History VideoGame / KnucklesChaotix

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* LongSongShortScene: The ending scene music, Tribute. The scene it plays along (which just shows how many Chaos Rings you have) runs no longer than fifteen seconds at best, but the track is a minute long. Really a shame, too, as it's a very nice track and would have been very appropiate... [[NoEnding had there been an actual ending...]]

* PlayerNudge: Even if you skip the tutorial stage, in order to encourage players to learn about the benefits of the teamwork mechanic (such as the slingshot boosting, which is crucial since the Spindash has been severely nerfed here), Isolated Island forces the player to solve a few switch puzzles that involve planting Espio in place while Knuckles reaches another; pressing both switches and then letting Espio go will immediately snap both characters ahead quickly.

* SurpriseCreepy:

* ADayInTheLimelight: The sole time Knuckles has ever been given solo billing in a game title (and he doesn't even get ''that'' in the Japanese title or in-game on the title screen, with the title reduced to simply saying "''Chaotix''"), which was only done to prevent tainting the ''Sonic'' brand name on a platform that wasn't given high hopes internally (also the reason Mighty simply co-opts Sonic's moves; he is a redrawn Sonic sprite).

* ObviousBeta:
** The game was rushed for release so the 32X could have a ''Sonic'' game at launch, and it shows. The teamwork mechanic is wonky and unrefined, with [[ArtificialStupidity the A.I. being extremely stupid, failing to make jumps and running into enemies constantly.]] The level design is [[CutAndPasteEnvironments very repetitive, drawn out and sometimes sparse when it comes to setpieces and enemies.]] There are also numerous collision bugs that can be unwittingly triggered by the aforementioned team mechanic.
** To put this perspective, the earliest known evidence of ''Chaotix'' existing in any form is ''Sonic Crackers'' (which is barely anything as the "game" is seen as an engine sample used to pitch a game to Sega and nothing more -- it is extremely unpolished) and is dated April 1, 1994 (and ''Crackers'' is a Sega Genesis ROM, not 32X software, meaning it wasn't even being pitched for the 32X). ''Chaotix'' reached its initial retail release in the US (meaning gold mastered, burnt to ROM chips, carts constructed, packed and shipped to stores) in March of 1995. That is less than a year from being a Sonic-themed prototype that barely works to a game that could be bought on store shelves with a completely different set of characters.
* OffModel: In the game's good ending, Sonic's legs are mistakenly colored tan instead of their usual blue.

* CaptainErsatz: Mighty the Armadillo is literally just an edited Sonic sprite. Which makes the appearance of Sonic in the ending pretty strange.

* EarlyInstallmentWeirdness: In this game, Vector, Espio, and Charmy weren't part of a detective team (the title Chaotix doesn't actually refer to them as a group, but is a punny title for the game) and are described as having different personalities than how they're reimagined as of ''VideoGame/SonicHeroes''.

* NonIndicativeName: Despite what their later appearances would lead you to believe, the title of Chaotix is a PunBasedTitle and does not refer to Vector, Espio, and Charmy as a team like in later games. They all have their own separate agendas in this game and are only banding together to fight off Robotnik.

* ObviousBeta: The game was rushed for release so the 32X could have a ''Sonic'' game at launch, and it shows. The teamwork mechanic is wonky and unrefined, with [[ArtificialStupidity the A.I. being extremely stupid, failing to make jumps and running into enemies constantly.]] The level design is [[CutAndPasteEnvironments very repetitive, drawn out and sometimes sparse when it comes to setpieces and enemies.]] There are also numerous collision bugs that can be unwittingly triggered by the aforementioned team mechanic.

* OneWingedAngel: The final boss is [[spoiler:a gigantic snarling red demonic version of Metal Sonic]].

* SpiritualSuccessor: The game serves as a Sega 32X equivalent of the Sega CD's ''[[VideoGame/SonicTheHedgehogCD Sonic CD]]''. The game's levels, songs, and general style have a similar feeling to ''Sonic CD''. A couple graphics and sounds from that game are also reused here. On the subject of reused Badniks, Mosqui (Robot Mosquito) and remodeled versions of Pata-Bata (Robot Butterfly) from Palmtree Panic appear in Speed Slider as Needlenose and Hoverby Mk II. Also, both games feature Metal Sonic as TheDragon, and here he even takes over Sonic's place for the IdleAnimation EasterEgg. Even the same jump sound effect is used in both games, a filtered version of the ones heard in the main Genesis games.

** Mighty plays rather similarly to Sonic, even being the fastest character in the game. Which is unsurprising, given that early in development, Sonic was used in his stead. When the decision to remove him from the game was made, Sonic was re-skinned into Mighty.

* TornadoMove: Espio.

* WallJump: Mighty and Espio.

* XtremelyKoolLetterz: The title ''Chaotix'', an odd play on the word ''Chaotics'' and the fact that the game is a Sega 32X exclusive title. The name ended up becoming the name of the Chaotix team (featuring three of the characters in the game, Espio, Vector, and Charmy) in ''VideoGame/SonicHeroes'' years later.

[[CutAndPasteTranslation There are two completely different storylines]] [[AllThereInTheManual depending on the instruction manual.]]

* OffModel: If you look closely in the game's good ending, Sonic's legs are mistakenly colored tan.

* DubInducedPlotHole: Despite being renamed Carnival Island in the US and the plot being centered on rescuing it on the day before opening day, the hub and introduction to each level still refers to the world as Newtrogic High Zone, and the day and night cycle changes go on for as long as you play and [[TakeYourTime no time limit is imposed on the player to beat the game.]] In addition, the whole deal with Knuckles being the guardian of Carnival Island contradicts his role as the guardian of Floating/Angel Island in the other games. The Chaos Rings are also unexplained in the Western story.

[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/img_1389.JPG]]
[[caption-width-right:350:It's Knuckles in his ''own game''!]]

* DubInducedPlothole: Despite being renamed Carnival Island in the US and the plot being centered on rescuing it on the day before opening day, the hub and introduction to each level still refers to the world as Newtrogic High Zone, and the day and night cycle changes go on for as long as you play and [[TakeYourTime no time limit is imposed on the player to beat the game.]] In addition, the whole deal with Knuckles being the guardian of Carnival Island contradicts his role as the guardian of Floating/Angel Island in the other games. The Chaos Rings are also unexplained in the Western story.

* LoadsAndLoadsOfCharacters: For a Sonic-based platformer of its time. To be specific, ''VideoGame/{{Sonic the Hedgehog|1}}'' had only two main characters. ''VideoGame/SonicTheHedgehog2'' had three[[note]]four if you count Mecha Sonic[[/note]], and ''[[VideoGame/Sonic3AndKnuckles Sonic 3 & Knuckles]]'' had four characters[[note]]six if counting Mecha Sonic and [=EggRobo=], and nineteen if counting all the sub-bosses[[/note]]. ''VideoGame/SonicTheHedgehogCD'' had three[[note]]five if counting Metal Sonic and Tails' cameo[[/note]]. ''Knuckles' Chaotix'' has six[[note]]nine if counting Metal Sonic, Heavy, and Bomb, and also making eleven if counting Sonic and Tails at the Good Ending and twelve if counting Amy's CheatCode cameo in the SoundTest[[/note]].

* AlliterativeName: The levels: Botanic Base, Speed Slider, Amazing Arena, Marina Madness and Techno Tower.

** To put this perspective, the earliest known evidence of ''Chaotix'' existing in any form is ''Sonic Crackers'' (which is barely anything as the "game" is seen as an engine sample used to pitch a game to Sega and nothing more -- it is extremely unpolished) is dated April 1, 1994. ''Chaotix'' reached its initial retail release in the US (meaning gold mastered, burnt to ROM chips, carts constructed, packed and shipped to stores) in March of 1995. That is less than a year from being a Sonic-themed prototype that barely works to a game that could be bought on store shelves with a completely different set of characters.

* EarlyInstallmentWeirdness: In this game, Vector, Espio, and Charmy weren't part of a detective team (the title Chaotix doesn't actually refer to them as a group, but is a punny title for the game) and are described as having different personalities than how they're reimagined as in ''VideoGame/SonicHeroes''.

* JokeCharacter: Heavy the Robot and Bomb. Heavy is extremely slow and [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin heavy]], and Bomb will blow up on the player if he takes a hit.

* LethalJokeCharacter: Heavy the Robot is completely indestructible. In fact, he can open monitors and destroy enemies just by walking into them. You could pretty much pick him up and run around with reckless abandon while holding him in front of you, barely suffering any damage. Taken into better effect if you break a monitor that's showing him, or -- more permanently -- select him as your player character through the debug menu.

* MightyGlacier: Heavy the Robot is incredibly slow, but he's invincible, and can destroy monitors and enemies just by walking into them.

* SpiritualSuccessor: The game serves as a Sega 32X equivalent of the Sega CD's ''[[VideoGame/SonicTheHedgehogCD Sonic CD]]''. The game's levels, songs, and general style have a similar feeling to ''Sonic CD''. A couple graphics and sounds from that game are also reused here. On the subject of reused Badniks, Mosqui (Robot Mosquito) and remodeled versions of Pata Bata (Robot Butterfly) from Palmtree Panic appear in Speed Slider as Needlenose and Hoverby Mk II. Also, both games feature Metal Sonic as TheDragon, and here he even takes over Sonic's place for the IdleAnimation EasterEgg. Even the same jump sound effect is used in both games, a filtered version of the ones heard in the main Genesis games.

* CanonDiscontinuity: ''Knuckles Chaotix'' is not taken as part of the continuity of the series. ''Videogame/SonicHeroes'' reintroduce Espio, Charmy and Vector to the series, and ''Videogame/SonicGenerations'' pretends Mighty the Armadillo was last seen in 1993, the year of his debut in ''Videogame/SegaSonicTheHedgehog''. Furthermore, the Chaotix trio are considered modern characters, and as such, cannot appear in Classic Sonic material. This doesn't necesarily answer why Espio was seen in ''Videogame/SonicTheFighters'', but who knows at this point.

* AdvertisedExtra: Metal Sonic appears alongside the main cast on the European boxart despite being an antagonist.

JustForFun/TheOneWith [[ADayInTheSpotlight Knuckles taking the spotlight]]. Kind of. He had to share it with that one armadillo from the arcade game and three new characters who would become official [[VideoGame/SonicHeroes eight years from then]].

TheOneWhere [[ADayInTheSpotlight Knuckles took the spotlight]]. Kind of. He had to share it with that one armadillo from the arcade game and three new characters who would become official [[VideoGame/SonicHeroes eight years from then]].

* DummiedOut:
** Tails was meant to appear in the game, and is semi-playable in a few early builds of the game[[note]]he uses a glitched version of Knuckles' sprite, which is white with bright red eyes, but the flying mechanic works as intended[[/note]], but selecting him crashes the game in the final version. Also, sprites of him in the Tornado as well as Super Sonic have been found within the ROM.
** Sonic was going to be in the game as well, before being replaced with Mighty.
** Heavy and Bomb were meant to be normally selectable as primary playable characters, under the names "Heavy the Mechanic" and "Bomb the Mechanic" (they are also labelled "Robotnik's Mechanix" in the manual). This can be re-enabled with a cheat device.

''Knuckles' Chaotix'' (called just ''Chaotix'' in Japan and the title screen) is a GaidenGame in the ''Franchise/SonicTheHedgehog'' franchise released for the UsefulNotes/Sega32X in 1995. It's the only Sonic game to appear on that system. Though mostly forgotten, the soundtrack has endured even amongst non-fans of the series, most notably the [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GvV05M2kmzI "Door Into Summer"]] track. If you're a connoisseur of retro game [=OSTs=], you've probably been linked to that theme at least once. ''VideoGame/SonicGenerations'' uses a rearrangement of the song for one of its menus.

* MarketBasedTitle: The game was simply titled ''Chaotix'' in Japan. The localizations added Knuckles to the title but left the title screen untouched.

''Knuckles' Chaotix'' (called just ''Chaotix'' in Japan and the title screen) is a GaidenGame in the ''Franchise/SonicTheHedgehog'' franchise released for the UsefulNotes/Sega32X in 1995. It's the only Sonic game to appear on that system. Though mostly forgotten, the soundtrack has endured even amongst non-fans of the series, most notably the [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F-axPO7pwgg "Door Into Summer"]] track. If you're a connoisseur of retro game [=OSTs=], you've probably been linked to that theme at least once. ''VideoGame/SonicGenerations'' uses a rearrangement of the song for one of its menus.