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Treasure Tails is a canceled single-player puzzle-adventure game in the [[Sonic the Hedgehog (franchise)|Sonic the Hedgehog]] series, developed by [[Sega Technical Institute]] for the [[Sega Mega Drive]]. Starring [[Miles "Tails" Prower]] as its main playable character, the game was designed as an isometric adventure combining platforming, puzzles, and exploration within a maze-like environment. Development began in December 1992 following a request from [[Sega|Sega of America]] management for a short, relatively simple Tails-focused game intended for Christmas 1993.

The project was directed by [[Roger Hector]], with [[Ken Rose]] serving as lead programmer alongside [[Earl Stratton]]. [[Craig Stitt]] was the project's sole artist and also contributed to its design alongside [[Hoyt Ng]]. An internal design document indicates that Treasure Tails was intended to tie into the [[Adventures of Sonic the Hedgehog]] episode "[[Tails' Tale]]". However, the game's development proved more demanding than initially anticipated. An assessment of the required animation work estimated that completing the artwork alone could take approximately four years. Consequently, the project was canceled on April 16, 1993, and its development team was reassigned to [[Sonic the Hedgehog Spinball]].

The existence of Treasure Tails became publicly known on August 17, 2020, when Stitt shared screenshots recovered from a VHS video résumé he had assembled in 1995. The images, posted to the private SEGA Retro Gamers Facebook group, provided an early glimpse of the previously undocumented project.[ref]Azul 35 and Ryan Scarlett (August 17, 2020). "<a href="https://tailschannel.com/sonic-the-hedgehog/community/treasure-tails-a-lost-sonic-game-is-discovered/?utm_source=chatgpt.com">Treasure Tails, a lost Sonic game, is discovered</a>". Tails' Channel. Accessed July 27, 2023.[/ref]

On October 31, 2026, [[CartridgeCulture]] publicly released a surviving prototype dated April 7, 1993, recovered from Ken Rose's original floppy disks alongside the game's source code. The playable development build offered a more substantial look at the canceled title, although it lacked certain environmental graphics, including the temple artwork depicted in Stitt's earlier mockups.

<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Gameplay</h2>

Treasure Tails was designed as a single-player, isometric puzzle-adventure game with platforming elements. Players would control [[Miles "Tails" Prower]] while navigating a maze-like world, with gameplay intended to emphasize exploration, environmental navigation, and puzzle-solving.

Unlike the traditional side-scrolling gameplay of the main [[Sonic the Hedgehog (franchise)|Sonic the Hedgehog]] series, Treasure Tails would have presented its environments from an isometric perspective. The specific controls, objectives, puzzle mechanics, and level progression remain largely undocumented.

Although a surviving prototype dated April 7, 1993, was publicly released on October 31, 2026, the game was canceled before completion. The prototype lacks certain environmental graphics depicted in [[Craig Stitt]]'s original mockups, including temple artwork, reflecting the project's unfinished state.

<h2 class="wp-block-heading">References</h2>

[reflist]

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 Unchanged: <p><em>Treasure Tails</em> is a canceled single-player puzzle-adventure game in the [[Sonic the Hedgehog (franchise)|Sonic the Hedgehog]] series, developed by [[Sega Technical Institute]] for the [[Sega Mega Drive]]. Starring [[Miles "Tails" Prower]] as its main playable character, the game was designed as an isometric adventure combining platforming, puzzles, and exploration within a maze-like environment. Development began in December 1992 following a request from [[Sega|Sega of America]] management for a short, relatively simple Tails-focused game intended for Christmas 1993.</p>
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 Unchanged: <p>The project was directed by [[Roger Hector]], with [[Ken Rose]] serving as lead programmer alongside [[Earl Stratton]]. [[Craig Stitt]] was the project's sole artist and also contributed to its design alongside [[Hoyt Ng]]. An internal design document indicates that Treasure Tails was intended to tie into the <em>[[Adventures of Sonic the Hedgehog]]</em> episode "[[Tails' Tale]]". However, the game's development proved more demanding than initially anticipated. An assessment of the required animation work estimated that completing the artwork alone could take approximately four years. Consequently, the project was canceled on April 16, 1993, and its development team was reassigned to <em>[[Sonic the Hedgehog Spinball]]</em>.</p>
 Unchanged: <!-- /wp:paragraph -->
 Unchanged: <!-- wp:paragraph -->
 Unchanged: <p>The existence of Treasure Tails became publicly known on August 17, 2020, when Stitt shared screenshots recovered from a VHS video résumé he had assembled in 1995. The images, posted to the private SEGA Retro Gamers Facebook group, provided an early glimpse of the previously undocumented project.[ref]Azul 35 and Ryan Scarlett (August 17, 2020). "<a href="https://tailschannel.com/sonic-the-hedgehog/community/treasure-tails-a-lost-sonic-game-is-discovered/?utm_source=chatgpt.com">Treasure Tails, a lost Sonic game, is discovered</a>". <em>Tails' Channel</em>. Accessed July 27, 2023.[/ref]</p>
 Unchanged: <!-- /wp:paragraph -->
 Unchanged: <!-- wp:paragraph -->
 Unchanged: <p>On October 31, 2026, [[CartridgeCulture]] publicly released a surviving prototype dated April 7, 1993, recovered from Ken Rose's original floppy disks alongside the game's source code. The playable development build offered a more substantial look at the canceled title, although it lacked certain environmental graphics, including the temple artwork depicted in Stitt's earlier mockups.</p>
+Added: <!-- /wp:paragraph -->
+Added: <!-- wp:heading -->
+Added: <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Gameplay</h2>
+Added: <!-- /wp:heading -->
+Added: <!-- wp:paragraph -->
+Added: <p><em>Treasure Tails</em> was designed as a single-player, isometric puzzle-adventure game with platforming elements. Players would control [[Miles "Tails" Prower]] while navigating a maze-like world, with gameplay intended to emphasize exploration, environmental navigation, and puzzle-solving.</p>
+Added: <!-- /wp:paragraph -->
+Added: <!-- wp:paragraph -->
+Added: <p>Unlike the traditional side-scrolling gameplay of the main <em>[[Sonic the Hedgehog (franchise)|Sonic the Hedgehog]]</em> series, <em>Treasure Tails</em> would have presented its environments from an isometric perspective. The specific controls, objectives, puzzle mechanics, and level progression remain largely undocumented.</p>
+Added: <!-- /wp:paragraph -->
+Added: <!-- wp:paragraph -->
+Added: <p>Although a surviving prototype dated April 7, 1993, was publicly released on October 31, 2026, the game was canceled before completion. The prototype lacks certain environmental graphics depicted in [[Craig Stitt]]'s original mockups, including temple artwork, reflecting the project's unfinished state.</p>
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 Unchanged: <h2 class="wp-block-heading">References</h2>
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 Unchanged: <p>[reflist]</p>
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