| smbhax [sys=PC; cat=Platformer; reg=UC] |
| | | ("Angel Island Revisited")
https://sonic3air.org/
Fan revamp for Sonic 3 & Knuckles (see entry 2102); requires the Genesis ROM (I got mine by dumping and combining the Sonic 3 and Sonic & Knuckles roms from my ripped iso of Sonic's Ultimate Genesis Collection (PS3)--see entry 2077--using "Chief Hydropolis's Ultimate Genesis Extractor" ( https://github.com/possiblyamagicmage/sonictools ).
Adds widescreen, music select--can play using the original music from the carts, whereas Sonic Origins for instance removed the MJ tracks apparently--scores and scores of tweaks, and user-made mod support (although in theory you can get that in origins by installing Hedge Mod Manager).
The game runs in NTSC 224 lines rather than PAL 240 lines like they do in Origins; it's fun to have the sprites effectively zoomed in at 224, but I think I prefer to see a bit more with 240. |
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| | | | I'm kinda tired of having Origins taking up 8 GB on my hard drive, and anyway I do like the zoom, so I guess I'll try A.I.R.--rather than Mednafen, as AIR lets you swap out the 3 MJ zone music tracks with the (leaked from old PC collection or something?) prototypes (further developed for the replacement tracks in Origins). |
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| | | | (There's a romhack that purports to do the music track swap too but I couldn't get that to work with my SUGC ROM in Mednafen--just goes to an error screen.) |
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| | | Found just one A.I.R. complete game romhack (there's also a non-AIR version; there aren't many S3K romhacks period, outside of AIR--and not many full game conversions for AIR):
https://github.com/ThornTSC/S3DAGE
Info: https://info.sonicretro.org/Sonic_3:_D.A._Garden_Edition |
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| | | | I found a romhack to do the music swap (DX Edition) so I may only need AIR for S3DAGE--since I'd prefer to play the Genesis games in Mednafen...even though S3K seems to have some slowdown in it. 'p' (Which was possibly on actual hardware?) But AIR probably has more changes, doesn't seem to have a 4:3 option, and anyway doesn't have save states. |
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| | | | Because Sonic hacks got so complex that they were including non-legal content anyway, I guess, distributing them as IPS patches became pointless so apparently the current thing is just putting them out as full game .bin files; so "legal" hacks will likely only be coming as mods for Sonic Mania, Sonic 3 A.I.R., or I suppose Sonic Origins; the most full conversion activity so far has been for Mania. |
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| | | | (Although it looks like mod activity may be switching from Mania to Mania "decomp," ie the decompiled version of Mania--since modders can change way more if they have the "source" code. That doesn't fit into my stiff little idea of what's strictly legal so I won't be getting those mods either.) |
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| | | | Cheats mod 'cause I couldn't handle the final boss anymore. : P https://gamebanana.com/mods/477843 |
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D.A. Garden Edition as Sonic
1:35 - menus & options
10:20 - playthrough
4:13:01 - cheats mod 'p'
4:31:12 - ending & credits
D.A. Garden Edition makes a lot of the Sonic 3 & Knuckles stages way less repetitive, and far more varied and interesting! It's pretty much exactly what S3&K needs. I sure wish they could'a made the final two-phase boss fight more fun though. Not to mention the one before it with dropping drone things on a boss thing eh bleh.
Oh well I broke down and have the A.I.R. Cheats mode installed now so I mean I guess I COULD just keep playing A.I.R. instead of regular 3&K. I just sure wish it had save states, y'know? I mean dang. 'p'
... HAH so A.I.R. has \bonus\oxygenengine\OxygenApp.exe which is its "Dev Mode" which HAS save states, in a slightly crude function key menu. There isn't an obvious way to load published mods in that though. But yeah so save states are good enough for devs, but not their dirty players, eh? Bah. I was on the edge about deleting A.I.R.--well now it's double-deleted, baby. Wotta rip. |
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