Sonic & Knuckles:
By far the coolest cover art of all time…
User Rating: 9 | Sonic & Knuckles GEN
If you thought Sonic 3 had breakthroughs, check-out Sonic & Knuckles. This title was a game in itself—and the cartridge was special for its lock-on technology where connecting other titles to this cartridge unlocks special play modes such as being able to play through Sonic the Hedgehog 2 using Knuckles. S&K begins where Sonic 3 left-off. Sonic has destroyed the launch of the DEATH EGG and it has crashed back to earth in the Lava Reef Zone of Angel Island. Robotnick has just learned about a “Master Emerald” hidden somewhere on the island and guarded by Knuckles and he plans to power-up his DEATH EGG using it. He once again tricks Knuckles into stalling Sonic enough so that he may lay hands on the Emerald himself. Knuckles realizes this too late as Robotnick gets away with the heist and powers-up his machine or destruction. Knuckles, beated and battered, helps Sonic give chase. Sonic boards the EGG and destroys it from the inside-out, resulting in a final battle where Robotnick goes all out to try and destroy Sonic once-and-for-all. And—after this, he escapes with the Master Emerald. If the player has all 7 chaos emeralds, he or she may enter the final stage—The Doomsday—where Super Sonic blasts through space on a wild attempt to stop the doctor from getting away with the emerald (easily one of the cooler bosses out there).
Clearly, the plot is very important to the story—it is the most involved up to that time—and it lays to rest the feud between Knuckles and Sonic which was started in Sonic 3. Players may choose to play through the game as either Sonic or Knuckles, the former playing as Sonic games do—the later, being empowered with Knuckles’ gliding and climbing abilities, a little bit more puzzle and exploration-based. Each player has separate ways of completing levels—and different levels available to them. Knuckles’ game ends in the Sky Sanctuary Zone with his final battle with Super MechaSonic who has used the power of the Master Emerald to supercharge his abilities while Sonic passes through the zone’s boss in MechaSonic on to the DEATH EGG.
This game is fun. It is easily one of the better Sonic titles—even up there among Sonic 1 and 2. The level diversity is back—from “Sandopolis Zone” to a true “DEATH EGG zone” every bit as gadget-filled and challenging as you’d expect a fortified Spacestation. I have, to date, found zero instances of lag in this game—it is graphically superior to every previous title in the saga.
HeadshotJackal’s Rating:
I gave this game a 9/10. Sonic is back to being the speedy, fun hedgehog with the same fun as in Sonic 1 and 2. And you can play as Knuckles so how can you hate it?
