Sonic & Knuckles
Genesis
Nostalgia Factor:
Back in 1994 the hype for this game was very real, and I have to say that I completely bought into it. While I loved Sonic 3, I felt that it was just more of the same as far as the Sonic series was concerned. I began to feel like there was only so much they could do with the series and it was starting to get stale. Sure, they tried to keep it fresh with small changes from game to game, like the addition of new bonus stages, multiple path choices, different shield types, etc. But it wasn't enough.
Sonic & Knuckles seemed like the answer. Not only did this title give me a brand-new Sonic adventure, it also gave me the opportunity to play as Knuckles, one of the bad guys from Sonic 3. This was unprecedented for back then. Playing as a villain? Whaaaat? Not only did the game give you the chance to play as Knuckles, it also featured "lock-on" technology that allowed you to attach the Genesis cartridge to both Sonic 2 and 3 and allow you to play as Knuckles in those games as well. Really, buying this game was almost like getting three games in one. My mind = blown.
Despite all this, I never actually ended up owning Sonic & Knuckles. I had it on my Christmas list that year, but I ended up getting Jurassic Park: Rampage Edition from my mom instead. I went ahead and just rented Sonic & Knuckles. I played the hell out of it, and saw everything there was to see in the game in just one weekend. Despite all the innovations this game brought to the table, I STILL ended up dismissing it as just another Sonic game that didn't do much to break the pre-ordained Sonic formula.
I wouldn't play Sonic and Knuckles again for at least another ten years or so, when I got the Sonic Anniversary Collection for the Nintendo Gamecube. Sonic & Knuckles is on that disc, along with the lock-on versions with Sonic 2 and Sonic 3. I still have this disc, and that's actually the disc I used when I played the game for this review a couple of days ago. Would I still think that this game was nothing too special, or would my mind change?
The answer is actually kind of complicated. Read on to find out.
Story:
This game picks up directly after the events of Sonic 3. The Death Egg has crashed to the surface, and Dr Robotnik once again is after the Chaos Emeralds, which he hopes to use to fix his broken creation and resume his quest for world domination.
Knuckles, one of the villains from Sonic 3, realizes that he's been used by Dr Robotnik and ends up joining forces with Sonic to take down the evil Eggman.
And take down the Eggman, they do. The end.
What can I say? If you are looking for intricate, detailed storylines in Sonic games, you are coming to the wrong place.
Gameplay:
I've already played and reviewed a shit ton of Sonic games, so I am not going to sit here and recap how they work. If you aren't familiar with the "Sonic formula", I direct you to my previous reviews in the links at the bottom of this post.
Instead, let's talk about what Sonic & Knuckles does to break that formula. The answer is not much. If you play as Sonic, expect a journey similar to what you've already seen in Sonics 1, 2, and 3. Especially 3. This game is essentially a continuation of that game, and does not really do anything differently from that game at all. I think I've read that Sonic 3 and Sonic and Knuckles were originally meant to be combined as one longer game, but instead got split into two shorter games due to budgetary/time restrictions. That would explain a lot.
If you play as Knuckles, this game is still pretty similar to what you've seen in past Sonic games. The only differences are that Knuckles can glide in the air, grab on to walls, and climb up them. There are also special breakable walls scattered throughout the game that Knuckles can smash through, but Sonic can not. This gives you a couple of different paths you can take when playing as Knuckles that you can't take when playing as Sonic. This does give the base game some added replay value, I must admit.
If you look at the base version of Sonic & Knuckles as a standalone game, it really isn't anything too special. The levels are some of the least memorable I've seen in a Sonic game. Sure, there are some standouts like Mushroom Hill Zone and the Sky Sanctuary, but there's also a boatload of clunkers like Flying Battery Zone, Sandopolis (which I HATE), and the Lava Reef Zone. I'd even venture to say that if you look at the base game on its own merits, it may actually be the worst of the 2D Sonic Genesis games.
But Sonic & Knuckles is much more than just the base version of the game. It lets you play Sonic 2 as Knuckles, which is an awesome reason to revisit an old favorite. I am not sure if Sonic 2 was built with lock-on technology in mind, so nothing really changes except the character that you play as. But that's fine.
What really makes Sonic & Knuckles a great game is the ability to lock-on to Sonic 3. I'm not just talking about the ability to play through Sonic 3 as Knuckles. I mean, that's all fine and dandy and everything. What I am talking about is that these two shorter, half-realized games combine to create one longer, really really epic Sonic game. The base version of Sonic & Knuckles may not be much, but combine it with Sonic 3 and you've got something special.
If you look at Sonic 3 & Knuckles as one game, it is easily one of the best Sonic titles out there. It's long, it is challenging, it's full of secrets, and it has fantastic replayability. You can play through the game as just Sonic, Sonic and Tails, just Tails, or just Knuckles. Each character you pick gives you a slightly different storyline. It affects the levels you get to play, it affects the paths you can take through these levels, and it offers you several different methods of gameplay due to character quirks and gimmicks (like Tails' flying and Knuckles' wall bursting and climbing) to get you through these stages.
Sonic 3 & Knuckles is like the ultimate Sonic title. At its heart it is still the same basic Sonic game that we've already seen a number of times already. But it's polished, it's refined. It takes that "same old" Sonic formula that I've been mentioning and perfects it to a T.
Graphics:
This is still a terrific looking game, 26 years after its initial release. Bright colors, fantastic visual effects, well-designed characters, stages with actual depth in the backgrounds. This is like a Saturday morning cartoon come to life.
It is so impressive to me how this game, and the Sonic series as a whole, holds up after all this time. It truly does have a timeless feel to it. Games that came out 10, 15 years later like certain titles in the GTA series can feel aged and awkward when you play them in the present day. And those are great games! Sonic & Knuckles doesn't feel old or outdated one tiny bit, despite it being much older than those games.
Very impressive.
Sound:
I may not have been too horribly impressed by Sonic & Knuckles new stages, but I have to admit that the soundtrack for the game is fantastic. So many memorable tunes in this game, particularly the Sky Sanctuary Zone. That's probably one of my favorite tracks from any Sonic game, period.
Sound effects are the same thing you've been hearing in every past Sonic game, which is fine. If it ain't broke, don't fix it, right?
Overall:
If you look at the base version of Sonic & Knuckles (from the Mushroom Hill Zone to the end of the game), it isn't anything too horribly special. When reviewing this game, however, you have to factor in the entire experience. The base game, the ability to lock on to Sonic 2, and most importantly: the ability to lock on to Sonic 3.
When you take everything into account, it is enough to boost this from simply being an "okay" Sonic title to one of the best out there. Sonic 3, when combined with Sonic & Knuckles, offers a large, fun, colorful, packed with content, fully realized Sonic game to the masses. Great music, great graphics, great everything. This is Sonic at his absolute prime.
Does this game give me the same warm and fuzzy nostalgic feelings that Sonic 1 and 2 do? Not really. That may be what is keeping me from giving it an A+. Plus you have to factor in that the base game of Sonic & Knuckles is nothing to write home about. Looking at the big picture, however, this is a truly great Sonic title that anyone who is a fan of the series should own. It's making me want to revisit Sonic Mania, which I may have to do soon. Don't be surprised to see a re-review of that game on the horizon.
Final Score:
A
All of my previous Sonic reviews:
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