--- By Vector --- Visions of Vector --- Before I start, yes, I am the same Vector who reported the purple Death Egg Zone. (Actually, the level was pink and blue, but I guess the 2 colors got combined as the information was passed along :) Anyway, the first theory I'd like to mention is the one about a Sonic 2 Alpha. I think that this theory is correct, and it does explain the Dust Hill Zone. However, the actual explanation of the prototype Death Egg shot is a little different. It turns out that the shot was actually from the prototype Casino Night. It had been used in a magazine, and the caption was something like: "Sonic and Tails will need the new Spin Dash moves to get throught the 12 huge zones, including the Death Egg Zone." It showed Sonic and Tails spin-dashing on a blue diagonal floor that led up into what looked like a loop. Anyway, since I didn't know about the previous Casino Night design until seeing it on the pages of SoStH, it seemed reasonable to think that this was the Death Egg. I did have a secondary theory (which turned out to be right), of an early Casino Night, because it did look Casino Night-ish. However, it was clearly a different set of graphics, and the magazine seemed to call it Death Egg, so wouldn't ypou come to the same conclusion? I think it's really cool that I was mentioned in a Secrets theory, since I'm a big Secret Sonic fan and I've basically been wondering about the numerous pics in that magazine since I noticed the changes in the final version. (I actually played a preview of Sonic 2 a month before it came out, and I thought the title screen was a prototype because it had been different from the one in the magazines. :) I did think I should clear this up, though. Does this mean that there wasn't a Death Egg Alpha? Not at all! In fact, I have another explanation for why such a Zone might have existed. When S&K was first reported, the magazine called it Sonic 4, mentioned the backwards- compatibility, and said that it was supposed to include the levels that had been missing from previous Sonic games. The 2 weirdest beta pics (the ones with Sonic running in air) - Dust Hill and the Hidden Palace shot with Triceratops Badniks - were included in the article. I think Mushroom Hill was the new Wood Zone, Sandopolis was the new Dust Hill, and Death Egg was the new Death Egg. Lava Reef 2, S&K Hidden Palace, and Sky Sanctuary together were supposed to make up for fans' loss of Hidden Palace from Sonic 2. Lave Reef had the cave aspect, along with the high-speed tubes, while the new HP and Sky Sanctuary brought the "ruins" aspect. After all, both S2 HP and Sky Sanctuary had green ruins. Doomsday might have even been the new Genocide City. You say on your page that all you do there is fall - maybe you're supposed to be Super. Super Sonic was invented in Sonic 2, after all. But I'm not so sure about the Doomsday connection, so that isn't really a major part of my theory. The only S&K zone that doesn't seem to be a revival is Flying Battery, but the S3 Level Select confirmed that it was going to go between Carnival Night and Launch Base originally,' so that still supports this theory. This theory is kind of a stretch, but I never said I was 100% certain :). Here is some interesting news - I can confirm LoonyMike's theory about daytime/nighttime play. From what I hear, Sonic Crackers was the prototype that led to Chaotix. Chaotix does have morning/daytime/ sunset/nighttime play, and the music in one area is different according to the time of day. --- Taken from 'Secrets of Sonic the Hedgehog - The Original' http://secretsonic.cjb.net ---