Subject: Dust Hill Zone Confirmation Date: Sun, 22 Oct 2000 19:19:32 -0700 From: "Max Lazarov" To: Dust Hill Zone By: Deviance The Dust Hill Zone is clearly from the alpha version. There are several hints as to why. First is the status texts, the yellow letters are not italicized, as in the beta or final. This is because Sonic 2 is a tweaked Sonic 1 engine. The alpha was just technology and level tests. The same version of the game was in the primary Hidden Palace pic with the two monsters under the curved descent. As you can see the collision maps are not implemented as in the Sonic 2 beta which is ciruclating. Also, the dust hill zone is the present day Mystic Cave, which does not correspond with the name, therefore showing a replacement in levels. It is believed that dust hill was removed because of marketablity, or poor design. As many of you may know, the levels were designed by independent individuals, and some levels were canned (as R2 of Sonic CD.) Maybe dust hill was poorly designed. Another theory I have is that dust hill was made for Sonic 2 and removed to be put in Sonic CD but it was later realized that the level was bad or out of place in Sonic CD and was removed (explaining R2)