>>Sonic 3 >>Competition Mode FAQ >>©2010 AJBSONIC (ajbsonic@aol.com) This FAQ can only be posted on GameFAQs. Relevant, constructive email regarding this FAQ (such as new tactics or revised information) must have “Sonic 3 Competition FAQ” as the subject. Please don’t send me elitist emails bragging about your best times, this isn’t a contest. CONTENTS: I: Intro II: Fake Story III: Basic Information IV: Characters V: Items VI: Course Overview VII: Advanced Techniques VIII: Special Thanks >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> I: Intro Sonic the Hedgehog 3 (& Knuckles) is undeniably one of the hallmark games of the Sonic series and one of the strongest offerings the Sega Genesis has to offer. Sonic 2 was the first of the series to offer a splitscreen multiplayer mode, and remains a fan-favorite mode to this day. Sonic 3 continues the multiplayer tradition but takes it a step further. Instead of racing through condensed versions of the main game zones, Sonic 3 offers 5 unique, made-for- multiplayer zones and 3 playable characters, each with their own special attributes. Also taking advantage of Sonic 3’s save features, best times for each zone are saved, enticing you to perfect your runs and get your time lower and lower. Sonic 3’s Competition Mode may not have gained as much popularity as Sonic 2’s multiplayer mode, but it’s still nothing to ignore. I personally prefer Sonic 3’s mode over 2’s, mainly because the courses are designed for pure speed and have been optimized to run in the multiplayer game engine (with no framerate drops to speak of, something Sonic 2’s VS mode cannot boast). This FAQ will cover as much of the mode as possible and offer strategies to get your times as low as possible. >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> II. Fake Story The game manual never mentions a story to go along with this mode, so I’m making one up that happens to fit quite nicely between the storylines of Sonic 3 and Sonic 4. >>Competition Mode...aka Sonic 3.5 After destroying the Death Egg and saving the Master Emerald, Sonic, Tails, and Knuckles return to the Floating Island to celebrate their victory. Sonic is one who hates to sit still, so the trio sought out for something fun and light-hearted to do when Knuckles realized there were still parts of the Floating Island that they have not explored together. With no Badniks and no Robotnik influences, the three decided to hold friendly races in these new zones. Sonic, Tails and Knuckles all raced their hardest and won various zones based on how the zones played upon their unique abilities. In the end, they mutually decided to take a small break from each other and venture off solo. That’s when Sonic stumbled upon Splash Hill Zone... >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> III: Basic Information Competition Mode consists of short, specialized zones designed to infinitely loop. Each zone begins at a unique starpost (sans the star). An eggcrate- styled font will appear on your half of the screen counting down 3,2,1,GO! During this time you have full control of your character; if you step past the post before the GO!, you will FAULT and the zone and countdown will reset. There is no real penalty for faulting, but no gain to it either. Each zone lasts 5 laps, your lap counter appears on the top-right of your screen and your timer clearly appears on the top-left. In the bottom-center of the screen is a small box, this shows what item you’re currently holding (more on items in Section V). Although there are no Badniks, some zones still have environmental hazards, and you can die from them. Losing a life forfeits the lap and you must restart from the post. Entering the Competition Menu from the Title Screen gives you three modes of play (and one of my favorite music tracks from the game): >>Grand Prix: A 2P mode where you play through the zones in order, with the winner calculated by shortest overall time. Frustratingly, after one player wins, the other has a few seconds to finish before the game automatically retires him/her, resulting in a time of 9’49”99. >>Match Race: A 2P mode where you race through one zone of your choice. Unlike Grand Prix, the loser has a chance to fully finish his/her race. >>Time Attack: Essentially a 1P-only version of Match Race. Your best 3 times in this mode are saved, along with the character you used. This mode is what truly saves Competition Mode and extends the replay value considerably. Pressing up and down will change the mode, and left/right will toggle the use of items in 2P modes (more on that in Section V). Items are automatically disabled in Time Attack. (A and C confirm menu choices and B cancels.) After deciding your mode, You then select your character with left/right. Then you choose your zone and the game begins (Grand Prix begins immediately after the character select). Characters handle very differently than they do in the main game, mainly, momentum and jump height are noticeably exaggerated. As in the main game but more noticeably in Competition, jumps are indicative of how long the button is held down. A light tap gives a small jump where a hold down gives a large, hangtime jump. Mastering the slippery controls is key. >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> IV: Characters Competition has 3 playable characters: Sonic, Tails, and Knuckles. Notably, this is the only way to play as Knuckles in Sonic 3 without being locked-on to Sonic & Knuckles. I assume that Competition Mode was already completed when Sonic 3 & Knuckles was intended to be one game, so naturally Knuckles would be a playable character. When the decision was made to split the game, Knuckles stayed in Competition, although he did sacrifice some of his signature moves in the process. >>Sonic: A speedy blue hedgehog constantly defeating his nemesis Dr. Robotnik and foiling his evil plans. In Competition, Sonic is the fastest of the three characters but also has the weakest traction. As in the main game, Sonic can spindash by pressing down and jump (more jumps, higher rev). It appears that Sonic also retained his insta- shield by pressing jump twice, however the move is completely useless and isn’t even visually recognized (you just hear the sound effect). >>Tails: Sonic’s right-hand man, first introduced in Sonic 2. In Competition, Tails is the slowest to reach full speed but boasts the highest jump. Tails can spindash just like Sonic and also retains his flight abilities using his trademark two tails. Flight operates just like in the main game (press jump twice, more jumps will fly higher and Tails will eventually tire out) and is just as useful, but in a mode that relies solely on speed it is generally unadvised as the move is rather slow. >>Knuckles: The newcomer to the Sonic franchise and guardian of the Floating Island and Master Emerald. In Competition, Knuckles’ speed falls between Sonic and Tails but he has the most traction. Knuckles can also spindash, and his jump is about the same height as Sonic’s, a vast difference from the main game. Since Knuckles didn’t make his true playable debut until Sonic & Knuckles, his wall climbing and gliding moves are absent from this mode. It is unclear if Knuckles would have had these moves if Sonic 3 & Knuckles was not split, but the lack of moves is not detrimental to his Competition performance. Although each character has advantages over the other, they are ultimately well-balanced against each other and each character has at least one zone that they perform best in. >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> V: Items In the 2P modes, you have the option to play with items. Items have always been a curious oddity to Competition since the game manual makes no mention to them and some of the items are difficult to comprehend. I personally think the items were a lame-efforted addition to the mode since the laps move too fast for the items to really have full effect, but they can be fun to play with. Starting with the second lap, two items will circle in the air nearby the post. Grabbing the icon activates the item. Items can be offensive or defensive and may be one-time use or held (in the HUD box mentioned earlier). >>Red Shoe: This item is held in your HUD box and drastically increases your max speed. Coupled with the exaggerated physics of Competition, you will move *extremely* fast. However this can prove to backfire on you since you’ll be much more vulnerable to extended hangtime after shooting off of ramps. Eventually the item will flash and fade away. >>Silver Shoe: This item is held in your HUD box and drastically decreases your max speed. Coupled with the exaggerated physics of Competition, you will move *extremely* slowly. You will have to rely on your spindash (or Tails’ flight) to overcome even the smallest of ramps. Eventually the item will flash and fade away. >>Circular Arrows: This one-time use item is a blue circle with arrows inside pointing around in a loop. This item steals what your opponent currently has. If your opponent is not carrying an item, then this does nothing. >>Spring: This one-time use item falls to the ground after being touched, and sends whoever hits it high into the air. This is simply meant to shake off your opponent. >>Banana Peel: This one-time use item also falls to the ground after being activated. Whoever touches it next will get slipped up momentarily. >>Ring: This item is held in your HUD box and acts as a hit point from opponent tactics. >>Bomb: This sinister one-time use item looks curiously like an evil Knuckles. When touched, it will lower to the ground and accelerate through the course backwards. Anyone who touches the bomb will lose a life and has to restart their lap. >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> VI: Course Overview Competition Mode features 5 completely unique zones based on classic Sonic clichés. This section will outline each one individually and highlight key features, traps and the like. For fun I’ll also list my personal best time. Though I’ve played these courses for over 15 years, I’m by no means bragging that my times are the best and can definitely be improved upon. --- ZONE 1: Azure Lake Aesthetic: A mountainous Angel Island turned purple Difficulty: Easy Best character: Sonic My best time: 0’22”55 (Sonic) Run-through: Azure Lake starts with a drop loop followed by a standard loop, then a 90-degree ramp shoots you in the air. Your momentum will bring you to the top of 2 layered platforms with a large orange tree blocking your progress, forcing you to zigzag down the platforms to the ground. Following this is another 90-degree ramp completing the circuit. Traps: A switch on top of the layered platforms triggers a red spring in the middle of the loop section, knocking your opponent backwards. There is also a small pool of mud immediately following the first 90-degree loop, taken right from Oil Ocean. You can bounce up the oil but if you sink all the way through you’ll die (though it’s very hard to do this accidentally). --- ZONE 2: Balloon Park Aesthetic: Carnival Night with a heavy circus theme Difficulty: Medium Best character: Knuckles My best time: 0’35”79 (Knuckles) Run-through: Balloon Park also starts with a drop loop that leads into a large pit. 2 large platforms making up the floor move left and right, with a small gap just big enough for your character between them. Falling through the gap leads to another pit with 3 bumpers. To the right is a 90-degree ramp leading to shaft with 2 yellow balloons. Bouncing directly on top of the balloons will shoot you straight up back to the post. Traps: Bumpers will not hurt you but can annoyingly get in the way. The real trap of this level are the balloons. Hitting them anywhere than directly on top will shoot you in the opposite direction, bouncing you all over the lower pit and bumpers. There’s also a small delay between breaking a balloon and a replacement inflating, which can lead to errors in timing when getting up the shaft. --- ZONE 3: Chrome Gadget Aesthetic: Industrialized Star Light Difficulty: Hard Best character: Tails My best time: 0’34”48 Run-through: My personal favorite, Chrome Gadget starts with a platform that sinks downwards to the level proper. To the left of the platform are two floors with red springs at the end. To the right are 3 industrial fans that lift you up to the next platform, with red springs leading up to a higher, smaller platform. Across this platform is a small, narrow passageway, and between you is a very narrow U-shaped pit. Through the passageway is a small shaft of Metropolis-style yellow bumpers, leading down to the post. *Point of Interest*: This is the only zone that loops vertically rather than horizontally, resulting in a small graphical glitch: the moon is only visible in the background for the first lap, since the backdrop is moving down as you run down the course. Traps: The underside of the sinking platform is electrified and will kill. (Also note that the platform sinks faster with 2 characters on it.) The narrow pit is very problematic, to make it worse there is a spring hidden under the entrance of the passageway. It’s controlled by a switch on the platform after the fans, and can be pointed up towards the passageway ceiling (stalling your opponent), or jutted out (pointed up or down) into the pit. This is hands-down the trickiest section of Competition Mode. This switch seems to be the only one that also activates in Time Attack (generally traps are deactivated in 1P mode), and is just as likely to trip you up as badly as your opponent, so be very careful. --- ZONE 4: Desert Palace Aesthetic: Sandopolis with Chemical Plant/Aquatic Ruin level design Difficulty: Easy Best character: Sonic My best time: 0’34”08 (Sonic) Run-through: Desert Palace starts with a ramp leading down and then straight up a 90-degree ramp. Then comes a huge downward ramp leading to a very tall, narrow loop that ejects you into a large quicksand pit. Following the pit is a semi-sharp upward ramp and slightly-downward path, leading to another 90- degree ramp. A long collapsing bridge then leads you back to the post. Traps: The quicksand is as deadly as the mud from Azure Lake. To aid you out of the sand is a small platform that collapses when you step on it; a red switch following it restores the platform. This switch also activates a red spring just before the tall loop, pointing backwards. Finally, the collapsing bridge at the end stretches over the quicksand, and regenerates on its own. --- ZONE 5: Endless Mine Aesthetic: Lava Reef Act2 colored green and even more demure Difficulty: Easy Best character: Sonic My best time: 0’46”78 (Sonic) Run-through: Easily the longest of the Competition zones, Endless Mine starts with a few steps downwards leading to a red spring that sends you up a shaft. Following the path, 3 yellow rocks block your way downward, reminiscent of Marble Zone. Breaking the blocks and continuing right is a very broad U- shaped pit with the path following on the upper landing. This path leads back down to the ground behind the foreground imagery, ending with a basic loop before joining back up with the post. Traps: There really aren’t any here. The yellow blocks are hardly a challenge and there are no switches. The only true detriment is that you might get caught up in off-screen hangtime after going back up the U-shaped pit, as the passageway is rather narrow (but not nearly as bad as Chrome Gadget’s). >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> VII: Advanced Techniques Now that we know what each course is like, here are the master tricks of the trade in order to get your Time Attack scores as low as possible. These techniques are generally meant for optimal performance in 1P mode; offensive tactics when racing another character were outlined in the previous section. --- ALL ZONES >> Avoid running straight up a 90-degree ramp, as this will generally result in you flying up in the air and caught in off-screen hangtime for a few seconds. Instead, jump just before the ramp, right onto the landing without sacrificing speed. >> A common speed trick used by Sonic speed-runners, when going around a loop, jump very lightly *just after* passing the 9:00 position. If done correctly, you’ll jump for a split second but immediately land on the curve leading back down to the ground, going about twice your usual max speed. >> Although it is tempting, never use Tails’ flight ability. It’s just not as fast as using proper timing, even in the tricky sections of Balloon Park and Chrome Gadget. >> During the countdown, don’t hesitate trying to get as close to the post as you can before you can actually start. Faulting has no time penalty. --- ZONE 1: Azure Lake >> Sonic’s high acceleration works best in this speed-driven course. >> Spindash right from the start and use the loop trick on the first loop but not the second or else you’ll probably get hangtime and miss the shortcut. >> After the second loop, jump the 90-degree ramp and run straight ahead. Your speed will cruise right over the mud pit and place you immediately on the ground, avoiding the layered platforms entirely. >> Once you get a good feel for the zone you’ll be able to complete it by holding right the entire time. --- ZONE 2: Balloon Park >> Knuckles’ traction really helps in this tactical course. >> Spindash up the initial drop loop but jump immediately once you clear it to land directly on the ground. Going too fast will send you straight up the other side, hitting a bumper and losing time. >> Getting past the narrow gap quickly involves a small amount of luck. It is possible to go directly through it from the jump following the drop loop if you’re lined up perfectly. Try to fall through when the gap is off-center to help avoid the 3 bumpers lined up beneath you. >> The 90-degree ramp preceeding the first balloon is probably the only time you’ll want to run straight up it, as you can use the minimal hangtime to line up your balloon break. Do *not* spindash up this ramp thinking you can bypass the first balloon. For a true time attack, you have only one chance to break the balloons cleanly. Don’t rush. --- ZONE 3: Chrome Gadget >> Tails’ high jump is a godsend in this even more tactical course. >> Spindash immediately to the platform and then immediately run (don’t spindash) towards the first left-side floor. (Roll along the floor once you have enough speed). You want to hit the red spring on the bottom floor, sending you straight toward the fans. The timing can be a little tricky, moving too fast or too slow can send you back onto the platform or even worse, underneath it without clearance, killing you. >> Hold right as you go up the air current. At the top, Sonic and Knuckles usually get caught on the lip of the platform due to the switch being right on the edge, but Tails’ size allows him to land on the lip easily. From here, Tails’ jump allows him to clear the spring pit entirely, something Sonic and Knuckles cannot do. >> Jump a little past halfway on the tall landing to clear the U-shaped pit and slip into the narrow passage. It may take you a few tries to determine your exact spot. Allow the yellow bumpers to knock you down the shaft as you’ll want the speed boost they give you. >> Do *not* hit the white switch as it can make the tricky jump even more painful. --- ZONE 4: Desert Palace >> Sonic works best in this speed-driven course. >> At the start, jump right across the small pit. The 90-degree ramp heading out of it is notorious for bad hangtime. No spindashing. >> Run straight down the steep drop. The Aquatic Ruin-style huge loop is too big to take advantage of so just run it as well. Run about halfway across the sand pit and time your jump so you land just past the red switch, right onto the ramp. >> Just as you start climbing the steep upward ramp, jump. You’ll bypass the climb and wind up right at the top. Continue running until about the halfway point of the shallow path and you’ll bypass the 90-degree ramp leading towards the collapsing bridge. >> Run straight across the collapsing bridge towards the post. At full speed the bridge will hold long enough for you to cross it. --- ZONE 5: Endless Mine >> Though neither a highly speedy or tactical course, Sonic still works best because there is a lot of ground to cover. >> Spindash at the post towards the spring. The ceiling drops down just before the spring making a wall, and unless you’re moving at a faster-than- running speed you’ll smack into the wall. If you’re really fast your momentum will clip you just underneath the wall and directly onto the spring. >> There’s no shortcut around the rock-breaking section. Breaking all 3 blocks doesn’t take up much more time than breaking just the 2 right-side blocks, so just get through this section as fast as you can. >> Maintain a normal running speed through the broad U-pit. If you go too fast you’ll miss the exit at the top-right and fly off-screen for a few precious seconds. >> Do the loop trick at the very end to get to your faster-than-running speed, setting you up to bypass the wall at the start of the next lap. >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> VIII: Special Thanks SEGA/Sonic Team: For creating some spectacular games, especially Sonic 1-3&K. Parents: For making this game one of my Christmas presents back in 1995. You, the Reader: For allowing this FAQ to have a purpose. >>END OF FAQ