Anonymous edits have been disabled on the wiki. If you want to contribute please login or create an account.

Warning for game developers: PCGamingWiki staff members will only ever reach out to you using the official press@pcgamingwiki.com mail address.
Be aware of scammers claiming to be representatives or affiliates of PCGamingWiki who promise a PCGW page for a game key.

Difference between revisions of "Sonic 3 & Knuckles"

From PCGamingWiki, the wiki about fixing PC games
(→‎Featured mods: Replaced some links with mods made private with publicly-available links)
 
(56 intermediate revisions by 21 users not shown)
Line 9: Line 9:
 
|engines      =  
 
|engines      =  
 
|release dates=  
 
|release dates=  
−
{{Infobox game/row/date|Windows|January 26, 2011}}
+
{{Infobox game/row/date|Windows|January 26, 2011|wrapper=emulator}}
−
{{Infobox game/row/date|OS X|May 29, 2018|ref=<ref name="MacLinRls">{{Refurl|url=https://steamcommunity.com/games/34270/announcements/detail/1674656328580811757|title=SEGA Mega Drive & Genesis Classics :: Free update with new features! - Steam Community|date=2018-05-30}}</ref>}}
+
{{Infobox game/row/date|OS X|May 29, 2018|wrapper=emulator|ref=<ref name="MacLinRls">{{Refurl|url=https://steamcommunity.com/games/34270/announcements/detail/1674656328580811757|title=SEGA Mega Drive & Genesis Classics :: Free update with new features! - Steam Community|date=2018-05-30}}</ref>}}
−
{{Infobox game/row/date|Linux|May 29, 2018|ref=<ref name="MacLinRls"/>}}
+
{{Infobox game/row/date|Linux|May 29, 2018|wrapper=emulator|ref=<ref name="MacLinRls"/>}}
 +
|taxonomy    =
 +
{{Infobox game/row/taxonomy/monetization      | One-time game purchase }}
 +
{{Infobox game/row/taxonomy/microtransactions | }}
 +
{{Infobox game/row/taxonomy/modes            | Singleplayer, Multiplayer }}
 +
{{Infobox game/row/taxonomy/pacing            | Real-time }}
 +
{{Infobox game/row/taxonomy/perspectives      | Scrolling, Side view }}
 +
{{Infobox game/row/taxonomy/controls          | Direct control }}
 +
{{Infobox game/row/taxonomy/genres            | Platform }}
 +
{{Infobox game/row/taxonomy/sports            | }}
 +
{{Infobox game/row/taxonomy/vehicles          | }}
 +
{{Infobox game/row/taxonomy/art styles        | Cartoon, Pixel art }}
 +
{{Infobox game/row/taxonomy/themes            | }}
 +
{{Infobox game/row/taxonomy/series            | Sonic the Hedgehog }}
 
|steam appid  = 71162
 
|steam appid  = 71162
 
|gogcom id    =  
 
|gogcom id    =  
 +
|hltb        = 8743
 +
|igdb        = sonic-the-hedgehog-3-and-knuckles
 
|strategywiki = Sonic 3 & Knuckles
 
|strategywiki = Sonic 3 & Knuckles
 +
|mobygames    = sonic-3-and-knuckles
 
|wikipedia    = Sonic & Knuckles
 
|wikipedia    = Sonic & Knuckles
 
|winehq      =  
 
|winehq      =  
 
|license      = commercial
 
|license      = commercial
 
}}
 
}}
−
{{Series|Sonic the Hedgehog}}
+
 
 +
{{Introduction
 +
|introduction      = '''''{{PAGENAME}}''''' is a {{Glossary:singleplayer}} and {{Glossary:multiplayer}} {{Glossary:side view}} {{Glossary:scrolling}} {{Glossary:platform}} game co-developed by [[Company:Sonic Team|Sonic Team]] and [[Company:Sega Technical Institute|Sega Technical Institute]] and published by [[Company:Sega|Sega]]. It is part of the ''[[Series:Sonic the Hedgehog|Sonic the Hedgehog]]'' series.
 +
 
 +
|release history  = Originally released on Sega Genesis in 1994 as a combined title of two separate games ('''''Sonic the Hedgehog 3''''' and '''''Sonic & Knuckles'''''), it was ported to PC and released on January 26, 2011. Unlike the version included in ''[[Sonic & Knuckles Collection]]'' which runs native on Windows, this version is an emulated re-release.
 +
 
 +
|current state    = The game was eventually delisted on all storefronts on May 20, 2022 in preparation for the release of ''[[Sonic Origins]]''.
 +
}}
  
 
'''General information'''
 
'''General information'''
 
{{mm}} [http://www.sega.com/Home/ Official publisher site]
 
{{mm}} [http://www.sega.com/Home/ Official publisher site]
−
{{mm}} [http://sonic.wikia.com/wiki/Sonic_News_Network Sonic News Network] - A massive wiki for the Sonic the Hedgehog universe.
+
{{mm}} [https://www.sonicretro.org/ Sonic Retro] - A huge fan site for everything Sonic the Hedgehog. ROM hacks of all the games can be found here.
−
{{mm}} [http://www.sonicretro.org/ Sonic Retro] - A huge fan site for everything Sonic the Hedgehog. Mods for all the games can be found here.
 
  
 
==Availability==
 
==Availability==
 
{{Availability|
 
{{Availability|
−
{{Availability/row| Steam | 71162 | Steam | | | Windows, OS X, Linux }}
+
{{Availability/row| GamersGate | DD-SONIC3K | DRM-free |  |  | Windows | unavailable }}
 +
{{Availability/row| Steam | 71162 | Steam, DRM-free | "Hub" launcher requires {{DRM|Steam}}. "Simple" launcher is DRM-free when launched directly from the executable. Removed to be included in [[Sonic Origins]]. Can be played without Steam by using [[#Sonic 3: Angel Island Revisited|Sonic 3 A.I.R.]]. | | Windows, OS X, Linux | unavailable }}
 
}}
 
}}
−
{{ii}} All versions require {{DRM|Steam}}; DRM-free versions are no longer sold.
 
 
{{ii}} All digital downloads have Sonic the Hedgehog 3 and Sonic & Knuckles bundled as one game called "Sonic 3 & Knuckles".
 
{{ii}} All digital downloads have Sonic the Hedgehog 3 and Sonic & Knuckles bundled as one game called "Sonic 3 & Knuckles".
 
{{ii}} The Steam version includes both the "Hub" launcher with the "Simple" launcher as a fallback. All non-Steam versions only includes the "Simple" launcher.
 
{{ii}} The Steam version includes both the "Hub" launcher with the "Simple" launcher as a fallback. All non-Steam versions only includes the "Simple" launcher.
Line 37: Line 59:
 
==Essential improvements==
 
==Essential improvements==
 
===[http://sonic3air.org/ Sonic 3: Angel Island Revisited]===
 
===[http://sonic3air.org/ Sonic 3: Angel Island Revisited]===
−
Sonic 3 A.I.R. is a fan project aimed at making an accurate, reverse-engineered PC port of Sonic 3 & Knuckles. It includes a number of graphical improvements such as 16:9 widescreen, 60 fps in special stages, and smooth sprite rotation.
+
Sonic 3 A.I.R. is a fan project aimed at making an accurate, reverse-engineered PC port of Sonic 3 & Knuckles. It includes a number of graphical improvements such as 16:9 widescreen (can be changed back to 4:3 or other aspect ratios; see [[#Ultra-widescreen|Ultra-widescreen]]), consistent frame rate, 60 FPS in special stages, smooth sprite rotation, and [[#Modding|mod support]]. It requires a Sonic 3 & Knuckles ROM identical to the Steam release{{note|<!--Checksums, so that users can prove that they do have the official release-->MD5: {{code|cfcc692427348e58682230a27d9e365d}}<br/>SHA1: {{code|b711a909cce238ca4af3e517a2edca306228efa5}}}}; ROM hacks (modified ROMs) are incompatible.
  
 
==Game data==
 
==Game data==
Line 49: Line 71:
 
{{ii}} Folder name varies by region.
 
{{ii}} Folder name varies by region.
 
{{ii}} These locations are for the "Simple" launcher interface only and are shared between all [[Sega Mega Drive and Genesis Classics]] games played through it.
 
{{ii}} These locations are for the "Simple" launcher interface only and are shared between all [[Sega Mega Drive and Genesis Classics]] games played through it.
 +
{{ii}} [[#Sonic 3: Angel Island Revisited|Sonic 3 A.I.R.]] location: {{file|{{p|appdata}}\Sonic3AIR\}}
  
 
===Save game data location===
 
===Save game data location===
 
{{Game data|
 
{{Game data|
 
{{Game data/saves|Windows|{{p|userprofile\Documents}}\SEGA Mega Drive Classics\0042|{{p|userprofile\Documents}}\SEGA Genesis Classics\0042}}
 
{{Game data/saves|Windows|{{p|userprofile\Documents}}\SEGA Mega Drive Classics\0042|{{p|userprofile\Documents}}\SEGA Genesis Classics\0042}}
−
{{Game data/saves|OS X|}}
+
{{Game data/saves|OS X|{{P|linuxhome}}/SEGA Mega Drive Classics/user_{{P|uid}}/Sonic 3 & Knuckles}}
 
{{Game data/saves|Linux|{{P|linuxhome}}/SEGA Mega Drive Classics/user_{{P|uid}}/Sonic 3 & Knuckles}}
 
{{Game data/saves|Linux|{{P|linuxhome}}/SEGA Mega Drive Classics/user_{{P|uid}}/Sonic 3 & Knuckles}}
 
}}
 
}}
−
{{ii}} The "Simple" launcher uses either folder depending on region; the "hub" launcher only uses the "Mega Drive" path.
+
{{ii}} The "Simple" launcher uses either folder depending on region; the "hub" launcher only uses the "Mega Drive" path.
 +
{{ii}} [[#Sonic 3: Angel Island Revisited|Sonic 3 A.I.R.]] location: {{file|{{p|appdata}}\Sonic3AIR\}}
  
 
===[[Glossary:Save game cloud syncing|Save game cloud syncing]]===
 
===[[Glossary:Save game cloud syncing|Save game cloud syncing]]===
 
{{Save game cloud syncing
 
{{Save game cloud syncing
−
|discord               =  
+
|discord                   =  
−
|discord notes         =  
+
|discord notes             =  
−
|epic games store       =  
+
|epic games launcher       =  
−
|epic games store notes =  
+
|epic games launcher notes =  
−
|gog galaxy             =  
+
|gog galaxy               =  
−
|gog galaxy notes       =  
+
|gog galaxy notes         =  
−
|origin                 =  
+
|origin                   =  
−
|origin notes           =  
+
|origin notes             =  
−
|steam cloud           = false
+
|steam cloud               = false
−
|steam cloud notes     =  
+
|steam cloud notes         =  
−
|uplay                  =  
+
|ubisoft connect          =  
−
|uplay notes           =  
+
|ubisoft connect notes     =  
−
|xbox cloud             =  
+
|xbox cloud               =  
−
|xbox cloud notes       =  
+
|xbox cloud notes         =  
 
}}
 
}}
  
−
==Video settings==
+
==Video==
 
{{Image|Sega Mega Drive Classics settings.png|Launcher options menu.}}
 
{{Image|Sega Mega Drive Classics settings.png|Launcher options menu.}}
−
{{Video settings
+
{{Video
 
|wsgf link                  = https://www.wsgf.org/dr/sega-genesis-classics-collection/en
 
|wsgf link                  = https://www.wsgf.org/dr/sega-genesis-classics-collection/en
 
|widescreen wsgf award      = unsupported
 
|widescreen wsgf award      = unsupported
Line 85: Line 109:
 
|4k ultra hd wsgf award    = unsupported
 
|4k ultra hd wsgf award    = unsupported
 
|widescreen resolution      = hackable
 
|widescreen resolution      = hackable
−
|widescreen resolution notes= Hub launcher supports widescreen but the game is limited to 4:3. See [[#Sonic 3: Angel Island Revisited|Sonic 3 A.I.R.]]
+
|widescreen resolution notes= {{term|Pillarboxed}} or {{Term|stretched}} from 4:3. Use [[#Sonic 3: Angel Island Revisited|Sonic 3 A.I.R.]] for widescreen resolution; {{Term|pixel-perfect}} and stretched scaling are also supported.
 
|multimonitor              = false
 
|multimonitor              = false
−
|multimonitor notes        =  
+
|multimonitor notes        = Not possible in the "Simple" or "Hub" launchers. Multimonitor is not supported in [[#Sonic 3: Angel Island Revisited|Sonic 3 A.I.R.]].
−
|ultrawidescreen            = false
+
|ultrawidescreen            = hackable
−
|ultrawidescreen notes      =  
+
|ultrawidescreen notes      = See [[#Ultrawide resolution|Ultrawide resolution]] to enable 21:9 for [[#Sonic 3: Angel Island Revisited|Sonic 3 A.I.R.]].
−
|4k ultra hd                = false
+
|4k ultra hd                = limited
−
|4k ultra hd notes          =  
+
|4k ultra hd notes          = "Hub" launcher supports 4K, but the game is scaled from 320x240 and the game is {{Term|pillarboxed}} to 4:3.
 
|fov                        = n/a
 
|fov                        = n/a
 
|fov notes                  =  
 
|fov notes                  =  
 
|windowed                  = true
 
|windowed                  = true
−
|windowed notes            =  
+
|windowed notes            = Supported in "Hub" and "Simple" launchers.<br /> Can be toggled in [[#Sonic 3: Angel Island Revisited|Sonic 3 A.I.R.]] with {{key|Alt|Enter}}.
 
|borderless windowed        = hackable
 
|borderless windowed        = hackable
−
|borderless windowed notes  = Use the <code>-popupwindow</code> [[Glossary:Command line arguments|command line argument]] for the "Hub" version.<ref>{{Refcheck|user=AmethystViper|date=April 29, 2016}}</ref>
+
|borderless windowed notes  = Use the <code>-popupwindow</code> [[Glossary:Command line arguments|command line argument]] for the "Hub" version.<ref>{{Refcheck|user=AmethystViper|date=April 29, 2016}}</ref> [[#Sonic 3: Angel Island Revisited|Sonic 3 A.I.R.]]'s fullscreen mode is borderless.
 
|anisotropic                = n/a
 
|anisotropic                = n/a
 
|anisotropic notes          =  
 
|anisotropic notes          =  
 
|antialiasing              = n/a
 
|antialiasing              = n/a
 
|antialiasing notes        =  
 
|antialiasing notes        =  
 +
|upscaling                  = unknown
 +
|upscaling tech            =
 +
|upscaling notes            =
 
|vsync                      = true
 
|vsync                      = true
 
|vsync notes                =  
 
|vsync notes                =  
Line 107: Line 134:
 
|60 fps notes              =  
 
|60 fps notes              =  
 
|120 fps                    = false
 
|120 fps                    = false
−
|120 fps notes              =  
+
|120 fps notes              = Capped at 60 FPS.
−
|hdr                        = unknown
+
|hdr                        = false
 
|hdr notes                  =  
 
|hdr notes                  =  
−
|color blind                = unknown
+
|ray tracing                = false
 +
|ray tracing notes          =
 +
|color blind                = false
 
|color blind notes          =  
 
|color blind notes          =  
 
}}
 
}}
  
−
==Input settings==
+
===[[Glossary:Ultra-widescreen|Ultra-widescreen]]===
−
{{Input settings
+
{{ii}} To play [[#Sonic 3: Angel Island Revisited|Sonic 3 A.I.R.]] in a 4:3 aspect ratio similar to the original game, or to play in a ultrawide aspect-ratio up to a maximum of 31:14 (496x224), follow these steps (requires v21.09.12.0 -- Late Summer Update 2021 or later):
 +
{{Fixbox|description=Enable developer mode in Sonic 3 A.I.R.|ref={{cn|date=2022-07-10|reason=}}|fix=
 +
# Open <code>{{p|game}}\config.json</code> with a text editor, then enable developer mode on by setting {{code|"DevMode":}} to {{code|0}}.
 +
# Launch the game, then press either {{key|/}} or {{key|*}} keys to decrease or increase the horizontal rendering resolution respectively.
 +
}}
 +
 
 +
==Input==
 +
{{Input
 
|key remap                = true
 
|key remap                = true
 
|key remap notes          =  
 
|key remap notes          =  
Line 131: Line 167:
 
|controller support notes  =  
 
|controller support notes  =  
 
|full controller          = true
 
|full controller          = true
−
|full controller notes    = Only for "hub" launcher. Mouse needed to use "simple" launcher.
+
|full controller notes    = Only for "Hub" launcher. Mouse needed to use "simple" launcher.
 
|controller remap          = true
 
|controller remap          = true
 
|controller remap notes    =  
 
|controller remap notes    =  
Line 178: Line 214:
 
}}
 
}}
  
−
==Audio settings==
+
==Audio==
−
{{Audio settings
+
{{Audio
 
|separate volume          = true
 
|separate volume          = true
 
|separate volume notes    =  
 
|separate volume notes    =  
Line 191: Line 227:
 
|mute on focus lost notes = Only on auto-pause.
 
|mute on focus lost notes = Only on auto-pause.
 
|eax support              = false
 
|eax support              = false
−
|eax support notes        =  
+
|eax support notes         =
 +
|royalty free audio       = unknown
 +
|royalty free audio notes  =  
 
}}
 
}}
  
Line 226: Line 264:
 
===API===
 
===API===
 
{{API
 
{{API
−
|direct3d versions      =  
+
|direct3d versions      = 9.0c, 11
−
|direct3d notes        =  
+
|direct3d notes        = "Simple" launcher uses Direct3D 9, the "Hub" launcher uses Direct3D 11.
 
|directdraw versions    =  
 
|directdraw versions    =  
 
|directdraw notes      =  
 
|directdraw notes      =  
−
|opengl versions        =  
+
|opengl versions        = unknown
−
|opengl notes          =  
+
|opengl notes          = [[#Sonic 3: Angel Island Revisited|Sonic 3 A.I.R.]] uses OpenGL, but the version is unknown.
 
|glide versions        =  
 
|glide versions        =  
 
|glide notes            =  
 
|glide notes            =  
Line 248: Line 286:
 
|windows 32-bit exe    = true
 
|windows 32-bit exe    = true
 
|windows 64-bit exe    = false
 
|windows 64-bit exe    = false
 +
|windows arm app        = false
 
|windows exe notes      =  
 
|windows exe notes      =  
 
|mac os x powerpc app  =  
 
|mac os x powerpc app  =  
 
|macos intel 32-bit app = unknown
 
|macos intel 32-bit app = unknown
 
|macos intel 64-bit app = unknown
 
|macos intel 64-bit app = unknown
 +
|macos arm app          = false
 
|macos app notes        =  
 
|macos app notes        =  
 
|linux 32-bit executable= unknown
 
|linux 32-bit executable= unknown
 
|linux 64-bit executable= unknown
 
|linux 64-bit executable= unknown
−
|linux executable notes =  
+
|linux arm app          = hackable
 +
|linux executable notes = ARM64 is supported by the Flatpak version of ''Angel Island Revisited''.<ref>{{Refcheck|user=Dandelion Sprout|date=2021-09-16}}</ref> ARM32 support is unconfirmed.
 +
}}
 +
 
 +
===Modding===
 +
{{ii}} Listed mods require Sonic 3 A.I.R..
 +
{{Fixbox|description=How to install mods for [[#Sonic 3: Angel Island Revisited|Sonic 3 A.I.R.]]|ref=|fix=
 +
# Download a mod for Sonic 3: Angel Island Revisited from the sites or links listed below.
 +
# Extract the folder containing the mod to <code>{{p|appdata}}\Sonic3AIR\mods</code>.
 +
# Launch Sonic 3: Angel Island Revisited, then from the main menu go to Mods.
 +
# To activate a mod, select the mod that you wish to activate from the Inactive Mods window by holding the A button/{{key|A}} key and press Left to move it to the Active Mods window and vice-versa to deactivate the mod.
 
}}
 
}}
 +
 +
====Featured website====
 +
* [https://gamebanana.com/games/6878 GameBanana] Hosts a large number of user-created mods for Sonic 3: Angel Island Revisited.
 +
* [https://sonic3air.boards.net] - Sonic 3 A.I.R. has a official forum page for mods.
 +
 +
====Featured mods====
 +
{{ii}} The following mods listed below are in suggested priorities.
 +
 +
'''Restoring the original zone order and features:'''
 +
* [https://gamebanana.com/mods/54063 Original Zone Order] - Places Flying Battery in-between Carnival Night and IceCap, as intended prior to the game being split in two in the original release
 +
* [https://gamebanana.com/mods/54065 Sonic 3 Complete FBZ Night Palette] - Improves continuity with the original level order by porting the Sonic 3 Complete night time palette for Flying Battery Zone.
 +
* [https://gamebanana.com/mods/54288 FBZ Doorboarding] - Replaces the snowboard in Icecap Zone with the door from Flying Battery Zone to create better continuity between Zones.
 +
* [https://gamebanana.com/mods/151035 Knuckles Fights the Carnival Night 2 Boss] - This mod forces Knuckles to fight the boss in Carnival Night Zone Act 2 instead of skipping it as he normally does. Incompatible with Original Zone Order.
 +
* [https://gamebanana.com/mods/54212 Launch Base Zone Eggman Fleeing Recreation] - Re-creates an unused animation where Dr. Eggman flees after Big Arms is defeated at the end of Launch Base Zone Act 2.
 +
* [https://gamebanana.com/wips/51834 Sonic 3 Complete Launch Base Zone Transition] - A mod that ports the Death Egg falling onto Angel Island transition sequence from Sonic 3 Complete in between Launch Base Zone and Mushroom Valley Zone into Sonic 3 A.I.R..
 +
* [https://gamebanana.com/mods/300977 Competition Mode Title Cards] - Restores the original title cards for the Competition Mode.
 +
 +
'''Bugfixes/improvements:'''
 +
* [https://sonic3air.boards.net/thread/594/4-update-misc-fixes-tweaks Misc. Fixes and Tweaks] - Fixes minor bugs and corrects inconsistencies from the original game and Sonic 3 A.I.R. while adding various configurable tweaks.
 +
* [https://sonic3air.boards.net/thread/388/sonic-origins-widescreen-backgrounds Sonic Origins Death Egg and Title & Menu Backgrounds] - Extends the original 4:3 Death Egg Zone, title screens, Data Select, and Competition Mode backgrounds with their widescreen versions featured in [[Sonic Origins]].
 +
* [https://gamebanana.com/mods/54124 Sonic 3 Complete: Zone-Dependent Title Card Icons] - Brings the unique title card icons featured for every Zone instead of the palm tree icon used in Angel Island Zone and onward similarly to [https://info.sonicretro.org/Sonic_3_Complete Sonic 3 Complete].
 +
* [https://gamebanana.com/mods/252885 Sonic 3 Complete Sprites (+fixes)] - Ports various sprite fixes from Sonic 3 Complete.
  
 
==System requirements==
 
==System requirements==

Latest revision as of 11:26, 4 October 2023

This page is for the emulated re-release. For the Windows 95 compilation, see Sonic & Knuckles Collection.

Sonic 3 & Knuckles
Sonic 3 & Knuckles cover
Developers
Sonic Team
Sega Technical Institute
Publishers
Sega
Release dates
Windows (emulator) January 26, 2011
macOS (OS X) (emulator) May 29, 2018[1]
Linux (emulator) May 29, 2018[1]
Taxonomy
Monetization One-time game purchase
Modes Singleplayer, Multiplayer
Pacing Real-time
Perspectives Scrolling, Side view
Controls Direct control
Genres Platform
Art styles Cartoon, Pixel art
Series Sonic the Hedgehog
Sonic 3 & Knuckles on HowLongToBeat
Sonic 3 & Knuckles on IGDB
Icon overlay.png
Icon overlay.png
Icon overlay.png
Icon overlay.png
Sonic 3 & Knuckles guide on StrategyWiki
Sonic 3 & Knuckles on MobyGames
Sonic 3 & Knuckles on Wikipedia
Icon overlay.png
⤏ Go to series page
Sonic the Hedgehog fangames (series)
Sonic CD 1995
Sonic's Schoolhouse 1996
Sonic 3D Blast (series)
Sonic & Knuckles Collection 1997
Sonic R (series)
Sonic Adventure (series)
Sonic Heroes 2004
Sonic Mega Collection Plus 2006
Sonic Riders 2006
Sonic Racing (series)
Sonic the Hedgehog 2010
Dr. Robotnik's Mean Bean Machine 2010
Sonic Spinball 2010
Sonic the Hedgehog 2 2011
Sonic 3 & Knuckles 2011
Sonic Generations 2011
Sonic CD (2012) 2012
Sonic the Hedgehog 4: Episode I 2012
Sonic the Hedgehog 4: Episode II 2012
Sonic Dash 2014
Sonic Lost World 2015
Sonic Mania 2017
Sonic Forces 2017
Sonic the Hedgehog (Mobile Decompilation) 2021
Sonic the Hedgehog 2 (Mobile Decompilation) 2021
Sonic Colors: Ultimate 2021
Sonic Origins 2022
Sonic Frontiers 2022
The Murder of Sonic the Hedgehog 2023
Sonic Superstars 2023
Sonic Dream Team 2023
Sonic X Shadow Generations 2024

Sonic 3 & Knuckles is a singleplayer and multiplayer side view scrolling platform game co-developed by Sonic Team and Sega Technical Institute and published by Sega. It is part of the Sonic the Hedgehog series.

Originally released on Sega Genesis in 1994 as a combined title of two separate games (Sonic the Hedgehog 3 and Sonic & Knuckles), it was ported to PC and released on January 26, 2011. Unlike the version included in Sonic & Knuckles Collection which runs native on Windows, this version is an emulated re-release.

The game was eventually delisted on all storefronts on May 20, 2022 in preparation for the release of Sonic Origins.

General information

Official publisher site
Sonic Retro - A huge fan site for everything Sonic the Hedgehog. ROM hacks of all the games can be found here.

Availability

Source DRM Notes Keys OS
GamersGate (unavailable)
DRM-free after installation (requires an internet connection during installation)
Windows
Steam (unavailable)
Icon overlay.png
DRM-free after installation through Steam client (notes may include more details)
 "Hub" launcher requires Steam DRM. "Simple" launcher is DRM-free when launched directly from the executable. Removed to be included in Sonic Origins. Can be played without Steam by using Sonic 3 A.I.R..
Windows
macOS (OS X)
Linux
All digital downloads have Sonic the Hedgehog 3 and Sonic & Knuckles bundled as one game called "Sonic 3 & Knuckles".
The Steam version includes both the "Hub" launcher with the "Simple" launcher as a fallback. All non-Steam versions only includes the "Simple" launcher.
Only includes Sonic 3 & Knuckles. Does not include the standalone versions of Sonic the Hedgehog 3 and Sonic & Knuckles or the extra lock-on games available for Sonic & Knuckles (Knuckles the Echidna in Sonic the Hedgehog 2 and Blue Sphere). These can, however, be found on the Steam Workshop.

Essential improvements

Sonic 3: Angel Island Revisited

Sonic 3 A.I.R. is a fan project aimed at making an accurate, reverse-engineered PC port of Sonic 3 & Knuckles. It includes a number of graphical improvements such as 16:9 widescreen (can be changed back to 4:3 or other aspect ratios; see Ultra-widescreen), consistent frame rate, 60 FPS in special stages, smooth sprite rotation, and mod support. It requires a Sonic 3 & Knuckles ROM identical to the Steam release[Note 1]; ROM hacks (modified ROMs) are incompatible.

Game data

Configuration file location

System Location
Windows %USERPROFILE%\Documents\SEGA Mega Drive Classics\setup.dat
%USERPROFILE%\Documents\SEGA Genesis Classics\setup.dat
macOS (OS X)
Linux
It's unknown whether this game follows the XDG Base Directory Specification on Linux. Please fill in this information.
Folder name varies by region.
These locations are for the "Simple" launcher interface only and are shared between all Sega Mega Drive and Genesis Classics games played through it.
Sonic 3 A.I.R. location: %APPDATA%\Sonic3AIR\

Save game data location

System Location
Windows %USERPROFILE%\Documents\SEGA Mega Drive Classics\0042
%USERPROFILE%\Documents\SEGA Genesis Classics\0042
macOS (OS X) $HOME/SEGA Mega Drive Classics/user_<user-id>/Sonic 3 & Knuckles
Linux $HOME/SEGA Mega Drive Classics/user_<user-id>/Sonic 3 & Knuckles
The "Simple" launcher uses either folder depending on region; the "hub" launcher only uses the "Mega Drive" path.
Sonic 3 A.I.R. location: %APPDATA%\Sonic3AIR\

Save game cloud syncing

System Native Notes
OneDrive
Requires enabling backup of the Documents folder in OneDrive on all computers.
Steam Cloud

Video

Launcher options menu.
Launcher options menu.

Graphics feature State WSGF Notes
Widescreen resolution
 
 Pillarboxed or stretched from 4:3. Use Sonic 3 A.I.R. for widescreen resolution; pixel-perfect and stretched scaling are also supported.
Multi-monitor
 
 Not possible in the "Simple" or "Hub" launchers. Multimonitor is not supported in Sonic 3 A.I.R..
Ultra-widescreen
 
 See Ultrawide resolution to enable 21:9 for Sonic 3 A.I.R..
4K Ultra HD
 
 "Hub" launcher supports 4K, but the game is scaled from 320x240 and the game is pillarboxed to 4:3.
Field of view (FOV)
Windowed
Supported in "Hub" and "Simple" launchers.
Can be toggled in Sonic 3 A.I.R. with Alt+↵ Enter.
Borderless fullscreen windowed
Use the -popupwindow command line argument for the "Hub" version.[2] Sonic 3 A.I.R.'s fullscreen mode is borderless.
Anisotropic filtering (AF)
Anti-aliasing (AA)
Vertical sync (Vsync)
60 FPS
120+ FPS
Capped at 60 FPS.
High dynamic range display (HDR)
See the glossary page for potential alternatives.
Ray tracing (RT)

Ultra-widescreen

To play Sonic 3 A.I.R. in a 4:3 aspect ratio similar to the original game, or to play in a ultrawide aspect-ratio up to a maximum of 31:14 (496x224), follow these steps (requires v21.09.12.0 -- Late Summer Update 2021 or later):
Enable developer mode in Sonic 3 A.I.R.[citation needed]
  1. Open <path-to-game>\config.json with a text editor, then enable developer mode on by setting "DevMode": to 0.
  2. Launch the game, then press either / or * keys to decrease or increase the horizontal rendering resolution respectively.

Input

Keyboard and mouse State Notes
Remapping
Mouse acceleration
Mouse sensitivity
Mouse input in menus
The mouse can only be used in the launcher.
Mouse Y-axis inversion
Controller
Controller support
Full controller support
Only for "Hub" launcher. Mouse needed to use "simple" launcher.
Controller remapping
Controller sensitivity
Controller Y-axis inversion
Controller types
XInput-compatible controllers
PlayStation controllers
Generic/other controllers
Additional information
Controller hotplugging
Haptic feedback
Digital movement supported
Simultaneous controller+KB/M

Audio

Audio feature State Notes
Separate volume controls
Surround sound
Subtitles
Closed captions
Mute on focus lost
Only on auto-pause.
Royalty free audio

Localizations

Language UI Audio Sub Notes
English

Network

Multiplayer types

Type Native Players Notes
Local play
2 Co-op, Versus
LAN play
Online play

Other information

API

Technical specs Supported Notes
Direct3D 9.0c, 11 "Simple" launcher uses Direct3D 9, the "Hub" launcher uses Direct3D 11.
OpenGL
Sonic 3 A.I.R. uses OpenGL, but the version is unknown.
Executable 32-bit 64-bitARM Notes
Windows
macOS (OS X)
Linux
ARM64 is supported by the Flatpak version of Angel Island Revisited.[3] ARM32 support is unconfirmed.

Modding

Listed mods require Sonic 3 A.I.R..
How to install mods for Sonic 3 A.I.R.
  1. Download a mod for Sonic 3: Angel Island Revisited from the sites or links listed below.
  2. Extract the folder containing the mod to %APPDATA%\Sonic3AIR\mods.
  3. Launch Sonic 3: Angel Island Revisited, then from the main menu go to Mods.
  4. To activate a mod, select the mod that you wish to activate from the Inactive Mods window by holding the A button/A key and press Left to move it to the Active Mods window and vice-versa to deactivate the mod.

Featured website

  • GameBanana Hosts a large number of user-created mods for Sonic 3: Angel Island Revisited.
  • [1] - Sonic 3 A.I.R. has a official forum page for mods.

Featured mods

The following mods listed below are in suggested priorities.

Restoring the original zone order and features:

  • Original Zone Order - Places Flying Battery in-between Carnival Night and IceCap, as intended prior to the game being split in two in the original release
  • Sonic 3 Complete FBZ Night Palette - Improves continuity with the original level order by porting the Sonic 3 Complete night time palette for Flying Battery Zone.
  • FBZ Doorboarding - Replaces the snowboard in Icecap Zone with the door from Flying Battery Zone to create better continuity between Zones.
  • Knuckles Fights the Carnival Night 2 Boss - This mod forces Knuckles to fight the boss in Carnival Night Zone Act 2 instead of skipping it as he normally does. Incompatible with Original Zone Order.
  • Launch Base Zone Eggman Fleeing Recreation - Re-creates an unused animation where Dr. Eggman flees after Big Arms is defeated at the end of Launch Base Zone Act 2.
  • Sonic 3 Complete Launch Base Zone Transition - A mod that ports the Death Egg falling onto Angel Island transition sequence from Sonic 3 Complete in between Launch Base Zone and Mushroom Valley Zone into Sonic 3 A.I.R..
  • Competition Mode Title Cards - Restores the original title cards for the Competition Mode.

Bugfixes/improvements:

System requirements

Windows
Minimum Recommended
Operating system (OS) XP
Processor (CPU) 1 GHz 1.4 GHz
System memory (RAM) 512 MB 1 GB
Hard disk drive (HDD) 50 MB
Video card (GPU) 32 MB of VRAM
DirectX 9 compatible


Notes

  1. ↑ MD5: cfcc692427348e58682230a27d9e365d
    SHA1: b711a909cce238ca4af3e517a2edca306228efa5

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 SEGA Mega Drive & Genesis Classics :: Free update with new features! - Steam Community - last accessed on 2018-05-30
  2. ↑ Verified by User:AmethystViper on April 29, 2016
  3. ↑ Verified by User:Dandelion Sprout on 2021-09-16