"Game Players" February 1994 Sonic 3 Preview Scans

I had that exact magazine. I did not think I would ever see it again, thank you Graxer. ;__;

 

I'd not be surprised if the magazine made that bit up or are just going by screenshot batches given to them, but maybe not if they hd enough to construct an overview of AIZ.

Gonna say it's made up though.

 

"All hail the Hedgehog King!"

We sure don't hear that anymore, but damn they promoted Sonic like a poster child back in the day. It was crazy.

 

I'm not sure how you got that from that page. Considering there's 32 seconds on the counter, I'd guess it's no different than what we have.

 

I have the follow-up issue with Sonic and Knuckles, if anyone's interested.

 

I am. Scan/post it please!

 

Stupid ugly pink bastard stealing Sonic's gems

 

Anyone else notice the fact that they report 7 Save slots instead of 6? I guess they miscounted, or SEGA removed it for technical reasons unknown. Either way, they should fix that.

 

There's 7 slots in that image of the save screen.

 

Keep in mind, it's only possible to have a few of them on screen at a time. That shot is a composite, the way they made it, the number of slots in the shot has to be a multiple of 3, so seven slots + delete + no save gives you 9.

 

May have just been done for the sake of BG alignment or something, since you can show 3 at a time and they had to take 3 pictures to show every space (there are 6 slots + no save + delete = 8 spaces thus the number of pictures taken is 8/3 -> 3 when rounded up from appx. 2.67) on the thing.
They may have then just pasted the three images together, which would account for that.

EDIT: Damn.

 

I know this is quite obvious, but the review is based on a near-final/final version.

 

"The graphics are knockout, and nearly all the character animation was painstakingly rendered using 3-D models instead of flat cartoons, making it smooth, smooth, smooth."

Eh? I thought they were hand drawn for Sonic 3, and used 3-D models for Sonic 2's characters, and a few elements for the stages?

 

I'm pretty sure you got that backwards, Sonic 2's sprites were hand-drawn and Sonic 3 was 3d.

 

I noticed them talking about the 3D thing too. I knew Donkey Kong Country did it, but Sonic 3?



Also when they were talking about the signpost, they said If you hit it enough times THAT would make the monitor appear, when it is really you have to make it bounce on the ground right where the monitor is.

 

Neat article, thanks for the upload!

On the second image, for the bonus level screenshot, they must've paused the game right when they were turning. Interesting choice of timing to take a photo. Also, it says 'all new' 2 player split-screen action mode, yet it was 'new' in Sonic 2.

 

Aye, but there is a new mode. Competition mode of course!