Sonic 3D Blast is an isometric Sonic game where you have to rescue Flickies (the concept is based on the classic Sega title Flicky), and is considered to be mediocre by many. Somewhat-improved versions were later released for the Saturn and Windows. And 21 years later, the founder of Traveller's Tales and lead programmer on this version of the game ended up making a patch to improve on many of the flaws present on the game, which many were thankful for.

Level Select

At the title screen, press B, A, Right, A, C, Up, Down, A (BARACUDA, seemingly a misspelling of "barracuda"). You'll hear a twinkly sound and be taken to the main menu. Set your desired options, choose "START", and you'll be presented with the Level Select.

(This is probably much better for the long-term health of your console and cart than the next method.)

Cleverly-Disguised Crash Handler

A somewhat unique exception handler where, unlike (for example) the Sonic 1 crash-and-print-text-on-the-screen, the game congratulates you and loads up the Level Select. Obviously, this method of crashing is much more appealing to the player than a complete lockup, and may have prevented a number of angry tech support calls. This was done to pass quality assurance from Sega and to prevent the game from printing an exception handler, as any exceptions the game threw up would simply redirect the player to this screen.

There are numerous methods for activating this screen: loading a bad savestate from an emulator, using a bad Game Genie or Pro Action Replay code, pulling the cart out and putting it back in, having dirty contacts on the cart/console, hitting an obscure program bug, etc.

Jon Burton, the lead programmer of Sonic 3D Blast (and who has made a number of videos detailing Sonic 3D Blast and other Traveller's Tales games), has a video that explains why the level select is used as a crash handler more in-detail.





Truncated Music/Partially Unused Music

The invincibility theme only plays for about 18 seconds in-game, but there's a bit more to it that can only be heard in the sound test.

Unused Areas (Early Acts/Zones)

Green Grove Zone Act 1

After passing the first loop of Act 1, there is a large empty area blocked off by a wall. In the E3 prototype, this area is properly accessible; apparently, only the collision was removed. Lower down, there is another area that does not appear in the E3 prototype.

Diamond Dust Zone Act 2

An alternate route exists blocked off towards the beginning of the act, just after the first spring.

Spring Stadium Zone Act 2

There's a blank collision area set at a very low level near the coiled tube.

Sound Driver Credit

Hidden in the ROM at 0xD2E82 :

Sound Driver for Sonic Series Coded by Y.Kashima & M.Sets. Sun Sep 1 1996 17:02