There are five playable characters, each with their own unique abilities. Unlike other Sonic games, players are tethered to a computer or human-controlled partner the tether behaves like a rubber band and must be properly handled to maneuver through stages. Knuckles' Chaotix is a side-scrolling platform game similar to earlier entries in the Sonic series. The player (left) builds tension in the tether while anchoring the partner (right) to perform a speed boost. Despite interest from fans, it has not been rereleased beyond a brief period through GameTap in the mid-2000s. Some characters and concepts it introduced feature in later Sonic games and media, beginning with Sonic Heroes in 2003. Journalists have described Knuckles' Chaotix as the last of the 'classic' 2D Sonic games before the series moved to 3D. The level design and low difficulty level were also criticized. Reviewers found the tethering physics cumbersome, although some appreciated it as an attempt to innovate.

It received mixed contemporary reviews and failed commercially. Knuckles' Chaotix was released in North America and Japan in April 1995, and in Europe in June 1995.

Sonic and Tails were replaced by Knuckles and a group of mostly pre-existing characters Mighty the Armadillo first appeared in the arcade game SegaSonic the Hedgehog (1993). Knuckles' Chaotix was planned as a Sonic game for the Sega Saturn, but transitioned to the 32X when it could not be completed in time. Production began with Sonic Crackers, a 1994 prototype for the Sega Genesis which experimented with the tethering system and featured Sonic and Tails. While Sonic Team is sometimes credited with creating Knuckles' Chaotix, it was developed by another Sega team. Knuckles' Chaotix introduces a partner system whereby the player is connected to another character via a tether the tether behaves like a rubber band and must be used to maneuver the characters. Gameplay is similar to previous Sonic games: players complete levels while collecting rings and defeating enemies. A spin-off from the Sonic the Hedgehog series, it features Knuckles the Echidna and four other characters known as the Chaotix, who must prevent Doctor Robotnik and Metal Sonic from obtaining six magic rings and conquering a mysterious island. Knuckles' Chaotix is a 1995 platform game developed by Sega for the 32X.

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