Sonic the Hedgehog 3

The Good
Sonic 3 was one of the most widely anticipated games of the 1990's. However this game did not fulfill it's expectations. On it's own, the way it was released, Sonic 3 is blatantly not finished. Only when Sonic & Knuckles was released some 8 months or so later did the picture become fully clear.

You play as Sonic once more, doing battle against Dr Robotnik once again. but he is being aided by a new seemingly sinister character, Knuckles. You play your way across several levels, which are all visually stunning, as you have come to expect from the Sonic Team. But you get they underlying feeling that something isn't quite right.

There are elements of the game which are brilliant, but others wane. The new special stage is not very appealing after the hi-octane action from the special stage in Sonic 2.

It's fun enough to play and is far better than many other Mega Drive / Genesis games but I rarely play this in favour of Sonic 1 or Sonic 2.

The Bad
The fact that this was released without what was to come in Sonic & Knuckles leaves a bitter taste in my mouth. Many people in a position such as was mine back in 1994 had to make a choice between the two games, as many parents were unwilling to fork over £40 twice, for what is very obviously two parts of the same game.

It was a bad move on Segas part, and reduces my enjoyment of either title by some length.

The Bottom Line
Do not play this without having the Sonic & Knuckles cart first. I'm with Digi, 72%.