← → ↑ ↓ = Directions
Z = A X = B C = C
A = X S = Y D = Z
enter ↵ = Start
space = Mode
F8 = Load state
F5 = Save state
Only while game is active!
Sonic 3 “locked on” to Sonic & Knuckles: This enables the player to play through both games as one, titled in-game as Sonic 3 & Knuckles. This features several additions to the games not otherwise available, such as slight changes to the level design, being able to play through Sonic 3 levels as Knuckles or Sonic & Knuckles levels as Tails, and the ability to save progress in all of the game's levels. Additionally, locking-on is the only way to collect “Super Emeralds”, which are earned by accessing Special Stages in the Sonic & Knuckles levels after collecting all seven Chaos Emeralds from Sonic 3. When all Super Emeralds have been collected, Sonic, Knuckles, and Tails can transform into Hyper Sonic, Hyper Knuckles, and Super Tails respectively, each with unique abilities.