Interestingly, in Sonic 3 the checkered tube is still present in the act 2 layout, despite normally being removed when the boss is defeated. It's possible that the act transition was originally planned to happen up there, and the tube would only explode at the start of act 2.
However, this theory is challenged by the presence of hidden monitors, buried in the floor at the bottom of the room, as early as the Sonic 3 object layout.
On the other hand, assuming the tube was meant to explode in act 1, it would then suddenly reappear upon loading the act 2 layout, which wcould lead to this curious scenario.
This isn't the only level layout adjustment performed in Launch Base Zone 2, though: directly after Knuckles' act 2 boss area, the Sonic 3 layout cuts off rather abruptly. In Sonic 3 & Knuckles, a couple of extra chunks were added to end the pipe floor more naturally.
This change is purely cosmetic however, because Knuckles' end of level cutscene forces him to jump at the exact point where the floor would cut off, regardless.
If it's weird you're looking for, though, look no further than Angel Island Zone 2. For whatever reason, there are actually hidden monitors buried in the floor of Knuckles' boss area. In act 2.
What on earth could the developers have been planning here?
I assume the developers put monitors there without realizing it wasn't Act 1. That, or it could be like Sonic 2 in that these objects correspond to level layouts present in prototypes but not the final game.
ReplyDeleteWhile on the subject of S3A bosses, what exactly causes Super Sonic to partially detransform when sucked up by the Hydrocity Zone - Act 2 boss? I imagine the death animation/sprite is the culprit, and I know for a fact that S3K does not exhibit this behavior.
Oh, and tomorrow marks not only Sonic 3's 24th anniversary, but also your 200th post!