Sonic Music: Information and Theories

This section is devoted to some of the basic information about the music from the Sonic the Hedgehog games and to the theories and ideas I've had about this music. Please note that my theories are just that: theories. They are not to be taken as facts because there is no concrete proof with which to bolster them. So, just enjoy them for what they are. =)

Information

1. Hey! I know I've heard that song somewhere else before!!!
You're right! You have heard that song somewhere else before! Perhaps you've noticed some of the songs in different Sonic games that were used in earlier games. In some cases, when a song is re-used in a later game, the instrumentation is changed to enhance the quality of the sound (when the song goes from a low-grade system to a high-grade system [i.e. from the Genesis to the Dreamcast], or, in some cases, vice-versa [i.e. from the MegaCD to the GameGear]). But, in other cases, just part of a song is re-used and added to a new song. Here's a list of some of the songs I know of that were used multiple times in different Sonic games in some shape or form in no particular order:

01) Green Hill Zone (Sonic 1: SEGA Genesis) -- Green Hill Zone (Sonic 1: GameGear) -- Green Hill (Sonic Adventure 2)
02) 2P Mystic Cave Zone (Sonic 2: SEGA Genesis) -- Red Mountain: Type 1 (Sonic Adventure)
03) Opening: Sonic - You Can Do Anything (Sonic CD: MegaCD) -- Green Hills Zone (Sonic 2: GameGear) -- Mecha Green Hill Zone (Sonic Chaos: GameGear) *Thanks, Eric Wright!* -- Invincible (Sonic Drift) -- Invincible (Sonic Adventure) -- Invincible (Sonic Adventure 2: The Trial) *Thanks, sonicblur!* -- Invincible (Sonic Adventure 2)
04) Green Grove Zone Act 1 (Sonic 3D Blast: SEGA Genesis) -- Windy Valley: The Air (Sonic Adventure)
05) Panic Puppet Zone Act 1 (Sonic 3D Blast: SEGA Genesis) -- Twinkle Park: Twinkle Park (Sonic Adventure)
06) Title Screen (Sonic 3) -- TITLE: Title Screen (Sonic Pocket Adventure)
07) Select Screen (Sonic 3) -- Museum Theme (Sonic Jam) -- SELECT: Select Screen (Sonic Pocket Adventure)
08) Sonic World (Sonic Jam) -- ZONE1-1: Neo South Island Zone Act 1 (Sonic Pocket Adventure)
09) Angel Island Zone Act 1 (Sonic 3) -- ZONE1-2: Neo South Island Zone Act 2 (Sonic Pocket Adventure)
10) Angel Island Zone Act 2 (Sonic 3) -- ZONE2-1: Secret Plant Zone Act 1 (Sonic Pocket Adventure)
11) Hydrocity Zone Act 2 (Sonic 3) -- ZONE2-2: Secret Plant Zone Act 2 (Sonic Pocket Adventure)
12) Gumball Machine Bonus Game (Sonic 3) -- Special Stage (Sonic 3D Blast: SEGA Genesis) -- ZONE3-1: Cosmic Casino Zone Act 1 (Sonic Pocket Adventure)
13) Slot Machine Bonus Game (Sonic & Knuckles) -- ZONE3-2: Cosmic Casino Zone Act 2 (Sonic Pocket Adventure)
14) Mushroom Hill Zone Act 1 (Sonic & Knuckles) -- ZONE4-1: Aquatic Relix Zone Act 1 (Sonic Pocket Adventure)
15) Hydrocity Zone Act 1 (Sonic 3) -- ZONE4-2: Aquatic Relix Zone Act 2 (Sonic Pocket Adventure)
16) Flying Battery Zone Act 2 (Sonic & Knuckles) -- BOSS3: Knuckles (Sonic Pocket Adventure)
17) Theme of Knuckles (Sonic 3) -- BOSS2: Knuckles (Sonic Pocket Adventure)
18) Act 1 Boss Version 2 (Sonic 3) -- Act 1 Boss (Sonic & Knuckles) -- BOSS5: Dr.Eggman (Sonic Pocket Adventure)
19) Azure Lake Zone (Sonic 3) -- ZONE5-1: Sky Chase Zone (Sonic Pocket Adventure)
20) Death Egg Zone Act 1 & Act 2 (Sonic & Knuckles) -- ZONE5-2: Aerobase Zone (Sonic Pocket Adventure)
21) Desert Palace Zone (Sonic 3) -- ZONE6-1: Gigantic Angel Zone Act 1 (Sonic Pocket Adventure)
22) Chrome Gadget Zone (Sonic 3) -- ZONE6-2: Gigantic Angel Zone Act 2 (Sonic Pocket Adventure)
23) Final Boss (Sonic 3) -- FINAL: Last Utopia (Sonic Pocket Adventure)
24) Invincible (Sonic & Knuckles) -- UNRIVAL: Invincible (Sonic Pocket Adventure)
25) 1 Up (Sonic & Knuckles) -- 1 Up (Sonic 3D Blast- Genesis) -- 1UP: 1 Up (Sonic Pocket Adventure)
26) Finish Act (Sonic 3) -- Finish Act (Sonic & Knuckles) -- Finish Act (Sonic 3D Blast- Genesis) -- Finish Act (Sonic 3D Blast- Saturn) -- Finish Race (Sonic R) -- Round Clear (Sonic Adventure) -- CLEAR: Round Clear (Sonic Pocket Adventure) -- Round Clear (Sonic Adventure 2: The Trial) *Thanks, sonicblur!* -- Round Clear (Sonic Adventure 2)
27) Act 2 Boss (Sonic 3) -- Act 2 Boss (Sonic & Knuckles) -- BOSS: Dr.Eggman (Sonic Pocket Adventure)
28) Game Over (Sonic 3) -- Game Over (Sonic & Knuckles) -- END: Game Over (Sonic Pocket Adventure)
29) Continue Screen (Sonic 3) -- Continue Screen (Sonic & Knuckles) -- Continue Screen (Sonic 3D Blast- Genesis) -- CONTINUE: Continue Screen (Sonic Pocket Adventure)
30) Doomsday Zone (Sonic & Knuckles) -- BOSS4: Silver Sonic (Sonic Pocket Adventure)
31) Ending Scenes (Sonic 3) -- E CLEAR: Extra Round Clear (Sonic Pocket Adventure) -- CREDIT: Staff Roll (Sonic Pocket Adventure)
32) Finish Act (Sonic 1- Genesis) -- Finish Act (Sonic 1- GameGear) -- Finish Act (Sonic 2- Genesis) -- No Chaos Emerald & Got Chaos Emerald (Sonic R)
33) Need Oxygen (Sonic 1- Genesis) -- Need Oxygen & 2 Player Time Running Out (Sonic 2- Genesis) -- Need Oxygen (Sonic 3) -- Timer (Sonic Adventure) -- WARNING: Timer (Sonic Pocket Adventure) -- Timer (Sonic Adventure 2)
34) Chaos Emerald (Sonic 1- Genesis) -- Chaos Emerald (Sonic 2- Genesis) -- Chaos Emerald (Sonic 3) -- Chaos Emerald (Sonic & Knuckles) -- Chaos Emerald (Sonic 3D Blast- Genesis) -- Chaos Emerald (Sonic 3D Blast- Saturn) -- Chaos Emerald & Got Chaos Emerald (Sonic R) -- Chaos Emerald & 1 Up (Sonic Adventure) -- S CLEAR: Chaos Emerald (Sonic Pocket Adventure) -- 1 Up (Sonic Adventure 2: The Trial)
35) Dr. Robotnik Version 1 (Sonic 3D Blast- Genesis) -- Emerald Coast: Type 2 (Sonic Adventure)
36) Title Screen (Sonic 1- Genesis) -- Title Screen (Sonic 1- GameGear) -- Title Screen (Sonic 2- Genesis)
37) Sweet, Sweet, Sweet (Dreams Come True- The Swinging Star) -- Ending Scenes, Options Screen, Level Select, and 2 Player Level Select (Sonic 2- Genesis)
38) Message From Nightopia (NiGHTS into Dreams...) -- Casinopolis: NiGHTS Pinball (Sonic Adventure)
39) Sky Sanctuary Zone (Sonic & Knuckles) -- EXTRA: Chaotic Space Zone (Sonic Pocket Adventure)
40) 1 Up (Sonic 1- Genesis) -- 1 Up (Sonic 2- Genesis) -- 1 Up (Sonic 3D Blast- Saturn)
41) Invincible (Sonic 3) -- Invincible (Sonic Drift 2)
42) Game Over (Sonic 1- Genesis) -- Game Over (Sonic 2- Genesis)
43) Continue Screen (Sonic 1- Genesis) -- Continue Screen (Sonic 2- Genesis)
44) Continue Sound (Sonic 1- Genesis) -- Continue Sound (Sonic 2- Genesis) -- Continue Sound (Sonic 3) -- Continue Sound (Sonic & Knuckles) -- Continue Sound (Sonic 3D Blast- Genesis)
45) Aqua Lake Zone (Sonic 2- GameGear) -- Polly Mt. 1 (Tails Adventure)
46) Bridge Zone (Sonic 1- GameGear) -- MILES: Believe In Myself (Sonic Adventure) *Thanks, Eric Wright!*
47) Emerald Hill Zone (Sonic 2- Genesis) -- BIG: Hit! (Sonic Adventure) *Thanks, Jan Abaza!*
50) BOSS!! (Sonic CD- MegaCD) -- Track 05: DREAMS DREAMS (Club 12" GK. Mix) (A NiGHTS REMIX: Another Dreams)
51) Intro & Scrambled Egg Zone (Sonic 2- GameGear) -- Electric Egg Zone Act 3 (Sonic Chaos- GameGear)
52) Intro (Sonic 2- Master System) -- Title Screen (Sonic 2- GameGear) -- Title Screen (Sonic Chaos- Master System) -- Title Screen (Sonic Chaos- GameGear) *Thanks, Eric Wright!*
53) Gene Gadget Zone Act 1 (Sonic 3D Blast- Genesis) -- Egg Carrier (Sonic Adventure) *Thanks, Eric Wright!*
54) Opening ~ Sonic Boom (Sonic CD- SEGA CD) -- ENEMY: Event (Sonic Adventure) *Thanks, Bug!*
55) Speed Up (Sonic Adventure) -- Speed Up (Sonic Adventure 2: The Trial) *Thanks, sonicblur!* -- Speed Up (Sonic Adventure 2)
56) New Moon (Knuckles' Chaotix) -- Introduction (Sonic Shuffle) *Thanks, Kilid!*
57) Special Stage (Sonic 2- Genesis) -- Special Stage (Sonic 3D Blast- Saturn)
58) Dr. Robotnik (Sonic 2- GameGear) *Thanks, AliasWK!* -- Metallic Madness "P" mix, Metallic Madness, Metallic Madness "G" mix, & Metallic Madness "B" mix (Sonic CD- MegaCD) -- Desert Dodge (SegaSonic the Hedgehog- Arcade) *Thanks, AliasWK!* -- Final Boss (Sonic Chaos- GameGear) *Thanks, SATails!*
59) Item (Sonic Adventure) -- Item (Sonic Adventure 2: The Trial)
60) Invincible (Sonic 1- Genesis) -- Invincible (Sonic 1- GameGear) -- Invincible (Sonic 2- Genesis)
61) Palmtree Panic "P" mix (Sonic CD- MegaCD) -- Palmtree Panic "P" mix (Sonic CD- SEGA CD)
62) Collision Chaos "P" mix (Sonic CD- MegaCD) -- Collision Chaos "P" mix (Sonic CD- SEGA CD)
63) Tidal Tempest "P" mix (Sonic CD- MegaCD) -- Tidal Tempest "P" mix (Sonic CD- SEGA CD)
64) Quartz Quadrant "P" mix (Sonic CD- MegaCD) -- Quartz Quadrant "P" mix (Sonic CD- SEGA CD)
64) Wacky Workbench "P" mix (Sonic CD- MegaCD) -- Wacky Workbench "P" mix (Sonic CD- SEGA CD)
65) Stardust Speedway "P" mix (Sonic CD- MegaCD) -- Stardust Speedway "P" mix (Sonic CD- SEGA CD)
66) Metallic Madness "P" mix (Sonic CD- MegaCD) -- Metallic Madness "P" mix (Sonic CD- SEGA CD)
67) Credits (Sonic 3D Blast- Genesis) -- Unbound (Sonic Adventure) *Thanks, PsychoSonic!*
68) Stardust Speedway "G" mix (Sonic CD- MegaCD) -- Mini-Game: TORNADO Scramble (Sonic Adventure)
69) Extend (Sonic Adventure) -- 1UP (Sonic Adventure 2)
70) Continue? (Sonic Adventure) -- Continue? (Sonic Adventure 2)
71) SONIC: It Doesn't Matter (Sonic Adventure) -- Theme of Sonic (Sonic Adventure 2)
72) MILES: Believe In Myself (Sonic Adventure) -- Theme of Tails (Sonic Adventure 2)
72) KNUCKLES: Unknown from M.E. (Sonic Adventure) -- Theme of Knuckles (Sonic Adventure 2)
73) AMY: My Sweet Passion, Appearance: AMY, Tutorial: AMY (Sonic Adventure) -- Theme of Amy (Sonic Adventure 2)
74) L.World: DANGER - Chased by Rock! (Sonic Adventure) -- Cannon's Core 4, Event #10 (Sonic Adventure 2)
75) Theme of "CHAO" (Sonic Adventure) -- Garden:Chao garden, Garden: Dark Garden, Garden: Hero Garden (Sonic Adventure 2)
76) Mini-Game: CHAO Race - Goal (Sonic Adventure) -- Race:Ceremony (Sonic Adventure 2)

The above mentioned songs are by no means the only songs that were re-used. I just can't recall every song at the moment. So, you can expect this list to continue to grow. Also, please note that some of these songs may have been unintentionally re-used. In other words, the music composer for a Sonic game may have written one song that greatly resembles a song written by a different composer from an earlier Sonic game without knowing it. So, some of the entries in the above list may fall into such a category.

2. Why haven't I heard this song anywhere in the game it belongs to?!?!
There are some games where if you go to the sound test and listen to all of the music, you'll hear a song or two that was never played in the entire game. I'm not sure of the reasons why this has happened. It could possibly be that the code for using those songs was never put into the rest of the game's code, so the songs can't be accessed during game play, or it could be that the programmers had intended for there to be more levels to a game, but those levels had to be left out for some reason or another. The following list contains some of the un-used music in the Sonic games with side notes containing my thoughts and feelings on them.

1) Song #10 (Sonic 2- Genesis): Some people believe this was supposed to be the music for Hidden Palace Zone which was cut from the final version of the game. I, however, don't want to accept that as the truth because there is no proof that I'm aware of to say that that was the intended music for Hidden Palace Zone. I used to believe that Song #10 was BGM for a bad ending to Sonic 2. ***UPDATE*** I've gotten e-mails telling me that there is proof that Song #10 was indeed intended to be used as the BGM to the cut Hidden Palace Zone from Sonic 2. I've read many things from these e-mails and links to related sites in them saying that Sonic 2 has been hacked into to get to the Hidden Palace Zone, and that Song #10 is played as the BGM for that zone. So, proof has been given to me. And, I'm hoping that it's concrete. But, just in case, I will refer to this song as "Hidden Palace Zone- Song #10."
2) Egg Carrier ~the Ocean~ (Sonic Adventure): I believe that this song was supposed to be used as BGM for going aboard the Egg Carrier after it had crash landed in the ocean. Why, you ask? Well, look at what it's called! "Egg Carrier ~the Ocean~!" However, when you board the ship after its crash, the regular Egg Carrier music still plays. ***UPDATE*** I noticed that this song is actually used in the game! If you listen to the background music during E-102g's movie after destoying E-104e in Red Mountain and returing to the Egg Carrier, you'll hear this song, but only for a short while. Now, because the actual song is around two minutes long and only a small fraction of it is played during that movie, I still believe that this song was supposed to be used as the BGM to the Egg Carrier after it had crashed into the ocean.
3) Extend (Sonic Adventure): In most of the games I've played, the term "extend" generally refers to the gaining of an extra life. But, here, another fanfare plays when an extra life is achieved. Maybe there was another purpose for this little fanfare.
4) Title: Station Square (Sonic Adventure): I think this song was supposed to be used as BGM for the loading screen of the adventure fields of Station Square. The length of this song seems to fit that purpose pretty well.
5) Title: Mystic Ruin (Sonic Adventure): I think this song was supposed to be used as BGM for the loading screen of the adventure fields of Mystic Ruin.
6) Title: M. Ruin ~the Past~ (Sonic Adventure): Perhaps this was supposed to be used for the loading screen for the past version of Mystic Ruin -- for those times Tikal comes and whisks your character back in time to the ancient echidna city and to the Master Emerald Shrine where Chaos used to live.
7) Title: Egg Carrier (Sonic Adventure): A lot of people seem to want to believe that this was really used in the game -- when the Egg Carrier transforms between flight and attack modes. But, I don't think it is. In that scene where you watch the Egg Carrier change forms, you do hear some of the sound effects from this little 'song,' but not all of 'em. There are a few things in the background missing like some of the whooshing and hissing sounds that are in the version in the sound test. Plus, the version in the scene is shorter than the sound test one, and at the end of the scene version, there are two loud metallic clanks. Those aren't at the end of the one in the sound test. In the sound test, this 'song' ends with a kind of 'reverse cymbal' effect -- the final hiss in the 'song' starts off soft and quickly increases in volume. Now, I know that some of you aren't gonna wanna believe this. And you don't have to! This is just my opinion. Accept it for what it is. =)
8) Track 02: 'Weird Noise' (Sonic CD): I really don't know what the heck this was supposed to be used for. My thoughts are that it was either supposed to be used as the time travel sound that plays when Sonic is zoomin' between time zones or it was intended to be used as a noise for one of Eggman's machines; possibly one of the zone bosses. That's all I can say about this one.
9) BIG: Miss! (Sonic Adventure): OK. Although I really don't like playin' Big's game in Sonic Adventure too much (I'm not a really big fan of fishin' games), I have played it enough to know that this little jingle is not used when he misses a fish -- when the line breaks. Trust me, I've had the line break plenty of times on me, and this doesn't play.

3. Hey!! You cut me off!!
There're some songs I've found that have been edited and had portions removed from them after they've been put into a game. Possible reasons behind this are scene/time restrictions and the appropriateness of certain songs to what's goin' on in certain scenes. The following is a list of some of the examples I've found so far.

1) Theme of "TIKAL" (Sonic Adventure): The only way to hear the full version of this song is to get the Sonic Adventure OST or an MP3 of it on the 'net. Whenever you hear this song in Sonic Adventure, you may notice that about half of the opening strings and stuff have been cut out. I'm guessin' that the musicians/programmers did this to help the song get to its actual melody while the scenes were still goin' on -- to give it more of a variety than just those eerie strings. And, even in the sound test, the full version doesn't remain. You still get the cut version.

Theories

1. Mini-Game: Twinkle Circuit (Sonic Adventure):
I believe that the BGM of "Twinkle Circuit" is partially a remix of Sonic's theme, "It Doesn't Matter." Although the notes and rhythm don't match exactly, the similarities between the two songs are very recognizable. (I mean, when a portion of a song is remixed, that part isn't always, and certainly doesn't have to, retain it's original rhythm and tone.) The portion I'm talkin' about is around 54 seconds into the song. Whenever I hear this song, the lyrics to "It Doesn't Matter" always fill themselves in at the appropriate part.
"It doesn't matter now what happens, I will never give up the fight.
There is no way I will run away from all of my frights.
Long as the voice inside me says go, I will always keep on runnin'.
There is no way to stop me from goin' to the very top."
Anyway, the point I'm gettin' to through all of this is that I believe that each (playable) character in Sonic Adventure that has access to the Twinkle Circuit race track was supposed to have a different "Twinkle Circuit" song playing in the background while they were racing. But, quite possibly, Jun Senoue and the other musicians working on the music for Sonic Adventure weren't able to incorporate some of the characters' themes into "hyper" racing themes. I mean, don't get me wrong. I think that Senoue-san and everyone else did a way past kick ass job with Sonic Adventure's music, it's just that some things weren't meant to be. I can especially believe that some character themes just can't be made into somethin' else that sounds decent when it comes to the themes of characters such as E-102g and Knuckles. However, the themes of Tails, Amy, and Big probably would have been perfect for such remixes. Just a thought! =)

2. Lost World: Leading Lights (Sonic Adventure):
This is a really great song. The only thing wrong with it is the title... or how it's used in the game. It just depends on how you wanna look at it. Honestly, I like the title, I just don't like this song's placement in the game. In Sonic's adventure, when you get to Lost World, this song only plays after you reach the very end of the level -- when Sonic gets to the gigantic stone mural of Perfect Chaos. And then, you only get to hear a few seconds of it. Plus, there are no lights leading you anywhere! Well, unless you count Tikal's spirit. But, by the time she shows up, another song is playing: The Past. The only other time this song is used in the game is when you play Lost World as Knuckles. This song is then used as BGM for his level. But, the title still doesn't fit too well with that section, either. Even though there are lights that actually do kinda lead you around -- the wall panels that light up allowing you to walk on 'em and Tikal's spirit who occasionally shouts out "Kotchi yo!" ("This way!") and shoots off in one direction pointin' you toward a shard of the Master Emerald -- this song probably could have been better used in a place like the part of Lost World where there are all of those mirrors that you have to line up with a beam of light so that it will reflect the light and illuminate your path which will lead you out of danger. See?! That section's actually got lights that lead you around! =)

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