Sonic the Hedgehog Triple Trouble/Development

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Sonic the Hedgehog Triple Trouble went through several changes during its development process. There are several rejected ideas, sprites, and other things that were left on the cutting room floor. The following details several of these things.

When the game was still in development for both the Master System and Game Gear, it appears to have been known under the working title of Sonic Chaos 2.

'94 Tokyo Toy Show

Sonic Triple Trouble (under its Japanese name, Sonic & Tails 2) is thought to have first been announced at the '94 Tokyo Toy Show in June 1994. A set of screenshots were released by Sega around this time, all with a non-final heads-up display and other quirks.

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  Sonic performing the Strike Dash move in Great Turquoise Zone. In this build it has a yellow trail, while the Springshell enemy has corrupted graphics. The level graphics are also different to the final, resembling the classic checkerboard look of Green Hill Zone.

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  Sonic meets a gun-wielding Fang in Great Turquoise Zone. In the final, Fang is only seen in the Special Stages and is never armed.

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  Sunset Park Zone. There is a HUD, but no lives icon.

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  Sonic using Rocket Shoes.

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  Tails in Meta Junglira Zone.

Earlier(?) build

Screenshots showing what could be an earlier version of the game were also printed in the gaming press. It is not known exactly where in the development timeline these screenshots belong, though with no HUD at all, the build could be an earlier version than the above.

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  Another different Strike Dash animation.

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  Fang in Great Turquoise Zone again, this time just before a hill.

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  Here he is again, but this time...

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  ...he pulls out a gun and aims it at Sonic. He doesn't do any of this in the final game.

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  A section the map.

Early game design

Great Turquoise Zone

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  Sonic Surfing in the stage. In the final he will only snowboard in Robotnik Winter Zone.

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  An animated GIF of Sonic Surfing in the stage.

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  More Surfing

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  A finished HUD, but a different layout.

Sunset Park Zone

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  Sonic lying down at the defeat of the boss, using a sprite unused in the final.

Meta Junglira Zone

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  A finalised HUD but with a yellow trail Strike Dash.

Robotnik Winter Zone

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  The old Strike Dash once more.

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Special Stage

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  One of the "3D" Special Stages... but without the plane!

Early Box Art

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  Preliminary box art by Greg Martin

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  Preliminary cover sketch featuring Knuckles the Echidna by Greg Martin