3. Sonic & Knuckles (1994, Genesis)
Sonic 3 is technically an incomplete game; time and development constraints necessitated cutting half the content just so it could ship on time. That’s where 1994’s follow-up Sonic & Knuckles comes in. It contains the rest of the originally planned zones, and in a very unique twist, connects with your existing Sonic 3 cart to create one massive, continuous game that allows you to play as Knuckles during the Sonic 3 portion. (I have fond memories of sticking other, non-Sonic games into that port and getting the “no way” screen; me and my cousin—who is formative to not only my Sonic memories but all my early video gaming memories—were delighted by Sonic wiggling his finger at us in admonition.) Though the two games could be tied, Sonic & Knuckles gets the edge because it has slightly better levels, specifically Flying Battery and Sky Sanctuary.
