Some fans have found a super subtle secret menu contained within the Sega Genesis and Saturn title Sonic 3D Blast . It was originally created by Traveller’s Tales and released by Sega in 1996, but the reason for the secret menu has finally been revealed.
First, let’s start with how to get to the menu though. While Sonic 3D Blast is playing in your Sega Genesis, you need to tap, shake, hit, or otherwise disturb the cartridge. By forcing the cartridge to lose connection with the console for even a moment, Sonic 3D Blast will “crash.”
That crash will bring up the Secret Level Select Screen. This allows you the ability to skip to whatever stage you’d like. That’s pretty neat for when there’s a certain level you enjoy more than others.
Here’s why that works. Crashes and bugs within games can be obnoxiously tricky to track down, and sometimes they can be even more annoying to fix. Bugs can lead to fixes which lead to more bugs. Well, this process of game testing, bug finding, and bug correcting can last into eternity if you let it. Sonic 3D Blast creators Traveller’s Tales (specifically Jon Burt) knew this to be a fact. It’s because of that that they set up secret screens in responses to crashes or glitches. This allowed them to get past strict certifications without fully correcting every single crash.
Therefore, when your Sonic 3D Blast cartridge’s connection to the Sega Genesis is disturbed, it forces a crash, then displays the secret screen. It’s a fun little tidbit of video game history, but also a revelation for new players. If you want to check out Sonic 3D Blast, but don’t necessarily want to play the game in order, you can use this trick to select whatever level you want!
Source: Polygon