Sonic the Hedgehog 3

Sonic returns faster, more colorful, and with the ambition to tell a story across interconnected worlds, and Sonic the Hedgehog 3 pushes the series a good deal further. This time SEGA bet on seamlessly connected levels, a new character, the echidna Knuckles, and a more sophisticated shield system. The result is the most technically advanced classic Sonic on the Mega Drive.

The game came out in 1994 and was conceived from the start as the first half of a larger whole, later meant to be completed by Sonic & Knuckles. This ambition ultimately led to the famous lock-on technology, where the Sonic & Knuckles cartridge was mounted onto Sonic 3 and the two games merged into a single sprawling adventure. It was a hardware trick nobody saw coming at the time.

The gameplay added new elements to the proven formula. Sonic gained different types of shields with their own abilities, such as a fire shield allowing a mid-air dash or a lightning shield with a double jump. Tails can fly and carry Sonic, while Knuckles climbs walls and glides. The levels connect both visually and logically, so the world feels more cohesive than ever before.

Culturally, Sonic 3 represented the peak of SEGA's effort to build the hedgehog into a full-fledged brand with a plot and characters. Knuckles, at first a rival and later an ally, became one of the most beloved characters in the entire universe. The game is also known for the fact that, according to available information, a number of musicians contributed to the soundtrack, and some of the melodies still spark passionate debate among fans today.

Thanks to the lock-on connection with Sonic & Knuckles, these installments became one of the most extensive and acclaimed classic Sonic games ever. To this day they rank among the highlights of the sixteen-bit era and keep appearing in collections and remasters.

Why play: The most polished classic Sonic, with new shields, Knuckles, and the famous lock-on with Sonic & Knuckles into one grand adventure.