Sonic & Knuckles

Delusphere · May 27, 2008

Hey! This is my first topic so, go easy on me! I'm not here to make up lies, I'm giving you info from experiences and info other people have told me over the many years I've been a Sonic fan.

Right, Years ago, I had the privilege of playing some games before they got released in shops and specialist stores etc, but one time stands out to me... I was playing Sonic & Knuckles for the first time, a long time before it came out, and certain things were different.

1. At the part in Mushroom Hill Act 2, where there is a big 'U' shaped ditch where Knuckles can break through in the complete version, it was somewhat extended and when Sonic landed on it, Knuckles would appear AGAIN and pull the leaver thing and make Sonic fly up on to the above part of the level.

2. Knuckles had different on the edge of platform spites. He did this kind of wobbly thing and bent forward (I should state, this was many years ago so I can't remember this in detail).

3. I played an early version of Knuckles in Sonic 2 that same day, and Knuckles still had the same ledge sprites, but that was the only difference I noticed. It happened in Chemical Plant Zone at an Area where there is water and a 1 Up box at the end of the area, and if you continue, you will fall to your death.

4. I remember there being more use for the mushroom things that blow you upward, but I don't remember in detail. It was a one off chance and I was young.

So, has anyone got anything that can back me up. I KNOW what I saw and I've still to see any info to justify what I am saying. It's been on my mind for a long time.

DM

Ollie · May 27, 2008

I'm just curious but where did you play this version and how long for? You must have played it in some detail to notice some of this stuff that you have listed. Plus don't the Mushroom things that you hold onto blow you up in the final, you have to land on something? IIRC, I haven't played S&K in ages so I haven't tested it out.

Delusphere · May 27, 2008

I know it's the oddest place, but it was a Currys Shop. There was also a shop in Glasgow Town that did a similar thing back in the day, that is still there. The guys in there let me stay and play it while my mum was shopping cause I used to get into a state, they showed me LOTS of cool stuff and things I'd never seen before. This was not related to the shop, they had consoles on the back and TVs to play on in there spare time.

I've also played a Sonic game that sonic would start acting odd at the end of a level and just started walking back and forward and you couldn't move him! It was on a clear console and I'm unsure what it was... This guy though, had contacts in the gaming industry and he knew I loved Sonic to bits, so he took it to his house for a while but had to take it back too

If I remember any more info, I'll say. I wish I knew where that guy lived. His name was Chris.

drx · May 27, 2008

Try the Knuckles in Sonic 2 protos I recently released. They are pretty much all KiS2 protos that exist.

Anyway, if you could get more info, that would be nice,

Tweaker · May 27, 2008

What I've always heard about Mushroom Hill is that there was a "third act" (the title card would pop up and say act 3) for the third palette swap in the level. Is that what you're talking about, or was it still in act 2 with an extra "lever" cutscene?

Ayla · May 27, 2008

I believe it, Delusphere. It certainly doesn't sound too far-fetched!! This would have to be a fairly early build of S&K, though, I'd think. Unless 3C and S&K were being developed separately (as far as I understand it, 3C turned into S&K), this makes placing a prototype like what you're describing difficult.

MathUser · May 27, 2008

Well, my theory always was that Sonic3c is actually the Sonic 3 Limited edition that was being worked on. I mean, the roms labeled 3c so its totally seperate from the other sonic & knuckles protos we have. Sonic 3 limited edition was basically gonna be sonic 3 and knuckles combined, which was gonna be released in addition to the stand alone editions. I also thought I heard it was going to have a Gold cartridge, but I don't have a source on that.

Ayla · May 27, 2008

That's right.. three games. This all makes much more sense now.

Overlord · May 28, 2008

Call me sceptical, but why would a random Currys store, officially or not, have Sonic and Knuckles prototypes - a game that wasn't even developed in this country?

Hivebrain · May 28, 2008

More importantly: how would someone remember such details from a game released 14 years ago, when they're only 18 now?

Ayla · May 28, 2008

I was playing Sonic & Knuckles for the first time, a long time before it came out
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That's a very good point, Hivebrain. Unless he's lying about his age. That would have put you at remembering details of something when you were three or four at the most.

Tweaker · May 28, 2008

Ayla said:

I was playing Sonic & Knuckles for the first time, a long time before it came out
Click to expand...

That's a very good point, Hivebrain. Unless he's lying about his age. That would have put you at remembering details of something when you were three or four at the most.
Click to expand...

Yeah, and if my memories of playing a "different" version of Sonic CD are any indication, memories can be flawed. That's why I never come out and say "I remember this for sure!" because the situation is that, most likely, I don't know anything for sure. =P

It's just like the people who say Sonic 2 had a color ending to it. We all know it never did, so why do people swear on their lives that they did? Memory is faulty.

Spexfox · May 28, 2008

Well regardless to how accurate his descriptions are of these prototypes, it's safe to assume that he's at least telling the truth about playing the games before release.

Dark Sonic · May 28, 2008

Tweaker said:

Ayla said:

I was playing Sonic & Knuckles for the first time, a long time before it came out
Click to expand...

That's a very good point, Hivebrain. Unless he's lying about his age. That would have put you at remembering details of something when you were three or four at the most.
Click to expand...

Yeah, and if my memories of playing a "different" version of Sonic CD are any indication, memories can be flawed. That's why I never come out and say "I remember this for sure!" because the situation is that, most likely, I don't know anything for sure. =P

It's just like the people who say Sonic 2 had a color ending to it. We all know it never did, so why do people swear on their lives that they did? Memory is faulty.
Click to expand...

Yes. I for one thought that Sonic 3 had 3 acts back in the day.

Hivebrain · May 28, 2008

Spex Bluefox said:

Well regardless to how accurate his descriptions are of these prototypes, it's safe to assume that he's at least telling the truth about playing the games before release.
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The control pad for a display console would be fixed in a position above the head of a four-year-old.

Overlord · May 28, 2008

That's an easy one to dismiss though - he could just stand on a box or something =P

Delusphere · May 28, 2008

Yeah, I was pretty young, 5 or 4 at the time. My memory is very good - Got Aspergers Syndrome and it is one of my handy talents - Watch Rainman - not saying I'm a genius ha.

I don't know why Currys had to have it, I find it funny too and pretty odd.

I'm going to check out the other versions on here and see if I can find it. Best bet is probably to look at Sonic 2 & Knuckles, but I'll still check out the S&K early versions. It's real handy having a Picodrive on mu Mobile

Hivebrain said:

Spex Bluefox said:

Well regardless to how accurate his descriptions are of these prototypes, it's safe to assume that he's at least telling the truth about playing the games before release.
Click to expand...

The control pad for a display console would be fixed in a position above the head of a four-year-old.
Click to expand...

You know, I was in agony playing it, the screen was up high. It was left on without a control pad, but they eventually attached one to it.

XCubed · May 28, 2008

I remember feeling ripped off when I first beat Sonic 3 because I felt it was WAAAAAAAY too short (even while getting caught forever in the Carnival Night bounce cylender mystery). Little did I know back then. I still feel ripped off that I only got HALF of a Sonic game, at a WHOLE price. I never heard of this 3rd version of Sonic 3 though. As for Mushroom Hill having 3 acts....wouldn't that be seen from the early protos? The only Sonic 3 zone that saw those numbers was Lava Reef.

Interesting view point though.

Although from my psych classes I basically learned that memory is our worst enemy.

HAHA, btw, I completely forgot about the whole S2 Ending Color vs. Black and White argument!

Metal Man88 · May 28, 2008

As for memory, I can remember playing through my Sonic 2 Game (Which I should check if it's Rev 0 or not, not that it'd mean anything since we discovered that rev 0 ain't so different) all the way back when I first got it with my Genesis in... 1994. I had just turned 6.

5 however is the limit of my memory, so it is sort of pushing the memory barrier. Do I believe he played a different version? Yes. How different? Who knows. It could even have been like one of our prototypes. Of course, he could be a memory genius too.

If only he had some idea of what the label on it was/what else may have been different about the hardware he was using... @_@

Delusphere · May 29, 2008

Metal_Man88 said:

As for memory, I can remember playing through my Sonic 2 Game (Which I should check if it's Rev 0 or not, not that it'd mean anything since we discovered that rev 0 ain't so different) all the way back when I first got it with my Genesis in... 1994. I had just turned 6.

5 however is the limit of my memory, so it is sort of pushing the memory barrier. Do I believe he played a different version? Yes. How different? Who knows. It could even have been like one of our prototypes. Of course, he could be a memory genius too.

If only he had some idea of what the label on it was/what else may have been different about the hardware he was using... @_@
Click to expand...

Ahh, The Cartridge, it was the same design but no sticker, but there was a label on the TV stating the game; The Megadrive... I'm not sure if it was the one with red buttons on it or not....

Sonic & Knuckles

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