VAMatt said:
Well.... It was an important game in that it introduced new playable characters that have since become integral to the series. It was a really good game. But, it wasn't revolutionary or anything. So, maybe there isn't a great argument for Game of the Year, in hindsight. I actually cared more about Metroid and Earthbound at the time. Earthbound didn't lead to anything great for that franchise though. Super Metroid is what put that series on the map for many of us. So, it's probably more historically significant. That said, Sonic has transcended gaming, and Sonic 3 played an important role in making that happen. |
Yeah, I remember 1994 as like peak Sonic. Sega had released four new Sonic games late the previous year, then came out with Sonic 3 in early '94, then in the fall you had Sonic & Knuckles and Sonic Triple Trouble, all in the span of a year's time. The TV shows and comics were both still going strong, all of that. I liked Sonic 3's introduction of a save feature and the way it narratively transitioned from act to act, zone to zone, kinda making everything feel a bit more interconnected than it had in the past. Plus Knuckles, like you say. He always seemed to be having fun. 
Also it was pretty sweet that they let you actually use Tails to fly in that game, in contrast to Sonic 2. That proved useful to me!
Super Metroid wasn't as big of a hit at the time, but it wound up having a much bigger impact on the industry and I think the test of time has been friendlier to it at the end of the day.
