Sonic & Knuckles - Sega Genesis Review

[@ev4n5eli0n01]

S3&K was my favorite game as a kid growing up and still is one of my top games to this day. The music, the art, the story… it all made for big grand stories in my head growing up. I think that’s part of why I loved Sonic on Genesis as a whole when I was a kid. The vast backgrounds in each zone were entire distant worlds.

[@thinkhector]

The most people never played BOTH Sonic 3 ~and~ Sonic & Knuckles. You might have been luckily enough as a child to experience the whole adventure, but most people did not. Oddly enough, Sonic & Knuckles actually sold MORE than Sonic 3. So some people only played the second-half. I'm guessing, judging by sales numbers, only about 400,000 U.S. Genesis owner's bought both. Compare that to the 5 million people that got to play the entirety of Sonic 2.

[@AnimatedLoopHD]

I had Sonic & Knuckles before Sonic 3. I had no idea it was part of the same game! So I thought Sonic and Knuckles was just a fancy name for Sonic 4 lol@@thinkhector

[@ricardomauricioaraya7625]

@@thinkhector I had Sonic 3 as a kid/teenager but not S&K. I beat 3 so many times, and my brother borrowed S&K once and I beat that one, but not combined. We only had it for a few days so there was no time to play the whole thing. Now as an adult I have played it as it was meant to be played a bunch of times, and it's such an experience. The music, the transitions from one Zone to the Other, the gameplay, it's my favorite game of all time, even though it's technically two games.

[@ragingraven7915]

S&K+S3 is one of the GOATs of the Genesis

[@jonathanlisowski5618]

Agreed

[@calebprenger3928]

You've never played wings of wor have you.

[@officialloner88]

Hell yeah!

[@joeyjo-joshabadu9636]

Without a doubt

[@richardsix4473]

Of the 16 bit aera 👍🏻

[@Aragorn7884]

The lock-on cart was magic back when 😅

[@InitialDL84]

Back in the day, I thought that Sonic 3 and S&K were two separate games adn I played them as such. Then as years went by, I remember having both games and playing them together, only to find out that they were two halves to the whole. My mind was blown! Sega did the damn thing in the 90s bruh. Wish they continued stuff like this on the Saturn and onward.

[@Charlie-eq3dj]

So you did or didnt play the games with the lock on technology? Your post is not so clear on that..

[@InitialDL84]

@@Charlie-eq3dj when I played the two games when they first came out, I didn't know that S3 and S&K were one whole game, and treated them as separate games. When I revisited the games when I got older, that's when I found out that S&K was a continuation of S3, and I played through the whole game. Hope that makes sense.

[@ricardomauricioaraya7625]

it's such an amazing game when combined. I only had 3 as a kid but borrowed S&K for a bit once. Didn't play them locked on cause of time, but as an adult I have and it's an incredible experience!

[@PikangsFutaba]

@@ricardomauricioaraya7625 Yup, back then I was able to play it thanks to a friend, but recently I was able to nab both Sonic 3 and Sonic & Knuckles to the point that those 2 games became something like a holy grail to me, as I DID struggle to find Sonic & Knuckles at a decent value while Sonic 3 I got it shortly after a friend sent me a Genesis Model 2 with a repro of Mega Man The Willy Wars (and before you ask, during those days the Genesis Mini didn't exist, nor the Retro-Bit re-release of said game) for stupidly cheap.

[@socillizt4life]

@@InitialDL84I think ‘Charlie’ was asking if you played the later 2D gameplay style Sonic titles,that implemented the lock on targeting systems, such as Sonic 4 episodes 1&2 for example & what you thought of those titles compared to the OG 2d Sonic games. On a personal note, with me being a die hard SEGA SATURN gamer in the 32bit era & given how much of a 2D powerhouse the SATURN was, it would have been really cool to have got a “proper” Sonic game on that system, but I’ve got too say that the masterpiece that was & is ‘Nights into Dreams’ more than made up for Sonic Teams lack of a Sonic game on the system, as well as their flawed yet fun & unique ‘Burning Rangers’ title,which could really do with an HD remake to show just how truly great a game it could have been without its graphical & gameplay limitations.

[@ToranosukeEdo]

I've always loved the Sonic & Knuckles box art logo. It is so stylish in its minimalism, with the bold red and blue character profiles outlined in golden glow on a black background- very cool, very Japanese

[@JoeyJ0J0]

One of the first examples of DLC or expansion packs on consoles . Good game by itself but you have to play it with Sonic 3. Having Knuckles in Sonic 2 was a nice bonus

[@montefisto]

Joey! Much love!

[@JoeyJ0J0]

​@@montefistogood to see you

[@JohnSmith-ff2pb]

No, they're both separate games technically. DLC and expansions almost always require the base game, at least until more recently. But even then those are smaller experiences, S&K was literally as long as Sonic 3. They're similar situations but different.

[@isodoubIet]

What people don't know (and the marketing didn't make it clear either) was that the Sonic 2&K was actually a whole separate game included in the S&K cartridge. They made it seem like they were 'modding' sonic 2 somehow, but nope. They just checked if you had it plugged in, and then launched their own copy of S2&K.

[@fabioriato]

@@JohnSmith-ff2pb Not really two separate games technically (and certainly far from DLC/expansion as OP commented), but a game divided in two halves due to time constraints. It maybe felt like two entities back in the day, but none of us treat them as such for a long time now.

[@skins4thewin]

This was by far my fav Sonic game on the Genesis growing up! Played/Loved it to pieces! I was able to get all 7 emeralds in just the first Zone back in the day 😁

[@SeveredLegs]

With knuckles! I also figured out to get into the 'Sonic' part of Act 2!

[@shadowopsairman1583]

I did the same with Sonic 3 and Knuckles in 1996

[@pixelpoppyproductions]

I was never that good. But I could get all of them and hyper-Sonic by the time you get to the S&K levels. If there is a flaw in this game, the music when you are hyper Sonic is both annoying and relentless. I wish it was different for each stage, or at least gave an option to play the stage music at a higher tempo. I found myself avoiding triggering super/hypersonic modes as long as possible because I wanted to hear the original stage music, and not the super-sonic-10-second-loop track on endless repeat

[@SeveredLegs]

@@pixelpoppyproductions That's a good critique of the game, because there was surely enough memory to come up with a more interesting or longer tune for the looping.

[@ReaperCore15]

I was one of the kids that only got Sonic & Knuckles back then,and not sonic 3. And i still loved it, when i had the chance to have sonic 3 with it, i discovered a brand new experience, damn, that felt magic.. Super Sonic, Hyper Sonic, Hyper Knuckles etc... the transformations, the levels, the save system. And the music !

[@85futureshock]

The Sky Sanctuary stage is one of 2D gaming's greatest achievements. It gets across that everything just got real and Eggman must be stopped. From the music to the incredible art design to the epic feel that it's all on the line, the development team conveyed more of a story in one stage than many developers do in a whole game with more advanced tech engines.

[@edwardperkins1225]

I liked it so much I was annoyed it wasn't 2 acts. 1 act for Sky Chase in S2 was the right amount, and the 3 acts of Metropolis was too much. It felt like S2 was trolling with that.

[@mr.smithgnrsmith7808]

One of my best memories as a kid was getting this for my 12th birthday…I was a HUGE Sonic fan as a kid, still am, Origins is a masterpiece

[@mattb6522]

Good review! Man, I remember getting both Sonic 3 and Sonic & Knuckles for Christmas as a kid. I spent hours playing Sonic 3 & Knuckles and loving every second of it. As a kid, I didn't know the whole lock-on thing was a gimmick due to the fact that both games were two halves of the same whole. I just thought it was incredible and easily one of my favorite Genesis experiences. 1994 was a great year for video games in general. Even though I've heard all the stories of Yuji Naka being human garbage, he and his team still made one of the best Sonic games. I still love playing this game!

[@kingstarscream320]

Yep. Yuji Naka is a flawed human being but he made Sonic 3 and Knuckles, and nobody can take that from him.

[@MrNelg19]

Sonic 3 & Knuckles is - and to this day - my number one favourite Sonic game of all time. I was never able to get into the Sonic Adventure series which a lot of people have informed was equally great, but for me, nothing else has ever come close to fun experience I had at that age playing the game from start to finish.

[@38kob]

yep. by far the best

[@chucky110]

I am the same, Sonic adventure was meh. The best sonic ended at Sonic and Knuckles

[@TransCanadaPhil]

The one thing I really like about your channel compared to nearly every other retro game youtuber is your focus on the actual games. With other channels I often get the sense that they are more interested in just having “stuff to buy/collect on a shelf” with minimal intrinsic interest of playing the games themselves extensively.

[@Prizrak-hv6qk]

Yeah. Exactly. I like GameSack for the same reason too. These guys don't just care about expanding their "game rooms" (hoarding as many games as possible). They are passionate about the games and actually get good at and finish the ones that they cover. Most other guys just show you the first stage and their gameplay is often terrible. Too many of them are also dismissive of anything that isn't made by Nintendo.

[@andrewdowell6474]

I wanted to see more games use the lock-on technology, such untapped potential!

[@ReaperCore15]

Same, sega could have a lot of add ons for their previous games.

[@l30S3UX]

Except it was not needed. Cartridges quadrupled capacities from the beginning of the 16 gen to 1994. A new cartridge would fit "add-ons" to old games much cheaper than using lock-on. Simply no need for the add-on other than the Sonic 3 project.

[@48hourrecordsteam45]

Especially mortal Kombat 3 & ultimate mortal Kombat 3 😒 We could have had alll the stages, all the voices and all the cutscenes .! That would have been some real Nintendo killing shyt.!😂 They could have used the lock on cart to make sequels connect to make a long seamless game. Like road rash 1&2 giving u stages and bikes from both games.

[@slickrat]

Sonic 3 & Knuckles along with Shinobi III are my most favorite Sega Genesis / Mega Drive. Sonic 3 & Knuckles was fast and cinematic, the "cutscenes" were short and simple, but "less is more" here, they conveyed the plot eficiently without breaking the pace. And the climax at the final boss as Super Sonic, fighting with Earth in the background was the icing on the cake, it really felt like a high speed chase fighting for Earth's destiny. For reasons like that, I still prefer it over Sonic Mania, even though Sonic Mania gets very close...

[@TrippyCommentaries]

This is another example of how the Sonic games mastered the genesis twang. The soundtrack is amazing

[@SeveredLegs]

I like S&K better because I played it first. Adding 3 to the mix and getting the entire story is still very satisfying to me. About one a year I crush the whole thing. And I had a save game (before it corrupted) of every slot maxed out with all Super Chaos Emeralds for all combinations of characters. 100% thoroughly crushed that game over the years.

[@Tweaked818]

My brother did as well and when we got his hand me downs, i was always careful not to delete anything lol

[@UncannyBubbleGum]

to me the lock on tech was mind blowing, playing through sonic 2 and 3 with Knuncles and finding new paths was brillant!.

[@Diablokiller999]

Think this combined with Sonic 3 is my favorite game of all time. It hit me at the right time, when my young mind was old enough to understand what's going on and the game mechanics but young enough to still have this aww when stepping into phantasy worlds. You have this massive adventure with music fitting the Zeitgeist perfectly, tight controls, high replay value to search any pixel of the world and plenty of time to spend in it. I absolutely love this game, due to lack of an ideal role model in my life I also think Sonic and his attitude gave me direction and make up some of my own personality. Could talk about this game all day long and never get tired of hearing the sounds or playing it. To me, this is THE game :)

[@johnbowles5399]

Love your story with this game. Reminds me a lot of my own history with video games. Sonic 3 and Knuckles is hands down one of the greatest games ever made. 👍

[@Planag7]

Always appreciate your perspective on these games I am far too biased to review these fairly as they were an obsession of mine. This lovely ROM patch was amazing to me I'm so grateful for the Sonic 2 and knuckles more than anything.

[@dlzchaos588]

This was a very unique perspective of sonic and knuckles. Most people only talk about how great the game was and the lock on tech, but you’re looking at it as someone who was around in the 90’s seeing yet another sonic game that looks exactly the same visually and gameplay wise. Seeing from that point of view I can definitely understand why someone would see the game that way and it’s nice to hear how you, and judging by the sales compared to sonic 2, view it. This is a great video that I foresee die hard sonic fans bashing because they can’t see it that way. Side note: what you said on editors corner about sonic frontiers is exactly how I felt about what I was seeing about the game which is why I spoke with my wallet instead. Most say give it a chance but I genuinely do not believe that is the direction the series should have went. Sega has too many I.P.’s sitting on the shelf for them to have given that concept to a sonic game. To me it looks like if PSO were to get a remaster and then mid way through development they decided to switch to a sonic game instead.

[@saturnosync]

the sonic trilogy in mega drive is incredible. the S&K ending of history is fantastic.

[@KanoWhite53]

I recall the final boss with Knuckles in Sonic 2 being incredibly difficult due to Knuckles not being able to jump quite as high as Sonic (?). I think you have to change your stategy and only hit Dr Robotnik when he lands on the ground but avoid him when he is walking.

[@joxidearmageddonator882]

urgh, don't, i'm getting flashbacks

[@justincartwright5885]

The tunes that were showcased were bangers. Hearing the Sandopolis track brings back memories of getting lost, running out of time and being attacked by ghosts in the dark.

[@ReaperCore15]

This level was horrible as a kid, i first discovered it playing knuckles and seeing waves of endless ghost trying to kill me, it took me a while before mastering the level :D

[@dragline7287]

This game was a huge one at my house. Probably the first game I can remember being hype for pre-release. Sega lord x you are the man! Thanks for the content

[@roberto1519]

I remember playing Sonic 3 on the Mega Drive in 1994/1995 and while I played Sonic 16-bit (even 8-bit) quite a lot as a kid in the mid 90's, I actually played more Sonic games on the Saturn than on anything. Sonic Jam is a brilliant package with properly ported and enhanced games with lots of bonus content, there I played Sonic 3 & Knuckles many times and when I collected all Chaos Emeralds during Sonic 3 stages I thought it was all I had to do, imagine my surprise when reaching Sonic & Knuckles stages, having to collect other 7 emeralds, I was in shock when I read "You can now turn into Hyper Sonic" "Super Tails" "Hyper Knuckles" at that time, it was so unexpected and Super Tails in particular was so cool as nothing happened during the Chaos emeralds so you'd thing the Super Emeralds wouldn't do anything too. Not only that, but I played Sonic R just as much, people often tell the Saturn didn't deliver Sonic as expected, this might be true depending on expectations, I had none, because the Saturn delivered so many new experiences I didn't even think about previous franchises, but Sonic it did deliver.

[@jediknightgeo]

Another great review X, though I'm surprised you didn't mention that if you lock on Sonic 1 to Sonic & Kuckles you get a ton of new Special Stages to play through. I thought it was so damn neat that you got more/new content with locking every Sonic game to Sonic & Knuckles.

[@SegaLordX]

The special stages were my least favorite part of Sonic 3/Knuckles. I didn't consider it much of a bonus.

[@jediknightgeo]

@@SegaLordX That's 100% cool, but they're still a bonus nonetheless 😉

[@SegaLordX]

I guess it was but you didn't need for Sonic for that. Any game would do it.

[@jediknightgeo]

@@SegaLordX thay is very true

[@PONTOCRITICO]

An incredible documentary from start to finish, with the final vignettes of the Sega characters very well thought out buddy! Well done, congratulations!

[@xravenx24fe]

Lock on was some of the coolest tech ever, I wish we lived in the good timeline where Rare managed to pull off stop n swap for Banjo Kazooie too, but oh well, I'm happy we at least got lock on, it was mind-blowing as a tech illiterate kid. Still is tbh, even knowing how they did it now the fact that they were so ambitious back then really left a lasting impression. Im pretty sure everyone had the same reaction of shock and hilarity knowing they could use lock on to play literally millions of blue sphere stages lol.

[@katiepersons6575]

Sky Sanctuary sounds so mysterious and ominous. It definitely brought out feelings as a kid.

[@projectmayhem6898]

Thanks!

[@SegaLordX]

You bet!

[@Charlie-eq3dj]

It would have been a nice touch if you explained why Sonic 1 & Knuckes wasnt possible with the lock on technology. I forgot the reason why but I believe modders figured out how to get Knuckles in the first fame with all his functionality.

[@TheDarkVyers]

S3&K is still my favorite Sonic by a mile. I still play it every couple years.

[@earlyriser03]

Great review! Definitely experienced a nostalgia rush remembering when my mom gifted S&K to me in ‘94.

[@Ceadda1220]

One of the best soundtracks on the Sega Genesis

[@Lord_Deimos]

I got Sonic & Knuckles as a christmas gift, my child's mind couldn't fathom the black magic of playing the earlier sonic games as Knuckles.

[@simonrobinson1566]

I am excited to know what you thought about Sega's big game announcement at the Game awards! It really seems like Sega's been listening to you!

[@The_Husband_of_Jane_Lane]

Sonic & Knuckles was my first game I bought from Funcoland back in 2000. I made a discovery when I attached Sonic 3 onto Sonic & Knuckles and I was surprised that it worked. I later found out years later that Sonic 3 was originally meant to be an entire game, but got split due to time constraints. I bought this game because I want to play as Knuckles the Echidna for a change because I grew tired of playing as Sonic and Tails. To this very day, Sonic 3 & Knuckles is my favorite Sonic game on the Mega Drive.

[@douggy3222]

Sonic and Knuckles always had a distinct identity to me. The settings and the music always felt more... I don't know, sinister, intimidating. Of course when I was a kid I wasn't really thinking about these things... just "feeling" them. Nor did I know Sonic 3 and S&K were originally parts of one big game, back then.

[@Metal-Josh]

Ah!, my favourite game.. my birthday is in November. And unlike my 1992 Christmas where I got my Genesis with Sonic 1 packed in and a new Sonic 2. But this one I wasn’t waiting til Christmas. I bought this one with my birthday money. I would borrow Sonic 3 from friends but only would get that sometime in ‘95. And then the circle was complete. S3&K is my favourite game, but if I had to pick a favourite half, I’m gonna say this one

[@ZonicMirage]

I still have my copy from 1994. S3&K will forever be my favorite 2D Sonic.

[@kjuergens1985]

A year and a half ago, I discovered that my SEGA Genesis was still in my possession--it was hiding in the attic of my parents' garage. Since then, I've been doing a deep dive into the library, and you have been my primary (and favorite) tour guide. Your reviews are measured and full of warm memories. Sonic 3 & Knuckles combined has to be the greatest masterwork on the system, even if I've mostly outgrown my interest in the genre. You speculated on what could have been if SEGA had thought of lock-on technology earlier. Imagine the final Madden on the Genesis had come with lock-on technology, allowing you to import those 1997 rosters onto earlier editions of the game, or the reverse: pulling the 1994 Miami Dolphins from Madden 95, for example, and using them in Madden 98. [Sure, the menu screens and music were broken, but by re-adding the momentum physics (which had been gone since Madden 95) to Madden 97 and improving the AI, I think EA made the best on-field product for any 16-bit NFL game with Madden 98.]

[@CaptAwesumNo1Zone]

I'll never forget the Christmas I got this game, Sonic 3, and Sonic the Hedgehog (the second case) all in the same morning, I knew I had something the Super Nintendo owners couldn't get and really felt that SEGA love

[@yeahyeahwowman8099]

That always happens with exclusives though, I remember the girl that lived above me asking me when Yoshis Island was gonna get a port on Genesis.😂

[@EpicJasonX9000]

I honestly loved Sonic & Knuckles as a kid. To this day it has always been my personal favorite Sonic game ever made and it’s what made me become a Knuckles fan. Mushroom Hill Zone is also my most favorite track in the entire franchise.

[@gueropalma6649]

Playing a streets of rage 2 hack with knuckles in it makes me think we should have an and knuckles version of every game on the system.

[@kingstarscream320]

Knuckles in Shinobi 3 would have been sick

[@gamelordabd]

Good review. Have you played Sonic Frontiers? They're kinda moving away from speed a bit in that game to focus more on exploration, puzzles, and combat with their new 'open zone' style. It's far from perfect, but it's interesting to see what they'll do with this style going forward.

[@SegaLordX]

I have. I think that formula has a load of potential, but it needs improvement to be the game it needs to be.

[@gamelordabd]

@@SegaLordX Agreed. The game is still very messy, but I definitely see its foundation as something that can be potentially great in a future game.

[@carlosnascimento9269]

Great review. You forgot to mention Sonic's shield powers when talking about the differences between the characters. I don't recall there being a difference in speed but that might be my memory.

[@SegaLordX]

I meant the speed statement to be more directed at the jumping and how it affects the gameplay.

[@ReinMixTape]

The ending credits where the floating island rises back up into the sky still looks amazing today. It's always going to be one of my favorite Genesis/Mega Drive ending credits.

[@evanward7081]

I was a little surprised you didn't mention that locking on with any game cartridge other than Sonic 2 or 3 would give you a unique (I think?) special stage to play. the one with Skitchin' had a giant rectangle of blue and you only had to run around the perimeter to win

[@SegaLordX]

Never considered that very interesting, honestly.

[@mikulangot3412]

Great episode. I remember getting this for Christmas one year. Best Christmas I remember to date. I loved and still love this game.

[@pukalo]

Around 2002 or 2003 when I was around 5 I went to an after school care thing at a local elementary school, and one of the computers there had this game on it, and I remember my friends and I being obsessed with it.

[@WarmFusion]

Thank you for respecting one of my favorite childhood games. Another wonderful video as usual.

[@willmatic84]

Sonic 123&k will always be the GOAT of sega genesis

[@rwdplz1]

Absolutely LOVED S3&K, played it for an entire month at the start of summer vacation after it came out, finding all the big ring locations and mastering the special stages.

[@stephenschenider4007]

This channel is like going to your favorite bar.

[@SpaceHCowboy]

Definitely, man!! 😁

[@joshcrates]

Easily my favorite half a game in the entire Genesis library. S3&K is a sublime journey. The peak of the Archie comics followed. What a time to be alive.

[@mercster]

Very much enjoyed, thanks Lordster! If you don't make another video this year, I'd like to wish you a Merry Christmas, hope you and yours are well. SEEEEEEEEGAAAAAAAAAAA!

[@SpaceHCowboy]

😂 As a Scotsman, im glad you're not blowing smoke up my kilt... I think that might be a wee bit nippy. Keep up the quality videos Mr X. 🤘🏼

[@SegaLordX]

I will certainly try.

[@pelgervampireduck]

I can't think of it as a separate game, it's basically "Sonic 3 disc 2", Sonic 3 as a whole was supposed to be what combining both cartridges is, Sega released Knuckles as a separate cartridge for technical reasons and time, but it was one game, Sonic 3 and Knuckles combined IS Sonic 3. Knuckles is not a sequel or a fourth game, it's a part of Sonic 3 that was supposed to be there in the first place.

[@Ronsilk-pu5hr]

I do have to say this is a beautiful looking game

[@sharksmate]

I played through the S&K+3 combo more than any other game on my Genesis. I don't regret it. S&K Best Christmas gift i ever received.

[@sharksmate]

The funny thing is, supplies of the game were so scarce around Xmas that my parents couldn't even find it when they tried getting it for me. So when I opened my present, I got a blockbuster video rental box 😆

[@cordaxg6261]

Grew up a Nintendo kid (SNES) My best friend and now also oldest friend was the only Sega kid in my small little town. I always appreciated and like Sega and it was a joy being able to try it at his house. Today SLX really makes me feel like a Sega kid i dont know how its possible. I have a big snes collection and a kinda big sega one. When i look at it today .. i cant help but looking a little longer at the sega games :)

[@mikeeone5649]

Sonic 3 and sonic and knuckles is the absolute best 16 bit platformer. This game is probably more responsible for me being a hard core gamer. Even though the nes game's hooked me. The genesis and this game solidified it.

[@TBoneTony]

Yusuke: "My first love was in grade school" Takafumi: "What was her name?" Yusuke: "Sonic, Tails and Knuckles" Takafumi: "Huh????"

[@edward18517]

I'd say they captured the magic just fine with the Adventue games.

[@Oysterblade84]

I remember first renting this game from Blockbuster Video in 1995, I didn't know what it was exactly but man when I took it home and played it I was loving it. Like most, at the time I only owned the first 2 Sonic games so I did get to play Knuckles in Sonic 2, however I didn't have Sonic 3 at the time so couldn't experience the full lock-on. I didn't get to own a copy of Sonic & Knuckles until my birthday in 1996, it was then that my parents bought me Sonic 3 and Sonic & Knuckles as they were both on sale at Kmart so I got to own both of them at the same time. Also here in Australia we never got those shitty cardboard boxes for the game, our carts came in a big black VHS case and had the Sonic & Knuckles logo, the image and the word ''PLATINUM'' scribbled in titanium grey across the cover. The back cover was also only in English, the European languages were omitted. The game itself is a classic! And I thank you for reviewing the game separately from Sonic 3, there's a few reviewers that only review the game in it's full lock-on mode and ignore the fact that despite being two halves to the one game, Sega did release them on separate carts so they should be reviewed alone. Other reviewers show the game from Origins when talking about the 1994 original which I don't like. A great review as always man. Always something special when Sega Lord X reviews it.

[@J45yu456]

Always enjoy your reviews !🎉

[@Pedro_The_Neco]

My favourite way to play this is either the S&K original cart, or the Sonic 3 Complete ROM hack. The ROM hack is particularly cool because it adds a few level transitions that weren't in the original, and you can reset the original intended level order, with flying battery right after angel island.

[@retrobiggy]

Is there a specific title for the hack?

[@Pedro_The_Neco]

@@retrobiggy yes, it's really called "Sonic 3 Complete"

[@retrobiggy]

@Pedro_The_Neco thanks very much my friend. Love me some s3&knuckles so this is awesome

[@wtwn]

S3&K is still one of my favorite games. But before I owned it, I remember renting S&K at the video store and playing it alone and with my sonic 2 cart, my 10 year old mind was blown at the lock-on technology.

[@AkamoriRivals]

Knuckles was my favorite video game character for a very long time, and this game was the reason why. Love this game.

[@paratext]

S3&K will always be the greatest video game ever made in my eyes.

[@philosophyoftrucking]

Now that I know about the differences in how they play, I’d like to try it.

[@Reprogrammed_By_SEGA]

"There were millions of ̶G̶e̶n̶e̶s̶i̶s̶ consoles sold w̶o̶r̶l̶d̶w̶i̶d̶e̶" Millions sold in the USA. Millions of Mega Drive's sold worldwide. Yes I'm that guy in the worldwide.

[@SegaLordX]

Same thing. Just spelled different.

[@VOAN]

I bought this game back then thinking it's a Sonic 4 not knowing it's just the second half of Sonic 3 then I found out about the lock-on feature and try it out and was wow by the added contents it give to both Sonic 2 & 3.

[@3DJapan]

I was working my first real job, at a Babbage's store, when this came out. I specially remember gutting the box to make an empty box for the shelf.

[@jeremybowers3181]

Heh,I remember being at my friend's house when he showed me the lock on and it blew my mind as a 12 yr old. Another example of how SEGA was ahead of it's time.

[@juelzsantana211]

Sonic 3 & Knuckles had the best soundtrack of the main Genesis games. That Lava Reef Zone Act 1 slapped so hard!!! My Sonic 3 by itself is my favorite game in the series but combined with Knuckles I love it more.

[@MotownBatman]

Getting this Game was the Holy Grail for any Genesis. This Game was Awesome; They Skimped on the Box though, Hard to find the Carboard sleeve the cheap-o's used because they didnt want to make a new Case Mold for the Only game that used this Shell

[@phasmidgaming99]

Lot of memories playing this one on the Sonic Mega Collection back in the day as a kid! I loved messing around in the early zones and all that! It was harder than Sonic 3 and I never knew why until much later on top of it having the same graphics! Sonic 3 and Sonic and Knuckles holds up really well these days!

[@Scott.B.Chapin]

Another excellent video! If I can make a small request - any thoughts about adding chapter markers to your videos? There are times when I'm not as interested in something like a game's music (or even a single game when you're covering multiple games), and it's nice to know where I can skip ahead. Thanks, man - you're providing some of the best retro videos on KZbin.

[@_Frank_the_Tank]

I used to play the heck outta Sonic 2 and Knuckles. Unlike sonic who'd lose all his rings after completing a special stage, knuckles kept the rings he entered the special stage with... On stage 1 of Emerald Hill as knuckles I'd run all way the to the end of the level collecting all the rings without tripping a special stage, then instead of finishing the level I'd go clear back and trip the first special stage. Once exiting the special stage the level had all its rings back, so i'd run the whole level again collecting all the rings a second time before back tracking and tripping the second special stage, and so on and so forth. By the end of the level after completing like 6 special stages and collecting like 980 rings I'd finally cross the finish and the score talley would just spin and spin for like a solid 5 minutes, while playing the extra life jingle like 37 different times... 😂 Then you start stage 2 with about 50 lives and 2 special stages away from unlocking super knuckles 👍

[@TheBeird]

The lock on aspect really appealed to me as a kid. Made two good Sonic games one great game.

[@Planag7]

Yeah and I completely agree the cardboard box was absolutely atrocious I tried to save it for years but it eventually fell apart

[@SegaLordX]

I could never find it in good condition while I was collecting. It was always torn to hell or missing entirely.

[@taylordunekacke5784]

My friend had a 32x. We used to put the game genie, sonic and knuckles and sonic 3 in the 32x and create a big tower.

[@aprichman]

My 6 year old son and I occasionally play Sega Genesis, albeit with an Everdrive instead of the physical cartridges. I was telling my son about lock on technology a couple of days ago and it blew his mind. Now his dream is to bring it back (he wants to make video games when he grows up) 😂 Thanks as always for the great video, hope you and everyone else who enjoys this channel have a great holiday season. 🍻

[@cmcb7230]

It was good times for sure when these games came out, it really makes me miss those days. Luckily I was 14 when this game came out old enough to vividly remember it well and was young enough to enjoy it.

[@wulver810]

I remember being so hyped for Sonic and Knuckles and it delivered! I have never had such a flawless experience with a game coming out and the expectations being matched with the hype I had for it.

[@The_Texorcist]

I remember getting and beating Sonic 3 as a kid and when S&K came out I didn’t quite know what to make of it at first. Was it a sequel? But when I found out it was actually Sonic 3: Part 2 I knew I had to have it. Now I gotta respect S&K for what it was. Sega set out to make the best Sonic game to date with new mechanics, more power ups and more levels than previous games. All that extra work made it to where they couldn’t finish in time so they released what they had at the time. Sure they could have just left it at that BUT they decided to keep working to release the game they intended. I respect that. Now if the game were to be released today they could have released it as a free DLC but back then in order to get it to the customer they had to charge people for it because of the big production cost of making cartridges. They could have just released it as Sonic 3+ with the original content and the new but they wanted to give the people who hand preciously purchased the game something they could use with their copy so those customers didn’t feel they got burned the first time. Even then that wasn’t enough so sega decided if they were gonna have snap-on then why not use it to be used with previous Sonic games, they didn’t have to but they did. So to me S&K was well worth the purchase and a cool move by sega all things considered. Sega messed up a ton over the years and did sega fans dirty but S&K was not one of those times.

[@olympusgolemoflight7198]

I have fond memories of my older cousin bringing his Genesis with Sonic 2 and Knuckles. I had a blast goofing around with the lock on technology, and I think these memories are why Knuckles is my favorite Sonic character. Oh, and Mushroom Hill Zone is very underrated.

[@edwardperkins1225]

Sonic 1 and later 2 were pack in titles for each Genesis model. Sonic 3 and S&K weren't. This probably explain the drop off in sales for S3. Sales were inflated for S1 and 2 to begin with.

[@rogeriomichieli2193]

S3&K is my favorite game of all. Don't know how many times I played this game. Art, story, playability, soundtrack, it all made me love this game and the franchise. I still have them on my Genesis (even got finishes with Hyper and Super Sonic and Knuckles) and add this game to every console I got an emulator.

[@williamadams516]

The real fun was finally collecting the last emerald, using that electrical shield for the jumping and it also attracted rings to you, you didnt want to run out, while in super sonic mode, cause your an unstoppable running force.

[@emanuelferreira6875]

My favourite sonic game

[@lkjs-si2sr]

This game is a classic. The fact that you could lock sonic 2 and 3 onto it blew my mind at the time. I remember a stage where knuckles, once an antagonist, actually joins sonic and helps him. That was amazing. Also curious how did you find that review from a brazilian gaming magazine lol

[@claudioschumi87]

It's interesting that you were a bit tired of Sonic games when it came out in'94 because, for me, around that time, Sonic was at its peak in popularity. I was 7 years old, and I just got my Sega Megadrive 2 for Christmas that year. I had the Sonic 1 and 2 game, so I didn't play Sonic and Knuckles until a year later in 95. Here in the UK, Sonic was everywhere. We even had Sega World in Picadilly Circus London, which was awesome. All the arcade games from Sega was there it was the coolest place in London! But back to the game 😂, I loved Sonic and Knuckles, I loved that you could play Knuckles if you had Sonic 2, and you could stack it on top of the S&K cartridge. For some reason, I never played and still, to this day, haven't played Sonic 3. So you can imagine the massive difference in graphics from Sonic 2 to Sonic and Knuckles. It was like day and night! I never really completed Sonic and Knuckles, which was a shame, and I really regret not keeping my Megadrive as I got older.

[@6sKi6z6]

This was one of my favorite Genesis games. I first played it at Toys R Us and then got it for Christmas that year. My only issue is that the special stages were too difficult for me. I never got all the chaos emeralds and thus, never played the true final stage and best ending.

[@JPdelaGhetto]

Always wondered why we got Sonic 2 with Knuckles, but Sonic 1 was just blue sphere levels. I always thought my cartridge was broken until I grew up and seen the roms behaved the same way.

[@mrx2586]

sonic 2 and knuckles was a seperate rom stored in the sonic and knuckles cartrridge - it did not run or patch the sonic 2 game cartreidge code - the sonic 2 cart simply made it boot the sonic 2 and knuckles rom instead of the sonic and knuckles rom - they did not have a similar rom on the sonicle and knuckles cart for sonic 1

[@shade221]

@@mrx2586 from sonic retro: "When Sonic & Knuckles detects that Sonic 2 is locked on (it checks for Revisions 00, 01 and 02), it transfers control to a special hidden 256 KB ROM chip, often referred to as the UPMEM. This contains the code for the entire game, as well as some data (e.g. the graphics of Knuckles in the Special Stage). The only code run from the locked-on Sonic 2 ROM is the sound driver, although much of the game's data is accessed from the Sonic 2 ROM instead of being duplicated in the UPMEM. "

[@VenusHeadTrap2]

I played Sonic 3 & Knuckles so many times that I forget just how solid Sonic & Knuckles is on its own! I prefer my classic Sonic games without Save Data and S&K is an enjoyable challenge especially when you get to Death Egg

[@DontKnowDontCare6.9]

Sonic and Knuckles: The last best game Sega released when they had a united front as a company.

[@stabinghobo57]

Thank you for the amazing content SEGA Lord X. Merry Christmas 🌟

[@SegaLordX]

Happy holidays!