I <3 Sonic & Knuckles

[Zadoc]

Released October 18th, 1994, this was the last true Sonic title to be released for Sega’s 16-bit console. This title is also seen by many to be the first “expansion pack” ever to be released for a console.

Sonic & Knuckles featured “Lock-on Technology. Sega claimed that this was going to change console gaming, they even had a patent on it. The odd-mushroom shaped Sonic & Knuckles cartridge had a port on the top of it to accept other Genesis games to “lock-on” to it.

When locked-on to the original Sonic platformer game which changed the genre for ever, by pressing A+B+C+START gamers gained access to over 100 Sonic 3-esque “collect the blue spheres” bonus stages. If Sonic the Hedgehog 2 was locked-on Knuckles would be a playable character throughout the entire game. If Sonic the Hedgehog 3 was locked on not only would Knuckles be a playable character in the game, but Knuckles could take different paths through the Sonic 3 levels. In addition to that Sonic & Knuckles added seven new levels to Sonic 3 for Knuckles and Tails, and eight new levels for Sonic, not to mention new power-ups for both Sonic and tails.

Of course, Sonic & Knuckles is also a stand-alone title. All seven additional Sonic 3 stages are available with just the Sonic & Knuckles cart inserted into the Genesis, but only Sonic and Knuckles are playable characters. It should also be noted that Sonic & Knuckles progress can not be saved unless it is locked-on to the Sonic 3 game.

Graphically Sonic & Knuckles demonstrates the best that the Genesis had to offer. With the Genesis Sega may not have been able to match the amount of colors that their nearest competitor, Super Nintendo, could display on screen, but the sheer speed of Sonic is something that no other 16-bit system could hope to match. The musical score of Sonic & Knuckles is something that is to be expected from any Sonic title.

An all around great game, no Genesis owner or Sonic fan should be with out this title. It’s too bad that the revolutionary lock-on technology never spread past this singular game. A lock-on cartridge was announced for another platformer, Dynamite Headdy, however, those plans never materialized, perhaps forgotten as the game industry made it’s transition from 16 to 32/64 bit.

Screens:

http://www.consolecity.com/screens/000002116.jpg
http://www.consolecity.com/screens/000002117.jpg
http://www.consolecity.com/screens/000002118.jpg
http://www.consolecity.com/screens/000002119.jpg
http://www.consolecity.com/screens/000002120.jpg

Box:

http://www.consolecity.com/boxart/2905.jpg

[GetImOliver]

Definitely one of my favorite games! The only criticism I have is that I never found out the 'debug' thing that the other Sonic games had. I can't even remember the codes now, but it was really fun cruising around those levels throwing sprites around.

But that's it. It even had a sweet storyline!

[Kamisama]

Yes its a cool game and another great Idea from the old Sega. 1994 was probably too late for other games to take on this technology. I mean, 1994 was already the release of the Saturn, so there was not that much time.

[Kevincal]

I bought this game the day it came out, having enjoyed all of the previous Genesis Sonics before it. Really great game and TONS of replay value considering the lock-on tech...

[Haoie]

S&K is pretty sweet. As expected it best works with S3, forming virtually a whole new game.

I can't believe no other lockon games were ever made [to my knowledge, anyway].

[Jorpho]

There is much to be said for the unfortunate emphasis of exploration over speed, no? Sonic 1 and Sonic 2 were about getting through the levels as fast as possible while doing your best to hold onto your rings in order to access the bonus rounds. Sonic & Knuckles (along with later titles like Sonic Advance), if I am not mistaken, forced you to slow down and look in little nooks and crannies to access those vital bonus rounds.

Anyway, there's been considerable research into the nature of the extra bonus stages obtained from trying to use the lock-on with other cartridges. This documentation should not be hard to find.

I still see the PC version of S&K available all over the place. I heard it had rather lousy performance compared to just using an ordinary emulator with the ROMs. Has anyone here given it a try?

[j_factor]

I don't think you need to slow down in order to explore. For me, the trick to Sonic 3 & Knuckles was to zoom through the stages as fast as I could while getting the special stages and bonus stages. I've never seen the two as being mutually exclusive. Also, I liked that the stages were bigger; there's not much to be said for levels that end after 35 seconds.

Anywho, I used to have the PC version of S&K, and the performance was just fine on my crappy PC; I didn't notice any differences between that and the real thing performance-wise. However, they radically altered the soundtrack,and (unlike with Sonic 3D Blast) the new soundtrack just isn't very good. It also annoyed me that it was called "Sonic & Knuckles Collection" when it was just S&K and Sonic 3.

[Jorpho]

It also annoyed me that it was called "Sonic & Knuckles Collection" when it was just S&K and Sonic 3.

Technically, it was S&K, Sonic 3, and "Sonic 3 & Knuckles".

[scooterb23]

I was always hopeful that the Lock On technology would have made its way into other games, like add-on course packs for the PGA Tour Golf games and stuff like that.

[bangtango]

They never did make this one compatible with the first Sonic, did they? I used to read all the magazines back during that era, from EGM and Game Players to Game Fan and Electronic Games. I seem to remember somebody saying during the preview process that you would be able to use Sonic 1 with it.

[Jorpho]

Actually, someone just released a romhack of Sonic 1 that features Knuckles, complete with all his abilities. It sounds like quite an impressive accomplishment. I would take a look at it if I had a Genesis emulator and Sonic 1 ROM handy.

http://www.romhacking.net/hacks/172/

[Zadoc]

Actually, someone just released a romhack of Sonic 1 that features Knuckles, complete with all his abilities. It sounds like quite an impressive accomplishment. I would take a look at it if I had a Genesis emulator and Sonic 1 ROM handy.

http://www.romhacking.net/hacks/172/

Wasn't this done on Sonic Jam for the Sega Saturn?

[MarioMania]

But the Hacks are in ips Format

[Jorpho]

But the Hacks are in ips Format

And this is in some way unusual..?

[MarioMania]

Yeah, I can't get it to run in Gens

[Jorpho]

Have you not used an IPS patch before? You get the patch, you get the original game ROM (and double-check the patch readme to make sure you're using the correct version of the ROM), and then you either use one of the many easily-found IPS patching utilities or try to figure out if your emulator has IPS patching built-in.

Y'know, that's why I said "I would take a look at it if I had a Genesis emulator and Sonic 1 ROM handy".

[MarioMania]

Nope..I don't play emulaters that much eather, But I like the Hacks..I wish there's a way you could get it on cart

[Jorpho]

Some (but not all) of them work quite nicely if you can download them to a game copying device.