The Story of Sonic & Knuckles, Lock-On™ Technology and The End of The Golden Age of 16-Bit Gaming!!!

In 1994 Sega executed a two-part strategy for Sonic the Hedgehog 3. Part two of the plan involved a new interface that made game cartridges backwards compatible. If only Nintendo hadn't gotten in the way... (Chapter markers and more below) Missed the Story of Sonic 3? https://youtu.be/1x8Sbi0pScs Also, don't forget to come back in November for the story of Donkey Kong Country, and see the 90s gaming rivalry from the Nintendo side! 0:00 GTV ID: To Be Continued Where Available 0:04 Prologue: The Beginning of the End 0:58 Act 1: From Day to Day 8:55 CM 1: Elves' Story Part One (U.S., 1994) 9:13 Act 2 Locked and Loaded 16:03 CM 2: Worldwide Lock-On (Japan, 1994) 16:28 Act 3: Knuckle Sandwich 25:10 CM 3: What are You Playing for Lunch? (U.S., 1994) 25:42 Act 4: Rock Solid 32:53 CM 4: Elves' Story Part Two (U.S., 1994) 33:25 Epilogue: A Blue Streak Episode Information GTV 180 "The Story of Sonic & Knuckles" Season 9 Episode 20 Original Airdate: October 18, 2024 Produced September 25-October 15, 2024 Recorded at Butsudan Studios and edited on my 14” MacBook M1 Pro! Edited and produced with Photoshop, Final Cut Pro, and Topaz AI. All paid for with Gainful Employment™ Videoclips furnished by Vampire Robot, Digital Neo Human, Videogame Epherema and RGTV. Gameplay assistance by Blugenesi Music by Deoxysprime, NicoCW, Bouncy Glow, Sonic Mania, Generations and the original Genesis game. Other great SEGA videos by GTV! For The Record: Altered Beast https://youtu.be/oHRp6jsn_3E Phantasy Star 30th Anniversary https://youtu.be/FZcij7XPdzI Sega SG-1000 Story https://youtu.be/qBDx83UZ1nw Sega Mega Drive Perfect Guides https://youtu.be/w37sJi4PU_Q Meet Mr. Sega! https://youtu.be/bkOsNYAx90I Phantasy Star II 30th Anniversary https://youtu.be/4F3LnKYEv-8 Mega Drive Mini Unboxing https://youtu.be/SJ9ec844sh0 Segata Sanshiro https://youtu.be/NBPNcI9OMbk Phantasy Star III 30th Anniversary https://youtu.be/wrQbXEXlabo The More You Know: Game Gear https://youtu.be/K3bvA41DY4I Sega Solar System https://youtu.be/nwRy3i1VgMk The American MegaDrive (aka The Origin of Genesis) https://youtu.be/wta-wGtyuq4 Sonic the Hedgehog 30th Anniversary https://youtu.be/I2MYvgNf9lU Sonic the 8-Bit https://youtu.be/ct1YjTtd8bE The Zillion Story https://youtu.be/GV65rKJmlag A Sonic Adventure https://youtu.be/51cwcqcKiFA Sonic 2’s Day https://youtu.be/GX6cqZJMEfo Phantasy Star 35 https://youtu.be/IPSZ6LvQe8g Magical Hat is not Zillion 3 https://youtu.be/1ruKUk3GGyE Sonic Mania Day https://youtu.be/DV3K3Coz1RA Phantasy Star IV The End of the Millennium: https://youtu.be/5JucGW9iFU8 The Madden Monopoly https://youtu.be/vuXMjTbUnZo Partial transcript On October 18th, 1994, Sega released one of their most memorable video games Sonic & Knuckles. A technical marvel, the game wasn’t quite Sonic the Hedgehog 4 though not the exact game as Sonic 3, Sonic & Knuckles gave Sega a unique way to expand on existing games, while offering a whole new, separate adventure at the same time. Selling a game cartridge that can connect with other cartridges, unlocking characters, and parts of levels that could never be done so, otherwise. While October 1994 was far from the end of the 16-Bit Era, the time is often remembered as when the very best games were released alongside the backdrop of the looming Next Generation. It had been a 4 year rollercoaster for Sega in America, ever since Sonic the Hedgehog was first released for the Sega Genesis on June 23rd, 1991. The character and game stole the spotlight from the debut of the Nintendo’s Super NES, and in the end turned Sega into the Market Leader in the U.S.A. Sega released a sequel the next year and while Sonic 2 was a great game on its own, the marketing behind it set the stage for how game releases are done today. November 24th, 1992 … “Sonic 2sDay” put the second Sonic on sale around the world on the same day - just before Christmas - to maximize sales! The idea worked so well that Sega did it again in 1993! Only this time, Sega released three games at once. Sonic CD, Spinball and Chaos, with the Sonic Mania Day event! When that year’s shopping season had ended, the Sega Genesis was in more in American homes than the Super NES: 13.5 million to 11 point 3. When the calendar turned to 1994, Sonic The Hedgehog 3 was ready to roll! In the tradition of prior Sonic games, a publicity event was scheduled! On February 2nd, 1994 Sega set up shop in the town of Punxatawney, Pennsylvania, a town made world famous only a year before, thanks to the movie Groundhog Day, directed by Harold Ramis and starring Bill Murray. The festivities that day were gigantic for such a small town. The schools had no class for the day, but kept the doors open for the public to come by and try out the new game. People travelled from around the country to line up and be the very first in the world to pick up Sonic 3! Sega re-christened the longstanding holiday Groundhog Day, into Hedgehog Day!