--- By Blaze the Hedgehog --- Second-Hand --- [The Theory is as follows. BTW, I also submitted this to [CENSORED], but then I found you guys and I couldn't resist...] Forever, everyone has always thought Knuckles not to be in Sonic the Hedgehog 1 for the obivous reasons. But what if there was another reason Knuckles could appear in Sonic 2, and not Sonic 1. Such as the fact of this: Hidden Palace appeared in Sonic 2 Beta, if I'm not mistaken; with the Master Emerald as well. What if Sonic Team had planned even a more massive adventure than just Sonic 2 and Sonic 3 could hold? Picture this: In early planning stages, Sonic Team enters a new character to the Sonic Verse, in Sonic 2. But it's NOT Tails! Instead, it is truely Knuckles the Echidna. The facts do infact point to it. Mainly the Hidden Palace Zone infact, which was to be held off until Sonic 3, yet, it had to be held off even further to S&K! You know that bug [?], or whatever in Sonic 2 Beta, you reach the Master Emerald, and nothing happens. You get stuck, basically. What if that was the meeting place with Knuckles the Echidna? But due to cardtrige limitations, (already formentioned somewhat in several theories, I'm sure) they had to take out Knuckles, and the Hidden Palace as well! You remember those early Sonic 2 Beta shots of Dust Hill. They were of Sonic... alone! Tails was missing in action! So, instead of giving gamers a re-hash of Sonic 1, they quickly picked an side-kick for Sonic... Tails! A young character infact, one that they wouldn't have to make up much of a background info for.. (you do have to admit, Tails' Background is abit foggy in the SegaSonic Universe). Because when you see it, Knuckles would have been in Sonic 2. Look at his 'Old School' Sonic 2 Sign Post at the end of the S2&K acts. One would think S&K would be a much larger cardtridge to hold info that would enable Knuckles in Sonic 2, and in Sonic 3 as well. For a Cardridge, with the size smaller than most Genesis Cardridges, and alot lighter too, to hold information enabling pretty much 30-some new Stages for 2 other games, AND 100+ bonus levels. Which leads to more pressing questions, such as if Knuckles was the last of the Echidnas, or the last of his kind, and dieing in Genocide City. (Hence the Genocide...) "Why don't we find any remains, any sprites or anything when we hack in Sonic 2?"... there are many reasons for this. 1- We haven't hacked in the right places yet. 2- He was taken out even before he was added. 3- I'm simply crazy, and all of this is hardly even true. But hey, you never know... [Note: Crazy People] --- Taken from 'Secrets of Sonic the Hedgehog - The Original' http://secretsonic.cjb.net ---