Play Sonic 3 and Knuckles – The Challenges Online

Game Overview

Remember when Sonic 3 and Sonic & Knuckles were separate games? Someone at Sega had the genius idea to smash them together, and thank goodness they did. This is the version where you get all the zones, all the characters, and none of the awkward cartridge swapping (unless you're into that retro ritual).

You start by picking between Sonic's speed, Tails' awkward-but-useful flying, or Knuckles' gliding and wall-climbing that somehow never gets old. Then it's off through these ridiculously colorful levels—some with waterfalls you can ride, others with giant pinball bumpers that send you flying. And yeah, Robotnik's up to his usual nonsense, but this time his Death Egg actually looks threatening.

The music? Absolute fire. You'll recognize some tracks the second they kick in. And if you're the type who has to find every hidden path and chaos emerald, good luck—some of those special stages still mess with my head. It's the kind of game where you'll replay a level just to see if you can shave two seconds off your time.

Also, fun fact: if you owned the original cartridges, you could physically stack them to unlock weird crossover modes. That alone deserves some nostalgia points.