History WhatCouldHaveBeen / SonicTheHedgehog2

* In early prototypes, Emerald Hill was originally titled Green Hill (tying into the fact the game was originally set in South Island), Wing Fortress was Sky Fortress, Aquatic Ruin was Neo Green Hill, and Mystic Cave was called [[MindScrew Dust Hill]]. Development quotes and design documents suggest the latter was originally conceived as a dark version of Green Hill reminiscent of a haunted house, possibly explaining its early name.

* In early prototypes, Emerald Hill was originally titled Green Hill (likely tying into the fact the game was originally set in South Island), Wing Fortress was Sky Fortress, Aquatic Ruin was Neo Green Hill, and Mystic Cave was called [[MindScrew Dust Hill]]. Development quotes and design documents suggest the latter was originally conceived as a dark version of Green Hill reminiscent of a haunted house, possibly explaining its early name.

* The original plot synopsis was to have Sonic and Tails to chase Dr. Eggman throughout the first game's setting, South Island, as they travelled through time. A map of the island would be displayed between levels, and would change depending on the time period the characters were in; the details changed over the course of the game's development, but always involved Sonic and Tails travelling to the past, then to a "ruined" era in which Eggman had taken over the island, [[GaiasLament polluted the water, and practically wiped out all plant life]]; many of the levels in the released version of the game were designed with this concept in mind, with Oil Ocean, Casino Night, and Chemical Plant being part of that destroyed time period, and Hill Top taking place in the past. Time travel was also used for ''VideoGame/SonicTheHedgehogCD'', developed simultaneously, and was executed differently than what was planned for ''Sonic 2'' but included a similar form of polluted, mechanized era as its BadFuture. [[labelnote:How?]]Unlike ''CD'', where the player would time travel within the zones themselves and thus change how they look visually, in ''2'', each time period had its own set of zones, tackled linearly, though some Zones would be counterparts of each other or visited more than once. At the end of each time period, a “warp point” would be used to travel to another time period.[[/labelnote]]

** Act 3 of Metropolis Zone was intended for another stage called Cyber City, or Genocide City in some prototypes as the partially Japanese staff apparently didn't know what genocide meant. Though its placement in betas has no data, the concept art depicts it as a pinball-like techno maze. It would have had 3 acts and would be the last zone visited before Neo Death Egg. Graphics and elements of Cyber City would be reused in ''Sonic Spinball's'' level "The Machine".

** Wood[=/Secret=] Jungle was a [[JungleJapes heavily forested area]], with and extremely incomplete version being playable in two of the leaked prototypes. Interestingly, design documents place it in the same location in South Island as Jungle Zone in ''VideoGame/SonicTheHedgehog18Bit'', suggesting they're counterparts.

* The original plot synopsis was to have Sonic and Tails to chase Dr. Eggman throughout what appears to be South Island (going by early maps) as they travel through time. A similar idea was used for ''VideoGame/SonicTheHedgehogCD'', developed simultaneously, though executed differently than what was planned for ''Sonic 2''. [[labelnote:How?]]Unlike ''CD'', where the player would time travel within the zones themselves, thus also changing how they look visually, each time period had their own set of zones, tackled linearly. At the end of each time period, a “warp point” would be used to travel to another time period.[[/labelnote]]

* The original plot synopsis was to have Sonic and Tails to chase Dr. Eggman throughout what appears to be South Island (going by early maps) as they travel through time. A similar idea was used for ''VideoGame/SonicTheHedgehogCD'', developed simultaneously, though executed differently than what was planned for ''Sonic 2''. [[labelnote:How?]]Rather than time traveling within the zones themselves, thus also changing how they look visually, each time period had their own set of zones, tackled linearly. At the end of each time period, a “warp point” would be used to travel to another time period.[[/labelnote]]

* The original plot synopsis was to have Sonic and Tails to chase Dr. Eggman throughout what appears to be South Island (going by early maps) as they time travel. A similar idea was used for ''VideoGame/SonicTheHedgehogCD'', developed simultaneously.

* The original plot synopsis was to have Sonic and Tails to chase Dr. Eggman throughout what appears to be South Island (going from early maps) as they time travel. A similar idea was used for ''VideoGame/SonicTheHedgehogCD'', developed simultaneously.

* The original plot synopsis was to have Sonic and Tails to chase Dr. Eggman throughout South Island as they time travel. A similar idea was used for ''VideoGame/SonicTheHedgehogCD'', developed simultaneously.

** Wood[=/Secret=] Jungle was a [[JungleJapes heavily forested area]], with and extremely incomplete version being playable in two prototypes. Interestingly, design documents place it in the same location in South Island as Jungle Zone in ''VideoGame/SonicTheHedgehog18Bit'', suggesting they're counterparts.

** Rock World is referenced multiple times in concept art, but no art seems to exist.
** According to its name, Blue Lake would've taken place [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin in a lake]]. Humorously its intended slot ($06) was overwritten with Wing Fortress in the final.
** Act 3 of Metropolis Zone was intended for another stage called Cyber City, or Genocide City in some prototypes as the partially Japanese staff apparently didn't know what genocide meant. Though its placement in betas has no data, the concept art depicts it as a pinball-like techno maze. Elements of Cyber City would be reused in ''Sonic Spinball's'' level "The Machine".

** Blue Ocean would've been an underwater level with caverns. Its only piece of ConceptArt shows it would have tunnels similar to the ones in Labyrinth Zone.

** Death Egg would've had two full acts, but was cut down to a single BossOnlyLevel in the final. It would also have been a mid-game zone, with the final full zone being called Neo Death Egg.

Thanks to a large amount of ExecutiveMeddling and time constraints, there is so much of WhatCouldHaveBeen.

[[quoteright:320:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/320px_sonic2_boomer1.jpg]]
[[caption-width-right:320:Early Scrapped Turtle sidekick character for Sonic that was replaced by Tails.]]

** Sand Shower ([[UrbanLegendOfZelda often thought to be called Dust Hill until the release of a "Pre-Beta" deconfirmed it]]) was a [[ShiftingSandLand extremely yellow desert and cacti]]

[[quoteright:318:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/sand_shower.jpg]]
[[caption-width-right:318:Brenda Ross' mockup of the cut Sand Shower Zone.]]

** Another stage called simply "Winter" would reuse the same tiles as Sand Shower, but changed to blue and Christmas trees in place of cacti. Its concept art would later inspire [=IceCap=] Zone in ''Sonic 3''.

** Blue Ocean would've been an underwater level with caverns. Its only piece of concept art shows it would have tunnels similar to the ones in Labyrinth Zone.

** Death Egg would've had two acts, but was cut down to one in the final. It would also have been a mid-game zone, with the final full zone being called Neo Death Egg.

* At one point, Super Sonic was going to glow in seven colors. This idea was brought back in ''Sonic 3 & Knuckles'' to distinguish Hyper Sonic from Super Sonic.

* Tails was originally meant to be a tanuki, but was changed to a fox to avoid confusion with ''VideoGame/SuperMarioBros3'', on top of the design looking "clumsy" and Sonic Team wanting to go with a "cuter" design. He also had SkintoneSclerae. In addition, Sega of America attempted to change his real name to [[IronicName Miles Monotail]] but was opposed by the devs.

* Early prototypes featured a ScrappyMechanic in which if the Tails AI gets hit by something, he would cause ''[[MisplacedRetribution the player]]'' to lose rings without doing anything. This was wisely scrapped in the final release.

* According to Craig Stitt, there were plans to invoke NewWorkRecycledGraphics with a pitch known as "Segapede" later known as "Astropede". His idea would have involved a robotic centipede named "Zipp" who was stated to be one of Eggman's creations turned rouge (later seen in ''VideoGame/SonicAdventure'' with E-102 Gamma and ''VideoGame/SonicHeroes'' with both E-123 Omega and Neo Metal Sonic). Of the stages seen in the pitch, one of them reuses graphics from the Hidden Palace Zone.

** Act 3 of Metropolis Zone was intended for another stage called Cyber City, or Genocide City in some prototypes as the partially Japanese staff apparently didn't know what genocide meant.

** Ocean Wind would've been a [[PalmtreePanic coastal area]] with huge rock structures that Sonic could presumably run on.

** Wood[=/Secret=] Jungle was a [[JungleJapes heavily forested area]], with and extremely incomplete version being playable in two prototypes.

** Another stage called simply "Winter" would reuse the same tiles as Sand Shower, but changed to blue and Christmas trees in place of cacti. Its concept art would later inspire IceCap Zone in ''Sonic 3''.

* In early prototypes, Emerald Hill was originally titled Green Hill (likely tying into the fact the game was originally set in South Island), Wing Fortress was Sky Fortress, Aquatic Ruin was Neo Green Hill, and Mystic Cave was called [[MindScrew Dust Hill]].

** Wood [=Zone/Secret=] Jungle was a [[JungleJapes heavily forested area]], with and extremely incomplete version being playable in two prototypes.

* The original plot synopsis was to have Sonic and Tails to chase Dr. Eggman throughout South Island as they time travel. A similar idea was used for ''VideoGame/SonicTheHedgehogCD'', developed simulatenously.

** Death Egg would've had two acts, but was cut down to one in the final. It would also have been a mid-game zone, with the final full zone being called Neo Death Egg Zone.

*** And before that, Hidden Palace Zone was going to be a cutscene-only area called "Hidden Shrine" or "Secret Palace" from where Sonic would be able to time travel. Remnants of this can be seen in the original demo version of its song having an ending (the unused in-game version loops properly), which initially led to confusion among fans as to whether or not the track was actually intended for the level.

** Wood [=Zone/Secret=] Jungle Zone was a [[JungleJapes heavily forested area]], with and extremely incomplete version being playable in two prototypes.
** Sand Shower ([[UrbanLegendOfZelda often thought to be called Dust Hill until the release of a "Pre-Beta" deconfirmed it]]) was a [[ShiftingSandLand extremely yellow desert and cacti]]; another stage called simply "Winter" would reuse the same tiles as Sand Shower, but changed to blue and Christmas trees in place of cacti.