[Thorn]

Sonic Retro's been discussing this proof of concept video from The Taxman and Stealth of their initial work on an Android and iOS widescreen version of Sonic 3 & Knuckles. As you know, Sonic CD, Sonic 1, and Sonic 2 have all been released on these platforms in widescreen. Many people are pushing for Sonic 3 & Knuckles to receive this treatment, but SEGA has indicated no interest at this time, with a few people hinting that they have information pertaining to the supposed issues preventing the game's remaking (e.g., music). One thing that all are in agreement on is that SEGA of Japan is the biggest hurdle in the way of such a project, and fans are hoping to harness to power of social media to get attention.

Now, I can't imagine anybody on TSC would want such a thing. After all, a remake would have less glitches, and the current Sonic 3 & Knuckles competitors on TSC are all about splitting the game wide open and making the engine cry while performing time attacks that avoid as much of the actual level as possible. Wouldn't making people play the levels from start to finish as intended spoil the fun?

However, if you're feeling sympathetic to the average Joe who may want the game anyway, there's a Twitter hashtag going around that you can use to help further the cause. Use the hashtag #BringBackSonic3 and address @SEGA_OFFICIAL with your thoughts. Be sure to mention your awareness that it may require changing some assets due to rights issues (e.g., Sonic & Knuckles Collection was a release of the game for Windows 95 that used new music in many parts of the game), because if SEGA believes we'll only take a 100% faithful port of the game, then rights issues will bar any release. If you either really want the game or just like hopping on the bandwagon, try supporting the cause!

While you're there, if you want your Twitter home page flooded with records, why not follow @TheSonicCenter? Also, why not follow my page so that I don't ban you? *flees*

EDIT: GeneHF's thoughts on the topic.

[Thorn]

^ You're just jealous you can't fly be naked!

That said, I think the non-phone ports can come after getting the approval for the project at all. Let's take baby steps.

[Thorn]

I edited some wording and highlighted part of the original post. If you're not communicating that highlighted information (the message, of course, not the provided example), then your Tweet is basically useless!

[SpinDashMaster]

Now, I can't imagine anybody on TSC would want such a thing. After all, a remake would have less glitches, and the current Sonic 3 & Knuckles competitors on TSC are all about splitting the game wide open and making the engine cry while preforming time attacks that avoid as much of the actual level as possible. Wouldn't making people play the levels from start to finish as intended spoil the fun?

You took that a little too far. It's not like the game engine has a soul, or a brain, or a heart, or anything. BUT WE DO! ;(

As for the assets, keep in mind that S3(K) has been re-released several times since 1995 with all of its music intact (SMC, Gems, etc).

Anyway, good luck getting SEGA to notice or care. I'll throw my support behind this, but I have my doubts.

[Spinballwizard]

I'm personally in favor of less glitches. >_> <_<

* Spinballwizard sneak back into the shadows

[Thorn]

As for the assets, keep in mind that S3(K) has been re-released several times since 1995 with all of its music intact (SMC, Gems, etc).

These are all emulations of the original game, not remakes. How Sonic Jam got the original music despite being a port instead of an emulation is beyond me, but evidence is continually pointing toward issues with music rights. It's already well known that SEGA doesn't own the rights to the Sonic 1 and Sonic 2 soundtrack, leading to weird situations such as Splash Hill music in the background of the Green Hill stage in Sochi Olympics, and we've even found that Ice Cap's music is an unreleased single from The Jetzons. If there truly is a legal hang-up, it's the music.

[TimpZ]

Obligatory joke https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ynV2Zv1stwk

I personally don't care much for a rerelease on portable devices unless they do something new and interesting with it (like they did with hidden palace zone). Debugging it? The glitches are half the fun :(.

Also only having them available on portable devices like tablets seem like the biggest waste ever, just like the sonic 1 and 2 remakes in comparison with CD2011.

EDIT: Ok, like Thorn said, baby steps. But the fact remains that the game already is widely available, including on Steam. I feel like there's a lot that needs to be done in order to warrant a rerelease with that godawful PC-midi music or similar.

[SpinDashMaster]

OCRemix is a thing.

[TimpZ]

Well I guess that's a valid point, I personally like this remix of Ice Cap more than the Genesis original, though that's not saying much since Ice Cap is the weakest song in the entire game ˙͜>˙. But I think other songs like Launch base are beyond repair, it'd probably better to just make new songs or something.

Anyway, CD2011 desperately needed a rerelease when that came out. Sonic 1 needed a version with spindash that wasn't Sonic Genesis I guess together with some elemental shields, Tails/Knuckles and whatnot. Sonic 2 got Hidden Palace and I think a few other S3K tweaks but can't remember exactly. What is there to tweak in S3K that isn't already great? I can't come up with anything other than stuff like boss rush, time attack mode or stuff similar to Sonic 3 Complete.

[SpinDashMaster]

New element types for shields could be innovative; for instance, Earth shields that would let sonic plow through a thin floor to the space underneath (or make him float on mud like in Marble Garden), or perhaps a wind shield that can remove protective layers from nearby robots (like Orbinauts or those thingies from Mushroom Hill), or even an ice shield which freezes sonic in place and offers a temporary immunity to damage.

Could even go as far as to make the glitches into shields (minus the zipping) -- for instance, a slope glitch shield would be pretty badass. And it would be more balanced if it didn't combo so well with ceiling breaks and wallzips.

Wheel glitch shield could be fun too.

[SB737]

If they make glitches what sonic is supposed to do in the game, then technically the game isn't broken ;)

But yeah on another note, it's like sonic 1&2 and cd all had extra something such as characters, or elemental shield, these features were already present in sonic 3&knuckles, if a new stage of two was made that'd be really cool, or perhaps merging act 1 and 2 into one big stage with a longer time limit, a time attack and boss attack would be neat, but anyhow the trilogy needs completing

[SpinDashMaster]

I wonder if this has anything to do with why Sonic 4 doesn't have an Episode 3.

[magnum12]

Possibly.

On a side note: let us congratulate Mike 89 for having an appearance in the 2014 Guiness Book of World Records (video game edition) for his speed run of Sonic 2. I should know, I've read the book.

[PsyMar]

Speaking of social media, why hasn't @TheSonicCenter been updated in years?

[TimpZ]

If you're talking about the twitter account then you're wrong. Last tweet was 2 hours ago.