Sonic 1 Music: Green Hill Zone (Europe Version)

[Rinkufan]

The nostalgia is overwhelmingly awesome here! First game I ever played! I remember being 3 years old, playing this, and getting stuck because I kept jumping on spikes or I couln't spin into the walls to break them, so my Mum helped me on them. And my Mum taught me the "up down left right hold down A and press START" trick. Good times... =')

[ElAullidoDeLaNada]

I´m from Spain and the version here is faster.

[DaMostEnigmatic]

sounds a little too slow

[gizanator]

@DaMostEnigmatic Pal Version is slow as the game runs at 50hz rather than the faster 60hz NTSC

[TerraChimaera]

I noticed all the European songs are just slowed down from the original.

[haz4997]

@TerraChimaera Yes it was due to limitations of the PAL system

[Ellimation360]

Why did they make it slower for the EU version?

[PlayMadness]

@Ellimation360 Because the EU version is in PAL format, which only runs at 50 frames per second, as compared to the NTSC USA format, which runs at 60. Fewer frames per second, slower music.

[Ellimation360]

@PlayMadness Ah. That explains it. 

[Drag0nfoxx]

@PlayMadness It's Hertz, not FPS. It's interlaced so you have to divide the amount of Hertz by 2 to get the FPS - it's 25 FPS and 30, not 50 and 60.

[AngryBirdsLove]

@partyhog11 I agree! :)

[partyhog11]

Sonic is better then Mario!

[Triforce999999999999]

O.o this is for mario no sonic!

[esoretal]

@Triforce999999999999 lol no it isn't. this is from the first sonic game.

[SuperFlight88]

this music plays when you have slow shoes (even they dont have it)

[Chuukun1]

hmmm just been white washed with the American version but I think it is the same in Australia if I can remember way back. We usually get the same names and versions as Europe so I guess it would

[chemnz]

anyone else can finish act 1 in less than 1 minute?

[KWtheAcer]

@chemnz my best was 0:30 i think

[Elssuh]

Memories. So many.

I want to cry. :(

[IL0veMoz]

listen to the start of Cliff Richard - We Don't Talk Anymore, it's the same as the start of this :D

[MatthewStarWars]

@IL0veMoz

lol its like spring yard zone though, that sounds the same as bobby brown, every little step lol

[IL0veMoz]

What song is it that this song sounds like again, the start of it.

[pancakewafflebacon]

it's slower? is that because euro tvs run at 50hz instead of 60?

[skaterkid901]

One for you fellow Brits/Europeans. I have the Sonic tracks on my iPod (sad I know, there's a story behind why!). Was on shuffle in the car going through the empty country roads when this came on - I just had to slow down and reminisce, watching the countryside roll by as if Sonic was actually running through it. Times gone by... Mega Drive and Patball memories traded for sports cars and alcohol. Eh.

[AGenericMoron]

Where the hell do I get these tracks? They are all kinds of awesome.

[KyosukexSinner]

my ears just make BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM! ;_;

[TyltyI]

Feels so much like 1991 again :(

[Ellipsis14]

such brilliant memories :D

[marcelpeharda]

european versions are slower :D i never beat any sonic (old) game (only sonic the hedgehog 2) but i do preety much

[JokerSyndrom]

best game evr! <3 Me gusta Sonic!!

[Polaf3456]

Ofcourse the european version is cooler... Its slower.

[M3lloz]

15 people never beat the game.

[RickRoller90001]

@M3lloz I never beat this game. :P But I liked

[CEDL0W]

i wonder if this plays in the Europe version of brawl :o

[HUGO1989]

Takes me back way to 1991, I wish i was a kid again, because paying bills and having job suks ASS!!

[masterofdoom5000]

I grew up with this one, and its better because it fits the calmer more enjoyable nature from the original sonic games, a PLATFORMER, which people who have not played the first three sonics seem to miss, you know that jumping part inbetween running? yeah it wasn't really bout speed it was about fun.

[rootay]

@masterofdoom5000 I've never understood why the PAL versions of games tend to have faster/slower music than their NTSC counterparts? I originally thought it had something to do with the voltage that powered the system, but the Super Mario Bros theme was faster on PAL than the NTSC version? Odd.

[masterofdoom5000]

@rootay it tends to be conversion capabilities along with the Hz the consoles are going at, often they physically speed it up for PAL and then when its running it sounds similar to 60Hz from a standard speed, but they might mess with the tempo for pure adaptation purposes, and whoa 22 likes guess some people just get it

[drquesadilla]

@masterofdoom5000 Not quite...granted it was about fun and platforming primarily and foremost but the defining aspect that made the first Sonic game stand out and thus ultimately brought it to fame was the speed made possible by the use of blast processing. Without that innovation, do you really think it would've been anywhere near as successful a game?

[masterofdoom5000]

@drquesadilla Sonic has had a bad name ever since the shift to a more speed orientated gameplay while still trying to hang on to small random platforming that breaks up the flow of the game. True sonics defining aspect was he was capable of going high speed, but as we have seen in sonics past speed alone has only run him into walls (not intentional pun). Sonic was brought to fame by being SEGA's mascot and marios rival, and the fact that his games were fun, soon to be followed by infamy.

[drquesadilla]

@masterofdoom5000 The problem over the last 8 years or was they didn't put enough effort into the platforming and only focused on speed. I think the MAIN cause for this was that, since they'd dropped out of the console race, they had to release games at a quicker pace in order to still make money, thus designing games that took less time to make but a lot less thought also. I think the last few though are showing positive change (Sonic 4, Colors and especially Generations).

[masterofdoom5000]

@drquesadilla The problem isn't primarily a lack of effort into platforming, but their problems trying to add platforming to higher speeds, thus the creation of things like the homing attack were used to allow more precision through the games, however a large problem people found with colours was that they would feel they would suddenly be confronted with death pits without fair warning, I own generations and only sky sanctuary I do not enjoy, mainly because it was never speed capable area

[drquesadilla]

@masterofdoom5000 Yes, I noticed that problem with Colors; I used it as an example though because it seemed like the first REAL step in the right direction

[masterofdoom5000]

@drquesadilla Agreed, notice how the 2D sonic games were always generally of high quality and the gameplay was always solid, because the balance is easier to get without considering the extra dimension.

[drquesadilla]

@masterofdoom5000 One could say the same about any solid 2D platformer. Now, I wouldn't go so far as to say Sonic didn't make the jump to 3D, as I've always considered the first 2 Sonic Adventure games to be excellent and well-put-together games, but I think in hindsight as the generations of consoles went further there was sort of an obligation to "move forward," such as was the case with Heroes and on. But y'know the old cliche "don't fix what doesn't need fixing."

[masterofdoom5000]

@drquesadilla Sonic had 1 major flaw that always kinda held him up for me from 2D to 3D and that was lack of control for increased speed, the ratio to control to speed even in generations, the most recent iteration, is rather appalling at times, however the adventure series was good because even though his speed was high, it wasn't so fast as to be awkward to platform, after those games they made him faster and faster but without the finesse capable of using it within the boundaries of the games

[drquesadilla]

@masterofdoom5000 My thoughts exactly.

[BenJabituya]

"Private Eyes...They're watching you. They see your every move." - Those Hall & Oates lyrics come to my mind whenever I hear the PAL version of the Green Hill Zone theme!

[perfectsuperchaos7]

Nerrrrrrrrrrrrrd

[dinkylink]

so....... stupid question time, as it is 50hz not 60hz, is the music running at 5/6 of the speed?

[NUFC4LIFE001]

@dinkylink european 50HZ is 17.5% slower then american 60HZ, not just music but moving etc aswell

although i grew up with the european speed both are good

[TheKetsuban]

@NUFC4LIFE001 Close, it's actually 16 2/3% :)

[PinkBananaSplitInc]

Go to 240p For Nostalgia

[Moondog954]

wow i grew up with the PAL version too and these days always play on the rom, didn't realise it was slower.

[MrAletclem]

hé la version francaise est pas comme ca

[JDster4ever]

i grew with the pal version but prefer the ntsc still

[BatmanFanLego]

This sounds just like the Sonic the Hedgehog game on my PS2!

[floooooooooooooooood]

So how fast was the Japanese version?

[Starguy256]

a few min. ago, i played this in an emulator on 50hz mode. If i hadn't known i would have thought i was high and every thing was slo-mo. What was sega thinking making the PAL version slower?

[ceilingsoldier]

@Starguy256 they didn't make it slower deliberately. because PAL is 50Hz the video output had to be limit to 50 fields or 25 frames per second. to do this the CPU was slowed hence why the music plays slower.

[LPetal86]

@ceilingsoldier

Whoa, interesting! I've been a "Sonic" gamer since he first debuted, but I grew up in the U.S. with NTSC and had no idea the PAL version of the game played slightly slower due to the CPU needing to be adjusted (music included)! It just goes to show one really does learn something new everyday. :)

[Notices the PAL Version of the "Drowning" song in the YT side suggestions]

Ohhhhh my gosh... that song probably sounds even scarier when it's slowed down...

[FMYM2612]

@ceilingsoldier In the final steps towards releasing the game, it was still down to Sonic Team's decision whether they wanted to get the soundtrack optimized or to leave it defaulted at 50Hz for the PAL regions. They chose not to optimize it which means it was their intention to have it play like this in the PAL regions.

SEGA also released the PAL 50Hz version of this game in Sonic Mega Collection for the PAL regions in 2002 on Gamecube and 2004 on XBox and PS2. A mistake? I think not.

[ceilingsoldier]

@FMYM2612 They didn't orginally intend it to play this way but obviously just left it as it is for whatever reason (no time left/lacking resources/coudn't be bothered).

It still plays like that on the re-releases because it's just emulated so the original Megadrive binary is still used.

[FMYM2612]

@ceilingsoldier

I'm sure they had time to optimize the rom if they wanted to, they could've delayed the European release to get the music converted to 60Hz. Alot of games go back into development to be improved upon, Sonic 1 however didn't, they knew what they were doing and they had plenty of time so it is still possible that it was their intention.

PAL 60Hz was available in 2002 so the fact that the Sonic Mega Collection re-releases also contained the PAL 50Hz versions proves my point.

[ceilingsoldier]

@FMYM2612 I doubt they even have the source code available any more to correct it whether it was a mistake or not. It also wouldn't be worth the resources getting someone to do it. The simple fact is that they'll leave it as it is as it's easier to do so and just re-release it on whatever platform to milk in the money.

The Sonic Mega Collection used the DGen emulator and is entirely run in software. It could output at 60Hz but it has to run at 50Hz to allow CRT TVs to still be compatible.

[DavidBirch1987]

Just a classic!

[lagiacrus2012]

11 people couldn't pass through green hill zone

[omarggunit]

was this the version in Australia?

[RomanBellic12345]

I feel like i smoked a bowl and am now playing green hill zone on a dusty genesis that I dug up in the attic inside that box marked childhood

[dagger1087]

Wow... this slowed down version makes me antsy. Like, when you're in a 25mph zone and it just feels too slow and you want to just floor it. The faster version is way better... I mean, Sonic's fast. This is like if you play the game in slow motion.

[FlickyF]

No offence to US viewers but I prefer our version; it's less distracting than the faster-paced tracks, not to mention it's more agreeable with my epilepsy.

[SyntaxMagenta]

America was always faster than Europe at anything...

[NUFC4LIFE001]

@SyntaxMagenta mario 1 on the nes was faster then the american version, nintendo speeded the game up twice by mistake.

i personally think american versions were faster cause they wanted to feel like their games were better than every1 elses, as usual.

ive played both versions i have to say the pal version is harder as sonics reactions are not as fast

[WWE1119]

why did the european version have slower music?

[Shade737373]

Europe took a sip of lean.

[Sakotius]

@TheROBLOXAlexMario

Slow and steady wins the race noob ^_-

[KnucklesARouge]

This sounds better at 50hz, because it's a tropical island. I wouldn't think of one as really fast and energetic.

[1991SegaSonic]

Does anyone know where to download the European version for this game?

[jackharry12]

@1991SegaSonic

Don't think u can.

I've got the european version cuz i'm english and the only difference i can see in the american version is faster music.

[dissident93]

@jackharry12 It's only faster to PAL territories. That's the tempo Masato Nakamura composed at.

Japan is 60Hz too.

[richie9999999999]

PAL systems (ie Europe) ran at 50 Hz, NTSC systems (ie Yank) ran at 60 Hz.

Mystery solved.

[BonzoDerClown]

@richie9999999999

Except that the refresh rate of the screen has nothing to do with the speakers.

The music is slower because the conversion was crap, later Sonic games didn't have that problem.

[merkur32123]

@BonzoDerClown I have a little trick to prove you wrong! You will need: A MD/GEN moded with region select (Or an emulator), and sonic 2. Switch the console to 50Hz and start Sonic 2. When sonic 2 starts up, change to 60Hz. As you can see she music is extremly fast (20% faster than it should be). This is because the PAL song and the NTSC songs are different! Unlike sonic 1, where are only NTSC Songs.

[sharkbeeth]

any time i watch any of sonicKAI's videos they always freeze after 10-20 seconds.it's really frustrating. does anybody else get this? or know how to fix it?

[Jermainiac007]

@sharkbeeth yh i know frustrating in it

[katygirl104]

@sharkbeeth yes, i get it too. >_< it froze as i typed this comment, really. but instead at the 0:25 time instead. and now it just played again... i haven't found a way to fix it 100% and to prevent it from happening anymore, i just pause the video and put it at the start and wait a few seconds and play it once the red bar on the bottom (which shows what timeline you're at) is full. hope i somehow helped :P

[Arc111111]

@sharkbeeth Ooooh, you too ? I just saw two videos of him and I froze at 25 sec on both.

[xZaCloudx]

@sharkbeeth It's due to the video compression. For video to be run most efficiently, some video compression uses "keyframes". Basically, to save space and make a video not take up much data (good for streaming), it bookmarks part of the video and re-uses any parts of it that don't move.

For example, if only the mouth is moving, it keeps the background from the keyframe and only changes the mouth area's data. If the whole scene changes, a new keyframe is often created (though it varies) -cont'd

[xZaCloudx]

@xZaCloudx (continued) Since these videos don't have a lot of movement or changes, it only creates a couple keyframes, or in this case, probably only one right at the beginning. Since the rest of the video has to use data from that keyframe, it has to wait until it's buffered the music from most, or all, of the video, before it wants to play properly.

The solution would be for YouTube to limit keyframe length, or for the video creator to provide more scene changes for more keyframes.

[sharkbeeth]

@xZaCloudx yeah that makes sense. what i don't get is why it's just relentlessly these videos on this guy's channel. i listen to a bunch of music on youtube, all of which have still, one image backgrounds and music over the top. it's just persistently these videos that freeze after a certain amount of time. it's crazy. it's not that big a deal, it's not like i listen to sonic the hedgehog music every day. it's just... well, you know, frustrating if i ever do.

[xZaCloudx]

@sharkbeeth It could also be due to the age of this video; compression algorithms were different for YouTube at the time this was made (plus it could be how the creator compressed them too). It doesn't seem to affect his newer videos that still have static images.

[sonicKAI]

@xZaCloudx:

That was such a perfect explanation. Thank you.

[jmanfan213]

For some reason, it relaxes me when it's slow. :)

[ghostarman]

so fucking Slowww

[Kimiomega]

when I first played this game and hard this theme I was all like: WTF???

[SuperAwesomeTiago]

In Soviet Europe,Green Hill Zone is SLOW

[ShadowFenrir2]

@SuperAwesomeTiago But more fun less chance of dying by pits and spikes!

[Simplecompexity]

bleh, this sux compared to the US or JP version

[SONIC29210]

dude to slow bro.

[reviewmaster007]

i like it faster, fits sonic better

[strawberrysmile22]

I've got the european version (sonic mega collection plus) but it doesent sound like this

[WhatIThoughtChannel]

@strawberrysmile22 It's because only the original European Sonic 1 had these slowed-down versions. All European re-releases of the game are ported from other American ones.

[Adam060756]

@WhatIThoughtChannel Not true, my copy of Sonic Mega Collection for both the Nintendo Gamecube and XBox were exactly the same speed as this video.

I think you're refering to the ''SEGA Mega Drive Ultimate Collection'' or ''Sonic's Ultimate Genesis Collection'' where SEGA gave us Europeans and Australians the American ports.

[WhatIThoughtChannel]

@Adam060756 ...No, I'm most certainly referring to Sonic Mega Collection. By coinidence, I also have both the GameCube and Xbox versions (not PS2 however) and what I said above is the case for me.

[Adam060756]

@WhatIThoughtChannel Are you sure you didn't get Sonic Mega Collection imported from America or Canada?

Hmmm? Kinda strange what you said, my Sonic Mega Collection is PAL 50Hz bought brand new from the game shop. On the other hand the SEGA Mega Drive Ultimate Collection for my XBox 360 has all the American 60Hz versions intact.

[ShonenShogun2970]

@Adam060756 Actually it's the Japanese ones they have intact, because they have the moving sky and stuff. Atleast I think that's the case.

[Warblade118]

lol sounds so weird after being so used to the American version. Like the player is running out of batteries or something.

[twibkidx]

Note to self: Do NOT listen to the American version right after this. You may puke of diziness.

[essa07]

11 people had a horrible childhood .

[robert42thebest]

@essa07 In fact 12 ^^

[GoodesJ]

@essa07 yep a way too fast american childhood

[dirtyhavoc]

@essa07 L.O.L.

[PalkiaRuler44]

i wondered why the brawl version was so fast

now i know its because the usa version is faster

[brandonnesfan]

is australia part of europe

[NeonSolar]

@brandonnesfan

You're joking right? Europe is an entirely different continent on the other side of the world to Australia.

[PalkiaRuler44]

@NeonSolar he probably means the fact that europe and austrailia are both PAL reigions

[NeonSolar]

@PalkiaRuler44

Yeah probably, just the way it was worded lol.

[SuperAwesomeTiago]

@brandonnesfan Yes.By the way,Japan is also part of Africa and Brazil is part of Antartica if you're wondering.

[FlickyF]

Living in Scotland I too grew up with the PAL versions of the games and to be honest I'm glad I did; the toned down speed of the tracks is more relaxing and one thing that peeved me off with Sonic Gems Collection... we got the American version of Sonic CD and NOT the European version (not that I have anything against the US version but this EUROPE god damn it!)

[Katonachan]

I always wondered why the Sonic 1 music on YouTube was so much faster than what I remembered/have on Mega Collection Plus. Now I know.

[Adam060756]

You know guys come to think of it, us PAL gamers really did get screwed. I say that not because I hate the PAL versions I actually prefer PAL over NTSC but I say that because SEGA made us get used to the PAL versions back in the day for those that lived in Europe, and now when SEGA keep releasing the Mega Drive Sonic games in compilations for future consoles they're now giving us the American NTSC versions so we're being forced to get get used to the NTSC ones and quite frankly it's too late.

[Adam060756]

It's too late to try and get used to the NTSC versions all these years later because the PAL versions are built into us Europeans as the normal versions from back in the day. I got myself a copy of the SEGA Mega Drive Ultimate Collection on XBox 360 and SEGA decided to give the world the American Genesis NTSC versions for that compilation. Thank god I can still set my XBox 360 console to run in PAL 50Hz and still play Sonic Mega Collection in it from the first XBox console. I can't abandon PAL.

[rammsteindd]

also grew up with pal

still have my consoles so still playing

the so called "'slow'' version is more relaxed.

us PAL players just made more time the game so fast music was not necessary

[danielallen12]

I grew up on the Pal version.

Its extremley more Nostalgic to hear the 50Hhz version, and most of the songs sounded better in PAL too.

Brings me back to my childhood where I'd just sit infront of my TV and repeatedly die on Marble Zone. =P

[Hazzleguy1]

@danielallen12 legend



[soravsseph]

@danielallen12 I hate marble zone to this day, i almost have to use save stats if i dont want to have 0 rings at the end of a level, the boss STILL pisses me off, being 17 years old.

[3godzilla3]

This is WAY too slow for my taste.

[tolani05]

I prefer it like this. I grew up withe it this speed.

[SlayyerDragon]

Get high and listen to this.

You will start seeing...

SPEENNY CAWLORRZ!

[JoostRevo]

@SlayyerDragon Ok. How high am i supposed to get?

[SweetEllie95]

Lol I remember when I first searched this song on youtube and I clicked a US one and I was like "O_O?? Is there an infinite Speed Shoes Cheat on here or something?!" haha

[HyperSonicXtreme]

LOL!! my comment got so many negatives.

[dandeadly3]

This version is useful when trying to recreate it.

[JoostRevo]

If im just gonna listen to the song, i prefer this one. But if I'm going to play the game I'd go with the US version

[vex08]

such good memories.

[xmaxipaxix]

memories...



[HyperSonicXtreme]

Sonic: Your Too Slow

[starscream3326]

luv this music fave sonic music!!!!!!!!!!!!

[starscream3326]

8 people hate england

[istheemcee]

Ah memories! Loved those days!

[nintendo220]

So... If you got a speed up in the PAL version, would it sound like our version?

[sonicbash206]

hold up! This is just USA version slowed down!