So let me get that out of the way right now, Sonic the Hedgehog 3 & Knuckles is technically two different games: Sonic The Hedgehog 3, released for the Sega Genesis in 1994, and Sonic & Knuckles, released a little later that same year. Both games were originally intended to be one massive adventure, but due to hardware limitations the development team was forced to split it into two separate games. However, the Sonic & Knuckles cartridge was fitted with so called "lock-on" technology, allowing a cartridge to be plugged in on top of it. I'm still not really sure how this works technically, but I've always just gone with it. Anyway, Sonic 3 could therefore be directly connected to Sonic & Knuckles, allowing gamers to experience the entire adventure in all of it's originally intended glory. For this reason, I consider the two to be one game. Playing one without the other is like watching only half of a movie; it just feels wholly incomplete to me. So, I will pretty much be referring to the two as one game throughout this editorial. It's just Sonic 3 & Knuckles, and that's all there is to it as far as I'm concerned.
Anyway, what is it about this game that I love so much? Is it just nostalgia, or is there something deeper beneath the surface? To answer that, we need to go back to the year 1995. Sonic The Hedgehog, both the character and the entire franchise, was at the height of popularity in the mid-90's. We all know that he keeps managing to sink to new lows nowadays (just as much as we all hope that "Sonic Mania" will change that), but back in his heyday, Sonic ruled the world. He had critically acclaimed games, not one or two but three different cartoon shows, comic books, toys, and an avalanche of other merchandise. On the gaming front, the Sega Genesis was battling it out with the Super Nintendo, which was churning out a seemingly endless barrage of it's own smash hit games. The Genesis had some pretty popular exclusive titles of its own, but it seemed as though only its' main mascot Sonic could stand ground with the likes of Mario, Link, Samus and Kirby. Sonic already had three hit games under his belt (the third being Sonic CD), and the Sega team needed to push him to new heights as the war of the 16-bit era raged on.
Maybe it was the fierce competition that drove the Sega team; I believe they had to have known that this game needed to represent their best work yet if it were to stand up to the juggernaut of Nintendo. What they eventually created was an overhaul of Sonic, keeping the original foundation intact while building on top of it. Sonic, Tails, and even Dr. Robotnik all sported new, slick sprites. Three new types of energy shields were introduced that added different special abilities, unlike the normal shield that appeared in the first two games. There was the fire shield that makes Sonic impervious to lava and fire and gives him the ability to do a mid-air dash, the electricity shield that attracts nearby rings and allows him to perform a double jump, and the bubble shield which lets him stay underwater indefinitely and lets him do a bounce jump on the ground for added height. Also, and perhaps most importantly, a new playable character was introduced with Knuckles the Echidna (which I've spoken about the overall importance of in my review of Knuckles' Chaotix).
But perhaps the best overall addition to the game as opposed to any of the previous ones was the progression of the story it told from beginning to end. Having a narrative in video games outside of manuals wasn't such a common thing, back in the days before things like extended cutscenes (or even voicework, for that matter). Obviously many great games pulled it off spectacularly, like the Final Fantasies and Zeldas of the world. What's more, even games like Super Mario Bros. 3 and Doom managed to have great stories with little to no dialogue at all. Sonic 3 & Knuckles falls into this category, as it's story is told entirely through the actions of the characters. As I mentioned you can get plenty of back story in the manual, but when we were kids nobody ever really bothered with that, and besides which all you need to know is shown to you through the use of clever little cutscenes throughout the game.
For example, within the first 15 seconds of playing the game you learn that Knuckles is an antagonist, after he knocks Sonic out and steals his 7 chaos emeralds. It turns out that Knuckles has been duped by Robotnik into believing that Sonic is his enemy and is after the master emerald, the power source of the floating island where Knuckles lives and is the sacred guardian of. Things progress from there and on the sixth stage (and final stage of Sonic 3 by itself), you can see Dr. Robotnik's final weapon, the Death Egg ship, prepping for launch in the background of the stage. Much later on, Knuckles confronts Sonic deep within the caverns of the floating island, and the two clash while Robotnik stealthily sneaks in and steals the master emerald behind Knuckles' back. Knuckles then realizes that he's made a huge mistake to trust him, but it's too late- Robotnik knocks Knuckles out cold and retreats back to the Death Egg ship, which then takes off for space. The story unfolds further as you play onward, culminating in a thrilling final battle in space where Sonic must chase down and destroy Robotnik's robo-carrier, retrieve the master emerald and save the world once and for all. And to reiterate, this entire story is told through brief cutscenes and a bit of supplementary material from the manual.
The Death Egg ship prepping for launch in the background of the Launch Base Zone, the midpoint of the game (or the finale of Sonic 3, technically).
For me, nothing since then has ever even come close to the scale of that grand final showdown. The game is as simple as running to the right, collecting rings and jumping on bad guys, but the story it tells and the way it tells it just makes it that much more complex. And I have to throw this out there too- the game just looks beautiful. I've spent a ton of time in my life making perler bead sprites (such as those pictured below) so I feel like I have an added appreciation for great spritework, which this game has no shortage of. Sonic and the gang have all new sprites from the previous games, and the levels and backgrounds through which you traverse are exquisite. Sure, Sonic's gimmick may be to "go fast," but ironically you might just enjoy the game that much more if you slow down for a bit and take everything in.
If you've ever made perler bead sprites, you probably have an added appreciation for detailed spritework. I certainly do when it comes to those of Sonic 3 & Knuckles.
There's tons of little details you just might overlook if you pass everything by in a blur. For instance, have you ever noticed that in water levels such as the Hydrocity Zone, you can see the surface of the water as you emerge from being underwater? Or how about late in the game in the Lava Reef Zone, when for just a small moment you can spot the Death Egg Ship in the background, embedded in the rocks. Later on you'll get much closer to it, but this little tidbit teases that encounter and truly makes you appreciate the fine details that the programmers added in. But my personal favorite little detail has to be in the room where you fight Knuckles in the hidden palace zone, where a large mural is displayed in the background that alludes to the secret Doomsday Zone finale, which you can only access if you've collected all 7 chaos emeralds in the bonus zones. I was always too busy battling it out with Knuckles to notice it as a kid, but one day when I was playing through for what had to have been the thousandth time in my life, I finally noticed it and it hit me like a ton of bricks. It was a truly brilliant moment and one that just made me love every bit of this game that much more.
The Death Egg ship masterfully tucked away in the background of the Lava Reef Zone.
See that mural in the background of the Hidden Palace Zone? It's a small easter egg that hints toward the secret finale of the game and the first time you really noticed it, you probably, as they say, shat bricks.
Of course, I'm neglecting Knuckles & Tails' campaigns here. Knuckles' story take place after Sonic's and has you exploring completely different level routes. Naturally, due to Knuckles' ability to climb walls and glide, the game mechanics completely change and you find yourself doing a whole lot more exploring and experimenting. Knuckles also has a different final boss fight against a supercharged mechanized version Sonic called Mecha Sonic (sometimes also referred to as Metal Sonic). Knuckles' campaign in general is a lot harder than Sonic's. The alternate routes are trickier to navigate and bosses also have slightly different attack patterns that make them more difficult to attack. For me though, I've personally always favored Sonic's adventure over Knuckles'. I appreciate that Knuckles offers a totally different way of playing the same game, but I think Knuckles' game ends a bit anti-climatically, especially compared to Sonic's explosive final battle. As for Tails, he can hover about for a bit which is fun, but for the most part his campaign is entirely identical to Sonic's, with the major exception being that the Doomsday Zone is omitted entirely.
In all, it's sort of difficult for me to put into words how much I love this game. I know it's not the best game ever created, and probably isn't even at the top tier level as far as games are concerned, but for me it will always be #1.
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