Sonic The Hedgehog 3 - A Masterclass in Show Don't Tell | Good Blood

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[@R4DI4LR4CER]

It's genuinely impressive how this channel has evolved so quickly from somewhere I come just for Yahtzee to a one-stop-shop for quality games journalism. EDIT: Some timing on this comment. What the fuck @theescapist? Care to explain yourselves?

[@theescapist]

Glad you're loving it!

[@kiricappuchin]

True! I used to only stop by for ZP but Cold Take, 3 Minute Review, Design Delve and now Good Blood have me coming back weekly.

[@rodrigogarofalo7814]

Seriously, whoever is leading this new era at the Escapist (I hope its you nick), you really revived the whole thing. This last year was a 180. I still miss the retro reviews, soul reaver and Turok left me wanting more

[@merrychristmasreaper]

It’s a growth and evolution I’m so grateful for; esp cause they’ve for sure been working on that aspect for years and now its paying dividends.

[@Xpndable]

I was just thinking this, the new series and direction lately have had me watching a lot more escapist content!

[@SonicBR93]

NGL, feels really good to watch a video talking positively about Sonic for a change

[@officialgagethepyro5391]

⁠Nicks new channel is called Second Wind. Yhatz and Nick had a livestream talking about plans for the future, upcoming content, ext. whole thing is on the new channel

[@Sanscripter]

Exactly what I was looking for

[@Castersvarog]

I’m glad you brought up the mural during the sonic vs knuckles boss fight. It’s an amazing piece of story telling and legit perfectly explains why knuckles would help Eggman during the games events, he just misinterpreted what the mural was saying. A hero guarding the master emerald from a would be villain, or a hero trying to take back what was stolen from a villain. It’s a good piece of storytelling so many people forget

[@GoodBloodGames]

Thanks for support and kind words, fam! Sonic 3 is my favourite video game of all time.

[@ChrisLT]

Great work, I felt the same about Sonic 3. Clicked your channel and there have been no videos in years?

[@TedWilder]

Loved your Zelda video. Hope you do well in the video team

[@FringeSpectre]

Sonic 3 & Knuckles is one of the greatest video games ever made.

[@maxgrieve]

And on a 16-bit system! Pound-for-pound, absolutely one of the greatest.

[@adilthethrill1]

Sonic 3 & Knuckles is one of my favorite games of all time and an absolute masterpiece. One thing Sonic Mania missed is this kind of story telling.

[@mvnkycheez]

It did have it, but what Mania's story is just not as tight, clean and clear-cut as Sonic 3's and also lacks the depth of it too. But it would be an insanely tall order to try to replicate the magic of sonic 3's story

[@kadosho02]

This is why Sonic 3 set the bar so high back then. Experimental, but a driven narrative. The characters, music, atmosphere, and environments helped tell the story. Music by Alex Moukala! I know him, awesome gent. Amazing talent. Seriously that end credit rendition is just beautiful

[@stephennetu]

S3&K is still, by a wide margin, the best Sonic games--even one of the best video games, in general--to ever grace us with its existence. I hope one day we get something even 90% as good.

[@AngryAtlantean]

The best thing to happen to Sonic 3 is being split apart. Had the game been left on one cartridge, the game likely would never have been the juggernaut it still is due to the inevitable cuts that would have been made to save space.

[@B.J.Camire]

Beautifully well done. A lot of those things mentioned in this video I'd noticed, but never fully tied together until now. Hope to see more in this series.

[@jakedover5301]

Sonic 3 and knuckles is my favorite game of all time, it even beats Mario 3 mgs1 and Zelda 64 imo. Sega was making a lot of mistakes around this time, but at the same time they created the best sonic game ever.

[@lopinjop]

All these years later, I still vividly recall my first reaction to Knuckles getting zapped by Eggman in Hidden Palace. As a kid fully entranced by the fantasy of video games, it was such a powerful scene! Even after being taunted and bullied by Knuckles the whole game I was so worried about him lol. He looks pained when you get to Sky Sanctuary and I didn't want to leave him behind! Great video covering a crucial aspect of S3&K that can be overlooked because of how natural the show-don't-tell philosophy plays out in-game.

[@esmooth919]

And then, through pantomiming animation, he says to go on without him. I love the storytelling of this game

[@esmooth919]

"Sonic 3 said a lot without saying a word" This is something I have always appreciated about the game, especially given the technical limitations.

[@MisHarmony]

Please tell me there is a second video to this story, where I can open the top and attach this first video using Lock-On technology (TM) for the full experience!

[@evraght]

It's a shame that I have to cancel my pais subscription to the channel after what happened today when a lot of new stuff starts appearing. I was here mainly for the old guard tho.

[@BOABModels]

'Show, don't tell' is such an underrated aspect of storytelling. It was one of the main reasons for the universal appeal of so much, from Charlie Chaplin, Shaun the Sheep to Sonic 3!

[@esmooth919]

And then they go and do it again with Sonic Mania

[@IckleChris]

I do not know how I never realised Knuckles was gesturing for Sonic to follow him in the Hidden Palace, I always thought he was gesturing to his fist/knuckles prior to punching the wall

[@GregorBarclay]

In fairness, it does kinda look like that.

[@billmore6486]

Liked just because It's sonic 3. I love that you can tell a whole story without any text.

[@axelprino]

This was the game that got me into the Sonic franchise, specifically Sonic & Knuckles since I played that half first, and one of the aspects that I always loved of it was how it told an entire story through nothing but character animation and environmental details. It's also admirable how almost every cut-scene runs in-engine and there's barely any hard cut, instead preferring to do smooth transitions whenever possible. A few of the later games attempted to do something similar like Sonic Advance, Sonic 4 Episode 2, and specially Sonic Mania, but to me none managed to properly recreate the same level of 2D platforming storytelling mastery.

[@firesofthemind]

The last pre-patreon backlog video before death. Press f to pay respects.

[@DJWoozie]

Bro the escapist has been cultivating some crazy talent. This is my second video of the series and I'm hooked.

[@Floreum]

Well you're in luck, most of the staff quit! 😅

[@Shl0kk]

You could say the guys got a Second Wind elsewhere ...

[@ChristopherAOBoyle]

It truly is one of the best examples of great storytelling and game makers could learn so much from. I've actually always thought this and admired S&K for how effective those lil story beats are and nice to learn that was totally intended. Great video and editing!

[@TheClassyGamesman]

As always, you artfully bring to light and put into words the things we all appreciate subconsciously. It was only in the last year or so made it to the end of S3&K, a game I've always cherished despite never finishing it. I was blown away by how well the Knuckles betrayal played. It even amplified my appreciation of the Sonic 2 movie. Chef's kiss... to the Sonic team, and to you, man!

[@georgehoran8307]

Does anyone else find it funny they keep reposting zero punctuation with comments disallowed 😂

[@M00SHTY]

i find it more disgusting than funny.

[@lionchamp777]

May the Good Blood guide your way! (Hopefully that was the first one)

[@jordanleano]

Good Blood's work always makes me cry, wish I was crying, or is just fucking inspiring because it's so deep

[@PixelFusionProductions]

Sonic 3 is hands down my favorite Sonic game. I'm not the biggest Sonic Fan overall, but when I play Sonic, it is either 3 or Mania. And yes Good Blood, you nailed this right on the head.

[@sharinganmoon]

Great video and phenomenal analysis. I've always considered Sonic 3 to be one of the earliest "cinematic" games. A lot of what it did in 94 would become a staple in the industry now.

[@XAzzuroX]

I agree when I was kid I loved and invested in this storyline. Truly a beautiful wordles story for that time that is like no other.

[@wizcatcheslightning]

Was not expecting that Sonic orchestral piece at the end 😂

[@mvnkycheez]

I've always felt very strongly about this and it's wonderful and extremely cathartic for me to see it put in such a beautifully eloquent way

[@HATANDCAPE]

I would love to see an equally in-depth look at similar storytelling found in the original Metal Slug games and why none of the games made for consoles managed to be as engaging because of their lack in unique story elements.

[@Calloflunacy]

one of my all time favorite games, played it when it first came out and replay it every year.

[@TheCatWatches]

At the end of Knuckles’ campaign, Mecha Sonic going rogue and absorbing the Master Emerald’s power stood out to me as a kid and cemented Mecha Sonic and its successor Hyper Metal Sonic as one of the series’ most menacing villains

[@eliorlev4300]

ok, you win, i will replay sonic 3. great video :)

[@samadams8533]

Great video, made me miss the old Sonic redesign you did back in the day!

[@B_Clemethy]

I remember the day I got this gem. Still my favorite of the series. The lock on cartridge feature was so cool. ❤

[@eskimo4130]

Excellent production and video

[@l0stndamned]

Interesting video. I had completely misunderstood what that mural was showing so it was nice to have that explained.

[@TheAdamandNartShow]

I wholeheartedly agree as one of the biggest Sonic fans (if perhaps the biggest) in the world. Sonic has been my childhood, and to this day, he's my favorite character of all time. Guess which character I choose for playing Smash? I agree about Sonic 3. In fact, to this day, even with Sonic Frontiers and Sonic Superstars, I still consider Sonic 3 as the best Sonic game OF ALL TIME. That has been my opinion for years, and it still hasn't changed. So this game is not just a masterpiece, it is the absolute best.

[@Metushalakh]

Here is one excellent piece of analysis as to why the complete package may be better than 2.

[@MoonSpiritChannel]

You can always count on Good Blood for these well produced documentaries!

[@SpadGame]

This was a great video! I really enjoyed hearing about this form of storytelling!

[@PiiJ_]

I remember first being exposed to Good Blood through their God of War video. I immediately recognized the voice and was so thrilled to know that they're still doing essays. Props to you and The Escapist

[@damie9412]

Nice

[@ShadowForksGames]

This is amazing!!!!

[@mwngt12]

That intro thou!

[@ReynaldoRivera]

Alex M's music contribution (Green Hill Zone) sounds amazing, but could we not get a Sonic 3 song? Lol 😅 Again, the music itself is top notch, just not exactly on topic

[@Avarn_]

Good Blood, smashing it out of the park as always. 👍

[@StevoIDH]

Alex Moukala, sweet

[@thomasrogers8239]

I never realized the depth of the story in sonic 3,

[@prince_thomas]

A lot of stuff was in motion during the gameplay. There's even a launch base zone where sonic interferes with the launching of death egg.

[@Lastkoss]

This was great.

[@chefbob22]

Another banger by Good Blood keep it up guys

[@asfdasdful]

wow this felt like a short film.

[@Shryquill]

Another masterpiece! 🤩

[@Gristobar]

and its still the best sonic game to this day.

[@PrimeHylian]

Javed is the goat!

[@UnBR0k3enAngel]

This video makes me feel...vulnerable

[@gameman250]

Not to downplay the analysis in this video, but people like to forget that instruction manuals existed back in the day and gave some plot introduction to help contextualize what was taking place in game. Sonic 3 & Knuckles did a good job of using story cutscenes to wordlessly tell the plot, but the one thing it misses is why Knuckles was in cahoots with Robotnik, or that there was even an alliance between the two. If it wanted to spend a little more time establishing that then the devs probably could've pulled that off, but A) this game was on a rather strict deadline, and B) even if they could include it it would probably have made the game's opening a little too long a wait for the fast-paced Sonic action players had come for. And I don't know if these people had figured out the skip cutscene button by this point.

[@skepticallypwnd]

Not with a bang, but a whimper.

[@TheCreepypro]

if only more games followed in the footsteps of this one

[@CammieRacing]

The last bit of content I watch as a subscriber. So sad. Time for a Second Wind.

[@Weatherman4Eva]

Once again, a fantastic piece of scripted content. This channel has quickly been evolving from "yahtzee plus some other content i dont care about" to a wonderful assortment of video game essays and interesting+ helpful opinion pieces

[@agamingpotato]

i grew up with sonic and sonic 3, i dont remember there being any content after crashing the giant egg into the volcano though, i thought that was the end of the game?

[@davidwalter9162]

That's the end of Sonic 3, which is basically just the first half of a combined game. Sonic & Knuckles picks up the story from there. It can also be played separately, but its cartridge was designed for Sonic 3 to be plugged into the top so you could play the whole story. (And plugging other games into it had different effects -- you could play Sonic 2 as Knuckles, and most other games resulted in an endless series of the Red Sphere, Blue Sphere levels.) Sonic 3 & Knuckles is the full game, and I definitely recommend finding a way to play the combined version.

[@jenweatherwax7113]

This was really good! Who’s voice is this?

[@tenkenroo]

For me what makes sonic 3 and knuckles better than sonic mania was the connecting narrative and how all the bonus rooms push the gameplay rather than extra game materials. Like I loved sonic mania but a lot of the zones do not directly connect but you just sort of warp there with no rhyme or reason. In sonic 3 the jungle connects to the sewers in hydrocity which connects to the ruins. The cutscenes add a continuity to each zone and constantly seeing knuckles mess with you makes you hate him till you have figured out he’s been duped.

[@UltraxEmerald]

How long until the comments get turned off on this video?

[@SuperFowlMouth]

Haha turning off comments won’t stop anything

[@rezatravellers8699]

the people currently in charge are idiots. Rip Escapist. Everyone only cuz follow Nick and the team members

[@John_II]

Yeah, Sonic 3 + Sonic & Knuckles is a real grand slam. I actually don't see them as separate games, and knowing what I know now about the development, my childhood hunch was correct.

[@TeeKay33]

[@Gaia_BentosZX5]

Perfect timing! This is the unobtainable standards we are enforcing on a blue rat.

[@Burtzman20]

Showing the one and only screen in Super Metroid that has text on it at the beginning was a choice, as I'd argue that game succeeds at "show don't tell" even more than Sonic 3. That brief bit of text was arguably necessary as the previous Metroid games were on older consoles.

[@gautambudidha1110]

I enjoyed the dive into the prototype and the call-out of the McDonald's contract. But the scope doesn't feel right. The in-game cutscenes in Sonic 3 were really cool and created greater connections between really disparate levels. However, it had nothing to do with playing the actual game. Like Knuckles grabbing the 'ralds doesn't tell you anything about how to get them back, or how they landed in the special stages. You make this dig at Super Metroid and MMX for leaning on a few paragraphs of text in the early game to set up the story, but both of those games are famous for their immersive storytelling through gameplay and environment details. Sonic mostly just has you on fine-crafted rails with a few checkpoints for them 'ralds. This vid feels like a fan trying to create a new reality centered on their precious.

[@mediumchunky]

So what you're saying is that mural ruined the rest of the series? Got it.

[@IkeOkerekeNews]

Nope, nor its the rest of the series "ruined," in any shape or form.

[@Zastrutzki]

Remember when Nintendo kept the stories in Mario merely as a device to throw in some variety into the leveldesign? Yeah, Sega should've done that too.

[@VladeKage]

Lol, lmao

[@apsoles746]

Yeah Sonic 3 was amazing, but they could have improved the story and character of Sonic somewhat by for example giving him a backpack to symbolize adventure or make him wide-eyed to appear more vulnerable and relatable.

[@michaelwallace9461]

This is a really well done video. As someone who played tonnes of S3&K as a kid - so much that other kids in school lent me their carts to get hyper Sonic, I can honestly say I've never cared less about a video games series story or lore than Sonic :)

[@thatgreenfur6584]

I'm actually glad Sonic 3 was split from & Knuckles, because & Knuckles really sucks IMHO. Because they're not technically part of the same game, I never have to play it and three remains untainted

[@kingstarscream320]

It doesn’t suck but the Sonic 3 portion is better than Sonic & Knuckles

[@IkeOkerekeNews]

They are the same game.

[@afhamdanish1957]

It's really sad how this game only sega avoid to port this game because of license soundtrack I mean it's still soundtrack there's no illegal thing to do about the soundtrack yeah I know sonic 3 already port in sonic origins but that game has problem too like the soundtrack for some stage was bad why they just take that prototype soundtrack and just don't remaking back just port the prototype soundtrack I know Jun really good making sonic soundtrack but for classic game not so much just let tee lopes or someone making a good soundtrack other than just let Jun make it

[@Rivent90]

A masterclass? Really now? It's a couple of brief animations and a mural

[@prince_thomas]

I think they explained the point well enough. This game stands out because it's so rare for a game to communicate a full story without either dialogue or much longer cutscenes. Just the background details and small character animations is enough to make you care about what's happening without disrupting gameplay too much.

[@mikexf1647]

I agree that it's not masterclass level storytelling. But I respect that the story is told without any text at all.

[@GregorBarclay]

Yeah, I was thinking the same. The video seems to be suggesting it’s the fucking Godfather of video games or something because they recognised that when something goes higher the horizon would look different.

[@IkeOkerekeNews]

Also, level design, the environments, etc.