Sonic The Hedgehog 3 & Knuckles (lost build of cancelled iOS port of Sega Genesis platformers; 2014): Difference between revisions

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{{InfoboxLost
{{InfoboxLost
|title=<center>Sonic The Hedgehog 3 & Knuckles iOS</center>
|title=<center>Sonic The Hedgehog 3 & Knuckles (iOS port)</center>
|image=download(62).jpeg
|image=download(62).jpeg
|imagecaption=Still from Christian Whitehead proof-of-concept video
|imagecaption=A still from Christian Whitehead's proof-of-concept video.
|status=<span style="color:red;">'''Lost'''</span>
|status=<span style="color:red;">'''Lost'''</span>
}}
}}
''Sonic The Hedgehog 3''is a Genesis title released in 1994 1 year after Sonic CD on the Sega CD, with it becoming a critical hit to fans and critics alike. Due to cartridge storage limitations, some content had to be cut out and re-purposed into Sonic & Knuckles, and with the gimmick of lock-on technology if you connect Sonic 3 to the top of the cartridge. Ultimately, it was met with spiritual success alongside Sonic 3
''Sonic The Hedgehog 3'' is a Sega Genesis title released in 1994, that became a hit with fans and critics alike. Unfortunately, due to cartridge storage limitations and time constraints, almost half the content had to be cut from the final product. The removed content would later be re-purposed into ''Sonic & Knuckles'', which could "lock on" and give extra content to the player when connected to ''Sonic 3''. This created ''Sonic 3 & Knuckles'', which is the complete and intended way to play through both of these games.


==Background==
==Background==
In 2011, Christian Whitehead (also known as TaxMan in Sonic Retro) was hired by SEGA to make an iOS port Of Sonic CD Using his handcrafted Retro Engine
In 2011, Christian Whitehead (a prominent figure in the ''Sonic'' fan community, going by the name "The Taxman" online, who was best known prior for creating the fan game ''Retro Sonic'') was hired by Sega to make an iOS and Android port of ''Sonic CD'' using his handcrafted Retro Engine which recreated the physics of the original Genesis games. When it was released, it became a hit with fans and critics, later being ported to PlayStation 3, Xbox 360 and Steam.
And When it released, it was massive hit with it running at 60fps And In Full Screen.
And 2 years later in 2013, Christian Was hired Again By SEGA to Port Sonic 1 & 2 To iOS with the help of Stealth, And they both were a success


==Legal Issues==
Two years later in 2013, Christian was hired once again by Sega to port both ''Sonic the Hedgehog 1 & 2'' to iOS and Android, this time joined by Simon Thomley (another well-respected member of the ''Sonic'' fan community, going by the name "Stealth" online, best known prior for the fangames ''Sonic Megamix'', ''Sonic the Hedgehog GBA'' and ''Knuckles the Echidna in Sonic the Hedgehog''). Both the ''Sonic 1'' and ''Sonic 2'' ports did really well, helped by all of the new content added to the game by Christian and Simon.
When The port of Sonic 3 & Knuckles Began, Some legal problems arose with one of the composers, Brad Buxer, Since Some of the compositions Were composed by Micheal Jackson, And since the music belonged to him, That Restrained Development of the Port.
 
Taxman and Stealth, hoping to follow up on this trail of success, '''attempted to have ''Sonic 3 & Knuckles'' ported to iOS'''. However, when the port's development began, legal issues arose with one of the composers, Brad Buxer, who did not want his work to be used. This hindered the project from continuing.


==Availability==
==Availability==
As of now, no files from the game have resurfaced online or the IPA file itself, But SEGA Has not confirmed that the game has been cancelled nor has Cristian Whitehead himself
As of now, neither files from the game have or the IPA file itself have resurfaced or leaked. Neither Christian Whitehead nor Sega has given any word on the port's potential cancellation.
So it's now considered lost
 
The only known footage from the iOS port comes from a 2:44 video from Christian and Simon released in October 2014 on YouTube, showing the proof of concept in action. This video showcases the game running on an iPhone, featuring Sonic and Knuckles running through a remade version of the game's first level, Angel Island Zone Act 1. Various versions of the ''Blue Spheres'' special stage also appear, along with the ''Slot Machine'', ''Gumball Machine'' and ''Glowing Spheres'' bonus stages. The video is set to a remix of the Angel Island Zone Act 1 music by composer Tee Lopes, who would later collaborate with The Taxman and Stealth on 2017's ''Sonic Mania'', composing the score for the game.
 
On May 27th, 2021, a Classic Sonic compilation titled ''Sonic Origins'' was announced for modern consoles. It will include ''Sonic 1'', ''Sonic 2'', ''Sonic CD'', and finally, ''Sonic 3 & Knuckles''. While the footage of Sonic 1, 2 and CD in the announcement showed the Christian Whitehead versions, the footage of Sonic 3 & Knuckles was of its original, unaltered ROM. Despite this, a SEGA social media manager revealed on Twitter that the version of Sonic 3 included in the compilation will, indeed, be in widescreen as well.<ref>[https://twitter.com/KatieChrz/status/1397972387870642178?s=20 The social media manager's tweet.] Retrieved 27 May '21</ref>
 
Later, on April 20th, 2022, a trailer for ''Sonic Origins'' was released, revealing the iOS ports of Sonic 1, 2, and CD would be used.<ref>[https://twitter.com/katiechrz/status/1516791502525145088?s=21&t=1gDJKG6PtPOBhV_0NDQTHQ Sonic social media manager detailing aspects of the compilation.] Retrieved 20 Apr '22 </ref> Shortly afterward, Simon Thomley revealed that the version of ''Sonic 3 & Knuckles'' included was developed by him.<ref>[https://twitter.com/hcstealth/status/1516778351452585986?s=21&t=PZg52n4nbsIbh61vRvGH9w Simon Thomley’s tweet.] Retrieved 20 Apr '22 </ref> He later explicitly clarified that this would not be the proof-of-concept he made with an earlier version of the Retro Engine,<ref>https://twitter.com/HCStealth/status/1527424657845915648</ref> though the version seen in ''Origins'' would contain many enhancements planned within the original mobile pitch<ref>https://www.gamesradar.com/retro-gamer-goes-behind-the-scenes-of-sonic-origins/</ref> as well as graphical updates it had, such as proper transparency for the glass in the capsule Bonus Stage<ref>https://twitter.com/TomGyroid/status/1518708722171846656</ref>.
 
''Sonic Origins'' released on June 23rd, 2022, bringing with it a new remaster of ''Sonic 3 & Knuckles''. Although a separate project from this proof-of-concept, graphics reading "TOUCH TO START" can be found within the game's files<ref>https://tcrf.net/Sonic_Origins/Sonic_3_%26_Knuckles#Unused_Graphics Retrieved 25 Jun '22</ref>, implying at least the assets from this pitch were re-used to recreate the game.
==Gallery==
{{Video|perrow  =1
  |service1    =youtube
  |id1          =pAp0oImSczQ
  |description1 =Footage of the proof of concept.
}}
==See Also==
*[[Shadow the Hedgehog (lost Teen rated version of platformer; 2005)]]
*[[Sister Sonic (lost build of cancelled "Sonic the Hedgehog" localization of "Popful Mail" Sega CD side-scrolling platformer; 1993)]]
*[[Sonic 3D Blast (found cassette demo tape of unused game soundtrack; 1996)]]
*[[Sonic Adventure New Year's DLC (found "Sonic the Hedgehog" holiday-themed DLC; 1998)]]
*[[Sonic Boom (non-existent lost episode of animated TV series; 2014)]]
*[[Sonic Boom 2013 (lost Crush 40 livestream performance from "Sonic the Hedgehog" convention; 2013)]]
*[[Sonic DS (lost Nintendo DS tech demo; 2004)]]
*[[Sonic Generations (lost game demo; 2010)]]
*[[Sonic Jr. (lost build of unreleased Sega Pico game; existence unconfirmed; 1994)]]
*[[Sonic Riders (lost build of cancelled Game Boy Advance port of racing game; 2006)]]
*[[Sonic Saturn (lost build of cancelled Sega Saturn prototype of platformer; mid-1990s)]]
*[[Sonic Sports (lost build of cancelled Sega 32X sports game; 1995)]]
*[[Sonic Synergy (lost original build of "Sonic Boom: Rise of Lyric" Wii U action-adventure game; 2007-2013)]]
*[[Sonic The Hedgehog (lost build of cancelled Sega CD port of Sega Genesis platformer; 1992)]]
*[[Sonic The Hedgehog: Awakening (lost build of cancelled "Sonic the Hedgehog" game; existence unconfirmed; late 2000s)]]
*[[Sonic X-Treme (found build of unreleased Sega Saturn platformer; 1996)]]
*[[Sonic at the Olympic Winter Games (found iOS game; 2010)]]
*[[Sonic the Hedgehog "2006" (lost complete build of Xbox 360/PlayStation 3 platformer; 2006)]]
*[[Sonic the Hedgehog (lost Tokyo Toy Show prototype build of Sega Genesis/Mega Drive platformer; 1990)]]
*[[Sonic the Hedgehog (lost Winter Consumer Electronics Show 1991 demo build of Sega Genesis/Mega Drive platformer; 1991)]]
*[[Sonic the Hedgehog (lost build of cancelled Amiga port of Sega Genesis platformer; 1992)]]
*[[Sonic-16 (lost build of unreleased Sega Genesis/Mega Drive game based on "Sonic the Hedgehog" animated TV series; 1993)]]
*[[Sonic Runners (found endless runner mobile game; 2015)]]
 
==External Links==
*[http://info.sonicretro.org/Stealth Stealth; Sonic Retro]
*[https://info.sonicretro.org/The_Taxman The Taxman; Sonic Retro]
*[https://info.sonicretro.org/Sonic_the_Hedgehog_CD_(2011) Sonic CD (2011 remake); Sonic Retro]
*[https://info.sonicretro.org/Sonic_the_Hedgehog_(2013_game) Sonic the Hedgehog (2013 remake); Sonic Retro]
*[https://info.sonicretro.org/Sonic_the_Hedgehog_2_(2013) Sonic the Hedgehog 2 (2013 remake); Sonic Retro]
*[https://info.sonicretro.org/Sonic_the_Hedgehog_3_%26_Knuckles Sonic 3 & Knuckles; Sonic Retro]
 
==References==
{{reflist}}
 
[[Category:Lost video games]]
[[Category:Completely lost media]]

Latest revision as of 21:24, 25 January 2023

Download(62).jpeg

A still from Christian Whitehead's proof-of-concept video.

Status: Lost

Sonic The Hedgehog 3 is a Sega Genesis title released in 1994, that became a hit with fans and critics alike. Unfortunately, due to cartridge storage limitations and time constraints, almost half the content had to be cut from the final product. The removed content would later be re-purposed into Sonic & Knuckles, which could "lock on" and give extra content to the player when connected to Sonic 3. This created Sonic 3 & Knuckles, which is the complete and intended way to play through both of these games.

Background

In 2011, Christian Whitehead (a prominent figure in the Sonic fan community, going by the name "The Taxman" online, who was best known prior for creating the fan game Retro Sonic) was hired by Sega to make an iOS and Android port of Sonic CD using his handcrafted Retro Engine which recreated the physics of the original Genesis games. When it was released, it became a hit with fans and critics, later being ported to PlayStation 3, Xbox 360 and Steam.

Two years later in 2013, Christian was hired once again by Sega to port both Sonic the Hedgehog 1 & 2 to iOS and Android, this time joined by Simon Thomley (another well-respected member of the Sonic fan community, going by the name "Stealth" online, best known prior for the fangames Sonic Megamix, Sonic the Hedgehog GBA and Knuckles the Echidna in Sonic the Hedgehog). Both the Sonic 1 and Sonic 2 ports did really well, helped by all of the new content added to the game by Christian and Simon.

Taxman and Stealth, hoping to follow up on this trail of success, attempted to have Sonic 3 & Knuckles ported to iOS. However, when the port's development began, legal issues arose with one of the composers, Brad Buxer, who did not want his work to be used. This hindered the project from continuing.

Availability

As of now, neither files from the game have or the IPA file itself have resurfaced or leaked. Neither Christian Whitehead nor Sega has given any word on the port's potential cancellation.

The only known footage from the iOS port comes from a 2:44 video from Christian and Simon released in October 2014 on YouTube, showing the proof of concept in action. This video showcases the game running on an iPhone, featuring Sonic and Knuckles running through a remade version of the game's first level, Angel Island Zone Act 1. Various versions of the Blue Spheres special stage also appear, along with the Slot Machine, Gumball Machine and Glowing Spheres bonus stages. The video is set to a remix of the Angel Island Zone Act 1 music by composer Tee Lopes, who would later collaborate with The Taxman and Stealth on 2017's Sonic Mania, composing the score for the game.

On May 27th, 2021, a Classic Sonic compilation titled Sonic Origins was announced for modern consoles. It will include Sonic 1, Sonic 2, Sonic CD, and finally, Sonic 3 & Knuckles. While the footage of Sonic 1, 2 and CD in the announcement showed the Christian Whitehead versions, the footage of Sonic 3 & Knuckles was of its original, unaltered ROM. Despite this, a SEGA social media manager revealed on Twitter that the version of Sonic 3 included in the compilation will, indeed, be in widescreen as well.[1]

Later, on April 20th, 2022, a trailer for Sonic Origins was released, revealing the iOS ports of Sonic 1, 2, and CD would be used.[2] Shortly afterward, Simon Thomley revealed that the version of Sonic 3 & Knuckles included was developed by him.[3] He later explicitly clarified that this would not be the proof-of-concept he made with an earlier version of the Retro Engine,[4] though the version seen in Origins would contain many enhancements planned within the original mobile pitch[5] as well as graphical updates it had, such as proper transparency for the glass in the capsule Bonus Stage[6].

Sonic Origins released on June 23rd, 2022, bringing with it a new remaster of Sonic 3 & Knuckles. Although a separate project from this proof-of-concept, graphics reading "TOUCH TO START" can be found within the game's files[7], implying at least the assets from this pitch were re-used to recreate the game.

Gallery

Footage of the proof of concept.

See Also

External Links

References