While investigating the mysterious island, Dr. Eggman discovers a tiny ring engraved with ancient writing, confirming that the island was indeed part of the lost civilization. More interestingly, he discovers ancient Special Rings on the island. The physical space occupied by these Rings has miraculously filled with crystallized Emerald energy, forming six powerful Chaos Rings. Information garnered from analyzing these Chaos Rings can be used to summon the Master Emerald, so Eggman quickly erects a new fortress right on the mysterious island: the Newtrogic High Zone.

   By the time Knuckles arrives on the scene, Eggman's plan is already in full swing. He has succeeded in crystallizing Ring energy to form artificial Dark Rings which he uses to power his robot army, including the newly rebuilt Metal Sonic. Furthermore, the nefarious Doc has invented a machine capable of freezing space-time, and has already used the device on would-be dissenters Mighty the Armadillo, Vector the Crocodile, and Charmy Bee. Espio the Chameleon is next in line for the freeze treatment, but is rescued in the nick of time by a fashionably late Knuckles, who has figured out that he can release one ally at a time using Ring Power. With Rings in hand, Knuckles and Espio infiltrate the Newtrogic High Zone to squash Eggman's latest ambition.

   As always, the D-pad controls basic movement while the C button makes your character jump. Your Combi Partner will bound along in your wake, permanently attached via elastic Ring energy. Walk up to your comrade then press and hold the B button to lift him off the ground and carry him around as desired. When you get tired or start feeling really gay, let go to toss your attached associate into the air. When not within touching distance, press and hold the B button to have your Combi Partner hold his ground, and release when you want him to let go: using this technique, you can make the elastic band "snap" for high speeds and bounding leaps. If your Combi Partner is floundering around somewhere inconvenient, press the A button to have him warp to your side, but use this trick sparingly as it subtracts 10 Rings from your total. (Note that these default button commands can be changed in the options menu.) In 2-player mode, there is no Hold command - players simply have to coordinate snap techniques by running in opposite directions (the faster character will ultimately win out in these tug-of-wars).

   There are 5 playable characters this time, each with his own special moves and unique feel. However, the play style changes very little from one brightly-colored mascot to the next and, unlike Sonic 3, there are no character-specific routes to follow. So in the end there's little consequence regardless of which character you choose.

Knuckles the Echidna -- Though he possesses all of his special moves from S&K, Knuckles' overall feel is quite different. He's a fairly well-rounded character but doesn't stand out in any particular area.
	walk -- Push left or right on the D-pad to initiate Knuckles' movement in either direction. As you hold the button down, Knuckles gains speed.
	run -- Begin walking and hold down the button to make Knuckles gain speed. After a few seconds, he'll break into a run.
	screech -- While running, quickly press and hold the opposite direction on the D-pad to make Knuckles screech to a halt. He'll skid for a short distance, based on how fast he was moving.
	look up -- While standing still, press up on the D-pad to make Knuckles gaze to the heavens. As you hold up, the camera pans upward, giving you a view of Knuckles' overhead surroundings.
	crouch -- While standing still, press down on the D-pad to make Knuckles duck. As you hold down, the camera pans downward, giving you a view of the stage beneath where Knuckles stands.
	spin (回転) -- While moving, press down on the D-pad to make Knuckles curl into a rolling attack. He'll remain in this position until you jump or slow down. The speed of Knuckles' movement while in spin form is based on how fast you're moving when you launch it, and also on the terrain Knuckles rolls along.
	spin jump (回転ジャンプ) -- Press button C at any time to make Knuckles leap into the air with a spin attack. The height of the jump is proportional to how long you hold the button down.
	Spin Dash (スピンダッシュ) -- While crouching, tap the C button to have Knuckles rev up with a stationary spin. Keep tapping the C button to build up momentum, and let go of the D-pad to dash off with a rolling attack. (Note that the Spin Dash seems to have lost power from earlier games, and is no longer a very efficient means of getting around.)
	glide -- Jump and press button C while in midair to have Knuckles glide slowly to the earth, extending the horizontal distance he would cover with a normal jump. The glide can also be used as an attack to destroy enemies.
	climb -- Glide into a wall to have Knuckles latch on. Press up or down on the D-pad to scale the surface, and jump to let go.

Espio the Chameleon -- Espio is slow to gain speed and a bit bulky, but possesses a very unique set of moves and a wide attack radius.
	walk -- Push left or right on the D-pad to initiate Espio's movement in either direction. As you hold the button down, Espio gains speed.
	run -- Begin walking and hold down the button to make Espio gain speed. After a few seconds, he'll break into a charging run.
	screech -- While running, quickly press and hold the opposite direction on the D-pad to make Espio screech to a halt. He'll skid for a short distance, based on how fast he was moving.
	look up -- While standing still, press up on the D-pad to make Espio gaze to the heavens. As you hold up, the camera pans upward, giving you a view of Espio's overhead surroundings.
	crouch -- While standing still, press down on the D-pad to make Espio duck. As you hold down, the camera pans downward, giving you a view of the stage beneath where Espio stands.
	spin -- While moving, press down on the D-pad to make Espio whip into a tornadic spin attack. He'll remain in this posture until you jump or slow down. The speed of Espio's movement while in spin form is based on how fast you're moving when you launch it, and also on the terrain Espio whirls along.
	spin jump -- Press button C at any time to make Espio leap into the air with a whirling tornado attack. The height of the jump is proportional to how long you hold the button down.
	Spin Dash (スピンダッシュ) -- While crouching, tap the C button to have Espio rev up with a stationary spin. Keep tapping the C button to build up momentum, and let go of the D-pad to dash off with a rolling tornado attack.
	ceiling & wall walk -- Leap against any ceiling or wall and press the C button while in midair to have Espio latch onto the surface with his feet. Continue holding button C and press up or down to walk along walls and left or right to stroll across ceilings. When you're ready to return to the world of Newtonian physics, release the C button.

Mighty the Armadillo -- Mighty is the fastest of the characters but doesn't possess any unique abilities. Basically, he's Sonic (indeed, his sprite seems to utilize a modified Sonic CD animation cycle).
	walk -- Push left or right on the D-pad to initiate Mighty's movement in either direction. As you hold the button down, Mighty gains speed.
	run -- Begin walking and hold down the button to make Mighty gain speed. After a few seconds, he'll break into a run.
	screech -- While running, quickly press and hold the opposite direction on the D-pad to make Mighty screech to a halt. He'll skid for a short distance, based on how fast he was moving.
	look up -- While standing still, press up on the D-pad to make Mighty gaze to the heavens. As you hold up, the camera pans upward, giving you a view of Mighty's overhead surroundings.
	crouch -- While standing still, press down on the D-pad to make Mighty duck. As you hold down, the camera pans downward, giving you a view of the stage beneath where Mighty stands.
	spin (回転) -- While moving, press down on the D-pad to make Mighty curl into a rolling attack. He'll remain in this posture until you jump or slow down. The speed of Mighty's movement while in spin form is based on how fast you're moving when you launch it, and also on the terrain Mighty rolls along.
	spin jump (回転ジャンプ) -- Press button C at any time to make Mighty leap into the air with a spin attack. The height of the jump is proportional to how long you hold the button down.
	Spin Dash (スピンダッシュ) -- While crouching, tap the C button to have Mighty rev up with a stationary spin. Keep tapping the C button to build up momentum, and let go of the D-pad to dash off with a rolling attack.
	wall kick -- Leap against any vertical surface and, while still in midair, tilt the D-pad toward the wall and press the C button. Mighty will briefly latch on. Release the C button to have him kick off into the air. Press up while releasing to kick upward and continue your ascent.

Vector the Crocodile -- Vector is large and the slowest of the bunch, but his attack covers a wide radius. Interesting to play as for a change of pace, but he makes a rotten Combi Partner.
	walk -- Push left or right on the D-pad to initiate Vector's movement in either direction. As you hold the button down, Vector gains speed.
	run -- Begin walking and hold down the button to make Vector gain speed. After a few seconds, he'll break into a run.
	screech -- While running, quickly press and hold the opposite direction on the D-pad to make Vector screech to a halt. He'll skid for a short distance, based on how fast he was moving.
	look up -- While standing still, press up on the D-pad to make Vector gaze to the heavens. As you hold up, the camera pans upward, giving you a view of Vector's overhead surroundings.
	crouch -- While standing still, press down on the D-pad to make Vector duck. As you hold down, the camera pans downward, giving you a view of the stage beneath where Vector stands.
	spin (回転) -- While moving, press down on the D-pad to make Vector curl into a rolling donut attack. He'll remain in this posture until you jump or slow down. The speed of Vector's movement while in spin form is based on how fast you're moving when you launch it, and also on the terrain Vector rolls along.
	spin jump (回転ジャンプ) -- Press button C at any time to make Vector leap into the air with a spinning donut attack. The height of the jump is proportional to how long you hold the button down.
	Spin Dash (スピンダッシュ) -- While crouching, tap the C button to have Vector rev up with a stationary spin. Keep tapping the C button to build up momentum, and let go of the D-pad to dash off with a rolling donut attack.
	double jump (連続ジャンプ) -- Jump, then tap the C button while in midair to have Vector perform a brief midair dash. Press left, right, or down while performing the maneuver to alter the direction of the dash.
	climb -- Double jump into any wall and continue holding the C button to have Vector latch on. Press up or down to lumber along the surface, and release the C button to let go.

Charmy Bee -- Charmy is smallest of the bunch and also the most awkward to handle. He lacks the basic jump attack in favor of an all-directions dash maneuver that takes some getting used to.
	walk -- Push left or right on the D-pad to initiate Charmy's movement in either direction. As you hold the button down, Charmy gains speed.
	run -- Begin walking and hold down the button to make Charmy gain speed. After a few seconds, he'll break into a run.
	screech -- While running, quickly press and hold the opposite direction on the D-pad to make Charmy screech to a halt. He'll skid for a short distance, based on how fast he was moving.
	look up -- While standing still, press up on the D-pad to make Charmy gaze to the heavens. As you hold up, the camera pans upward, giving you a view of Charmy's overhead surroundings.
	crouch -- While standing still, press down on the D-pad to make Charmy duck. As you hold down, the camera pans downward, giving you a view of the stage beneath where Charmy stands.
	Dash (ッシュ) -- Press button C while on the ground to have Charmy dash with a burst of speed in whichever direction he's facing. Press up on the D-pad and button C to dash into the air. While airborne, the Dash maneuver can be performed in any of the 8 basic directions.
	Hovering (ホバーリング) -- After dashing into the air, continue holding the C button slow Charmy's descent. While in hover mode, Charmy can be maneuvered in any direction with the D-pad. Unlike Tails, Charmy never gets tired, so you can fly indefinitely.

   The basic item roster has been thinned out somewhat, but Item Boxes feature a greater assortment of goodies (and not-so-goodies) than ever before or since.

	Ring (リング) -- As usual, this series staple serves as protection against death. Take damage with any Rings on-hand and your collected Rings will scatter in the immediate vicinity. (If your Combi Partner takes damage, you only lose a single Ring.) Take damage with no Rings (or a negative count) and you'll temporarily lose your Combi Partner. Take damage with no Rings and no partner and you'll be dropped back into the World Entrance. (Note that your Ring tally will dip into negative digits if you use the call command without sufficient funds.)
	Item Box (アイテムボックス) -- In each stage, you'll find a number of these power-up bearing monitors. Pop them open with a spin to procure one of 9 power-ups: Ring 10 (リング10) - Worth 10 Rings Combine Ring (コンバインリング) - Pop this open to active the Combine icon at the bottom of the screen. While the power-up is active, the Rings you lose upon taking damage will be expulsed as a single large Ring (as opposed to scattering all over the place). Grab back the beefy lone Ring and you'll instantly recover every single one of the Rings you just lost. Fail to grab the Ring after a few seconds, however, and it bursts into the usual shower of normal-size Rings. The Combine Ring item is good for one use only. Barrier (バリア) - Envelops whichever character opens the Item Box in a protective shield that absorbs 1 hit High Speed (ハイスピード) - Temporary speed increase for both characters Muteki (無敵) - Temporary invincibility for both characters Big (ビッグ) - Causes whichever character opens the Item Box to grow, increasing speed and jumping ability Small (スモール) - Causes whichever character opens the Item Box to shrink, decreasing speed and jumping ability Change (チェンジ) - Temporarily replaces your Combi Partner with one of the other 4 characters Swap (スワップ) - Temporarily swap places with your Combi Partner
	spring -- Leap onto the broad side to be catapulted into the air. Yellow springs are comparatively weak while red springs are the median. New blue springs are the most powerful.
	spikes -- Don't touch the pointy side, stupid.
	bonus plate -- These signs can be found at the end of each of the first 4 Levels in any Attraction. Cross them to end the stage.
	Special Ring (スペシャルリング) -- There are 2 types of Special Rings: basic Special Rings can be found hidden in the nooks and crannies of any Level, but will only appear if you've got at least 20 Rings on hand. Leap inside to be warped to the Bonus Stage. Cross a bonus plate with at least 50 Rings on hand and a Special Ring will appear above the signpost - leap into that one to be warped to the Special Stage for your chance at a Chaos Ring.

   Enemies are abundant, but mostly indistinct and easily avoided. When you do manage to take one out, it's usually by accident. They'll drop a bouncing gray Dark Ring upon defeat, but it's only for show and quickly dissipates. Each enemy is worth the usual 100 points.

	??? -- Harmless platform bots that zip to catch you if you fall, effectively blocking your descent down any vertical passage. They can't be destroyed from above, so have your Combi Partner bob at 'em from below.
	??? -- Aerial leaf bots guarded by retractable spikes. If you see spikes, NO TOUCHIE.
	??? -- Rigid caterpillar bots that slink along the ground.
	Happa (ハッパー) -- Leafy bots that roll menacingly along the ground. Electric versions zip along at higher speed and seem to be invulnerable... ("Happa" is Japanese for leaf.)
	??? -- Pineapple-looking bots that hover around the air in wobbly figure-8 patterns. Touch them and they'll latch onto you and blow up in your face. They can't be damaged otherwise.
	Zakku (ザック) -- Pointy bots that roll along the ground and fire their spear tip noggins into the ceiling. Once launched, the body segment scoots up the chain until it makes contact with the spear tip lodged in the ceiling, then both segments fall back to the ground and repeat the process. They seem to be invulnerable... ("Zakku" is Japanese for thud.)
	Patabata (パタバタ) -- Butterfly bots from Sonic CD that hover through the air in erratic patterns.
	Kameka (カメカ) -- Kamikaze mosquito bots similar to Sonic CD's Mosqui. They fly overhead and dash straight down as soon as Knuckles passes underneath, plunging their needle noses into the ground and releasing a pair of flashing projectiles. ("Ka" is Japanese for mosquito.)
	Dribbler (ドリボーラー) -- These fat-armed bots hover just above the ground and dribble a bouncing bumper with each hand.
	Gotch (ガッチ) -- These multi-pronged bots fly in from off-screen and home in on a character. Once their target has been secured, they trap their victim in a green orb that syphons Rings one-by-one. Once ensnared, the victim is unable to shake the robot leech and must be rescued by his Combi Partner. The Gotch will eventually fly away of its own accord.
	Balru (バルル) -- Bulky ocarina-shaped bots that hover menacingly (yet slowly) in erratic patterns. Their shoulders are well-guarded.
	Juppun (ジュップン) -- Grandfather clock bots that hover in place, waving menacing spiked pendulums beneath. ("Juppun" is Japanese for 10 minutes.)
	??? -- These bots roll along the ground and smash at the floor with spiked maces. Attacking from the front or above is risky.
	??? -- These tripod bots scutter rapidly along the ground.
	Nishita (ニシータ) -- Despite their heavily-armed appearance, these shell bots simply roll placidly along the ground or ceiling.
	Pirani (ピラニー) -- Piranha bots that jet through the air and belch up exploding mines.
	??? -- Ray bots that glide through the air. They don't seem to have any vendetta against Knuckles and will pass harmlessly by unless you cruelly chase them down.
	??? -- Sharky-looking bots that glide speedily through the air similar to the ray bots albeit slightly faster.
	??? -- Turtlish bots that peer from beneath platforms with periscopes on their shells. When an echidna has been sighted, they rise from the depths and glide along the ground.
	??? -- Green bots that roll speedily along the ground and, curiously, come to a complete stop once they've caught sight of Knuckles and co.
	Carry (キャリー) -- Flying bots that bob through the air in wavy patterns. Take them out and they'll drop their weighty package: a large container that opens up to reveal a pair of bombs.
	Uniformer (ユニフォーマ) -- Gaudy bots that fly slowly through the air and fling their propeller bottoms like boomerangs.
	??? -- Pressure cooker chef bots that waddle along the ground and cough up hot, steamy bombs.
	??? -- Immobile gunner bots that attack Knuckles and co with homing missiles.

   Scenario Quest, the main game, consists of a short practice run through Isolated Island followed by the complete 5-stage Newtrogic High Zone. From the World Entrance, you can choose your Combi Partner through the Combi Catcher, a giant crane machine. Maneuver the mechanical hand over your preferred partner and press any of the action buttons to grab away. If your timing is off, you'll end up with an undesired partner or the booby prize: Heavy or Bomb, two clumsy robots who are guaranteed to cramp your style. Heavy is by far the slowest and most unwieldy character in the game, prone to skidding and sliding at the first hint of orientation change. Bomb, though lighter than Heavy, is still slow and has a penchant for blowing himself up if he gets tossed into the path of an enemy or spikes (his explosion will inflict damage on the player character if you get too close). If you've already got a Combi Partner but want to switch him out, press down on the D-pad when you get to the Combi Catcher for another chance, but note that you can only use the Catcher once each round. Once your partner's been decided, you're stuck with him until you clear the next Level.

   Once you've got a partner, proceed to the Attraction Slot and pound the bumper on top of the machine to slow the spinner. Wherever it stops is where you proceed. Each Attraction consists of 5 Levels (Acts) with the boss waiting at the end of the fifth. At the end of each Level, your score is tallied with bonus points awarded for each second left on the timer, the number of Rings you're holding, and how many of the stage's "secret" areas and bonus items you were able to locate. The time of day changes every two Levels: morning, day, sunset, and night, in that order. Object and enemy placement varies slightly from one time of day to the next.

Isolated Island -- This is where the Scenario Quest game begins. You automatically start as Knuckles as he saves Espio from the clutches of Eggman's Combi machine in a brief introductory sequence. Immediately following the short cutscene, you enter a practice mode in which the basic game controls are explained in detail - you can skip through it if you already know what the hell you're doing. Afterwards, you enter a 4 course training mode. Cross the bonus plate at the end of the 4th screen to proceed to the World Entrance and swap out your characters if you wish. Once Isolated Island is cleared, stages are selected randomly via the Attraction Slot.

Botanic Base -- A greenhouse of gargantuan proportions stocked with a variety of curiously geometric specimens. Hop into elevators for vertical lifts and stand in front of mechanical doorways to be warped to other portions of the stage. Boss: -- A prying claw drops down from above and lifts your Combi Partner to the ceiling, leaving your character dangling in the middle of the screen with nothing but a lone bobbin for company. Eggman, meanwhile, floats irresolutely around your bungeed fuzzball making no obvious attempts to inflict damage. Take the initiative by pressing left and right on the D-pad to swing your character around and administer spin attacks on Eggman's machine. Note that as Eggman reaches each side of the screen, he pauses to charge up with a burst of electricity. Watch out for sparks that rain down from above at long intervals. 8 smacks later and Eggman flees as is his wont.

Speed Slider -- A rather expansive roller coaster that likely wouldn't pass approval by any certified safety committees. Smack into giant bells to shake them loose and send them plumetting for no evident purpose. (This game really was incomplete...) Boss: -- As your characters roll onto a large carousel, it proves to be a trap and rockets off into the sky. Eggman watches gleefully from a ticket booth in the center while the vulnerable Dark Ring capsule circles just below. Aim for the Ring, but watch out for the spiked platforms rotating in the opposite direction of the carousel's flow. Defeated in 8 hits.

Amazing Arena -- When you begin each Level, the colors of the clockwork arena are drab and the music is dreary. Hunt down one of the large clocks (there are usually several to a stage) and press the button to set the gears in motion and restore color. Fail to activate the clock before completing the Level, and you'll have to play the whole stage over again. Also, keep an eye open for the monitor rooms, where a giant Eggman hologram attacks you with skinny, flailing polygonal arms. When the machine's head flies off, smack it a couple of times to destroy the monitor and proceed. Beat the hologram within the time limit to earn an Item Box bonus (you still proceed even if you fail). Note that the hologram only appears if you've activated the clock. Boss: -- Eggman flies around just off the ground, pausing every few seconds to project a holographic enemy which quickly materializes into the physical realm. Dodge or destroy the enemies and hit Eggman's machine, but watch out for his stretchy arms. When he's on the move, Eggman's machine is protected by a trio of rotating spheres. Defeated in 8 hits.

Marina Madness -- A high-tech marina with a pastel color scheme. Hop on buttons to move large ships around the dock and access different portions of the stage. Boss: -- Eggman, encapsulated in a crystal shell, flies onto the screen like a missile from beneath the waves. After opening up for a brief taunt, the crystal shield encapsulates Eggman's machine again and bobs around the screen like a giant polygonal pill. The machine can't be damaged during this phase, but after a short while the shield will break down into a pair of angular blades that rotate around Eggman's mobile. Dodge the blades and smack the machine. Defeated in 8 hits.

Techno Tower -- Flip switches to activate elevators in this vertically-oriented tower stage. Hop into drill mobiles to plow through thick walls. Boss: -- Eggman drops a trap arena onto the pinnacle of the tower just as you arrive on the scene. Within, he lumbers across the ground in a chunky contraption with flailing arms while a bright light fires bouncing lasers into the ground. Dodge the lasers and flailing arms to administer spin attacks on the machine. Defeated in 8 hits.

Once you've cleared all 5 Levels of all 5 stages, proceed to the Attraction Slot at the end of the World Entrance screen. Metal Sonic flies into the contraption and assumes control of the roulette. As usual, pound the bumper on top to stop the roulette: 4 of the 5 squares will initiate an attack while the "X" square inflicts damage on the machine. The squares are coded by number: 1) Spiked walls rise from the ground on either side of the arena. Bumpers sweep the floor in an effort to push your character into the spikes. 2) A stretchy, probing arm pops out of the right side of the arena and gropes the floor with a series of slaps. Dodge the attack and it repeats from the opposite side of the arena. 3) A shower of missiles fire from the background and rain down in the foreground. 4) A pair of buzz saws rise from the ground and sweep the floor of the arena. X) Destroys one of the other 4 trap panels. This is the one to aim for. Once all 4 trap panels have been destroyed, the Attraction Slot explodes and Metal Sonic escapes to Eggman's control room, where the bad doc uses a giant Dark Ring to charge his star creation into a gargantuan red monster form. Despite his intimidating new appearance, however, Metal Sonic's attacks are limited and easily avoided, and the game is kind enough to give you 10 free Rings with which to do battle. In his first phase, Metal simply hovers around looking menacing at the right side of the screen. He occasionally stretches his left arm out to try and pass a slap to your character. Dodge the attack and land 8 hits on the brute to destroy the offending appendage. Metal's next line of attack is to hover around in the background trying to squish your character with his good arm. Land 8 hits on the hand to destroy that one, too. In round 3, the now-armless Metal Sonic ('tis but a scratch!) flies to the left side of the arena and endeavors to blast your characters to kingdom come with his newly installed Plasner Cannon, a giant belly laser. Dodge the blasts and land 8 more hits (total of 24) to finish the job.

   Cross a bonus plate with at least 50 Rings in the bank and you'll find a very familiar Special Ring waiting above the signpost. Leap inside (or toss your partner in) to be warped to the Special Stage. The Special Stage is played from within a large hexagonal tube with no center of gravity: if you climb up a wall, the stage rotates so that your perspective stays on ground level. The object is to collect the requisite number of Blue Spheres to pass each checkpoint. Pass the second checkpoint to clear the stage and earn a Chaos Ring. Normal gold Rings function as your timer and deplete by the second.

   Giant Special Rings can also be found hidden in the nooks and crannies of each Level ala Sonic 3, but they only appear if you have at least 20 Rings on hand. Hop into any of these to be warped to the Bonus Stage. In the Bonus Stage, your character free-falls in 3D perspective through an endless (psychedelic) pit. Scattered around the pit are clusters of power-up boxes: smack into a box to acquire the goods. Like Special Stages, Rings serve as your timer and deplete by the second. The stage ends when you run out of Rings or when you smack into an Exit box.

• Ring (リング) -- Keep grabbing these to add seconds to the timer. If you run out of Rings, the stage ends.
• yellow spring (黄バネ) -- Fall into a yellow spring to bounce back upwards a short distance. Breaks after 3 hits
• red spring (赤バネ) -- Fall into a red spring to bounce back upwards a long distance. Breaks after 3 hits
• Ring 10 (リング10) -- Adds 10 Rings to your total
• 500pt -- Adds 500 points to your score
• Speed Up (スピードアップ) -- Increases the free fall speed
• Speed Down (スピードダウン) -- Decreases the free fall speed
• Damage (ダメージ) -- Subtracts 10 Rings from your total
• Slot (スロット) -- With this item active, the Attraction Slot in the World Entrance will slow down enough to easily select your stage
• Combi (コンビ) -- With this item active, the Combi Catcher in the World Entrance will slow down enough to easily select your partner
• EXIT -- Fall into the exit block to end the stage

   In addition to the Scenario Quest, players may piddle around in the Training mode, a 4-stage frolic through an enemy-free obstacle course. In Levels 1, 2, and 4 the goal is to tag the crystallized flower at the end of the course. In Level 3, the goal is to search out and tag the 12 crystallized flowers. Other options include sound and color tests as well as the ability to change default button assignment.

Amy Rose cameo: In the Color Test menu, adjust the top nine numbers in the left column to match these settings:
00, 00, 00; 06, 0B, 11; 00, 08, 17. Press Start, then select Options and go to the Sound Test. Amy Rose dances around in the lower right-hand corner.

Change music tempo: Note that this trick can only be done with a 6-button controller. At the sound test screen (while playing any song), press the X button to toggle between STEREO and MONO sound. Press the Y button to change the music's speed.

Metal Sonic attacks: At any point in any Level, leave your characters standing perfectly still (don't pause the game). After about a minute, Metal Sonic flies onto the screen and plows through the idle heroes, inflicting damage in the process.

   Over the course of development, Sonic was dropped from the game and title altogether, leaving a hodgepodge crew of misfit characters to assume starring roles. Of the game's 5 heroes, only Espio the Chameleon is a totally original creation and, based on early screenshots, was meant to have been the title character. The original sprite set created for Sonic was modified to accommodate obscure Segasonic refugee Mighty the Armadillo. Vector the Crocodile, meanwhile, hails from an unused "Sonic band" graphic originally intended for use in Sonic 1. Charmy Bee is loosely based on a like-named character from the Shogakukan manga that was running at the time (the same comic that inspired Amy Rose).

• In November 1995, Archie Comic Publications released a 48-page comic titled and loosely based on Knuckles' Chaotix. The special was released as a supplement to their ongoing Sonic the Hedgehog comic book series.