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

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.

I think the gameplay is a nice step up from Sonic 2, with the mid-air spin attack not seeming very useful at first, but it turns out to be pretty valuable at the right times. Plus, the way Sonic and everything looks conveys that classic attitude that's associated with the Genesis era a lot more. The elemental shields are pretty neat too, and Special Stages being implemented into the level design encourages exploration in a fun way.

I think that some of the levels are the only thing holding Sonic 3 back. They're pretty solid for the most part, with a handful of them seeming too long (Carnival Night Act 2 almost took me the entire 10-minute time limit). Plus, after the plethora of environments in the last, it's hard to not feel this has a little less. Sonic & Knuckles does help alleviate this though. Overall, this part of Sonic 3 is a good start.

One half of a fantastic game for the Sega Genesis. The reason why it was split in the first place is kinda stupid imo (they wanted to meet with a toy deadline with McDonalds). Because of that, Sonic 3 was split into 2 games. With the later half being finished later in the same year. The game itself brings up the ante with Sonic by giving elemental shields, Sonic the instashield (Which increases his hitbox) and Tails the ability to fly. Acts now have a boss each, act 1 bosses being larger boss robots and the 2nd being a fight with Dr Robotnik/Eggman. This game also introduces Knuckles as an enemy to our duo, who mostly does stuff to prevent our heroes from reaching their goal.

A few criticisms I had with this game is obviously being a bit shorter compared to Sonic 2. The game stops after you've beaten Big Arms, who imo besides the music felt less climatic compared to the Death Egg Robot in Sonic 2. Another is Knuckles is more or less uncerimoniously removed from the game. No epic showdown against that echidna in this game. You have to wait for Sonic & Knuckles to come out. Maybe the primary criticism I have with this game is the drum in Carnival Night act 2. Because of the way it works, it was nearly impossible to figure this crap out back in the day. And because of that, I was unable to beat Sonic 3 back then. One more thing I have to put out that this game is a bit easy to break when you mess around with the debug cheats. Such as the game continously loading Angel Island Zone Act 1's mapped level layout despite also loading the zone you selected. So you'll die from a supposed bottomless pit despite not normally being that way.

Overall, Sonic 3 is still a pretty good game. Even though its half of what everyone is used to by now. Music rights have prevented this from being rereleased unfortunately. And as much as I'd point out Sonic Origins, not alot of Sonic fans like the redone proto tracks (I do though). So if you really want to experience Sonic 3 on its own, you're better off getting the cart or at least a compilation that contains the game since there's really no way you can play this game ever again in later consoles.

I think this is my favorite of the 2D Sonic games.

I think.

It's so frustrating, cause this is 100% a more polished game than Sonic 1 and 2. By a mile even. I love how every stage flawlessly goes into the next. I love the new shield powerups. I love that there are multiple mini-bosses. I love that Knuckles exists. Knuckles is so fucking cool.

Much like Sonic 2, it builds on the previous Sonic games in ways that just make sense. With the blue sphere stages being hidden within the levels (and the earlier mentioned new shields), exploration becomes more important. There's even a true final boss, making it actually interesting to become Super Sonic.

Sonic 3 has a bit of a "gimmick" problem, but I only partially mind this, because some of the gimmicks are really fun! The platforms in Ice Cap Zone, the top in Marble Garden Zone, the mountain climbing parts of Sandopolis - all pretty fun. Meanwhile, the light speed ring shooter in Death Egg Zone should just be avoided and that damn barrel in Carnival Night Zone is probably the stupidest thing in video games.

I’m also conflicted on the length of these stages. Every stage went the same:
- “Woah, this place looks neat”
- “Oh shit, what do I do here? Oh it’s a puzzle. Weird. Okay this kinda cool though”
- a bit of time passes
- “Wait, why is the stage still going?”
- “BRO WHEN WILL THIS STAGE ENDS”
- “I ALREADY DID THIS SECTION… wait no I didn’t. WHY IS IT STILL-”

Each of these stages are cool at first, but quickly run out of steam. It’s annoying, cause Sonic CD has the opposite problem. Those stages can be too short. It’s a hard balance to find with these games, because Sonic’s core gameplay is ‘going fast’, but I don’t think extending the stages this much is the answer.

Speaking of length, there are 14 Zones in this game. SHEESH. The good news is - I don’t hate any of them. There are elements of Carnival Night and Flying Battery that frustrate me, but never to the point of Sonic 1. Sandopolis 2 is probably the closest to the Sonic 1, with its rising sand and lights, but they’re interesting enough mechanics, that I can’t quite hate it.

The other side of that is that I don’t quite LOVE any of these stages either. IceCap and Sky Sanctuary are probably my favorites, but they don’t quite hit as hard as something like Chemical Plant. Most of the stages are just fine. Again, I think they go on way too long and that definitely hurts the momentum (lol) of the game.

Some people say this is one of the best platformers of all time. I can’t quite agree with that, BUT I have grown a new appreciation of 2D Sonic. At the end of the day, Sonic 3 + Knuckles is more 2D Sonic - fun at its best, annoying at its worst.

This was the first video game I have ever played, and I am eternally grateful for the fact that it was this and not some dumb kid's flash game. Anyways, Sonic 3 is not as good as Sonic 2 (or Sonic Mania for that matter,) but it's still a great time all around. The levels aren't as great as I remember them being, specifically Ice Cap Zone with it's incredible music (and I'm not talking about the watered-down prototype version in Sonic Origins.) This game is still a classic, but it benefits with the feature of a drop dash, so I'd recommend either modding Sonic Origins to have the original soundtrack, or just playing Sonic 3 Angel Island Revisited.

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.

Bigger!

More epic!

And Knuckles!

Music literally by Michael Jackson!

Even has a save function this time!

I still don't have the patience to beat it. 🤷‍♂️

I really tried, man. But the old Sonic games just aren't that good. Granted, this is the only one of the OG trilogy I played without the Drop Dash, which 2D Sonic clearly needs in order to be good, but this game is commonly heralded as the best 2D Sonic ever, so I thought maybe this is the one where Sonic Team had it all figured out.

The graphical overhaul is great, and Sonic is much more expressive now, but the MUSIC. Getting one of the greatest musicians of all time on your soundtrack just automatically reserves you a throne in heaven. Ice Cap is one of the greatest tracks in any game, period.

That being said, fuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuck this level design. Punishes you for going fast with enemies and traps, a few too many one-hit kill scenarios, and horribly unbalanced bosses.

Angel Island > Ice Cap > Hydrocity >>> Carnival Night > Launch Base >>>>>>>>>> Marble Garden

Some of these levels go on for too long and the nonstop punishment from unforeseen enemy and trap placement kills any desire to go fast, which by Sonic standards should be a week in the thumbscrews. For the first time ever, I got killed by the time limit because certain levels just go on forever (although the more I think about it, why is there even a time limit in the first place?) You'd think the new elemental shields and their unique abilities would've encouraged more combat, but thanks to enemies either having an unfair position or are just unfairly designed with stupid hitboxes, the shields' mechanics are basically worthless.

Have yet to play "& Knuckles," but we've definitely gone backwards in terms of 2D Sonic here.

Is 3rd Time The Charm?

Warning:Am going to be reviewing this game as Sonic 3 & Knuckles.

Sonic The Hedgehog 3 is the longest entry to the series yet sporting 13 (14 if all emeralds are collected) different zones to traverse and explore.In this game the playable characters (Sonic,Tails,Knuckles) all have there own pro's and cons.This game also for the first time has a utilizable save system

Sonic
+The Fastest
+Able To Utilize Elemental Shield And Hyper Form
-No real special ability without a shield

Tails
+Easiest Of The Bunch
+Can Fly
+Can Swim
-Slowest of the 3
-Can't use the elemental shields

Knuckles
+Can Glide
+Can Climb Walls
-Most of the same issues as tails

Level Design: For the most part this game's level design continues the trend of able to go fast but easily punished the 2nd game had.Sadly unlike that game there is a speed cap and you cant go off screen and there is more percision based platforming overall better than the 1st worse than the 2nd.

Bosses: This game by far has the best bosses of the classic 3 and even has mini-bosses at the end of act 1 for each zone overall very good.

Overall: A game that is better and worse than it's predecessor with a lower focus on speed I find myself slightly giving the edge to 2,but make no mistake sonic 3 is still an amazing game and a great time.

TRIVIA:
Rumor has it that michael jackson wrote the music for 3 and there not baseless claims.

Sonic 3 + Knuckles is a really interesting video game. First of all, it's long as balls. The first three 2D games I played were all fairly short, which I liked, because even if they had elements I hated - the short playtime allowed for me to have the idea of replaying it. This game doesn't have that. Well, I'd probably replay it - but not because it's short.

Sonic 3 & Knuckles is definitely one game, and one you need to play as a single game, but it's definitely a game split in halves so I feel like it makes sense to talk about it like that. The first half of the game is probably the most consistent. Four of the six acts are pretty great, with the highlights being "Ice Cap Zone" and "Launch Base Zone".

I think the final boss of Sonic 3 is pretty great, too! Big Arm is pretty based and I think overall things end off really nicely. I just wish "Hydrocity" and "Carnival Night" were good, because otherwise, this is probably the strongest run of stages Sonic has. They can be a little long sometimes, and some of the puzzles can disorient, but overall - I still really like this first half.

Sonic & Knuckles starts things off pretty poor. "Mushroom Hill" is really annoying and "Flying Battery" absolutely sucks. It's like "Wing Fortress" but even DUMBER. "Sandpolis" really shows that epic highs and lows of 2D Sonic. Act 1 is fantastic, with so many cool set pieces like climbing down the mountain and all of the sand falling moments. Love it.

ACT 2 ON THE OTHER HAND - IT BLOWS. I hate the final chunk of it. When the sand is rising and you have to jump and do tight platforming all while some dumb fuck ghosts continue to fuck with you. It's shit. Who wanted time management in a Sonic game?

Luckily, the rest of the game from "Lava Reef" to the end is really cool. I did almost give up on the final boss, but the feeling of actually playing it flawlessly and beating it made it all worth it. "Sky Sanctuary" is another true highlight of this game.

The game as a whole is definitely just really long and drawn out. I think that it's definitely a worthwhile experience, but it almost begs to be talked about in how it was released, even if I do still view these as the same game.

I do love the way this game feels so fresh and new. It's so well designed and it's insanely polished. I love the fact that the game manages to tell a story that makes no much sense and works so well - despite having no dialogue.

Overall, if it was a bit shorter and trimmed some of the stages I hate - this is easily the best 2D Sonic and one of the best Sonic games. But for now, it's just pretty solid and a really fun game.

Pros: Sonic and Tails are back, and they're joined by a new mysterious character causing havoc, Knuckles the Echidna! This game is an improvement, in my opinion, over both previous Sonic games. The speed still feels great, there's fewer cheap moments, and I was able to enjoy the game from start to finish. Tails can now lift Sonic into the sky, which is such a fun thing for player 2 to be able to do, and to be even more useful and helpful to player 1 (also, little dude can doggy paddle underwater too, cute!). The music, well, in the original release, the music is INCREDIBLE, with the help of Michael Jackson's sound department, they cranked out some excellent tunes in, my favorite in particular being the snow theme, "Ice Cap Zone", it's a real jam. The other major benefit of this game, are the new power-ups you can get, flame shield, bubble shield, electric shield, with each ability giving you intuitive new moves and actions. Fire balling across the stage out of a jump with the Fire Shield, being able to breathe underwater as well as bubble bounce on land with the Bubble Shield, and having rings magnetize towards you as well as giving yourself an extra mid-air jump with the Electric Shield. These all feel great, making this Sonic, in my opinion, the best Sonic on Genesis.

Cons: There's still dumb Sonic crap happening in this game too, enemies can still jump out at you with little warning as you run across a stage, and there's still some bad level design moments where you'll fall down a trap without the ability to get yourself back out of it. These aren't as common as they were in previous games in my experience, but it's a fundamental issue with Sonic, this game just does a better job alleviating it with other cool new abilities. However, this isn't a complete game, that wouldn't be the case until Sonic & Knuckles became a thing, but what is here, I feel is just fine, and honestly, I liked it more than the S&K game that released sometime later. Only, it was pretty cool bringing playable Knuckles in Sonic 3, worth it for that alone.

What it means to me: Well, first of all, Knuckles. Dude was SO COOL when he hit the scene, we didn't think they could make a character cooler than Sonic, but they did, and he was a red... Echidna? Whatever that was... Didn't matter! He was AWESOME!! And we couldn't wait until we could play as him ourselves. I have a lot of memories playing this one with my step brother, all the way to the end of the game with Super Sonic, it was a good time. And played it again solo years later, and it still held up.