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Sonic the Hedgehog 3

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Sonic the Hedgehog 3
System(s): Sega Genesis
Publisher: Sega
Developer:
Genre: 2D Platform

Introduction

Sonic's third outing on the Megadrive/Genesis. Many fans consider it the best Sonic game. The game was rushed and released in two cartridges so the first could be shipped earlier. Cartridges:

Sonic the Hedgehog 3, which is the first half of the game (Sonic's arrival on the island to the first launch and crash of the Death Egg; Angel Island Zone to Launch Base Zone);

Sonic & Knuckles, which is the second half of the game (immediately after the first crash of the Death Egg and the race to the Master Emerald to the battle on the Death Egg and in space, and the ending; Mushroom Hill Zone to The Doomsday Zone);

Sonic the Hedgehog 3 & Knuckles - the complete version, adding 7 Super Emeralds to the Chaos Emeralds for a total of 14, allowing Super and Hyper forms, and having 14 levels and three playable characters.

The plot of the game is the most complex of the Genesis/Megadrive games Sonic was featured in. The Death Egg crashes on an ancient island kept afloat in space by the Master Emerald. The force lowers the island into the sea. Dr. Robotnik begins repairs, and convinces the guardian of the Master Emerald, Knuckles the Echidna, that he is with Knuckles in protecting the island and that Sonic the Hedgehog and Miles Prower will try to steal it. Halfway through the game Robotnik attempts to launch the Death Egg agian after repairing it, but Sonic crashes it again. This marks the transition from the levels on Sonic 3 to the levels on Sonic & Knuckles when playing the full version. Robotnik rushes to the temple of the Master Emerald with Sonic in persuit, and launches the Death Egg again with its power. Sonic inflitrates the Death Egg and manages to retrieve the Master Emerald after battling Robotnik on the Death Egg and in space. If you did not collect seven or more emeralds, you defeat Robotnik on the Death Egg, but he escapes into space, leaving you with no way of chasing him since you are unable to go super. This game is a classic and a model for most platformers that proceeded it.


Technical Information

Sonic 3 had the option, unseen so far in the Sonic series, to record the game level where a player had been on an SRAM chip backed by a CR2032 battery and resume it at a later date - which increased the replay value tremendously as several levels sport secret passages and, although not vital to the ending of the game, allow the collection of 7 Chaos Emeralds at a later date.

A closer inspection of the ROM by fans provides some details on the marketing scheme pulled by Sega with the release of Sonic & Knuckles. While Sega originally stated that the new "revolutionary" lock-on technology literally transformed the secondary game (i.e. Sonic 3 or Sonic 2), the analysis of the rom reveals that Sonic 3 was produced with full knowledge and possibly having most of Sonic & Knuckles already completed, as it provides a whole second version of the game, not an "add-on".

Manuals

Levels

Normal play

2P VS mode

2P VS levels can be played with either one or two players. These levels are extremely short, looping along the X axis and requiring 5 laps.

Scoring

Hitting bumpers: 10 points for each of the first ten hits on any given bumper; after that no more points can be gained from that b umper

Hitting enemies: (a chain refers to all enemies destroyed until the next time Sonic lands on some form of ground or jumps)

  • First enemy in a chain = 100
  • Second enemy in a chain = 200
  • Third enemy in a chain = 500
  • Fourth through 15th enemies in a chain = 1000 each
  • 16th and all subsequent enemies in a chain = 10,000 each

Destroying a Dr. Eggman boss robot or mini-boss: 1000 points

Ring bonus at end of level: 100 points for each ring held

Signpost: At the end of each Act 1, a signpost falls from the air; jump at it before it hits the ground to keep it in the air and score 100 points. You can get as many 100-point bonuses as you're able to keep the sign in the air for.

Time bonus at end of level:

  • Game clock reads 0:59 or less = 50,000
  • Game clock reads 1:00 to 1:29 = 10,000
  • Game clock reads 1:30 to 1:59 = 5000
  • Game clock reads 2:00 to 2:29 = 4000
  • Game clock reads 2:30 to 2:59 = 3000
  • Game clock reads 3:00 to 3:29 = 1000
  • Game clock reads 3:30 to 9:58 = 100
  • Game clock reads 9:59 exactly = 100,000

Special stage: 100 points for each ring held. If you collect all rings, you also get a 50,000-point Perfect bonus (even if you don't get the Emerald).

Oddities/oversights/strange happenings

  • Sometimes, Tails won't turn up for the Marble Garden boss. This is as yet thought to be random.
  • By using the level select in S3 alone, it is possible to get strange title cards in the bonus stages.
  • By using the level select in S3 alone, it is possible to see Knuckles with strange palettes underwater in various places.

Also Released for

Cheats

In-Game Codes

Level Select: Right after the Sega logo disappears and the title screen begins, quickly press Up, Up, Down, Down, Up, Up, Up, Up. This code is notoriously hard to do due to timing, but if performed correctly, a chime will play. Press Down twice to see a "Sound Test" on the menu screen. Selecting this will allow you to listen to music and select a level to start with. All Chaos Emeralds: At the sound test screen, play songs 02, 04, 05, 06. Debug Mode: After activiating level select, hold A+Start when selecting a level to start object debug mode. This mode's controls are the same as in Sonic 1 and Sonic 2. To play in night mode, hold C+Start. Finally, to play animations, hold B+C+Start.

Game Genie Codes

AWHA-CA92Don't lose rings SCGT-DJYLRings worth 2 SCGT-DNYLRings worth 3 SCGT-DTYLRings worth 4 SCGT-DYYLRings worth 5 SCGT-D2YLRings worth 6 SCGT-D6YLRings worth 7 SCGT-DAYLRings worth 8 KRGT-CAE075 Rings needed for a free guy GLGT-CAE050 Rings needed for a free guy D4GT-CAE030 Rings needed for a free guy CWGT-CAE020 Rings needed for a free guy BLGT-CAE010 Rings needed for a free guy HCGT-DJZYGet 2 free guys for 100 rings instead of 1 HCGT-DNZYGet 3 free guys for 100 rings HCGT-DTZYGet 4 free guys for 100 rings HCGT-DYZYGet 5 free guys for 100 rings HCGT-D2ZYGet 6 free guys for 100 rings HCGT-D6ZYGet 7 free guys for 100 rings HCGT-DAZYGet 8 free guys for 100 rings AC5A-CAHNSuper ring powerup worth 0 A05A-CAHNSuper ring powerup worth 5 instead of 10 B85A-CAHNSuper ring powerup worth 15 CW5A-CAHNSuper ring powerup worth 20 DG5A-CAHNSuper ring powerup worth 25 D45A-CAHNSuper ring powerup worth 30 GL5A-CAHNSuper ring powerup worth 50 NW5A-CAHNSuper ring powerup worth 100 (1-Up every time) AJZA-CA8NSuper Sonic doesn't lose rings AJ3A-CA7AInfinite lives AG4T-AAH4Start with 1 life AL4T-AAH4Start with 2 lives A04T-AAH4Start with 5 lives BL4T-AAH4Start with 10 lives DG4T-AAH4Start with 25 lives GL4T-AAH4Start with 50 lives NR4T-AAH4Start with 99 lives ACAT-CAB6Shield can be activated multiple times AJRT-CA8RInvincibility power-ups last forever 986A-CAB6Invincibility lasts almost twice as long KR6A-CAB6Invincibility lasts half as long E06A-CAB6Invincibility lasts 1/4 as long SCFT-BJT4Only need 6 chaos emeralds SCFT-BNT4Only need 4 chaos emeralds SCFT-BTT4Only need 3 chaos emeralds SCFT-B2T4Only need 2 chaos emeralds ACGA-AA8T1 Blue sphere needed for chaos emerald TAYA-CRB6Bonus jump AAYA-CWB6Super jump AAYA-C0B6Mega-jump ATST-CA38Never drown


SCGA-BL0N + A4GA-A28TBlue spheres worth 2 SCGA-BR0N + A4GA-A28TBlue spheres worth 3 SCGA-BW0N + A4GA-A28TBlue spheres worth 4 SCGA-B00N + A4GA-A28TBlue spheres worth 5 SCGA-B40N + A4GA-A28TBlue spheres worth 6 SCGA-B80N + A4GA-A28TBlue spheres worth 7 SCGA-BC0N + A4GA-A28TBlue spheres worth 8


Production Credits

Executive Producer: Hayao Nakayama Executive Management: Shoichiro Irimajiri, Thomas Kalinski, Mamoru Shigeta, Tomio Takami, Diane A. Fornasier, Roger Hector, Takaharu Utsunomiya, Hayao Nakayama, Paul Rioux Producer: Yuji Naka Director: Hirokazu Yasuhara Project Managers: Shinobu Toyoda, Masaharu Yoshii, Hisashi Suzuki, Roger Hector Lead Programmer: Yuji Naka Senior Programmers: Masanobu Yamamoto, Hiroshi Nikaidoh Lead Game Designer: Hirokazu Yasuhara Senior Game Designers: Takashi Iizuka, Hisayoshi Yoshida, Takahiro Hamano Character Designer: Takashi Thomas Yuda Scene Artists: Shigeru Okada, Satoshi Yokokawa, Chie Yoshida, Takashi Thomas Yuda, Kunitake Aoki, Tsuneko Aoki Enemy Artist: Satoshi Yokokawa CG Artist: Kunitake Aoki Animator: Takashi Thomas Yuda Art Assistant: Osamu Ohashi Sound Project Coordination: Hisaki Nimiya Composers: Brad Buxer, Bobby Brooks, Darryl Ross, Geoff Grace Doug Grigsby III, "Scirocco" SEGA Sound Team: Masaru Setsumaru, Jun Senoue, Tatsuyuki Maeda, "Milpo", "Bo," Sachio Ogawa, Tomonori Sawada, Masayuki Nagao Marketing: Pamela Kelly Sound Special Thanks: Mayumi Nina Sakazaki (MRM), Cube Corp., Opus Corp., Masanori Nakayama (Studio Who), Howard Drossin Promotions Director: Thomas J. Abramson Product Manager: Pamela Kelly Screen Shots: Clint Dyer, Nemer Velasquez Test Manager: Stephen Patterson Lead Testers: Jason Kuo, Blair Bullock, Michael Baldwin, Dermot Lyons Testers: Greg Becksted, Julio Martinez, Andrew Podesta, Vy Nong, Keith Higashihara, Chris Pepper, Mark Lindstrom, Tony Lynch, Steve Bourdet, Joanna Pataki, Maria Tuzzo, Crisi Albertson, Janine Cook, Bill Person, Christine M. Watson, Michael A. Williams, Heather Meigs, Vasily Lewis, David Wood, Mark Subotnick, Dan Jung, Loran Pudinski, Siegie Stangenberg, Simon Lu, Mark Paniagua, Michael Bench, Ivan Foong, Conan Tigard, Tim Spengler, Rick Greer, Ari Warner, Tony Hursh, Lance Nelson, Richard Wong, Daniel Dunn, Matthew Rosaaen, Matt Underwood Special Thanks: Deborah McCracken, Emi Kawamura, Jina Ishiwatari, Dominique Adevereaux Manual: Jason R. Rich

Resources

Hacking Guides

Boxart

(Via Sonicology)

Image:Sonic3-box-us.jpg|US Boxart Image:Sonic3-box-eu.jpg|EU Boxart Image:Sonic3-box-jap.jpg|JP Boxart Image:Sonic3-box-korea.jpg|Korean Boxart


Sonic the Hedgehog games for the following systems
Sega Mega Drive

Sega Mega-CD
Sega 32X
  1991  Sonic the Hedgehog | Sonic Eraser     1992  Sonic the Hedgehog 2     1993  Sonic the Hedgehog CD | Dr. Robotnik's Mean Bean Machine | Sonic Spinball     1994  Sonic the Hedgehog 3 | Sonic & Knuckles     1995  Chaotix | Sonic Classics     1996  Sonic 3D: Flickies' Island    
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