Together Retro: Sonic & Knuckles

[CFFJR]

Next weekend, if I have time, I might go for Hyper Tails.

Tails gets ripped off, he only has a super transformation and he needs all 14 emeralds for it but it's a really cool transformation.

Additionally, Sonic does have a few moves his compatriots do not have. The first is the extra effects he gets with his shields, which is most useful with the fire shield. But he also has the split second shield when he double jumps naked, and that can be used to cancel some projectiles.

Yeah, Sonic's insta-shield isn't flashy but it's incredibly useful and some go as far as to say overpowered. Once you learn how to use it Sonic is the most efficient boss buster of the three by far.

I love Super Tails. Cower in fear before the Flicky Squadron!

As for the insta-shield, hell yes. Every player should make it a habit to use insta-shield every time you make contact with an enemy or boss.

[PGchris]

Whenever I play games from the Sonic series I enjoy them in spurts, but like most people are saying I feel like they lack the fluidity of more linear platformers like DKC and Super Mario World. So when a platformer isn't so linear I expect to enjoy the exploration aspect, like a metroidvania game, but really you don't get that here either. So aside from some spurts where Sonic's speed make it fun to fly through a level, and also the music, it's hard for me to understand what makes these games exceptional. Unless you grew up playing them, then the nostalgia factor makes sense.

[RyaNtheSlayA]

Guess I'll acquire the game and open up OpenEmu. I'm always down for a replay of Sonic.

Definitely going for the 3&K wombo combo though. Either game without the other just isn't complete.

I do think that, for a modern audience whom maybe never grew up with the games. . . they might be disappointed in them. It's not that they're bad. I just don't think that, with the exception of Sonic CD, they're aging quite as well as other a tier platformers of the era like Yoshi's Island. They're a bit simple.

[emwearz]

I only own Sonic and Knuckles, not Sonic 3.

Anypoint playing Sonic and Knuckles without 3? I have been holding off, thinking I will wait to get hold (and finished) 3 before I trying S3&Knuckles.

Any advantage / reason to play Sonic and Knuckles without Sonic 3?

EDIT: Was thinking of playing S3&K in the Sonic's Ultimate Genesis Collection on PS3, but apparently it has both games but not S3&K, that sucks.

[samsonlonghair]

I only own Sonic and Knuckles, not Sonic 3.

Anypoint playing Sonic and Knuckles without 3? I have been holding off, thinking I will wait to get hold (and finished) 3 before I trying S3&Knuckles.

Any advantage / reason to play Sonic and Knuckles without Sonic 3?

EDIT: Was thinking of playing S3&K in the Sonic's Ultimate Genesis Collection on PS3, but apparently it has both games but not S3&K, that sucks.

I think Sonic & Knuckles is the better game. I own both Sonic 3 and S&K. I often play S&K without Sonic 3.

I am terrible at Blue Sphere. Tried it about 8 times in my run so far, and failed every time.

Also, I noticed that the giant rings disappear even if I failed a stage. Is there a way to go back and try them again? Using level select or something?

I've got a trick for ya, dude. Put Sonic the Hedgehog 1 into the Lock-on port on top of Sonic & Knuckles. A screen will come up with the text "NO WAY!". This may lead you to believe that nothing good can come of this cartridge combination. Now press and hold all three ABC buttons. You will unlock the blue sphere game. Here you can practice all the levels of blue sphere.

For fun, you can plug in other Genesis cartridges and try this trick. Some of them do nothing. Others give you one level of Blue Sphere to play.

[dogman91]

Then again, though, having the seven Chaos Emeralds and playing as Super Sonic makes the game WAY too easy IMO. I've had Super Sonic since Marble Garden Zone and it basically removes the challenge of any given level. Rings are so plentiful that you can't really avoid Super Sonic either and accidentally hitting the jump button twice.

I might do another run while purposefully avoiding the Blue Sphere stages. Too bad you need them for the Super Emeralds to get the "true" ending.

[Gunstar Green]

When I play through these days I avoid the special stages entirely and after beating the game I use the cleared save's level select (S3&K only) to return to Mushroom Hill and collect the emeralds to unlock Doomsday Zone.

Having the transformation available during normal gameplay just breaks the game which is why they've kept it out of most later Sonic titles. Though I think they should always have it available as a "beat the game" extra.

[Xeogred]

When I play through these days I avoid the special stages entirely and after beating the game I use the cleared save's level select (S3&K only) to return to Mushroom Hill and collect the emeralds to unlock Doomsday Zone.

Having the transformation available during normal gameplay just breaks the game which is why they've kept it out of most later Sonic titles. Though I think they should always have it available as a "beat the game" extra.

Funny, I do that too sometimes.

I grew up only owning S&K as a kid so I played that one solo a lot. I like playing the whole package though, despite my gripes with 3 in general.

Unfortunately, I'm pretty sure the Sonic Genesis Collection does not have the lockon combo feature between these two? I'll probably bust it out again to verify, but I'm pretty sure it doesn't and myself and others were upset with that. Guess I'll just hit up S&K itself if that's the case.

Not sure if some of you knew, but you can lockon with Sonic 2 and play as Knucles in there. The game clearly wasn't designed with him in mind though, so it doesn't always work. But that's pretty cool. I like how other Genesis games generated random bonus levels too for the lockon haha.

[Gunstar Green]

Unfortunately, I'm pretty sure the Sonic Genesis Collection does not have the lockon combo feature between these two? I'll probably bust it out again to verify, but I'm pretty sure it doesn't and myself and others were upset with that. Guess I'll just hit up S&K itself if that's the case.

It doesn't which makes no sense since other emulated Sonic collections include it. I don't know what they were thinking. It's still a solid compilation disc with loads of great extras but this is one glaring mistake.

[Xeogred]

Dang that's lame. I have Sonic Mega Collection the Gamecube but never care to bust that out haha. I'll have to get the PS2 version sometime.

I guess for now I'll just hit up S&K!