Top

Blue spinning tops are found all over Sonic 3's Marble Garden Zone. By standing on one and holding left and right, you move in that direction while gaining height. To lose height, do not hold left or right. If you are hit while standing on one you will not lose your rings, shield or life but instead will just be knocked off of the spinning top. If you jump while standing on one, you will lose the spinning top and won't be able to get back on to it.

The spinning top's main use is to break down walls in the Marble Garden Zone that would normally be unbreakable using Sonic's spindash or Knuckles' fists. To use it, the player must land the spinning top on the ground in the wall's vicinity; the top will speed off in the direction the player is facing, breaking through any walls in your way. In addition, the top can also be used to break floor sections in order to reach lower areas. Breakable floors look very different to standard floors, and so are easy to spot.

These blue spinning tops should not be confused with the brown spinning tops in Sonic Advance 3's Chaos Angel Zone.