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It's coming...

Discussion in 'Prototype Discussion' started by drx, Feb 17, 2008.

  1. Tweaker

    Tweaker

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    They exist, of course; however, one should consider what each letter represents.

    Sonic 3A: The original release. We've all played this. Also known as "Sonic 3 part 1."
    Sonic 3B: The lockon release. We've also played this. Originally known as "Sonic 3 part 2," and later changed to "Sonic & Knuckles."
    Sonic 3C: This. A full, pre-locked on version of Sonic 3 with everything in it. This is what you'd be able to play from locking on both parts of Sonic 3, and was meant to be distributed on a 3MB cartridge along with the other two releases. However, this never saw the light of day—until now, anyway. ;)

    Sonic 3A is not in this batch. However, Sonic 3B is. I haven't seen the latter yet, though.
     
  2. Cooljerk

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    Huh... you know, I'd always assumed HPZ was a sonic & knuckles unique zone. I.E. it wasn't planned for sonic 3, but when they split the games up, they decided to add it in.

    I actually thought it, Death Egg Zone, and Sky Sanctuary were all S&K unique. Along with the whole super emeralds and master emerald plot. This is actually a little disheartening.

    Although... this does raise the obvious question - what the hell was supposed to go in the super emerald slots? The regular chaos emeralds? Also, it's odd how there is no emerald at all in the slots... I've actually never played Sonic 3 & Knuckles and never entered a super ring before... can you go through the whole game without entering a super ring and wind up in HPZ like that with no super emeralds?

    Hm... maybe after they decided to split the games up, they continued working on it as a single game and just took chunks out and placed them into sonic 3 vanilla? Which would explain why HPZ is in Sonic 3.

    EDIT: Ah damn tweaker, you ruin all the fun.
     
  3. Bibin

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    Wait, so 3C is pretty much Sonic 3 and Knuckles, but instead of that title, it has some minute differences that denote it more as a complete Sonic 3?
     
  4. Tweaker

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    Not quite... only the Sonic 3 portion of the game is fully complete, for obvious reasons.

    I'm not getting into details beyond that video, though. Only a day left! ;o
     
  5. Bibin

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    Alright, you DEFINITELY were the recorder of that video.
     
  6. Shoemanbundy

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    So if I'm getting this, when you say "with the other two releases", you mean they intended to give you the option on the one cart to play both games combined in one, and ALSO let you just play the separate Sonic 3 and S&K games we have now?
     
  7. Tweaker

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    That's exactly what I'm saying.

    Also note that lock-on wasn't made to prevent having to do this—lock-on was planned from the very start. Sonic 3 part 2 would have had the lock-on mechanism regardless.

    I strongly suggest reading this topic for more information.
     
  8. Cooljerk

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    wait wait - lock on was planned from the very start? I knew it was planned early on, but I was under the assumption that it wasn't always intended to be lock-on.

    That link, tweaker.... the page where it explains the 3 versions (die drie versionen)

    is my memory hazy or does that sandopolis zone look very different? I can't place my finger on why...

    EDIT: Ah! It's the background, it's more blue!

    Is that a mock up or was the background really like that at one point? It looks way, way better with the blue background.

    EDIT DOS: Wait, that's not sandopolis, that's from the 2 player mode, right?
     
  9. Qjimbo

    Qjimbo

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    I'm not sure whether to be awed at the Sonic 3 mini boss music playing to that sequence or pissed off because Tweaker got Sonic 3 proto(s) early =P
     
  10. Bibin

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    No, I think they were saying that they didn't intend it to be *just* lockon from the start.
     
  11. Tweaker

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    It's stated in this article by Roger Hector that, during the conceptualization phase, they decided they wouldn't be able to fit the entire Sonic 3 onto one 2MB cartridge, as they literally had two games worth the ideas. Therefore, they whipped up the lock-on mechanism to compensate for this before they started developing the game.

    The Sonic 3C concept was likely their last attempt at trying to develop a full Sonic 3 on one cartridge.
     
  12. Gunner112k

    Gunner112k

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    I'm having a hard time grasping the concepts of Sonic 3A, 3B and 3C, yet again I guess we'll see things clearer after the release...

    Anyhow, this is extremely interesting. Nice work!
     
  13. evilhamwizard

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    Oh, now might I get it.

    So basically the versions are like this?

    1.) Sonic 3A ~ Sonic 3 Part 1 ~ Sonic 3 Final
    2.) Sonic 3B ~ Sonic 3 Part 2 ~ Sonic and Knuckles Final

    Part 2 is connected to Part 1 to form a mixed version of the two parts, but if you just want all 2 versions in one you would buy the special version, which is:

    3.) Sonic 3C ~ Sonic 3 Special Version (1 & 2) ~ Sonic 3 and Knuckles Final

    If that isn't it, then I'm lost. :P

    EDIT: When I post this, there's probably going to be 5 posts before this one with the correct answer. So don't bother replying to this one. ;)
     
  14. Tweaker

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    Right on the money. ;)
     
  15. TheBarAdmin

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    Oh, come one, you forgot that room full of box containers at the top of the level =P
     
  16. Bibin

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    They seemed to be perfectly fine with having Sonic 3D Blast be ~4MB...
     
  17. Tweaker

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    You're right, I did. And I think Saz might cover what exactly is up there, as a matter of fact...
     
  18. Cooljerk

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    Hm, so just to fulfill my curiosity - if you make it to HPZ in the final Sonic 3 & Knuckles without touching a special ring, will the super emeralds be missing from their platforms?

    I love this, it feels like the old old days of the sonic scene.
     
  19. Bibin

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    I wish I hadn't missed the old days; I'm glad to be able to witness such an event.
     
  20. Bibin

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    Back on topic, are sonic 3B and 3C the only Sonic 3 betas, or are there more?