Sonic 3D Blast level select question?

[Guergy]

I have some questions about the Sonic 3D level select:

1. Is it true that if you hit the cartridge you can access the hidden special select? 
2. Does the level select work very similarly to Sonic 2 where the game 'remembers' that you have the Chaos Emeralds if you got them in the level select stages?
3. Is there another way to get the level select stages without hurting your cartridge?

[Indigo Rush]

This video from the developer should cover all those questions:

Short answer is yes, messing with the cartridge will trigger the level select menu. There is also a button combination to access it if you're playing a port of the game:

https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/genesis/586469-sonic-3d-blast/cheats

 

[Guergy]

Does the game 'remember' that you have the Chaos Emeralds after the player had collected them?

[RadicalLaRuby]

Yup, slapped the cartridge out of frustration when I was a kid, might have been in some badly designed "diagonal jump" section. After messing around, I found you can just slightly lift it up out the Genesis and pit it back in.

 

As for Sonic 2, iirc, it only remembers your chaos emeralds as long as the game is not completely turned off. Resets should be okay though,

[Guergy]

On 10/9/2020 at 4:11 AM, RadicalLaRuby said:

As for Sonic 2, iirc, it only remembers your chaos emeralds as long as the game is not completely turned off. Resets should be okay though,

So it isn't the same for Sonic 3D Blast as it is foe Sonic 2?

[RadicalLaRuby]

On 10/12/2020 at 3:38 PM, Guergy said:

So it isn't the same for Sonic 3D Blast as it is foe Sonic 2?

Doesn't seem like it. I experimented, even played with level select.

[Guergy]

Looks like I will have to get the Chaos Emeralds the 'hard way'.  In Sonic 2 and in Sonic 3, you could use the level select to obtain the Chaos Emeralds without having to having to play the whole game. In Sonic 3D Blast, you have to go through the game to get the emeralds and the true end but you cannot do so with level select. Is that right?