Sonic The Hedgehog 2: Archives
By Team Conquest & Team Technical
WE'RE BACK THIS YEAR! The prototype themed hack based on endless Sonic 2 prerelease information, game data and concept arts, to represent original game in the view, that you never seen!
Description:
“Sonic The Hedgehog 2: Archives” is ‘another beta hack’ that seeks to bring back cut content from the game's Prototypes, revitalize the game's concept and release levels and badniks, and fully recreate the early concept of the time-travel story. Along with this hack improves both the prototype content and the final content by adding new animations, badnik and character shots, level art and backgrounds, new music, and more.
Synopsis:
Sonic the Hedgehog - the fastest hedgehog on Earth, arrives on Westside Island to relax, but Dr. Ivo "Eggman" Robotnik is already raging on the Westside island. Here Sonic meets Miles "Tails" Prower, a two-tailed fox who is well versed in technology and also knows how to fly. This time, Eggman has conceived something more, and, having heard of the rumors of time travel centred around an ancient temple, plans to use time itself to aid in his plans!
A new adventure awaits for Sonic and Tails, as they chase Eggman through time to stop his plans to take over the future!
This demo has 8 available zones:
Present:
- Emerald Hill Zone: The bright and sunny rolling green hills of Westside Island; the beginning of many a new adventure! Many palm trees and various flowers grow here, and here and there you can find rivers flowing into waterfalls. The level will be sunny and bright at the beginning of your adventure, however later on rain will start to approach. Now these areas are dotted with badniks in the form of bees, snails and predatory fish - run under palmtrees, though glowing tunnels, and through Loop-de-loops and Spiral Loops and destroy these robots, before meeting with Eggman to destroy his Egg Drillster!
- Ocean Wind Zone: The first unique level, based entirely off of concept art. These are rocky islands in a large island bay (which is more like a sea or ocean due to its size), connected by a network of bridges. Feel free to dive into the water and take out badniks, both monkey-like and fish-like, but be careful not to drown, and be weary of Eggman's new Egg Tesla!
- Jungle Woods Zone: You all know the level from Prototypes
and other beta hacks, hehehe. A forest, with trees so gigantic that one can walk on them like roads, and the current location of Dr. Eggman's lumber operation. The most important feature of the level are the networks of hollow tunnels, through which you will move to different places in the trees constantly. Use these tunnels to find Dr. Eggman, destroy his Egg Chopper and end the threat to the forest! - Sand Shower Zone: "Sabaku World", full of sand and dust, cacti and... robo-crocodiles. Another well-known cut level. You will arrive at this level in the morning, near Eggman's massive sand dam, but, by the afternoon, one will find this zone to be scorching. The sands shift like rivers here, so be sure to watch your step to reach Dr. Eggman and destroy his Egg Bomber!
- Metropolis Zone: Yes, your "favorite" zone was supposed to be the fifth zone. A huge steam-punk base, with a bunch of pipes, nut & bolts, gears, mechanisms and even a little lava - now somewhat easier than the final game, with design based off that seen in the New York Toy Fair Prototype. It has been shortened to two acts, and Shellcracker has been removed (or, rather, shall appear elsewhere...), but don't think the Asterons or Slicers will let you get off easy, let alone Eggman's Egg Bouncer!
Time Travel:
- Warp Point Zone: This is a human ancient city whose people have long since disappeared. Its center is a pyramid, the halls of which are untouched by time... Eggman has a particular interest in this zone, or, rather, the forces that enable it to both remain untouched by the passage of time, and, if the rumors are true, travel through time yourself...
Past:
- Tropical Sun Zone: Where in the present the steampunk factory of Metropolis reigns, once lay a gorgeous tropical vista. The flora here is full of variety, full of various palm trees, bamboo, shrubs and flowers... The zone only has one act for now.
- Aquatic Ruin Zone: Ruins hailing from a time even further back than the past you visit, full of water and grass, but now in the blue! Dive into the sunken city, explore the ruins and defeat Eggman's Egg Hammer, but be careful - there isn't much air underwater...
There is also another zone only accessable through Level Select...
The game has new music taken from the prototypes and the finale, custom, as well as a recreation of the Masa's demo tracks! Ocean Wind, Warp Point and Tropical Sun all use unique themes composed for Archives, and Jungle Woods uses the theme from the SHC 2023 version (Originally composed by Sean Evans and HeZ, converted for Archives by vertz)
In further releases we plan to realize more things, such as more zones, more tracks, a game SRAM save function and even options to choose some aspects, such as music, to make your personal best archives experience a reality!
STAFF EDIT: Per the rules of the Sonic Hacking Contest, repeat entries should provide a Changelog from their previous installment. However, this entry has changed so much content from its previous installment at the SHC, that it has been exceptionally allowed to participate as-is.
- SERGK393 & lavagaming1 - main programming
- SyntaxTsundere - level design, coordinator, programming
- Extra Badnik - main project artist, map designer
- Guyke89 - project artist, - level design, arrangements and SFX port
- Zenittikum, Chron Delta, vertz, Toxic Foxtrot - composing and arrangement
- RobiWanKenobi - programming
- Miles Tails Power, Pacca The Satyr and m.t.o.v - art
- Nyper Yuhgard, Hame and Blastfrog - code help
- Bonnie-Bun-Buns, Sand Shower Cat, Xavier Kemplin, Lion Sum, Sonic the DutchHog, BrawlSonic18 - beta test
- DarkWizardDev - JWZ 1 theme edit, Misc.
- Nik Pi - art, project lead, team lead, concept art.
For the full credits list- check the in-game credits
File Type: rom/mega-drive
File Size: 1.96 MB
Quite possibly the best recreation of Sonic 2's scrapped time travel concept I've ever played.
My only gripes with this game is that for some reason, the bushes in Aquatic Ruin Zone Act 2 are in front of the foreground and the player character, and that the Sand Shower Zone Act 2 boss is a bit too easy for my taste, but otherwise a solid ROM Hack overall.
9.2/10
very glad to work on this hats off ~
This hack has had a lot of improments since the SHC 2023 builds, with lots of new art, a new warp point design, a new boss for Ocean Wind Zone and a much cleaner Level Select. The hidden zones from the SHC 2023 build have been nearly completely wiped, only containing the objects from the last build. The Cabaret/Sound Test Screen has a much more expressive Sonic on it, and it much more organised. It was really fun to play through.
Ocean Wind Zone doesn't have an Act 2 song, but if they do decide to give it a
song, I feel like a much more calmer, relaxed feel to it would suit it, sort of like the Tee Lopes Starlight Zone remix (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ccK9wtAA1O4).
Madness Mountain Zone is also in the Level Select, in the Ruined Present for some reason, when it would probably fit best in with the past, since it's supposted to be a medieval castle (made in the past) and the trees in the background sort of looking like pine trees, which are in Hill Top Zone, which is also in the past.
Aquatic Ruin Zone Act
2 has a lot of Foliage in the level, which covers the level a lot, especially at the boss area.
Other than that though, the hack has had some major art overhauls, that makes it look a lot more exquisite. Especially in Sand Shower Zone Act 1 now having the big mountain/rock things in the background like Mania's Mirage Saloon Zone/Sonic CD's Desert Dazzle Zone.
For the Warp Point Stairs, you could use the ones from Wing Fortress Zone, that are to the right of the boss arena to make it smoother and so you
Last modified by CLD21Studios @ 2024-09-28 06:21:04
don't have to jump up the stairs to go up them. Also, the Roll Jump Lock is still in the game, maybe a toggle to turn this on/off would be nice.
IMPORTANT INFORMATION:BUGS IN WARP POINT WITH THE TIME MACHINE.
If you go beyond the center of the Time Machine, to the end of its room, the game will skip Tropical Sun and launch Aquatic Ruin. Also, do not take the invulnerability monitor at this level, otherwise you will be softlocked in a Time Machine
Last modified by Extra Badnik @ 2024-09-28 10:33:19
This is what a beta hack should really strive to be! We've already seen the same stages a million times, so the concept of taking the proto material as inspiration rather than base feels much more well-rounded. And the bosses are just so smooth. All in all, absolutely love this hack!
My only complaint is Wood Zone's raw graphics still used. I never liked those, and compared to the beauty you see elsewhere, it just sticks out like a sore thumb. I'd love to see that zone getting an art pass.
This is a very beatfiul Scrapped Things Rom Hack! It doesn't even look like one, it looks like a S2Absolute mod because of it's well made sprites and Palettes. I've finded some wild bugs with super sonic that caused my game to crash tho, but thats the least important. Great Job!
(1/3) If this hack doesn't get at least Bronze, I will personally march up to SHC HQ and protest outside. This hack is JUST that good. Compared to the last version made, it made said version look very obselete,
(2/3) that it's genuinely crazy what one year (pretty sure its less, actually) of development can do. The level design is solid and fun to replay, the stage visuals are all very interesting (and looks almost like the Atmospheric Palettes mod made for S2A, very impressive) and it's nice to see an actually well-designed Sand Shower and Wood Zone in a hack for once.
Last modified by RobloxNewbie @ 2024-09-28 22:24:02
(3/3) Only few complaints is that Tropical Sun Act 1's visuals are kinda odd, and some of the bosses take too long before being able to be attacked, but other than that this hack is pretty much perfect. I look forward to the next version that'll be released. 9.8/10. (also, this hack is compatible with the sonic 1&2 widescreen patcher so thats a major plus)
I played this version with more pleasure than the last one. This has a huge potential. We are waiting for the full version
I'm not a big fan of Jungle Woods Zone's background, as the sky looks way too rigid and rough. It can be simply fixed by adding in some extra dithering to make it look smoother.
You have my vote to win the contest this year. This is the first hack I've come across after years of trying to build a game based on unused concepts. Both the graphics and the structure of the zones are light with their due obstacles. Congratulations to the team and I hope for more surprises in the future. I liked the creativity with the new bosses as well as the change of colors in the scenarios. All of this provides a pleasant and intriguing change in the journey.
This was well worth the wait. Level art is beautiful, Tropical Sun is just gorgeous. My one critique is maybe modify Jungle Wood a bit since its forground and background wood pieces can be a bit confusing to tell what's solid and what's a backdrop. Level design has been vastly improved and have been quite fun to play. Ocean Wind's boss is my favorite of the new ones added so far. I'm looking forward to seeing this hack get developed further you and your team are doing some awesome work.
Excellent entry, liking the level layouts, the new art (holy hell, your impression of Sand Shower is the best I've seen so far!), challenging but not hardcore, a very pleasant experience.
The only sore point? Wood Jungle Woods Zone - sometimes the layout gets too messy and it's easy to miss things in the background, like those lift vines where you should cling. Other than that, a sure contender here for the awards this year.
I was really looking forward to this hack. Playing Ocean Wind and a proper Sand Shower feels surreal. Plus: new tracks are amazing, the new artwork is excelent and the new bosses rock. A few critiques: level design needs a lot of more work, the slowed tracks for EH and Metropolis are pretty bad, and the turning sprite is unnecesary and distracting. Last note: I'd like to share with you some of the recent discoveries in Sonic 2's structure if you are not aware of them. Amazing hack guys, cheers!
Definitely one of the best attempts at restoring S2's cut content yet! Much appreciated that the levels have their own mechanics and enemies and such, though still somewhat limited, with many enemies just being resprites of others. Unique bosses as well; I love the Ocean Wind boss, it's simple but it works, which is exactly how S2 bosses are designed. I also appreciate the nod to the old "floating pyramid" rumor for Sand Shower's boss, though it is a tad unfitting considering the type of desert it is...
This may be a hot take, but the redone spritework and art feels rather out of place in a hack attempting to be "what Sonic 2 could have been." Don't get me wrong, it's gorgeous, and I know it's probably there in an attempt to give this more of an identity than "yet another Sonic 2 proto hack," but I feel like it lessens the authenticity. I dunno, I roll my eyes when even something as little as the HUD is changed, I just want straight Sonic 2 base assets for these things. Maybe consider it as an option...
Sticking to old graphics, on the contrary, is strange. This is no longer a competition work; then it’s easier to throw these levels in the trash. All new levels will then be inappropriate, since they are invented. And forget about Sonic 2 style! The style was designed for the period that was expected at the time! Do you think if they had been developing the game for five years, they wouldn't have made the graphics more thoughtful?
Greatly improved since last year! I really like the hack as a whole, though I feel like the new boss fights are not too great (Wi-fi Eggman, while cool, has a very small safe hit window, and getting hit makes your rings fall through the floor. As for Cactus Eggman, I feel like you could have had a better projectile than just "Oh it's the desert, let's have cacti!") and the world map is underutilized (It would be cool to see Sonic moving on it between acts, and perhaps have secret exits like in SMW.)
Overall a great hack, and the first beta hack I've played that passes the Wood Zone Vibe Check! (It finally feels like a real, completed zone!!)
My playthrough: https://youtu.be/3IJUbqRuMz8
I was looking forward to this hack, and it did not disappoint! There are a few things that bugged me (wall recoil is a mistake, and is thankfully optional, and hiding/obscuring eggman monitors is unfun), but it was a nice, refreshing experience, with music that I mostly loved. I can't wait to see the next iteration of this hack, when it has a bit more polish (there were some pathswapper shenanigans, and random spring-into-spikes moments), because this is excellent so far.
Really liking how this one is coming along! There's a lot of great presentation going on all around with vibrant backgrounds and world map, and lovely new songs (especially Tropical Sun's theme). Of course, there's still a ways to go with the hack, and some of things I would suggest fixing would be (split into multiple comments due to the 512-character limit):
* The hack is prone to dropping framerates, especially in more detailed zones like Tropical Sun and Aquatic Ruin. You could try adding in something like Sonic 3 & Knuckles' priority manager to help optimise performance and reduce slowdown.
* The new tracks don't lend themselves quite well to Power Sneakers, with some of them decreasing in tempo instead of increasing like regular songs. It's a very common oversight that I've witnessed in a lot of hacks.
Last modified by SorachiJirachi @ 2024-10-03 10:46:59
* Some backgrounds could be improved, specifically for Jungle Woods (sky gradients could do with better dithering) and Aquatic Ruin Act 2 (more parallax layers in the background and less obstructive foreground).
* Warp Point's chunk design could do with fixes such as making the slopes less angular and making it so I don't have to jump to get up the staircases (and also fix the game-breaking cutscene bugs that Extra Badnik mentioned).
Last modified by SorachiJirachi @ 2024-10-03 10:47:39
* Tails' flying ability can't damage enemies/bosses by flying into them from underneath, also he is missing swimming sprites (the Retro Engine versions of Sonic 1/2/CD have those handy).
* One of Sonic's animation frames in the sound test screen has some miscoloured pixels.
I'll be looking forward to seeing more of this hack come to fruition and seeing how the rest of the past as well as the ruined present and futures will look!
I just tested this earlier, and i completed the entire game. (well, technically.) all of the zones had 2 acts each, though some of them don't even work. Hidden Palace had 2 acts, with Act 2 takes you back to the main menu. Warp Point also had a second act, which doesn't work. (1/2)
Not only that, but half of the Past timeline is complete. But i'll give them credit for restoring (if not) all of the content that was scrapped through out Sonic 2's development. and yes, some of the zones that did had level icons don't work either. I'm hoping for the next update to come out, that'll include the rest of the zones. Good luck to all of the people that worked on the Sonic the Hedgehog 2: Archives. I'll give it a 9.4/10 (2/2)
Since the last appearance, a lot has been improved and added. But what confused me: was that there were no underwater Tails sprites; there isn't enough area to jump over Eggman in Metropolis Zone; there was also a bug this in Warp Point: near the portal I looked up, jumped into the portal itself and was sucked in incorrectly; in Jungle Woods during the battle with Eggman, part of the right side of the platform became invisible.
I hope this gets fixed. And so this is a pretty high-quality recreation of the developments and cancelled content for the Sonic The Hedgehog 2.
Oh my God! It's so good that I can't believe it all fit into just 1.96Mb, even though it's a Mega Drive ROM.
This is the best rom hack i have ever played, and as a Sonic 2 History enthusiast, this is extremely accurate and fun!
Oh. My. God. This hack has incredibly impressed and surprised me. I mean, I just kept telling myself "NO WAY THIS IS REAL".
I love that artstyle, it's so polished, love that colors.
I love this new zones, they are really authentic. Especially Warp Point Zone, it just gives me chills.
And my favourite part is bosses. They are just amazing. Super original, super creative and super authentic. It just makes me believe that this could ACTUALLY be a real scrapped version of Sonic 2.
Looking forward to play the rest part of the game.
Oh my gosh mate, it's that Archives hack