Cyber City Zone (InstanceTopic, 23)
From Compile Worlds
Cyber City Zone (also known as Genocide City Zone, see below) was a zone in the Simon Wai version of Sonic 2 Beta. The zone was scrapped later in development, along with Wood Zone and Hidden Palace Zone. However, unlike its sister zones, there was no zone layout or music slated for the level. In fact, there weren't even any graphics. The zone consists of an empty space with a garbage tiled background. Sonic and Tails simply fall to their dooms if the level is somehow entered. It shares this trait with the beta Death Egg Zone, though unlike this zone, Death Egg was actually developed later on.
Because the zone shows up in the Simon Wai beta with the name "Genocide City", many speculated as to the intended theme of the level, and why it even belongs in a Sonic game in the first place. Some said the zone was scrapped due to being overly violent, and would then start making links to Knuckles' electrocution in the next game. However, the reality is rather less sinister. The original level theme was, well, best described by the name "Cyber City", and is backed up by concept art (while "Genocide City" has no matching concept art). However, because for whatever reason implementation of this zone was left very late in development, the dev team probably got very, very used to the player characters falling to their death on level entry every build, and came up with the nickname "Genocide City" to reflect this, which worked its way into the game as a joke.
For those who aren't satisfied with this explanation, though, the hack Sonic 2 Long Version includes a full Genocide City Zone with completely original (and quite impressive) art and layout, although it's only one act repeated twice with the Chemical Plant Zone boss at the end of the second act. This hack also completes Wood Zone, Dust Hill Zone, Hidden Palace Zone and Death Egg Zone (if a copy of Chemical Plant counts), though all of those levels existed to some degree at one point or another in the original development.
