Well, now I really feel old. Because here’s one of the earliest games I can remember being super hyped about before release, and it turns thirty years old today. It’s Sonic the Hedgehog 3!
Back in the early 1990s, Sonic the Hedgehog was the coolest guy around (briefly surpassing Mario in popularity). The original 1991 game instantly made the character an icon, but 1992’s Sonic the Hedgehog 2 is the game that elevated the series into something timeless. This put the hype for Sonic the Hedgehog 3 on a whole other level.
Sonic the Hedgehog 3 was going to be the biggest game of its time. It became so big, in fact, that it wasn’t going to meet its planned release date, and the game had to be split in two (the second half of the game, Sonic & Knuckles, was released later in the same year, and featured unique “lock-on technology” to connect it with Sonic 3, and even Sonic 2).
Sonic the Hedgehog 3 was released first in the US on February 2nd of 1994 (Groundhog Day, which Sega dubbed “Hedgehog Day”), and would release in other regions shortly thereafter. The game took everything that made Sonic 2 so good, and expanded on it. More zones, bigger boss fights, the series’ most iconic bonus stages (blue spheres!), an awesome snowboarding section, and the introduction of a rival character for Sonic in the form of Knuckles the Echidna. And for the first time in the series, Sonic 3 featured a save feature (which really does help it stand the test of time above its predecessors). To this day, Sonic the Hedgehog 3 puts up an argument to being the best entry in the beloved series (though Sonic Mania might have something to say about that).
Sega themselves seem to be celebrating the anniversary, making a number of announcements regarding the upcoming 2024 film Sonic the Hedgehog 3, including the return of Jim Carrey as my main man Dr. Ivo Robotnik!
It’s hard to believe it’s been thirty years since that fateful ‘Hedgehog Day’ that gave Sega fans possibly their biggest moment ever. Here’s hoping Sonic can replicate this game’s greatness again in the future.
Happy 30th Anniversary, Sonic the Hedgehog 3! And Happy 30th ‘birthday’ Knuckles!
Wizard Dojo 