This page is for the emulated re-release. For the Windows 95 compilation, see Sonic & Knuckles Collection.
General information
- Official publisher site
- Sonic Retro - A huge fan site for everything Sonic the Hedgehog. ROM hacks of all the games can be found here.
Availability
Source |
DRM |
Notes |
Keys |
OS |
GamersGate (unavailable) |
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Steam (unavailable) |
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"Hub" launcher requires Steam DRM. "Simple" launcher is DRM-free when launched directly from the executable. Removed to be included in Sonic Origins. Can be played without Steam by using Sonic 3 A.I.R.. |
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- All digital downloads have Sonic the Hedgehog 3 and Sonic & Knuckles bundled as one game called "Sonic 3 & Knuckles".
- The Steam version includes both the "Hub" launcher with the "Simple" launcher as a fallback. All non-Steam versions only includes the "Simple" launcher.
- Only includes Sonic 3 & Knuckles. Does not include the standalone versions of Sonic the Hedgehog 3 and Sonic & Knuckles or the extra lock-on games available for Sonic & Knuckles (Knuckles the Echidna in Sonic the Hedgehog 2 and Blue Sphere). These can, however, be found on the Steam Workshop.
Essential improvements
Sonic 3 A.I.R. is a fan project aimed at making an accurate, reverse-engineered PC port of Sonic 3 & Knuckles. It includes a number of graphical improvements such as 16:9 widescreen (can be changed back to 4:3 or other aspect ratios; see Ultra-widescreen), consistent frame rate, 60 FPS in special stages, smooth sprite rotation, and mod support. It requires a Sonic 3 & Knuckles ROM identical to the Steam release[Note 1]; ROM hacks (modified ROMs) are incompatible.
Game data
Configuration file location
System |
Location |
Windows |
%USERPROFILE%\Documents\SEGA Mega Drive Classics\setup.dat %USERPROFILE%\Documents\SEGA Genesis Classics\setup.dat |
macOS (OS X) |
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Linux |
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- It's unknown whether this game follows the XDG Base Directory Specification on Linux. Please fill in this information.
- Folder name varies by region.
- These locations are for the "Simple" launcher interface only and are shared between all Sega Mega Drive and Genesis Classics games played through it.
- Sonic 3 A.I.R. location:
%APPDATA%\Sonic3AIR\
Save game data location
System |
Location |
Windows |
%USERPROFILE%\Documents\SEGA Mega Drive Classics\0042 %USERPROFILE%\Documents\SEGA Genesis Classics\0042 |
macOS (OS X) |
$HOME/SEGA Mega Drive Classics/user_<user-id>/Sonic 3 & Knuckles |
Linux |
$HOME/SEGA Mega Drive Classics/user_<user-id>/Sonic 3 & Knuckles |
- The "Simple" launcher uses either folder depending on region; the "hub" launcher only uses the "Mega Drive" path.
- Sonic 3 A.I.R. location:
%APPDATA%\Sonic3AIR\
System |
Native |
Notes |
OneDrive |
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Requires enabling backup of the Documents folder in OneDrive on all computers. |
Steam Cloud |
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Video
- To play Sonic 3 A.I.R. in a 4:3 aspect ratio similar to the original game, or to play in a ultrawide aspect-ratio up to a maximum of 31:14 (496x224), follow these steps (requires v21.09.12.0 -- Late Summer Update 2021 or later):
Enable developer mode in Sonic 3 A.I.R.[citation needed]
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- Open
<path-to-game>\config.json with a text editor, then enable developer mode on by setting "DevMode": to 0 .
- Launch the game, then press either / or * keys to decrease or increase the horizontal rendering resolution respectively.
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Input
Audio
Audio feature |
State |
Notes |
Separate volume controls |
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Surround sound |
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Subtitles |
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Closed captions |
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Mute on focus lost |
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Only on auto-pause. |
Royalty free audio |
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Localizations
Language |
UI |
Audio |
Sub |
Notes |
English |
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Network
Multiplayer types
Other information
API
Technical specs |
Supported |
Notes |
Direct3D |
9.0c, 11 |
"Simple" launcher uses Direct3D 9, the "Hub" launcher uses Direct3D 11. |
OpenGL |
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Sonic 3 A.I.R. uses OpenGL, but the version is unknown. |
Executable |
32-bit |
64-bit | ARM |
Notes |
Windows |
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macOS (OS X) | |
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Linux | |
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ARM64 is supported by the Flatpak version of Angel Island Revisited.[3] ARM32 support is unconfirmed. |
Modding
- Listed mods require Sonic 3 A.I.R..
How to install mods for Sonic 3 A.I.R.
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- Download a mod for Sonic 3: Angel Island Revisited from the sites or links listed below.
- Extract the folder containing the mod to
%APPDATA%\Sonic3AIR\mods .
- Launch Sonic 3: Angel Island Revisited, then from the main menu go to Mods.
- To activate a mod, select the mod that you wish to activate from the Inactive Mods window by holding the A button/A key and press Left to move it to the Active Mods window and vice-versa to deactivate the mod.
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Featured website
- GameBanana Hosts a large number of user-created mods for Sonic 3: Angel Island Revisited.
- [1] - Sonic 3 A.I.R. has a official forum page for mods.
Featured mods
- The following mods listed below are in suggested priorities.
Restoring the original zone order and features:
- Original Zone Order - Places Flying Battery in-between Carnival Night and IceCap, as intended prior to the game being split in two in the original release
- Sonic 3 Complete FBZ Night Palette - Improves continuity with the original level order by porting the Sonic 3 Complete night time palette for Flying Battery Zone.
- FBZ Doorboarding - Replaces the snowboard in Icecap Zone with the door from Flying Battery Zone to create better continuity between Zones.
- Knuckles Fights the Carnival Night 2 Boss - This mod forces Knuckles to fight the boss in Carnival Night Zone Act 2 instead of skipping it as he normally does. Incompatible with Original Zone Order.
- Launch Base Zone Eggman Fleeing Recreation - Re-creates an unused animation where Dr. Eggman flees after Big Arms is defeated at the end of Launch Base Zone Act 2.
- Sonic 3 Complete Launch Base Zone Transition - A mod that ports the Death Egg falling onto Angel Island transition sequence from Sonic 3 Complete in between Launch Base Zone and Mushroom Valley Zone into Sonic 3 A.I.R..
- Competition Mode Title Cards - Restores the original title cards for the Competition Mode.
Bugfixes/improvements:
System requirements
Windows |
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Minimum |
Recommended |
Operating system (OS) |
XP | |
Processor (CPU) |
1 GHz
| 1.4 GHz |
System memory (RAM) |
512 MB |
1 GB |
Hard disk drive (HDD) |
50 MB | |
Video card (GPU) |
32 MB of VRAM DirectX 9 compatible | |
Notes
- ↑ MD5:
cfcc692427348e58682230a27d9e365d
SHA1: b711a909cce238ca4af3e517a2edca306228efa5
References