It's insanely easy in today's context to write off vanilla Sonic 3 and to only play the lock-on version, but there's a very important thing you're missing out on, and that's getting to hear the mini-boss music that's exclusive to this version.
It's such a funny ass song to use as a boss fight theme especially in the context of a forest getting napalmed, it'd be like if you fought Maruyama/Trouble Bruin in Dynamite Headdy to his appearance theme instead. That second-and-a-half-long introduction that's essentially a baseball organ doing a board game jingle that leads straight into a bit crushed "C'MON" voice sample with tapdancing noises and a funk beat behind it is somehow simultaneously the funniest and hardest shit I ever heard in my life. The only way you could escalate this, would be if you had a dopey-ass three second long french horn that went straight into extreme sludge metal. If I had to use entrance music that wasn't Maruyama's theme it'd be this. This is like top three music to interrupt someone cutting a promo with. Imagine if people got to reel in terror at the sound of the goofy baseball organ during Smackdown as if The Undertaker's gong went off.
God, so fuckin' good. The comedian who designed Carnival Night Zone Act 2 will be hearing this music very soon, I assure you.
It's such a funny ass song to use as a boss fight theme especially in the context of a forest getting napalmed, it'd be like if you fought Maruyama/Trouble Bruin in Dynamite Headdy to his appearance theme instead. That second-and-a-half-long introduction that's essentially a baseball organ doing a board game jingle that leads straight into a bit crushed "C'MON" voice sample with tapdancing noises and a funk beat behind it is somehow simultaneously the funniest and hardest shit I ever heard in my life. The only way you could escalate this, would be if you had a dopey-ass three second long french horn that went straight into extreme sludge metal. If I had to use entrance music that wasn't Maruyama's theme it'd be this. This is like top three music to interrupt someone cutting a promo with. Imagine if people got to reel in terror at the sound of the goofy baseball organ during Smackdown as if The Undertaker's gong went off.
God, so fuckin' good. The comedian who designed Carnival Night Zone Act 2 will be hearing this music very soon, I assure you.
Lame
Sonic 3 is arguably an unfair game to rate on its own given that it was intended to be part of a larger game. But it released as a standalone game, so I think can be judged as one.
In many ways S3 improves a lot on its predecessors. Graphics are shinier, there’s cooler set pieces and we have new shields, each with their own effect.
But Sonic 3 also brings in sooo many gimmicks that force you to either wait and/or slow you down immensely. Literally half the stages in the game – of which there’s only 6 – are basically centred around these gimmicks.
Somewhat ironically, it also has a lot more “hold right to win” moments compared to before too. Like before the first boss there’s a section where Eggman’s ship drops bombs on you. If you hold right they literally can’t hit you.
The final boss and ending is pretty anti-climatic too since it was never intended to be one.
Basically my opinion of this game changes massively depending on the zone I’m on:
Ice Cap – One of my favourite zones in the genesis era.
Angel Island and Launch Base – Solid, fun zones.
Hydrocity – Generally fun, especially for a water stage, but just the wrong amount of slow platform sections.
Carnival Night – Fun theme, and some sections can be enjoyable, but generally has way too much of a slow pace for my liking.
Marble Garden – One of my least favourite zones in the genesis era, second only to Labyrinth Zone.
In many ways S3 improves a lot on its predecessors. Graphics are shinier, there’s cooler set pieces and we have new shields, each with their own effect.
But Sonic 3 also brings in sooo many gimmicks that force you to either wait and/or slow you down immensely. Literally half the stages in the game – of which there’s only 6 – are basically centred around these gimmicks.
Somewhat ironically, it also has a lot more “hold right to win” moments compared to before too. Like before the first boss there’s a section where Eggman’s ship drops bombs on you. If you hold right they literally can’t hit you.
The final boss and ending is pretty anti-climatic too since it was never intended to be one.
Basically my opinion of this game changes massively depending on the zone I’m on:
Ice Cap – One of my favourite zones in the genesis era.
Angel Island and Launch Base – Solid, fun zones.
Hydrocity – Generally fun, especially for a water stage, but just the wrong amount of slow platform sections.
Carnival Night – Fun theme, and some sections can be enjoyable, but generally has way too much of a slow pace for my liking.
Marble Garden – One of my least favourite zones in the genesis era, second only to Labyrinth Zone.
This is a strange case. Given that it's essentially the first half of something that had to be hastily expanded upon (the original plan was apparently for this and SONIC & KNUCKLES to be one game), it makes sense that it feels both bloated and yet incomplete.
The biggest change here is that the levels are huuuuuuge -- around two to three times bigger than usual. Unfortunately, I think this was kind of a serious mistake and it singlehandedly torpedoes the whole game. If they had had some more interesting new level ideas/gimmicks^ they might have carried it off, but as they are, most of the stages end up getting dull by the end. Sonic levels should not be pushing ten minutes long! Especially when they're just kind of ... there. Not that hard, but not that exciting either. Feels like going through the motions. For a LONG time.
^(a couple of the new level thingies are pretty cool, mostly the ones having to do with momentum and getting sprung upwards)
The graphics feel a bit uninspired -- there is no standout level, really, like Green Hill or Chemical Plant. And also, the new Michael Jackson-style music isn't very good. It mostly amounts to a lot of crappy voice samples and repetitive hooks that don't feel particularly 'Sonic'. Whether it was actually written by him or not, it's kind of a weird fit and I miss the older stuff.
There are some great new powerups and the Chaos Emerald stages are a fun new type of puzzle, but I'm surprised by how weak this one is overall.
The biggest change here is that the levels are huuuuuuge -- around two to three times bigger than usual. Unfortunately, I think this was kind of a serious mistake and it singlehandedly torpedoes the whole game. If they had had some more interesting new level ideas/gimmicks^ they might have carried it off, but as they are, most of the stages end up getting dull by the end. Sonic levels should not be pushing ten minutes long! Especially when they're just kind of ... there. Not that hard, but not that exciting either. Feels like going through the motions. For a LONG time.
^(a couple of the new level thingies are pretty cool, mostly the ones having to do with momentum and getting sprung upwards)
The graphics feel a bit uninspired -- there is no standout level, really, like Green Hill or Chemical Plant. And also, the new Michael Jackson-style music isn't very good. It mostly amounts to a lot of crappy voice samples and repetitive hooks that don't feel particularly 'Sonic'. Whether it was actually written by him or not, it's kind of a weird fit and I miss the older stuff.
There are some great new powerups and the Chaos Emerald stages are a fun new type of puzzle, but I'm surprised by how weak this one is overall.
Not enough Knuckles.
It's Sonic 2 but slightly more polished and slightly more labyrinthine and convoluted to get through. But each stage/zone has something special about it, the presentation value is so strong that this game finally has proper cutscenes, and the OST absolutely slaps, so I'm willing to give this one the benefit of the doubt.
That was a lot of fun. Although less linear. More streamlined kinda more focused? Pace is pretty consistent bar bloody one damn level. But it's got some very unique ideas and it's still a fun ass time. On par with 2 for me
(sonic's ultimate genesis collection 24/40)
when s3&k exists there are no real reasons to do this and sonic & knuckles standalone, but for whatever reason that's the way it is in the compilation /shrug
it's the very damn solid first half of a very damn solid full game, considered by some the stronger half and by some the weaker. i don't know personally, i love the shit out of hydrocity and launch base but marble garden and carnival night are not very interesting i find (plus, carnival night act 2 is a little questionable on very early playthroughs, that shit was completely baffling when i was little. not so much now, but still)
when s3&k exists there are no real reasons to do this and sonic & knuckles standalone, but for whatever reason that's the way it is in the compilation /shrug
it's the very damn solid first half of a very damn solid full game, considered by some the stronger half and by some the weaker. i don't know personally, i love the shit out of hydrocity and launch base but marble garden and carnival night are not very interesting i find (plus, carnival night act 2 is a little questionable on very early playthroughs, that shit was completely baffling when i was little. not so much now, but still)
Where's my Super Tails Sega?
It's quite interesting to play Sonic 2 and 3 back to back. In my head, I remember Sonic 2 being the revolutionary one with its addition of the spindash, and Sonic 3 being more of the same. While it's true that Sonic 3 didn't give him any more special moves, it still made subtle refinements to its structure and mechanics that made for quite a different experience to Sonic 2.
The most obvious is that aside from some tough bosses, the difficulty level is lower in general. Sure there is some cheap enemy placement and momentum-traps, but there's probably less of that in this entire game than there was in the Metropolis Zone alone. While you will get hit quite a bit on a blind playthrough, the game also seems more forgiving, giving you plenty of rings and shield powerups. The lightning shield is especially broken; it allows you to completely cheese some bosses through double-jump shenanigans. Another small change that makes the game more forgiving is that you don't need 50 rings to enter a special stage, so getting hit in this game and losing your rings doesn't feel as punishing.
Most of the challenge in the game actually comes from trying to beat the clock; the stages are much larger than in any previous games and I did end up losing against bosses a few times, not from getting killed but from running out of time. The time limit now being a factor, and the more forgiving difficulty, forces you to constantly push yourself and take risks - you could do it in previous games of course, but this game gives you a genuine motivation to do so. It was a welcome change and great evolution from the previous games.
Unfortunately, despite its solid core gameplay, I felt that it didn't quite give me as good an experience as Sonic 2. The soundtrack was less consistently strong - Hydrocity absolutely slaps, Marble Garden was a bit of a yawner, and Carnival Night sounds like Casino Night and Mystic Cave somehow had a kid, but wasn't quite as effective as either. But mostly, for all its polish, it felt like half a game. Everything, from its 6 zones (down from 10 in the previous game), to the fact that you can use Knuckles in the racing mode but not the main game, makes the experience feel incomplete and the ending slightly anticlimactic Fortunately, its potential would be realized in the superlative Sonic 3 and Knuckles - which I'll hopefully get around to soon to see if it lived up to my childhood memories.
The most obvious is that aside from some tough bosses, the difficulty level is lower in general. Sure there is some cheap enemy placement and momentum-traps, but there's probably less of that in this entire game than there was in the Metropolis Zone alone. While you will get hit quite a bit on a blind playthrough, the game also seems more forgiving, giving you plenty of rings and shield powerups. The lightning shield is especially broken; it allows you to completely cheese some bosses through double-jump shenanigans. Another small change that makes the game more forgiving is that you don't need 50 rings to enter a special stage, so getting hit in this game and losing your rings doesn't feel as punishing.
Most of the challenge in the game actually comes from trying to beat the clock; the stages are much larger than in any previous games and I did end up losing against bosses a few times, not from getting killed but from running out of time. The time limit now being a factor, and the more forgiving difficulty, forces you to constantly push yourself and take risks - you could do it in previous games of course, but this game gives you a genuine motivation to do so. It was a welcome change and great evolution from the previous games.
Unfortunately, despite its solid core gameplay, I felt that it didn't quite give me as good an experience as Sonic 2. The soundtrack was less consistently strong - Hydrocity absolutely slaps, Marble Garden was a bit of a yawner, and Carnival Night sounds like Casino Night and Mystic Cave somehow had a kid, but wasn't quite as effective as either. But mostly, for all its polish, it felt like half a game. Everything, from its 6 zones (down from 10 in the previous game), to the fact that you can use Knuckles in the racing mode but not the main game, makes the experience feel incomplete and the ending slightly anticlimactic Fortunately, its potential would be realized in the superlative Sonic 3 and Knuckles - which I'll hopefully get around to soon to see if it lived up to my childhood memories.
i actually was never that crazy about this one. it’s more sonic of course but none of the zones feel instantly iconic (besides hydro-second syllable zone)
Sonic.exe rip off.
To quote a fellow reviewer:
"Michael Jackson."
In all seriousness, S3 is some good good shit. If Sonic CD was fun thanks to its alternate interpretation of what a Sonic game could be like in terms of structure, Sonic 3 is fun simply by virtue of it being S1 and S2 on crack. THIS game is where blast processing almost became a real thing lmao
Docking half a star because I don't really like Sonic's new sprite? The animations are great, but his face is considerably more punchable compared to S1/CD Sonic.
Also, again: Michael Jackson.
"Michael Jackson."
In all seriousness, S3 is some good good shit. If Sonic CD was fun thanks to its alternate interpretation of what a Sonic game could be like in terms of structure, Sonic 3 is fun simply by virtue of it being S1 and S2 on crack. THIS game is where blast processing almost became a real thing lmao
Docking half a star because I don't really like Sonic's new sprite? The animations are great, but his face is considerably more punchable compared to S1/CD Sonic.
Also, again: Michael Jackson.
Dare I say it? I not only enjoyed a Sonic game to the credits, but this may very well be the best 4th gen 2D platformer? It's got continuity of setting, the soundtrack is packing consistent heat and it's the pinnacle of that 90's nostalgia pizza-and-soda arcade-carpet macintosh-plus aesthetic in gaming. Best of all, it saves every world, so I didn't have to use the PS2 save states as much! Don't get me wrong, it has it's hiccups (that one fucking barrel...) but they somehow feel more like the devs fucking with you than actual bad design. Sonic has fully come into his own here and I can finally understand how this blue rat became the childhood icon he is.
Sonic 3 segue o mesmo padrão do anterior, é superior ao primeiro em muitos aspectos, porém ainda carrega muitos de seus problemas, como: Um level design confuso e injusto, com muitos inimigos mal posicionados e diversas armadilhas durante a fase (como molas que te jogam pra cima dos monstrinhos, causando um dano ou até mesmo a morte), um sistema de save problemático, que por mais que seja melhor que os anteriores, ainda sim é um saco ter que salvar apenas a cada dois atos, e alguns bugs chatos, que embora com menos presença que seu antecessor, ainda sim existem.
Deixando as reclamações e pontos que se tornaram datados de lado, é um jogo que cumpre seu papel e é divertido de se jogar aos poucos, sem muito compromisso, tem ótimas músicas e gráficos, que até hoje envelheceram bem
Deixando as reclamações e pontos que se tornaram datados de lado, é um jogo que cumpre seu papel e é divertido de se jogar aos poucos, sem muito compromisso, tem ótimas músicas e gráficos, que até hoje envelheceram bem
(Part 1 of 5)
It seems so wild to me that, despite now living in a constant state of confusion, with the quality of his titles constantly going up and down like a rollercoaster, Sonic was pretty much on top of the world back when he was fairly new to the gaming scene. Not all of his games at this point were good, but for a good majority of them, Sonic had managed to knock it out of the park with high speed platforming, enjoyable challenges and bosses to take on, secrets that lead to wonderful rewards, and just a general overall sense of fun that can be seen throughout the titles, and it was clear at this point that Sega was nowhere near close to stopping. It wasn’t too long after we got a slew of Sonic titles, both main titles and spin-offs, when we would get yet ANOTHER Sonic game, but this one was important, as it was the BIG one, one that would prove to be the fastest and the best of the bunch. That game would come to be known as Sonic the Hedgehog 3.
So, truth be told, out of all my years playing this particular entry in the Sonic series, I had actually never played through the original version of the game. I had always played through the & Knuckles version of the game, which makes sense, given that it is the complete version of this game, but I figured, if I am gonna review this game correctly, I have to cover EVERYTHING about it, all the way from the original release to all the little secrets about this title. Therefore, I decided to then play through the original Sonic 3 for the first time, and what a shocker, it was a wonderful time. I wouldn’t say that this is the version of the game that you should play, nor is it perfect by any means, but for what we have here, it is still a great Sonic game on its own, and one of the best games to have for the Sega Genesis.
The story is similar to the previous games, yet somewhat mixed around, where after his defeat in Sonic 2, Robotnik and his Death Egg end up crashing into another land known as Angel Island, a floating island that manages to sink into the ocean due to the previously mentioned crash. Soon after this, he repairs the Death Egg, and Sonic and Tails can’t have that, so they go off to stop him, which is all mostly a typical story from this franchise, but it is good enough to get you on your way, as well as having a few extra elements to it that I will get to in a bit. The graphics are wonderful, being the best looking game in the series so far, making the environments as colorful and full of life as ever, while also providing great designs for all of the characters, enemies, and bosses. The music is also incredible, with there being plenty of bangers that you can listen to throughout the game, which makes sense, given that part of it was made by Michael Jackson!.... oh, wait, I’m sorry, it was “allegedly” made by him (even though we all know he did). Anyway, as for the controls and gameplay, both of these work just as well as they did before, if not better, and they have some new elements added to them to spice things up just a tad.
The game is a 2D platformer, where you take control of either Sonic, Tails, or both of them at the same time, take on six different zones through many different locations seen on Angel Island, run through each level at the speed of sound while defeating plenty of different Badniks along the way, gather plenty of rings and powerups to help you out against the many foes and traps you will find, locate special stages in order to get a chance at nabbing the Chaos Emeralds, and take on the many different machines that Dr. Robotnik has prepared for you in plenty of boss fights. Those who are familiar with Sonic at this point know exactly what they are getting into with this game, and thankfully, it just so happens to be the fastest, tightest, and most enjoyable adventure in the series so far. Not to mention, just like with every other mainline Sonic game at this point, there have been numerous additions made to this game to ensure you don’t get tired of it easily.
In terms of Sonic himself, he retains all of his moves from the previous games (except for the Super Peel Out, because fuck you), and in addition, he has a brand new move called the Insta-Shield. It doesn’t really do much, as it just creates a little barrier around the player for a brief moment, but this move can actually be pretty useful for both taking something out and getting yourself out of a bind, so I would say it is a good addition to Sonic’s moveset. Speaking of good additions, Sonic also now has new shields he can mess around with, each one of them carrying an elemental property of some sort. There is the Fire Shield, which allows him to not only dash in mid-air, but also protects himself from fiery hazards, the Bubble Shield, which lets you bounce on the ground for extra height, while also protecting you from drowning, and then there is undeniably the best one, the Electric Shield, which gives you a double jump, and it allows you to attract any lonesome ring that you pass by straight towards you. These shields, when you can get them, are very helpful against whatever you may run into along your journey, and on their own, they are pretty fun to use to see what new paths you can reach by using them.
In terms of other new additions, there is, of course, one new character that gets introduced in this game: Knuckles the Echidna, and when you first encounter this guy, you think he’s an asshole! He just uppercuts you out of nowhere, steals all of your Chaos Emeralds, laughs at you, and then runs away, which leads you to think “What a dick! When I find him, I’m gonna kill that fucker!” Unfortunately though, you don’t get to fight him at all in this game, and he just laughs at you more while making your life hell throughout the entire journey. That’s all he really does in this part of the game, but not only does he get more purpose and story in the later part that I will get to soon, but also, just like with Tails, Amy, and Metal Sonic, Knuckles does become one of the central characters of the Sonic series, not appearing as often as some characters like Tails or Robotnik, but enough to where many fans of the series will recognize him and love him all the same. And I mean, how can you not? He’s like Sonic, except infinitely cooler, obviously. Not to mention, he doesn’t chuckle. He’d rather flex his muscles.
Of course though, we can’t forget about one of the main draws of any Sonic game: getting the Chaos Emeralds, and just like with the previous games, there is a brand new method of getting them here, and in my personal opinion, this is the best method of getting them that the series has had so far. Throughout the stages, there are plenty of these big ol’ 3D rings that you can find, hidden in alcoves that are either easy to spot, or can be pretty tricky to find. Once you find them, you just simply jump right into them, and boom, you are in the special stage! No need for any 50 rings bullshit or anything like that, you are just right into it, which I prefer heavily over the alternative.
As for the special stages themselves, they consist of you running through these simplistic, 3D environments where you have to collect a handful blue balls (stop laughing), while doing your best to avoid all of the red balls that plague the levels, and once you manage to collect them all, BOOM, the Chaos Emerald has been retrieved. Yeah, it isn’t as complex, exciting, or drug-trippy as other Sonic special stages, but they are pretty damn easy in comparison to what this series has given us before, and honestly, I am all for that. What’s even better is that, once you get all seven of the Chaos Emeralds, you can now transform into Super Sonic once again, who functions basically the same as he did in Sonic 2, but who cares, because you are now a golden god, and everything cowers in sheer terror as you blaze through them, which is all that matters at the end of the day.
Would you believe it though when I tell you that, in terms of special stages, that’s not all that this game has to offer? If you do still manage to get 50 rings and pass by a checkpoint, a sparkling ring will appear above it, and when you jump into it, you can then enter one of three special minigames, with them serving the purpose of getting you more rings, power-ups, as many rings as you can carry. I don’t typically go for these types of special stages, as I usually already have plenty of rings and lives to work with, but not only can they be pretty helpful for those that need it, but once you get the hang of them, they can be pretty fun to bounce around and exploit for your own good. And finally, speaking of things I don’t typically check out, there is also the multiplayer mode of this game, returning from Sonic 2. It essentially works almost the same as that game, except now you can play as Knuckles, and you run through several stages that aren’t in the main game at all. These are pretty cool to mess around with, not just to see new content, but also to challenge your friends if you have nothing else to do, even if I myself don’t personally ever see myself trying out this mode ever again.
So yes, all of this makes for a better and more enjoyable experience when compared to every previous mainline Sonic entry, but… there is one area of the game that is severely lacking: the content. The game as a whole is pretty short, with you being able to beat it in about an hour if you know what you’re doing, which isn’t helped by the fact that there isn’t as much content here, with there being only six zones with two acts each to play through. That may sound like quite a bit, but compared to Sonic 2, which had 11 zones in total, or even Sonic CD, which had 7 zones, each with two different acts and a boss fight, that is quite a decrease in content. Of course, there is an explanation for all of this (which I will get into in a later part), but still, that does kind of suck, especially if you were one of the people who bought this game back when it first came out, and you were able to beat it relatively quickly, considering what you have to deal with.
Overall, despite the lack of stages for a Sonic game, this is still a pretty great version of this game, one that does offer plenty of content to mess around with, fun new additions that make playing through it all the more enjoyable, and that same solid gameplay that manages to still be just as fun and timeless as ever. I would definitely recommend it for those who are fans of Sonic, as well as those who just love old-school 2D platformers in general, because this is certainly one of the best ones you could find on the Sega Genesis, or from the 16-bit era in general. Although, if we are being completely honest, if you are looking for the true Sonic 3 experience, then you probably shouldn’t play this one, and you’ll soon see why……….. BUT FIRST-
Game #506
It seems so wild to me that, despite now living in a constant state of confusion, with the quality of his titles constantly going up and down like a rollercoaster, Sonic was pretty much on top of the world back when he was fairly new to the gaming scene. Not all of his games at this point were good, but for a good majority of them, Sonic had managed to knock it out of the park with high speed platforming, enjoyable challenges and bosses to take on, secrets that lead to wonderful rewards, and just a general overall sense of fun that can be seen throughout the titles, and it was clear at this point that Sega was nowhere near close to stopping. It wasn’t too long after we got a slew of Sonic titles, both main titles and spin-offs, when we would get yet ANOTHER Sonic game, but this one was important, as it was the BIG one, one that would prove to be the fastest and the best of the bunch. That game would come to be known as Sonic the Hedgehog 3.
So, truth be told, out of all my years playing this particular entry in the Sonic series, I had actually never played through the original version of the game. I had always played through the & Knuckles version of the game, which makes sense, given that it is the complete version of this game, but I figured, if I am gonna review this game correctly, I have to cover EVERYTHING about it, all the way from the original release to all the little secrets about this title. Therefore, I decided to then play through the original Sonic 3 for the first time, and what a shocker, it was a wonderful time. I wouldn’t say that this is the version of the game that you should play, nor is it perfect by any means, but for what we have here, it is still a great Sonic game on its own, and one of the best games to have for the Sega Genesis.
The story is similar to the previous games, yet somewhat mixed around, where after his defeat in Sonic 2, Robotnik and his Death Egg end up crashing into another land known as Angel Island, a floating island that manages to sink into the ocean due to the previously mentioned crash. Soon after this, he repairs the Death Egg, and Sonic and Tails can’t have that, so they go off to stop him, which is all mostly a typical story from this franchise, but it is good enough to get you on your way, as well as having a few extra elements to it that I will get to in a bit. The graphics are wonderful, being the best looking game in the series so far, making the environments as colorful and full of life as ever, while also providing great designs for all of the characters, enemies, and bosses. The music is also incredible, with there being plenty of bangers that you can listen to throughout the game, which makes sense, given that part of it was made by Michael Jackson!.... oh, wait, I’m sorry, it was “allegedly” made by him (even though we all know he did). Anyway, as for the controls and gameplay, both of these work just as well as they did before, if not better, and they have some new elements added to them to spice things up just a tad.
The game is a 2D platformer, where you take control of either Sonic, Tails, or both of them at the same time, take on six different zones through many different locations seen on Angel Island, run through each level at the speed of sound while defeating plenty of different Badniks along the way, gather plenty of rings and powerups to help you out against the many foes and traps you will find, locate special stages in order to get a chance at nabbing the Chaos Emeralds, and take on the many different machines that Dr. Robotnik has prepared for you in plenty of boss fights. Those who are familiar with Sonic at this point know exactly what they are getting into with this game, and thankfully, it just so happens to be the fastest, tightest, and most enjoyable adventure in the series so far. Not to mention, just like with every other mainline Sonic game at this point, there have been numerous additions made to this game to ensure you don’t get tired of it easily.
In terms of Sonic himself, he retains all of his moves from the previous games (except for the Super Peel Out, because fuck you), and in addition, he has a brand new move called the Insta-Shield. It doesn’t really do much, as it just creates a little barrier around the player for a brief moment, but this move can actually be pretty useful for both taking something out and getting yourself out of a bind, so I would say it is a good addition to Sonic’s moveset. Speaking of good additions, Sonic also now has new shields he can mess around with, each one of them carrying an elemental property of some sort. There is the Fire Shield, which allows him to not only dash in mid-air, but also protects himself from fiery hazards, the Bubble Shield, which lets you bounce on the ground for extra height, while also protecting you from drowning, and then there is undeniably the best one, the Electric Shield, which gives you a double jump, and it allows you to attract any lonesome ring that you pass by straight towards you. These shields, when you can get them, are very helpful against whatever you may run into along your journey, and on their own, they are pretty fun to use to see what new paths you can reach by using them.
In terms of other new additions, there is, of course, one new character that gets introduced in this game: Knuckles the Echidna, and when you first encounter this guy, you think he’s an asshole! He just uppercuts you out of nowhere, steals all of your Chaos Emeralds, laughs at you, and then runs away, which leads you to think “What a dick! When I find him, I’m gonna kill that fucker!” Unfortunately though, you don’t get to fight him at all in this game, and he just laughs at you more while making your life hell throughout the entire journey. That’s all he really does in this part of the game, but not only does he get more purpose and story in the later part that I will get to soon, but also, just like with Tails, Amy, and Metal Sonic, Knuckles does become one of the central characters of the Sonic series, not appearing as often as some characters like Tails or Robotnik, but enough to where many fans of the series will recognize him and love him all the same. And I mean, how can you not? He’s like Sonic, except infinitely cooler, obviously. Not to mention, he doesn’t chuckle. He’d rather flex his muscles.
Of course though, we can’t forget about one of the main draws of any Sonic game: getting the Chaos Emeralds, and just like with the previous games, there is a brand new method of getting them here, and in my personal opinion, this is the best method of getting them that the series has had so far. Throughout the stages, there are plenty of these big ol’ 3D rings that you can find, hidden in alcoves that are either easy to spot, or can be pretty tricky to find. Once you find them, you just simply jump right into them, and boom, you are in the special stage! No need for any 50 rings bullshit or anything like that, you are just right into it, which I prefer heavily over the alternative.
As for the special stages themselves, they consist of you running through these simplistic, 3D environments where you have to collect a handful blue balls (stop laughing), while doing your best to avoid all of the red balls that plague the levels, and once you manage to collect them all, BOOM, the Chaos Emerald has been retrieved. Yeah, it isn’t as complex, exciting, or drug-trippy as other Sonic special stages, but they are pretty damn easy in comparison to what this series has given us before, and honestly, I am all for that. What’s even better is that, once you get all seven of the Chaos Emeralds, you can now transform into Super Sonic once again, who functions basically the same as he did in Sonic 2, but who cares, because you are now a golden god, and everything cowers in sheer terror as you blaze through them, which is all that matters at the end of the day.
Would you believe it though when I tell you that, in terms of special stages, that’s not all that this game has to offer? If you do still manage to get 50 rings and pass by a checkpoint, a sparkling ring will appear above it, and when you jump into it, you can then enter one of three special minigames, with them serving the purpose of getting you more rings, power-ups, as many rings as you can carry. I don’t typically go for these types of special stages, as I usually already have plenty of rings and lives to work with, but not only can they be pretty helpful for those that need it, but once you get the hang of them, they can be pretty fun to bounce around and exploit for your own good. And finally, speaking of things I don’t typically check out, there is also the multiplayer mode of this game, returning from Sonic 2. It essentially works almost the same as that game, except now you can play as Knuckles, and you run through several stages that aren’t in the main game at all. These are pretty cool to mess around with, not just to see new content, but also to challenge your friends if you have nothing else to do, even if I myself don’t personally ever see myself trying out this mode ever again.
So yes, all of this makes for a better and more enjoyable experience when compared to every previous mainline Sonic entry, but… there is one area of the game that is severely lacking: the content. The game as a whole is pretty short, with you being able to beat it in about an hour if you know what you’re doing, which isn’t helped by the fact that there isn’t as much content here, with there being only six zones with two acts each to play through. That may sound like quite a bit, but compared to Sonic 2, which had 11 zones in total, or even Sonic CD, which had 7 zones, each with two different acts and a boss fight, that is quite a decrease in content. Of course, there is an explanation for all of this (which I will get into in a later part), but still, that does kind of suck, especially if you were one of the people who bought this game back when it first came out, and you were able to beat it relatively quickly, considering what you have to deal with.
Overall, despite the lack of stages for a Sonic game, this is still a pretty great version of this game, one that does offer plenty of content to mess around with, fun new additions that make playing through it all the more enjoyable, and that same solid gameplay that manages to still be just as fun and timeless as ever. I would definitely recommend it for those who are fans of Sonic, as well as those who just love old-school 2D platformers in general, because this is certainly one of the best ones you could find on the Sega Genesis, or from the 16-bit era in general. Although, if we are being completely honest, if you are looking for the true Sonic 3 experience, then you probably shouldn’t play this one, and you’ll soon see why……….. BUT FIRST-
Game #506
sonic 3 will never get an & knuckles expansion
>It's better than the previous games
>It has horrible game design and the game is actually bad
Yep, this is the fate of Sonic games.
>It has horrible game design and the game is actually bad
Yep, this is the fate of Sonic games.
marble garden and carnival night need to go home other than that it's alright
There are brand new mechanical platforms with many various and enemy types with in each Act. Extremely diverse. It offers a variety of gameplay with underwater sections. The time limit is bad. My favorite section is the carnival section. The boss battles are fun. The bonus sections are ridiculous and bad. The music can start to fade after a while.It's more and more beautiful than second game.
The barrel of doom made me not being able to finish it when I was a child.
and knuckles
playing this game while waiting for my dad to get off work was probably the last time i truly felt happy
Where the fuck is knuckles
Peak 2D sonic imo, the level designs were perfect and the as the tics fit very well. The music was amazing for the genesis. The game managed to tell a story with no dialogue, which is a crazy feat. Overall just a solid game.
I don't like Knuckles he's a dick
Michael Jackson
Its so much fun. I remember my mind blown by how all the stages directly lead into each other and you could save. We have only got 2 Chaos Emeralds going into Knuckles though lol, so lets see if we get enough in the second part (we wont)
Tentei fechá-lo depois de algum tempo sem jogar qualquer Sonic, de início fiquei um pouco frustrado não sei se pela falta de prática ou por possíveis problemas de level design; até melhorar meu jogo e decidir voltar a jogar desde o início. A partir daí passei a me divertir de verdade, Sonic 3 fica muito bom quando a gente sente que tá aprendendo a jogar. Apesar de ser um jogo mais curto e as temáticas e visuais de algumas fases não serem tão empolgantes quanto os das fases da continuação, o controle do Sonic e possivelmente o próprio level design mais que compensam esses pequenos problemas. Ainda sobre as fases e seus temas, este jogo tem a proeza de ter uma fase de gelo com elementos muito originais e uma fase de água que é realmente divertida.
Its pretty good.