sonic 3d (bizzare) level select

**Eviltaco64** · 02-15-2009

I remember a couple years ago I put Sonic 3D in my Genesis, turned it on, and either before or after the "SEGA!" logo this screen flashed and said something like "You have accessed the secret (either level select or stage)!" and proceeded to freeze.

I was about 10 years old when this happened, and it never happened again. I'm not sure if it's real or not, but I definitely remember something like that happening.

randyrandall · 02-16-2009

I remember I knocked the Sonic 3D cart once and it took me to the level select; hence, I used to turn it on with the cart not quite inserted right and wobble it to get the level select ;)

**Fonzie** · 02-16-2009

I remember a French magazine saying there were a mechanism to detect the shocks on the cartridge (console +?)... lol...
Yes, its rather definitively the exception errors that are unlocking this cheat, like said previously in this topic :)

**Cactusjack1999** · 02-24-2009

A long time ago, You could do this to Super Mario 64 and it would make mario behave really weird or lose his legs and arms or something.

**XxHennersXx** · 02-25-2009

zelda64 - crooked cartrdige glitch. tilt it, you can activate a secret menu and debug screen. glitch through walls, etc.

You can do a swordless link pretty much.

mario 64 - you could make mario run backwards and limbo and other stuff.

as for genesis, swapping carts sometimes got you cool things.

obviously sonic 3d was programmed that if it crashes, to give you level select. Probably for debuging. wiggling teh cart causes errors, so it takes you to level select.

**Mr. Casual** · 02-25-2009

I remember something kind of bizarre happening to my on my N64, I played Goemon 64 without the cart in it or some weird crap. Never happened again.

The game froze while I was in the first town area.

Whats weirder, I remember vaguely seeing a menu of past games played on the console, and I selected Goemon from a list, and it worked. Or something like that.

I remember saying this before and everyone thought I was crazy, but I kind of remember something like that happening.

**XxHennersXx** · 02-25-2009

Originally Posted by Mr. Casual

I remember something kind of bizarre happening to my on my N64, I played Goemon 64 without the cart in it or some weird crap. Never happened again.

The game froze while I was in the first town area.

Whats weirder, I remember vaguely seeing a menu of past games played on the console, and I selected Goemon from a list, and it worked. Or something like that.

I remember saying this before and everyone thought I was crazy, but I kind of remember something like that happening.

probably held start while turning on your console. that is how you access the memory card manager.

edit: wait i just reread it. You're crazy. You were dreaming.

**Codeman** · 02-25-2009

I remember a cool swap cart cheat for Sonic 3.

The level select cheat for Sonic 3 is very hard to perform, only got it to work 2 or 3 times after all these years.

So the easier way was to do the easier level select cheat in Sonic & Knuckles and then swap the cart for Sonic 3 and reset, and then the level select menu would be activated in sonic 3 :D

**Yakumo** · 02-25-2009

Do you want to see something crazy? Check out the extra options on my Japanese Super Aleste cartridge. These only ever appeared once!

For those who don't know, the Japanese version has more options than the western one however the DEATH and what looks like a round select option are not normally there. I have no idea how they appeared. One day I put the game on in the normal correct way and there they were! I played the game went back to the options and they were still there. Just as I was about to check them out my son wakes up (typical isn't it :nod:) so I switch off the game only to find the next time I play it those mystery options are gone.

Yakumo

**rod_wod** · 02-28-2009

Tap the cart on the option screen something might happen again.
i dunno what dose the death option do.

**skavenger216** · 02-28-2009

Originally Posted by Yakumo

Do you want to see something crazy? Check out the extra options on my Japanese Super Aleste cartridge. These only ever appeared once!

If it wasnt for the fact that were talking genesis/md here, which obviously did not keep track of date or time, than id say maybe those options only show up on certain calendar dates. I cant recall any specific examples, but i swear i remember a couple saturn and ps2 games that had features that you would only see on certain days.

**XxHennersXx** · 02-28-2009

Originally Posted by skavenger216

If it wasnt for the fact that were talking genesis/md here, which obviously did not keep track of date or time, than id say maybe those options only show up on certain calendar dates. I cant recall any specific examples, but i swear i remember a couple saturn and ps2 games that had features that you would only see on certain days.

probably uses internal clock ala Animal crossing

**Yakumo** · 02-28-2009

No, only 1 SFC games uses an internal clock (on the cart). The first console to use internal clock stuff was the Saturn. The PlayStation didn't have an internal clock.

Yakumo

**ASSEMbler** · 02-28-2009

Yakumo, it might be related to the pins being in contact / out of contact.

I know most carts only use the center contacts, you could try covering the two side protrusions to either side of that. if they have traces on them.

**drx** · 02-28-2009

Here's how the Sonic 3D level select works:

The Megadrive has various hardware interrupts (ints interrupt the current executed code in case of a hardware exception/error and run a user-specified code), like Illegal Instruction, Bus Error, A/F-line errors, etc etc.

Now in Sonic 3D, all those interrupts (except reset and startup) are forwarded to the level select code. So in effect, whenever you shock the cart, etc, you trigger an error that would usually hang up the console, and you get 'the secret level select'. Nifty, eh? :)

If anyone cares, I have followed the development of Sonic 3d (through various prototypes, I have quite a bunch of them), and while the level select has been there from early on, they added the hardware interrupt thingy in the very last build (or one of the very last builds, I only have daily builds, I assume they are the only ones but who knows).

**Haruglory** · 03-04-2009

Originally Posted by randyrandall

I remember I knocked the Sonic 3D cart once and it took me to the level select; hence, I used to turn it on with the cart not quite inserted right and wobble it to get the level select ;)

Pretty old thread but remembers me a funny thing. I had that game at 6 yo and remember i got to the Sega Cheats Service on Minitel (a kinda odd pre internet french videotext service) and it just said to knock the cartridge to get the select level menu ! I'm still pretty shocked Sega itself said to do that ! Looks like they wanted kids to ruin their Megadrive so they would buy a new one, they had loads to throw out at the time :D

**retro** · 03-04-2009

Originally Posted by Codeman

The level select cheat for Sonic 3 is very hard to perform, only got it to work 2 or 3 times after all these years.

Which one? The one you do on the Sega intro screen, or the in-game one? The in-game one was pretty easy.

Originally Posted by Skavenger216

I cant recall any specific examples, but i swear i remember a couple saturn and ps2 games that had features that you would only see on certain days.

Christmas Nights.

I'm surprised noone found a Nintendo "hack" by removing their cart. They always liked us fiddling with our games, going back to the Famicom Disk days....

:lol: