30 Days of Sonic 2023
Day 5: Sonic 3 and Knuckles (AIR version)
The definitive example of a platformer that lets you play it your way.
Sonic 3 is a tough one to review. For one, it's the most substantial entry of the classic quadrant, spanning over a dozen colossal levels with three characters to play. With time constraints in mind, I was only able to play through the game once as Sonic & Tails (but hey since they're practically the same and Tails Assist is available in AIR technically giving me control of Tails as well it counts as two runs, right?) and half of Knuckles' stages.
Let’s start off with the outright negatives: I really, really don’t care for Blue Spheres. I personally find it daunting and stressful, and while yes, it’s definitely less bullshit compared to Sonic 1 and 2’s special stages and their casino bullshit and rote memorisation respectively; however, Blue Spheres in a way still requires that same memorisation to prevent yourself from veering out of control due to the speed increase. And the controls are weirdly stilted early on, there’s an odd delay between your input and your character’s turning.
The Special Stages of 3K in general are a low point in the game. It also brings forward the weakest aspect of this game’s level design since the Giant Rings are hidden in a way that 3K incentivizes players to hug every wall in sight in hopes of finding one of them. And while in larger levels like Carnival Night, Mushroom Hill and Marble Garden this strategy proves effective, in most other levels, more notoriously in the rest of the Knuckles half of stages, most searches for Giant Rings will often prove futile, and this ends up breaking the pace of the level more than necessary.
Right now time to shill the most obvious Sonic game to shill.
I like the clear distinctions between the three playable characters as well - Sonic has arguably the widest range of movement options thanks to his versatile array of shields, which if maintained throughout a level, can reward good gameplay with a good sense of flow when playing through the levels.
I’m very particular towards the Thunder Shield, which gives Sonic a double-jump (making it also the first Sonic game to give Sonic a double jump, albeit by technicality) AND attracts rings. It’s such a good utility tool in Sonic 3 in particular because it gives Sonic that extra boost needed to clear certain jumps that even Spin Dash jumps (yes, Spin Dash jumps) can’t. It’s also a really nifty platforming tool in general. However, my main cause of attachment is because the Thunder Shield’s double-jump quite literally gave me the inspiration for my Sonic OC’s toolkit. Laugh all you want, it’s a legitimate reason. That being said, there’s also viable uses for the Fire and Bubble Shields, with the Fire Shield in particular being a useful asset for level speedruns due to the burst of momentum this shield’s forward dash provides.
Between Tails and Knuckles, I’d say Tails’ gameplay is the least interesting, personally. Sure, the ability to fly is nice but overall I’d say it takes away the lack of challenge in platforming when it’s made much easier to do so when you can literally fly past chunks of level without much effort. It feels much less engaging than, say, reaching the same platform with Sonic using a well-timed Spin Dash jump or using any of his Shields to his advantage. However, there is merit to using Tails alongside Sonic, as with Tails Assist, Sonic is provided another option of movement (albeit a janky one since Flight Cancel works weirdly in 3K and Mania) that allows him to reach higher areas that he can’t reach, even with shields.
Knuckles, meanwhile, from the limited timespan I had with him, was impressive in his own way, with his glide compensating for his jump by being a superb momentum cancel option that if used correctly, allows for precision platforming and a stopgap method of avoiding being hit due to a badly angled jump. There’s also a really advanced technique that can be learnt with Knuckles that involves him gliding immediately after bouncing off an item/Badnik that apparently gives him massive air time, but unfortunately I never really got the hang of it. I do think that Knuckles runs of levels is interesting because with glide momentum cancel, spindashing with Knuckles becomes more frequent and much more consistent since you come to a complete halt when landing from a glide (not the skidding animation). And while I do have to move on to the next series of games tomorrow, a Knuckles run of 3K is definitely on the cards.
Alright, let’s talk about the level design now.
What the fuck this is… something.
What really catches my eye with most of 3K’s levels are how gigantic they are in scale, sprawling with countless amounts of pathways that my eyes can barely comprehend. They are a lot more vertical in size, most likely in consideration of Tails and Knuckles being playable alongside Sonic (with Knuckles even getting his own individual parts of the level that the other 2 can’t) Items are scattered adequately throughout the levels as well, giving players more incentive to explore the level and find these power ups to help them progress further into the level. This is especially true in Sonic’s case, as a change of shield radically changes how one approaches the game. IDK if this is the right way to put it, but this really feels like… a platformer with strong Metroidvania-esque roots in its level design.
And as a platformer, it absolutely works. There’s a really strong balance of speed and platforming segments throughout every level, and while I do wish both aspects were harmonized in a way that more of the level utilized a hybrid of both, this is a culmination of CD and 2’s best aspects, and going through these levels is incredibly fun. With so many pathways and so many options, and the level design being so open in nature, Sonic 3K, more than any other Sonic game before and after it, encourages the player to play it their way. Whether it be to find the Giant Rings (yeah sure break the pace of the game its your choice), or to beat the level as fast as possible, or to simply explore the near endless possibilities each level provides, the game allows you to choose. I think that’s the clear distinction of what makes 3 and Knuckles so special to most Sonic fans, as well as myself (even though I do like what other Sonic games bring to the table).
Oh yeah and the story is pretty great too, one of the best told video game stories in an era, completely presented through visual storytelling and not a single line of dialogue. Magnificent.
Final rating: 9/10
Day 5: Sonic 3 and Knuckles (AIR version)
The definitive example of a platformer that lets you play it your way.
Sonic 3 is a tough one to review. For one, it's the most substantial entry of the classic quadrant, spanning over a dozen colossal levels with three characters to play. With time constraints in mind, I was only able to play through the game once as Sonic & Tails (but hey since they're practically the same and Tails Assist is available in AIR technically giving me control of Tails as well it counts as two runs, right?) and half of Knuckles' stages.
Let’s start off with the outright negatives: I really, really don’t care for Blue Spheres. I personally find it daunting and stressful, and while yes, it’s definitely less bullshit compared to Sonic 1 and 2’s special stages and their casino bullshit and rote memorisation respectively; however, Blue Spheres in a way still requires that same memorisation to prevent yourself from veering out of control due to the speed increase. And the controls are weirdly stilted early on, there’s an odd delay between your input and your character’s turning.
The Special Stages of 3K in general are a low point in the game. It also brings forward the weakest aspect of this game’s level design since the Giant Rings are hidden in a way that 3K incentivizes players to hug every wall in sight in hopes of finding one of them. And while in larger levels like Carnival Night, Mushroom Hill and Marble Garden this strategy proves effective, in most other levels, more notoriously in the rest of the Knuckles half of stages, most searches for Giant Rings will often prove futile, and this ends up breaking the pace of the level more than necessary.
Right now time to shill the most obvious Sonic game to shill.
I like the clear distinctions between the three playable characters as well - Sonic has arguably the widest range of movement options thanks to his versatile array of shields, which if maintained throughout a level, can reward good gameplay with a good sense of flow when playing through the levels.
I’m very particular towards the Thunder Shield, which gives Sonic a double-jump (making it also the first Sonic game to give Sonic a double jump, albeit by technicality) AND attracts rings. It’s such a good utility tool in Sonic 3 in particular because it gives Sonic that extra boost needed to clear certain jumps that even Spin Dash jumps (yes, Spin Dash jumps) can’t. It’s also a really nifty platforming tool in general. However, my main cause of attachment is because the Thunder Shield’s double-jump quite literally gave me the inspiration for my Sonic OC’s toolkit. Laugh all you want, it’s a legitimate reason. That being said, there’s also viable uses for the Fire and Bubble Shields, with the Fire Shield in particular being a useful asset for level speedruns due to the burst of momentum this shield’s forward dash provides.
Between Tails and Knuckles, I’d say Tails’ gameplay is the least interesting, personally. Sure, the ability to fly is nice but overall I’d say it takes away the lack of challenge in platforming when it’s made much easier to do so when you can literally fly past chunks of level without much effort. It feels much less engaging than, say, reaching the same platform with Sonic using a well-timed Spin Dash jump or using any of his Shields to his advantage. However, there is merit to using Tails alongside Sonic, as with Tails Assist, Sonic is provided another option of movement (albeit a janky one since Flight Cancel works weirdly in 3K and Mania) that allows him to reach higher areas that he can’t reach, even with shields.
Knuckles, meanwhile, from the limited timespan I had with him, was impressive in his own way, with his glide compensating for his jump by being a superb momentum cancel option that if used correctly, allows for precision platforming and a stopgap method of avoiding being hit due to a badly angled jump. There’s also a really advanced technique that can be learnt with Knuckles that involves him gliding immediately after bouncing off an item/Badnik that apparently gives him massive air time, but unfortunately I never really got the hang of it. I do think that Knuckles runs of levels is interesting because with glide momentum cancel, spindashing with Knuckles becomes more frequent and much more consistent since you come to a complete halt when landing from a glide (not the skidding animation). And while I do have to move on to the next series of games tomorrow, a Knuckles run of 3K is definitely on the cards.
Alright, let’s talk about the level design now.
What the fuck this is… something.
What really catches my eye with most of 3K’s levels are how gigantic they are in scale, sprawling with countless amounts of pathways that my eyes can barely comprehend. They are a lot more vertical in size, most likely in consideration of Tails and Knuckles being playable alongside Sonic (with Knuckles even getting his own individual parts of the level that the other 2 can’t) Items are scattered adequately throughout the levels as well, giving players more incentive to explore the level and find these power ups to help them progress further into the level. This is especially true in Sonic’s case, as a change of shield radically changes how one approaches the game. IDK if this is the right way to put it, but this really feels like… a platformer with strong Metroidvania-esque roots in its level design.
And as a platformer, it absolutely works. There’s a really strong balance of speed and platforming segments throughout every level, and while I do wish both aspects were harmonized in a way that more of the level utilized a hybrid of both, this is a culmination of CD and 2’s best aspects, and going through these levels is incredibly fun. With so many pathways and so many options, and the level design being so open in nature, Sonic 3K, more than any other Sonic game before and after it, encourages the player to play it their way. Whether it be to find the Giant Rings (yeah sure break the pace of the game its your choice), or to beat the level as fast as possible, or to simply explore the near endless possibilities each level provides, the game allows you to choose. I think that’s the clear distinction of what makes 3 and Knuckles so special to most Sonic fans, as well as myself (even though I do like what other Sonic games bring to the table).
Oh yeah and the story is pretty great too, one of the best told video game stories in an era, completely presented through visual storytelling and not a single line of dialogue. Magnificent.
Final rating: 9/10