Sonic The Hedgehog 3

[asm]

I was genuinely annoyed by some things. A good example would be Carnival Night Zone as a whole. Almost seemed like it was designed to just flat out annoy you. Not a very hard zone to complete, but very frustrating.

[Cornholio857]

I was genuinely annoyed by some things. A good example would be Carnival Night Zone as a whole. Almost seemed like it was designed to just flat out annoy you. Not a very hard zone to complete, but very frustrating.

I knew so many people back in the day that couldn't figure out how to control that barrel! My friends hated it. It wasn't hard to figure out though. LOL

[asm]

Hehe. Yeah, those things. And the pinball buffer things. And the air blower things. I don't think I kicked the bucket once in those levels unless you count time expiration as a cause of death

[Ecco]

Ecco, if you're trying to do the special stages and you've got the level select from clearing the game, I'd suggest playing Mushroom Hill over and over. The number of easy-to-find Special Stage rings in that zone is staggering. Hell, they give you one right at the beginning! You could actually just play that one ring, reset the game, and repeat if need be!

Also, it might not be entirely convenient to search through the level (or reset the game) every time you finish a special stage, but this is the way I've done it in the past.

^Thanks. I've mostly just been doing the 1st zone of the game over & over, as there's the special stage right away, but the unfortunate opening scenes that can't be skipped...

@Ecco: Don't think there ever be one that stops the red spheres from sending you back to the main game, but if you use this Game Genie code you only need to collect one blue sphere to complete the stage: RGSA-A6YY.

Do remember: just by having the Game Genie plugged in, this disables the saving. You lose whatever emeralds you collect as soon as you turn off the game.

^Wow crazy. I never used the Game Genie much, especially for Sonic games which I'm good at, and which have all their own codes already. But maybe I'll check that out sometime; thanks.

[ItellYaHuat]

Let's all be honest here: Sonic 3 alone is crap. Coupled with Sonic & Knuckles; now that's the true Sonic 3.

Epic, epic game.

This. I don't know how anyone can sit there and play Sonic 3 alone knowing there is a long epic adventure that's more than twice as long as itself. Plus two extra save slots!

[oldmanwinters]

This. I don't know how anyone can sit there and play Sonic 3 alone knowing there is a long epic adventure that's more than twice as long as itself. Plus two extra save slots!

I like fighting the exclusive end boss of Sonic 3. It is pretty tricky (like the boss in Sonic 2 it requires patience) and the robotic hands on Robotnik's Egg-o-matic can even depower Super Sonic!

[ItellYaHuat]

I like fighting the exclusive end boss of Sonic 3. It is pretty tricky (like the boss in Sonic 2 it requires patience) and the robotic hands on Robotnik's Egg-o-matic can even depower Super Sonic!

Ah, how could I forget. That's a good thing that Sonic 3 alone brings to the table. The boss in S3K at that point is way too easy.

[oldskool]

Sonic 3 was good, but I always preffered 2 over 3. I do like the save feature of 3 though. To each his own I guess.

[Mr Nuts]

I like Sonic 3 best of all and the idea of combining with Knuckles was cool

[jerry coeurl]

Sonic 3 is a very good game by itself. When combined with S&K, though, it's one of the best platformers out there.

[Ecco]

Wait I just earned all 7 chaos emeralds but I can't turn into Super Sonic....

Yes I tried getting 50+ rings and then jumping instashield...

No Super Sonic, I don't get it

[The Jackal]

Wait I just earned all 7 chaos emeralds but I can't turn into Super Sonic....

Yes I tried getting 50+ rings and then jumping instashield...

No Super Sonic, I don't get it

When version of Sonic 3 did you play? Sonic 3 alone or Sonic 3 & Knuckles? If it was S3&K, there could be a of reason: If you jumped into a Big Ring in any level AFTER Mushroom Hill Zone (the S&K) levels, you're collected emeralds will be taken from you and you won't be able to go "Super". In order to re-gain it, you have to do a set of 7 different Special Stages: completing these will give you access to the "Hyper" form.

[Ecco]

When version of Sonic 3 did you play? Sonic 3 alone or Sonic 3 & Knuckles? If it was S3&K, there could be a of reason: If you jumped into a Big Ring in any level AFTER Mushroom Hill Zone (the S&K) levels, you're collected emeralds will be taken from you and you won't be able to go "Super". In order to re-gain it, you have to do a set of 7 different Special Stages: completing these will give you access to the "Hyper" form.

^Thanks; Yes it's S3&K, and that's exactly what happened. Actually just got it figured out here:

http://www.sega-16.com/forum/showthread.php?t=14850

[StarMist]

I'll never dig this game.
Here's a spot-on abstract from the Sonic 2 vs Sonic 3 thread:

Mr Smith's Guide to Sonic 3
Angel Island: ok
Hydrocity: painfully tosh
Marble Garden: abject tosh
Carnival Night: utter tosh
Icecap: good
Launch Base: tedious
Conclusion: Sonic 2 wins.

I'm going to be a grinch and tack on that this review is bogged down with errata and sloppy syntax.
Nor do I find this remotely tenable:

In addition to the improved character models, the backgrounds are more gorgeous than ever and have really taken an overall turn for the better. Everything is clear and large and there are more things to be seen this time around, which places this sequel ahead of its predecessors, if that’s even possible. In the first act, for example, the grove catches on fire and it looks extremely realistic with its smoky background, burning trees, and other little things.

Carnival Night has no more going on than Casino Night, if even as much, Marble Garden no more than Marble with less variety, Ice Cap's pretty much just white and blue, Angel Island doesn't compare to Green Hill, Sonic 2's uncomparable zones are clearly more detailed (Oil Ocean, Hill Top), both 1 and 2's aquatic zones are miles more vivid and animated than anything in Sonic 3 let alone Hydrocity with its placholder backgrounds.

[tim333]

You're certainly entitled to your opinion, but I could not disagree more. Every single zone in Sonic 3 is an eye-watering masterpiece of complex, varied and branching level design with good balance and lots of depth. Of course, Sonic 2's zones are very well designed too, but in Sonic 3 and Sonic & Knuckles the design met its peak of meticulous quality. As a fan of good, thorough, deep level design it's hard for me to understand how anybody dislikes Sonic 3. Look at a map of Marble Garden. Look at a map of Carnival Night. There are whole worlds in there.

I don't know how you can bring up a discussion of backgrounds and use Marble Garden as a point *against* Sonic 3. Marble Garden has one of the best backgrounds on the entire system. Layers upon layers. Sonic 1's backgrounds are certainly charming, but Marble Zone's background looks very simple and flat compared to Marble Garden's. I feel strange even trying to compare them, Marble Garden is just on another level. I'm not even sure what you were getting at there.