Sonic 3 Review

Rank @ end

Summary 

Sonic and Tails gear up for another adventure...but is it superior to others of the "classic" era?

Gameplay and Controls

The simple controls from the previous games are the same. Added is the fast insta-shield, which isn't much but useful on rare occasions. 2-P Tails can now pick Sonic up and fly him, though it's a bit more time consuming than just using Tails.

Added advantages: Tails can fly and swim, but Sonic can still use the emeralds to become Super Sonic. Sonic can also use the shields for various moves and purposes, which is a nice improvement.

2-Player mode is smaller and more annoying than Sonic 2, but it's better than nothing.

Level Design and Visuals

Angel Island is a nice break from the Hill Zone start. I like the tradition, but too much of it and it gets to be the same thing. Still tropical with palms, it set itself apart with the fire later in the level.

I'm not that enthusiastic about Hydrocity. There are a lot of moving platforms and a lot of waiting around, trying get into certain spots. With the exception of a few areas, it's just not a speedy level. Along those lines, Marble Garden is annoyingly long as well as bulky in design, making it my least favorite.

Carnival Night, and Launch Base are better, though, visually and in length while Ice Cap Zone is wonderful--possibly the best.   

Blue Spheres can be infuriating. However it's unique and "3-D."

I don't like Sonic's darker, chunkier sprite.

Story and Characters 

Sonic and Tails haven't changed much, but they are faced with a new enemy: Knuckles. Knuckles...Design wise is a bit odd. His dreds make him look like a girl, and even his species is just more obscure than a fox or hedgehog. Despite the regional differences, neither manual really expands on how Knuckles was tricked. Obviously he was pretty isolated and naive, I guess, but I'm still wondering what made the big fat man with a bunch of animal-enslaved robots trust worthy.

Since he just taunts the player, Knuckles isn't much to brag about. The only memorable quality: punching the lights out of Super Sonic. His strength became an emphasis, and it became a contrast to Sonic's speed. So while still an enemy more so than a rival in this game, Knuckle had a hint of potential.

The Japanese plot is a bit long/excessive for the game's more simplistic nature. The American one is simplified, but it mistakenly refers to the Chaos Emeralds as the Floating Island's power source (not the Master Emerald, which would become more prominent in the future). 

Music and Sound Effects

Notorious for having work done by Micheal Jackson, the music is memorable. Ice Cap, Hydrocity, and Angel Island are all at a nice pace and fit the location while ones like Carnival Night and Launch base brought a unique, new sound to the table. Sound effects are fine though a few like the drilling robot can be kind of loud and disruptive.

Final Thoughts

• The biggest improvement in my eyes is the addition of a save file, which is a big deal. Playing through lets it act as a level select, which is also a fine addition. 
• Nice to give Tails some other advantages.  
• Knuckles first appearance seems over-hyped.  
• The timer in Launch Base does not stop for the "cutscene," which can be annoying.

Total Rank (S best, E worst): A

It's a good Sonic game, but seems longer and more tedious compared to it's predecessors. There were some attempts to make the game more unique, but it didn't make the game better.