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The third entry in the Sonic trilogy proves to be the best as Sonic pulls no punches

We've come to the third Sonic game, released for the Genesis in 1994. Sonic 3 improves on the awesome first two games by adding several great additions and keeping the bar high. The game is closely tied to its direct sequel, Sonic & Knuckles, which was supposed to all be the same game, but time constraints and cartridge costs forced Sega to make two separate games. Knuckles makes his debut in Sonic 3 (as a bad guy no less), and this is also the first game in the series in which you can save your progress. 

When you start a new game, you can choose to play as either Sonic, Tails, or both (most likely for two player). It's best to stick with Sonic, but Tails can do things Sonic can't, such as fly for a short time and also swim (Sonic has never been much of a swimmer). The game picks up right where the last one ended. Tails is flying his plane and Super Sonic is flying right along with him; Super Sonic dashes into the jungle only to bump into Knuckles and lose all the chaos emeralds! Knuckes quickly grabs them all and runs off. Now Sonic has to get them back. 

Sonic 3 continues to maintain excellent level design, but this time, it's even better than its predecessors. Knuckles and Eggman will pop in and out of the levels to cause problems. Half-way through Angel Island Zone Act 1 (the first level), a machine shows up and sets the whole place on fire! Levels are long and challenging, with crazier things than ever before to keep you on guard. Sonic 3 is more challenging than the first two games; Hydrocity Zone and Carnival Night Zone stick out to me as the most difficult levels in the game. 

Yet Sonic 3 is an impressive work of genius, even to this day. I was amazed by the complex level designs, which offer plenty of hidden areas to find. At times I felt lost because the levels were so giant and maze-like. Bosses are more interesting than the ones in the previous games, giving you a miniboss to fight at the end of Act 1 and an Eggman fight at the end of Act 2. They're still simple fights, but they're more creative and interesting than previous boss fights from Sonic 1 and 2. 

Sonic 3 also has seamless transitions from one zone to the next. After you beat Angel Island Zone, Knuckles presses a switch, causing the bridge Sonic is on to collapse, sending him down into Hydrocity Zone. After beating Carnival Night Zone, Sonic jumps into a canon and shoots off to the mountains (Ice Cap Zone). The transitions between Act 1 and 2 are also like this, picking up right where you left off, meaning the screen never goes dark. These transitions are a neat addition, proving to us that the development team was interested in the little details. 

Sonic 3 also introduces new power-ups, such as the bubble shield (allows Sonic to breathe underwater and bounce like a basketball), the fire shield (Sonic can shoot out like a fireball), and the lightning shield (which gives Sonic an extra jump, can shoot out electricity bolts, and attracts rings to Sonic like a magnet). Not only are these power-ups awesome, but they're also very helpful, as Sonic 3 is a challenging game, so you will want them for sure! 

I can't say enough about the astounding levle designs. Hydrocity Zone has Sonic in a vast underwater labyrinth, zooming around loops and tunnels, trying to grab bubbles when he can, and watching out for moving walls which want to crush him. Marble Garden Zone has spinning tops and machinery which Sonic must spin (using his spin dash) in order to make platforms rise or lower. Sometimes you really have to explore to find where to go next. Carnival Night Zone was challenging, as I would get to a dead end, and wonder where to go next; turns out I missed a small opening and had to backtrack to get back on course. 

You can access special stages via giant rings which are hidden throughout levels. In the special stages, your goal is to run into all the blue orbs, changing them red, but also watch out for bumpers and red orbs (which will cause you to exit if you touch them). Get all the blue orbs and you get a chaos emerald as your prize. By collecting all seven chaos emeralds, Sonic can transform into Super Sonic! This is simply another reason why Sonic 3 is such an amazing game.

 

The music is also fantastic. While each zone has its own theme, the composers decided to do a variation of that theme for Act 2, meaning the music for each level is unique. Hydrocity Zone sticks out to me as a truly remarkable theme of the game, but all the music is exceptional. Michael Jackson supposedly helped with the music, but this has never really been confirmed. Either way, the music is a real joy to listen to as you play. 

Sonic 3 also has two multiplayer modes: Grand Prix and Match Race, which both have to do with racing. The courses are short, meaning you'll have to do several laps to win. You and a friend choose between Sonic, Tails, and Knuckles. Time Attack is a one player mode in which you race around a course and try to get the best time. These multiplayer modes aren't that great, but once again, it's nice to have multiplayer. 

Final Verdict--5 Stars: Awesome!

Sonic 1 was an impressive game which challenged Mario; Sonic 2 was a great game which added welcome additions; but Sonic 3 is not just a great game, it's a masterpiece. With Sonic 3, Sega has crafted something truly remarkable, a game which looks, plays, and sounds exceptional. All of this praise is true because Sonic 3 is still just as fun to play today as it was in 1994; it holds up perfectly! After all these years, Sonic 3 has not slowed down, and has not ceased to amaze us with its polished gameplay and creative designs. This is the definitive Sonic game. 

Join me all month long as we look at Sonic the Hedgehog. We have one more game to go.