Sonic 2 - Hidden Palace Zone
- Reviews:
- 3
- Downloads:
- 1014
- Date uploaded:
- 8 May 2004 at 04:00 (Minor update on 19 Jun 2005)
Download details
Re-upload/Edit Download- Author
- Tiberious (More uploads by Tiberious)
- Type
- Tileset conversion
- Credits
- SEGA, Sonic Team (99.X% of the art, original music), Tiberious (the few tiles I made, XM version of the music), Nintendo (Music)
- Version
TSF - Satisfaction
100%- Screenshots
-
No screenshots yet.
File contents
 NewHPZ2.j2l |
Hidden Palace Zone 1 | 8.63 kB | 18 Jun 2005 |
 BetaHPZ2.j2t |
Beta HPZ2 | 117.34 kB | 18 Jun 2005 |
 HPZ1.it |
Macbeth BGM | 111.38 kB | 29 Apr 2004 |
| HPZ2.it |
Macbeth Underground | 123.95 kB | 29 Apr 2004 |
| S2_HPZ.xm |
583.75 kB | 17 Jun 2005 |
Description
Overview:
This is a tileset and level made with art from Sonic the Hedgehog 2 (beta)’s Hidden Palace Zone.
Background Info:
This level was in magazine preview screenshots in the early parts of 1992 due to its completeness at the time the prerelease cartridge was given to the press. However, when the final version of the game was released on November 24, 1992, this stage was conspicuously absent. Before 1999, all we could do was wonder what this level would have been like. In early ’99, a person by the name of Simon Wai found the prototype game as a ROM image on a Chinese website. This ROM image has the most complete version of Hidden Palace known.
The Tileset:
This tileset can build all of the 128×128 ‘blocks’ Sonic 2 uses for its level structure. All known stage animation is in, and cycling palette art found in the game has been converted to animating tiles. Due to the sheer volume of tiles necessary even before animation, this is a TSF-ONLY tileset (1,170 before creating any animation).
ADDED: Horizontal and vertical poles, as well as animating ‘pole end’ tiles (in the colors of some of the background art).
The Level:
The level (made mostly as a tileset demo level) is a recreation of Sonic 2 Beta’s Hidden Palace Zone Act 1. This is not a COMPLETELY accurate translation, however. Some minor tweaks have been made, mostly in making the ‘blocks’ fit better. There is no actual end to the level either. Going up the steep ramp near the end will lead you to a warp where the original level is supposed to wrap. Where the level is supposed to end in a recent hack, a warp has been placed instead, taking you back to the start. Only 2 types of enemies inhabit this stage: the ones as close to the Dinobot and Batbot (behavior-wise) as I could find.
ADDED: I’ve gone in and added some moving spikes (bugs are possible, though. Some things just don’t translate well to JJ2). Also added a minor secret using the new horizontal poles (Masking is intentional, as I’ve noticed sometimes you just can’t get the height needed).
The Music: Included are two SPC -> IT dumps from another beta game: Star Fox 2. This beta was never released in a final form, and only a 98-99% complete prototype has surfaced (another ROM). These tracks (the 2nd has been slowed to match the first’s speed) are from planet Macbeth (1 is aboveground, 2 is underground). I figured they’re similar enough to constitute Act 1 and 2 mixes (ala Sonic 3 & Knuckles), and they sounded like they fit, so I used ‘em.
ADDED: I went and fixed up a (rather crappy) XM of the final’s Hidden Palace Zone music so it sounds alot better. Macbeth (Star Fox 2) ITs are still in the zip, so you have a choice.
Hope you have as much fun using this set as I had puting it together.
Quick Reviews
HiddenPalace rated 10
Very Nice!I Added This As My TradeMark Level!
No copyright infridgement
Copyright 2004 Tiberious,Trademark level to Me
Visit hidden-palace.org
User Reviews (Sort by Helpful Index or Date Posted)
- Posted:
- Posted more than 20 years ago
- Spaz Slackrabbit (136 Points)
-
Ah, the Hidden Palace Zone. One of the levels that was cut out of the Sonic 2 Beta. Of all the Sonic games I know, Sonic 2 for the Genesis/Mega Drive had been changed the most radical since it’s beta stage: 3 zones were cut (Wood Zone, Hidden Palace Zone and Genocide City Zone), some others got name changes (Neo Green Hill Zone -> Aquatic Ruin Zone), while another was completely rebuilt (Casino Night Zone). Anyway, of all zones cut, HPZ was the most complete, so the most likely one to be converted. Ok, enough of the story, let the rating begin.
Conversion Completeness
Unfortunatly, HPZ was never released in Sonic 2 (tho it got a little reference in Sonic & Knuckles), but screenshots of the beta were released, so I guess I have to resort to them from memory… Every tile I’ve seen seen the screenshots seem to be there, even part of the background I didn’t know about (lower most part). It even has the animations, and a lot tiles for them, due to the background waterfalls. Even the “Master Emerald” is there (Take note that the big green emerald that looks like the Master Emerald was used to cover the sucker tubes, and not to turn into “Super Sonic” or something. Just to let you know ;p) Speaking of Sucker Tubes, they are two tiles wide, so be carefull when using them. I’m amazed about the size of the set, even tho it may not be complete (it’s a beta!)…
Masking
Masking is almost perfect, no crooked lines whatsoever. Be carefull with the half-pipe type tiles tho: the worst disavantage of Jazz is that he can’t run up walls like Sonic can. Also, I have a complaint about the steepness of the green platform. Normally, I’d avoid angles above 45 degrees, that one is almost 70! A better choice would have been to make the mask stairlike, the green extensions are perfect for that. Those two thing (half-pipes and very steep hill) aren’t completely useless, since Jazz can run on them so some extent. Still, he’s no Sonic, so use them with caution.
Extras
I can be really short in this category: no extras like poles, destructible blocks, etc. The sucker tubes were part of the original, hence them being mentioned in the first section. I can understand the author didn’t want to make it too big, but still… the TSF set size limit is 4096 AFAIK. It would have been nice to put at least a Sonic/Tails/Robotnik sign in it, or some enemies just for the show.
Example level
I’m not gonna rate the level, but it’s worth mentioning it’s a remake of the Act 1 beta level. It’s pretty close tho, from what I’ve seen in the screenshots. I just wish the author would have chosen better music: I’d have preferred having Song #3 (the original HPZ music, now for 2P Mystic Cavern Zone) or #10 in the Sound test(lost music, sounds appropriate for HPZ) and even if he didn’t have them J1 Crysilis would have made a good substitute. Still, example levels are only ment to show off the tileset, which it does well.
Verdict
Pretty good conversion of the Sonic 2 Hidden Palace Zone, it’s a shame it’s not as usefull to JJ2 like it is to Sonic 2. With some improvising on the half-pipes you can make a fine level with this. Recommended, if it had more extras I would have given it a higher rating.
- JelZe GoldRabbit =:3
Review by sonicnathan 1
- Posted:
- 16 Apr 2008, 19:15 (edited 12 May 09, 22:22)
- Spaz Slackrabbit (136 Points)
-
Now this is any sonic fans dream. A complete conversion of the lost Hidden Palace Zone. How does it stack up?
Tiles
My god. My **** god. This is great! i have played through Hidden Palace Zone before and EVERYTHING is here! the flashing bridge, tubes, Master emerald, background, and all the blinking lights you can handle. Even those slopes are in here! Waterfalls, water sides are in here as well! there are even poles and vines! I know that usually i give a lower mark for lack of textured background and stuff like that, but this totalness of this conversion just outweighs that. I love it and it would make any sonic fan happy!
10/10
Animations
Great! All the animations from hidden palace are here and kicking. Nothing is missing! Goreat job!
10/10
colors
PERFECT IN EVERY WAY! Everything looks correct.
10/10
pallet events
I’m not rating for anything like poles or anything. All I have to say is what happened to the water? There was water in hidden Palace.
Masking
Masking is pretty good. Straight lines for the most part and everything tiles without masking bugs. Great job!
10/10
Reusability
Well not so great. you are limited thanks to no outdoor background. You cans till do quite a bit though with this tileset. I just wish there was an outdoor background so I could do a mixture.
7/10
Final score: 47/50 +-5 points for being TSF only. You could have taken away some things to make room.
Score: 9.2
Rank: A
DR? Hell yeah! This is every sonic fans dream of a conversion. this would get a 10 if there was an outdoor background and it was 1.23 Download right now!
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