On its own, Sonic & Knuckles is a really short experience. This game is really not meant to be played on its own. It's still good by classic Sonic standards, but it's even better when combined with Sonic 3.
Most zones are fun to play in, and the power ups introduced in 3 really help make the most of exploring the zones. The new mini-games are not as fun to play. The slot machine combines the slot machine from 2 and the bonus stage from 1, and it's a mess. Only useful for getting an extra life or two and a continue. The orbs stage is a little better and still helps to get power ups, rings, and lives, it's just a giant hassle compared to the gumball machine.
The zones range from great (Lava Reef and Sky Sanctuary) to kinda bad (Sandopolis).
Most zones are fun to play in, and the power ups introduced in 3 really help make the most of exploring the zones. The new mini-games are not as fun to play. The slot machine combines the slot machine from 2 and the bonus stage from 1, and it's a mess. Only useful for getting an extra life or two and a continue. The orbs stage is a little better and still helps to get power ups, rings, and lives, it's just a giant hassle compared to the gumball machine.
The zones range from great (Lava Reef and Sky Sanctuary) to kinda bad (Sandopolis).