Sonic 3 & Knuckles : How do the save pictures work?

For the record, they're all listed, but not explained, there: Category:Sonic 3 & Knuckles Character Icons. If someone writes up an explanation for this thread, it should also be put on the wiki.

 

IIRC.

Completing the game with all emeralds gives you the picture above and the others are got by the following...

SONIC:
0-6 Chaos Emeralds - normal Sonic picture
7 chaos + up to 6 super emeralds - Super Sonic.

KTE:
0-6 Chaos Emeralds - normal Knuckles picture
7 chaos + up to 6 super emeralds - Super Knuckles (slightly Pink looking with a lightning effect?).

Tails:
0-6 Chaos Emeralds - normal Tails picture (Green background)
7 chaos + up to 6 super emeralds - Super Tails (Blue background)

 

Depends on the number and type of Emeralds you end the game with.

Normal Sonic Icon: Finish the game with Sonic/Sonic & Tails without getting 7 Chaos Emeralds
Super Sonic Icon: Same as above, collect the 7 normal Emeralds
Normal Knuckles: Finish the game with Knuckles without getting 7 Chaos Emeralds
Super Knuckles: Same as above, collect the 7 normal Emeralds
Normal Tails: Finish the game with Tails without getting 7 Chaos Emeralds
All 3 of them: Finish the game with all 7 Super Emeralds, regardless of characters

I never saw the other Tails one, I guess it's like the Super Sonic/Knuckles one.

This works only with S3K. Normal Sonic 3 gets you the Super Sonic one if you collect all 7 Chaos Emeralds, even if you play as Tails.


Someone should confirm this, however.

Edit: too late

 

Whoa, I almost got ninja'd there.
I think this is exactly how it works, but I don't have time to confirm it right now.

 

I believe these work in the following way;
[All uses of the word complete mean beating the last boss and the credits roll]

If you complete the game without collecting all of the Chaos Emeralds, then the following pictures are displayed (With the relevant character portrait being used):



If you complete the game with all of the Chaos Emeralds collected, but not all of the Super Emeralds collected, the following pictures are displayed:



If you complete the game with all of the Super Emeralds, then this one is displayed on the save file, regardless of character:


There is an exception, however. If you complete the game with, say, all of the Chaos Emeralds and Six Super Emeralds (missing one Super), then the Chaos Emerald portrait is used. If you then decide to go back and get the missing Super Emerald on the completed file, the portrait won't update until you complete the game again. In that regard, you can have a file completed with all Super Emeralds and the standard portrait, or complete the game as quick as possible and then go back, get all 14 emeralds, complete the game, updated portrait, etc.

And if all of this has nothing to do with what you were on about, I apologise. :v:

EDIT: Ninja'd. Boy am I late.

 

No problem. However if you complete the game with 7 chaos + up to 6 super emeralds, then go back and get the last super emerald, the picture will not change to the one you posted, unless you play the file, and let the ending run after The Doomsday, Death Egg or Sky Sanctuary have been beaten.

Edit: Ah! Balls I never read all of DAG's above post ¬_¬

 

Ok I will wikify this using DAG's post as base since he's the one who descrived it better.
I knew it was something like that but since I wasn't sure I didn't want to provide wrong information again.

edit: started it, I will complete it soon: Sonic 3 & Knuckles chronology and endings/Character Icons

 

Soo....No Chaos Emerald picture?