Sonic Crackers: The Origin

Although Sonic Crackers doesn't have such a clear backstory like the Sonic 2 prototypes, much can be said about the history of Sonic Crackers.

What is Crackers?

Good question! However we think, judging from the style and lost graphics, it's Knuckles Chaotix in its embryonic stages of development. Both Crackers and Chaotix have the very distinctive glowing link between the players, as well as very similar music tracks. However Chaotix appears to have had all the graphics reworked, which suggests the level art in Crackers is simply a placeholder.

Where did it come from?

The earliest record we have of Sonic Crackers being avaliable on the "internet" is this ROM list from a BBS in 1996...

CODE

MOR-SONC.LZH P 434972 07-15-96 __ __ _____ ____ ____ _____ __ __ __ __
DL: 4 | || | | .. \| | |__|__| || |
| \/ | | | .. | |__| | | | | .. |
| || | | | | \ | | \ | | | | || |
|__||__|____/|_| |_|__ |_____/. | .|__||__|
:-))) Morgoth (((-: \_| Lord of Darkness
*** [Sonic Crack 32X Beta ] ***
*** ***
*** [Sega/SMD/08Mbit/PAL] [PL!] ***
===========> Greetz fly to All <===========
[======== Evil Empire BBS Belgium =========]

Which explains why the Sonic Crackers rom has always been fairly widespread on the internet. However how did it even get out the first place?

Łukasz Zapart, better known as drx, uncovered what seems to be a explanation. Whoever got hold of it within SEGA made lots of copies, selling them in private auctions...

drx

All the Crackers carts (except one, of course) are copies (pirates, bootlegs, whatever). Most of the copies are 1MB. Considering the source of these carts in Sega had basic knowledge of cartridge types, he wouldn't mistakenely copy a 2MB game onto ~30 1mb carts and sell them for profit? Remember, protos were sold then on private auctions - reputation was everything. If he'd sell a bullshit not working game, he'd be finished (and he leaked a lot more betas, thankfully).