--- By Kat --- Extreme Explanations --- My theories on the hidden palace: Theory 1: if you think about it, it would make sense that was the past or future of mystic caves zone, as in the final version, I believe that it comes after the mystic caves. As far as I can see in the final version - using debug and my game genie to get to it, hidden palace has no new sprites, they are all from oil ocean. Theory 2: sega may have been thinking about using this level for two player verses mode, hey, it could be, I Mean look at the tails extra life! Theory 3: a very unlikely one, but, it could have been used as a test level, that would also explain why it Was in the final version..... Weird thing: using different ways to get to it, such as game genie, action replay, pro action replay (are action replay and pro action replay the same thing?), game shark, etc., you can get better or worse versions of the graphics, like using some, you can see the waterfall graphics, but in others you can only see a big blob. Wood zone: I believe that this was the past of metropolis, the design looks the same. Or it could have been Its own level and was just scrapped because of time. Dust hill: I have quite a few beliefs, 1: I could go with the quartz quadrant theory. 2: That this had it's own level in sonic cd 3: That this was the past of mystic caves 4: That this WAS mystic caves, but in an earlier version, but was 5: If it was in sonic cd, they might have taken it out because of the same reason ( it wouldn't appeal to the Japanese market) 6: They already had too many levels, so they scrapped it, but thought that the name was too cool to scrap, so they gave it to mystic caves 7: That the picture was just a plain hoax, maybe even by sega Genocide zone: I believe that this was supposed to be a zone where Dr. Eggman was trying out his death Egg, and he destroyed a city or something. It could also be launch base in sonic 3. The sonic 3 levels..... I think it was just a cheap marketing ploy to get people to buy the sonic and knuckles Game. Now for the disturbing part, the most unlikely theories ever to be invented!!!!! Now don't laugh, I came up with these one night when I couldn't get to sleep, at about 3 a.m., so I was pretty out of it. WHAT IF HIDDEN PALACE WAS SUPPOSED TO BE A LEVEL WHEN YOU BEAT THE GA?E WITH ALL THE EMERALDS? It sort of makes sense that it would be. In the code I use to get to hidden palace, the last part is you have to go to/click on the death egg zone, now, wouldn't that make sense if it was going to be the last level? WHAT IF HIDDEN PALACE HAD TO DO WITH OIL OCEAN IN SOME WAY? I don't know if this has anything to do with it, but, in the final version, all of hidden palace's sprites are from oil ocean!!!!! Well, thanks for listening to my ramblings ^_^ --- Taken from 'Secrets of Sonic the Hedgehog - The Original' http://secretsonic.cjb.net ---