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Sonic the Hedgehog Triple Trouble

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Sonic the Hedgehog Triple Trouble
System(s): Sega Game Gear, Virtual Console
Publisher: Sega
Developer:
Genre: Action[2][3]
Number of players: 1
Release Date RRP Code Rating
Sega Game Gear
JP
1994-11-11[3] ¥3,800 G-3356
Sega Rating: All Ages
Sega Game Gear
US
1994-11[4] $? 2530
ESRB: Kids to Adults
Sega Game Gear
EU
1994-11[5] €? 2530-50
Sega Game Gear
UK
1994-11[5] £24.99[5] 2530-50
Sega Game Gear
BR
1995-10[6] R$? 077180
Tectoy: Todas as Idades
Sega Game Gear
PT
1994  ? GGJ2530


Nintendo 3DS Virtual Console
JP
2012-03-14[7] ¥286 (300)[7] ?
CERO: A
Nintendo 3DS Virtual Console
US
2012-03-15[8] $4.99[8] ?
ESRB: Everyone
Nintendo 3DS Virtual Console
EU
2012-03-29[9] €5.00[10] CTR-N-GAAP
PEGI: 3+
Nintendo 3DS Virtual Console
UK
2012-03-29[11] £4.50[10] CTR-N-GAAP
PEGI: 3+
Nintendo 3DS Virtual Console
DE
2012-03-29[12] €5.00[10] CTR-N-GAAP
USK: 6
Nintendo 3DS Virtual Console
AU
2012 $? ?
OFLC: General (G)

Sonic the Hedgehog Triple Trouble, released as Sonic & Tails 2 (ソニック&テイルス2) in Japan, is a 2D Sonic the Hedgehog platform game released for the Sega Game Gear in November 1994, and developed by Aspect Co. Ltd, just like the previously-released Sonic the Hedgehog 2 and Sonic Chaos. Unlike its predecessor Sonic Chaos, this game was exclusively released for the Game Gear, with no Sega Master System version being released (though one was seemingly planned[13]).

This game marks the debut of Fang the Sniper, and is the first Game Gear title to feature Knuckles the Echidna.

Story

SonicTripleTrouble GG EggmanOpening.png
Dr. Eggman with one of the Chaos Emeralds.

Dr. Eggman succeeds in acquiring the six Chaos Emeralds without Sonic knowing, and uses them to test the ultiimate superweapon. Unfortunately, a big mistake was made during testing, and the resulting explosion scatters the Chaos Emeralds across the planet. Eggman is successful in securing one of the Emeralds, but he has no idea where the other five have gone.

Sonic and Tails become aware of the incident happening, and the two immediately spring into action to find out where the Chaos Emeralds have gone to. Standing in their way, however, is Knuckles the Echidna, the guardian of Angel Island, who appears to have been tricked by Eggman into thinking that Sonic and Tails are villains trying to conquer the world with the Chaos Emeralds, and is determined to get in the heroes' way at every turn. On top of all this, there is a third antagonist to the plot: Fang the Sniper, a treasure hunter who has somehow discovered the Chaos Emeralds and is keeping them for himself in subspaceMedia:SonicTripleTrouble GG JP manual.pdf[14], though according to the US instruction manual, he has no idea of the Emeralds' true power, but he is keen on making a handsome price off of them in the black market.Media:SonicTripleTrouble GG US manual.pdf[15] With three villains to go up against, Sonic and Tails set out to reclaim the Chaos Emeralds and stop Dr. Eggman once again.

Gameplay

Gameplay in Sonic the Hedgehog Triple Trouble is much larger in size than its predecessors, and the experience is much more in line with the Sonic games on the Sega Mega Drive. The game is structured like in past 8-bit Sonic games in that the player must progress through six regular Zones, each having two regular Acts and a short third Act with a boss fight.

This is also the first Sonic game in which all of the player's Rings are not lost after getting hurt; rather, 50 Rings will be lost if the player takes damage from spikes, and 30 Rings are lost for most other types of damage. This type of Ring loss mechanic would later be seen in games like Sonic Blast, Sonic Unleashed and Sonic Generations. In addition, the player can now collect more than 99 Rings at a time.

Similar to the game's predecessor Sonic Chaos, the game contains 6 Chaos Emeralds total, 5 of which are collected in Special Stages. To access a Special Stage, the player must find the Chaos Emerald/Warp Gate Item Monitor, one hidden in the first two Acts of each Zone. If the player has at least 50 Rings when the Monitor is broken, a Star Circle appears above, which is the entry way to the Special Stage. There are three 2D sidescrolling Special Stages and two 3D Stages in which Sonic or Tails pilots the Tornado collecting Rings. The last Chaos Emerald is obtained automatically after defeating Dr. Eggman in the final Zone.

Characters

SonicTripleTrouble GG PlayerSelect.png
The character select screen.

Like in Sonic Chaos, the player has a choice between two characters: Sonic or Tails. Both characters can perform the Spin Dash by holding Down and pressing 1 or 2 repeatedly, then releasing Down for a burst of speed, and also have the ability to skim atop the surface of water in ball form when timed right, as previously seen in Sonic Chaos and Sonic the Hedgehog 2. A new technique both characters can perform is the ability to curl up into a ball by pressing 1 or 2 after bouncing on a Spring, allowing the player to defend themselves should they be catapulted into the air as well as gain extra air control. This technique is even required at certain points in the game, such as defeating the Tart Turtle boss.

Both characters also have their own unique abilities. Sonic is again able to perform the Strike Dash by standing still and pressing Up + 1/2, bursting forward with a temporary invinciblity state after starting the move. Tails can perform his Propeller Flight by standing still and pressing Up + 1/2, then fly around with the D-Pad, though his movements in mid-flight are more loose than in Sonic Chaos, closer reflecting his flight in Sonic the Hedgehog 3. He can also break into flight by pressing Up + 1/2 after bouncing from a Spring, acting as a second jump and slowing his descent. Unlike the previous game, both characters can now enter the Special Stages and get the Chaos Emeralds, and both start with 3 lives and one Continue. There are also new power-ups introduced; these are character exclusive so they cannot be used by both characters.

Items

The Pogo Spring and Rocket Shoes from Sonic Chaos return, with the Pogo Spring now contained in Monitors. Sonic also gets exclusive access to two other power-ups: the Jet Board in Robotnik Winter Zone, which allows him to snowboard, and the Propeller Shoes in Tidal Plant Zone, which allow him to swim at high speed in eight directions. While the Rocket Shoes remain exclusive to Sonic, Tails can get his own exclusive power-up called the Hyper Heli-Tails, which functions the same way as Sonic's Rocket Shoes, as well as his own exclusive vehicle, the Sea Fox, for underwater travel.

Warp Gates are new to the game and grant the player the ability to warp to the Special Stage if 50 Rings are collected before breaking monitors depicting a Chaos Emerald. The Special Stage also contains Time Monitors that will reset the timer back to 1 minute and 30 seconds when obtained.

Bonus Panel

At the end of Acts 1 and 2 of each level, a Bonus Panel is spun, with a reward given based on what it lands on:

SonicTripleTrouble GG Sprite BonusPanel.png
Flicky
No prize is awarded.
SonicTripleTrouble GG Sprite BonusPanel.png
Ring
10 Rings are added to the player's final Ring tally.
SonicTripleTrouble GG Sprite BonusPanel.png
Sonic
Sonic gets a 1-Up, Tails gets 10,000 points.
SonicTripleTrouble GG Sprite BonusPanel.png
Tails
Tails gets a 1-Up, Sonic gets 10,000 points.
SonicTripleTrouble GG Sprite BonusPanel.png
Knuckles
A Continue is awarded.
SonicTripleTrouble GG Sprite BonusPanel.png
Chaos Emerald
The player starts the next Act with 50 Rings.
SonicTripleTrouble GG Sprite BonusPanel.png
Back of Panel
The panel must be spun again.

Extra modes

Sonic the Hedgehog Triple Trouble also features additional modes which can be accessed on the title screen by pressing Up and Down.

Time Attack

SonicTripleTrouble GG TimeAttack.png
Time Attack mode gameplay.

The "Time Attack" option starts up Time Attack mode, which has the player go through a single stage and finish it as quickly as possible with either character. The stage used for Time Attack is an exclusive stage not used anywhere else in the game, and is based on Great Turquoise Zone while also featuring the Spin Coasters normally found in Sunset Park Zone. When pausing the game in this mode, the player has the choice to change their character and start again, or return to the title screen.

3D Stage

This option takes the player immediately to the second Special Stage, which is a 3D stage in which they must collect Rings while flying the Tornado. Unlike the main game, the Special Stage ends once the player collects 80 Rings, returning the player to the title screen. This title screen option is only available in the Japanese version of the game.

Sound test

SonicTripleTrouble GG SoundTest.png
The sound test in Sonic Triple Trouble.

The sound test allows the player to listen to the game's music and sound effects as they please. Below is a listing of the songs available to play through the sound test:

The short jingle that plays on the "Try Again" screen is not available in the sound test, though its ID would have been A3, which can be seen if RAM is manipulated.

History

Development

Sonic Retro emblem.svg Main article: Sonic the Hedgehog Triple Trouble/Development

Legacy

Archie Comics produced an adaptation of this game which not only featured Nack the Weasel but also Vector the Crocodile and Octobot. It was published in October 1995.

An unofficial port to the Sega Master System developed by Glitch was released in May 2009, with an updated conversion released on SMS Power! by BcnAbel76. A 16-bit style fan remake, Sonic Triple Trouble 16-bit, was developed by Noah N. Copeland and released in 2022.

Versions

Also released on

Production credits

Sonic Retro emblem.svg Main article: sega:Sonic the Hedgehog Triple Trouble/Production credits

Manuals

Sonic Retro emblem.svg Main article: Sonic the Hedgehog Triple Trouble/Manuals

Magazine articles

Sonic Retro emblem.svg Main article: sega:Sonic the Hedgehog Triple Trouble/Magazine articles

Promotional material

Artwork

Western release

Japanese release

Physical scans

Segaretro-round.svg Reception »
Game Gear, JP
Stt-box-jap back.jpgStt-box-jap.jpg
Cover
Game Gear, US
Stt-box-us.jpg
Cover
Game Gear, EU
Stt-box-eu back.jpgStt-box-eu.jpg
Cover
Stt gg eu cart.jpg
Cart
Game Gear, PT

Game Gear, BR
SonicTripleTrouble GG BR Box.jpg
Cover
SonicTripleTrouble GG BR Cart.jpg
Cart
Game Gear, AS
Stt AS box back.jpgStt AS box front.jpg
Cover
Stt AS cart.jpg
Cart

Technical information

ROM dump status

System Hash Size Build Date Source Comments
Sega Game Gear
CRC32 d23a2a93
MD5 f0f7e4dfe2908f0030e64fd9ed843422
SHA-1 4965af7ffe60382ffa805710b7c8006419cc4ac4
512kB 1994-08-02[16] Cartridge (US/EU) Sonic the Hedgehog Triple Trouble
Sega Game Gear
CRC32 496bce64
MD5 05f5b6201ccece80facaf99fa7cf5a6e
SHA-1 bb14ed43cf815e82f55e79753d0a7c8a24e24e7f
512kB 1994-07-30[16] Cartridge (JP) Sonic & Tails 2
Sega Game Gear
CRC32 80eb7cfb
MD5 2fc9cd0aba609d5bf179a7e66f561512
SHA-1 02257fece665d04d3c88b5f5589773d5a8433953
512kB 1994-08-08 CD-R disc[17] 0808 prototype Download.svg (260 kB) (info) Page
Sega Game Gear
CRC32 d23a2a93
MD5 f0f7e4dfe2908f0030e64fd9ed843422
SHA-1 4965af7ffe60382ffa805710b7c8006419cc4ac4
512kB 1994-08-16 CD-R disc[18] 0816 prototype Download.svg (260 kB) (info) Page

External links

References

  1. https://www.mtwo.co.jp/development/retrogame-2/#tab-4 (Wayback Machine: 2014-04-03 00:26)
  2. File:Stt-box-eu back.jpg
  3. 3.0 3.1 https://sega.jp/history/hard/gamegear/software.html (Wayback Machine: 2018-12-07 04:57)
  4. [sonictimes, issue 0209, page 8 sonictimes, issue 0209, page 8]
  5. 5.0 5.1 5.2 [mms, issue 26, page 108 mms, issue 26, page 108]
  6. [sgp, issue 19, page 13 sgp, issue 19, page 13]
  7. 7.0 7.1 http://vc.sega.jp:80/3ds/sandt2/ (Wayback Machine: 2012-10-28 11:50)
  8. 8.0 8.1 http://www.nintendo.com:80/games/detail/kZ_YMfAzeybi9HMljoQVGzFE7aP4Ar6k (Wayback Machine: 2012-03-08 23:11)
  9. https://www.nintendo.fr/Jeux/Console-virtuelle-Nintendo-3DS-/Sonic-the-Hedgehog-Triple-Trouble-275869.html (archive.today)
  10. 10.0 10.1 10.2 http://www.nintendolife.com:80/games/gamegear/sonic_the_hedgehog_triple_trouble (Wayback Machine: 2017-09-09 23:10)
  11. https://www.nintendo.co.uk/Games/Virtual-Console-Nintendo-3DS-/Sonic-the-Hedgehog-Triple-Trouble-275869.html (archive.today)
  12. https://www.nintendo.de/Spiele/Virtual-Console-Nintendo-3DS-/Sonic-the-Hedgehog-Triple-Trouble-275869.html (archive.today)
  13. File:SegaPower UK 58.pdf, page 12
  14. File:SonicTripleTrouble GG JP manual.pdf, page 6
  15. File:SonicTripleTrouble GG US manual.pdf, page 4
  16. 16.0 16.1 Sonic the Hedgehog Triple Trouble/Hidden content#Build date
  17. Hidden Palace: Sonic the Hedgehog - Triple Trouble (Aug 8, 1994 prototype)
  18. Hidden Palace: Sonic the Hedgehog - Triple Trouble (Aug 16, 1994 prototype)


Sonic the Hedgehog Triple Trouble
STT Title.png

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Technical information

Sonic the Hedgehog games for the following systems
Sega Master System
Sega Game Gear
 1991  Sonic the Hedgehog     1992  Sonic the Hedgehog 2     1993  Sonic Chaos | Dr. Robotnik's Mean Bean Machine     1994  Sonic Drift | Sonic Spinball | Sonic the Hedgehog Triple Trouble     1995  Sonic Drift 2 | Tails' Skypatrol | Tails Adventures | Sonic Labyrinth | Sonic 2 in 1     1996  Sonic Blast    
 Unreleased  Sonic's Edusoft