UPDATE: Claimed “Sonic 1 Prototype” Footage Goes Online

A user of Youtube has uploaded what he claims is footage of the Sonic the Hedgehog prototype, noted as a “Technology Demonstration 1990”. Obviously, in a community where ROM Hacking is quite popular, this could easily be a load of toss to trick Sonic fans into believing they are actually watching some real genuine footage.

In particular, the video shows a foreground of sorts, different graphics for the rocks, and Sonic with a different standing sprite-all matching up to this screenshot. Also, there appears to be some physics changes as well. Oddly though, a sign seen in this screenshot, suggests that this could be a bit of a fake. How could you miss something so big and, for a Sonic game, odd?

Make of it what you will though-I, and if the comments on the video are anything to go by, other viewers, are treating it as incredibly dubious. Until-heck, if-the uploader gives some solid, non-debatable proof this is real-don’t get too excited about this. Either this is a massive discovery, or a repeat of the famous Sonic 1 Hoax from 1999.

UPDATE :Since being published, the video has been noticed by Yuji Naka. Due to my lack of Japanese Translating skills-all I can get through Google is the following:

“I was doing a scroll multiple version of a Sonic in development What’s this from @ youtube.Try to guess it in front of palm trees and rocks? I wonder does this ROM came out from? But good old days.”

So-he seems to recognise the multiple scrolling tech used for the foreground and background trees-and he seems to recognise working on this-or at least, something similar, should it turn out to be a hoax-before development pressed on and we got the Sonic put out at retail.

[Credit to Sonic Retro for the Sonic 1 Prototype Screenshots.]