I think this is my favorite of the 2D Sonic games.
I think.
It's so frustrating, cause this is 100% a more polished game than Sonic 1 and 2. By a mile even. I love how every stage flawlessly goes into the next. I love the new shield powerups. I love that there are multiple mini-bosses. I love that Knuckles exists. Knuckles is so fucking cool.
Much like Sonic 2, it builds on the previous Sonic games in ways that just make sense. With the blue sphere stages being hidden within the levels (and the earlier mentioned new shields), exploration becomes more important. There's even a true final boss, making it actually interesting to become Super Sonic.
Sonic 3 has a bit of a "gimmick" problem, but I only partially mind this, because some of the gimmicks are really fun! The platforms in Ice Cap Zone, the top in Marble Garden Zone, the mountain climbing parts of Sandopolis - all pretty fun. Meanwhile, the light speed ring shooter in Death Egg Zone should just be avoided and that damn barrel in Carnival Night Zone is probably the stupidest thing in video games.
I’m also conflicted on the length of these stages. Every stage went the same:
- “Woah, this place looks neat”
- “Oh shit, what do I do here? Oh it’s a puzzle. Weird. Okay this kinda cool though”
- a bit of time passes
- “Wait, why is the stage still going?”
- “BRO WHEN WILL THIS STAGE ENDS”
- “I ALREADY DID THIS SECTION… wait no I didn’t. WHY IS IT STILL-”
Each of these stages are cool at first, but quickly run out of steam. It’s annoying, cause Sonic CD has the opposite problem. Those stages can be too short. It’s a hard balance to find with these games, because Sonic’s core gameplay is ‘going fast’, but I don’t think extending the stages this much is the answer.
Speaking of length, there are 14 Zones in this game. SHEESH. The good news is - I don’t hate any of them. There are elements of Carnival Night and Flying Battery that frustrate me, but never to the point of Sonic 1. Sandopolis 2 is probably the closest to the Sonic 1, with its rising sand and lights, but they’re interesting enough mechanics, that I can’t quite hate it.
The other side of that is that I don’t quite LOVE any of these stages either. IceCap and Sky Sanctuary are probably my favorites, but they don’t quite hit as hard as something like Chemical Plant. Most of the stages are just fine. Again, I think they go on way too long and that definitely hurts the momentum (lol) of the game.
Some people say this is one of the best platformers of all time. I can’t quite agree with that, BUT I have grown a new appreciation of 2D Sonic. At the end of the day, Sonic 3 + Knuckles is more 2D Sonic - fun at its best, annoying at its worst.
I think.
It's so frustrating, cause this is 100% a more polished game than Sonic 1 and 2. By a mile even. I love how every stage flawlessly goes into the next. I love the new shield powerups. I love that there are multiple mini-bosses. I love that Knuckles exists. Knuckles is so fucking cool.
Much like Sonic 2, it builds on the previous Sonic games in ways that just make sense. With the blue sphere stages being hidden within the levels (and the earlier mentioned new shields), exploration becomes more important. There's even a true final boss, making it actually interesting to become Super Sonic.
Sonic 3 has a bit of a "gimmick" problem, but I only partially mind this, because some of the gimmicks are really fun! The platforms in Ice Cap Zone, the top in Marble Garden Zone, the mountain climbing parts of Sandopolis - all pretty fun. Meanwhile, the light speed ring shooter in Death Egg Zone should just be avoided and that damn barrel in Carnival Night Zone is probably the stupidest thing in video games.
I’m also conflicted on the length of these stages. Every stage went the same:
- “Woah, this place looks neat”
- “Oh shit, what do I do here? Oh it’s a puzzle. Weird. Okay this kinda cool though”
- a bit of time passes
- “Wait, why is the stage still going?”
- “BRO WHEN WILL THIS STAGE ENDS”
- “I ALREADY DID THIS SECTION… wait no I didn’t. WHY IS IT STILL-”
Each of these stages are cool at first, but quickly run out of steam. It’s annoying, cause Sonic CD has the opposite problem. Those stages can be too short. It’s a hard balance to find with these games, because Sonic’s core gameplay is ‘going fast’, but I don’t think extending the stages this much is the answer.
Speaking of length, there are 14 Zones in this game. SHEESH. The good news is - I don’t hate any of them. There are elements of Carnival Night and Flying Battery that frustrate me, but never to the point of Sonic 1. Sandopolis 2 is probably the closest to the Sonic 1, with its rising sand and lights, but they’re interesting enough mechanics, that I can’t quite hate it.
The other side of that is that I don’t quite LOVE any of these stages either. IceCap and Sky Sanctuary are probably my favorites, but they don’t quite hit as hard as something like Chemical Plant. Most of the stages are just fine. Again, I think they go on way too long and that definitely hurts the momentum (lol) of the game.
Some people say this is one of the best platformers of all time. I can’t quite agree with that, BUT I have grown a new appreciation of 2D Sonic. At the end of the day, Sonic 3 + Knuckles is more 2D Sonic - fun at its best, annoying at its worst.