Top

Blue spinning tops are found all over Sonic 3's Marble Garden Zone. By standing on one and holding left and right, Sonic will move in that direction while gaining altitude—likewise, to lower Sonic, the player must merely not press any directional buttons. If Sonic is hit while standing on a top, he will only be knocked off the top without losing rings, his shield or a life. If Sonic jumps while on a top, he will lose that top and be unable to use it again.

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 Sonicis facing, breaking through any walls in the 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 identify.

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