Sonic the Hedgehog 3 [Cardboard Box]
Sega Genesis · 1994
About this game
Robotnik's Death Egg has crash-landed on Floating Island, so called because it harnesses the power of the Chaos Emeralds to float in the air.
Robotnik needs them to repair the Death Egg, so he tells the guardian of Floating Island, Knuckles the Echidna, that Sonic and Tails are there to steal them.
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With Knuckles tricked and trying to stop the heroes at every turn, will they be able to stop Robotnik in time? Sonic the Hedgehog 3 is the third in the Sonic series of games.
As with the previous games, it is a side-scrolling platformer based around speed.
The basic game remains the same - players collect rings to earn extra lives, which are also used for protection, and scatter everywhere when Sonic is hurt.
Sonic can jump on enemies to defeat them, and Spin Dash by holding down and the jump button, then letting go of down.
New to Sonic 3 are three different types of shields - the Fire Shield (which protects you from fire but disappears if you enter water), the Water Shield (which lets you breathe underwater infinitely) and the Electric Shield (which pulls nearby rings towards you).
Sonic can use extra abilities when he has these shields by pressing jump while in the air - either a horizontal fireball dash, a vertical bubble bounce, or an electric double jump.
If Sonic has no shield active, he can activate a brief energy shield, also by pressing jump in the air.
Tails cannot use the shields' special abilities, but he can instead either fly or dog paddle (in water) for a limited time.
He can also carry Sonic with him while doing so.
There are now two types of bonus stages - one is available by collecting 50 or more rings, running past a checkpoint lamppost and then jumping into the stars (as you could in Sonic the Hedgehog 2 .
This stage give you the chance to earn bonus rings, lives and power-ups.
In this stage, there is a giant gumball machine.
By hitting the crank, you'll spit out a bonus item that can either be rings, lives or bonus shields.
The stage is over when
About Sega Genesis
Known as the Mega Drive outside North America, the Sega Genesis (1988/1989) was Sega's most successful console and Sonic the Hedgehog's original home, fueling the "console wars" era against Nintendo's SNES. Genesis cartridge collecting is well-established: common sports and platformer titles are affordable, while sports-license and later-era games with smaller print runs can carry a meaningful premium.
Gamevaro tracks Sonic the Hedgehog 3 [Cardboard Box] for Sega Genesis with separate market values for loose, complete-in-box (CIB) and factory-sealed copies, sourced from real eBay sales. Prices also vary by region — PAL, NTSC-U and NTSC-J releases of the same game often sell for different amounts due to print run sizes and regional collector demand.
Adding Sonic the Hedgehog 3 [Cardboard Box] to a Gamevaro collection takes seconds — search by title or scan the box barcode, and the app fills in cover art, release details and current pricing automatically. This GEN release dates back to 1994.
Price history
Market values by condition
NTSC-U
Recent sales
| Date | Type | Region | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-07-12 | Box Only | NTSC-U | €26.24 |
| 2026-07-12 | Manual Only | NTSC-U | €11.64 |
| 2026-07-12 | Item only | NTSC-U | €21.23 |
| 2026-07-12 | Graded New | NTSC-U | €1263.96 |
| 2026-07-12 | Complete in Box | NTSC-U | €46.54 |
| 2026-07-12 | New (sealed) | NTSC-U | €116.36 |
| 2026-07-10 | New (sealed) | NTSC-U | €116.31 |
| 2026-07-10 | Item only | NTSC-U | €21.22 |
| 2026-07-10 | Graded New | NTSC-U | €1263.40 |
| 2026-07-10 | Box Only | NTSC-U | €26.23 |
| 2026-07-10 | Complete in Box | NTSC-U | €46.52 |
| 2026-07-10 | Manual Only | NTSC-U | €11.63 |
| 2026-06-18 | New (sealed) | NTSC-U | €114.71 |
| 2026-06-18 | Graded New | NTSC-U | €1245.99 |
| 2026-06-18 | Manual Only | NTSC-U | €11.47 |
| 2026-06-18 | Item only | NTSC-U | €20.93 |
| 2026-06-18 | Box Only | NTSC-U | €25.87 |
| 2026-06-18 | Complete in Box | NTSC-U | €45.89 |
| 2026-06-17 | New (sealed) | NTSC-U | €114.71 |
| 2026-06-17 | Manual Only | NTSC-U | €11.47 |
| 2026-06-17 | Graded New | NTSC-U | €1245.99 |
| 2026-06-17 | Item only | NTSC-U | €20.93 |
| 2026-06-17 | Box Only | NTSC-U | €25.87 |
| 2026-06-17 | Complete in Box | NTSC-U | €45.89 |
| 2026-06-15 | Item only | NTSC-U | €20.98 |
| 2026-06-15 | New (sealed) | NTSC-U | €114.98 |
| 2026-06-15 | Box Only | NTSC-U | €25.93 |
| 2026-06-15 | Graded New | NTSC-U | €1248.90 |
| 2026-06-15 | Complete in Box | NTSC-U | €45.99 |
| 2026-06-15 | Manual Only | NTSC-U | €11.50 |
Market insights
Rarity & condition
Sonic the Hedgehog 3 [Cardboard Box] has a steady sales history on the tracked marketplaces, meaning enough copies circulate to establish a reliable market price.
Complete-in-box (CIB) copies typically command a premium over loose cartridges/discs because the original box and manual are more fragile and get discarded or damaged over time — fewer complete sets survive.
Frequently asked questions
How much is Sonic the Hedgehog 3 [Cardboard Box] worth?
Gamevaro hasn't tracked a market sale for Sonic the Hedgehog 3 [Cardboard Box] (Sega Genesis) yet, so no current value is available. Prices are sourced from real marketplace sales, and this page will update automatically once sales data comes in.
Is Sonic the Hedgehog 3 [Cardboard Box] rare?
Sonic the Hedgehog 3 [Cardboard Box] has a steady sales history on the tracked marketplaces, meaning it trades hands regularly and isn't considered particularly rare.
What's the difference between loose, CIB and sealed for Sonic the Hedgehog 3 [Cardboard Box]?
Loose means cartridge or disc only, CIB (complete in box) includes the original box and manual, and sealed means factory-sealed and never opened. These are tracked as separate market values because the price gap between them can be significant, especially for older releases.
Ratings & Reviews
Also on other platforms