Proto:Sonic & Knuckles/Sonic and Knuckles 525

The first prototype of Sonic & Knuckles, which is already locked onto Sonic the Hedgehog 3. This is because S&K is still dependent on Sonic 3 data.

General

 * The title screen does not have the "& KNUCKLES" attached to the Sonic the Hedgehog 3 logo, even though Sonic & Knuckles is locked onto Sonic 3.
 * This prototype mixes themes from Sonic 3 and Sonic & Knuckles:
 * Game Start - Sonic & Knuckles
 * Invincibility/Theme of Super Sonic - Sonic 3
 * Theme of Knuckles - Sonic 3
 * Act 1 Boss - Sonic 3 (though Sonic & Knuckles ' is still in the sound bank a la Sonic 3)
 * 1-UP - Sonic & Knuckles
 * Credits - Sonic & Knuckles, though the end is reminiscent of Sonic 3 's Game Clear theme
 * Game Clear (sound $32; is different and separate from Credits) - Sonic & Knuckles


 * Sound Test provides access to Sonic 3-exclusive tracks without connecting to Sonic 3
 * Title screen theme is slightly different near the end.
 * Data Select screen does not record Chaos/Super Emerald data correctly.
 * Level Select is unlocked from the start.
 * Knuckles is not selectable from the save data screen: he is usually only available in level select, but can also be accessed by loading a save (e.g. from the final) which already has a Knuckles save, however it must be in the third slot or later, as this prototype only has six save slots, as per Sonic 3 alone.
 * The level title cards still use "SONIC 3".
 * The "WOOP" noise made when dying is gone.
 * Shields do not protect from the exploding rocks of the Lava Reef Zone.
 * Debug causes all sorts of graphical glitches, such as at Sonic staying as a garbled-up monitor after changing back, which goes away when completing an act.
 * The S monitor makes characters Hyper, not Super.
 * Super Tails with the Chaos Emeralds lacks Flickies but glows like normal. When using the S monitor, Flickies are added indicating that originally Tails was to have two forms.
 * Hyper Sonic, while implemented, has a constant circle of stars around him, though not in the same style as the Invincibility powerup. This applies to Knuckles too, but the sound effect doesn't play when Hyper knuckles glides into a wall.
 * The Hyper form music loops much earlier.
 * Although the "game complete" jingle is the Sonic & Knuckles version, it's actually an earlier version of the tune. It sounds pretty much identical up to the final note, but the timing for that note is very different and there's no background jingle echoing off afterwards like in the final version. Sonic & Knuckles final has a version of the Game Clear jingle as well as sound $32 on the Sound Test menu.
 * The actual credits music (located as sound $DC on the Sound Test menu), however, uses the extended Sonic 3 Game Clear jingle at the end of the song from Sonic 3 - Limited Edition. The entire song before that is the same medley used in Sonic & Knuckles final.
 * The Credits sequence (ID=0D01) is not yet correctly coded and thus Sonic and Tails cannot finish their game properly. Knuckles, on the other hand, has his ending sequence (though without the credits) the instant Mecha Sonic is defeated, and can go back to the title screen without forcing a reset.
 * The game attempts to enter Sonic 3 's credits sequence when Doomsday Zone "Act 2" is finished. However, since the game runs on Sonic & Knuckles ' engine, and that sequence doesn't exist in S&K, the game unfortunately crashes.

Bonus Stages

 * In the Gumball Machine bonus, the bubble shield doesn't override the lightning shield.
 * The Slot Machine bonus has a very different object (bumper, changing block, left/right direction changer, etc) layout. The background is also in an early stage, being completely static (the little objects don't rotate and nothing scrolls).

Special Stages

 * Super Emeralds are implemented in this build, but they can only be obtained by selecting "Special Stage 2" on the Sound Test menu.
 * You also must not have collected any Chaos Emeralds (using the "all emeralds" cheat doesn't count).
 * Super Emerald stage #1 in this build is the same as Super Emerald stage #2 in Sonic & Knuckles final.
 * Super Emerald stage #2 in this build is not present at all in the final.
 * Super Emerald stages #3-#6 are the same as the final, but all of the special stages have the same backgrounds as the Chaos Emerald stages in Sonic 3 final.
 * Super Emerald stage #7 follows a similar concept as the final, but is not exactly the same.
 * The Super Emeralds give you the "prototype Hyper" forms of the characters; same as the Chaos Emeralds.
 * When you get a Super Emerald, a gray emerald simply appears on a pedestal in the Hidden Palace Zone. In the final version of Sonic & Knuckles, the emerald will already be in the Hidden Palace (provided you collected the original Chaos Emerald, of course) and will glow the color of the collected emerald.

Carnival Night Zone

 * In this build, the Act 1 and Act 2 music is switched. They are switched in the sound test, too.

Ice Cap Zone

 * In this build, the Act 1 and Act 2 music is switched. They are switched in the sound test, too.
 * Tails still has that snowboard graphics problem.

Launch Base Zone

 * In this build, the Act 1 and Act 2 music is switched. They are switched in the sound test, too.

Mushroom Hill Zone

 * The intro to Act 1 does not appear to have been implemented yet; Sonic and Tails begin standing in mid-air and simply fall to the ground.
 * Knuckles' intro isn't implemented at the right time. He falls from the sky normally, then when reaching the first set of breakable walls, the S&K Knuckles intro starts playing in that location. After the intro is over you start the level again, but Knuckles falls in his standing sprite and you can go through the level normally.

Sandopolis Zone

 * Sonic does not fall under the sand and pop back out when Act 1 begins; he merely falls from the sky and lands on the ground normally. Likewise, his controls are not locked, so he can move once the Act begins.

Lava Reef Zone

 * Act 2 doesn't have the screen locked at the start of the level when accessed from level select as it does in the final. The lava is not cooled off at the start, but the zone uses the same blue palette as the final at this stage in development.
 * Act 3 (Sonic's boss) uses the Act 2 music as opposed to the boss theme used in the final.
 * No special SFX or boss music for "Act 3".
 * The lava and sinking magma waterfall platforms in "Act 3" have different animations.

Hidden Palace Zone

 * Hidden Palace still has Sky Sanctuary music.
 * The row of monitors near the top of the level contains an S monitor instead of Speed Shoes like the final. There is a Fire Shield next to the teleporter that takes you up to Knuckles, instead of the Super Ring that's there in the final.
 * Knuckles' boss still plays the Sonic 3 miniboss theme.
 * If fighting Knuckles as Hyper Sonic, Knuckles won't take damage when standing next to him. You have to actually jump on him to register a hit. Sonic doesn't take damage from Knuckles' punches when Hyper.
 * When knuckles is fighting Dr. Robotnik, Sonic can't move at all there whereas Tails can. In the final, you can whack Robotnik as much as you like (not that it helps).
 * The animation order for Knuckles punching the wall before the teleporter is different. He gestures for Sonic to follow after hitting the wall, instead of before.
 * You cannot control Tails in Hidden Palace after Knuckles is defeated.
 * Tails is not beamed up by the first teleporter in Hidden Palace Zone.

Sky Sanctuary Zone

 * Mecha Sonic will appear again if you use a star post and fall down to one of the areas where he appears, even if he was already defeated there.
 * If Act 2 is cleared as Knuckles and he has 0-13 emeralds, whatever ending (good or bad based on the collected Emeralds) will occur, no credits will appear, and the Sonic the Hedgehog 3 logo appears after Angel Island floats to its desired location rather than a Sonic the Hedgehog 3 & Knuckles logo.
 * If the ending is the "good" one, Knuckles will not jump out to the screen unlike the final version.


 * If one modifies a savestate so that it contains all 14 Emeralds, and clears Act 2 as Knuckles, a Sonic the Hedgehog 3 & Knuckles-esque ending occurs, with Knuckles, Sonic, and Tails all congratulating you. However, they again stand in front of a Sonic the Hedgehog 3 logo instead of a Sonic the Hedgehog 3 & Knuckles logo.
 * When Act 1 is cleared, there is no transition to the Death Egg; it just takes you there.

Doomsday Zone

 * Automatically starts as Hyper Sonic when accessed via level select, unlike the final where you are Super Sonic if accessed in this way. The zone's background also has a different, grayer palette, and the zone scrolls a lot more slowly to begin with. You can speed up the scrolling by holding Right to gradually accelerate it, but hitting an asteroid will slow it down again.
 * No SFX plays when breaking the asteroids.
 * When the boss reappears after its blue armor is destroyed, the "badnik popped" sound effect plays instead of the sound played in the final.
 * The latter half of Doomsday has no rings and asteroids and the projectiles the fleeing Robotnik fires have different graphics, especially the underneath weaponry.