i'm generally not someone to go out of my way to play remasters or fan-adjusted versions of older games. most of the time, i'm more interested in getting as authentic an experience as i can out of these titles - to assess the work as its own standalone piece with the historical context behind it, splinters and all. that said, sonic 3 a.i.r. is a rare exception. for a game i have this much history with, being that i grew up with sonic 3 & knuckles, i'm happy to say that not only did this remaster completely make me understand WHY this is the best sonic game (even surpassing my beloved sonic 2 and the fantastic modern revival, sonic mania) but after revisiting this version for the FOURTH time this year and 100% completing it, achievements and all... this is my favorite 2d platformer of all time, now. one of my favorite games, period.
EVERYTHING about sonic 3 a.i.r. screams 'definitive'. the amount of customization options available to the player here, from level layouts to movesets, from item arsenals to soundtrack swaps, is on the cusp of fucking absurd. and as someone who yearns for the days of game-changing unlockables and cleverly tucked away easter eggs, sonic 3 a.i.r. had me covered in spades. the new mania-esque animations and updated 3d renders keep 3 a.i.r. feeling fresh and relevant while maintaining complete faithfulness to the original. the soundtrack remaster sounds crisp, full and lively - being a musician myself, i found the mixes here to be stellar and truly accurate to the intent of that near-perfect original score. time attack fans - i myself slowly find myself becoming one thanks to this game - are even eating good here, with a really intuitive and well designed mode to help you optimize time between runs. hell, i'm not even an achievement hunter but i sought out 100% completion with these fan-added trophies for the FUN of it. that's the sign that i've really, truly enjoyed your game.
there are still some fundamental issues that may boil up from the original sonic 3 here - i still think sandopolis and marble garden are a little patchy in comparison to the perfect streak of levels the rest of the game offers, but what's here is so good, and the feeling of just... experiencing a masterpiece fully realized to an ultimate apex of potential, that those qualms are frankly negligible. much as mario 64 remains my all-time platforming king, the 2d throne finally belongs to the blue blur. believe the hype - this one is the real deal, and a.i.r. has set that firmly in stone.
also - this got to be my 10 year old brother's first sonic game. he demanded i play sonic and he be tails. god damn it was so sweet. :)
EVERYTHING about sonic 3 a.i.r. screams 'definitive'. the amount of customization options available to the player here, from level layouts to movesets, from item arsenals to soundtrack swaps, is on the cusp of fucking absurd. and as someone who yearns for the days of game-changing unlockables and cleverly tucked away easter eggs, sonic 3 a.i.r. had me covered in spades. the new mania-esque animations and updated 3d renders keep 3 a.i.r. feeling fresh and relevant while maintaining complete faithfulness to the original. the soundtrack remaster sounds crisp, full and lively - being a musician myself, i found the mixes here to be stellar and truly accurate to the intent of that near-perfect original score. time attack fans - i myself slowly find myself becoming one thanks to this game - are even eating good here, with a really intuitive and well designed mode to help you optimize time between runs. hell, i'm not even an achievement hunter but i sought out 100% completion with these fan-added trophies for the FUN of it. that's the sign that i've really, truly enjoyed your game.
there are still some fundamental issues that may boil up from the original sonic 3 here - i still think sandopolis and marble garden are a little patchy in comparison to the perfect streak of levels the rest of the game offers, but what's here is so good, and the feeling of just... experiencing a masterpiece fully realized to an ultimate apex of potential, that those qualms are frankly negligible. much as mario 64 remains my all-time platforming king, the 2d throne finally belongs to the blue blur. believe the hype - this one is the real deal, and a.i.r. has set that firmly in stone.
also - this got to be my 10 year old brother's first sonic game. he demanded i play sonic and he be tails. god damn it was so sweet. :)
It's called Sonic AIR because Sonic 3 is fly af.
there's a few stuff in Sonic 3 Complete that I prefer a bit more, but the endless mod possibilities and being able to wall jump that annoying sand section in Sandopolis Act 2 with Mighty probably makes this the best version of Sonic 3 out there
overall 9/10: there was indeed air in the game
overall 9/10: there was indeed air in the game
i get it now. i like 2d sonic. ive seen the light. the kino momentums are actually pretty good....
Sonic 3 & Knuckles is one of the first games I remember playing, ever. I remember asking of the older guys in my incredibly small, rural Portuguese village to "put a Sonic videogame in my computer" after seeing an ad for a Sonic videogame in a magazine back then. This must've been back in 2010, 2011 - I was 8 or 9 - and I don't remember what specific game the ad was for, but the dude downloaded Sonic Mega Collection Plus onto my small Packard Bell laptop, along with Puzzle Bobble and Metal Slug bundled with the MAME emulator, and I spent most of the time playing on my computer circling through the first levels of those videogames.
I don't really understand people who say they beat games as kids; maybe it makes more sense if you had a console and your parents bought one specific game that you asked for (as it was the case with my 2DS and Pokémon X - I beat it!), but my parents barely ever gave me money for anything, let alone videogames, except for, I think, one or two instances. So, for me, it was mainly flash games, hacked Pokémon ROMs in VisualBoyAdvance, and pirated games that may or may not have not contaminated my poor and already slow little computer with adware and malware more than once.
But I digress. My memories of Sonic are mainly from the original classic trilogy, whose first levels I beat over and over again. I don't quite remember why, but with Sonic 3 and Knuckles, I have more memories from Mushroom Hill Zone than Angel Island Zone - I don't know if I triggered something to play Sonic and Knuckles instead of Sonic 3, but it must've been something like it. I liked bouncing around on the mushrooms, I thought the things that trapped you unless you spindashed your way out of their grip were annoying, and I was surprised to see Knuckles being evil.
That more or less sums up my experience with the game until I tried Sonic 3 A.I.R. I played a borrowed copy of Sonic Rivals 2 on my PSP, whose UMD broke and only the disk inside remains now, in one of my old closets. It was cool. In my early teen years, my gaming life was basically just Pokémon; later on, I explored more games and acquired tastes for different, less mainstream franchises, and I just mostly didn't think about Sonic. When I tried playing a Sonic game, I just didn't get the appeal. Sonic went fast, but I couldn't just press forward because I would bump into obstacles (like in the first few levels)? What the fuck? Where's the fun in this? I wanted to speed though everything without a second thought. The levels were confusing, there were just way too many obstacles going on. I just thought it was boring and, with the abundance of videogames to play, I didn't find any reason to press on. I remember Sonic Mania coming out, me installing it, and not feeling any particular feelings towards the game.
I mostly installed this out of curiosity, since it has such phenomenal reviews on Backloggd. I like fan made ports, localizations, videogame labors of love in general, even if I don't personally harbor an interest in the franchises or the like. I like messing around with this stuff. I recently patched a ROM of Ace Combat 3: Electrosphere with the localization overhaul by Load Word Team, Just In Case I Ever Want To Play It™. Hence, I booted A.I.R., "just to see how it ran", I thought.
It ran beautifully. The game is incredible.
I was incredibly, pleasantly surprised to have a Sonic game finally "click" for me. First off, the port is obviously gorgeous and shows off an outstanding level of polish - Eukaryot clearly deeply loves the game, and they have my kudos. I'm glad that I ended having my "definitive" experience with such a spotless version of Sonic 3. Secondly, this is a fantastic videogame, full stop. Sonic 3 & Knuckles truly feels like a complete package, if that makes sense. In my experience with it, I don't think I felt like anything was missing or left the game craving any more levels or bosses or whatever - it's very densely packed with quality gameplay, setpieces, tunes (some composed by Michael Jackson, I hear?) boss fights, and all very nicely wrapped up in a little bow. As I paced through the first levels, I thought to myself: "wow, how did I NOT see the appeal of this before?"
Generally speaking, in videogames, you either choose to speed through a gameplay segment, or take your time exploring it to catch anything you might otherwise miss. But, in Sonic, exploration rewards you not just with knowledge about the level but, with it, the ability to more gracefully speed through it afterwards. The levels are sprawling in verticality, almost labyrinthic, and full of nooks and crannies with special stages and powerups. This might be a superficial analysis of "the point" of classic Sonic's gameplay loop, but realizing this by myself was key to be able to interpret the level layouts and the game itself as a little puzzle to be slowly deciphered and put together while bouncing around, instead of a mindless sidescrolling pseudo-racing track.
I like the variety of Sonic sprites in the game, be it with him ducking, sprinting, rotating horizontally, vertically. That combined with the very good physics and some smart visual tricks makes for some real kinetic and dynamic gameplay. The opening of the Ice Cap Zone, for example, is hard as hell. Game's colorful and spritework is very good, and the sometimes almost abstract aesthetics of some levels like Marble Gallery or Carnival Night are a real treat to the eyes. I very much enjoyed the differences and gimmicks each level has to offer. I feel like Sonic Team really made the most out of what they could with the Mega Drive hardware. Level design is super solid, too - I don't understand too much about Sonic level design or level design in general, but I was never bored. I giggled a bit when I realized falling in Ice Cap looped into itself and I was waiting with my controller in my hand for nothing. My friend told me about the infamous Carnival Night barrel (I would've not figured it out otherwise). The Mushroom Hill bouncy mushrooms, levers and wind are awesome, the drifting sand and ropes in Sandopolis are awesome, Hidden Palace is gorgeous, etc. The game consistently stays pretty, varied, fresh, interesting, and the I thought the Blue Sphere Special Stages were super nice, as well.
The only level that I didn't enjoy as much, and whose difficult I felt was unbalanced compared to the rest, was Death Egg. Obviously, I know that the last level in a videogame is supposed to be a culmination of the difficulty in it, but I genuinely felt like it was a huge spike compared to the rest - probably about one third of my play time is just me hitting my head against Death Egg over and over again. It got to a point where I was one click away from deleting the game and marking it as dropped, which frustrated me immensely; this was being a great experience, this made Sonic click for me, so far the game was being so nicely executed in just about every aspect I could think of, why the hell was I getting stuck Now, so close to the end? Plus, I just hate dropping games just as I'm about to finish them. Uugh. Anyway, this level has some seriously frustrating elements. The enemies are the toughest and guys like Spikebonker (lol) can seriously kill you a few times if you don't pay attention to where you're going. It also has several sections where your movement is controlled by some sort of platform, like the light rights or the mechanical caterpillars, which makes progressing slower. And the bosses are a test to your endurance and to your patience. In the last one, where Eggman shoots you with a laser, if you die, you respawn with 0 rings, and get instakilled at the slightest mistake. It's frustrating.
And just as I was about to drop the videogame, one of my friends urges me to try one last time. I open the game and, with only a single death, I complete the level. I... beat it? I don't see many more people complaining about Death Egg. Maybe I was just mentally stuck...? Weird.
Anyway, I complete the game. As a treat, I try Doomsday Zone, which has just the right amount of space bravado for the actually-this-is-the-last-level level. I think my Sonic curiosity has been satisfied for a while, but I'm definitely checking out titles like Sonic CD and Sonic Mania Plus in the future. Please play this videogame, even if you've never understood the appeal of Sonic before, or have played other Sonic videogames but didn't enjoy them so much. I believe you're definitely going to enjoy it!!
I don't really understand people who say they beat games as kids; maybe it makes more sense if you had a console and your parents bought one specific game that you asked for (as it was the case with my 2DS and Pokémon X - I beat it!), but my parents barely ever gave me money for anything, let alone videogames, except for, I think, one or two instances. So, for me, it was mainly flash games, hacked Pokémon ROMs in VisualBoyAdvance, and pirated games that may or may not have not contaminated my poor and already slow little computer with adware and malware more than once.
But I digress. My memories of Sonic are mainly from the original classic trilogy, whose first levels I beat over and over again. I don't quite remember why, but with Sonic 3 and Knuckles, I have more memories from Mushroom Hill Zone than Angel Island Zone - I don't know if I triggered something to play Sonic and Knuckles instead of Sonic 3, but it must've been something like it. I liked bouncing around on the mushrooms, I thought the things that trapped you unless you spindashed your way out of their grip were annoying, and I was surprised to see Knuckles being evil.
That more or less sums up my experience with the game until I tried Sonic 3 A.I.R. I played a borrowed copy of Sonic Rivals 2 on my PSP, whose UMD broke and only the disk inside remains now, in one of my old closets. It was cool. In my early teen years, my gaming life was basically just Pokémon; later on, I explored more games and acquired tastes for different, less mainstream franchises, and I just mostly didn't think about Sonic. When I tried playing a Sonic game, I just didn't get the appeal. Sonic went fast, but I couldn't just press forward because I would bump into obstacles (like in the first few levels)? What the fuck? Where's the fun in this? I wanted to speed though everything without a second thought. The levels were confusing, there were just way too many obstacles going on. I just thought it was boring and, with the abundance of videogames to play, I didn't find any reason to press on. I remember Sonic Mania coming out, me installing it, and not feeling any particular feelings towards the game.
I mostly installed this out of curiosity, since it has such phenomenal reviews on Backloggd. I like fan made ports, localizations, videogame labors of love in general, even if I don't personally harbor an interest in the franchises or the like. I like messing around with this stuff. I recently patched a ROM of Ace Combat 3: Electrosphere with the localization overhaul by Load Word Team, Just In Case I Ever Want To Play It™. Hence, I booted A.I.R., "just to see how it ran", I thought.
It ran beautifully. The game is incredible.
I was incredibly, pleasantly surprised to have a Sonic game finally "click" for me. First off, the port is obviously gorgeous and shows off an outstanding level of polish - Eukaryot clearly deeply loves the game, and they have my kudos. I'm glad that I ended having my "definitive" experience with such a spotless version of Sonic 3. Secondly, this is a fantastic videogame, full stop. Sonic 3 & Knuckles truly feels like a complete package, if that makes sense. In my experience with it, I don't think I felt like anything was missing or left the game craving any more levels or bosses or whatever - it's very densely packed with quality gameplay, setpieces, tunes (some composed by Michael Jackson, I hear?) boss fights, and all very nicely wrapped up in a little bow. As I paced through the first levels, I thought to myself: "wow, how did I NOT see the appeal of this before?"
Generally speaking, in videogames, you either choose to speed through a gameplay segment, or take your time exploring it to catch anything you might otherwise miss. But, in Sonic, exploration rewards you not just with knowledge about the level but, with it, the ability to more gracefully speed through it afterwards. The levels are sprawling in verticality, almost labyrinthic, and full of nooks and crannies with special stages and powerups. This might be a superficial analysis of "the point" of classic Sonic's gameplay loop, but realizing this by myself was key to be able to interpret the level layouts and the game itself as a little puzzle to be slowly deciphered and put together while bouncing around, instead of a mindless sidescrolling pseudo-racing track.
I like the variety of Sonic sprites in the game, be it with him ducking, sprinting, rotating horizontally, vertically. That combined with the very good physics and some smart visual tricks makes for some real kinetic and dynamic gameplay. The opening of the Ice Cap Zone, for example, is hard as hell. Game's colorful and spritework is very good, and the sometimes almost abstract aesthetics of some levels like Marble Gallery or Carnival Night are a real treat to the eyes. I very much enjoyed the differences and gimmicks each level has to offer. I feel like Sonic Team really made the most out of what they could with the Mega Drive hardware. Level design is super solid, too - I don't understand too much about Sonic level design or level design in general, but I was never bored. I giggled a bit when I realized falling in Ice Cap looped into itself and I was waiting with my controller in my hand for nothing. My friend told me about the infamous Carnival Night barrel (I would've not figured it out otherwise). The Mushroom Hill bouncy mushrooms, levers and wind are awesome, the drifting sand and ropes in Sandopolis are awesome, Hidden Palace is gorgeous, etc. The game consistently stays pretty, varied, fresh, interesting, and the I thought the Blue Sphere Special Stages were super nice, as well.
The only level that I didn't enjoy as much, and whose difficult I felt was unbalanced compared to the rest, was Death Egg. Obviously, I know that the last level in a videogame is supposed to be a culmination of the difficulty in it, but I genuinely felt like it was a huge spike compared to the rest - probably about one third of my play time is just me hitting my head against Death Egg over and over again. It got to a point where I was one click away from deleting the game and marking it as dropped, which frustrated me immensely; this was being a great experience, this made Sonic click for me, so far the game was being so nicely executed in just about every aspect I could think of, why the hell was I getting stuck Now, so close to the end? Plus, I just hate dropping games just as I'm about to finish them. Uugh. Anyway, this level has some seriously frustrating elements. The enemies are the toughest and guys like Spikebonker (lol) can seriously kill you a few times if you don't pay attention to where you're going. It also has several sections where your movement is controlled by some sort of platform, like the light rights or the mechanical caterpillars, which makes progressing slower. And the bosses are a test to your endurance and to your patience. In the last one, where Eggman shoots you with a laser, if you die, you respawn with 0 rings, and get instakilled at the slightest mistake. It's frustrating.
And just as I was about to drop the videogame, one of my friends urges me to try one last time. I open the game and, with only a single death, I complete the level. I... beat it? I don't see many more people complaining about Death Egg. Maybe I was just mentally stuck...? Weird.
Anyway, I complete the game. As a treat, I try Doomsday Zone, which has just the right amount of space bravado for the actually-this-is-the-last-level level. I think my Sonic curiosity has been satisfied for a while, but I'm definitely checking out titles like Sonic CD and Sonic Mania Plus in the future. Please play this videogame, even if you've never understood the appeal of Sonic before, or have played other Sonic videogames but didn't enjoy them so much. I believe you're definitely going to enjoy it!!
Sonic 3: Angel Island Revisited is the synthesis of a phlegmatic work of art that rises through the passage of time, and in its withering it finds the transcendence of its identity, its structure is frugal but its vision unscathed and a sine qua non of the hardship of its journey, despite being perennial, it shines bright in the end.
To begin: Angel Island Revisited is a fantastic remaster, with quality-of-life changes and improvements that I can never imagine playing Sonic 3 without ever again. From the subtle visual improvements, sheer customizability, remastered audio, the Drop Dash! - Sonic 3 AIR is easily the definitive version of this game, and will always be, especially now that it has mod support.
But I think AIR is also the definitive version of a game that's slightly obsoleted by Mania in almost every aspect.
Take the starting Angel Island, for example: secret items like the ring and speed monitors near the start of Act 1 or the rings and invincibility under the pushable rock feel too disconnected from the flow of the level design in ways that Green Hill - both in its Sonic 1 and Mania renditions - never suffered from.
Big Ring distribution is also weighted in a way that I feel is unbalanced: Angel Island and Hydrocity have about seven in total if you look closely for them; Marble Garden and Carnival Night hand them out like candy; and starting from Ice Cap and into the rest of the game are too sparse - while Green Hill and Chemical Plant in Mania also total about seven or eight in Mania as well, the Big Rings are distributed more evenly across the game and placed in less obtuse ways that I found myself still finding Big Rings all the way into Metallic Madness.
Special Stages and Bonus Stages are also unquestionably better in Mania in my opinion: while I think the Special Stages need no explanation, I've found the three bonus stages of Sonic 3 too pace-breaking, especially considering that two of them let players potentially get any shield, and the other has the potential to draw rings from the player instead.
Maybe this is my bias towards pinball, but I enjoy how Trap Tower is paced, letting players just play the crane game once and leave if they choose, or letting them stay literally as long as they want in a minigame that's amazing in its own right.
The one thing I might say Sonic 3 still has over Mania is its sense of storytelling and narrative consistency... but it's not enough to tip the scales over for me when Mania has much more expressive animation, much more consistent level design; as well as better setpieces and moments like the Heavy Magician fight, Eggman's battles involving gachapon and Puyo of all things, and the entirety of the impossible-to-dislike Studiopolis Zone.
It stands in stark contrast to my actual favorite Genesis-era Sonic game: Sonic CD. Sure, it might be a bit janky compared to Sonic 3, and its mechanics and level design may not be for everyone, but it sets out to accomplish things that no other game in the series even attempted ever again - even Mania only implements these things on a purely cosmetic level, its two CD levels being almost completely reconstructed using the level gimmicks as a baseline.
I think Sonic 3 is still a very good game, all things considered - but it's a game I'd much rather replay Mania than revisit. Angel Island Revisited at least brings it up to the same level of polish that it could be up to a matter of personal preference...
But Mania has captured my heart in a way I think Sonic 3 never has in any form.
But I think AIR is also the definitive version of a game that's slightly obsoleted by Mania in almost every aspect.
Take the starting Angel Island, for example: secret items like the ring and speed monitors near the start of Act 1 or the rings and invincibility under the pushable rock feel too disconnected from the flow of the level design in ways that Green Hill - both in its Sonic 1 and Mania renditions - never suffered from.
Big Ring distribution is also weighted in a way that I feel is unbalanced: Angel Island and Hydrocity have about seven in total if you look closely for them; Marble Garden and Carnival Night hand them out like candy; and starting from Ice Cap and into the rest of the game are too sparse - while Green Hill and Chemical Plant in Mania also total about seven or eight in Mania as well, the Big Rings are distributed more evenly across the game and placed in less obtuse ways that I found myself still finding Big Rings all the way into Metallic Madness.
Special Stages and Bonus Stages are also unquestionably better in Mania in my opinion: while I think the Special Stages need no explanation, I've found the three bonus stages of Sonic 3 too pace-breaking, especially considering that two of them let players potentially get any shield, and the other has the potential to draw rings from the player instead.
Maybe this is my bias towards pinball, but I enjoy how Trap Tower is paced, letting players just play the crane game once and leave if they choose, or letting them stay literally as long as they want in a minigame that's amazing in its own right.
The one thing I might say Sonic 3 still has over Mania is its sense of storytelling and narrative consistency... but it's not enough to tip the scales over for me when Mania has much more expressive animation, much more consistent level design; as well as better setpieces and moments like the Heavy Magician fight, Eggman's battles involving gachapon and Puyo of all things, and the entirety of the impossible-to-dislike Studiopolis Zone.
It stands in stark contrast to my actual favorite Genesis-era Sonic game: Sonic CD. Sure, it might be a bit janky compared to Sonic 3, and its mechanics and level design may not be for everyone, but it sets out to accomplish things that no other game in the series even attempted ever again - even Mania only implements these things on a purely cosmetic level, its two CD levels being almost completely reconstructed using the level gimmicks as a baseline.
I think Sonic 3 is still a very good game, all things considered - but it's a game I'd much rather replay Mania than revisit. Angel Island Revisited at least brings it up to the same level of polish that it could be up to a matter of personal preference...
But Mania has captured my heart in a way I think Sonic 3 never has in any form.
Sonic 3 & Knuckles always felt weird to me. The concept of a game being so big at the time that it was split into two games, only to be reattached to create a seamless experience, seemed cool in concept, but was a little flawed in execution. Presentation wise it still felt like two games.
Sonic 3 Angel Island Revisted fixes this by working to not only modernize Sonic 3&K by expanding the aspect ratio and adding achievements, but the customizable features like level order, music selection, and additional abilities easily make this the definitive version of “Sonic 3”. Since the Origins collection is missing the original soundtrack and has numerous glitches, I think that today this is still the best way to play Sonic 3.
Sonic 3 Angel Island Revisted fixes this by working to not only modernize Sonic 3&K by expanding the aspect ratio and adding achievements, but the customizable features like level order, music selection, and additional abilities easily make this the definitive version of “Sonic 3”. Since the Origins collection is missing the original soundtrack and has numerous glitches, I think that today this is still the best way to play Sonic 3.
ft @cellerepe [Minha trilionésima vez, primeira dela]
MAIOR e MELHOR em tudo. Um dos melhores plataformers 2D de todos os tempos aumenta o desafio de se manter veloz, explorar os caminhos alternativos em 3 campanhas e sobreviver, mas te recompensa igualmente com level design incrível e uma OST lendária. O melhor Sonic e o mais importante por evoluir a série para outro patamar e incluir uma boa história sem nenhum diálogo e acrescentar muito para a lore da série.
Alguns atos são muito longos, mas a quantidade de conteúdo e a qualidade dele pra um jogo da época faz com que essa obra-prima seja um dos meus jogos favoritos e um dos que mais joguei na vida.
Ela gostou mais do 2, mas entendo perfeitamente. Ele é mais curto, mais fácil de se rejogar e menos desafiador.
A versão AIR corrige todos os erros do jogo original e adiciona features que fazem dessa a melhor versão do jogo e uma delícia de se revisitar.
MAIOR e MELHOR em tudo. Um dos melhores plataformers 2D de todos os tempos aumenta o desafio de se manter veloz, explorar os caminhos alternativos em 3 campanhas e sobreviver, mas te recompensa igualmente com level design incrível e uma OST lendária. O melhor Sonic e o mais importante por evoluir a série para outro patamar e incluir uma boa história sem nenhum diálogo e acrescentar muito para a lore da série.
Alguns atos são muito longos, mas a quantidade de conteúdo e a qualidade dele pra um jogo da época faz com que essa obra-prima seja um dos meus jogos favoritos e um dos que mais joguei na vida.
Ela gostou mais do 2, mas entendo perfeitamente. Ele é mais curto, mais fácil de se rejogar e menos desafiador.
A versão AIR corrige todos os erros do jogo original e adiciona features que fazem dessa a melhor versão do jogo e uma delícia de se revisitar.
I have played Sonic 3 for almost all of my life and I can safely say Sonic 3 AIR is the ultimate way to play the legendary 2D Genesis classic. Allowing you to add almost all the features from the world shattering ROM Hack Sonic 3 Complete but you can also add even more characters to the game. You can even play an altered version of Sonic 3 if you want like a sudo encore mode of sorts. All of which wouldn't be possible without the amazing Sonic 3 AIR modding community.
Sonic Origins (S3K) $30
-Glitches
-Blurry Pixels (before update)
-No Lives in anniversary mode
-Shitty new music
Sonic 3 AIR Free
-No Glitches
-Pixel Perfect
-Lives optional
-Original Music
-Glitches
-Blurry Pixels (before update)
-No Lives in anniversary mode
-Shitty new music
Sonic 3 AIR Free
-No Glitches
-Pixel Perfect
-Lives optional
-Original Music
The best version of Sonic 3, no questions asked. Filled with tiny little enhancements and toggles, and the mod support allows for even more things to be brought in. Has the definitive version of the prototype soundtrack as well as the original Mega Drive version thereof. Sonic 3 is incredible and this simply elevates it to perfection.
PEAK AS FUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUCK.
soic hegeohg
Sonic 3 is my favourite game of all time I go back every year and beat it at least one time I know it inside and out it's one the only pieces of media I will ever give a 10 out of 10 everything about this game brings a smile to my face it's the one game that has been there in every stage of my life and will probably be till the day I pass this game will forever part of me and I cant thank the devs enough for putting their souls into this game
Veredito: O meu jogo preferido do mundo, agora aperfeiçoado até o último detalhe.
Quando paro pra pensar, não tem nenhuma razão objetiva pra Sonic 3 & Knuckles ser o meu jogo favorito. Ele não é nem de longe o melhor jogo que já joguei. Falta bastante cuidado em alguns detalhes, a IA do Tails poderia ser melhorada, a campanha do Knuckles - especialmente na 1ª metade - fica na cara que não foi testada e polida como deveria, etc etc etc. Enfim, não existe jogo perfeito, e S3&K definitivamente não é a exceção.
Não me entendam mal, porque ele é realmente muito bom. Mas muito, muito bom mesmo. Apesar dos pesares, é um jogo sólido para um senhor caralho. Quase 30 anos depois e ainda não fizeram um plataforma de velocidade 2D mais redondinho que ele, e não foi falta de tentar: Sonic Rush, Spark, Freedom Planet e mais um monte estão aí pra não me deixarem mentir. Ano entra, ano passa, e S3&K continua reinando como o absoluto ápice de seu gênero, com controles precisos e uma física balanceadíssima, mecânicas robustas e extremamente funcionais, level design de primeira, uma trama simples e funcional com uma narrativa prática e direta, e tanto visuais quanto músicas simplesmente top de linha.
O verdadeiro padrão ouro do que é um jogo bom do Sonic em 2D.
Mas é "só" isso. Ele é só um jogo muito bom e não passa disso. Não tem nada que o eleve a um outro patamar para estar junto dos meus favoritos. Para estar acima de Talos Principle e Outer Wilds, cujos puzzles e universos me emocionam e dialogam intimamente comigo como nenhuma outra obra é capaz de fazer; e no mesmo nível de Sonic Adventure 2, que foi o jogo que me moldou na pessoa que sou hoje, com sua história magnífica, jogabilidade sublime e a melhor trilha sonora que já existiu.
Quando paro pra analisar friamente, S3&K é "só" um jogo muito bom.
Mas jogar videogame não é algo pra ser analisado friamente. A arte não é objetiva, e não tem que ser. A experiência estética é algo muito pessoal e íntimo. E sempre será.
Sonic 3 & Knuckles sempre vai ser meu jogo favorito da vida, e acredito piamente que nada pode mudar isso. Não porque ele é bom - e de novo, ele é MUITO bom, mas eu o adoraria mesmo que fosse uma bosta - e sim pelo quanto ele me faz feliz há quase 30 anos.
Este é o jogo que me fez gostar de videogames.
É o jogo que me fez ganhar um Mega Drive dos meus pais antes de eu ter 05 anos de idade. É o jogo que eu mais rejoguei na vida (acho que nem Zelda Ocarina ou Sonic 1 superam ele nesse quesito) sem nunca cansar, sem nunca achar que ficou repetitivo demais, fácil demais, mecânico demais, sem nunca ficar uma única partida sem descobrir algo novo: uma técnica nova que é boa pra correr mais rápido em alguma fase, um jeito mais eficiente de fazer aquele pulo e ganhar alguns milissegundos, ou então um caminho mais otimizado que me permita pegar todas as esmeraldas mais cedo.
Eu não faço a mínima ideia de quantas vezes já rejoguei S3&K - só agora rejoguei duas campanhas completas, todas as fases + as 14 esmeraldas duas vezes, e mais algumas fases individualmente pra bater recordes pessoais, e tou triste que infelizmente acabou -, mas tenho absoluta certeza que em todas elas eu me diverti DEMAIS.
Desde que eu tinha 04 anos, Sonic 3 & Knuckles faz parte da minha vida. Sempre fez. Sempre vai fazer. É uma constante universal.
E não existem "qualidades objetivas" que consigam bater de frente com isso.
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PS: Um dos problemas que não mencionei lá em cima é que ele era claramente ambicioso demais pro console e época em que lançou, e praticamente todos os ports são muito mal feitos. Daí entra Angel Island Revisited, um port feito por fãs que converte ele em um jogo nativo de Windows com todo o capricho que a Sega jamais teve com ports oficiais, e INSTANTANEAMENTE quase todos os defeitos dele se corrigem.
Agora tem suporte a 60 quadros e a 16:9, uma CARALHADA de opções pra brincar, controles melhorados - inclusive é possível voar no modo Sonic+Tails e controlar o voo facilmente usando um controle só -, time attacks, conquistas, extras desbloqueáveis, e suporte facilitado a mods. Sem contar que ele ficou LINDO DE MORRER, meldelsdusséu!!! ❤️
Quando paro pra pensar, não tem nenhuma razão objetiva pra Sonic 3 & Knuckles ser o meu jogo favorito. Ele não é nem de longe o melhor jogo que já joguei. Falta bastante cuidado em alguns detalhes, a IA do Tails poderia ser melhorada, a campanha do Knuckles - especialmente na 1ª metade - fica na cara que não foi testada e polida como deveria, etc etc etc. Enfim, não existe jogo perfeito, e S3&K definitivamente não é a exceção.
Não me entendam mal, porque ele é realmente muito bom. Mas muito, muito bom mesmo. Apesar dos pesares, é um jogo sólido para um senhor caralho. Quase 30 anos depois e ainda não fizeram um plataforma de velocidade 2D mais redondinho que ele, e não foi falta de tentar: Sonic Rush, Spark, Freedom Planet e mais um monte estão aí pra não me deixarem mentir. Ano entra, ano passa, e S3&K continua reinando como o absoluto ápice de seu gênero, com controles precisos e uma física balanceadíssima, mecânicas robustas e extremamente funcionais, level design de primeira, uma trama simples e funcional com uma narrativa prática e direta, e tanto visuais quanto músicas simplesmente top de linha.
O verdadeiro padrão ouro do que é um jogo bom do Sonic em 2D.
Mas é "só" isso. Ele é só um jogo muito bom e não passa disso. Não tem nada que o eleve a um outro patamar para estar junto dos meus favoritos. Para estar acima de Talos Principle e Outer Wilds, cujos puzzles e universos me emocionam e dialogam intimamente comigo como nenhuma outra obra é capaz de fazer; e no mesmo nível de Sonic Adventure 2, que foi o jogo que me moldou na pessoa que sou hoje, com sua história magnífica, jogabilidade sublime e a melhor trilha sonora que já existiu.
Quando paro pra analisar friamente, S3&K é "só" um jogo muito bom.
Mas jogar videogame não é algo pra ser analisado friamente. A arte não é objetiva, e não tem que ser. A experiência estética é algo muito pessoal e íntimo. E sempre será.
Sonic 3 & Knuckles sempre vai ser meu jogo favorito da vida, e acredito piamente que nada pode mudar isso. Não porque ele é bom - e de novo, ele é MUITO bom, mas eu o adoraria mesmo que fosse uma bosta - e sim pelo quanto ele me faz feliz há quase 30 anos.
Este é o jogo que me fez gostar de videogames.
É o jogo que me fez ganhar um Mega Drive dos meus pais antes de eu ter 05 anos de idade. É o jogo que eu mais rejoguei na vida (acho que nem Zelda Ocarina ou Sonic 1 superam ele nesse quesito) sem nunca cansar, sem nunca achar que ficou repetitivo demais, fácil demais, mecânico demais, sem nunca ficar uma única partida sem descobrir algo novo: uma técnica nova que é boa pra correr mais rápido em alguma fase, um jeito mais eficiente de fazer aquele pulo e ganhar alguns milissegundos, ou então um caminho mais otimizado que me permita pegar todas as esmeraldas mais cedo.
Eu não faço a mínima ideia de quantas vezes já rejoguei S3&K - só agora rejoguei duas campanhas completas, todas as fases + as 14 esmeraldas duas vezes, e mais algumas fases individualmente pra bater recordes pessoais, e tou triste que infelizmente acabou -, mas tenho absoluta certeza que em todas elas eu me diverti DEMAIS.
Desde que eu tinha 04 anos, Sonic 3 & Knuckles faz parte da minha vida. Sempre fez. Sempre vai fazer. É uma constante universal.
E não existem "qualidades objetivas" que consigam bater de frente com isso.
---
PS: Um dos problemas que não mencionei lá em cima é que ele era claramente ambicioso demais pro console e época em que lançou, e praticamente todos os ports são muito mal feitos. Daí entra Angel Island Revisited, um port feito por fãs que converte ele em um jogo nativo de Windows com todo o capricho que a Sega jamais teve com ports oficiais, e INSTANTANEAMENTE quase todos os defeitos dele se corrigem.
Agora tem suporte a 60 quadros e a 16:9, uma CARALHADA de opções pra brincar, controles melhorados - inclusive é possível voar no modo Sonic+Tails e controlar o voo facilmente usando um controle só -, time attacks, conquistas, extras desbloqueáveis, e suporte facilitado a mods. Sem contar que ele ficou LINDO DE MORRER, meldelsdusséu!!! ❤️
5 people walked in on me and a friend watching Doug Walker's To Boldly Flee in a discord vc because they thought I was playing this. other than that this game rules.
"at least its not sonic 2" sounds mean but its true
the best way to play sonic 3k right now
please ignore sonic origins existence and play this instead
please ignore sonic origins existence and play this instead
Remastered OST, Widescreen, 60FPS Special stages, getting to choose which songs, having extra power ups after completing the game. This version has everything and makes Sonic 3 a game that is already good 100x even better.
Sin duda, la mejor forma de jugar Sonic the Hedgehog 3 & Knuckles, no solo por la pantalla ancha que te da más campo de visión, sino también por las opciones de personalización que brinda. Puedes modificar el juego como te plazca, agregando, quitando o cambiando mecánicas y dinámicas a tu gusto, además de ofrecer recompensas como el Drop Dash de Sonic Mania por conseguir cierta cantidad de logros; sin contar la facilidad que tienes para ponerle los mods que quieras. Por más que no arregla todos los errores de diseño del título original, como cuestionables posicionamientos de enemigos en zonas como Marble Garden Zone, en la que estos pueden salir del suelo sin poder predecirlos del todo bien, cambios como acelerar la velocidad con la que empujas los bloques en Sandopolis Zone, por dar un ejemplo, son más que bienvenidos por mejorar el ritmo, centrándose más en la velocidad. Mi total admiración a la gente que hizo realidad este proyecto, de verdad se les nota el cariño que le pusieron.
Sonic 3 & Knuckles was already a masterpiece and then this came along. Great customization options, neat unlockables, everything you could ask for from something like this. The modding community here is excellent.
Generally when I look at games that I've given 4.5 to 5 stars the exist a few common traits. Satisfying movement mechanics that encourage player skill and are rewarding for second playthroughs. Levels that have varied gimmicks and reward exploration. And finally a final act that feels like the culmination of the whole game. And for me personally it's hard to think of any game that nails all three aspects as well as sonic 3
Possibly the best way to experience Sonic 3 and Knuckles. It’s on almost every platform (besides official consoles) and there’s so many quality of life settings you can configure. You can tweak settings like getting features from previous sonic games, you can change the music, you can even get mods! Don’t get origins get this. Even getting it on your phone is better then spending 50 dollars for a crappy Sonic port that has barley any customization.
Great remaster of a fun game. Great level design, outstanding audio-visual presentation, a cute little story and wonderful controls. The insta-shield is a great addition to the series, too - adds a whole new layer of skill. I think the bosses are a bit of a mixed bag, most of them being unmemorable or just plain bad - and the Knuckles half of Sonic 3 and Knuckles just isn't as good as Sonic 3's half. However, this game is infectiously joyful, through the good and the bad. I really liked it.
Marathonned the whole Sonic series in a year for the 30th anniversary.
This review is less about the quality of Sonic 3&K as a game and more about the excellent work done by Eukaryot to make a perfect Sonic game even better. The sheer amount of features and options put into remastering the game, by remastering the game's music, incorporating the originally unused prototype music as an option (the benefit of not being legally obligated to replace your music like Sega mandated for Sonic Origins), 16:9 screen space, and LOTS of mod support. I personally like to play this game by implementing many of the unused sprites, music, and level order found in the November 1993 prototype as possible, because I've played the vanilla version of the game so many times that it's fun to spruce up a new playthrough with new details you don't normally get to see.
If you had a copy of Sonic 3 & Knuckles from Steam prior to its delisting, A.I.R also actively encouraged people to legally buy Sonic 3 from a digital storefront because it runs using the Genesis ROM as a base. It's super impressive how that was done, and I commend Eukaryot for his work. I can never go back to playing any other version of Sonic 3 thanks to this port.
This review is less about the quality of Sonic 3&K as a game and more about the excellent work done by Eukaryot to make a perfect Sonic game even better. The sheer amount of features and options put into remastering the game, by remastering the game's music, incorporating the originally unused prototype music as an option (the benefit of not being legally obligated to replace your music like Sega mandated for Sonic Origins), 16:9 screen space, and LOTS of mod support. I personally like to play this game by implementing many of the unused sprites, music, and level order found in the November 1993 prototype as possible, because I've played the vanilla version of the game so many times that it's fun to spruce up a new playthrough with new details you don't normally get to see.
If you had a copy of Sonic 3 & Knuckles from Steam prior to its delisting, A.I.R also actively encouraged people to legally buy Sonic 3 from a digital storefront because it runs using the Genesis ROM as a base. It's super impressive how that was done, and I commend Eukaryot for his work. I can never go back to playing any other version of Sonic 3 thanks to this port.
The star rating is NOT for A.I.R as a project. For what it sets out to do, it does a stellar job - for widescreen alone, plus other neat tweaks, it's totally the definitive way to play Sonic 3 & Knuckles. Major kudos to the people who run that project.
I cannot, however, avoid the fact that I don't hold Sonic 3&K to the high regard that most others do. 3&K is an ambitious, remarkable feat for the Genesis, and is probably the best damn platformer on the system. It looks wonderful, sounds wonderful, each level is distinct and memorable and designed as if they were physical places as opposed to video game levels. I'll give Sonic 3&K all of that much.
It's a damn solid game at best. There are moments where I was really having a blast. Thing is, 3&K is more interested in testing the player's patience than anything. A lot of crushers. Super Emerald stages and the fact that Giant Rings are one-and-dones for a whole save file. Sending the player in circles. Careening Sonic into a hazard or enemy that you couldn't avoid in time (and this is something that the extra screen space can't fix, even if it's so much bigger of a help than you could ever imagine). Et cetera. Honestly, the fact that I spent a chunk of time cross-referencing Giant Ring locations and how to not get lost in Blue Sphere stages (the regular ones are fine, mind), only to notice that I'd end up not having much time with the reaps of my reward? [Cuz Hyper Sonic is fucking cool] It kinda stung. Especially with how painful Death Egg felt - especially when I went into a slot machine bonus stage with over 150 rings, and left with 0.
Sonic 3&K is good. It's fun. It's an exercise in frustration, but I liked it fine enough. Granted, it begs the question of "If I don't like to be challenged to this degree in a video game, and I am unable to find myself focusing on a video game for more than a certain period of time, then what do I look for a game?"
That's a good question. I don't really know the answer.
I cannot, however, avoid the fact that I don't hold Sonic 3&K to the high regard that most others do. 3&K is an ambitious, remarkable feat for the Genesis, and is probably the best damn platformer on the system. It looks wonderful, sounds wonderful, each level is distinct and memorable and designed as if they were physical places as opposed to video game levels. I'll give Sonic 3&K all of that much.
It's a damn solid game at best. There are moments where I was really having a blast. Thing is, 3&K is more interested in testing the player's patience than anything. A lot of crushers. Super Emerald stages and the fact that Giant Rings are one-and-dones for a whole save file. Sending the player in circles. Careening Sonic into a hazard or enemy that you couldn't avoid in time (and this is something that the extra screen space can't fix, even if it's so much bigger of a help than you could ever imagine). Et cetera. Honestly, the fact that I spent a chunk of time cross-referencing Giant Ring locations and how to not get lost in Blue Sphere stages (the regular ones are fine, mind), only to notice that I'd end up not having much time with the reaps of my reward? [Cuz Hyper Sonic is fucking cool] It kinda stung. Especially with how painful Death Egg felt - especially when I went into a slot machine bonus stage with over 150 rings, and left with 0.
Sonic 3&K is good. It's fun. It's an exercise in frustration, but I liked it fine enough. Granted, it begs the question of "If I don't like to be challenged to this degree in a video game, and I am unable to find myself focusing on a video game for more than a certain period of time, then what do I look for a game?"
That's a good question. I don't really know the answer.
no question the perfect way to revisit the spectacular Sonic 3 even after Origins Plus.
This is simply the best 2D Sonic game ever made and also one of the best Sonic games ever made. It's pretty fantastic, it expands on Sonic 2 even further but turns the scope up to 100, adds new characters, settings and even cool lore and a great short and sweet story solely done through visual story telling. It's pretty much perfect besides some minor pace breakers in the first half of the game which are very minor but thats the only flaw I can give it. Oh yeah and the final boss is complete bullshit, a bit too punishing if you die but not as bad as Sonic 2. Highly recommended.
Its just Sonic 3 & Knuckles but better. This is the definitive way to play the game.