| Sonic the Hedgehog 3, normally abbreviated to Sonic 3, was released on the Mega Drive (known as the Genesis in the USA) on 2nd February, 1994. Once again, Robotnik has an evil scheme afoot. Sonic had kept the Chaos Emeralds after he defeated Robotnik in Sonic 2, but this time Robotnik has a new ally - Knuckles the Echidna! Knuckles lives on the Floating Island - a legendary but real island that floats using the power of the mysterious Master Emerald - and is the guardian of the Chaos Emeralds, that are rightfully his. Dr. Robotnik tricks Knuckles into believing that Sonic is the one after the Chaos Emeralds, whilst secretly he plans to steal them for himself to repair his Death Egg! Sonic must travel through the Floating Island and rescue the Chaos Emeralds from Robotnik, whilst trying to avoid the Badniks that Robotnik has again created, and the traps and tricks of Knuckles the Echidna! Again, rings are the best protection. However, there are three different types of shield to collect which protect against one Badnik attack without losing rings or a life - electric, fire and bubble. In addition, electric shields protect against all electricity attacks without losing the shield, rings or a life, fire shields do the same with fire and bubble shields prevent the need to breathe underwater (very useful!). Each shield also has a special 'ability' (only with Sonic) which occurs when the jump button is pressed twice - electric shields allow you to jump higher, fire shields shoot you forwards in a ball of fire, and bubble shields bounce. If you collect 100 rings then Sonic gets an extra life! Special stages are entered when a large, rotating ring is found, usually in a hidden location. Special stages are the means by which Sonic can collect the Chaos Emeralds. In this game, they are 3D 'globes' in which Sonic has to collect all the blue spheres without hitting the red spheres to find the Chaos Emerald. In the Mega Drive version of the game there are six zones, and each zone has two acts. Unlike the previous two games, the second act begins in the same place which the first act ended, and there is a boss at the end of each act in addition to the end of each zone (act bosses are easier than zone bosses). The six zones are: Angel Island Hydrocity Marble Garden Carnival Night Icecap Launch Base Launch Base is actually a zone in itself, unlike the other two games, with a boss at the end. Sonic 3 is faster, better and a wonderfully constructed sequel to the first two games! |
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| SONIC THE HEDGEHOG 3 |
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