Sonic 3 Level Selection Screen

brad9753 · Post by **brad9753** » Mon Jul 24, 2006 2:32 pm

Hi, i have just started playing my old megadrive games, and found some cheats for sonic 3. i understand that it is one of the hardest video game screens to reach, and thats quite an achivment.
I followed the instructions on this site, tried it over and over again, and it didnt once work.
The instructions are: When the Sega logo comes up, just after the "Sega" theme is chanted and the screen begins to turn black, quickly press: Up, Up, Down, Down, Up, Up, Up, Up to the beat of the drums. It's tricky, but you should hear a Ring chime if you've done it correctly.
Has anyone ever got to this screen, and any suggestions?

(...) · Post by **(...)** » Mon Jul 24, 2006 2:47 pm

Has anyone ever got to this screen, and any suggestions?

Yep. It looks exactly like the Sonic 2 level select, but with the Sonic and Kunckles levels selectable.

brad9753 · Post by **brad9753** » Mon Jul 24, 2006 2:53 pm

how did you get to it, do you find it easy, what exacly did you do? (timings etc)

Post by **Segaholic2** » Mon Jul 24, 2006 3:12 pm

Just keep resetting and trying over again. It can take a ridiculous amount of attempts before you finally get it.

FlashTHD · Post by **FlashTHD** » Mon Jul 24, 2006 3:30 pm

No shit; Tips & Tricks said that for the GameCube version of Mega Collection, it took them over 50 tries to get it to work using the D-Pad. Those folks are pretty hardcore at what they do, which makes it even more staggering. But "to the beat of the drums"? I thought all that mattered was pulling it off before the screen whites out?

I think i've only accessed that menu a handful of times in my life. That's more than what I can say for the secret Special Stage, though, which i'm confident is impossible for me.

Post by **G.Silver** » Mon Jul 24, 2006 4:06 pm

Same here, I got it to work once or twice but it seems to be more efficient just to play through the game normally.

Post by **Crazy Penguin** » Mon Jul 24, 2006 4:10 pm

I remember it being tough back on the Mega Drive version, which I haven't played in years. In Sonic Jam though, I found that waiting until the title screen and pressing Up-Up, Down-Down, Up-Up, Up-Up (two quick taps at a time) works. I'm not sure if this was a refinement for Jam or not. The Sonic 3 level select is a mess. I'm pretty sure that in Jam they at least removed all of the Sonic 2 level icons (and just kept the DJ Sonic).

Post by **Green Gibbon!** » Mon Jul 24, 2006 4:17 pm

I only ever pulled it off in the Genny version and maybe Sonic Jam. I had it pretty well down pat on the Genny, but I haven't been able to pull it off on anything since then, not even emulators.

j-man · Post by **j-man** » Mon Jul 24, 2006 4:18 pm

In Sonic Jam, you can pretty much take huge liberties with the button presses for the Sonic 3 Level Select. I guess they nerfed it as a special treat.

DackAttac · Post by **DackAttac** » Mon Jul 24, 2006 4:53 pm

Maybe I'm off my rocker, but didn't the Sonic 3 Level Select involve Left-Left-Left-Up-Up-Up-Right-Right-Right on the first vine in Angel Island?

Locit · Post by **Locit** » Mon Jul 24, 2006 5:08 pm

What?

Post by **Green Gibbon!** » Mon Jul 24, 2006 5:31 pm

That's the Sonic 3 & Knuckles level select.

brad9753 · Post by **brad9753** » Mon Jul 24, 2006 6:02 pm

but why did they make it so difficult anyone know?

DackAttac · Post by **DackAttac** » Mon Jul 24, 2006 6:28 pm

If I had to venture a guess, maybe because accessing a menu that lets you visit any part of the game you want out of its intended sequence is supposed to be hard? I mean, really, nobody even does it anymore. Like G.Silver said, it's less of a headache to just play through the game, which I'm willing to bet was their intent.

Psxphile · Post by **Psxphile** » Mon Jul 24, 2006 8:58 pm

Up

Down

Up

*bling*

That seems to be how it works. Timing button presses to frames of animation is what makes it so hard.

FlashTHD · Post by **FlashTHD** » Mon Jul 24, 2006 10:13 pm

DackAttac wrote:If I had to venture a guess, maybe because accessing a menu that lets you visit any part of the game you want out of its intended sequence is supposed to be hard?

They're supposed to be development tools, but Naka said once that they left the codes in the game on purpose so people could find them and mess around. Hard to say why it's hidden so well in Sonic 3 or if it was like that to begin with...i'd assume it might've had something to do with their decision to split the game.

Frieza2000 · Post by **Frieza2000** » Tue Jul 25, 2006 9:18 am

I don't think I've ever gotten it to work on Genesis. If I ever want to access it, I use a Game Genie code that opens it without you having to enter the code.

Tsuyoshi-kun · Post by **Tsuyoshi-kun** » Tue Jul 25, 2006 11:55 am

I only ever used the level select code to play with debug mode. It's fun screwing around in the zones and coming out of them. One time I even managed to rise the water level of Ice Cap Zone Act 2 to the top of the zone.

I always remebered to keep away from using debug when on the Carnival Night drums...on the Genesis, doing that froze your game. It doesn't happen in Sonic Mega Collection, though.

Omni Hunter · Post by **Omni Hunter** » Tue Jul 25, 2006 1:14 pm

Ah, the ol' Sonic 3 cheat, I just found it easiest to rapidly press the buttons as soon as the Sonic starts running up to the screen. It's easiest with the old pads as the buttons were less spongey to press, I alays used them for the game.
As for the difficulty, I have no idea why you guys find it so hard, I never had trouble with it.

Tsuyoshi-kun · Post by **Tsuyoshi-kun** » Tue Jul 25, 2006 10:10 pm

It wasn't hard...just frustrating. I got it to work on Genesis several times, but only ONCE in Mega Collection.

Omni Hunter · Post by **Omni Hunter** » Wed Jul 26, 2006 10:06 am

Probably the pad then, I've only tried it on a Megadrive so I know that I can do it using that pad.
Which version of Mega Collection were you using?

chriscaffee · Post by **chriscaffee** » Wed Jul 26, 2006 12:23 pm

It's easier to just do the Sonic 2 level select, pull out the Sonic 2 cart, stick in the Sonic 3 cart and reset the Genesis.

Tsuyoshi-kun · Post by **Tsuyoshi-kun** » Wed Jul 26, 2006 1:22 pm

Omni Hunter wrote:Probably the pad then, I've only tried it on a Megadrive so I know that I can do it using that pad.
Which version of Mega Collection were you using?

The Gamecube one, using the Gamecube controller.

Double-S- · Post by **Double-S-** » Thu Jul 27, 2006 12:52 am

No wonder. That D-Pad is terrible.

Omni Hunter · Post by **Omni Hunter** » Thu Jul 27, 2006 11:12 am

Actually, I just remembered the most crap Sonic cheat ever.
I think it was for Sonic (Not-so) 3d, where you had to wiggle the cartidge physically while it was loading.

It worked, but the method is questionable.

I agree with Double-S though, the GC d-pad is small and raised a bit too much which makes it difficult. The Megadrive's is a bit larger and is only slightly raised if at all.