Twenty (20) years ago, only one Sonic game has taken the world by storm with "Lock-On Technology".
- Drum roll *
It's true. Originally, Sonic 3 was supposed to be one game but due to time constraints, they were split into two, thus making Sonic 3 and Sonic & Knuckles two separate games.
Once you plug in Sonic 2 to the cartridge, you'll see the title screen that says "Knuckles the Echidna in Sonic the Hedgehog 2. This game allows you to play Knuckles and climb up spots neither Sonic or Tails could reach. Also, title act cards are red and green and when you lose a life, the amount of rings you collected are still intact.
This is how Sonic 3 would've been like had development gone without a hitch. I for one, love playing S3&K the most. The music heard in Sonic & Knuckles (such as the Act 1 boss) also plays when Sonic 3 is plugged in with Sonic & Knuckles. Soon as you reach Mushroom Hill Zone with the Chaos Emeralds obtained, you'll have to collect the Super Emeralds as well.
Don't try plugging in the cartridge with other Genesis games. You'll either just S&K itself or the Blue Sphere game. This game is based on the stages you see in Sonic 3, Sonic & Knuckles, or both games locked together.
As for the game itself, Sonic & Knuckles includes 8 zones as follows.
- Mushroom Hill Zone
- Flying Battery Zone
- Sandopolis Zone
- Lava Reef Zone
- Hidden Palace Zone
- Sky Sanctuary Zone
- Death Egg Zone
- Doomsday Zone
Happy 20th Anniversary, Sonic & Knuckles.
Feel free to share your thoughts and memories of the game.