Sam’s take on Sonic 3 & Knuckles‘ technical accomplishment: The entire sonic team was able to bring together all of the things they had learned making the previous 3 sonic games with the addition of the lock-on technology which was used to make the largest and most ambitious platformer on mega drive yet. Not only was this the greatest sonic game to date — it was the first true example of combining creativity and technical innovations to produce something truly amazing.
Sonic 3 & Knuckles were released as 2 separate cartridges in 1994 (sonic 3 in February, sonic & knuckles in October) and had to be connected using the lock-on technology if the player was to get the full sonic 3 & knuckles experience. Because of budgetary and time issues during the production of the game, the decision to release the game in 2 cartridges was made. In the end the technical aspect of the game and the experience as a whole made the decision to release the game in 2 cartridges worth it.
The Lock-On Technology Revolutionized Gaming.
The sonic & knuckles cartridge contained a “pass-through” port that would allow a player to connect other sonic cartridges. When a player connected sonic 2, they would then be able to play sonic 2 as Knuckles. When a player connected sonic 3, they would be able to play the complete sonic 3 & knuckles experience that sonic team had originally planned for the game. Also when a player connected sonic 2 or sonic, they would also gain access to blue sphere special stages, which was an innovative type of level that was previously untested in consumer hardware.
The decision to implement this type of feature was not purely for the sake of good marketing. The developers had to solve numerous problems with regards to memory management, saving data and cartridge communication, none of which had been done before in the industry. The fact that the developers were able to successfully implement this feature, and that it functioned so well in a consumer hardware environment, was a testament to the engineering prowess of the team.
The Save System Was Revolutionary.
The save system that was implemented in sonic 3 & knuckles revolutionized the way players approached sonic games. Gone were the days of needing to remember passwords, or playing through an entire game in one sitting. With the new save system, players were able to save their progress, test out different routes through the game, and go back and replay levels in search of all of the large rings that led to the blue sphere special stages. While this removed the sense of urgency that existed in previous sonic games, it also gave players much more freedom to explore the world of sonic.
Playing as Knuckles Was Completely Different.
Playing as Knuckles was not simply a matter of replacing Sonic with a character that can glide – it was a completely different gameplay experience. His lower jump height, his gliding ability, and his wall climbing ability all changed the way players navigated through the levels of the game. Routes that Sonic could access through speed, Knuckles could access through climbing. Essentially, the game included three full playthroughs of the game (Sonic, Tails, Knuckles) each of which was different and meaningful.
In the Flying Battery Zone, there were completely different paths for Knuckles that did not exist for Sonic. In fact, some of the paths for Knuckles were completely inaccessible to Sonic. In the launch base zone, the outdoor areas of the level were completely transformed into vertical climbing challenges. None of the alternate routes were gimmicks – they required players to rethink the way they played the levels that they were familiar with.
Knuckles Story Added Narrative Context.
Knuckles‘ storyline added a lot of narrative context to Sonic’s story line that Sonic‘s storyline lacked. Players saw events from the point of view of the antagonist before realizing that he was deceived. The short cut scenes between zones helped to develop the relationship between the characters in the game and explain their motivations beyond simply “stop robotnik again”. The narrative in Knuckles‘ storyline was very simplistic, but it was effective for the time period.
Special Stages That Finally Made Sense.
The Blue Sphere Special Stages replaced the Half-Pipe Races of sonic 2 with 3d Maze Navigation. Players collected all of the blue spheres while avoiding the red spheres, and collecting bonus rings for completing perfect patterns. The difficulty of the stages increased in a beautiful way – the earlier stages of the game taught the mechanics of the stage, and the later stages of the game required players to memorize the layout of the stage and navigate through it with precision.
The Gumball Machine Bonus Stages Were Low-Stakes Gambling.
The Gumball Machine Bonus Stages were a low-stakes gambling feature that rewarded players with shields and extra lives for collecting rings. Players could gamble as many rings as they wanted for a chance to collect shields or extra lives. The random chance nature of the feature should have been a recipe for disaster, but the instant feedback and lack of consequence for failure made it a fun diversion from the main levels of the game. Additionally, the feature was accessible separately from the rest of the game via the secret level select.
Collecting All of the Chaos Emeralds Unlocked Super Sonic, and Collecting the Super Emeralds from Sonic & Knuckles Hidden Special Stages Unlocked Hyper Sonic, Which Had New Abilities.
The progression from normal to super to hyper created clear goals for completionists beyond simply finishing the game. For example, once players had collected all of the chaos emeralds, they could unlock the super form of Sonic, and then collect the super emeralds from the hidden special stages in sonic and knuckles to unlock the hyper form of Sonic, which had additional abilities.
Level Design That Respected Player Skill.
Each Zone in Sonic 3 & Knuckles Demonstrated Mastery of Pacing and Player Psychology. The angel island zone was a great example of how to teach movement through open design and gentle challenges. The hydro city zone was a great example of how to introduce a new mechanic (water) with abundant air bubbles and gradually increase the challenge as the player progressed further into the zone. The marble garden zone was a great example of how to show off new abilities through creative object placement.
The carnival night zone barrel is probably the most infamous barrel in video game history – it was a single puzzle that stopped many players cold because the solution (you had to push the barrel up and down to move it) was not obvious. Was it poor design, or did players refuse to try anything new? We may never know. However, the barrel is now infamous for either reason.
The ice cap zone snowboarding segment created excitement through speed without requiring the player to be overly precise. You could simply enjoy going fast without worrying about hitting an invisible obstacle. Then act 2 of the zone introduced ice physics that forced the player to adapt their movement technique. The transition from act 1 to act 2 in the same zone demonstrated a sophisticated understanding of pacing.
The launch base zone was the climax of sonic 3 and the transition to sonic and knuckles content. The interactive elements of the environment (switches, platforms, cannons) made the levels feel like real places rather than obstacle courses. The finale where knuckles betrays sonic and the death egg launches sets up the second half of the game perfectly.
Michael Jackson Mystery.
The controversy surrounding the sonic 3 soundtrack has never been officially resolved. There is strong evidence to suggest that michael jackson contributed to a number of the tracks in sonic 3 before being removed from the credits. There are similarities between sonic 3 music and jackson‘s music that are too specific to be coincidental. The theme of the ice cap zone sounds identical to “who is it“, and the music in the ending credits of sonic 3 sounds like unreleased jackson compositions.
Regardless of whether jackson contributed to the music in sonic 3, the music in sonic 3 & knuckles was far superior to the average game music. The quality of the composition, the layering of the instrumentation, and the memorable melodies – all of these demonstrated the application of professional music production to 16-bit hardware limitations. The result speaks for itself regardless of who actually created the music.
Flying Battery Zone Has Mechanical Percussion and Industrial Atmosphere.
The flying battery zone has a mechanical percussion and industrial atmosphere that creates the perfect amount of tension for a level where you need to sneak into an airborne fortress.
Lava Reef Has Urgent Brass and Driving Rhythm.
Lava reef has a urgent brass and driving rhythm that perfectly matches the volcano setting of the level.
Sky Sanctuary Has Melancholy Beauty.
Sky sanctuary has a melancholy beauty that gives emotional weight to the penultimate zone of the game.
Each Track Enhances Its Environment Beyond Background Noise.
Every track in sonic 3 & knuckles enhances its environment beyond simply providing background noise.
Graphics That Pushed Mega Drive Hardware To The Limit.
Sonic 3 & Knuckles pushed the mega drive to its limits with regards to graphics. The flame effects in lava reef zone, the 3d spheres in the blue sphere special stages, and the parallax scrolling throughout the game – these were not simple programming tasks. These required a deep understanding of the hardware and creative solutions to the hardware’s limitations.
The Water Effects in Hydro City Zone Showed Impressive Programming.
The water effects in hydro city zone demonstrate impressive programming. The game used transparent water layers, the water behaved differently depending on the depth of the water, and the bubble systems ran smoothly at 60fps while tracking multiple enemies and objects. The technical execution of the game allowed the developers to create the artistic vision without compromising on the vision.
Character Animations Show Personality Through Small Details.
Character animations in sonic 3 & knuckles showed personality through small details. Sonic‘s impatient tapping of his feet, knuckles‘ cautious landing poses, tails’ relieved expression after the drowning countdown ended – these were not necessary, but they added life to the sprites and created characters that felt expressive despite the limitations of pixels.
The Cut Scenes Between Zones Told Stories Through Actions Without Dialogue.
The cut-scenes between zones in sonic 3 & knuckles told stories through action without dialogue. The growing desperation of robotnik, the discovery of knuckles‘ betrayal, the transformation of the death egg – all of these were conveyed through brief animated sequences. The developers were able to tell stories through creative use of the limitations of the game.
Competitive Mode and Multiplayer Options.
The competitive multiplayer option in sonic 3 & knuckles greatly improved upon the split screen races in sonic 2. The arena designs in sonic 3 & knuckles were designed with competition in mind rather than being simply reduced versions of the single-player levels. The performance in the competitive multiplayer option was smooth and enjoyable, unlike the stuttering mess that was the competitive multiplayer option in sonic 2. Two players racing through proper courses with consistent frame rates created a sense of fun and competition among players.
The Scoring System in Competitive Mode Rewards Different Play Styles.
The scoring system in the competitive multiplayer option rewards different play styles. Speed was important, but finding hidden monitors and maintaining rings added a layer of strategy to the game. Players could no longer simply hold right and expect to win – players had to balance speed with collection and survival. This created closer matches between players of different skill levels.
Cooperative Mode with Tails Works Better Than Sonic 2‘s Implementation.
The cooperative mode with tails in sonic 3 & knuckles worked better than the cooperative mode with tails in sonic 2. Since tails was invincible in the cooperative mode, player 2 could experiment with different moves without the fear of dying, and was therefore perfect for less experienced players who were joining player 1. Unlimited lives through respawning removed frustration from player 1, and kept the stakes for player 1.
Why Sonic 3 & Knuckles Still Defines Sonic Today.
Sonic 3 & Knuckles defines the ultimate sonic experience and is one of the best platformers ever created. This is the complete realization of what sonic team envisioned for sonic since day one, free from the constraints of time and money. The lock-on technology, the multiple character campaigns, the save system, the music, the level design – all of these elements came together to create something that is greater than the sum of their parts.
Is it perfect? No game is. But it was closer to perfection than most games. The combination of technical achievement and artistic excellence created an experience that is still impressive today.
The Ambition Shown in Scope.
Sonic 3 & Knuckles was not simply another sonic game – it was sonic team proving that they could create something that stood along side the best platformers regardless of platform. The ambition shown in the scope of the game was unmatched, and the technical achievements, the artistic polish, and the gameplay depth – all combined to justify the existence of the mega drive.
For players who grew up with sonic, this was the pinnacle. Later 3D transitions failed to match the success of the 2D approach found in sonic 2 and sonic 3 & knuckles. Sonic adventure had moments of brilliance but was ultimately marred by questionable gameplay decisions. Modern sonic games have bounced around between various approaches to sonic gameplay and have not consistently met the standards established by sonic 3 & knuckles.
Modern Legacy.
Sonic mania clearly understood what made sonic 3 & knuckles successful and expanded upon those concepts. The approach to level design, the implementation of physics, and the respect for momentum based gameplay – all of these were drawn directly from sonic 3 & knuckles. The success of sonic mania validates the accomplishments of sonic team in sonic 3 & knuckles.
Recent Re-Releases of Sonic 3 & Knuckles Are Due to Music Licensing Issues.
Due to the complexities of the music licensing issue stemming from the michael jackson situation, sonic 3 & knuckles is currently available on steam with replacement tracks for the 2 most contentious zones. The mobile versions of sonic 3 & knuckles developed by christian whitehead include the original music with additional features and changes.
Fan Demand Has Been Unable to Create a Simple Port of the Game.
Due to the music licensing issues mentioned above, fans have been unable to create a simple port of sonic 3 & knuckles.
Speed Runners Continue to Explore Sonic 3 & Knuckles.
Speedrunners continue to explore sonic 3 & knuckles to this day.
Samuel’s been gaming since the Atari 2600 and still thinks 16-bit was the golden age. Between accounting gigs and parenting teens, he keeps the CRTs humming in his Minneapolis basement, writing about cartridge quirks, console wars, and why pixel art never stopped being beautiful.
0 Comments