Most modern emulators handle this file natively. Here are the best settings:
Sonic 3 & Knuckles is widely considered one of the greatest platformers ever made. It was originally intended to be a single game, but was split into two ( Sonic 3 and Sonic & Knuckles ) due to time and cartridge cost constraints. The sonic-knuckles-wsonic3.bin file represents the realization of the developers' original vision: a seamless adventure spanning from Angel Island to the Doomsday Zone. sonic-knuckles-wsonic3.bin
No. Despite the popular myth, Sega has re-released Sonic 3 & Knuckles multiple times: Most modern emulators handle this file natively