Editing Sonic the Hedgehog 3 (section)

===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>