Sonic 2's Hidden Palace Zone: recommendations?

[Ecco]

So I just picked up a Game Genie, and tonight I used it to visit the Hidden Palace Zone of Sonic 2 for the first time.

Very interesting, nice music....

Now since there is not much in the Hidden Palace stages, I'm wondering what people recommend actually doing once you're there.

Are there any really cool parts that must be seen? (I've already seen the "glowing bridge.")

Do you know some cool item-placements, through the debug mode, that are worth doing? Can you place items in a way that makes the stages somewhat playable?

Are there any suggestions at all for how to best use the Hidden Palace Zone, besides flying around in debug mode, and making your friends wonder what the hell you are playing!!!

[Baloo]

The Hidden Palace Zone in the final release of Sonic 2 is actually a garbled empty level. The only way to really experience the level in it's mostly finished form would be through the released betas.

[Jorge Nuno]

I personally think that it's music sucks (it's too repetitive). And you can't do anything special in there, the level art and collision data are gone.

[Elusive]

There's the block that looks like the Master Emerald from Sonic & Knuckles in there. That's interesting, in a 'what kind of insane theory (ies?) does the internet have to explain that' kind of way.

[NeoVamp]

There's the block that looks like the Master Emerald from Sonic & Knuckles in there. That's interesting, in a 'what kind of insane theory (ies?) does the internet have to explain that' kind of way.

Looking back i always think they wanted to pull off something similar to the scene in Sonic & Knuckles, with Robotnik stealing it and all.



But maybe during production they came up with the S&K story and decided to save the master emerald idea for the sequel?

[Baloo]

No, according to a developer it was just there to be a destroyable object a la blocks in Hill Top Zone.

[Smii]

There's a big Emerald thing in one of the betas. Does look like it could be similar to the breakable things above the tunnels in other zones.

http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/Hidden_Palace.gif

I was disappointed by Hidden Palace in S&K - no dinosaurs or anything.

[Ecco]

This kind of reminds me of the negative stage in the original Super Mario Bros. on NES. When I finally saw that after years of curiosity, it was also interesting, but also a bit pointless, and disappointing... But the Hidden Palace Zone is much more interesting.

I'd like to see someone use the debug mode to construct the level in a way that's somewhat playable. Of course it would all still be scrambled up, but I bet someone could make a cool scrambled level. That is, if the game doesn't freeze up, like it does for me when I only place a few objects in Hidden Palace.

[kool kitty89]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0VWJQz4hQyM

Hey, that tune really reminds me of one of the ones used in the new Doctor Who series.

[Masked Avenger]

I always thought the Hidden Palace zone in Sonic 2 had some of the best graphics in the game. They should have focused on that zone and leave Hill Top zone out of the game (which is in many ways just Emerald Hill with a color swap)

[Elusive]

I posted earlier about Sonic 1's special stage being the only example of a waltz used in the entire Sonic game series - literally only just having listened to the prototype Hidden Palace theme from Sonic 2 did I recognise that wow, it's a waltz too.

...but there's only been the one used so I'm still technically correct in saying there was only one example used :smug:

[The Jackal]

Do you know there are many Sonic 2 hacks which re-include Hidden Palace?

Google Sonic 2 Long Version or Sonic 2 Delta.

[Dirt Ball Gamer]

This kind of reminds me of the negative stage in the original Super Mario Bros. on NES. When I finally saw that after years of curiosity, it was also interesting, but also a bit pointless, and disappointing... But the Hidden Palace Zone is much more interesting.

I'd like to see someone use the debug mode to construct the level in a way that's somewhat playable. Of course it would all still be scrambled up, but I bet someone could make a cool scrambled level. That is, if the game doesn't freeze up, like it does for me when I only place a few objects in Hidden Palace.

Wow I had never heard of this before, cool.