Editing Sonic the Hedgehog 3 (section)

==Reception==
{{Video game reviews
| title = Contemporary reception
| CVG = 94% (''Sonic 3'')<ref name="CVGRev">{{cite journal |title=Review: ''Sonic the Hedgehog 3'' |journal=[[Computer and Video Games]] |issue=148 |publisher=[[Future plc]] |date=March 1994 |pages=34–36 |url=https://retrocdn.net/images/8/8c/CVG_UK_148.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170110015025/http://retrocdn.net/images/8/8c/CVG_UK_148.pdf |archive-date=2017-01-10 |url-status=live}}</ref> <br> 97% (''Sonic 3 & Knuckles'')<ref name="CVG170">{{cite magazine |title=The Computer and Video Games Christmas Buyers Guide |magazine=[[Computer and Video Games]] |publisher=[[EMAP]] |location=United Kingdom |issue=170 (January 1996) |date=10 December 1995 |pages=8–9 |url=https://archive.org/details/Computer_and_Video_Games_Issue_170_1996-01_EMAP_Images_GB/page/n7/mode/2up}}</ref>
| EGM = 38/40<ref name="EGM30">{{cite magazine |title=Review Crew: ''Sonic 3'' |magazine=[[Electronic Gaming Monthly]] |issue=56 |publisher=[[Ziff Davis]] |date=March 1994 |page=30 |url=https://archive.org/details/Electronic_Gaming_Monthly_56/page/n29/mode/2up}}</ref>
| GamePro = 19/20<ref name="GameProGEN">{{cite magazine |author=The Unknown Gamer |title=ProReview: ''Sonic the Hedgehog 3'' |magazine=[[GamePro]] |issue=56 |publisher=[[International Data Group|IDG]] |date=March 1994 |pages=42–44 |url=https://archive.org/details/GamePro_Issue_056_March_1994/page/n43/mode/2up}}</ref>
| Gen4 = 93%<ref name="G4Rev">{{cite magazine|magazine=[[:fr:Gen4|Génération 4]]|issn=1624-1088|title=Sonic 3 J'en ai rêvé...|author=Lionel Vilner|pages=88–90|date=March 1994|issue=64|language=fr}}</ref>
| Hyper = 90%<ref name="hyper">{{cite magazine|magazine=[[Hyper (magazine)|Hyper]]|title=Review: Sonic 3|last=Humphreys|first=Andrew|date=March 1994|url=http://sost.emulationzone.org/sonic_3/scans/index.htm|pages=26–29}}</ref>
| MMS = 94%<ref name="mean">{{cite magazine|magazine=[[Mean Machines Sega]]|publisher=EMAP|url=http://www.outofprintarchive.com/articles/reviews/MegaDrive/Sonic3-MMS17-6.html|title=Sonic 3: Golden Boy Is Back!|date=March 1994|issue=17|pages=44–49}}</ref>
| rev1=''[[Entertainment Weekly]]''
| rev1Score = A+<ref>{{cite magazine|last=Strauss|first=Bob|url=http://ew.com/article/1994/02/11/sonic-cd-sonic-chaos-sonic-spinball-sonic-3/|title=Sonic CD; Sonic Chaos; Sonic Spinball; Sonic 3 reviews|magazine=[[Entertainment Weekly]]|issue=209|publisher=[[Meredith Corporation]]|date=February 11, 1994|access-date=2018-12-13|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171021220053/http://ew.com/article/1994/02/11/sonic-cd-sonic-chaos-sonic-spinball-sonic-3/|archive-date=2017-10-21|url-status=live}}</ref>
| rev2 = ''[[MegaTech]]''
| rev2Score = 93%<ref>{{cite magazine |title=Game Index |magazine=[[MegaTech]] |date=31 May 1995 |issue=42 (June 1995) |pages=30–1 |url=https://archive.org/details/megatech-42/page/n29/mode/2up}}</ref>
| rev3 = ''[[Sega Saturn Magazine|Sega Magazine]]''
| rev3Score = 95%<ref name="sm">{{cite magazine|magazine=[[Sega Saturn Magazine|Sega Magazine]]|publisher=EMAP|pages=87–88|issue=2|date=February 1994|title=Sonic 3}}</ref>
| rev4 = ''[[Sega Power]]''
| rev4Score = 90%<ref name="power">{{cite magazine|magazine=[[Sega Power]]|publisher=[[Future plc]]|date=March 1994|pages=28–30|title=Sonic 3: Megadrive Review|url=http://sost.emulationzone.org/sonic_3/scans/index.htm}}</ref>
}}
In the United States, ''Sonic 3'' was the top-selling Sega Genesis game in [[1994 in video games|February 1994]].<ref name="EGMApr1994">{{cite magazine|date=April 1994|title=EGM Hot Top Tens|url=https://retrocdn.net/images/e/ed/EGM_US_057.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180707184224/https://retrocdn.net/images/e/ed/EGM_US_057.pdf |archive-date=2018-07-07 |url-status=live|magazine=[[Electronic Gaming Monthly]]|pages=52}}</ref> It became one of the [[List of best-selling Sega Genesis video games|best-selling Genesis games]],<ref name="magicboxus">{{cite web|url=http://www.the-magicbox.com/Chart-USPlatinum.shtml|title=US Platinum Videogame Chart|date=December 27, 2007|publisher=The Magic Box|access-date=August 3, 2008|archive-date=October 9, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211009200207/http://www.the-magicbox.com/Chart-USPlatinum.shtml|url-status=dead}}</ref> selling at least 1.02 million copies in the United States,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.the-magicbox.com/Chart-USPlatinum.shtml|title=US Platinum Videogame Chart|access-date=December 31, 2014|publisher=The Magic Box|archive-date=October 9, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211009200207/http://www.the-magicbox.com/Chart-USPlatinum.shtml|url-status=dead}}</ref> with ''Sonic 3'' and ''Sonic & Knuckles'' selling a combined {{nowrap|4 million}} cartridges worldwide.<ref>{{cite AV media|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qbu4TEE1_pE|title=Sonic the Hedgehog GameTap Retrospective Pt. 4/4|time=1:39|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150725182313/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qbu4TEE1_pE|archive-date=July 25, 2015|url-status=live|publisher=[[GameTap]]|medium=[[YouTube]]}}</ref>

Like its predecessors, ''Sonic 3'' received critical acclaim. Critics generally felt ''Sonic 3'' was the best game in the series so far. Andrew Humphreys of ''[[Hyper (magazine)|Hyper]]'', who declared himself not a ''Sonic'' fan, said it was "undoubtedly" the best of the series, including the acclaimed but obscure ''Sonic CD'', though he said he preferred ''Sonic 2''{{'s}} special stages by a small margin.<ref name="hyper"/> ''[[Sega Saturn Magazine|Sega Magazine]]'', however, stated that ''Sonic 3'' has better special stages and was not only superior to ''Sonic 2'' as a whole but would be "a serious contender for the Best Platform Game Ever award".<ref name="sm"/> ''[[Sega Power]]'' wrote that despite their skepticism, they found it "excellent" and easily "the most explorable and playable" in the series.<ref name="power"/> ''[[Electronic Gaming Monthly]]'' also compared ''Sonic 3'' favorably to ''Sonic 1'', ''2'', and ''CD'' and awarded it their "Game of the Month" award.<ref name="EGM30"/> They later ranked it number 1 in The EGM Hot 50, indicating that it received the highest average score of any game they had reviewed in the past year.<ref>{{cite magazine |title=The EGM Hot 50 |magazine=[[Electronic Gaming Monthly]] |issue=69 |publisher=[[Ziff Davis]] |date=April 1995 |pages=44–48}}</ref> Lionel Vilner of ''[[:fr:Gen4|Génération 4]]'' believed ''Sonic 3'' offered more challenge than its predecessors.<ref name="G4Rev"/> The Unknown Gamer of ''[[GamePro]]'' proclaimed that it "proves that you can teach an old hedgehog new and exciting tricks. Take that old ''Sonic'' magic, add fun new variations, and you have another spectacular game."<ref name="GameProGEN"/>

Some critics felt that ''Sonic 3'' had innovated too little from previous ''Sonic'' games. Humphreys of ''Hyper'' saw only "a few new features"<ref name="hyper"/> while ''Sega Power'' thought it was "not all that different"<ref name="power"/> and Nintendo Life writer Damien McFerran said that "there's not a lot of new elements here to be brutally frank".<ref name="nlife"/> While Deniz Ahmet of ''[[Computer and Video Games]]'' agreed that the game was "more of the same", he was placated by the new and imaginative ideas.<ref name="CVGRev"/> However, ''Electronic Gaming Monthly'' enjoyed the new power-ups.<ref name="EGM30"/> Many aspects of the level design were praised; ''Electronic Gaming Monthly'' and ''Sega Power'' enjoyed the expansive stages, secret areas, much less linear level design, and difficulty.<ref name="EGM30"/><ref name="power"/> ''[[Mean Machines]]'' agreed, describing the game as "a rollercoaster ride from start to finish" and listing Carnival Night as their favorite level, which they described as "probably the most slickly programmed portion of game in Megadrive history".<ref name="mean"/> Humphreys and ''Mean Machines'' felt that the game was too short, but they and ''Sega Magazine'' felt that its two-player mode and the Emerald collecting would significantly extend the [[replay value]].<ref name="hyper"/><ref name="mean"/><ref name="sm"/> ''Sega Magazine'' enjoyed having the ability to play as Knuckles in the two-player mode.<ref name="sm"/> The Unknown Gamer felt that while the two-player mode was less fun than the main game, it was much improved over ''Sonic 2'' due to the change of format from split-screen to full-screen.<ref name="GameProGEN"/>

The visuals were very well received. Humphreys described ''Sonic 3'' as "one of the most beautiful games around" and full of "flashy new visual tricks", highlighting Sonic's ascension up pipes and spiraling pathways as particularly inventive.<ref name="hyper"/> ''Sega Magazine'' exclaimed that its graphics were "brilliant" even for a ''Sonic'' game,<ref name="sm"/> while Provo praised the "elaborate" backgrounds.<ref name="gspot_s3"/> ''Mean Machines'' thought similarly, giving special praise to the camera's quick scrolling, the diversity of the level themes, and the "chunkier, more detailed" overall aesthetic.<ref name="mean"/> Rik Skews of ''Computer and Video Games'' stated that "the graphics were stunning, attention to detail is breathtaking". Ahmet of the same publication also noted that the graphics were more detailed than those of previous installments.<ref name="CVGRev"/> The Unknown Gamer described the settings as having "gorgeous background detail and lots of visual treats" and was impressed by the new obstacles that Sonic can traverse at top speeds.<ref name="GameProGEN"/>

The sound effects and music were also well received, though somewhat less so than the visuals. ''Sega Magazine'' described them as "brilliant" and "far superior" to ''Sonic 2''{{'s}}.<ref name="sm"/> ''Mean Machines'' stated that every level had "great tunes" and sound effects and particularly praised the ending music.<ref name="mean"/> However, Humphreys described the sound as "Sonicky ... with the emphasis on the 'icky'"; he also found it strikingly similar to the first two ''Sonic'' games' soundtracks.<ref name="hyper"/> The Unknown Gamer also heard musical similarity to previous installments, and described the individual tracks as "catchy... until you've heard it a hundred times."<ref name="GameProGEN"/>

Following the release of ''Sonic & Knuckles'', the ''Sonic 3 & Knuckles'' version of the game was critically acclaimed. ''Computer and Video Games'' rated this version of the game 97% and said, while "you need to buy both ''Sonic 3'' and ''Sonic and Knuckles'' to fully enjoy" it, ''Sonic 3 & Knuckles'' "is the best platform experience ever" and "what video games were invented for."<ref name="CVG170"/>

===Retrospective reviews===
{{Video game reviews
| title = Retrospective reception
| GR = 89% (Genesis/Wii)<ref name="gr_s3">{{cite web|title=Sonic the Hedgehog 3 for Genesis|url=http://www.gamerankings.com/genesis/586472-sonic-the-hedgehog-3/index.html|publisher=[[GameRankings]]|access-date=February 7, 2012|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191209011338/http://www.gamerankings.com/genesis/586472-sonic-the-hedgehog-3/index.html|archive-date=December 9, 2019}}</ref>
| MC = 79/100 (X360)<ref name="mc x360">{{cite web|url=https://www.metacritic.com/game/sonic-the-hedgehog-3/critic-reviews/?platform=xbox-360|website=[[Metacritic]]|title=Sonic the Hedgehog 3 for Xbox 360 Reviews|access-date=January 2, 2015}}</ref>
| EuroG = 8/10 (X360)<ref name="euro">{{cite web|url=http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/sega-vintage-collection-review|website=[[Eurogamer]]|last=Whitehead|first=Dan|date=June 17, 2009|title=SEGA Vintage Collection|access-date=January 2, 2015}}</ref>
| GSpot = 8/10 (Wii)<ref name="gspot_s3">{{cite web|url=http://www.gamespot.com/reviews/sonic-the-hedgehog-3-review/1900-6178641/|website=[[GameSpot]]|last=Provo|first=Frank|date=September 12, 2007|title=Sonic the Hedgehog 3 Review|access-date=December 31, 2014}}</ref>
| IGN = 9/10 (Wii)<ref name="wii.ign.com">{{cite web|url=http://wii.ign.com/articles/819/819286p1.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070915162856/http://wii.ign.com/articles/819/819286p1.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=September 15, 2007|website=[[IGN]]|title=Sonic the Hedgehog 3 Review|date=September 11, 2007|last=Thomas|first=Lucas M.|access-date=December 31, 2014}}</ref><br>8/10 (X360)<ref name="xboxlive.ign.com">{{cite web|url=https://www.ign.com/articles/2009/06/11/sonic-the-hedgehog-3-review|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090615033331/http://xboxlive.ign.com/articles/993/993940p1.html|url-status=live|archive-date=June 15, 2009|website=[[IGN]]|title=Sonic the Hedgehog 3 Review|date=June 11, 2007|last=Brudvig|first=Erik|access-date=March 29, 2023}}</ref>
| NLife = {{Rating|8|10}} (Wii)<ref name="nlife">{{cite web|url=http://www.nintendolife.com/reviews/2007/09/sonic_the_hedgehog_3_virtual_console|website=[[Nintendo Life]]|date=September 6, 2007|last=McFerran|first=Damien|access-date=January 2, 2015|title=Sonic the Hedgehog 3}}</ref>
| PALGN = 7/10 (X360)<ref name="palgn">{{cite web|url=http://palgn.com.au/xbox-360/14764/xbla-sonic-the-hedgehog-3-review/|website=PALGN|last=Ghiggino|date=June 28, 2009|access-date=January 3, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111011205829/http://palgn.com.au/xbox-360/14764/xbla-sonic-the-hedgehog-3-review/|archive-date=October 11, 2011|title=XBLA: Sonic the Hedgehog 3 Review}}</ref>
}}

At the review aggregator [[GameRankings]], ''Sonic 3'' holds a score of 89%, based on five reviews published in the 2000s.<ref name="gr_s3"/> The Xbox 360 version has a score of 79% at [[Metacritic]].<ref name="mc x360"/> Lucas M. Thomas of ''[[IGN]]'' wrote that ''Sonic 3'' "completed the trilogy as the best of them all".<ref name="wii.ign.com"/> Dan Whitehead of ''[[Eurogamer]],'' however, considered ''Sonic & Knuckles'' superior.<ref name="euro"/>

Frank Provo of ''[[GameSpot]]'' wrote that the most significant addition was its save system.<ref name="gspot_s3"/> He also enjoyed the new power-ups.<ref name="gspot_s3"/> Whitehead said that the large stages would keep players sufficiently engrossed.<ref name="euro"/> Thomas and Provo enjoyed the use of wordless cutscenes to create a coherent story and thematically connect the zones.<ref name="wii.ign.com" /><ref name="gspot_s3" /> McFerran, however, felt that the visuals had been downgraded, particularly Sonic's "dumpier" sprite and "the infamous 'dotty' textures".<ref name="nlife" /> Thomas thought the music was "impressive", but not quite on par with ''Sonic 2''{{'s}}.<ref name="wii.ign.com" />

Some critics, such as Adam Ghiggino of ''PALGN'', felt ''Sonic 3'' had been insufficiently upgraded for re-releases.<ref name="palgn"/> Whitehead of ''Eurogamer'' wished online co-op had been implemented.<ref name="euro"/> Provo of ''GameSpot'' and Thomas of ''IGN'' wished that Sega had re-released ''Sonic 3'' and ''Sonic & Knuckles'' together as ''Sonic 3 & Knuckles'' instead.<ref name="wii.ign.com"/><ref name="gspot_s3"/> ''[[Mega (magazine)|Mega]]'' ranked it the fifth-best Genesis game in November 1994.<ref>{{cite magazine |title=Mega Drive Top 50 |magazine=[[Mega (magazine)|Mega]] |issue=26 |pages=74–5 |publisher=[[Maverick Magazines]] |date=November 1994 |url=https://archive.org/details/mega26_202004/page/n73/mode/2up}}</ref> In 2014, ''[[GamesRadar]]'' ranked ''Sonic 3 & Knuckles'' as the seventh-best Genesis game.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.gamesradar.com/best-sega-genesis-games-all-time/ |publisher=GamesRadar |title=Best Sega Genesis/Mega Drive games of all time |author=GamesRadar Staff |date=August 14, 2014 |access-date=January 5, 2015}}</ref> In 2013, Jeremy Parish of ''[[Eurogamer|US Gamer]]'' ranked it eighth.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.usgamer.net/articles/the-best-genesis-and-sega-cd-games |website=[[Eurogamer]] |title=The 10 Best Genesis/Mega Drive and Top 5 Sega CD Games |last=Parish |first=Jeremy |date=October 29, 2013 |access-date=January 5, 2014}}</ref>