Play Sonic and Knuckles Online

Sonic and Knuckles came out in 1994 for the Sega Genesis, developed and published by Sega. It was a direct follow up to Sonic the Hedgehog 3, and it arrived at a time when the Genesis was still going strong, with developers really pushing what the hardware could do visually and mechanically.

You control either Sonic or Knuckles, each with their own unique abilities; Sonic can use his speed to dash through loops and corkscrews, while Knuckles can glide, climb walls, and break through certain barriers. The main goal is to stop Dr. Robotnik from reactivating the Death Egg, which involves racing through large, multi-path zones, collecting Chaos Emeralds, and battling bosses. Signature mechanics include the ability to lock on previous Sonic cartridges, effectively combining games, and special stages that change perspective into a polygonal 3D maze. The pacing is fast and demanding, with levels that often require quick reflexes and memorization. It feels like a rush of pure momentum, where every jump and spin is both frantic and precise.