Both Sonic and Knuckles begin the game with 3 lives and no continues: extra lives can be earned by collecting 100 Rings in any Act or amassing 50,000 points. Continues, each worth a full set of 3 lives, are only to be gained by randomly spinning Chaos Emeralds at any Bonus Plate. Both hideously rendered heroes are armed with their signature moves:

Sonic the Hedgehog -- Sonic's Double Jump ability is an asset during boss fights, and Bonus Plates tend to spin Sonic's face more often than Knuckles, which adds up to alot of extra lives.
	walk -- Sonic's basic movement. Push left or right on the D-pad to initiate Sonic's movement in either direction. As you hold the button down, Sonic gains speed.
	run -- Begin walking and hold down the button to make Sonic gain speed. After a few seconds, he'll break into a run.
	screech -- While running, quickly press and hold the opposite direction on the D-pad to make Sonic screech to a halt. He'll skid for a short distance, based on how fast he was moving.
	look up -- While standing still, press up on the D-pad to make Sonic gaze to the heavens. As you hold up, the camera pans upward, giving you a view of Sonic's overhead surroundings.
	crouch -- While standing still, press down on the D-pad to make Sonic duck. As you hold down, the camera pans downward, giving you a view of the stage beneath where Sonic stands.
	spin (回転) -- While moving, press down on the D-pad to make Sonic curl into a rolling attack. He'll remain in this position until you jump or slow down. The speed of Sonic's movement while in spin form is based on how fast you're moving when you launch it, and also on the terrain Sonic rolls along.
	spin jump (回転ジャンプ) -- Press 1 or 2 at any time to make Sonic leap into the air with a spin attack. The height of the jump is proportional to how long you hold the button down.
	Super Spin Dash (スーパースピンダッシュ) -- While crouching, tap the 1 or 2 buttons to have Sonic rev up with a stationary spin. Keep tapping the jump buttons to build up momentum, and let go of the D-pad to dash off with a full speed rolling attack.
	Double Jump (ダブルジャンプ) -- Jump, then press button 1 or 2 in midair to have Sonic leap off nothingness for an extra boost.

Knuckles the Echidna -- Knuckles' gliding and climbing abilities allow greater maneuverability around each stage, but are mostly useless at boss encounters.
	walk -- Knuckles' basic movement. Push left or right on the D-pad to initiate Knuckles' movement in either direction. As you hold the button down, Knuckles gains speed.
	run -- Begin walking and hold down the button to make Knuckles gain speed. After a few seconds, he'll break into a run.
	screech -- While running, quickly press and hold the opposite direction on the D-pad to make Knuckles screech to a halt. He'll skid for a short distance, based on how fast he was moving.
	look up -- While standing still, press up on the D-pad to make Knuckles gaze to the heavens. As you hold up, the camera pans upward, giving you a view of Knuckles' overhead surroundings.
	crouch -- While standing still, press down on the D-pad to make Knuckles duck. As you hold down, the camera pans downward, giving you a view of the stage beneath where Knuckles stands.
	spin (回転) -- While moving, press down on the D-pad to make Knuckles curl into a rolling attack. He'll remain in this position until you jump or slow down. The speed of Knuckles' movement while in spin form is based on how fast you're moving when you launch it, and also on the terrain Knuckles rolls along.
	spin jump (回転ジャンプ) -- Press button 1 or 2 to make Knuckles leap into the air with a spin attack. The height of the jump is proportional to how long you hold the button down.
	Super Spin Dash (スーパースピンダッシュ) -- While crouching, tap either jump button to have Knuckles rev up with a stationary spin. Keep tapping the jump button to build up momentum, and let go of the D-pad to dash off with a full speed rolling attack.
	glide -- Jump and press button 1 or 2 while in midair to have Knuckles glide slowly to the earth, extending the horizontal distance he would cover with a normal jump. The glide can also be used as an attack to destroy enemies.
	climb -- Glide into a wall to have Knuckles latch on. Press up or down on the D-pad to scale the surface, and jump to let go.

   Most of the staple power-ups are accounted for, but good luck distinguishing one pixellated block from the next:

	Ring (リング) -- As always, Rings protect against damage. Sustain a hit and 10 Rings will be subtracted from your total (if you've got less than 10, you lose them all). Collect 100 Rings in any Act to score a 1up (the counter resets to 0 in exchange). Each Ring is worth 100 points at the end-of-Act tally.
	Item Box (アイテムボックス) -- In each stage, you'll find a number of these power-up bearing monitors. Pop them open with a spin to procure one of 8 power-ups: 10 Ring (10リング) - Worth 10 Rings Barrier (バリア) - Absorbs one hit. Speed Boots (スピードブーツ) - Temporary speed increase Muteki (ムテキ) - Temporary invincibility Sonic 1up (ソニック1up) - Sonic gets a 1up; Knuckles gets nothing Knuckles 1up (ナックルズ1up) - Knuckles gets a 1up; Sonic gets nothing Marker (マーカー) - You return to this point if you lose a life. Eggman (エッグマン) - Nothing happens ??? - Question mark boxes could contain any of the 8 power-ups. There's no way to tell what's inside until you pop it open.
	spring -- Leap onto the broad side to catapult into the air.
	spikes -- Go ahead. Touch them. I dare you.
	Special Ring (スペシャルリング) -- A single beefy Special Ring can be found hidden in Act 1 and 2 of every Zone. Step inside to be warped to the Special Stage.
	Bonus Plate (ボーナスプレート) -- These signs can be found at the end of each first and second Act. Cross them to end the stage. You get a bonus depending on what's on the sign's face when it stops spinning: Eggman (nothing), Ring (worth 10 Rings), Sonic (Sonic gets a 1up, Knuckles gets 30 Rings), Knuckles (Knuckles gets a 1up, Sonic gets 30 Rings), Emerald (you get a continue), or Super Sonic (both characters get a 1up and 30 Rings).

   Eggman's newest assortment of mecha critters are pulled almost exclusively from older games in the series. Each busted bot is worth the usual 100 points.

	??? -- Wasp bots based on Beeton. They fly through the air and stop occasionally to fire radioactive turds.
	??? -- Piranha bots based on Bata-bata. They leap into the air from beneath bridges to munch on hedgehog pootie.
	Ai-ai (アイアイ) -- Monkey bots from Sonic 2. They scutter up and down palm trees, tossing projectiles at nearby mascots.
	Halogen (ハロゲン) -- Bat bots from Sonic 3. They hang around motionless until Sonic approaches, then flutter down to attack.
	??? -- Disc bots that slide along the ground and occasionally sprout a spike on their noggins. They are most safely deposed with a rolling attack.
	Gola (ゴーラ) -- Fiery sphere bots from Sonic 2. Don't touch the little puff of flame that orbits the vulnerable core.
	??? -- Long-necked plesiosaur bots based on Zaura from Sonic 2. They pop up from lava pools and wiggle around stupidly, coughing up an occasional projectile.
	??? -- Crab bots that crawl slowly along the ground.
	Octopus (オクトパス) -- Octopus bots that swim vertically through the water (or air).
	??? -- Seahorse bots that scuttle through the water (or air) and fire projectiles.
	??? -- Cannon-toting egg bots that hover through the air and spout pairs of flashing projectiles.
	Egg Saucer (エッグソーサー) -- Razor-belted egg bots that dash through the air.
	??? -- Springy egg bots that pogo in place.

   There are a mere 5 Zones this time, each divided into the usual 3 Acts. Acts 1 and 2 constitute the majority of the stage while Act 3 contains a short obstacle course followed by the Zone boss. Bosses are extremely basic, featuring only 1 method of attack each. Bonus points are awarded for every second left on the clock at the end of each Act, while bosses are worth 1,000 points a piece.

Green Hill Zone -- The customary tropical stage. Stand on palmtrees to reach airborne Rings and time your movement along spiral xylophone bridges. Use a spin attack to break through crumbling walls. Boss: Eggman flies overhead and flings a razor boomerang that is a cinch to avoid. Defeated in 6 hits.

Yellow Desert Zone -- Keep hopping in mud pits to stop yourself from sinking into the abyss. Act 2 takes place inside a pyramid: watch for falling spike traps and tread carefully through sandfalls. Hop into the maze of craters near the end of Act 2 to be shuttled around. Boss: Eggman sweeps the floor with a prodding spear. Defeated in 12 hits.

Red Volcano Zone -- Hop on the yellow bellows to cross pools of lava. Colorful drum robots stumble along the ground: they don't inflict damage and can't be destroyed, but stand on top to be catapulted into the air. In Act 2, use the Spin Dash to raise or lower pump elevators. Watch for jets of hot steam that spout from fissures in the ground. Boss: Combat takes place in a giant pit: don't worry about falling, because the little blue platform under your feet will catch you regardless of where you fly. Eggman bounces from below on a giant pogo device and attempts to smack you down with a ball and chain. Defeated in 8 hits.

Blue Marine Zone -- As usual, grab air bubbles to keep from drowning when underwater. If there are none around (and there usually aren't), hop into a pipe for the same effect. Currents have a tendency to push you to exactly where you don't want to be. Look for the blue button hidden in Act 1 to drain the water and open the path to the Special Ring. Act 2 is a nightmare maze of aquatic doom with an extremely well-hidden exit. Boss: This battle takes place underwater. Eggman flies about overhead firing harpoons: avoid the spears and let them hit the ground. A single air bubble will rise from the point of contact. This is the only form of oxygen available during the fight, so take advantage of it. Land 8 hits on Eggman's windshield to trash the machine.

Silver Castle Zone -- Warp panels lead to all portions of the map. Stand on dial platforms until all 6 lights are turned on to alter the destination of certain warps or disarm nearby traps. Keep moving through trap rooms so as not to become shish kehog on a spiky wall. Magnetic floors in Act 2 make for slow travel. Boss: Sonic stands on a large wheel with a small platform suspended directly overhead. Eggman hovers well out of reach above said platform. The Doc's machine is outfitted with large beam cannons on either end: when one of the cannons charges, it's about to fire a laser beam. The blast ricochets off mirrors on either side of Sonic for a horizontal attack: leap to avoid it. Have Sonic run along the giant wheel, which causes the platform overhead to slide left or right: maneuver the platform so that it intersects Eggman's laser blast, which sends the beam flying directly back up at him. (Every once in a while, Eggman feigns a charge to throw your groove off.) After 12 hits, the machine explodes. If you failed to collect any of the 5 Chaos Emeralds, your game ends here and you get the bad ending.

Collect all 5 Chaos Emeralds and clear Silver Castle to access this secret, super difficult final boss. You're given 99 Rings with which to do battle, and you're going to need every last one. The top half of Eggman's sandwich machine zips about overhead, firing off sparks. This upper half is the machine's vulnerable point, but in order to disarm its defensive shell, you must first jump on the yellow button in the machine's bottom half. For a few brief seconds, the monitor displays an arrow pointing upward. Circumnavigate the spiky protrusions to land a hit before Eggman's face returns, and be ready to dodge a shower of sparks when you land. After 6 hits, the bottom half of the machine begins rolling along the ground, making the job even more difficult. Land 6 more hits (total of 12) to enjoy the good ending.

   A pudgy Special Ring can be found in the first two Acts of every Zone: leap inside to be warped to the Special Stage. The object is to collect 50 Rings along a 3D obstacle course: fail to amass the quota before the goal, and you'll be booted back to the action stage at the last Marker you activated. Note that Chaos Emeralds can only be acquired from Act 2 Special Stages - Act 1 Special Stages reward you with a 1up. Collect all 5 Emeralds and clear Silver Castle to access the hidden final boss.

	Ring (リング) -- You need at least 50 of these to complete each stage.
	bobbin -- Use these to bounce backwards a short distance.
	dash panel -- Step onto this pad for a quick forward boost.
	spring -- Step onto the top to be catapulted upwards.
	1up -- This is your reward for completing an Act 1 Special Stage.
	Chaos Emerald (カオスエメラルド) -- This is your reward for completing an Act 2 Special Stage. Collect all 5 Emeralds to access the final boss and good ending.