Wow this one sucks,
In advance 2 unlocking characters made some sense because they all nave their own campaigns like a classic sonic game, it was still annoying but it at least worked in someway.
Sonic advance 3 doesn't work like that though so you only unlock cream on zone 6 and only have her for the last zone of the game which sucks because I wanted to play as cream and Amy through the whole game. Of course I could have gone back but I had no reason to especially because this games level design is horrid.
This is absolutely the worst sonic advance game and it sucks because I think the team up gimmick is cute.

Ok, let me see if I got this right. In order to access a special stage, you need to collect 10 chao in a zone, 3 per act, 1 in the hub world, then find a special key, then use ketchup to fake your death and lure the guard in, then examine the bottom of the wine bottle, then collect all of Dracula's remains in the inverted castle, then find all the crests to get the Magnum, then draw all of Exodia's pieces with Royal Magical Library, then start World War III to awaken Azazel and then kill it, then dodge 200 lightning bolts in a row, then lure all the sheep to you using lettuce, then FADC into super, and then FINALLY find the special stage spring in the hub world and jump on it.

Sonic Advance 2, I owe you an apology. When reviewing you, I said you had the worst emerald hunt in the series up to that point. You are now relieved of that title. Go home to your wife and kids, and rest. You've earned it.

Thankfully, you can simply ignore the chaos emeralds and play the game like a sane individual and then look up the true ending online, which is what I decided to do after grabbing the first emerald in Route 99. From that perspective, Advance 3 is fun! I love the partner mechanic and how each combination can alter your playstyle in interesting ways. Props to all the extra spritework too, Tails flying with a hammer when paired with Amy is super cute.

Extra points for being the first GBA game to break my hatred for the system's sound. In my Sonic Advance 1 review, I mentioned that I REALLY dislike the way games sound on the GBA, 0 exceptions. Now, let's make that one exception: Advance 3's OST is some crazy good shit. Best rendition of Green Hill Zone, Twinkle Snow, Cyber Track and god damn motherfuckin CHAOS ANGEL ACT 3. (Don't get used to it, GBA.)

Pretty fun game when playing normally, insanely boring if going for completion. Please stop, Dimps. Just make it 50 rings at the end of the stage, I'm BEGGING you.

Sonic Advance 3 marks the end of Sonic's stay on the Game Boy Advance, and it tries its best to cater to both crowds. The crowd that liked Advance 1 and the crowd that liked Advance 2, as the level design feels like a mix of both.

And I want to start with that, the level design. The difficulty of this game kinda feels like a rollercoaster ride sometimes, as certain levels feel harder than later ones, like how I felt Route 99 (Zone 1) was harder than Sunset Hill (Zone 2). By the end, the game will challenge you a lot, and it feels like one of the harder Sonic games to beat, to be honest.

This game is also filled with beginner's traps at many points, kinda like the end of Advance 1, and it's no pretty getting crushed or falling off of a pit for 40th time... The game showers you in lives, if you explore the hubworlds at least, but I do wonder why even have a life system in the first place if you were gonna do that anyway.

I didn't feel like the level design was awful or anything, and I had more enjoyment here than in Advance 2, but it feels like there needed to be more fine-tuning.

There's also the partner system that this game brings. I stuck with Sonic & Tails throughout my adventure, because their super jump was awesome for getting to higher places, or if I fell off a particular area, I could try and get back to it. I've heard that there is a lot of experimentation involved to get a good combo, as some combinations are pretty good and others are mediocre.
But I do like that there are many combinations, and there's a lot of replay-value there.

Additionally, while I may be mixed on the level design, I absolutely love the places you go through! I love the variety of levels this game has, and the final level, Chaos Angel, looks great and is a very unique final level!
The soundtrack is also amazing and the visuals are gorgeous for the Game Boy Advance!

Even though the level design is a bit rocky, I can say I had more fun playing Advance 3 over Advance 2.
By the end of my Advance 2 run, I was relieved that it was finally over, while with Advance 3, I was smiling during the credits, because I felt content with the overall package, in spite of its flaws.

This game really feels like the end of an era for the Sonic series, as it was also the last time we got to hear the classic voice cast, such as Ryan Drummond, Scott Drier and Deem Bristow, who sadly passed away shortly after this game released. Rest in peace.

That staff roll music really feels like a bittersweet closure to everything that the series was around this time. Yes, it had some rocky moments and the game were flawed, but they brought so many memories to so many kids out there, and while I was too young to play this game when it came out, I'm glad to have experienced the Advance games, even in spite of their flaws.

So, in conclusion: Sonic Advance 3 may be a flawed game, but I had a good time with it.