Sonic Adventure 1 Prototype + Sonic Adventure 2 Pre-Release ~ Origin topic owner in thread

[kimplix]

I know this is from Sonic Retro, but it has to be shared out at some point. Anyway onto the topic originally started by Orengefox on Sonic Retro https://forums.sonicretro.org/index.php?showuser=682

 

Sonic Adventure AutoDemo/Prototype

This is it boys and girls!



[Disc Scan] [Front Cover Scan] [back Cover Scan]

Download DC Sonic Adventure Prototype (1998-10-16) - AutoDemo (J) BIN

Download DC Sonic Adventure Prototype (1998-10-16) - AutoDemo (J) ISO
 

Quote

SEGA SEGAKATANA
SEGA ENTERPRISES
SEGA GD-ROM1/1
J 079981
610-7029 V1.000
19981016
1ST_READ.BIN
SEGA ENTERPRISES
SONIC ADVENTURE

Tokyo International Forum Unveiling: 1998-08-22
Sonic Adventure's first release in Japan - Build Date: 1998-12-10 / Public Release Date: 1998-12-23

55 days after it's unveiling at the Tokyo International Forum. 49 days before the build date of Sonic Adventure's first release in Japan.

This is without a shadow of a doubt the earliest Sonic Adventure prototype we've acquired now. It's a Not-For-Sale Promotional AutoDemo. Meaning it only shows you demonstrations / cut-scenes of the game using the games actual assets. Not just some pre-recorded FMV footage. Although it's an AutoDemo, there's a chance it might still be playable through hacking from what I can tell.

At first I thought this build was like a bridge between the Tokyo International Forum and the first release in Japan. It might be earlier than we think. Jen will tell you in greater detail. In any case, this build has got loads of differences from the final from what Jen and I could see. And that's just scraping the surface, we haven't even got to the meat and potatoes yet (I.e. all the files stored away). It can run perfectly fine on hardware. Not so much the case on emulation as the timing on the demonstrations goes off.

Unlike my previous Sonic prototype topics, I hoping to establish a potential small donation this time around. It's not required but greatly appreciated as it helps with the Sonic prototype findings; it's one of the things I do as a Researcher on Retro. Case in point, that Sonic Advance 2 in the prototype cart MSX bought off me, that really came in handy in more ways than one. Please PM me if you would like to make a donation =)

I'll leave you all to tear this apart now. I'll be posting other things throughout the topic. Enjoy!

GerbilEdit®: Mirrored the disc images to my server to reduce bandwidth usage on Retro.

 

Sonic Adventure 2 TRAIL Version/Pre-Release

As if the Sonic Adventure prototype wasn't enough ;p



[Disc Scan] [back Cover Scan]

Download DC Sonic Adventure 2 Pre-Release (2001-05-03) - Shop Trial (JUE) BIN

Download DC Sonic Adventure 2 Pre-Release (2001-05-03) - Shop Trial (JUE) ISO
 

Quote

SEGA SEGAKATANA
SEGA ENTERPRISES
ED36 GD-ROM1/1
JUE 0799210
6108057 V1.002
20010503
1ST_READ.BIN
SEGA ENTERPRISES
SONIC ADVENTURE 2 TRIAL VERSION

Sonic Adventure 2's release in Japan - Build Date: 2001-05-29 / Public Release Date: 2001-06-23

26 days before the build date of Sonic Adventure 2's release in Japan.

Not too long ago I was looking up information on a Saturn game on this one site called "Segagaga Domain" and decided to browse through the Dreamcast section. That's when I stumbled upon this [sonic Adventure 2 The Trial UNRELEASED]. By this point, I was intrigued. It sounded potentially pre-release like. There was of course no dump of this at the time. We didn't have any information about this Taikenban disc on our database until recently.

In the process of trying to find a copy of this disc, I came across many things. One of them being that Japanese promotion disc of Sonic Adventure containing a prototype version of the game. I didn't even know of it's existence. It goes to show that some things can fall off the radar. Sometimes it's a case of people judging a book by it's cover.

Taking the build date of this pre-release into consideration, there's not much in the way of differences. The menu selection is different of course (it's using the leftover stuff found in the final version). You choose either Sonic, Shadow or 2P Sonic vs. Shadow. Sonic's level is City Escape. Shadow's level is Radical Highway. Don't know what's in 2P Sonic vs. Shadow as there was no second controller set. I want to say there's something is odd about City Escape aside from Big the Cat not being there. Radical Highway looks the same (maybe it's just me). Some demonstrations don't work right even on hardware etc.

Unlike my previous Sonic prototype topics, I hoping to establish a potential small donation this time around. It's not required but greatly appreciated as it helps with the Sonic prototype findings; it's one of the things I do as a Researcher on Retro. Case in point, that Sonic Advance 2 in the prototype cart MSX bought off me; that really came inhandy in more ways than one. Please PM me if you would like to make a donation =)

I'll leave you all to tear this apart now. I'll be posting other things throughout the topic. Enjoy!

GerbilEdit®: Mirrored the disc images to my server to reduce bandwidth usage on Retro.

 

It's not like that this'll break the rules right? *chuckles* ... Right?

 

Originally you can view the Prototype Chao Garden Theme at https://soundcloud.com/smash-adams-1/sonic-adventure-autodemo

 

And also view the Gameplay (or Cut scene play) of Sonic Adventure AutoDemo/Prototype right below

Edited May 22, 2013 by kimplix

[Vertekins]

Extremely fascinating this. One of 'em found this in the coding;

 

 

 

 

The bowl area INSTANTLY reminded me of these two areas in one of the earliest beta's;

 

 

 

[Soniman]

 

 

Oh shit, look at all those curves and slopes....it's beautiful ;_;

[C4k3]

Interesting, it looks like a test level for the physics engine with all those loops and hills.

[Blue Blood]

Oh shit, look at all those curves and slopes....it's beautiful ;_;

Test level.

 

This... THIS is the beautiful part.

 

Windy Valley beta. Next to a Sonic 1 Beta, this is the holy grail of all things Sonic research. For many of us it won't ever get more amazing than this.

Edited May 22, 2013 by Blue Blood

[Diogenes]

This... THIS is the beautiful part.

 

Windy Valley beta. Next to a Sonic 1 Beta, this is the holy grail of all things Sonic research. For many of us it won't ever get more amazing than this.

Yeah this is the real good shit. This is to SA what Hidden Palace Zone was to Sonic 2. Can't wait to see someone get this working in Generations or Sonic GDK or something.

[C4k3]

It's like Green Hill and Sky Sanctuary had a baby and this is its love child. I would've loved to have rolled around at the speed of sound in this level. So was this only a test level or just a scrapped design?

Edited May 22, 2013 by TheCakeMiester

[Dizcrybe]

Why does everyone want to see the Windy Valley beta again? What makes it more special than any other beta?

[Cola]

Why does everyone want to see the Windy Valley beta again? What makes it more special than any other beta?

 

 

The level is completely different.

 

 

 

 

 

I CAN't FUCKING BELIEVE THEY FOUND IT HELL YES

[kimplix]

Test level.

 

This... THIS is the beautiful part.

 

Windy Valley beta. Next to a Sonic 1 Beta, this is the holy grail of all things Sonic research. For many of us it won't ever get more amazing than this.

 

Reminds me of a race track it does

[Blue Blood]

Yeah this is the real good shit. This is to SA what Hidden Palace Zone was to Sonic 2. Can't wait to see someone get this working in Generations or Sonic GDK or something.

 

I'm honestly more interested in having it up and running in SADX. We know some bits about the layout from videos and screens. Actually putting it into motion in the game for all to see is going to be the amazing part.

 

Holy shit I can't believe this is real

Edited May 22, 2013 by Blue Blood

[Vertekins]

What I find additionally cool and intriguing about Windy Valley Beta is that it's even fleetingly shown in the final game! Once at the beginning of Amy's story when she's reminiscing about fun times with Sonic;

 

 

And twice in the opening to the game;

 

 

[Crash]

This is really cool. I will love to see people playing this in the coming days.

[Linkabel]

Why does everyone want to see the Windy Valley beta again? What makes it more special than any other beta?

Even though every game goes through a lot of changes, Sonic Adventure went through A LOT of changes because Sonic Team was trying to figure out how to make Sonic 3D. The Windy Valley beta was shown frequently in previewss, and like Vertekins said, we can still see some of it made it to the final game. But now we can see how it really looked like and maybe even play it. I'm surprised at some of the changes that were made before the game went gold, but I can't help but wonder if some of the assets were used for the Chao garden.

[The drunkard from space!]

Test level.

 

This... THIS is the beautiful part.

 

Windy Valley beta. Next to a Sonic 1 Beta, this is the holy grail of all things Sonic research. For many of us it won't ever get more amazing than this.

 

Somebody port this to the Steam or the original PC version(s). NOW.

[Cola]

Somebody port this to the Steam or the original PC version(s). NOW.

 

Retro's working on it.

 

Last I checked, it wouldn't load up.

[t0ms0nic]

Can't wait for Dude to finish getting this baby into Generations. Just look at all those corners and slopes; drifting into and off of those and flying around is going to be fantastic!

 

Really, wow, I can't believe I'm actually around while such a sought-after thing in Sonic history has suddenly turned up out of the blue... along with those test levels that finally prove how Sonic Team really had a good try to get momentum-based level design and physics working in 3D. It's a damned shame they couldn't, and they've gone a long way since then to make the gameplay work without, but it's so satisfying to see the roots of 3D Sonic after all these years!

 

God, just imagine if the Sonic 1 prototype turns out of the blue like this one day...

[MamboCat]

Test level.

 

This... THIS is the beautiful part.

 

Windy Valley beta. Next to a Sonic 1 Beta, this is the holy grail of all things Sonic research. For many of us it won't ever get more amazing than this.

 

This looks really nice. Sort of like a Marble Garden/Aquatic Ruin Zone in 3D.

 

I won't pretend to understand all the ins and outs of the digging through the files and what not, but this is really interesting all the same.

Edited May 22, 2013 by MamboCat

[Person]

I've always wanted to see the beta Windy Valley in action. Hopefully someone will get it into Generations or SADX. I'd love to see that.

[Tenko]

I wonder if that multi headed dragon from the original Sky Chase is in the beta? Or would they have removed that already by that point?

[WarioBone]

I wonder if that multi headed dragon from the original Sky Chase is in the beta? Or would they have removed that already by that point?

 

...it's still in the REGULAR game, soooooooo

 

Unless you're talking about it still being in the actual stage and stuff; then we probably would've heard about it by now.

Edited May 22, 2013 by Game & Wario

[Mr Useful]

I'd love to see the Beta stages in Sonic 06. Look at all of the stages curves, slopes, inclines. ramps, and walls makes want to see sonic make them his bitch.

[Tenko]

...it's still in the REGULAR game, soooooooo

Unless you're talking about it still being in the actual stage and stuff; then we probably would've heard about it by now.

Yeah we would have heard about it I guess, I did mean fully functional too. The Windy Valley stuff is awesome tho. If that's there then surely the stuff from the early Speed Highway must be as well?

[Kareemadeem]

I wonder if that multi headed dragon from the original Sky Chase is in the beta? Or would they have removed that already by that point?

 

Sonic Adventure DX - Sky Dragon Boss [Prototype]  

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AqLh2U7Mv2s

It's right here.

[WarioBone]

Sonic Adventure DX - Sky Dragon Boss [Prototype]  

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AqLh2U7Mv2s

It's right here.

 

That's not what he meant.