Sonic and Knuckles.. minus the Lock-On...

[Jasoco]

Is it true?

 

A while back, I was browsing eBay and remember seeing an auction for S&K but the photo showed the game with a normal label and no lock-on part at the top.

 

I didn't think nothing of it and now I can't find info or pics again.

 

Is it real? I remember it actually said Sonic and Knuckles, but it was not Lock-On. Am I mistaken? Was it real? A version that you couldn't lock-on with?

[Tempest]

Might be a pirate cart. It wasn't released in the US that way.

 

Tempest

[AtariYoungin]

I can't find any mention of this anywhere...but what do i know

[Jasoco]

Yeah, I thought it was weird. But it looked so authentic. Especially the label which on the Lock version is just the words "Sonic and Knuckles". Sad the real game has no real label. Forced to live its life a faceless freak.

[chrisbid]

it didnt need a label, the lock-on cart was one of the coolest concepts ever used in a cartridge.

[Jasoco]

it didnt need a label, the lock-on cart was one of the coolest concepts ever used in a cartridge.

Yep!

 

I just finally got a working Sonic 3 today and played a hell of a lot of both games. S&K has some awesome levels. As does 3.

 

What I'm curious about is how on the S&K Level Select screen, it shows all the levels from 3 as well. But if you try to play one, it takes you just to level 1. Why even put them on the screen if you aren't even connected to 3?

 

Obviously, it makes more sense when you connect the two games, but having them there when it's not is just weird.

[chrisbid]

Ive never used the S&K level select screen, but i guess it was easier for the programmers to only have one screen, and not two different versions. Thats only a random guess though.

[Jasoco]

Ive never used the S&K level select screen, but i guess it was easier for the programmers to only have one screen, and not two different versions.  Thats only a random guess though.

Well, they could have grayed the non-existant levels out. Doesn't matter.

 

Actually. Now that I actually test it, even WITH 3 connected, trying to select one of the first 6 levels STILL takes you to Mushroom Hill. What's up with that?

 

You know what I absolutely love about Sonic 3 and S&K? How the levels are continuous. You beat one, and it moves right into the next. As if it's one big huge world. And the cutscenes between levels after the Bosses and all the extra little animations.

[ApolloBoy]

Ive never used the S&K level select screen, but i guess it was easier for the programmers to only have one screen, and not two different versions.  Thats only a random guess though.

Well, they could have grayed the non-existant levels out. Doesn't matter.

 

Actually. Now that I actually test it, even WITH 3 connected, trying to select one of the first 6 levels STILL takes you to Mushroom Hill. What's up with that?

 

You know what I absolutely love about Sonic 3 and S&K? How the levels are continuous. You beat one, and it moves right into the next. As if it's one big huge world. And the cutscenes between levels after the Bosses and all the extra little animations.

 

Actually, Sonic 3 and S&K were supposed to be one huge game, but for some reason, Sega decided to seperate the two.

[Video]

Actually, Sonic 3 and S&K were supposed to be one huge game, but for some reason, Sega decided to seperate the two.

 

That would indicate that there could technically be a Sonic and Knuckles game with no end connector.

 

Perhaps, the S&K game with no connector was a rental cart? They would have no need of a cart with an extra port to get ruined as their in the business to rent games to people who do god knows what to them. So they got some custon Sonic and Kunuckles games either simply with no end connector, or with 3 built in.

 

Also, isn't Sonic and Knuckles also on GameGear, and Sega Master System? Neither of which have expansion connectors on top. Of course, the Master System has the standard deep red lable with just Sonick and Knuckles written across it. No pic.

[Jasoco]

This was a Genesis cartridge.

 

And actually, I had thought maybe they released a merged version with 3 and S&K on it. But then you all would have mentioned that earlier.

 

Maybe it could be a Rental... but I won't be satisfied until I know what it was.

 

From what I can remember, it was in a photograph of a Genesis Lot. It took a while for me to figure out what it was. I clicked the image to Supersize it and it was a regular Genesis cartridge with the Sonic & Knuckles logo big on the label. There was no top slot. It was weird. I gotta find a pic somewhere or info! It's killing me!

[JB]

Ive never used the S&K level select screen, but i guess it was easier for the programmers to only have one screen, and not two different versions.  Thats only a random guess though.

Well, they could have grayed the non-existant levels out. Doesn't matter.

 

Actually. Now that I actually test it, even WITH 3 connected, trying to select one of the first 6 levels STILL takes you to Mushroom Hill. What's up with that?

 

You know what I absolutely love about Sonic 3 and S&K? How the levels are continuous. You beat one, and it moves right into the next. As if it's one big huge world. And the cutscenes between levels after the Bosses and all the extra little animations.

 

Actually, Sonic 3 and S&K were supposed to be one huge game, but for some reason, Sega decided to seperate the two.

Time restrictions.

 

They had to axe a bunch of stuff to get Sonic 3 out the door on schedule.

So they made Sonic/Knuckles as a sort of software patch to upgrade it to be the way they originally envisioned it. Which is why it launched a half a year later instead of at the same time.

[Ze_ro]

Also, isn't Sonic and Knuckles also on GameGear, and Sega Master System?

 

I'm pretty sure it isn't. Game Gear had it's own string of sequels like Sonic Chaos and Triple Trouble.

 

Aside from Game Gear ports, the Master System had no Sonic games of it's own.

 

--Zero

[Video]

Ok, I was pretty sure there was. But I don't remember what All I have, I got a few for MS and GG, maybe it was Sonic Chaos I was thining of? I'll go look at them later, their in my box of handheld misc crap at home (since I play them on GameGear all the time)

[Jasoco]

Aren't the SMS and GG Sonics really slow compared to the Genny versions? And the lack of colors makes it look sub-par.

 

Of course, my first taste of Sonic was on the Game Gear. Didn't think nothing of it until a few years later when I played Sonic 1 on a friends Genesis. That was still years before I actually got INTO collecting and was still a Nintendo Fanboy.

[Classic Pac]

I did a debug mode once in Sonic 3, It seems the levels that are there when you hook up S&K are already there. They only become playable when the 2 are locked on.

 

True fact. When this games came out both Game Pro and EGM was suppose to do a feature on lock-on technology. But for some unexplained reason did not. I could never find out why.

[Raijin Z]

Game Players did an article in October of 199...7? I forget... The late nineties blur together for me.

[Ze_ro]

Aren't the SMS and GG Sonics really slow compared to the Genny versions? And the lack of colors makes it look sub-par.

 

The Game Gear version is a bit slower, but since you have a smaller screen, it's still almost too fast to reliably avoid things. The real hit to the GG version though is the lack of detail. The levels seem so basic compared to the vibrant Genesis versions.

 

It's still many times better than the terrible Game.com version *shudder*...

 

--Zero

[Video]

The game seemed fast enough for me on GameGear, I like the Master System version cause you can see further, but it's also a lot slower feeling since you can see more of the screen. GameGear sonic, I loved it myself.

 

I regreted selling my GameGear because of Sonic all those years ago, so a couple of years back, I bought a new GameGear when they were rereleased at Toys r Us and got several sonics. The first one still looked kinda bad, but two and the rest were fine.

 

Game.com.....shudders.....That's a wicked sinful system for action games.

 

Puzzles were great, and most the arcade conversions turnd out fine (I useually have at least something positive to say about any system) but action games simply sucked on there. Sonic was my biggest dissappointement on there. Played it once, it was so choppy and slow, it got flinged to the bottome of the pile of gamecom stuff I got and never looked at again.

 

How about that box? Sonic 3D Jam was shown on it, LOL, but that certainly wasn't in the game.