Sonic & Knuckles Collection/Hidden content

Cheat Codes

These are cheat codes for Sonic & Knuckles Collection which can be accessed by inputting button sequences or by various other methods.

Button Cheats

• Zone Select/Sound Test: While in zone 1, act 1 (in either Sonic 3 or Sonic 3 & Knuckles), jump on to one of the swinging vines, then press then hold ALT + R to return to the title screen. After being taken back to the title screen press twice and select the Sound Test option. You can select any level you want to. (In Sonic 3, Mushroom Valley, Sandopolis, and Bonus Stage can't be selected.) Unlike the Genesis/Mega Drive Version, this cheat does not apply to Sonic & Knuckles alone since there isn't both an & button for the player to use. (This select screen can be seen via debug, but is essentially the same as Sonic 3 & Knuckles's since Sonic 3 levels are also selectable for some reason.)
• Play in any level as any character: In Sonic 3 & Knuckles, start the game with the any character. Enter the level select code (jump on to one of the swinging vines, then press ) and then reset the game. At the title screen press arrow key and you will be taken to the Level Select menu. Normally, specific levels can't be chosen with specific characters (I.E. Knuckles in Doomsday). Go to Mushroom Hill Zone (zone 7) Act 1. Grab onto a pully and re-enter the Level Select code. Now go back to the Level Select menu. Now, any level will be playable using the character that was chosen. Even the ones the characters normally aren't allowed in.

• Take a screen capture: To take a picture of the gamescreen press "F9" at any time. Then go into the Sega folder in the C Drive. From there locate the S3k folder and the image will be labeled Cap with numbers following it. This only works while debug is enabled.

Hacking-based Cheats

By creating a file in the folder C:\Windows (where C is the main partition for Windows) named S3K.ini, additional cheats can be enabled with hacking the file, similar to the special debugger option in the Sonic CD INI file. Type the following into the file:

[Debug]
MukaiDropFrame=0
DebugMode=1
EnableFrameDrop=1
ShowFrameCount=0
EnableFrameCapture=1
UseModeX=1
NoSoundEffect=0
CDCheckEnable=0
SonicGameMode=0

Notes: The first option enables proper framerate on more advanced systems in the windowed modes, the second enables debug mode (the only currently known way to do so), the second to last stops the CD check which allows the game to be played without having the CD in the drive, and the last option sets the game loaded when the main executable is opened (default is Sonic 3 & Knuckles but can be set to Sonic 3 if replaced with 2, or Sonic & Knuckles if replaced with 1). Note also that generally a "1" means the option is enabled and a "0" means that it is disabled.

Once debug mode has been enabled, numberpad numbers 1, 2, & 3 become MegaDrive/Genesis buttons , , and , respectively. (The other keys keep the functions set for them in the options menu.)

This makes some codes or functions that were originally impossible, such as zone select in Sonic & Knuckles alone, switching characters in the zone select menu, and Night Mode (Sonic 3 only) possible. It also allows use of the Sound Test option during the actual game.

Accessing Flying Battery and Knuckles in Sonic 3

With the help of a save file editor such as this one, one can edit values for save files in the game. (It is also possible to use other methods of editing, but these are generally more user-friendly.) Because Knuckles and the Flying Battery Zone were planned for and still have existing data in Sonic 3, they are selectable values as well. They are fully usable/playable. However, because only Sonic's/Tails's boss triggers are in place, Angel Island 2 and Launch Base 1 are impossible to complete as Knuckles. For some reason, Knuckles's bosses for Angel Island 1 and Marble Garden 2 are still in place. Launch Base 2 can't be completed without gliding over to Sonic's boss area from his boss area. Clearing the game with Knuckles will crash the game since he never had an ending programmed for Sonic 3 alone.

Flying Battery is sort of an odd stage. Clearing it and resetting the game will advance the player to the "true" zone 6 (Ice Cap Zone). Continuing to play it after clearing it will allow the player to play through all of the Sonic & Knuckles zones starting with zone 9. Clearing the Sonic 3 & Knuckles game will give the player the normal credits and ending based on how many Chaos Emeralds you collected, but when s/he gets back to the data select screen, the file that the player was using is redirected to zone 3 for some reason. Once the player clears Flying Battery, it can't be accessed again unless another file is created that can access it.

Other Cheats

• Play as Knuckles in Sonic 3
  • First, enable the Level Select menu for Sonic 3 (In Zone 1, jump on to one of the swinging vines, then press .) and reset the game. (ALT + R)
  • Then, go to the Sound Test and select Special Stage 1. This will take you to the "Blue Sphere" minigame. Press Enter/Return when the CODE option is highlighted to change the star on the sphere icon from blue (Sonic) to red (Knuckles). If you're using a joystick, press when the CODE option is highlighted.
  • Finally, press ALT and R simultaneously to return to the Sonic 3 title screen. Go to the Level Select menu and select any level, bar Mushroom Valley, Sandopolis, and Bonus Stage to play as Knuckles in that level. Don't go to the Data Select menu, though, or else you'll have to do this over again. Do note that some levels can't be completed as Knuckles and the game will crash when Knuckles attempts to do his ending pose after defeating the final boss.
• Character Swap
  • Enable the Sound Test option and soft-reset the game.
  • Now enter it, and pick Special Stage 1. Press Enter/Return when the CODE Option is highlighted to swap from Sonic to Knuckles (and vice versa). You can come back to this screen at any time to swap between the two without losing Emerald data or having to enter the Data Select menu.
• Easy Game Clear
  • In either Sonic 3 or Sonic 3 & Knuckles, enable the Level Select option on a saved game file and soft-reset the game.
  • Then, head to the Level Select menu and select the final zone for your game. In Sonic 3, this is Launch Base 2. In Sonic 3 & Knuckles, when playing as Sonic or Tails, this is The Doomsday 1 or 2. When playing as Knuckles, this is Sky Sanctuary 2. When you clear the zone, after viewing the credits, go back to the data select screen. You'll see that the game file you were using is cleared.
• Easy Chaos Emeralds: Sonic 3 alone
  • First, enable the Sound Test menu cheat code, and soft-reset the game.
  • Now, select Special Stage 2. This warps you to the special stage.
  • Successfully get the Chaos Emerald. After the results show up, soft reset the game and repeat these steps until all 7 Emeralds are collected. This data is transferred to your Game Save window.
• Easy Super Emeralds: Sonic 3 & Knuckles
  • First, enable the Sound Test cheat code, and soft-reset the game.
  • Now, (at least) play through the Sonic 3 levels of the game, and somewhere along the line you should get the 7 Chaos Emeralds. Once you get to Mushroom Hill, go to the first Giant Ring and jump on any gray emerald so the Sonic & Knuckles special stages are set to play. Soft-reset again.
  • Go back to the Sound Test menu and select Special Stage 2. Upon getting the Super Emerald, reset, return to this menu, and do the same thing again. Like Sonic 3, in Sonic 3 & Knuckles, this data is also transferred to your Game Save window.

Resources

• GameFAQs - Regular cheat codes.
• The Tails Archive - Save file editor.

See Also

• Cheats for Sonic 3
• Cheats for Sonic & Knuckles and Sonic 3 & Knuckles