The Supreme Topic of 'Other' Knowledge.

And on this day, I learned something new.

 

When is it checked? On pipe entry or at the junction?

 

I love Sonic Retro because I always keep on learning new things.

 

I'm glad I learned that. However, I need to ask... How did YOU learn that?

^Also this.

 

The timer is checked as soon as you enter the pipe.

Easy, I read the code!

 

Thank you so much ColinC10! I figured it had to do with something non-random like that, but I used to think it had to do with Rings. Well, I guess I have to watch the clock carefully from now on in CPZ.
...by the way, do you know if there's any trick behind the slot machines in Casino Night Zone? Or are they really random?

...I'm running out of trial posts here, so I'm gonna post a few pictures before I use up my trial membership (brace yourselves):

<div align='center'>End of Act 1 Bonuses
Let the falling Zone Sign land in the indicated spaces to make a Monitor pop up out of the ground.

...because if you use any other Shield (like, say, the Fire one that also comes up) you're likely to lose it as soon as you hit the water in the next level.

Save those sparklies for Act 2! And this is one of the few occasions you can get a 1-up as a pop-up bonus.

...because once Act 2 starts, you're immediately transported out of this chamber before you get a chance to grab the Rings. You might as well add them to your Ring Tally and get th extra points.

The special abilities that these Shields give to Sonic allow him to easily jump or dash up the very steep slopes in this Zone.

Use the Water Shield if you're planning on taking the lower route through Act 2, or grab the Lightning Shield if you want to try and stay out of the water.

Now, now, Tails, be grateful for what you can get. (Save these for the start of Act 2 to nab 30 rings right off the bat.)

I have no idea why you'd need two Lightning Shields, but if you want them, they're there.
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...I'll post the rest of the images if they turn out to be something new. (I haven't seen anyone else put these up anywhere else, so I may be the first? )
Oh, and apologies for the weird comic-style presentation; it was designed to fit in with my old, never-completed fansite, but I guess it just looks kinda goofy now. :v:

 

SA2 recently lost its first round in the GameFAQs "Game of the Decade" contest by a really narrow margin, to Street Fighter IV. Both were the only games from their respective franchises in the competition.

 

I know of at least one other attempt; that is, Zone: 0 included this information on their Sonic 3 guide's maps. However, they haven't done any coverage of S&K yet, so you might be able to beat them to that!

 

I've just had a quick glance through the code and it looks like it's based on the number of frames that have passed since the start of the level, which is quite a common way to pick a "random" number. So no cheating for you!

 

I was pretty pissed at that. But it's nothing compared to how close Team Fortress 2 and Fable were. I mean, look what my vote did: http://i55.tinypic.com/1z6uuqt.png

 

Well okay then, here's the rest! Apologies for all the picture spam, hope they don't take forever to load. I've gone back up and annotated the other pictures too.

<div align='center'>
The next Act is mostly water-filled, obviously, so the Water Shields here are handy.

Knuckles seems to be the only one who gets the 1-up bonuses in this game... I wonder why?

In fact, in most cases you should leave the Monitors for Act 2. If you pop the Invincibility one open too soon, you'll have no time to use it before you get into the next level.

Both of these come in handy in the next Act, what with all the flame-jets and loose Rings.

The 1-up bonus is difficult to get because of how the screen locks as soon as the boss is defeated (the secret spot is too far off to the right normally). If you manage to deal the final blow to the boss, and then quickly dash to the right, you might be able to get the screen to lock far enough over to get it.

You should be able to tell where the monitors line up with the rocks on the ground. Apparently there's a third bonus monitor on the very right edge of the screen, but it's impossible to get it so don't bother.
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Feel free to correct me if I'm wrong here, but it doesn't look like any bonuses are hidden here. Oh, and Sky Sanctuary only has one Act and no Zone Sign, so therefore you don't get any pop-up bonuses.

...oh, and thanks for the mention of Zone: 0, I don't remember going to that site before but it looks awesome... especially the annotated maps. I've been wanting to do maps like those for ages, but didn't have the resources... looks like they beat me to it! :v:

 

Here's what I tend to do with that boss: knock him down to the right, onto the ground, as soon as he spawns, then go and wait at the very left of the platform. Because he's now a bit off position from being knocked over, he'll cheerfully commit suicide, jumping over you into the quicksand. As soon as he's jumping you can then run or spin dash right, so there's plenty of time to get over to the 1-up if you want, or go even further right if you so desire - not that there are any more monitors over there.

Incidentally, there are also signpost boxes under the end of the CNZ2 boss area and Knuckles' AIZ2. Why? Search me, but there they are.

Very nice little guide.

 

Agreed. All in favor of wikifying this?

 

Not sure if it was ever mentioned, but Masaru Setsumaru didn't actually compose for Sonic 3. All he did was create the programming tools and sound effects for the game:

http://web.archive.org/web/20040529092122/..._setsumaru.html

That's one mystery solved, I guess.

I actually did some research for who did what on the Sonic 3 soundtrack that I haven't posted yet, but I'm waiting for someone else with more enthusiasm to help with certain things.

 

Trivia (in response to Player One's and Tiddles's posts): in Sandopolis 1 you don't actually need to destroy the monitors if you get them to appear. If Sonic is too much on the left and he finds monitors on his way when the walking cutscene to Sandopolis 2 begins, he will automatically destroy them.

Yes, I would have already done so, but I think the comics wouldn't look professional on a wiki. If we can get unedited screenshots then hell yes this is awesome and it should be wikified. Another great work from Player One

 

Yeah, but does the ring monitor give a bonus? the ring bonus is calculated before he moves, but the ring total is reset AFTER he enters the pyramid.

 

As you can see in this TAS (43:30), no, there is no point into collecting the ring monitor in this way. I think this "trick" is just a workaround they added at the last minute because they got stuck behind a monitor in one of the betas, so they programmed Sonic to destroy the monitors should he find them in his way, but this is speculation as I never checked Sonic's behaviour in the known betas. Which, if true, might explain the lack of monitors in DEZ1 too, since Sonic has to walk there as well. Again, speculation.

 

I don't think it's a workaround specific to monitors. Mushroom Hill 2, Flying Battery 2, Sandopolis 2, all of them involve the player walking. They have to jump to avoid getting stuck against the cage thingy.

 

"IF Sonic_stops_moving THEN Jump", essentially

 

Down at Pumpkin Hill I'm gonna find my lost pieces


http://www.reddit.com/r/gaming/comments/dy...y_pumpkin_this/


http://www.reddit.com/r/SonicTheHedgehog/c.../dw4ev/pumpkin/