The Lost Stages of Sonic 2 have been revealed

Sonic the Hedgehog 2’s cut content has been teased for years, but The Video Game History Foundation has now released what may be the most comprehensive look at Sonic 2’s lost stages (thanks, Time Extension).

The video said Brenda Cook (formerly Ross), Craig Stitt, and Tom Payne contributed content that wouldn’t be in the Genesis/Mega Drive sequel. The levels were cut because Sonic 2 was supposed to be more ambitious, including time-travel mechanics from Sonic CD.

Unfortunately, Cyber City Zone, Winter Zone, Wood Zone, and Sand Shower Zone (Desert Zone) were eliminated. Due to Cook and Payne’s contributions, the Video Game History Foundation has preserved gameplay footage and assets from these stages.

Cyber City Zone and Cook’s Winter, Desert, and Woods VHS portfolio footage are now viewable. To show players what the Cyber City Zone looked like, the team partially rebuilt it.

It’s fascinating to see what could have been, but Sonic 2 was a hit, right?