The story of prototypes is always interesting to hear about. This Sonic the Hedgehog 3 one that was found this past weekend is the talk of the town and it tells a lot regarding its troubled development.
Sega was keen on keeping the game very private. Competing against the SNES was not an easy task in 1993. Neither was seeing the new 3DO and Atari Jaguar that fall. Courtesy of The Cutting Room Floor and community Hidden Palace, there was a prototype from November 3, 1993. More than likely, stuff that was made around October or even September. It's very incomplete. Tons of graphical stuff that hadn't been implemented. A number of Sonic and Knuckles levels still in the code. Bonus stages in the alpha parts of development. A drop dash that was dropped until Sonic Mania did it two years ago. Sprites that still came out of the second game. Ton of stuff.
Of course, the main focus is the music. When Sonic 3 and Knuckles appeared in a compilation for Windows 95 in 1997, music in some zones and areas were replaced with different tunes. What is now confirmed in this prototype is that those different tunes were originally thought of back in 93. Was Sega through with Michael Jackson and Brad Buxer? I'd like to hear Buxer's take on it. But also, were Jackson and Buxer not pleased with doing Genesis hardware? If so, was this before the molestation scandal that June?
If Sega wants to re-release for modern systems this game, I don't see the problem with taking those different tunes and putting them in the stock game. I know some are comfortable with the Jackson tracks, but I doubt the estate of his would bend down and neither would Buxer. Would it hurt to get some answers from either side? Give us something that doesn't become an unsolved mystery.
I think we'll get a conclusion soon.
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