Something's confusing me about Sonic 3 and Knuckles, story wise.

[KentaRawr!]

Yes, I know story doesn't really matter in the game, but this is still irking me a little bit. Perhaps my memory is just hazy. Anyway, to the point...

I just watched some videos of the endings to Sonic 3 and Knuckles, specifically the S&T ending and the K ending. I am aware that they are likely not meant to cooperate with one another due to the game's general nature, but I noticed that in the ending for S&T, after Doomsday Zone, Sonic and Tails drop the Master Emerald (which Robotnik had been using to power his robot) off at the Island Sonic and Tails went to at the beginning of Sonic 3, and it begins to float in the sky. In the ending for Knuckles, this island can be seen in the background, and Knuckles faces off with Mecha-Sonic for the Master Emerald. Upon winning the Master Emerald, Angel Island (Or, at least, I THINK that's what it's called...) begins to fall, and Sonic and Tails rescue him whilst he was falling, drop the Master Emerald off at the Island that was seen in the background. Then, that island begins to rise, and the credits roll.

What confuses me, however, is where Knuckle's story takes place, if canon at all. It seems as though Sonic and Knuckles generally follow the same path throughout most of the game, Knuckles simply acting as an alternate character, until near the end of the game, in which the story seems to reveal some of itself. It's not Robotnik using the Master Emerald, it's his creation, Mecha-Sonic, unlike in Sonic's Ending, which I assume simply takes place at a completely different time, presumably before this one, since in this one, Angel Island Zone falls down at the end. But also, if I remember right, the Island in the background of Knuckle's ending, is, indeed, Angel Island. Why is it that this one is referred to by the same name? Am I simply missing something?

Also, something on the side I wish to know: Is the ending to Sonic and Knuckles altered what-so-ever when connected to Sonic 3? Also, something I also forget: When playing as Knuckles in Sonic 3's final stage, is Sonic 3's final boss still there? And is the ending sequence for Sonic 3's ending also present?

:choc2:

[Captain Maxx Power]

Knuckle's scenario takes place an undisclosed amount of time after Sonic/Tail's. It sees him recapturing the master emerald from the Robobotnik, who turns out to be under the employ of the Mecha-sonic, who is seen knelt down on the ground whilst sparking and falls away after the end of Sky Sanctuary, so we can probably assume he fell onto a lower platform and was able to revive himself. In the non-Sonic 3 combined version there's a small cinematic where Knuckles has a bomb thrown at him by Robobotnik which leads into Mushroom Hill. In the combined game, his scenario just begins rather abruptly at the very start.

As for the Sonic 3 ending/end boss, if you are playing as Sonic or Tails then it is pretty much the same as Sonic 3, with the exception that the Hand-grabby-ultimate-boss-of-doom is skipped altogether. Also Sonic doesn't jump at the screen in celebration at the end, rather the platform is seen to fall down off the screen and Mushroom Hill starts with Tails depositing Sonic regardless of the character setup. If you're playing as Knuckles you do the same boss fights as Sonic, except this time you miss out the Cannon-ball-shooty-type-thing and have to fight the Hand-grabby-ultimate-boss-of-doom. Once this is done Knuckles simply falls off the edge of the platform into Mushroom Hill. In the case of the S&K ending, it is pretty much the same for both parties, with the exception that in S&K playing as Sonic will see you complete Doomsday Zone as Super Sonic if he is unlocked, whereas the combined game you have to have Hyper Sonic unlocked to reach Doomsday Zone. In either case, the ending is the same with either Super/Hyper Sonic involved, or Normal Sonic if you didn't collect all the Emeralds (in which case Doomsday Zone is missed altogether).

[KentaRawr!]

Ah, I see now! Thanks very much, Cap'n. n_n; I also now realize I mixed Angel Island and Sky Sanctuary up. But, now I must wonder, what exactly is Sky Sanctuary? Has it ever been stated?

[Captain Maxx Power]

Ah, I see now! Thanks very much, Cap'n. n_n; I also now realize I mixed Angel Island and Sky Sanctuary up. But, now I must wonder, what exactly is Sky Sanctuary? Has it ever been stated?

Not officially, it just seems to be another zone that happens to be floating above Angel Island in an undisclosed location. Really it's not worth finding logic in locations in a scenario that's apparently based on an ancient floating island that has a casino on it.

[KentaRawr!]

Good point.

[Ash Ketchum]

Actually, I believe Knuckles is really Sonic's older brother. Uncle Chuck never told Sonic this because Sonic's mother was sleeping around and wasn't exactly a pillar of moral character. Sonic's father got so upset that he tried to kill her with a mallet, but Uncle Chuck stopped him, and invented the Power Rings to symbolize the love between water and fire.

This is relevant because Knuckles has a twin named Knuckles and that was really the Knuckles that was being stuff. And Dr. Robotnik isn't really a doctor, he never got a degree from any college or anything. I would say he's more of a crazy person or something.

[KentaRawr!]

Well that would be even more confusing, because that would mean that Sonic's Mom and Dad were a Hedgehog and an Echidna. Close relatives, sure, but that would mean Sonic isn't a Hedgehog. He's a Heghidna. So is Knuckles. And Echidnas lay eggs! :0 I don't know of Hedgehogs, though.