is also completely different since the short score attack theme would not fit in the console/PC versions' more traditional level.
  • Lost Labyrinth Zone Act 2 is "Strange Mine Cart" rather than "World of Darkness". In it, the player controls a minecart throughout the entire level using accelerometer controls. In the console/PC versions, the presence of the minecart was drastically reduced, and the level was rebuilt around a new mechanic involving a torch.
• In the initial iPhone-exclusive release, Sonic's model was completely different and closely resembled the one from Sonic Rush (which makes sense, given that Sonic Rush was also a Dimps project and Sonic 4 uses the same engine). He doesn't have a mouth, eyelids, or an index finger after completing a boss Act. He also has a different idle animation in which he taps an iPhone near his ear and spins happily around in place.
  • In 2011, the game received an iPad-exclusive port titled Sonic the Hedgehog 4: Episode 1 HD which utilized a new, higher-quality model that more closely resembles the one from other versions. As such, some differences disappeared. In 2016, the game was updated to a universal app, thus standardizing the new model across all iOS devices.
  • In both the initial iPhone release and the 2011 iPad release, Sonic's "wheel-of-feet" animation only appears when Sonic is at top speed. This behavior is consistent with console prototypes.
• After finishing a level, there is no option to start the next Act directly from the Results screen.
• The camera rotates when going through loops, which can be pretty disorienting.
• The music doesn't loop properly.

Chinese version

To do: Make it start on modern Android devices.

A China-exclusive Android version was published by BMIT at an unknown date, which hangs on a black screen on modern Android phones after showing an exclusive intro screen. Actual game data was located in the APK file rather than external OBB files.