Sonic the Hedgehog 3

Sonic the Hedgehog 3 is the third installment into the series and was the 2nd game to follow in the Death Egg Saga. It was released May 27th in Japan, February 24th in Europe and February 2nd in North America. In North America Sega dubbed the day as "Hedgehog Day" in place of "Groundhog Day".

Development
The Lead Producer Yuji Naka originally wanted the game to be completely as an isometric view, however many believed that it would stay too far from the original Sonic the Hedgehog formula. This isometric idea was then changed into the gameplay mechanic for Sonic 3D Blast/Flickies Island. Sega Technical Institute once again made the game only this time adding new ideas to make it feel fresh and making it a top seller in the Megadrive/Genesis library. This game also introduces Knuckles the Echidna to become a new and stable character in the franchise. The game was split in 2 for time and room on the cartridge. A few months later fans were able to play this fully completed game as Sonic the Hedgehog 3 and Knuckles.