Topic: Sonic & Knuckles for Virtual Console Detailed

[Flames_of_chaos]

Sega's title will emulate cartridge lock-on feature on Japanese Virtual Console.
 http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/newsArt.cfm?artid=20184

 Sega of Japan has recently announced that Sonic & Knuckles will be released on Virtual Console in Japan. Like its counterpart on Xbox Live Arcade, this downloadable version will replicate every feature of the original title, including its revolutionary lock-on technology.    

When you boot up Sonic & Knuckles, if you have any of the three Sega Genesis Sonic games on your Wii you will be able to "lock-on" the game through a menu. Once you select your game you will be able to access all the bonus content, including extra bonus stages in Sonic 1, the ability to use Knuckles in Sonic 2, and access to an additional stage in Sonic 3.    

Sonic & Knuckles will be available on October 27 in Japan for 600 Wii Points, the standard price of a Sega Genesis title in Japan.

[TJ Spyke]

This is great news, I know some people wondered if this would happen or if we would just get the basic game only. This could boost sales of the other Sonic games. I hope they don't keep this in Japan.

[NinGurl69 *huggles]

This is INSAAAAAAAAAAAAAANE

[Pale]

I wonder how it works technically.... Any reports on the size of the Sonic and Knuckles game?

Basically, I'm curious if it is using the actual ROM of the other games, or if it is just looking for them and a copy of the ROM is included in Sonic and Knuckles.

If it actually uses the other games, as it should, this is another sign of Nintendo becoming more flexible with downloaded games and content.  I hope they actually get it right eventually.

[Jonnyboy117]

Awesome news! Good work, Sega! I gotta tell TYP about this, he'll be thrilled.

[Peachylala]

I wonder how long it will take NoA to get this out.

[Caterkiller]

Ok great. I didn't like playing Mega Collection with the GC controller any way. So this just sold me.

[vudu]

I wonder if the games have to be on your Wii console's system memory or if they can be on the SD card.

[EasyCure]

Don't kill me for this but...

I remember Sonic & Knuckles being a big deal back in the day, but I didn't really know why. My cousin was the Sega console owner, I was the Nintendo console owner and we'd always play eachothers systems at the others house. I remember playing it, shortly (never really got into the Sonic games) but it didn't feel like a big deal...

[Pale]

I wonder if the games have to be on your Wii console's system memory or if they can be on the SD card.

Oh jeezus... good point. I'm bettinig on system memory which would piss me off enough to not buy it.

[stevey]

I wonder if the games have to be on your Wii console's system memory or if they can be on the SD card.

I'm 100% sure that the ROM data for all three games have to be on the Wii internal flash memory one way or another to use these feature. Now if all the ROMs are inside S&K channel already then all you need are just the tickets for S1/2/3, but if they are not included, then all the game have to be on the Wii's main memory. It takes up more memory doing it in the latter way but if you don't have S1/2/3 then the former has the biggest waste of space used. Considering bandwidth and the fact include more ROMs for the same cost is unnerving for Sega, I'm willing to bet that it is the latter method with all four ROM separate will be the case.

If it actually uses the other games, as it should, this is another sign of Nintendo becoming more flexible with downloaded games and content.  I hope they actually get it right eventually.

I doubt that since Nintendo does not include the "SD key" it uses in the Wii dev-kit for reading and saving encrypted files on the SD card. Now Sega could easily get the key illegal and hope for the best but that unlikely.

[BlackNMild2k1]

I wonder if the games have to be on your Wii console's system memory or if they can be on the SD card.

Oh jeezus... good point. I'm bettinig on system memory which would piss me off enough to not buy it.

Nintendo always has to figure out a way to spoil the fun ever so slightly.


Oh you want some cake? Fine, here have some, take a big slice, put it on the plate...
But the plate is gonna be 1 foot above your head and you can only use a chopsticks to eat it.

[that Baby guy]

This news just made my day

Edit:  When Sonic 3 came out, I completed a file for every combo of characters, including all the chaos emeralds.  Then I accidentally deleted it, but still, I was ready for this announcement!

[Mop it up]

This game isn't as good as Sonic 2 and 3. I wonder if people will buy it just for the extras it gives the other games?

[that Baby guy]

It's better than Sonic 2, and is a part of Sonic 3.  I'll buy it for the fun and experiences.

[TheYoungerPlumber]

Awesome news! Good work, Sega! I gotta tell TYP about this, he'll be thrilled.

Actually, I won't, because this is exactly what they should have included in Sonic's "Ultimate" Genesis Collection, which I already bought. I didn't think Sega would actually do this on VC, though, so for folks that don't already own three copies of Sonic & Knuckles, awesome!

I have to wonder if this is "true" lock-on technology, which will retain your game save from Sonic 3, or if Sega's really just including multiple ROM images in the Sonic & Knuckles download and checking your other purchases to unlock variants....

[that Baby guy]

You'd have to know how they wrote the game data.  I'd guess it's actual lock-on tech, because I doubt Nintendo would want to send out extra rom images, since there'd be a chance it could be abused.