Note: I base this upon the version that comes with the Sonic Plus Mega Collection for the PS2, which adds a saving system that can be used anywhere and anytime during this. Eggman attacks(dude never learns), and it's up to our blue protagonist to stop him. He's joined again by Tails, the helicopter-flying fox(who you can this time play as for the entire thing... you can also choose not to have him tag along(leaving it open for a second person to join in, for help with airlifting and the fact that he can't die)). Other than the adequately long single player portion, this allows a multiplayer mode for two people; racing with a couple of rulesets. Other than the two aforementioned characters, you can also choose the villain's new henchman, a creature similar to our lead... Knuckles(who you unfortunately can't use for the regular campaign... not until the add-on, though it was clearly supposed to be available here; one might complain about this including yet another animal as something other than regular enemies... the first had 1, second one had 2, obviously the third has 3... I personally love that red... whatever the heck he is(fellow hedgehog?), in spite of how often he hinders you in this one). This decision gains it some replayability, something it otherwise only earns by being remarkably challenging(the worst of the trilogy in that regard... or best, I suppose; it definitely gets downright frustrating, a lot), and thus, you will have to try it several times, likely starting all over again, until you know all of it well enough to be prepared(yes, it's one of *those*) for what's coming. This is of course eliminated when you can store and load your progress anytime. Where the first sequel had an epic ending, this tries to cram in that kind of attention-grabbing *everywhere*(it badly wants to be memorable, and ends up trying way too hard, being almost embarrassing... I'm not sure if they were worried it wouldn't live up to the other two, or if they figured otherwise most people would give up before completing it). Each level(other than a boss fight... *yeah*) has something new and/or cool. If half or more were eliminated, that would be fine(and don't get me wrong, they do tend to be fun). The very nature of some of the areas is "we hope this wows you!", even redoing the casino thing and a massive shuttlecraft from StH 2(and another forest? *really*?). We do get nicely done ones, such as an polar ice cave with stalagtites and stalagmites. This changes the music, and I have to say, it was much better before. The gameplay is essentially the same(Jumping puzzles, platform action adventure, speed is vital(and like the second one, it goes by at a high speed a lot of the time, with the buzzsaw rush intact)... and you can still attack just by being "round", and this continues to suddenly break out of that at a moment's notice, irritatingly), although it freshens it up since the others. The brown-ish sidekick can go where the hero can't(like, up. A lot), and the latter has a quick attack when you double-press hop. That's when he doesn't use one of the power-up bubbles(that you can get regardless of which you play as, just only he can use their second advantage). There's a plain one that enables bouncing(several, it's like a personal trampoline! It's also the only one you won't lose by contact with water), a firey one that you can use to ram yourself at, well, anything you want(to either side, not upwards) for a brief float(Flame On and It, combined at last), and an electric one that attracts Rings(collect 100 and gain an extra life! They toss those at you in this, by the way, I had around 45 when I cleared this) and allows you a single boost to your aerial travel per launch into the air. Uh... magnetism. Science. Stop looking at me like that! All of these also function as a sort of shield, absorbing one(counted) hit by something harmful. There are two types of bonus areas in this one(and both rock, far superior to those of the others). The resurrect stations lead to... the inside of a giant gumball machine, I think, where you can get the aforementioned shields, 10 Rings at a time and extra lives. It's a long, narrow, vertical tunnel that has you falling down... at first, there'll be springs at the bottom, but those will only save you once, and then you have to stay up(or get them back, which can also be done... they will only work once per time, however). Both sides are lined with a bunch of, well, a sort of pinball machine flippers, and they are all one-use, each, as well. The ones at the top then let a dispenser fall down(when both the left and the right one is "spent"), and whenever it drops(and also at other times, not certain what else triggers it), it will open and let out one of the mentioned bonuses, an empty air bubble or a black ball that is a physical presence(the others are pick-ups), meaning you can use it to go up, or it can shove you down. When you discover large gold circles(they're all hidden), you go to the second kind. In this you run around a large globe with three kinds of orbs... blue ones that you must touch that then become red ones(and when they've all turned into those, you've completed it) that you must avoid(or you'll be kicked back out), and white ones that block your path. Each of these that you complete will get you one of the Chaos Emeralds, and if you get all 7, you get the Super form, where you can go higher and further, and are essentially invincible. Enemy designs are decent. Graphics haven't evolved since the original. There is nothing offensive in this. I recommend this to every fan of Sonic and this series. 7/10
Review of Sonic the Hedgehog 3
