Play Sonic and Knuckles & Sonic 3 Online

Man, Sonic & Knuckles & Sonic 3 is peak Genesis—like, this is where Sonic went from "cool" to "legendary." You’ve got three ways to play: Sonic’s all about speed (obviously), Knuckles punches through walls like they’re paper, and Tails… well, he flies, which is cheating but also kind of amazing. The real magic? That weird cartridge slot on top of Sonic & Knuckles—slap Sonic 3 into it, and suddenly you’ve got this massive, connected game with hidden levels and the Super Emeralds. No other game let you do that.

The zones are ridiculous in the best way. One minute you’re bouncing off drums in Carnival Night (that barrel still haunts me), the next you’re dodging lava in Lava Reef. And the music? Absolute fire. I still catch myself humming the Ice Cap Zone theme in the shower. Play it solo or with a friend—either way, you’re in for that classic 90s rush. Just try not to yell when Knuckles glides straight into a pit because you forgot he can’t jump as high.