History YMMV / Sonic3AndKnuckles

** ''"WhosLaughingNow Fat man!"''

** [[SonicAdventureSeries Sonic Adventure]] didn't have Super Sonic because they couldn't figure out how to pull it off (there's even a hidden message with [[ExpositionFairy Tikal]] explaining how to turn Super). Of course, there's been many games since then that they could have spent trying to figure out how to pull off SuperMode in ordinary gameplay.[[spoiler:They finally succeeded in ''SonicColors'']]. They are bringing it back for [[SonicTheHedgehog4 Sonic 4]], [[AndTheFandomRejoiced thank God.]]

** ''"WhosLaughingNow, fat man!"''

** The points from destroying successive robots or bricks went 100, 200, 500, 1000, and stays at 1000. But there is a mechanic left over from [[VideoGame/SonicTheHedgehog the original Sonic The Hedgehog game]]: upon destroying the 13th object, the score jumps to 10,000. There is only one area in the original game this can be done (you can destroy 16 blocks in a row if you do it right), ''but there's also one in SonicTheHedgehog3'': in the Launch Pad zone, right near the beginning, there's an alarm that summons a flying robot. Doing a spindash in that alarm and staying there to keep setting off the alarm will summon robot after robot, which fly right into Sonic and are destroyed. [[spoiler: Since you get an extra life every 50,000 points, it's possible to rack up over 200 lives until either the life counter or score maxes out.)]]

* CrowningMusicOfAwesome: It's a Genesis ''Sonic'' game. [[CrowningMusic/SonicTheHedgehog So pretty much the entire soundtrack qualifies.]] What's really cool is that, rather than using the same music twice per Zone, each Act 2 features a remixed version of the Act 1 theme.

* UnfortunateImplications: [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XN2kXqUrkhk The commercial]] for ''Sonic & Knuckles'' featured elves pitching the game to Santa Claus, implying that the game would have been an unauthorized sequel. Fortunately, Santa had an ItWillNeverCatchOn mindset, so the elves sold the idea to Sega instead.

* BreatherLevel: Hidden Palace Zone.

*** The soundtrack also got additional respect once word got out that {{Michael Jackson}}'s sound crew partially composed it. ''Many'' parts of each song are either heavily sampled from or inspired by his ''Dangerous'' album and standalone tracks.

** Orbinauts from Launch Base Zone, those black balls with four spiked balls orbiting it. Unlike their [[UndergroundMonkey ice counterparts]] in the previous level, Orbinauts are smart enough to keep the spiked balls instead of throwing them out and leaving themselves defenceless.

** Same goes for the ghosts in Act 2 of the same zone, especially when it is dark- they grow big and attack in numbers, and they can't be killed off permanently!

** Have you ever wanted to hear Sonic & Knuckles' mid-boss theme while fighting a mid-boss in standalone Sonic 3? [[http://info.sonicretro.org/Sonic_the_Hedgehog_3_bug_list#Sonic_.26_Knuckles_Mid-Boss_Music Here's how]].
*** Also, please note that this fight plays the wrong (major boss rather than mid-boss) music to begin with...

* NightmareFuel: Sandopolis Act 2's ghosts

* StopHelpingMe: Tails, when he's tagging along with Sonic. If you get a friend (Or [[DoublePlay yourself]][[hottip:* :This is extremely easy in the PC version or via {{emulation}}]]) to control Tails with the player 2 controller, he can be ''extremely'' helpful. But if the AI controls Tails, then he'll get in your way, collapse platforms that you want to use, attack enemies and bosses half a second before you do (so they'll have MercyInvincibility by the time ''you'' hit them), and all-around make a nuisance of himself.

** Both the miniboss and main boss of IceCap Zone are considered this by some players, the former because it's hard to hit, and the latter because its freezing attacks are randomized.

** IceCap Zone is another "waste a lot of time" level. There's an awful lot of those types of levels and bosses in this game, [[FridgeBrilliance which makes sense, since Robotnik's trying to prevent you from reaching the Death Egg before he relaunches it.]]

** There are a few special stages in the ''& Knuckles'' part which seem geared to make sure you don't get any rings. One in particular has blue and orange checkers...

** Marble Garden's mini-boss can also be problematic with Knuckles. Not only his shorter jump makes it slower to reach the pod, but the spikes platform also retracts and protrudes every second, meaning you have a shorter window to properly hit the boss while using a character that takes longer to do so.

** If you're playing as Tails solo, Marble Garden Act 2. Essentially it's your payment for [[{{Helicritter}} having it easy]] the rest of the levels.
** Red Eye is That One Miniboss, having two phases and can be rather tricky when trying to fight without getting hit. Other minibosses in this game tend to be easy.
** Both the miniboss and main boss of IceCap Zone are considered this by some players, the former because it's hard to hit, and the latter because its freezing attacks are randomized.

* MagnumOpus: Many consider the combined game to be the absolute high point of the series, since everything from the graphics, level design, character abilities, and even some story have been acclaimed as the best ''Sonic''.

** The points from destroying successive robots or bricks went 100, 200, 500, 1000, and stays at 1000. But there is a mechanic left over from [[Game/SonicTheHedgehog the original Sonic The Hedgehog game]]: upon destroying the 13th object, the score jumps to 10,000. There is only one area in the original game this can be done (you can destroy 16 blocks in a row if you do it right), ''but there's also one in SonicTheHedgehog3'': in the Launch Pad zone, right near the beginning, there's an alarm that summons a flying robot. Doing a spindash in that alarm and staying there to keep setting off the alarm will summon robot after robot, which fly right into Sonic and are destroyed. [[spoiler: Since you get an extra life every 50,000 points, it's possible to rack up over 200 lives until either the life counter or score maxes out.)]]

** [[SonicAdventureSeries Sonic Adventure]] didn't have Super Sonic because they couldn't figure out how to pull it off (there's even a hidden message with [[ExpositionFairy Tikal]] explaining how to turn Super). Of course, there's been many games since then that they could have spent trying to figure out how to pull off SuperMode in ordinary gameplay [[spoiler:until ''SonicColors'']]. They are bringing it back for [[SonicTheHedgehog4 Sonic 4]], [[AndTheFandomRejoiced thank God.]]

** [[SonicAdventureSeries Sonic Adventure]] didn't have Super Sonic because they couldn't figure out how to pull it off (there's even a hidden message with [[ExpositionFairy Tikal]] explaining how to turn Super). Of course, there's been many games since then that they could have spent trying to figure out how to pull off SuperMode in ordinary gameplay. They are bringing it back for [[SonicTheHedgehog4 Sonic 4]], [[AndTheFandomRejoiced thank God.]]

*** [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WwdQeE9xc2k Ice Cap Part 2]]

** The points from destroying successive robots or bricks went 100, 200, 500, 1000, and stays at 1000. But there is a mechanic left over from [[Game/SonicTheHedgehog the original Sonic The Hedgehog game]]: upon destroying the 13th object, the score jumps to 10,000. There is only one area in the original game this can be done (you can destroy 16 blocks in a row if you do it right), ''but there's also one in SonicTheHedgehog3'': in the Launch Pad zone, right near the beginning, there's an alarm that summons a flying robot. Doing a spindash and constantly setting off the alarm will summon robot after robot, which fly right into Sonic and are destroyed. [[spoiler: Since you get an extra life every 50,000 points, it's possible to rack up over 200 lives until either the life counter or score maxes out.)]]

** "Skorp", the scorpion in Sandopolis Zone. Touching the spiked ball on it's tail get Sonic hurt, and it will also use the tail and try to attack Sonic at an aimed angle. And it's ''very'' accurate.

* PlayerTic: So who else presses up rapidly on the control pad after beating Robotnik to make it look like Sonic or Knuckles is laughing?

** ANTICLIMAX?! That [[{{ThatOneBoss}} BEAST]] can still eat through 15 of my lives!

* DemonicSpiders: Chainspikes, the blue enemies in Death Egg Zone with 4 spikes.
** Don't forget Orbinauts from Launch Base Zone, those black balls with four spiked balls orbiting it. Unlike their [[UndergroundMonkey ice counterparts]] in the previous level, Orbinauts are smart enough to keep the spiked balls instead of throwing them out and leaving themselves defenceless.
* GameBreaker: If [[SuperMode Super Sonic or Super Knuckles]] broke the game, then Hyper Sonic, Hyper Knuckles, and Super Tails took the pieces and ground them into a microscopic powder. This is most likely the reason that subsequent ''Sonic'' games tended to reserve the Super Modes [[EleventhHourSuperPower solely for the final boss battle]].

* GoddamnedBats: "Skorp", the scorpion in Sandopolis Zone. Touching the spiked ball on it's tail get Sonic hurt, and it will also use the tail and try to attack Sonic at an aimed angle. And it's ''very'' accurate.

* ThatOneBoss: If you're playing as Tails solo, Marble Garden Act 2. Essentially it's your payment for [[{{Helicritter}} having it easy]] the rest of the levels.
** Red Eye is That One Miniboss. Other minibosses in this game tend to be easy.
* ThatOneLevel: Carnival Night Zone, Act 2. Aside from the GuideDangit mentioned above, the level seems designed to waste your time, so that you'll invariably run out the timer while fighting Robotnik (unless you use Sonic's insta-shield against him).
** You mention Carnival Night, which isn't even that bad barrel withstanding, and not Sandopolis? That level really wastes your time, and the ghosts in Act 2 really get on your nerves after a while.