Sonic 3 and Knuckles

How to Play Sonic 3 and Knuckles

At the start of the game, your team has three lives. Characters lose a life if they fall into spikes, collide with enemies without having rings, or run out of time. The goal is to complete each level within the ten-minute time limit!

Sonic and Tails

Play as any of the three classic Sonic heroes: Sonic, Tails, or Knuckles! You can also choose to play Sonic and Knuckles as a duo, like the title suggests.

Choose your characters by pressing the up or down arrow button in the data select found at the beginning of the game. Note that you can’t swap characters once you’ve started the game.

Knuckles

A unique feature of the game is that you can also choose to play solo as Knuckles! Knuckles makes his way across the same zones as Sonic and Tails, although he navigates an alternative path.

Zones

Sonic 3 and Knuckles have over 14 zones or worlds to play in! Start your game in Angel Island Zone, and then make your way through other worlds like Carnival Night Zone, Mushroom Hill Zone, and Sky Sanctuary Zone.

Tips, Tricks & Strategies

Adjust the Controls

The default controls are quite hard to navigate, especially if you’re not a retro game player. Thankfully, you can change the controls by hovering on the bottom left of the screen. Click on “Controls Settings”, then press the keyboard controls. Press in the keyboard the control you would like to swap the default with, and then press “Update” when done.

Collect Rings

Think of collecting rings like an extra shield for your team! If they hold at least one ring, the team won’t lose a life when they collide with an enemy or a hazardous obstacle, although all your rings will scatter.

Use The Spin Dash

Both Sonic and Knuckles can use a spin dash to charge their speed from a stationary position and launch forward. This is a helpful skill especially when stumbling upon high or looped platforms. Use this attack to destroy enemies, obstacles, and robots as well in order to save trapped animals.

Destroy Boulders

There are boulders scattered everywhere in the zone. Destroy or attack these boulders as they might reveal hidden items like springs, which you can jump in to transport you to hard-to-spot places that are filled with surprises!

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I perform a spin dash?

Press the arrow keys to look up or down, and simultaneously press the “A” or “B” button. This move allows your character to charge their speed in a fixed position. Release the arrow key to launch them forward.

How do I perform a spin attack?

The spin attack is unique to Sonic. Jump by pressing either the “A”, “B”, or “Y” button, then quickly press any of these buttons again to perform a spin attack mid-air.

How do I change characters?

At the start of the game, when you press “Start”, you will see the “Data Select” screen where you can choose your characters. You can either play Sonic, Tails, or Knuckles solo or both Sonic and Tails as a duo. Switch characters by pressing the up or down arrow button.

Can I save my game?

Yes, you can save your game by hovering on the bottom left of the screen and then clicking on “Save State” (or Shift +F2). You can save your game to either a local file, the browser storage, or the server. Load your game by pressing “Load State” (or Shift + F4).