Play Knuckles' Chaotix Online

Game Overview

Knuckles' Chaotix is that weird, kinda-forgotten Sonic spin-off where you're stuck to another character with a bungee cord the whole time. Yeah, it's as chaotic as it sounds. You play as Knuckles (or one of his friends) tethered to a partner—pull too hard and they go flying, but ignore them and they'll drag behind like a stubborn dog on a leash.

The whole thing takes place in a neon-drenched carnival island that Dr. Robotnik's predictably ruining, and the levels have this surreal, dreamlike quality to them. Sometimes you're bouncing off pinball bumpers, other times you're dodging giant slot machines. The new characters like Espio the Chameleon and Charmy Bee feel fresh, though Heavy the Robot exists purely to test your patience.

It's definitely not as tight as the main Sonic games, but there's something oddly charming about the janky physics and the way the tether forces you to think differently. You'll either love it or throw your controller after the fifth time your partner yeets you into a pit. Still, those 3D bonus stages are a trip.