Sonic the Hedgehog 3

"There's usually no such thing as a BAD climax, but this is a BAD climax to the Sonic series on Genesis."

Sonic the Hedgehog. If you just go back and look at all the games released in the series throughout history, you will see one thing in common with all of them: they were all at least halfway decent. Of course, every series has its black sheep. Too bad Sonic's had to come in the final game of the Genesis trilogy. Because this game, quite frankly, disappointed me to an extreme. I expected a very solid game, like Sonic and Sonic 2, but instead I got a disappointing mess of tons of new features which didn't mesh out properly. Maybe this game should have just stayed in hibernation.

One of the only added features to this game that was actually good was the save feature, which made the game a lot easier and more fun to play. However, this game sure needed a save feature. More on that later. If you get past the fact that this is a Sonic game, you will see it's just a bloody bad game that should have never been released.

Storyline - It's really just more of the same stuff you've seen before, but at least they added to it this time. The game leaves off where the second one ended, as Tails crashes the plane that was horading the Chaos Emeralds into Angel Island, and then Dr. Robotnik finds the Emeralds, builds a fortress, and turns the animals into robots. Cuz he's a mean person, and stuff.

Graphics - There is no doubt that Sonic 3 is the best looking game of the Genesis Sonic series, and maybe even the best looking Genesis game out there. Sonic, while being smaller this time, is much more detailed. The backgrounds are wonderfully designed and very detailed, despite being a little too colorful this time around. From the lush tropical setting of the opening stage to the dark and dreary Dr. Robotnik's fortress, there is visual splendor everywhere you look. The enemy designs are very detailed and creative, but the game could have used a little more types of enemies. You can only see the same ones for so long. I loved the graphics, however.

Music and Sound Effects - Yeah, this is where the game reaches it's peak. Every song in the game rocks, from the opening stage to the final stage. I loved every second of it. The title theme will draw you in, and then the stage themes will keep you drawn in. There was one or two disappointing themes, but for the most part, I loved the music. I reccomend downloading all the MIDI's onto your computer, for hours of listening pleasure. Angel Island Zone is one of my favorite songs in the game, but the ice zone stage is one of my favorites, period. It definitely seems like a winter wonderland kind of song, if you know what I mean. The sound effects are creative, especially the sounds Sonic makes when he is sliding.

Controls - It is easy enough to move Sonic around, despite his speed. However, making tight precision jumping, while you will not need to too often, is considerably tougher in this game than I expected it to be. The sliding effect can be unnerving, as well.

Gameplay - This is where the game crashes into a brick wall. How many different languages can you say disappointing in? Most of the game will require you running around the stage not knowing where to go. That is because the stages are so huge. Most of the time, you can just run right, but in this game, there's so much mazes and special secrets and hidden items, you will not know where to find them all. Some call it challenging, I call it tedious. Would you like to spend your time going ''Hmm, didn't I just see that mountain?'' or ''Hey, how come I keep on going over that same bridge over and over again?''

It really bored the hell out of me, but if that seems like your cup of tea, then by all means, play this game. Also, the stages, while being quite long, are small in number. Only six zones in total! That's like half as much as were in Sonic 2. It's really disappointing. Cool new features included shields which protect Sonic from certain elements, new special stages, and a save feature, but that isn't enough to save this game from being the definition of disappointment.

Replay Value - Boring. Wake me when it's over. Seriously, there isn't too much here. You can beat the game on one sitting once you figure out where to go, so the save feature is all for naught.

Challenge - This is an easy game, but it's challenging to stay awake during it, and also to find your way out of the huge stages can prove to be quite tricky from time to time.

Overall - Disappointing ending to the Sonic series, which has fallen apart.

Reviewer's Score: 3/10, Originally Posted: 12/12/01, Updated 12/12/01