A story that gave a developer a pirated version of "Sonic the Hedgehog 2" to developer Yuji Naka

Action game for Mega Drive released from Sega in 1992 "Sonic the Hedgehog 2"Is one of the games that produced a lot of core fans not only in Japan but also overseas. Actually, Sonic the Hedgehog 2 has a beta version available only on the Internet, and the beta version is not included in the finished versionHidden stageThere are multiple. The Atlantic female reporter Heidi Kemps, a big fan of the Sonic series, is a developer of the Sonic seriesNakashi YasushiWhen I interviewed Mr. and asked about the beta version, I was awaiting unexpected developments.

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Kemps who interviewed Mr. Naka said that he was forced to make a strict choice of "Super Nintendo or Mega Drive" as a childhood Christmas gift, and he liked Sega as a root that he chose mega drive. Sonic the Hedgehog 2 was the game for mega drive that Kemps purchased for the first time.

ByRonald Wong

One day, Kemps who played Sonic 2 played notice that the songs included in the game contain songs on the stage that do not appear in the game. Mr. Kemps scooped up and found a game magazine "Hidden PalaceI found a screenshot of the stage called "Stage". After that, several readers heard about the Hidden Palace to the author of the article, the author said that "Hidden Palace was included in the development stage but was not included in the completed version" is.

Then, the times, even though many new Sonic series were released, Kemps' thoughts on Hidden Palace did not quenched. At that time, a device that copies software for home game machines onto a floppy disk appeared. Since thenWorld Wide WebThe birth of the emulator to operate a copy of Super Nintendo and MegaDrive games came out and among core gamers who were looking for old games "I get a copy of the game on the Internet and play with an emulator It was fashionable.

When a copy of the game file was rampant on the Internet, when a person was "Secrets of Sonic the Hedgehog"Posted images of the undisclosed stage including Hidden Palace which was not included in the completed version at the fan site of Sonic Fan. Despite the terrible defocus of the posted images, they are considered to be authentic among fans and enthusiastic Sonic fans are eager to search the stages of the image.


Finally, a ROM file discovered on a Chinese website by one user, Simon Wai, solved everything. The ROM file found by Wai can write the contents of mega drive games on a floppy,Super Magic DriveIt was copied by the device called. When Kemps operated the ROM file with the emulator, it worked normally, and I was able to play Hidden Palace which was a longtime dream. On the Internet, some people make a new stage based on the data and information of the ROM file, thoroughly investigate the data code,Hidden messageHackers who came up with it came up and the ROM file became a legendary discovery among Sonic fans.


What came the head of Kemps who played Hidden Palace as a wish is "Where did this ROM file come from?" Kemps made an interview with Mr. Naka who is the developer of the Sonic series, and decided to dare to ask about the ROM file.

In the interview Kemps said about Sonic the Hedgehog 2's Hidden Place, the ROM file that copied the game was circulated on the Internet, the Sonic fans delighted, and someone who made a new stage appeared Tells Mr. Chubu, Mr. Chubu said, "It's amazing how such people are there! I did not know! But what I enjoyed by those people, as a result, has a negative impact on Sega's game When it comes to giving it, that is a problem with it.I sure said that the prototype of Sonic 2, which included Hidden Palace, was stolen once and it was a big problem. "


Kemp, who thought, "The stolen prototype is the grandmother of ROM circulating on the Internet, Mr. Naka said important things!" Kemp said, "A prototype copy of Sonic 2 I was just talking about It circulated on the Internet and people around the world can now play, "he told Mr. Chubu. Kemp said "I can not believe it" to Mr. Mr. Mr. Naka, "I will play a copy of that ROM file because it is in my laptop PC" and I will show the actual game to Mr. Naka.

Mr. Naka who saw Sonic 2 who worked on the emulator seemed to be unbelievable at the beginning, but he seemed to have a joyful expression as he advanced the game. After that, Kemp gives a copy of Sonic 2 to Mr. Chubu. According to Chu, Hidden Palace and other undisclosed stages were not included in the finished version due to the circumstances of the game development period. The prototype of Sonic 2 was stolen at the event held in New York in 1992, and there seems to be a possibility that the stolen prototype was copied many times and uploaded on the Internet.

For Kemp, the fact that "Mr. Chung did not know that" Copies of prototype of Sonic 2 is circulating on the Internet "is a shock, and furthermore, gifts of games are presented to developers of the game It did not make it imaginable that it became an interview that solved the mystery since the childhood.