Sonic 3 and Knuckles (Sega Genesis, 1994) (Sonic and Knuckles Half)

 Here we go, second half of a double-header. This title screen is actually from the standalone version of the game, but I'm continuing to play it as the full Sonic 3 and Knuckles combination.

Sonic 3 and Knuckles (Sega Genesis, 1994) (Sonic 3 Half)

 Today I'm playing a game that I've never played before, even though it was beloved by a lot of my classmates in the mid-90's. I was a Nintendo guy across the board until around 1997 when the Playstation got Final Fantasy VII.

This is an interesting game. Sega wasn't able to get Sonic 3 done by the intended release date, so they ended up splitting it into two different games. One was Sonic 3, while the other was released later in the same year as Sonic and Knuckles. Via plugging the carts into each other, players could play the full combined game that was originally intended to be Sonic 3. That's a good thing, because individually the two halves aren't all that impressive as full games. I liked Sonic 2 more, and a lot of that is probably due to it feeling more like a finished product.

Sonic the Hedgehog 2 (Sega Genesis, 1992)

This site exists primarily to amuse me and a small group of long-time readers... anyone else who enjoys it is icing. I try to cover things that are either popular enough to generate interest in this site (Contra) or unknown enough that maybe I'll create an interest in them (Lennus 2).

First and foremost, I do this for fun, not to meet existing standards. Given the abundance of positive responses, I have to conclude that for the most part I'm hitting the right spot for other people too. Comments are extremely welcome on here, whether positive or negative. Even if it's something as simple as "This post was rad to the max" / "This post was ass" or as complex as a page-long diatribe on how people who play WoW are actually all well-off, socially adjusted, successful people who aren't allergic to sunlight OR terrified of lady-parts.

Moving on, here's a game that prompted a great many people to buy a Sega Genesis. Kept the system competitive against the Super NES for a while, it did, as Sonic continued his battle with the nefarious Doctor Eggman. A lot of people... and I mean a LOT... say that this is the best Sonic game out there. So I'm going into this with some pretty high expectations. I'm also going into it while incredibly high. I am the Walrus. Coo coo cachoooo.

Sonic the Hedgehog (Sega Genesis, 1991)

As a kid, I used to lay awake and think about how Nintendo was "where it's at", while never giving Sega a real chance. Now I'm all grown and I realize that rooting for one side or the other is pointless when they're both good. Competition from Sega, spearheaded by Sonic the Hedgehog, is what pushed Nintendo to bring their absolute best in the mid 90's. Competition from the Sony Playstation pushed Nintendo to finally let go of the cartridge format. Competition from the Playstation 3 and XBox 360 has ensured that Nintendo won't be putting out another non-HD system in the age of HD. Competition from the PS4 and XBox720 will ensure that the Nintendo 7th doesn't have a game lineup consisting primarily of Princess Toadstool hentai RPGs, at least after 2015. Competition is good. With this appreciation in mind, I finally gave Sonic a go.