by: Chris Vavra

October 06, 2009

It seems to me that if you’re going to review Sonic 3 and Sonic & Knuckles, the only proper way to really review the two titles is to review them as a single entity because that’s how Sega really wanted the game to be. Yeah, they might have released the games about six months apart, but the lock-on technology allows you to experience the game as a single entity.

Sonic and Knuckles are designed differently and this is represented throughout the game. Sonic is able to jump much higher than Knuckles; Knuckles can climb and punch through breakable walls and he can glide in midair. Because of this, the two characters have different paths in their quests and they sometimes end up in very different spots. The two finales are certainly different and the boss fights have slight variations. When you play as Knuckles, the bosses are faster and more aggressive than they are when you play as Sonic. With one exception, you don’t fight Robotnik as Knuckles (Flying Battery Zone is the exception) but instead you duel with a look-alike. Knuckles has a harder quest but his quest is also much shorter by comparison. You only go through twelve zones and a few (Carnival Night, Lava Reef) don’t even have boss fights at the end of act 2. It’s a little disappointing because it feels like the developers couldn’t think of anything. It is also interesting to note that the basic game doesn’t diverge very much when you play as Knuckles in the Sonic & Knuckles game. When you play as Knuckles in Sonic 3, however, you’ll go through entire levels in a new direction that Sonic can’t.

It’s all interesting, but they don’t really enrich the game as much as I would have liked. The problem with the two games is that the zones differ in quality. There are some great zones (Lava Reef, Marble Garden) some good ones (Hydrocity, Launch Base, Flying Battery) and then some crummy ones (Sandopolis, Carnival Night). This constant swing in quality makes it hard to really enjoy the game because the quality of the level designs varies so much. The better zones have tricks and traps galore, forcing you to be smart with how you progress and there are multiple ways to approach a level, giving them exceptional depth. The weaker zones are hampered with annoying obstacles, puzzles, and music (especially Carnival Night) that hamper rather than enhance the overall experience. I also wished there’d be a stronger emphasis on speed. Just as you’re about to cut loose there’s always an obstacle (usually spikes) that stop you dead in your tracks. This gets old fast. The best Sonic games are able to mesh the two, making you feel a bit like a free-runner as you weave in and out of challenges. Sonic 3 and Knuckles isn’t very successful with that, even in the better zones.

The two games do have varying styles, though. Sonic 3 has more inspiration from Sonic 2. There are a lot of loops, ramps, and other objects to give you a full head of steam. Sonic & Knuckles is closer to the original with more emphasis on precise jumping as well as speed. The two aren’t perfect correlations, but they do require different modes of playing, but neither title is nearly as difficult as the original or Sonic 2.

The graphics have held up in the last fifteen years. The backgrounds aren’t as impressive as I remember them, but the detail work (especially for Hydrocity Zone) are still fun to look at and admire. Smoothing the game tends to blur the visuals so you’re better off leaving the game as is. The music is solid. Some of the themes in the combined game (like the abysmal mini-boss music in Sonic 3) have been removed for more traditional songs. Some of the level songs like the second half of Hydrocity Zone and Lava Reef and the Sky Sanctuary Zone are classics, whereas others like Carnival Night and Launch Base are just annoying. Sound effects are all present and correct. One thing I noticed is that some of the higher notes seemed to be muted, which struck me as odd. The special stages aren’t as fun as the ones from Sonic 2. They can be challenging, but the visual design might leave you with a headache like the bonus stages for Sonic 1 did.

If you somehow missed out on the compilations and you’re looking for a good nostalgic run, the two games are a decent buy for 800 points ($10 USD). To unlock the combined quest, there should be a bonus options on Sonic & Knuckles, provided you’ve downloaded the two games. You can also play as Knuckles in Sonic 2 and Blue Sphere if you have Sonic 1. The save menu from the Genesis games aren’t present so you can’t pick and choose the zone you want to start from. Also, you cannot unlock achievements playing the combined game. You have to play them separately to get the 200 from each game (luckily they aren’t that hard). At least Microsoft and Sega were smart to retain the lock-on feature in the first place.

Share this:

8 7 7 8 7 7

The combined experience isn’t on the same level as the first two Genesis installments or Sonic CD (which needs to come out soon for XBLA), but they hold up better than they do as a separate experience.

Discuss this in the forums!