Sonic the Hedgehog Adventure 3 is a fan-made game stemming from the original Sonic series. It uses all of the original sounds, music and characters —- even allows players into the familiar land of Chaos Garden. Players can choose between Sonic, Knuckles and Tails, then speed-run their way through eight levels of ring-collecting to reach the end of the game.

For the most part, it’s like playing Sonic from the classic SEGA system for free, though a bit simplified. I didn’t see any enemies, like the typical crab, during my trial run of the game; mostly, your objective is to gather coins and not fall to your death. Tiny, helpful pop-ups will erupt during certain parts of the game to give you hints, or tell you how to control your character.

I did find it a little difficult, from a linear perspective, to run smoothly throughout the course. There are some impressive twists and turns, but a lot of unexpected, choppy ground. The point of the game is to stop Metal Sonic from destroying the planet; but plot seems to carry little importance. To make up for it, however, is a plethora of classic Sonic gems and game play that triggers enough nostalgia to keep you going.

When, or if, you beat the game, there are secret levels that can be unlocked. I didn’t get that far, but I found it quite impressive that the makers went the extra mile to include more playable content. Even if you’ve never played Sonic before, this free download is great entertainment, if a little repetitive.