BoneSnapDeez wrote:noiseredux wrote:I think my issue is that Sonic 3/Knuckles stages feel more like mazes than linear platformer stages. Just is not fun to me. I get lost and annoyed instead of progressing.
This is where I'm at.
It's like the game is stuck between genres. It's not a smooth fluid platformer like Super Mario World. Nor is it a full-blown puzzle-platformer like The Lost Vikings. It's like those two games were thrown in a blender and this was the disastrous result.
Or it's like Sega took the level design of a good Sonic game (like Sonic 2) and said "Hey let's clutter up all our levels with stupid arbitrary obstacles and bullshit."
For what it's worth I feel exactly the same about Sonic 3. And Ristar for that matter.
Gunstar Green wrote:I feel that way about Donkey Kong Country even though fundamentally they're very similar games.
No way!
Those games are "alike" only because they belong to the same genre. The pacing, level design, challenge, and controls are worlds apart. One flows like a stream, the other feels like a traffic jam.
What you guys are describing is what Sonic CD is for me. That one has really cluttered level design that punishes you for trying to play it like a Sonic game.
There's some exploration elements if you're hunting down all the special stages but if you just try to blast through the game it plays exactly as fluid and straightforward as previous Sonic titles.
I would suggest maybe playing through the game as Tails who is basically the game's easy mode. I've discovered people in the past who found his play-style more appealing than Sonic or Knuckles.
Didn't mean to be a Debbie Downer btw. I appreciate how much the rest of y'all enjoy this.
Well this is what I like about together retro. It takes people out of their comfort zones or gets them to give something a second look. It doesn't always have to be a happy ending. Either way we get to have a discussion about it.
alienjesus wrote:I think that Sonic 1 & 2 are far superior to 3 & Knuckles myself. I think Sonic & Knuckles is the better half of that duo for sure though - the stages in 3 are far more frustrating.
People keep saying this but my main beef by Sonic 3 by itself is that it's absurdly easy. But as I said I've lost my objectivity towards this game long ago and playing it is second nature.
I'm with the opinion that Sandopolis is one of the most annoying stages if only because it's slowed down by things like the bungee cords and the ghosts in act 2, but I give them credit for trying something different in a stage and the ghosts scared me as a kid.
Anyway, my stage breakdown:Angel Island - Admittedly the worst starter stage in the series. It was interesting to see the forest get burnt down though, playing well into the environmentalist themes of the early series.
Hydrocity - I feel like this is the best water zone in the series. Much less aggravating and far nicer to look at than previous attempts. Neat stage gimmicks as well.
Marble Garden - Not a fan of the tops you have to ride on but I really enjoy the steep, sheer hills and the color palette. Very fun final boss fight with a Tails assist.
Carnival Night - Everyone hates this zone. It's not my favorite either but I never got stuck on the barrels so I never developed much rage towards it.
Ice Cap - Best Zone in the Sonic 3 half. It's fast, it's pretty, it has a rockin' soundtrack.
Mushroom Hill - A much better starter zone than Angel Island and it works as a half way point as well. One of the most graphically impressive zones in the game. Not just fun to blitz through but also fun to explore and mess around in.
Flying Battery - The best mechanical-themed zone and in my opinion the quintessential "battleship" level of any Sonic game.
Sandopolis - After several very fast and energetic zones Sandopolis is kind of a shock to the system. I appreciate they were trying to break things up but that attempt has given the zone a bad reputation.
Lava Reef - Comes close to Mushroom Hill in the competition for prettiest. I usually hate lava levels in games but this is lava done right. Not the fastest zone either, but lots of interesting gimmicks and excellent platforming bits that aren't as annoying as Sandopolis.
Hidden Palace - It's story time! It's not much of a zone but it's an integral part of the experience. It doesn't seem like much now but those unexpected scripted sequences had a big impact back in the day.
Sky Sanctuary - Suddenly back in the bright sun with uplifting music, a great breather before you head into the darker and grittier ending.
Death Egg - Most Sonic games have a really annoying final Zone, and Death Egg has a few of those moments but for the most part it's fast and frantic with driving music. It has one of the best "final level" feels of any Sonic game. The boss fight is one of the most menacing in the series.
Doomsday Zone - The final boss, while the fight itself isn't spectacular it's an epic conclusion to the 16-bit Sonic series.
Looking at the levels I have to say one thing that always impressed me about the Sonic games is variety. Yes they could have made the games bigger if they had re-used assets but every Zone is unique with its design, enemies and gimmicks.
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