Another possibility is that the differences are intentional, arguably to serve as a better inbetween frame for the standing rotation anim. There's a hole in that theory though, which is that the same cross-eyed gaze can be found in a couple of other sprites, such as the hanging animation:
Now, you could argue that the second theory still applies: the developers may have simply based the hanging sprite on frame $56 instead of the correct standing frame. The first theory seems more plausible though, if only for the fact that it has happened on multiple other occasions.
However, as an anonymous commenter pointed out:
Anyhow, what I find interesting about that presumably-early standing sprite is that the shine on Sonic's shoe matches his ducking sprites, where it spontaneously moves.
To me, that is the most convincing argument.
My question is: why does $56 need to be separate from $BA? Why not just use the same sprite in both cases like they did with Knuckles? Also, it seems only the ducking sprite seems to match the alternate standing animation; everything else, including looking up, uses the normal, lower shine.
ReplyDelete> why does $56 need to be separate from $BA?
DeleteIt doesn't, though NES Boy points out that the alignment is off by one pixel between the two frames. There's no reason both of them couldn't be made to use the same art, though.
Must have been an early change considering this: http://info.sonicretro.org/images/0/08/S3_AngelIsland3.jpg
ReplyDeleteYes, when I say they "went back" and changed one of the frames after the fact, that all could have happened before either sprite was ever put in the game.
DeleteI noticed that $48 (one of the sprites used for standing on the giant cylinders in Launch Base Zone) is identical to Sonic's $BA, but the version for Tails is once again radically different. The Knuckles version of $48 is identical to $56, however.
ReplyDeleteYay, my second mention. Maybe I should stop being anonymous :x
ReplyDelete