Sonic and Knuckles & Sonic 3

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a game by Sega
Genre: Action
Platform: Sega GenesisGenesis
Editor Rating: 9.6/10, based on 4 reviews
User Rating: 7.4/10 - 44 votes
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See also: 2D Platformer Games, Side Scroller Games, Sonic Download
Sonic and Knuckles & Sonic 3
Sonic and Knuckles & Sonic 3
Sonic and Knuckles & Sonic 3

Sonic's been makin' the Sega scene in a big way in the last couple of months. Welcome to the next generation: Sonic 3 for the Genesis is the eagerly awaited next installment in Sega's saga of the feisty hedgehog and his arch-nemesis, Dr. Robotnik.

He's A Bad Egg

Robotnik never gives up. In Sonic 2 you thought you destroyed the Doctor's evil Death Egg Machine. You were wrong! In this 16-meg, two-player game, the sinister Doctor's latest scrambled plan is to rebuild the Death Egg Machine and crack up Sonic once and for all.

Sonic's teamed up once again with his trusty sidekick, Tails. They're fighting the Doctor's latest collection of mechanical menaces on an island paradise gone Robotnik. There are six all-new Zones on the island: Angel Island, Hydro City, Marble Garden, Carnival Night, the Ice Cap Zone, and the Launch Base. Each has two huge Acts, with the multiple pathways and the secret areas you've come to expect in a Sonic game. There's also a brand new incarnation of Robotnik to battle at the end -of each Act. The all-new graphics are the icing on the cake. They give Sonic a much more three-dimensional look and include many animations for each character.

A Well-Rounded Game

The game play in this game is true-blue Sonic. He runs, jumps, ricochets off enemies, and activates his mighty Spin Dash to leap tail ledges and cliffs in a single bound. When you play alone, you can even use Controller Two to get some help from Tails, who can fly above Sonic and lift him up to hard-to-reach areas.

In addition to the standard power-up Monitors, there are three new power-ups. The original Shield is gone, but now Sonic can grab either a Water Shield, an Electric Shield, or a Fire Shield. Each Shield empowers Sonic with a new special move and protects him against that type of elemental danger. For example, with the Water Shield, Sonic doesn't need to remain underwater.

As usual, there's an awesome new Special Stage, but there's also a cool new Bonus Round. During the Special Stage, you race across the surface of a huge globe, trying to grab blue orbs and dodge red ones. If you grab all the blues, you've got a shot at the Chaos Emerald (and, yes, of course you have to grab all the Chaos Emeralds to see the real ending). You enter the Bonus Rounds by finding secret rooms with giant Rings in them. Here Sonic ricochets off a huge gumball machine and grabs all kinds of power-ups.

Other new surprises include a new character named Knuckles, an Echidna (look it up, Jack), who's a real practical joker. There are also some fun variations in two-player mode, including larger split-screen graphics. In two-player contests you can race as Sonic, Tails, or Knuckles, and you can compete in Grand Prix, Match Race, or Time Attack. In Grand Prix, you race through five Zones (Azure Lake, Balloon Park, Chrome Gadget, Desert Palace, and Endless Mine). In Match play, you go head-to- head against a bud in the Zone of your choice. Time Attack pits you against the CPU.

The Word

When it comes to Sonic, Sega always delivers something new and different. 'Nuff said! Enjoy the pix and welcome to the next level — Sonic-style.

Download Sonic and Knuckles & Sonic 3

Genesis

System requirements:

  • PC compatible
  • Operating systems: Windows 10/Windows 8/Windows 7/2000/Vista/WinXP
  • Game modes: Single game mode

Player controls:

  • Up, Down, Left, Right - Arrow keys
  • Start - Enter (Pause, Menu select, Skip intro, Inventory)
  • "A" Gamepad button - Ctrl (usually Jump or Change weapon)
  • "B" button - Space (Jump, Fire, Menu select)
  • "C" button - Left Shift (Item select)

Use the F12 key to toggle mouse capture / release when using the mouse as a controller.

Game Reviews

Sonic and Knuckles & Sonic 3 is the way that these games were always meant to be played, as they were initially designed as a single game before being split into two cartridges. This combo brings the best of both games to the forefront, letting you control new characters, explore fresh levels, and even unlock some hidden bonuses. For true fans of the series, this is by far one of the best entries in the entire franchise and a major gem of the Sega Genesis.

Main Game Features

  • 14 awesome levels
  • 3 playable characters
  • Super fast sidescrolling gameplay

Story

Sonic and Knuckles & Sonic 3, as the name would imply, is a combination of Sonic the Hedgehog 3 and Sonic & Knuckles. Originally designed as one complete experience, the games were split up due to deadlines and hardware limitations. However, this combo lets you play both games in full, containing all original levels as well as some new features. The story features Sonic and Tails, ultra-fast heroes who must recover the Chaos Emeralds and defeat their nemesis, Dr. Robotnik. After Robotnik tricks Knuckles into thinking that Sonic is evil, Sonic must also convince Knuckles to join their team.

Of course, this combo also includes the Sonic & Knuckles story, where Knuckles battles EggRobo and attempts to retrieve the Master Emerald from Dr. Robotnik. However, when played in the Sonic and Knuckles & Sonic 3 format, players can also experience this story as Sonic, changing the narrative a bit. Additionally, players can also control Knuckles in Sonic 3 levels, allowing for better exploration and different movement.

Gameplay

Sonic and Knuckles & Sonic 3 is another entry in the Sonic the Hedgehog franchise, and as such, features extraordinarily fast sidescrolling gameplay. Playing as either Sonic, Knuckles, or Tails, you speed through 14 different stages, collecting coins and power-ups as you race to the finish. Players are encouraged to go as fast as possible, but levels have various branching paths, providing new routes when you play again. There are a few checkpoints scattered throughout each stage, and if you pass them with more than 20 coins in your pocket, you'll jump into a handful of mini-games. Special stages are also hidden throughout normal levels, transporting players into a 3D maze which they must navigate to gain extra points.

There are also extra features to enjoy in Sonic and Knuckles & Sonic 3, including hidden Super Emeralds that are only available in this combo pack. Super Emeralds can be found after collecting all 7 Chaos Emeralds in Sonic 3 levels by accessing Special stages. Once you collect all the Super Emeralds, the 3 characters can upgrade into Hyper form, granting them special powers like the ability to dash through the air. This super powerful ability is more than enough reason to hunt down all the Super Emeralds and replay the game more than once.

Conclusion

Overall, Sonic and Knuckles & Sonic 3 is arguably the best experience in the franchise and does a great job of highlighting what makes the series so fun. It contains an impressive amount of levels, each with a different theme and level layout, while also including multiple playable characters and new secrets. The various mini-games and special stages encourage you to explore every inch of a level, while the character's Hyper forms make it easy to blast past tough stages.

9

If you like speeding through levels as fast as possible, collecting power-ups, and discovering secrets, you'll absolutely love Sonic and Knuckles & Sonic 3.

Pros

  • Lots of replay value
  • Exceptionally fast gameplay
  • Amazing graphics and music

Cons

  • Some levels are much harder than others
  • Losing rings is frustrating
  • A few secrets are very hard to find
  • Theme: Action
  • Release: 1994

People say:

10

Sonic 3 is simply the perfect Sonic game. It beats out all the previous Sonics with outstanding graphics, more hidden items and new items like the many types of shields. While the music is not as good as the CD version (I'm not expecting it to be...) it's still really well done. The bonus rounds give the average player a fair chance this time, unlike those "tunnels" of part 2. It seems unlikely that Sega will be able to top this one.

10

Sonic 3 completely blows away everything you've ever seen in an Action game. This game improves upon the original tenfold! The different shields that can be used as weapons is a great touch and having an extra attack while jumping is wild. Of course, there are tons of secret passageways, excellent background detail, great music and a welcome game save feature. Can Sega do any better? It doesn't seem possible.

9

I actually like this game better than the CD version. The game seems to be a bit better in many areas. There are tons of awesome new zones filled with incredible colors I didn't know were possible with the Genesis. The added abilities of power-up shields make the game a total blast. Even though this isn't a CD game, the graphics and music are outstanding. This is the greatest Sonic adventure yet!

9

This one definitely tops any of the previous Sonic versions. The levels are as huge as always and there's still tons of hidden stuff. What make this a bit better was the cool bonus rounds, the new weapons and the five new split screen zones. This game is fun with a friend and has a ton of replay value. Great graphics and good sounds are Sonic's trademark and this cart packs all the old pizzas and more.

After saving the day from Dr. Robotnik's Death Egg in Sonic 2, Sonic the Hedgehog goes for a vacation on the floating Angel Island. However, it looks like Sonic is not welcome, as Angel Island's guardian, Knuckles the Echidna, has taken Sonic's chaos emeralds! Knuckles has been deceived by Dr. Robotnik into thinking that Sonic is the bad guy, but when he finds out, he rushes to crumble Robotnik's empire and regain the Master Emerald! Play as Sonic, Tails, or Knuckles and defeat Dr. Ivo Robotnik before he can relaunch the Death Egg!

Snapshots and Media

Sega Genesis/Mega Drive Screenshots

See Also

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