It's a clash of the prototypes!

Dr Robotnik/Eggman, the mad scientist who claims to have an IQ of 300 but only uses one brain cell, is up to no good yet again. After a gazillion failures, the evil "genius" formulates the most paradoxal plan ever. He had travelled back in time and stolen the lost cartridge that held Sonic 1's earliest tech demo that was to be shown in SEGA's booth at the 1990 Tokyo Toy Show! As a result of this theft, many famous locations in Sonic's world have been severely downgraded to their primitive forms. Upon noticing that the world is becoming bitcrushed, Sonic and his friends immediately suspect that Robotnik/Eggman is trying to erase the Sonic franchise. Will our legendary heroes recover the lost cartridge before the evil scientist launches it to the moon and lays waste on Sonic's earliest form of history?

His friends venture with the most famous hedgehog in the world as he relives his literal past!

Sonic the Hedgehog Vintage makes a technical comeback, and it's better than ever. Sonic had been downgraded to his Genesis/MegaDrive look as a result of Robotnik/Eggman's paradoxal stunt, but his moveset remains unaffected. However, if left idle, Sonic will assume an early pose and sneeze, sensing the hazards that lay ahead. The other characters do not seem to be affected by this bitcrushing paradox, but they do have the most astonishing brand new routes of their own to explore, so ensure you have a keen eye at all times!

Trial all the courses!

Most levels, if not all of them, have been downgraded to their primitive forms! You will trial the entirety of the following levels below...

GREEN HILL: Being the most overused zone in the Sonic franchise, Green Hill recollects its old graphic style seen in Sonic's first outing. The purple sunflowers make a return, as well as big checkered balls which now-a-days can be pushed and ridden safely without them defying gravity. All the enemies have been reverted to their 16-bit looks as well, and the Choppers are yellow, which is a reference to the Tom Payne Archives that got preserved in 2019. Act 1 has been downgraded to its Computer Chronicles style, which reflects the Sonic 1 title screen background. The chunk order of the Act 1 background has been changed to accommodate for this downgrade as well. A familiar area floats far above the initial spawn point, accessible by a series of new platforms above the first collapsing ledges. Act 2 has been downgraded a bit more to the Tokyo Toy Show style. Due to the graphical changes, the mountains are now in more diverse heights. Keep a sharp eye on the mysterious sign on your way out!

CHEMICAL PLANT: Being another overused zone in the Sonic franchise, Chemical Plant's color scheme has been reverted to have the olive-green colors turned back into magenta. Act 1's layout uses the 2013 version of the original Act 2 layout with new routes, and it is entirely possible to outrun the water as your reach the vertical corridor where it normally rises. Beyond the end of Act 2's 2013 layout, you'll slowly enter the original Act 1 layout where it ends. Get past the sub-boss where the previous demo was terminated to enter the second act, utilizing the Nick Arcade layout and a new freelance layout. The beans have went back to where they belong, and replacing them are some geometric shapes that remind you of some puzzle game that never got released outside of Japan. I can assure you that your memory will not be erased.

SPARKLING: The original pinball stage from Sonic's first outing returns with its difficulty being severely lowered. More routes have opened up surrounding the combined Act 1&2 layout. After dashing, jumping, spinning, and attacking a certified gunner, our heroes enter the urban city itself! Unfortunately, the power had gone out zone-wide, and very few things are operational. Perhaps this outage is better for your eyes anyway. Test your luck at the SEGA Channel lottery sphere machine and bounce away through a long second act containing the layouts of WCES, the rest of Act 2 and the majority of Act 3 with new routes to explore above and below the layout. Wait, the Simon Wai prototype of Sonic 2 has been stolen too? Well, where'd it go?

FLYING BATTERY: Our heroes return to Eggman's airship fortress which now takes place at night, as it was originally intended that Flying Battery would appear in Sonic 3 Part One before it got moved to Part 2. The layout for Act 1 has been reverted back to the old one for the most part, but there are some new miniscule sneaky shortcuts to take if you're the exploring type. Act 2's layout has been reverted back to the old one too, but there are changes that make this act a bit faster. Those slow elevator shafts have been sped up a bit, platforming is a tad easier, and there is a brand new layout waiting for you to explore in once you enter the door placed where the initial layout ends. After fighting your worst nightmare (a spider), take a ride on the gliders and you should go to Pulp Solstice, right? Well, you're wrong this time.

STAR LIGHT: This pure urban level returns as our heroes sense an unexpected chill down their spine. The layout is the same as the prototype version of Act 1&2 combined, alongside some swanky new routes. Enter a big building to find out what all the hub-bub is regarding the cold weather. Act 2 takes place in the snowy yet starry skies. Careful platforming is key, though freezing yourself can be advantegous at times with more routes to explore in a modified version of the prototype's Act 3 layout and a whole lotta freelance. Jump on every tall skyscraper littered with posters and roll down massive slopes to reach Eggman, who is trying out the Sonic 1 1990 cartridge he stole. To put this in another way, the climate has gotten colder since Sonic and his friends last visited the place. Sometimes cold weather can be a good thing. However, the sweaty factories of Clock Work Zone have been rediscovered. It is for the best to take advantage of the climate change while it lasts.

STARDUST SPEEDWAY: The most famous Sonic CD level has the past palette reverted to what it was in the May 10th, 1993 prototype. Enjoy a bit of blue and green coloration as you blast your way through Act 1's original layout. Get your ears grated as you warp to the present in order to enter Act 2 which now has the original music. Engage in combat with Metal Sonic and hue hue hue your quills to that statue for a trigintillionth time!

HIDDEN PALACE: The most famous scrapped level from Sonic 2 makes its triumphant return! Though initially you are presented with the layout seen in the 2013 version of Sonic 2, there are surprises along the way. For example, there's more stuff added on from the original layout. As you listen to the Simon Wai iteration of Mystic Cave's 2-Player theme, swim your way to where the tuba incident happened. The piano structure had been severely weakened thanks to Robotnik/Eggman's interference. Upon the structure's collapse, our heroes make it to the heart of West Side Island's forgotten emerald shrine, Hidden Palace Zone, Act 2! Built on top of the Simon Wai layout, complete with the unused track 10 music for the duration of this act, there's new routes for foxes and echidnas to explore! Drill under the mysterious emerald with Mighty's Hammer Drop to reveal a secret underwater shortcut, or hit a monitor perched in the ceiling to temporarily enter your Super state. Spring up that previously impassible slope and choose your path! Sail across the seas with the boats or search for the tall loop borrowed from Aquatic Ruin! Regardless of which route you take, the layout is 100% freelance beyond the slope that was once impassable. Slip and slide your way to exit the shrine with a bang! Make sure you pay your respects to a certain character on your way out!

DESERT DAZZLE: Sonic CD was supposed to have a desert level in the 2011 remake but it got scrapped. Desert Dazzle saw the light of day as Mirage Saloon. Due to the history change, it seems that the idea of having a desert level in Sonic CD made it through after all. Soar through the skies as Sonic! For Knuckles, he's got something else in mind... The layout style of Sand Shower, the original desert level of Sonic 2 that got scrapped, and infamous for having the incorrect name of Dust Hill, is now explorable. Climb and glide your way through the angry wasteland while the Cabaret cheers you on. Act 2 features the actual layout for Desert Dazzle but with slight modifications to make it passable as anyone. Don't get sniped by the birds and get rid of the rollers who imitate your spin attack!

SPECIAL STAGES: It's the normal special stages again, but this time they have been tampered with! Just colliding with bumper walls repeatedly to try and grab the emerald in seconds is not gonna work anymore. Sonic CD's Special Stage music is heard, so you will at least get one audio difference there! Don't waste your chances; grab the emeralds before Sonic history is erased!

Secrets galore!

Sneak peeks of main courses? Blue Balls? Pinball? SEGA Music Collction? It's all here.

BLUE BALLS: Enable Bonus Warps to enter Mania Mode's bonus stage, which as gotten some edits! The Blue Sphere minigame functions identically, except that the early name is present and the first eight Blue Balls levels can be challenged, with three of them simply using the unused layouts from Mania's SpecialBS files with slight modifications, and others being entirely original. Can you get every ring in these planets?

PINBALL: Enable Bonus Warps to enter Encore Mode's bonus stage, which has the original Trap Tower music from SegaSonic the Hedgehog ported in. Yeah, that's pretty much it. Fill in the party if possible because the gang needs to be entirely present!

ANGEL ISLAND ENCORE: I hate to break the news to you but Angel Island has been removed. Wait. Hang on, I know what you're going to say... "What is replacing Angel Island? How do we start Encore Mode without Angel Island?" It's a surprise, and I think you'll like it. I'll give you a hint. During the paradoxal plan, Robotnik/Eggman accidentally cloned a level, which got the most severe downgrade of all. Be on the lookout for a peculiar sign and some floating text. Upon completion, you'll start at Green Hill as Sonic alone (meaning Mighty and Ray can't be saved here anymore). I strongly advise that you don't lose Sonic immediately, cause... yeah. The Mania Mode intro takes place in the same level too.

SEGA MUSIC COLLECTION: The D.A. Garden menu where you listen to the game's soundtrack has been downgraded to the SEGA Music Collection module from 1990. The background has been changed to simply have a royal purple-ish colored simple BG to further ensure that this is the SEGA Music Collection module from 1990.

ERASER VERSUS: Sonic Eraser returns as a reskin of Mean Bean Machine and plays just like it, though the reskin may catch you off guard. Music from Sonic Eraser is heard here too.

DESERT DAZZLE ENCORE: A short preview of Desert Dazzle Act 1's Encore version is playable. It does stop at a certain point and instead of just leaving a void behind, you can pass the level within thirty seconds if you're the speedrunning type. Unexpected bottomless pits are instant demerits in my book.

Get the show on the road!

Hurry, Sonic & Friends! You're our only hope in preventing a nasty time paradox!