Sonic the Hedgehog 3 is a genuine masterpiece, and a crowning achievement of the 16-bit era.
And there’s reason enough for this. Sonic 3 is and was a genuine masterpiece, and a crowning achievement of the 16-bit era. It had everything critics could ask for: realistic visuals, toe-tapping music, tremendous replayability, and, of course, the distinctive gameplay that already had a foothold in previous entries.
Elaborating on the components mentioned above, it is clear that this title is a true gem. Beginning with graphical goodness, immediately when the game is turned on we are greeted with a spiffy, three-dimensional portrayal of our blue hero. And furthermore, when Angel Island (Sonic 3’s first zone) is presented to us, our eyes our completely bewildered. These graphics should not be allowed on a 16-bit platform! They’re unheard of! Nuff said.
The audio is equally as impressive. Every zone has amazing musical pieces consisting of (seemingly) multiple instrumentals. In my opinion, Sonic 3’s BGM has higher quality than the original Sonic and Sonic 2 combined. It almost hearkens the question: Was there someone else who composed the musical material? Some say it was Michael Jackson. Could be. Whoever it was that might’ve worked on the audio, he, or she, was obviously an expert in the field.
And let’s not forget Sonic 3’s gorgeous gameplay. It’s basically the same. Except it’s much, much faster than it ever was before! THIS is the speed we want to experience. THESE are the levels we hold a desire to explore. THIS is Sonic speed reinvented.
Besides the six zones you’ll be blasting through with Sonic, you can also try them out with Tails the Fox as well. Unlike Sonic 2, players now have the ability to utilize his tails to fly to places previously unreachable. And furthermore, Tails holds the ability to swim. These additions certainly add a necessary element to the series, and one that can still be felt in today’s games.
Super Sonic makes an appearance again (yes!) and can be obtainable through the Blue Sphere Special Stages. These Stages set themselves apart from all of the others, because of the tricky strategy that can’t be avoided. If one takes too long when collecting the blue spheres, the music will speed up and you’ll begin running faster. You can already predict what this leads to. Chaos. Eventually, the player in control will most likely LOSE control and stumble upon a red sphere. If this unfortunate event happens, your chance of retrieving the Chaos Emeralds is shattered for now. But in contrast, if one tags all of the blue spheres, the Chaos Emerald is theirs for the keeping. It’s short, it’s fast, it’s fun, it’s Sonic. And that’s what really matters.
In addition to all of these goodies, a “Competition” mode is also available. Six brief tracks are playable, each with their own theme and fast-paced BGM. A player can choose to play by himself and overthrow his best records, or, if a friend is handy, two players can join in on the excitement.
With all of these prevailing features, you’d think that there’s nothing left. But there’s more. When all of the elongated replayability is seemingly gone, Sonic 3 can be attached to Sonic & Knuckles, for another awesome experience. The two games are meshed into one, Sonic 3 & Knuckles, and another set of Emeralds can be obtained. And if they are, the surprises are abundant. In addition, Knuckles can be played through Sonic 3, which makes for three characters to play with!
When it’s all said and done, Sonic 3 was one of the last great games of the 16-bit era. Along with Sonic & Knuckles, it delivered the greatest experience which no other “Hedgehog” title has been able to do thus far. Bottom line: THIS is Sonic the Hedgehog at his very best.