A look back: Sonic 3
Mmm, nostalgia.
Sonic the Hedgehog 3 rocked, and it rocked pretty hard. Now it’s out on the Virtual Console for eight bucks. Should you, the discriminating gamer, fork up the cash? Join us here at Sega Nerds as we remember a time when men were men and Sonic games could be mentioned without producing inevitable sounds of revulsion and derision.
Somebody suuuuucks…
Sonic 3 is the first half of what pretty much amounts to one of the greatest 2D platformers on the Genesis. When combined with Sonic & Knuckles to make the aptly named Sonic 3 & Knuckles, it became a force to be reckoned with. Sega fanboys (and lo, there were many) could point to it as a legitimate foil to the foul SNES’s hatefully excellent Super Mario World. (Why did it have to be so damn good? Why!?)
Before Lock-On-Technology (TM) made its debut, though, Sonic 3 existed as a highly refined platforming experience, albeit one of middling length. Additional features helped round out the package, with the ability to play as a fully flight-enabled Tails marking the biggest departure - and for all intents and purposes, a very good one!
Don’t jump, just push up and down. Trust us.
Unlike latter day Sonic titles, Tails’ gameplay was different enough from Sonic’s to justify inclusion, but not so different as say, shooting things or searching for emerald shards using a crappy sonar system. Stages were impressively massive, complimenting the exploratory nature of Tails’ helicopter-esque flight. Indeed, a number of areas could only be accessed by playing as Tails or hooking up a second controller to offer Sonic a helping hand.
EXTREEEEEME!!!!!
If you are in the market to purchase Sonic 3 for the Virtual Console, it means you have a Wii. If you have a Wii, you can play GameCube games. As it so happens, Sonic 3 is available on the Sonic Mega Collection for the GameCube! Which means you can play it!
In so many words, there’s no reason to buy this rendition of Sonic 3 when you could just buy Mega Collection and get a whole lot more for a whole lot less per game. What’s more, there’s no indication on how the Virtual Console will handle the pivotal Lock-On-Technology (TM) that made playing the greatest game on the Genesis possible. For all we know you’ll have to repurchase Sonic 3 & Knuckles as a separate game, even if you’ve already bought the games that combine to make it.
Why take the risk when you’ve got guaranteed awesome available elsewhere? Sonic 3 on the Virtual console is heartily…
Not Recommended.
POSTED IN: News, Nintendo Wii, Retro, Sonic, Virtual Console
8 opinions for A look back: Sonic 3
Angelo
Sep 11, 2007 at 5:19 pm
Even with the Sonic Mega Collection set aside, I’m not sure even I’d recommend Sonic the Hedgehog 3 nor Sonic & Knuckles individually. Having them put together as S3&K is almost… necessary. Mandatory, even, now that both have long been out in the wild.
Which, actually, segues into the next point: the Sonic Mega Collection was a bit annoying, with that whole “play these games 20 times” to unlock scheme, especially for the lock-on titles. Why not just simple completion of its components?
Kogen
Sep 11, 2007 at 5:27 pm
You’re forgetting how lazy SEGA can be. And the games are still fun on their own, just not as fun.
Glad to see you’ve finally did a “Not Reccomended.” when you actually can get the game on Wii for cheaper/better deal, unlike the others.
Emmett The Crab
Sep 11, 2007 at 5:59 pm
The game looks pretty nice. I got out of the hbit of buying Genesis games when they went to those cheap cardboard boxes rather than the plastic cases, so I never bought this one. If they put Sonic 3 and Knuckles on XBLA I’ll buy it.
Raidens Huge Laser
Sep 11, 2007 at 9:00 pm
Sonic Mega Collection is a great buy, and totally understandable that this VC Sonic3 shouldnt even be bothered with.
AWESOME, Sonic game, but ya get a much better bang for your buck if ya get the gamecube disc.
Graham
Sep 11, 2007 at 11:59 pm
For once I (like Kogen) agree with this Not Recommended.
I think it would have been better if they had a Sonic 3 and Knuckles download - BUT one where you could choose if it was just Sonic 3 on it’s own - or just Knuckles on its own. Or both games together.
But to be honest I still think the best thing EVER was playing Sonic 2 and Knuckles! That was a treat.
Really Sega could do what they did with Sonic Jam on the Saturn - where you could choose which Sonic you played Knuckles with … or if you wanted play it on it’s own. -But that would be far too sensible - and also mean that you would have the Megadrive (bar 3D and pinball) Sonic games in one little package.
Oh and I’m still going to buy this :)
omar
Sep 13, 2007 at 1:24 am
aaaaa
shadow1w2
Sep 13, 2007 at 2:31 am
I have the entire Genesis collection cept for the genesis Soinic 3D blast, wich doesnt really matter since that was more like a backport of the Saturn version.
Anyway, despite having the four games plus spinball I’ve bought the first game on the VC console anyway. I dunno, it kinda convient sitting there next to my internet channel.
Ive considerd buying the whole collection on the VC console just for completions sake, but then again, whats the point?
Not to mention the S&K part alll wraped in secret.
Wouldnt mind having the whole collection on my wii menu though just for convience. :3
I still play the games now and then.
Though I miss my S3/S3&k saves on my carts with maxed out lives and continues.
I thought that was just awsome to have earned.
Then my sister’s friend deleted it…
It sure was memerable to see sonic on a snowboard.
Tails actually being usefull,
plus the button style debug code returning.
The secret scraped wake board animation.
Knuckles.
A better super sonic,
3Dish bonus stages.
Those were all memorable and good additions for the time.
Good music and unique enemies for each stage along with level design that made sense for well, running in.
Those were all good nad improved, but saying that is basicly saying what all the new games seem to be lacking.
Cept maybe Sonic Adventure enemy wise, but they reused enemies alot in that one anyway.
Oh ya, element shields.
That was awsome.
Added some stradegy to the game.
Sega/Sonicteam should just go back, play the games again, then remake them in 3D while keeping everything intact. Including the silent sprite animation based story wich wasnt really all that existant anyway.
Wich when ya think about it, thats kinda one thing the new sonic games arent doing well with either. Long drawn out corny story. When it was so much better without one as it was.
Sonic 3 was indeed my most favorite sonic game.
Not S3&K but just S3 alone.
That credits music was also one of the most memorable things in the game too.
Hmm, when wil nintendo stop milking the VC console shop consumers for all the cash they’ve got?
Its starting to make them look bad.
???
Jun 9, 2008 at 2:35 am
ive already got SMC.its cool!!
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