By the time 1993 arrived, Sonic the Hedgehog had been firmly established in the collective mind of the games industry. Born out of Sega's desire to overtake Nintendo as the world's leading console manufacturer, Sonic sped onto the scene and made a name for himself, especially here in the West. As the series went on, though, it would gradually evolve into so much more than just an answer to Mario. While people came for the speedy gameplay and attitude, they stayed for the engaging world that blended fantasy with more grounded elements, entertaining characters, and great mechanical depths. Practically everyone in the industry wanted their own Sonic, and while many imitators would appear, none could compete with the blue blur himself.
That said, the people behind the series were struggling quite a bit. The development of Sonic 2 was rife with infighting and harsh crunch. After its release and great success, development on the third entry would begin, but it too would be marred with similar issues. Not helping matters was Sega's questionable decisions, including prioritizing a partnership with a fast food chain over the game itself and all their other choices pertaining to extraneous hardware for the Genesis. The project's scope also rapidly grew, and eventually, the game even had to be split in two.
In the end though, the team's immense work would pay off, at least critically. To this day, Sonic the Hedgehog 3, officially known as Sonic 3 & Knuckles, is perhaps the series' second-most beloved game, if not its most. As with Sonic 2, you read the title of the video. Sonic 3 is one of my favorite games in this series, and one that I believe is a masterpiece. So join me, if you'd like, as I explore everything that's to love about Sonic 3 & Knuckles.
Sonic 3 AIR: sonic3air.org/
Install Guide: • The Definitive Way to ...
P.S. hey look at that, got it up a day after Sonic's 32nd anniversary, so that's cool I guess