“LESS THAN THE SUM OF ITS PARTS”
After finishing Sonic 3 standalone, this one kinda hurt coming back to.
Sonic & Knuckles standalone is fine. It’s the second half of the third(fourth?) mainline Sonic game and the first one to feature Knuckles the Echidna as a playable character. His gameplay is pretty fun! From here onwards, adding new playable characters would more or less become a series staple up until Sonic 06 at which point the supporting cast became series-wide benchwarmers, only appearing in story cutscenes and Sonic Boom – which doesn’t count.
Sonic & Knuckles is usually considered only in relation to its ultimate combination – Sonic 3 & Knuckles. I know everyone has almost universally agreed that Sonic 3 & Knuckles is the Best One – some people might even argue that both Sonic 3 and Sonic & Knuckles ought to be considered as one game instead of separately. Something about this idea doesn’t sit right with me.
Maybe it’s because I grew up with Sonic Mega Collection on PS2 and I’d tried and failed playing Sonic & Knuckles on multiple occasions. Maybe it’s because I had to individually play Sonic 3 and Sonic & Knuckles 20 times each to unlock Sonic 3 & Knuckles, and up until that point I didn’t even know Sonic 3 & Knuckles was a thing. Maybe it’s because, in some ways, Sonic & Knuckles was a bit of a step back.
Disregarding lock-on technology (because I am once again playing this on the Analogue Pocket, like a freak), if Sonic 3 introduced save files, why does Sonic & Knuckles NOT include save files? Why punish players for not using the lock-on? Why lock such an integral feature behind owning an entirely different game? Think about that for a minute.
When I was younger, I always thought it was weird that Tails was conspicuously absent in Sonic’s story. Like where’d he go? Always made Sonic’s half of this game feel strangely lonesome.
Mushroom Hill Zone was a favorite of mine, too. I really liked how Act 2 transitioned between seasons, where in autumn the forest turns auburn and orange, and in winter it’s foggy and beige. Very memorable level.
Personally though, everything after Mushroom Hill pales in comparison. When Flying Battery Zone isn’t dangling players over bottomless pits, it’s forcing them between cramped interior environments with tons of instant death traps; Sandopolis is more of the same, Act 2 is filled with gimmicks that aren’t egregious in a vacuum but together feel extremely obnoxious; Lava Reef Act 1 is fine, but Act 2’s traps break up the pace a little too often for my tastes.
I was shocked when Flying Battery and Lava Reef returned in Sonic Mania – playing them in Sonic Mania, however, I feel as though the developers and designers definitely brought out the best of Sonic & Knuckles’ stages. It’s like being able to experience the stage itself through the eyes of someone who is clearly, deeply in love with Sonic & Knuckles. In that sense, it also retroactively makes these original stages feel worse, ironically.
To sidetrack this, I’m playing through the original Yakuza on PS2 for the first time right now. It’s my first Yakuza game and I’m really enjoying it so far. I’ll probably write about it once I’m finished, but up until I started playing the original Yakuza, the few friends that have played the Yakuza games recommended I start with Yakuza 0 and play through the other games (Kiwami 1+2) from there. My friend Nikko later told me that it was probably a good thing I started with Yakuza on the PS2 because, in his words, Yakuza 0 is “the Best One” and, were I to play it first, he said I’d realize the others are “just not as good”.
And to be honest, I am completely terrified of that. The idea of playing a game that completely ruins my enjoyment of all other games in a series – or a genre, even – because it’s too good… it freaks me out.
It is inevitable on a long enough timeline though, once you or I’ve played enough of a series to know and have deep-seated opinions on each and every nuance and facet of a franchise, that we’ll inevitably compare each and every release to our favorites. And because our favorite stars shine so incredibly bright, other constellations seem comparably dim.
I get to Lava Reef and I feel exhausted. When I play Sonic Mania, Lava Reef is the tenth zone; if we count Sonic 3 + Sonic & Knuckles’ stages consecutively, Lava Reef is also the tenth zone. The difference is that when I’m playing Sonic Mania, I’ve still got Metallic Madness and Titanic Monarch to look forward to. When I’m playing Sonic & Knuckles, I’ve got Sky Sanctuary and Death Egg Zone left – and honestly? This was a really cool couple of levels when I was younger, but I’m older now and I’m just never in the mood to put up with Death Egg Zone and its goofy boss fights.
Knuckles’ story is at least marginally different and outright excludes Death Egg Zone, as well as Lava Reef’s Act 2 and Hidden Palace Zone’s boss fights, but Sky Sanctuary is instead a level with only a boss fight.
I really liked Knuckles playthrough this time around. Maybe ‘cause it’s a lot shorter? The unique Knuckle route gimmicks also add some much-needed variety, I feel like just about every level has at least one Knukcles-specific route which is neat.
I don’t know. Something about the way Sonic 3 flows makes it feel a lot better to me now. Sonic & Knuckles feels fine but I feel like it peaks at Mushroom Hill Zone and never really recovers.
I’ll probably end up playing Sonic 3 & Knuckles and see if my opinion of either game changes at all after a full replay with all the bells and whistles added. Maybe even try some fan remakes. I don’t know man. I love these games. I’m kinda sad they’re not scratching that same itch anymore. It’s a weird feeling.
After finishing Sonic 3 standalone, this one kinda hurt coming back to.
Sonic & Knuckles standalone is fine. It’s the second half of the third(fourth?) mainline Sonic game and the first one to feature Knuckles the Echidna as a playable character. His gameplay is pretty fun! From here onwards, adding new playable characters would more or less become a series staple up until Sonic 06 at which point the supporting cast became series-wide benchwarmers, only appearing in story cutscenes and Sonic Boom – which doesn’t count.
Sonic & Knuckles is usually considered only in relation to its ultimate combination – Sonic 3 & Knuckles. I know everyone has almost universally agreed that Sonic 3 & Knuckles is the Best One – some people might even argue that both Sonic 3 and Sonic & Knuckles ought to be considered as one game instead of separately. Something about this idea doesn’t sit right with me.
Maybe it’s because I grew up with Sonic Mega Collection on PS2 and I’d tried and failed playing Sonic & Knuckles on multiple occasions. Maybe it’s because I had to individually play Sonic 3 and Sonic & Knuckles 20 times each to unlock Sonic 3 & Knuckles, and up until that point I didn’t even know Sonic 3 & Knuckles was a thing. Maybe it’s because, in some ways, Sonic & Knuckles was a bit of a step back.
Disregarding lock-on technology (because I am once again playing this on the Analogue Pocket, like a freak), if Sonic 3 introduced save files, why does Sonic & Knuckles NOT include save files? Why punish players for not using the lock-on? Why lock such an integral feature behind owning an entirely different game? Think about that for a minute.
When I was younger, I always thought it was weird that Tails was conspicuously absent in Sonic’s story. Like where’d he go? Always made Sonic’s half of this game feel strangely lonesome.
Mushroom Hill Zone was a favorite of mine, too. I really liked how Act 2 transitioned between seasons, where in autumn the forest turns auburn and orange, and in winter it’s foggy and beige. Very memorable level.
Personally though, everything after Mushroom Hill pales in comparison. When Flying Battery Zone isn’t dangling players over bottomless pits, it’s forcing them between cramped interior environments with tons of instant death traps; Sandopolis is more of the same, Act 2 is filled with gimmicks that aren’t egregious in a vacuum but together feel extremely obnoxious; Lava Reef Act 1 is fine, but Act 2’s traps break up the pace a little too often for my tastes.
I was shocked when Flying Battery and Lava Reef returned in Sonic Mania – playing them in Sonic Mania, however, I feel as though the developers and designers definitely brought out the best of Sonic & Knuckles’ stages. It’s like being able to experience the stage itself through the eyes of someone who is clearly, deeply in love with Sonic & Knuckles. In that sense, it also retroactively makes these original stages feel worse, ironically.
To sidetrack this, I’m playing through the original Yakuza on PS2 for the first time right now. It’s my first Yakuza game and I’m really enjoying it so far. I’ll probably write about it once I’m finished, but up until I started playing the original Yakuza, the few friends that have played the Yakuza games recommended I start with Yakuza 0 and play through the other games (Kiwami 1+2) from there. My friend Nikko later told me that it was probably a good thing I started with Yakuza on the PS2 because, in his words, Yakuza 0 is “the Best One” and, were I to play it first, he said I’d realize the others are “just not as good”.
And to be honest, I am completely terrified of that. The idea of playing a game that completely ruins my enjoyment of all other games in a series – or a genre, even – because it’s too good… it freaks me out.
It is inevitable on a long enough timeline though, once you or I’ve played enough of a series to know and have deep-seated opinions on each and every nuance and facet of a franchise, that we’ll inevitably compare each and every release to our favorites. And because our favorite stars shine so incredibly bright, other constellations seem comparably dim.
I get to Lava Reef and I feel exhausted. When I play Sonic Mania, Lava Reef is the tenth zone; if we count Sonic 3 + Sonic & Knuckles’ stages consecutively, Lava Reef is also the tenth zone. The difference is that when I’m playing Sonic Mania, I’ve still got Metallic Madness and Titanic Monarch to look forward to. When I’m playing Sonic & Knuckles, I’ve got Sky Sanctuary and Death Egg Zone left – and honestly? This was a really cool couple of levels when I was younger, but I’m older now and I’m just never in the mood to put up with Death Egg Zone and its goofy boss fights.
Knuckles’ story is at least marginally different and outright excludes Death Egg Zone, as well as Lava Reef’s Act 2 and Hidden Palace Zone’s boss fights, but Sky Sanctuary is instead a level with only a boss fight.
I really liked Knuckles playthrough this time around. Maybe ‘cause it’s a lot shorter? The unique Knuckle route gimmicks also add some much-needed variety, I feel like just about every level has at least one Knukcles-specific route which is neat.
I don’t know. Something about the way Sonic 3 flows makes it feel a lot better to me now. Sonic & Knuckles feels fine but I feel like it peaks at Mushroom Hill Zone and never really recovers.
I’ll probably end up playing Sonic 3 & Knuckles and see if my opinion of either game changes at all after a full replay with all the bells and whistles added. Maybe even try some fan remakes. I don’t know man. I love these games. I’m kinda sad they’re not scratching that same itch anymore. It’s a weird feeling.