PocketEleri
2022
This is certainly quite the mixed bag of a release.
The extra polish given to Sonic 3 makes this the star of this collection. Extra sprites to better convey certain gimmicks, tweaks to cutscenes to make them flow better and other quality of life enhancements really push it beyond the remasters that came before.
On the topic of the remasters that came before that is where my first issue with this collection arises. Sonic 1 and 2 aren't changed all that much over their 2013 remasters, so unfortunately they don't have the same level of quality as Sonic 3. Sonic CD suffers from this even more as it predates the Sonic 1 and 2 remasters and therefore misses features present in those games, most notably Knuckles.
The only other real issues I have with this is that it's a bit buggy and some of the replacement music in Sonic 3 isn't up to the standard of the rest of the OST.
The extra polish given to Sonic 3 makes this the star of this collection. Extra sprites to better convey certain gimmicks, tweaks to cutscenes to make them flow better and other quality of life enhancements really push it beyond the remasters that came before.
On the topic of the remasters that came before that is where my first issue with this collection arises. Sonic 1 and 2 aren't changed all that much over their 2013 remasters, so unfortunately they don't have the same level of quality as Sonic 3. Sonic CD suffers from this even more as it predates the Sonic 1 and 2 remasters and therefore misses features present in those games, most notably Knuckles.
The only other real issues I have with this is that it's a bit buggy and some of the replacement music in Sonic 3 isn't up to the standard of the rest of the OST.
2014
For the most part this is a great homage to 16/32 Bit 2D Platformers. With fast paced gameplay and a good sense of flow.
Unfortunately the final few stages can get a bit frustrating in this regard as I personally feel that they lean a little too hard on the number of enemies to increase the challenge, making kinda difficultly to actually deal with those enemies at times due to a large amount of attacks that need to be avoided at any given time.
Unfortunately the final few stages can get a bit frustrating in this regard as I personally feel that they lean a little too hard on the number of enemies to increase the challenge, making kinda difficultly to actually deal with those enemies at times due to a large amount of attacks that need to be avoided at any given time.
A fun game for Mario fans to enjoy. Takes what is available in the original New Super Mario Bros and expands on it with it's own ideas.
It can get a little frustrating in the final world (have wind physics in a 2D platformer ever been all that enjoyable) but apart from that this is a very enjoyable experience.
It can get a little frustrating in the final world (have wind physics in a 2D platformer ever been all that enjoyable) but apart from that this is a very enjoyable experience.
A fun little Mario romp. As per usual the platforming is the real challenge with most of the bosses being a pushover. A rather unique experience with some level themes that only make an appearance in this game and a non-liner structure to beating worlds.
The additions of Colour and Luigi in this hack are much appreciated and don't take away from the original feel of the game. Making this the definitive version in my eyes.
The additions of Colour and Luigi in this hack are much appreciated and don't take away from the original feel of the game. Making this the definitive version in my eyes.
2019
Really didn't gel well with this game. I found the combat to be decent but a lot of the stuff outside of that just felt tedious and frustrating.
The Astral Plane was the part of the game that really failed to keep my interest. First of all there are the parts where you just run around large empty areas with the option to hoover up bits of corruption along the way with your Legion, which gets very repetitive very quickly.
Then there are the puzzles which appear occasionally to halt progression. They seem to range from very easy to obtuse as some of them do very little to explain the mechanics of how they work, to the point of feeling like they require blind guesswork.
What doesn't help my feeling of tedium is the fact that every area in the Astral Plane is the same blocky red platforms floating in the void.
The Astral Plane was the part of the game that really failed to keep my interest. First of all there are the parts where you just run around large empty areas with the option to hoover up bits of corruption along the way with your Legion, which gets very repetitive very quickly.
Then there are the puzzles which appear occasionally to halt progression. They seem to range from very easy to obtuse as some of them do very little to explain the mechanics of how they work, to the point of feeling like they require blind guesswork.
What doesn't help my feeling of tedium is the fact that every area in the Astral Plane is the same blocky red platforms floating in the void.
Honestly not that great of a game. Music, animations and graphics are great, and it looks good in motion. Which is probably what has given it such prestige amongst the fan base.
The gameplay is nothing to write home about, just a series of linear obstacle courses with some sort of harzard chasing you to keep you moving. For the most part it is an easy game, apart from some cheap moments in later stages.
This may ruffle some feathers but it is probably for the best that this hasn't seen a rerelease on any of the various Sonic collections over the years.
The gameplay is nothing to write home about, just a series of linear obstacle courses with some sort of harzard chasing you to keep you moving. For the most part it is an easy game, apart from some cheap moments in later stages.
This may ruffle some feathers but it is probably for the best that this hasn't seen a rerelease on any of the various Sonic collections over the years.
1991
Originally I always thought of this game as just an easier version of Sonic 1 with some different levels and a killer OST.
But that changed with playthrough as I decided to go for all the Chaos Emeralds. They add an extra degree of challenge to this game that works well with it's slower more traditional level design. I now look forward to revisiting this in the future.
But that changed with playthrough as I decided to go for all the Chaos Emeralds. They add an extra degree of challenge to this game that works well with it's slower more traditional level design. I now look forward to revisiting this in the future.
A great game for fans of Streets of Rage. This mixes together content from all 3 games (and some original content too) and uses a route system to tie all the stages and endings together. That in combination with the plethora of unlockables makes for a very replayable game.
1993
Overall I found this to be a decent Sonic game. Not one that I think I will revisit though. The game has a heavy emphasis on exploration and whilst there is a way to get the good ending without doing that it very much feels like you are going against how the game is meant to be played. If you like exploration in your 2D Sonic games then by all means give this one a go.
Despite no longer being considered the "definitive" Sonic 3 experience this is still a good choice as a way to play Sonic 3 (especially on devices that can't play Sonic 3 AIR). The quality of life features and the options available to the player really help improve what is already a very amazing game.