(Part 2 of 5)
For those of you who are familiar with the original Sonic the Hedgehog 3, then you would probably know that, despite how great it is, it is an incomplete game. Originally, the game was going to be much, MUCH bigger than what we ended up getting, with plenty more stages, bosses, features, and gameplay additions, one that we would eventually be able to get… but not right away. Due to deadlines needing to be met, the game ultimately had to be cut in half, with the first half of the game coming out as what we now know as Sonic the Hedgehog 3, which does explain why the game is pretty short and lacking in stages when compared to previous games. Thankfully though, the second half of the game would live on, and we would receive this second half of the game a whole 8 MONTHS after the first half of the game was released. Kinda understandable why it took so long, but either way, this second half of the game would be released under the guise of a brand new game known as Sonic & Knuckles.
Just like with the original Sonic 3, I myself have never played the original version of Sonic & Knuckles before, since I would, once again, always stick with the & Knuckles version of the whole game. For this review, I did end up playing through Sonic & Knuckles, as I did want to see what was different about this version of the game compared to the complete version. That’s one thing I forgot to mention in the previous review, that when I did play through that original version, I did notice quite a few differences compared to the & Knuckles version, such as different sprites, music, and even different bosses, so I wanted to see if this version would change up anything like that as well.
one playthrough later
It barely changes anything from the & Knuckles version. Nevertheless, for being the second half of Sonic 3, it is still pretty great, continuing the high-speed gameplay of the first half, giving plenty new and interesting gimmicks to mess around with as well.
For the most part, the game remains the exact same in terms of presentation from the original. The story picks up right where Sonic 3 left off, so nothing really changes in terms of plot, the graphics are the same, and all the new environments look pretty great, the music still continues the line of rocking, kick-ass tunes, and the control/gameplay is as tight, responsive, and approachable as Sonic 3. The only real difference between the two games is that there are now all new stages, challenges, and bosses to take on, and you can now play through the entire thing as Knuckles, which, believe it or not, actually has a little more meat on its bones rather then just simply being another character that you can play as.
In terms new additions, the only real new thing this part of the game offers is, again, new stages, each one of them does bring a somewhat new and interesting theme that we haven’t seen before, such as being in a hidden desert temple, a giant death fortress (which you can actually play through this time), and in one of Dr. Robotnik’s airships. For a good majority of these levels, they are pretty fun to play through, not only keeping the speed and platforming aspects of the series alive and well, but also introducing new types of hazards, gimmicks, and bosses for you to face along the way. Really, the only stage out of the bunch that I generally dislike would be Sandopolis Act 2, where you will spend most of the time trying to avoid getting crushed by rising sand, while also making sure to jump on all these hanging switches so that these ghosts don’t kill you. It’s not a bad stage, but it is one that can be pretty annoying to get through, especially if you are inexperienced.
Then there is the aspect of playing as Knuckles, which, rather than just being yet another character to play as like with Tails, actually has some proper extra things to play through and check out. It even has a completely different story, taking place after the events of the main game, where Knuckles now realizes that Dr. Robotnik is the bad guy in all of this, and one day while he is chilling on Angel Island, the EggRobo comes around and starts fucking everything up, so he has to go take him out. After that though, you are pretty much going through the usual stuff you have seen before, going through almost the exact same stages as before, as well as fighting the same foes, except the only difference is that there are some unique bosses to be found here, and again, you are playing as Knuckles, who can not only glide through the air (don’t ask me how he does it), but also climb up walls to reach hidden passageways. Personally, I don’t play as Knuckles that much whenever I go back to the classic games, because I am so used to playing as Sonic that he’s just my go-to, but Knuckles is a nice alternative just in case you want something a little different from what you are used to.
Once again though, like with the original Sonic 3, I can’t recommend playing this version of the game over the superior & Knuckles version, not just because that game has more stuff, but also because, compared to the original Sonic 3, this game is also pretty lacking in terms of content. In terms of zones, there are technically 8, but a good couple of these zones are just one-off shoots that only serve to progress the story or boss fights, so in terms of actual stages, there are still only 6. Again, that is completely justifiable given the circumstances surrounding this game, but that is worth mentioning regardless. Not to mention, it doesn’t have a lot of the bonus features that the original Sonic 3 had, such as not having any sort of competitive mode to it, and you can’t even save your game anymore! Having neither of those things isn’t a deal breaker for me, but still, kinda sucks that those things were completely left out of this second half.
Overall though, despite another understandable lack of content, as well some annoying levels to get through, Sonic & Knuckles is still a great game all on its own, one that I’m sure any Sonic aficionado would be able to get into, and one that is pretty fun to run through even to this day. I would recommend it for those who are Sonic fans, as well as those who are big into old-school 2D platformers, because just like its first half, this is one of the best titles that you can get on the Sega Genesis, as well as one of the best platformers of the 16-bit era. But anyway, now that we got that out of the way… I know why you all are here. You all don’t wanna hear about these solo versions of the game, nah, you want the REAL, prime version of Sonic 3. I hear you loud and clear, and I think it’s about time we finally get around to that.
Game #507
For those of you who are familiar with the original Sonic the Hedgehog 3, then you would probably know that, despite how great it is, it is an incomplete game. Originally, the game was going to be much, MUCH bigger than what we ended up getting, with plenty more stages, bosses, features, and gameplay additions, one that we would eventually be able to get… but not right away. Due to deadlines needing to be met, the game ultimately had to be cut in half, with the first half of the game coming out as what we now know as Sonic the Hedgehog 3, which does explain why the game is pretty short and lacking in stages when compared to previous games. Thankfully though, the second half of the game would live on, and we would receive this second half of the game a whole 8 MONTHS after the first half of the game was released. Kinda understandable why it took so long, but either way, this second half of the game would be released under the guise of a brand new game known as Sonic & Knuckles.
Just like with the original Sonic 3, I myself have never played the original version of Sonic & Knuckles before, since I would, once again, always stick with the & Knuckles version of the whole game. For this review, I did end up playing through Sonic & Knuckles, as I did want to see what was different about this version of the game compared to the complete version. That’s one thing I forgot to mention in the previous review, that when I did play through that original version, I did notice quite a few differences compared to the & Knuckles version, such as different sprites, music, and even different bosses, so I wanted to see if this version would change up anything like that as well.
one playthrough later
It barely changes anything from the & Knuckles version. Nevertheless, for being the second half of Sonic 3, it is still pretty great, continuing the high-speed gameplay of the first half, giving plenty new and interesting gimmicks to mess around with as well.
For the most part, the game remains the exact same in terms of presentation from the original. The story picks up right where Sonic 3 left off, so nothing really changes in terms of plot, the graphics are the same, and all the new environments look pretty great, the music still continues the line of rocking, kick-ass tunes, and the control/gameplay is as tight, responsive, and approachable as Sonic 3. The only real difference between the two games is that there are now all new stages, challenges, and bosses to take on, and you can now play through the entire thing as Knuckles, which, believe it or not, actually has a little more meat on its bones rather then just simply being another character that you can play as.
In terms new additions, the only real new thing this part of the game offers is, again, new stages, each one of them does bring a somewhat new and interesting theme that we haven’t seen before, such as being in a hidden desert temple, a giant death fortress (which you can actually play through this time), and in one of Dr. Robotnik’s airships. For a good majority of these levels, they are pretty fun to play through, not only keeping the speed and platforming aspects of the series alive and well, but also introducing new types of hazards, gimmicks, and bosses for you to face along the way. Really, the only stage out of the bunch that I generally dislike would be Sandopolis Act 2, where you will spend most of the time trying to avoid getting crushed by rising sand, while also making sure to jump on all these hanging switches so that these ghosts don’t kill you. It’s not a bad stage, but it is one that can be pretty annoying to get through, especially if you are inexperienced.
Then there is the aspect of playing as Knuckles, which, rather than just being yet another character to play as like with Tails, actually has some proper extra things to play through and check out. It even has a completely different story, taking place after the events of the main game, where Knuckles now realizes that Dr. Robotnik is the bad guy in all of this, and one day while he is chilling on Angel Island, the EggRobo comes around and starts fucking everything up, so he has to go take him out. After that though, you are pretty much going through the usual stuff you have seen before, going through almost the exact same stages as before, as well as fighting the same foes, except the only difference is that there are some unique bosses to be found here, and again, you are playing as Knuckles, who can not only glide through the air (don’t ask me how he does it), but also climb up walls to reach hidden passageways. Personally, I don’t play as Knuckles that much whenever I go back to the classic games, because I am so used to playing as Sonic that he’s just my go-to, but Knuckles is a nice alternative just in case you want something a little different from what you are used to.
Once again though, like with the original Sonic 3, I can’t recommend playing this version of the game over the superior & Knuckles version, not just because that game has more stuff, but also because, compared to the original Sonic 3, this game is also pretty lacking in terms of content. In terms of zones, there are technically 8, but a good couple of these zones are just one-off shoots that only serve to progress the story or boss fights, so in terms of actual stages, there are still only 6. Again, that is completely justifiable given the circumstances surrounding this game, but that is worth mentioning regardless. Not to mention, it doesn’t have a lot of the bonus features that the original Sonic 3 had, such as not having any sort of competitive mode to it, and you can’t even save your game anymore! Having neither of those things isn’t a deal breaker for me, but still, kinda sucks that those things were completely left out of this second half.
Overall though, despite another understandable lack of content, as well some annoying levels to get through, Sonic & Knuckles is still a great game all on its own, one that I’m sure any Sonic aficionado would be able to get into, and one that is pretty fun to run through even to this day. I would recommend it for those who are Sonic fans, as well as those who are big into old-school 2D platformers, because just like its first half, this is one of the best titles that you can get on the Sega Genesis, as well as one of the best platformers of the 16-bit era. But anyway, now that we got that out of the way… I know why you all are here. You all don’t wanna hear about these solo versions of the game, nah, you want the REAL, prime version of Sonic 3. I hear you loud and clear, and I think it’s about time we finally get around to that.
Game #507