Summary
- Sonic & Knuckles is a unique title in the series, finishing Sonic 3 story with lock-on cartridges.
- Knuckles, a gullible character, added depth and a redemption arc to the Sonic franchise.
- Knuckles' influence on Sonic's story elements and future characters is significant.
While it's mostly remembered as part of Sonic the Hedgehog 3, Sonic & Knuckles is important on its own merits as a standalone release as well. Sonic & Knuckles still remains one of the more unique titles in series history for a reason. Not only does it finish off the story that Sonic 3 started, but it managed to get around the way that the complete saga went beyond the storage limitations of the Sega Genesis by using the system's lock-on cartridges. It was the perfect opportunity to give a brand-new perspective on the story Sonic 3 was aiming to tell while finishing the first Sonic game to have a proper narrative within its runtime. Through Sonic & Knuckles, players get to play as the deuteragonist Knuckles the Echidna in multiple Sonic titles after serving as one of the villains for Sonic 3.
Knuckles is a prominent Sonic character for many reasons, but he still can't shake the fact that he fell into the lies that Dr. Ivo "Eggman" Robotnik fed him when he first appeared. Knuckles is almost infamous for the fact that he's rather gullible, and at times, that has been watered down into sheer stupidity in entries like Sonic Boom, much to the chagrin of his fans. However, it's because of his past that it's understood that the Rad Red to Sonic's Blue Blur is one of the first characters in the series to have a bit of depth to him. He's the first instance of Sonic making a friend out of an enemy. In that regard, he most certainly wasn't the last. Just as Sonic 3 leads to the Sonic franchise's future stories, Knuckles and his lock-on cartridge playable character debut marked the beginning of many iconic characters.
How Sonic X Shadow Generations Takes Advantage of Nostalgia and New Elements
As surprising as Sonic Generations' remaster is, Sonic Team's leader tells The Best War Games that the game serves a purpose as Sonic X Shadow Generations.
How Sonic & Knuckles Changed the Sonic Franchise Going Forward
Sonic & Knuckles is a Testament to Sega and Sonic Team's Innovative Qualities
It's not common for a Sonic game to go beyond Sonic Team's original vision like Sonic 3 & Knuckles did. The team didn't wish to split the game into two at first, but decided it was ultimately best for many reasons. While one known reason was marketing plans, Sonic Team realized that splitting the games meant it would allow Knuckles to keep his unique paths in Sonic 3, which wouldn't fit on the cartridge otherwise. Doing so gave players the first chance to glide and climb through stages as the echidna for the first time ever, but only if players had the lock-on cartridge that also revealed him being betrayed by Dr. Eggman, and teaming up as Sonic's ally from then on.
While there's a very good reason that Sonic 3 & Knuckles is seen as a complete package these days, it should not be forgotten that Sonic & Knuckles is a unique experience all on its own. The lock-on cartridge didn't just help Sonic 3 be a complete experience for all three playable characters, but it also allowed Knuckles to be playable in Sonic the Hedgehog 2 as well.
Knuckles' Past Helped Define the Future of Sonic's Friends
As Sonic 3 & Knuckles couldn't use words to tell its story, it relies on stage transitions and the occasional playable cutscene to get itself across. (Though players could get more context through the game's manuals at the time.) With careful use of sprites just before and during Sky Sanctuary, players can see Knuckles is remorseful and exhausted after fighting Sonic, and also grateful when the Master Emerald is restored and Angel Island is seen floating during the True Ending of Sonic & Knuckles. He marks the first redemption of the Sonic franchise, which is followed by other similar twists in stories like Shadow the Hedgehog's eleventh hour alliance with Sonic and company in Sonic Adventure 2.
It's important to note Knuckles' influence on story elements and future characters on the anniversary of both games that used him to break the mold. The 30th anniversary of Knuckles the Echidna hasn't exactly been celebrated with much, just an anniversary comic and a divisive six-episode show, while 2024 has been dubbed the Year of Shadow despite Sonic 3 & Knuckles' importance. It's a bit sad for fans of Rad Red, but there's an argument to be had that Sonic Frontiers brought Knuckles to the forefront for the last two years through writing his character in a way fans had been asking for years, so perhaps his recognition just came earlier than anyone could have expected.
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OpenCritic Reviews
- Top Critic Avg: 73 /100 Critics Rec: 60%
- Released
- October 17, 2023
- ESRB
- e
- Developer(s)
- Sonic Team
- Publisher(s)
- Sega
- Engine
- Unity
- Multiplayer
- Online Multiplayer
- Franchise
- Sonic the Hedgehog
WHERE TO PLAY
Adventure through the mystical Northstar Islands in this all-new take on classic 2D Sonic high-speed action platforming. Play as Sonic, Tails, Knuckles, and Amy and harness all-new Emerald powers to move and attack in dynamic new ways. Navigate gorgeous, never-before-seen environments solo or with up to 3 other players and stop Dr. Eggman, Fang, and a mysterious new adversary from converting the islands’ giant animals into Badniks before it’s too late!
- Split Screen Orientation
- N/A (Shared Screen)
- Platform(s)
- PC, PS5, PS4, Switch, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, Xbox One
- Genre(s)
- 2D, Platformer
- Local Co-Op Support
- 1-4 Players
- OpenCritic Rating
- Fair
