A Trope A Week - Part 6: Flying Fortress

[Jolt_TH]

Seeing as there is a multitude of different Vs topics going on I thought I'd give a new spin on them.

Now we all have our favourite levels, and we all have our favourite Tropes right? (And topics on both) Well what about the tropes that you don't much care for?

This is a topic where I thought we could explore each trope week by week and compare the levels in them/see if there are unanimously praised and loved levels for that trope or gimmicks that you feel particularly work within it. Getting you to think about the style of levels you don't like and saying "we'll I don't much care for X type of level but Y was actually pretty decent"

Please try to only choose one favourite level for each trope as sometimes there are only 2-3 levels in said trope, so obviously the more common tropes can have a couple of choices. (if you really can't pick!) and yes SOME levels can be in more than one trope (e.g.ShtH Prison Island is jungle and industrial)

And yes levels from any game goes.

So without further ado...

This week. Green Levels! We all know the ones generally they are the opening levels that we see first and not every game has them, rather opting for a "jungle" trope instead (Green Forest, Lost Jungle, ect, but thats for a different week)

Some examples

Green Hill Zone

Emerald Hill Zone

Angel Island Zone

Mushroom Hill Zone

Emerald Coast

Seaside Hill

Leaf Storm

Plant Kingdom

Planet Wisp

Usually bright and vibrant and occasionally getting more sinister as you progress (Angel Island, Mushroom Hill, Planet Wisp) they show us the harmony of nature within sonics world where Eggman has yet to penetrate, abundant in flowers of different types and colours and (usually) Checkered soil common for Sonic world.

Thinking long and hard about this trope (I couldn't start the topic without it) I think my favourite would have to be

Mushroom Hill Zone

Now don't get me wrong i like a lot of the green levels but this one stands out to me as more different to the rest along with the way that the level is designed around the greenery.

First you have those vines that grab and stick onto you, yes annoying when your playing but a very real hazard we never really get to see, I mean sonic is running through these places at breakneck speed, surely he must get tangled up at some point. Then you have the roots or

Giant vines that you can run on for loops and twists, I feel they are interfgrated really well into the level, looking natural unlike some of the loops in other games, (alright they look natural but not part of the scenery). Then you have the changing seasons from luscious summer greens to autumn browns and oranges to chilly pale greens and blues of winter. I have no idea what Eggman was doing to change it, or why, but I loved how you could run through the level at different times of the seasonal year seeing how it changed. Also you can't forget the bouncy mushrooms and their squelchy boink noise, the fact they are level decoration that you can actually use is something people are constantly complaining about in Unleashed and games after, how you can see things but not touch them, the majority of the mushrooms in the level you can bounce on and use to get to new places. It's a really cool and in place gimmick (that they did indeed reuse for Plant Kingdom) that I feel is used effectively and can be really fun!

So there you go, I'll probably change my mind after writing this as there are a HUGE volume of green levels to consider (I haven't even played a lot of the handheld/spinoff ones!). I hope you all have some interesting thoughts and feelings regarding the level tropes but that you most importantly enjoy reading and posting on this thread.

So over to you guys!

Edited June 9, 2013 by Jolt_TH

[Soniman]

Well lets see all the ones that come to mind for me.

 

Green Hill Zone is a classic through and through, the checkerboard aesthetics are still nice to this day...but ive been kind of over exposed to it and kind of leave me with apathetic feelings.

 

Emerald Hill Zone is more my style, though it's essentially just Green Hill 2.0, not much to say though, but I like the music better.                                                                                                                                             

 

Angel Island Zone is sweet, and the fact that it is a lit with flames by the halfway mark is a shocking and pretty damn cool change of pace.

 

Mushroom Hill is bleh to me, such a bland level with uninteresting music, again not much to say.

 

Emerald Beach is great, Windy and Ripply plus Azure Blue World is some of my favorite tunes in the series. I love the sense of progression this stage has, you start of from the Station Square Resort area, go across some islands and boardwalks (which results in the most iconic chase sequence in the series) and you end up on a scenic Sandbar rescuing your best buddy. Great stuff and a brilliant way to introduce players to 3D Sonic.

 

Green Forest is one of the more fun Sonic levels from SA2, it's fast, fun and has some sweet bungie jumping. The aesthetics are nice, especially that pollen effect. One issue I have though is that the countdown tries to create a sense of urgency, but there's such a huge window to get to the end in time that the effect is lost.

 

Seaside Hill is a pretty green stage, though I won't count Ocean Palace due to it being basically white ruins and ocean. I think everyone knows this infamous stage by now, being seen as the Modern equivalent to Green Hill Zone and in that respect everyone is sick of it though when it was originally made I thought it was a pretty striking stage that did well to pay homage to Sonic levels since past, most notably in the iconic checkerboard design of the dirt/grass. The level itself is appropriate for a first level, a enjoyable breeze through with some chill music.

 

Frog Forest/Lost Jungle is a conflicting stage for me, one stage is pretty fun and one of my favorites, and the other is easily one of my least favorties stages in the games.

 

Tropical Jungle....lol, a shitty Green Forest rehash, next.

 

Jungle Joyride has some great visuals, particularly in the waterfall and ruin sections, and the music is especially good, to bad about the game it's from, ZING.

 

 

Winner? Im torn between Emerald Beach and Seaside Hill, I love both for similar reasons. Though if you had to twist my arm.....err.....Emerald Hill by a slightly small margin, because it had an amazing wow factor, fantastic music, good set pieces, and all around simple and enjoyable level design that decently established a lot of the gameplay elements that would be used in the game later.

[Salamander]

Mushroom Hill Zone seems to be the only one that brings something new to the trope that's fundamentally different from most of the rest.  The vast majority seem to be tropical hillscapes, but Mushroom Hill has a different atmosphere.  More placid, more quirky.  I think it's partly that I don't really like tropical aesthetics, so something less equatorial and more rural interests me, and it's taken only farther away from its predecessors by its gradual move into autumnal shades.  I'm aware that I'm dealing with it on a purely graphical level, but I feel like gameplay gimmicks are interchangeable, really.

 

I'm also a big fan of the midway destruction of Angel Island Zone, though - it really brings the backdrop to life where otherwise it's easy to take the level wallpaper for granted.  I don't know much about the forest zones mentioned, but if they're more pine than palm, I suspect I'd find that interesting, too.

[Tani Coyote]

I think Angel Island Zone wins because dynamic stages are something of great interest that lure the gamer in. The GUN Truck makes you lose control of your bowels in City Escape, Sky Sanctuary starts falling apart rapidly, Angel Island is suddenly lit ablaze and what was a beautiful place is completely destroyed.

 

Just as angled lines and varying line thickness draw the eye to a drawing, a stage that's in flux likewise keeps the attention of the viewer.

[Semi-colon e]

The green levels are almost always a first stage. I made a topic that died extremely quickly a while back about the first stage and how it affects the game and how it introduces you to the rest of the levels, so my thoughts on many of the greenery levels are detailed there as I'm too lazy to retype them That's just a topic on the first level though, not the trope a week thing.

 

 

As for the greenery stage, I find these often some of the most fun if they're not super basic tutorial (like Green Hill in Generations) because there's little to no cheap shit, it's mostly just having a good time as it were, like comparing a ride that isn't the most intense in the world but fun as hell like Air at Alton Towers (green stage) to a ride that is very intense such as Nemesis at Alton Towers again (which is more comparable to the later levels enjoyment). The difficulty and challenge isn't much so you can just take it fairly easy and have a laugh or something like that. These stages aren't often the ones that push the boat out in terms of level aesthetics because most of the first stages that do are much less greenery focused, but a lot of the time they have a lot of nice speed, some level gimmicks, and alternate routes. Mushroom Hill and Plant Kingdom really focus on the level gimmicks aspect of it, which makes them stand out.

 

Green Forest and White Jungle stand out for not being first levels and trying to add tension, but the time frame is much too high. Jungle Joyride also stands out for being a nice mix of the greenery, the beach, ancient ruins, and jungle all rolled into one, kind of reminiscent of Emerald Coast and Wave Ocean, but the level design is often not brilliant and there are framerate issues that really hinder the level. It looks fantastic at night though, as does Seaside Hill in Generations, and I wish more of these green levels were set at night to add some variety.

 

Seaside Hill in Generations is another really great green stage that isn't first up, but that's mostly because of it's indepth level design. It also has a lot less greenery elements, taking more from the ruins of Ocean Palace and having some more beach sections that remind me of Emerald Coast and Wave Ocean to certain degrees.

 

I would also hesitate to count Planet Wisp, it feels more like a forest/jungle than a typical tropical level, and it is definitely more of a construction site/Launch Base type of level than a greenery one, as the green sections are so brief aside from Modern's in Generations.

 

I don't know what my very favourite is, there are so many of them.

Edited April 30, 2013 by Semi-colon e

[spinny]

Iron Jungle from Shadow takes the greenery route in a very interesting path, kinda like another Mecha Green Hill Zone if I recall correctly. Could be considered similar to Angel Island getting lit on fire and Palmtree Panic's Bad Future though, if you think hard enough.

 

My favourite out of the entire franchise would absolutely have to be Frog Forest or Jungle Joyride. I know Jungle Joyride's more temply and beach-like, but hey, it's a jungle too, so it's greenery.

 

Frog Forest because... I really love the breathtaking visuals, the relaxing, so fitting music, and how large the level is for once. It might just be my obsession with it, but I find Frog Forest to have a good mix of all three elements. Also, dem frogs causing rainstorms. But don't even get me started on Lost Jungle. I... HATE that place. Only awesome bit is the alligator, but then again that's just because it's Chase Scene That Will Always Be Memorable No Matter How Badly It's Executed #10,000.

 

Jungle Joyride can be a mess at times, but I think it's just the framerate drops to blame for that. Just like Frog Forest, I really dig the outstanding visuals and extremely fitting so take me baaaack in tiiiiiime original song. No, seriously. I really like Jungle Joyride Day, probably the one I listen to the most outta Unleashed's soundtrack. I also like the temple elements that are incorporated as well, as they fit really well with this being the last temple that Sonic visits (if I remember correctly). Also, more platforming than ANY other daytime Unleashed stage. Not counting Eggmanland.

[Splash the Otter]

I think my favorite green level is Forest Falls, from Sonic Rivals 1. It has everything: coastal areas, towering forests, rivers with beautiful waterfalls, and a really stunning cavern halfway through! It really exemplifies what a green level should look like to me.

[Dizcrybe]

Can I choose Generations' Seaside Hill? It's a very vibrant level and lots of fun to play through, and the level design is great.

[Dr. Crusher]

Oh ho ho, I love topics like this. Hopefully these won't end up being cut short.

 

But anyways, I usually enjoy too much of them to have an all-time favourite, so what I'm going to do is go over all the "green" levels I can think of and just generally point out things I happen to like or dislike. But mostly like.

 

Green Hill - Sonic the Hedgehog

Yes, it's the most famous and most revisited zone in all of Sonidom. Green Hill has had many incarnations over the years, in 2D and 3D.

 

It debuted in - where else - the very first Sonic game, and it paved the way for the franchise we all know and love (keep your jokes out of this, please), with the forever immortalised additions like the dancing flowers, the checkered geography, and of course, the likes of Motobug and Buzz Bomber and all the other best minions Badniks. It was simple, fast, and introduced you to how the game works without outright patronising you. And that's without mentioning that memorable melody and the iconic Checker Wrecker boss. I suppose it's ironic that it was the zone that underwent the longest development, despite being the very first zone.

 

Three zones were adapted for the Game Gear/Master System version of Sonic 1, and Green Hill was predictably one of them. It was very much the same for the most part, although Act 2 did allow you to venture within the underground caves, full of crystal clean water. And a Chaos Emerald. It was also home to perhaps the easiest boss in all of Sonidom.

 

Then came the Game Gear/Master System version of Sonic 2, which featured the Green Hills, but not in the way you would expect. This time it was the fourth zone, halfway through the game. On one hand, it had the music that would later be made famous in Sonic CD. On the other hand, Act 3 can kindly eff off.

 

Green Hill itself didn't appear in Sonic Chaos, but Robotnik did make a dark replica of it: Mecha Green Hill. With a disgusting orange (or green, depending on which version you have) sky, metal palm trees, and bubbling pools of oil, the tables certainly were turned against you with what you were familiar with.

 

It then appeared in Sonic Drift. It was the same there... only as a racing course (well, three, technically speaking).

 

The next game it showed up in was Sonic Blast. Again, it was fairly identical with little additions aside from random musical logs and a boss that throws boomerangs. Also, it was Sonic Blast, so no joy there.

 

While not being a part of the main game, you could unlock a 3D version of Green Hill in Sonic Adventure 2. I suppose it was nice back then, but now it looks a bit... rusty, especially after Generations came out. Then again, they were trying to go for that blocky approach, so I can't be too hard on it.

 

A few years later, it reappeared again as the first area of Sonic Chronicles: The Dark Brotherhood. I don't remember too much about it other than it being the home of evil armadillos. Incidentally, who's this Dexter chap?

 

Finally, it's most recent appearance (not counting the likes of Sonic Jump) is in the 20th anniversary game, Sonic Generations. The 3DS version was... okay, but the console version? What a sight. The place is gorgeous, from the rustling grass and detailed checkers, right down to the darker caverns patrolled by a Mega Chopper. Don't forget the use of Emerald Hill's corkscrews, as well as Crabmeat doing a little dance should it get a lucky shot and hit you. It may have been simplistic, but it felt so good to finally have a genuine version of the Green Hill in a 3D console game.

 

Bridge - Sonic the Hedgehog (Game Gear/Master System)

The Bridge was right after Green Hill in the 8-bit Sonic 1. Despite this, it managed to make a name for itself, utilising weights to launch you into the sky, a different checkered pattern (more diamond then square), a slightly tough boss (on the Game Gear version anyways) and the short but catchy theme. Act 2 is also remembered for being one of the few Sonic examples of a scrolling level. Really now, who doesn't like Bridge?

 

Emerald Hill - Sonic the Hedgehog 2

Being a sequel, Sonic 2 would have it's own expy of Green Hill. Inspired by a town in San Francisco actually known as "Emerald Hill", the folks decided that would be the name of this expy. And indeed, it's similar, but there are a few differences, the most notable being the brown corkscrews that you can speed through... should you be fast enough. It also appears to be slightly less tropical, having more greenery in the background than Green Hill. But what we should really celebrate Emerald Hill for is the introduction of the dearly beloved Car with Drill on Front (or just Drill Eggman, as it's known).

 

It's only other appearances are the two courses representing it in Sonic Drift 2. Like Green Hill in the first Drift, it's basically the same.

 

Palmtree Panic - Sonic CD

Initially, Palmtree Panic might not look like it has much to offer in terms of standing out. The Present depicts it as a Green Hill land, only with giant ramps, Mario-esque donut blocks, and excited children who keep screaming YEEEEAAAAH at the top of their lungs. But then you go time travelling, which is really when it gets good.

 

In the Past, it's a more prehistoric world. I mean, there aren't any dinosaurs or anything, but the land is clearly at a very primitive stage if the cliffside background is anything to go by. This form is much more relaxing than the Present, with rolling clouds and subdued music. I enjoy the scenery of this Past very much.

 

Meanwhile, the Futures go the opposite route. The Bad Future is Captain Planet's nightmare, full of polluted lakes and smog filling the sky. The Good Future is much more pristine, with the machinery helping the natural life rather than laughing in it's face. It is, very much so, a physical form of paradise.

 

Turquoise Hill - Sonic & Tails/Sonic Chaos

The third 8-bit Sonic platformer continued the tradition by taking Green Hill and putting springs on the Motobugs. (Okay, fine, they're called Bane Motoras.) There wasn't that many other differences aside from the nice music and the hilariously named Great Bane Motora Gold.

 

Angel Island - Sonic 3 & Knuckles

Now here's something different. Right off the bat, it's a little more jungle-y than usual, so it feels like a breath of fresh air. So after you watch that chuckling echidna swindle your emeralds, you progress through the zone, taking out some Rhinobots, and maybe even win a Special Stage. But then, halfway through Act 1, the Fire Breath shows up, and sets the bloody place on fire. This act of needless malice on Robotnik's part is the first indication that Sonic 3 & Knuckles was it's own game with it's own identity, because nothing makes a first level stand out quite like setting it ablaze. Even then, at the end of Act 2, you have to avoid an airship (Flying Battery?) bombardment. Don't ask why Knuckles never questioned Robotnik about setting his home on fire (let alone him showing up right after you defeated Robotnik's Flame Mobile), because chances are it's still more credible than the whole Iblis Trigger fiasco.

 

Angel Island is probably one of the top starting zones for me. It's not too hard, but it changes things just enough to capture your intrigue... Well, that and one of the Badniks is called Monkey Dude, which is just fantastic.

 

Mushroom Hill (...or Mushroom Valley) - Sonic 3 & Knuckles

However, Angel Island wasn't the only green locale on... er, Angel Island. The starting point of the game's latter half also brought something to the table.

 

Unlike most "green" levels, Mushroom Hill was a lot more forest-y. Instead of tropical beaches, we got tall trees, thick vines, double pulleys, and the titular mushrooms themselves, used for various purposes. Perhaps the most notable thing about Mushroom Hill (aside from providing one of the earliest examples of a running boss in the form of the Jet Mobile) is the use of seasonal changes. Act 1 is very summery, but Act 2 goes for an Autumn route, then changes again halfway, and then finally back to Summer once you destroy the satellite that presumably caused these changes. Other things of note are the Hey Ho lumberjack, and the Madmoles for acting like hecklers.

 

S3&K wasn't it's only appearance, for it starred in - of all things - Sonic the Fighters, as Espio's fighting arena. No real changes to speak of.

 

Mushroom Hill also appeared in the 3DS version of Sonic Generations. It was a controversial choice, but I think it was alright here, with those pretty rays of light, especially during the Autumn section.

 

Either way, like Angel Island, Mushroom Hill is another top contender for me in terms of "green" locations.

 

Great Turquoise - Sonic & Tails 2/Sonic Triple Trouble

So what's the non-musical difference for this Green Hill expy? Well it's mainly that of every single palm tree having springs on the top, making for a somewhat amusing experience. The other thing is the suggestive Tart Turtle boss, who can actually be a minor pain for first boss standards.

 

Balloon Panic - Sonic Drift 2

Uh... Emerald Hill with balloons?

 

Botanic Base - Knuckles' Chaotix

"This isn't just a greenhouse... this is an Ivo Robotnik greenhouse." Full of elevators and flora-themed Badniks, this place fits the vacation resort theme of Knuckles' Chaotix reasonably well. Of course, being Robotnik's crib, it has a slightly creepy edge to it... Maybe it's the music?

 

Training Area - Tails' Sky Patrol

It's an area where you train (very badly). Right, next.

 

Poloy's Forest - Tails Adventures

It's Angel Island, only with birds cosplaying as Metal Sonic.

 

South Island - Sonic the Fighters

A rather odd name for one lone fighting area, considering how Sonic's entire home is in "South Island".

 

Green Grove - Sonic 3D Blast: Flickies' Island

Now this place might not have much to say for itself aside from being isometric, but with or without the music that would later be used for Windy Valley in Adventure 1, it holds a nostalgic soft spot for me. Now if only you could get Tails and Knuckles to stop giving you taxes.

 

Sonic World - Sonic Jam

What? It counts. I don't actually have anything to say about it, but it counts.

 

Resort Island - Sonic R

Aside from having the theme that's commonly used for that annoying doll (which is incorrect anyways since he's in Radical City), this is where you get used to the questionable controls of Sonic R. Even so, like the rest of the game, I can't bring myself to dislike it. It has it's own charm.

 

Emerald Coast - Sonic Adventure

What's special about this place (aside from being a full-on beach rather than only slightly a beach) is that there's a sense of progression. You start out at the coastal resort and boardwalks, but gradually you make your way to the lighthouse, and then further into the more dense regions. Then there's the famous orca whale chase scene, and the two (well, three, counting Big) pieces of music are-a so nice. It's a wonderful seaside level.

 

A similar place called Emerald Coast was featured in Sonic Shuffle, but it... was frozen.

 

But then it had a more traditional appearance in Sonic Generations 3DS. It was... full of rotating platforms, for some reason.

 

Neo South Island - Sonic Pocket Adventure

The court says it's not Green Hill. Next.

 

Neo Green Hill - Sonic Advance

Now here's an expy that I personally really like, and I think it's a little underrated. Despite what the name may indicate, there's actually quite a few differences here. It starts off in a beach ala Emerald Coast, then segues into the greenery, but then adds a few little urban touches to it, like the bridge where you fight the Egg Hammertank. It's a three-in-one sort of deal, and it's one of my main sources of inspiration for coming up with ideas for starting zones. Oh, by the way, I absolutely love the music.

 

Leaf Forest - Sonic Advance 2

This one is very nostalgic for me since it's from my first Sonic game. This one doesn't have any seaside touches to it at all, instead going for a more vegetative approach. It's also home to the only two spots of water in the whole game. And don't ask me what the deal with the checkered square background is all about.

 

Sea Gate/Seaside Hill/Ocean Palace - Sonic Heroes

Like Green Hill, this place has been seen a few times. But I don't mind, since I always thought it was pretty.

 

In Heroes, Seaside Hill (and Sea Gate) was basically a complete fusion of Green Hill and Emerald Coast, a mix of the seaside resort and the familiar checkered geography. Ocean Palace, whilst similar, had more of a ruinsy touch to it, utilising more of the zone's vaguely oriental architecture. The whole zone was also the first time we saw the grinning Egg Pawns... and the concept of enemies with health. Oh well, nothing's perfect.

 

Now it wasn't too bad in Heroes, but when it reappeared in Sonic Generations, I think it was a lot better. With a few more places to explore, some touches of Labyrinth and Hydrocity, and Act 2's music combination, I'd say it was one of my favourite zones in Generations if it wasn't for the fact that I enjoyed all the zones in the console version. (Yes, even Planet Wisp.)

 

Frog Forest - Sonic Heroes

But like S3&K, Heroes had more than one "green" location. Now Lost Jungle is more of a full-on... well, jungle (like Green Forest/White Jungle/Iron Jungle/etc), so I'll go with Frog Forest alone here. In which case, Frog Forest is one of the best Heroes stages to me. Okay, so it suffered from borrowing a few of Dimp Dastardly's bottomless pits like the rest of the game, but the setting and music alone make up for it. It had a gimmick or two, such as the use of giant frogs helping you in your path via rainfall, and Mushroom Hill-esque bouncing on the plants. After the intense Rail Canyon and Bullet Station, this stage was a bit of a relief.

 

Sunset Hill - Sonic Advance 3

Unlike the first two Advances, the third one started off with a city, Route 99. Then came it's Green Hill expy. Like Neo Green Hill before it, there's a wide variety of changes here, focusing more on pulling from hanging devices and jumping up waterfalls. And the fact that it's sunset. Fittingly enough, it was given a remix of the Green Hill theme, and I personally liked it. Now let's go and get Knuckles.

 

Leaf Storm - Sonic Rush

The zone itself might not have the most revolutionary of visuals, but because of the very nature of a game like Rush (...make your own boost jokes), you're going to end up remembering it anyway. You'll also be given the cheers of "Right there! Right on!", because background singers are easily pleased apparently.

 

Wave Ocean - Sonic the Hedgehog 2006

You'll notice I tend to refer to this level by the affectionate nickname of Diet Coast whenever I bring it up. The reason being because... well, that's basically what it is. It's Emerald Coast only without the fun. It doesn't work for an intro stage because you don't have time to learn the basics. It throws everything it has at you, the most notorious instance being the Mach Speed section. Then there's Shadow's version, which has a wide-open space that probably left many players confused about where to go since there were little-to-no hints. All in all, it's just a reminder of that game's infamy. The music was excellent though, I'll give it that.

 

Tropical Jungle - Sonic the Hedgehog 2006

It was probably the least annoying level for Sonic, but that's not saying much. Silver's version was a terrible, terrible maze. Overall, it's just Frog Forest's weaker cousin.

 

Forest Falls - Sonic Rivals

My memory of the Rivals series is a little limited. It was basically Green Hill only with more purple caverns and Robotnik waterfalls. Fairly inoffensive, I suppose.

 

Plant Kingdom - Sonic Rush Adventure

This is another one that I think deserves a little more credit. It's a spiritual successor to Mushroom Hill, only it combines it with Palmtree Panic Past's prehistoric theme, with dinosaur robots being the main opposition. There might have not been much to it other than that, but I feel it was a fresh approach for a first zone, and it managed to make itself stand out from it's predecessor, Leaf Storm.

 

Sunset Forest - Sonic Rivals 2

Just Forest Falls, only sunset. Easy enough.

 

Botanical Kingdom - Sonic Riders: Zero Gravity

This course was basically a racing version of Frog Forest with a futuristic flair to it. I personally prefer the more Christmas-y Snowy Kingdom, but I do enjoy this track as well.

 

Jungle Joyride - Sonic Unleashed

Like Seaside Hill before it, Jungle Joyride combines the Green Hills and Emerald Hills with the Emerald Coasts and Wave Oceans, topped off with an ancient temple motif. Visually, it's one of my favourite zones in the entire game, and the Night theme in particular is my all-time favourite bit of Unleashed music. A definite improvement from Wave Ocean.

 

Dolphin Resort - Sonic Free Riders

Okay, so it's from Free Riders, but I thought the whole "sea life centre" gig was a very interesting take on the Emerald Coast archetype.

 

Splash Hill - Sonic the Hedgehog 4: Episode 1

It's a very nice looking Green Hill. Because that's what it is. It's just Green Hill. Oh well, at least the Checker Wrecker had a little surprise this time.

 

Tropical Resort - Sonic Colours

Well for a start, it's in spaaaace, so there's a change of scenery right there. However, even without that aspect, this is different from the rest in that it takes the welcoming appearance of a hotel facility, and gives it an Aztec flavor to it. And of course, it's your introduction to the Wisps and how they play. What can I say, this is another top one for me.

 

Planet Wisp - Sonic Colours

This brings us back to the days of Sonic CD. We see a distinctly alien but undoubtably beautiful landscape, but it's getting torn down by Robotnik's towering machinery. I love this zone because of that very contrast, serving as a visual representation of the everlasting conflict between Sonic's Green Hill and Robotnik's Scrap Brain.

 

It was brought back in Generations, and was controversial due to the long level design and the Wisp controls, though personally I didn't mind it too much. It gave me fist-pumping Egg Pawns and the classic spring trap, so I'm happy.

[FireBird75]

Since I made a topic about level tropes not too long ago, I might as well give my thoughts.

 

Ahhh yes, Green levels! I do really enjoy them as they really represent the world the people imagine Sonic residing and traversing through.

My favorites would have to go to Green Hill (still awesome after 20+ years), Emerald Hill, Emerald Coast, Neo Green Hill, Frog Forest (Favorite level in Sonic Heroes) and Sunset Hill.

Special shout out to Plant Kingdom (Blaze's equivalent to Mushroom Hill that actually makes use of mushrooms) and Planet Wisp (beautiful music tracks). 

[-blank-]

I like green levels. Over-used though they may be, I find them fairly fun. My favorites would probably have to be Jungle Joyride and Angel Island. White Jungle is pretty damn cool as well.

[Jolt_TH]

Ok everyone it's a new week so that means, new trope!

This week Ruins levels!

Some Examples

-Sky Sanctuary Zone

-Lost World

-Ocean Palace

-Aquatic Ruin Zone

-Marble Zone

-Sky Troops

-Glyphic Canyon

-Jungle Joyride (I think I only have Wii!)

-Marble Garden

Steeped in ancient history these levels explore long forgotten ruins and areas in sonics world. Often full of hidden dangers and booby traps just waiting for an unsuspecting hedgehog to put a foot out of place, some are basic stone structures, others ornate gardens some are even huge stone temples. They are decorated with writings and pictures on the walls and often crumble under Sonics feet!

This one was a bit easier, mine is

Sky Sanctuary Zone

This zone (also from Sonic (3) & Knuckles, I SWEAR there is no pattern here), set high on the sky above Angel Island is the penultimate zone before facing Eggman one on one in his giant flying fortress. Representing the chase to the newly repaired Death Egg, Sonic races through the ruins of the ancient people of Angel Island, dodging lasers, destroying EggRobo's and confronting Eggman's new robotic doppelgänger, Mecha Sonic. I love this zone, it's is different from a lot of other ruins zones, which (understandably) are on the ground, the thin moss topped walkways, the springy clouds and the crumbling platforms all mix together to give an amazing level to test your skill before the Death Egg. I love how the level looks, it's green/yellow bricks used for the fragile crumbling walkways and pillars, the wispy clouds in the foreground it all looks so tranquil...before the death egg launched, turning it into a battlefield as Sonic chases Eggman down.

The music I feel is a part of the level and I like the airy yet heroic and hopeful tone it gives the level, the generations remix I feel strengthens it. Places after Lava Reef and Hidden Palace it is when the game starts coming to a conclusion and you know it's going to be good, Knuckles is now on your side and leads you to the transporter to the zone, your first sight, the Death Egg rising from the clouds. The awe inspiring yet fear inducing cutscene starts the level off and i think you will agree when I say that it is breath taking, especially for a 16-bit console. The three Mecha Sonic bosses let you know that Eggman now means business and will stop at nothing to get you, giving a homage to the previous 2 games, giving you the feeling that this game will be the conclusion for all you have been fighting for. My favourite part of the level without a doubt is the ending, the mad dash up the pillar as the Death Egg destroys pretty much the entirety of Sky Sanctuary to stop you, showing how much Eggman wants to get rid if you but also how scared he is of you, before reaching the top and leaping into Eggman's fortress.

Well as always, over to you guys!

[spinny]

Ruin levels, huh? Ah.

 

My favourite would have to be Aquatic Ruin or Sky Sanctuary. I don't mind a bit of Sky Troops, either.

 

Aquatic Ruin has that amazing music, beautiful art design, and a brilliant mix of a ruins level and a water level.

Sure, you don't have to go underwater in Aquatic Ruin, but I kinda like it that way. The only issue is... it's too short. :c

Not gonna lie, I'd really adore to have seen Aquatic Ruin in Generations.

 

When it comes down to Sky Sanctuary, I don't like the original from 3&K that much. The one that I love with all of my heart is the Generations version. DAT SCENERY. DEM SECRET PATHS. Everything is nearly PERFECT in that one level. I have never seen a 3D Sonic level with so many intricate pathways and routes and shortcuts and... everything!

 

Regal Ruin from Sonic R looks pretty nice, too. Just thought I'd mention that. So take me baaaack in tiiiime~

 

Sky Troops is probably one of my favourite locales in Sonic history. I love those indoor sections with the temples and the sand-like waterfalls and everything. The thunderstorm section is also one of the very few memorable moments in the entirety of Shadow. The music track is repetitive, sure, but I find it so relaxing and fitting for being high in the sky, traversing floating temple ruins and such. :3

 

I have to echo your comment about the patterns usually found on the walls, too. I really like how if you look closely, it ends up tying into the game's story. Hidden Palace from 3&K and Lost World from Adventure are examples of that.

 

...Oh, yeah. Lost World.

I... hate Lost World. I'm sorry. ;~;

I'll admit, the Indiana Jones-esque boulder sequence is pretty cool, but that room with the snake gave me hell when I was a kid. :c

Admittedly, I can see plenty of reasons why people love it (the mirror room is pretty awesome), but I have too many bad memories of being stupid 6-year-old me to actually love it as much as everyone else.

 

I love this topic, by the way. x3

It's a really nice idea to discuss the different tropes in Sonic and which locale is the best out of them.

[Semi-colon e]

Ruins levels often have the most variety. There's a lot of bog standard ruins such as Marble Garden zone which just have the ruins aesthetic, but you also have fiery ruins such as Marble Zone, aerial ruins such as Sky Sanctuary (for my money the Generations version is better than the original) and Chaos Angel (despite some dick level design, this is ominous and awesome), and watery ruins of many different varieties, whether it's your standard ruins level with water (Aquatic Ruin, Lost World, Water Palace, Pirates Island to some extent), castle-esque levels (Kingdom Valley and Sylvania Castle especially), or ones on the sea like the Generations version of Seaside Hill and Ocean Palace as a whole. It also gets combined with other locales such as the jungle in Jungle Joyride which I've already discussed, the desert (Sandopolis is the standout, but most of them are ruins anyway too) and I guess you could even count Crisis City as modern ruins.

 

I wouldn't be able to tell you my favourite, this level trope is so common in Sonic games and . They are often very pretty and provide a good challenge, but sometimes they can get a little lengthy or tedious.

 

Sky Sanctuary and Seaside Hill in Generations are really well designed, but I really like Pirates' Island for the mechanised pirate base with anchors and dolphins and shit, and while Sonic 4 Episode 2 isn't that good Sylvania Castle does a bit to differentiate itself from Aquatic Ruin by having more of a castle aesthetic to it. Kingdom Valley would be up here too, if it weren't for the fact 06 is bad.

[Animatedmusic]

I LOVE ruins levels, they are mostly the most atmospheric than most other level themes. To me they are the most mysterious and most of the time they have a story to tell through there level design. they are also always really varied, they can be combined with nearly all other level themse like:

 

Ruin / Water: Aquatic ruins, Water palace, Hydrocity zone, Lost Labyrinth

Ruin / Lava: Marble zone, Lava reef

Ruin / Sky: Sky sanctuary, Babylon garden

 

So yeah I think it is my favourite level theme ever, they are never alike and always really creative. I would like to see a lot more of these though.

[MamboCat]

You forgot Rusty Ruin Zone from Sonic 3D Flickies Island....

 

I liked the music in the Mega Drive version, especially Act 2. It had some pretty neat things like floor spinners that made Sonic spin like a ballerina! And some bee Badniks that upon first sight, I mistook for Charmy and I was like AAAHHH! CHARMEEEEE I'm gonna walk up to him... *death*.

 

It also had some really annoying fire traps and a cliff section that seemed impossible to climb at the time!

 

One of the things that I like about the level is that it's quite big to roam around in. The later levels seem like corridors and thin paths to follow. This one feels a lot more open, but not as much as the previous level Green Grove.

 

Anyways, it's not my favourite ruins level. That goes to Sky Sanctuary Zone but that one's been mentioned and I thought I would talk about something else!

Edited May 7, 2013 by MamboCat

[Dizcrybe]

Ruins levels I can take or leave, but I can tell you which ones I dislike.

 

Lost World from SA1. I just found it so bland and dull. The bleak, gray environment doesn't help in the slightest. Then there's that stupid snake water pit which really showed how bad SA1's camera could get. And yet people wanted the stages in Generations. *shrugs*

 

Rusty Ruins is from 3D Blast, so it sucks by default.

[FireBird75]

Ancient Ruins?

 

For me, they're either hit or miss, but mostly hit.  Ones I like are the following:

Sky Sanctuary: Always looked forward to this level whenever I played Sonic 3K.  I was really excited when this level was announced for Sonic Generations.

Lost Labyrinth: A recreation of a level that completely shits all over the original.

Lost World: The combination of interactive structure, great music, and great atmosphere made this level a joy. The snake part still bites though. (Fucking camera)

Dry Lagoon: The only one of Rouge's levels that didn't come with an annoying gimmick. (I actually like Rouge's levels in SA2 but I'm just being honest)

Angel Island(Sonic Advance): I think this is actually part of Sky Sanctuary because the Sonic Generations level looks a lot like this zone.

Ocean Palace: One of my favorite level in Sonic Heroes. Also returned in Sonic Generations within Seaside Hill.

Sky Troops: Glyphic Canyon with slightly better design and much better music.

Chaos Angel: My favorite level with the ruin trope.  Great design, epic music, and surprising placement in the game. (It's actually the last three act zone)

Mirage Road: Catchy music!

Pirates' Island: Another unexpected location for the final zone.  It was my favorite zone in the game along with my favorite music in the game! I love this zone so much!

Dragon Road: Great music and great atmosphere!

Aquarium Park: Favorite level in Sonic Colors.

 

HM: Sky Babylon: Act 1 is pretty fun but Act 2 can kiss my ass [fucking hard as hell S rank ] Music kicks ass in both acts though.

Edited May 9, 2013 by FireBird75

[Endy]

My favourite ruin levels in 2D are Aquatic Ruin and Marble Garden Zone.

 

Aquatic Ruin is arguably one of the best water levels in the series, all because you have a choice to go in the water or not! Your skills at the game depend if you go in the water or not and it has very nice music.

 

Marble Garden is my favourite level from S3&K aesthetically, and the slopes and gimmicks are fun to use. And it also has one of the most suspenseful bosses in the game.

 

The best ones for me in 3D are Sky Sanctuary (Gens) and Jungle Joyride (HD).

 

Sky Sanctuary is awesome because it looks beautiful, and the amount of multiple pathways and the replayability it has makes me love it so much.

 

Jungle Joyride is the best day level from Unleashed for me, although the horrendous lag issues knock it down alot...

[-blank-]

I love ruin levels. Lost World is definitely my favorite one of the trope. The level design was fantastic, I loved the music, I liked all the different elements, like the snake, the mirror room, all that stuff.

[Dr. Crusher]

Well, like last time, it's time for me to create a pointlessly long list of all the levels I can think of that feel ruinsy to me (apart from the desert-themed ones, since they tend to count by default, and as such I'll just leave those ones for when it's time to talk about deserts), and talk about my likes and dislikes.

 

Marble - Sonic the Hedgehog

The first ruins we got happened to be a fiery set, creating a fusion between ancient and volcanic elements. Now a lot of people give this zone flak for not feeling all that Sonicy in terms of level design, but honestly, I like the zone and don't think it gets enough credit. The music is short but catchy, and the visuals of it have always appealed to me, right down to the underground dungeon aspects, creating a sense of mystery of what this place used to be, and whether it was abandoned because of the volcanic activity. Also, it gave us Caterkiller, and when I was a young'un and didn't realise that all Badniks were kickass, Caterkiller was my favourite because of how big of a bastard he was.

 

It's only other appearance was in the form of the three courses representing it in Sonic Drift. As with Green Hill, it was pretty much the same... only in racing form.

 

Labyrinth - Sonic the Hedgehog

Meanwhile, these ruins introduced the soon-to-be-feared water trope, therefore traumatising many a Sonic player with the infamous drowning countdown, not helped by the debut of the Orbinaut enemies. Like Marble, I actually like this zone too, mainly because it's always fun to speculate theories on the fire-spitting statues and background murals... Although the boss (or lack thereof) has always been a toughie.

 

Labyrinth was the second of the three Genesis zones that were put into the Game Gear/Master System version of Sonic 1. Now I said I like the Genesis one, but I like this one far more, if only for the music (by the way, remixes of this music must be jazz). And let's not forget that depending on which version you have, getting the Chaos Emerald is either ludicrously hard, or laughably easy.

 

Like the rest of the Genesis Sonic 1's zones, it was in Sonic Drift. And like the rest, there were little differences.

 

Aquatic Ruin - Sonic the Hedgehog 2

Another watery set of ruins, this time the setting was that of a lake. Filled with rising pillars, spear pillars, and Grounders who Leeroy Jenkin you through the walls, there are many tricks and traps here. I always liked the architecture in this zone, and it's not too bad as a water zone either since you can easily go through the entire thing without making a splash if you're skilled enough.

 

Tidal Tempest - Sonic CD

Much like most of Sonic CD's locations and their respective resemblances to the zones from Sonic 1, Tidal Tempest on the surface is basically Labyrinth if it was placed at a set of volcanic hot springs instead... and with circle dot patterns. But then, of course, you take a turn back in time, and then...

 

The Past displays the place as incomplete, with the cavern walls still fully visible. Meanwhile, you have the Bad Future, which is an odd mix between a defiled temple and a high-tech submarine. And then there's the Good Future, which seems to function as an aquarium. This is probably one of the more relaxing CD levels, mainly due to the music (the slow JP/EU one or the cheap porno US one, take your pick).

 

Sleeping Egg - Sonic & Tails/Sonic Chaos

Okay, so you have a set of ruins, and they're all happy and bright and high up in the sky... but they belong to Robotnik, if the construction gratings and engravings of the fat man are anything to go by. This is one of the posterboys for displaying the weirdness of some of the Game Gear zones, but that's not a bad thing at all.

 

Aqua Planet - Sonic & Tails/Sonic Chaos

This zone is very manipulative, because it tricks you into thinking there's more water than there actually is. Nonetheless, it's still a very nice looking level, although the sight of oil rigs in the background indicate Robotnik's presence. Of course, like the rest of Sonic Chaos, you'll get through it in a flash since the game's rather short. "Gotta go fast" indeed.

 

Marble Garden - Sonic 3 & Knuckles

Famous for the Bubbles Badnik and aerial boss fight, Marble Garden tends to not be anyone's favourite due to being credited as the most "boring" of the S3&K zones. I personally do like it because of the music, the background's sheer scale of the ruins, and the aforementioned boss fight with the Drill Mobile.

 

Sky Sanctuary - Sonic 3 & Knuckles

It was only one act long, but it was an act to remember. After the shock treatment he got from Robotnik, Knuckles leads you to these floating ruins before being forced to take a breather and letting you continue on your own. The only enemy targets here are Egg Robos and Mecha Sonic MKII, the latter equipped with two blasts from the past. But mostly you're focused on climbing the sanctuary - whilst dodging the black maces and traversing the rotating platforms in the hopes of reaching the now-revived Death Egg, with everything crumbling piece by piece. Alternatively, if you're Knuckles, you instead take a Super Mecha Sonic to the face.

 

Seventeen years later, it popped up again in Sonic Generations. And you know what? I fucking loved it. The original was great, but this one... The lush details, the mix of ancient architecture with Tron-lines, the new Missile Egg Robos... it's a beautiful remake. I know Sky Sanctuary was one of the most love-or-hate choices for Generations, but while I was completely fine with the list anyways, I'd say this remastering was worth it. Ch'Yeah Buddy.

 

Azure Lake - Sonic 3 & Knuckles

It's Angel Island's version of Aquatic Ruin. There's nothing much to say about a Multiplayer-exclusive zone, but it'd be nice to see a full-length zone with this kind of backdrop, because it's pretty pleasing on both the eyes and the ears.

 

Ruin Wood - Tails' Sky Patrol

It's a woodland with ruins. Right, next.

 

Rusty Ruin - Sonic 3D Blast: Flickies' Island

I love the music in this zone (more specifically, the Genesis ones, although the Saturn ones are also good). It was actually quite tough for a second zone due to the many spike traps, flamethrowers, tricky trampoline jumps, constant use of ballerina spinning, and green Flickies who will never stay where you want them to. Despite this, Rusty Ruin is actually one of the top ruin zones for me. It's gloomy, but it's a good kind of gloomy, you know?

 

Blue Marine - Sonic Blast

It's an early Water Palace. And there's more than one meaning behind the word "early".

 

Mystic Ruins - Sonic Adventure

Home to Tails and Big's... er, homes, Mystic Ruins is otherwise secluded aside from the odd dimwitted archaeologist or two. Yet looking further into the jungle regions, you'll find the temple that lets us find out more about the events leading up to Chaos' fury, and there's a Robotnik tower right behind it. Meanwhile, Angel Island seems to have taken a swim in the ocean again, and this time it appears to have temporarily bonded with the Mystic Ruins, creating a geographical extension for it, if you will. It's a big place, and the jungle is a maze, but there's nothing major to worry about.

 

Later still, when it returns in Sonic Chronicles: The Dark Brotherhood... it's a swamp.

 

...That's all I've got on that one.

 

Windy Valley - Sonic Adventure

This was always one of my favourite Adventure 1 stages. We're in the sky again, but this time we're dedicating our life threatening dangers to windmills. Windmills to float over, windmills to blow us away, windmills to... add to the scenery. Even with that tornado that comes out of nowhere, it's still a charming location. And may I say, I adore the Windy Hill music.

 

Lost World - Sonic Adventure

And guess what? This is one of my favourite Adventure 1 stages too! Now I know this one is infamous for being a rather crafty level, but it never bothered me that much, even the notorious underwater shenanigans with the stone snake. Along with the dark mirror room and wall-walking, I also feel this level represents Adventure 1 the best in that it's all about Chaos, both in-game and storywise. And like Windy Hill, the Tricky Maze music is so good.

 

Aquatic Relix - Sonic Pocket Adventure

I Can't Believe It's Not Aquatic Ruin.

 

Dry Lagoon - Sonic Adventure 2

Unfortunately, it's Adventure 2's treasure hunting, but the level itself still looks good. I don't know why it's so grassy when it's apparently meant to be next to both Wild Canyon and Robotnik's Pyramid Base, but who am I to question video game geography. I'm also curious as to why those two Gun Hunters trapped that poor turtle. What did it ever do to them?

 

Angel Island - Sonic Advance

Not to be confused with the Sonic 3 zone of the same name (even though it's all on Angel Island?), this incarnation of Angel Island takes more inspiration from Marble Garden and Sky Sanctuary. Now I love the S3&K one as much as the next person, but I really enjoy this one as well. The visuals are some of the best the Advance series has to offer, and the music is splendid. And don't forget the completely out-of-left-field but still appropriate appearance of the new Mecha Knuckles.

 

Another incarnation of Angel Island that was a bit ruinsy was the version from Sonic Chronicles: The Dark Brotherhood. And it was... rather small.

 

Ocean Palace - Sonic Heroes

Seaside Hill was more about the beach point of view, but Ocean Palace ventures more into the ruins. For a first zone (well, second Act of first zone, technically speaking), I thought these ruins were pretty interesting, decorating the Green Hill-esque seaside landscape with a vaguely oriental theme, not to mention the giant, ruin-carrying turtles. And the music is (in my opinion) even better than Seaside Hill's.

 

Chaos Angel - Sonic Advance 3

Ohohohohoho... Chaos Angel... Chaos Angel... sorry, I just love Chaos Angel so much. The music, the scenery, everything. It's pretty fucking good. I like how it looks much like a dark version of Advance 1's Angel Island (then again, that is basically what Chaos Angel is), and that background with that pink dusk sky, and the interior with the dark turquoise colour and hieroglyphs... Act 3 was a bit of a tough one though, for obvious reasons.

 

Altar Emerald - Sonic Advance 3

Nothing much to say here, given that it's just a set of two bosses. However it was a nice (and fitting) touch to have a remix of the Holy Summit hub theme from Sonic Battle.

 

Glyphic Canyon - Shadow the Hedgehog

I don't know why Doom decided sending Shadow to a place that would benefit the Black Arms is considered a form of "punishment", but whatever. Glyphic Canyon is... brown. Very, very brown. And sandy. I mean, I get that these ruins were buried for about two thousand years and technically belong to the bad guys, but surely it wouldn't hurt to have a little colour? Oh well, at least Knuckles is here to be his Dan Greeny self. Just watch out for the fragile pillars, for they fall faster than Shadow's credibility.

 

Sky Troops - Shadow the Hedgehog

And now those ruins are up in the sky! Which makes them... a little better, I suppose. I mean, they're still too damn drab for my tastes, but at least the background scenery has a little more to it this time. And the music isn't too bad... However this is a level in which Robotnik is on the Hero side, and destroying the Egg Pawns fills up your Dark meter, so bah.

 

Death Ruins - Shadow the Hedgehog

With the water currents and Black Arm... foilage(?), this could have been an interesting place to explore around in, but sadly it suffers from... well, Shadow the Hedgehog Syndrome, and it's all a bit dull. You're also forced to fight the Black Bull here, because sending a blob with no arms or legs to kill the Ultimate Lifeform worked so well the first time. On the plus side, this was the level in which I heard the "Mr. Yuji Naka's alright!" line.

 

Water Palace - Sonic Rush

Full of gimmicks both above and under the water, the aptly-named Water Palace was a plentiful water level for Sonic standards. No idea why there's Knight Pawns since this isn't a medieval location by any means (if anything, it looks like an early Windmill Isle), but I won't question the Eggman's design in thematic killbots.

 

Well it must have been fairly popular, because it returned in the 3DS version of Sonic Generations. It was the same for the most part, albeit with a few new bubble gimmicks. It was still plenty of fun regardless (for me anyway).

 

Babylon Garden/Sky Road - Sonic Riders

Suddenly, genies. As if to contrast Angel Island, the Babylon Garden provides an air of the Arabian Nights to the world of Sonidom, whether it be in the middle of a storm, or during a somewhat unfitting sunny season. Nonetheless, I'm cool with this place, although you have to wonder where those sleek fighter planes came from.

 

Duel Towers - Sonic Riders

...You know, this battle arena kind of looks like something from Quake 3.

 

Kingdom Valley - Sonic the Hedgehog 2006

Aside from Crisis City, this is the level of '06, though that's not saying much. Kingdom Valley was one of the stages with the biggest potential, not looking as much like a clone of an Adventure level, having majestic music, and featuring stunning water effects during the Mach Speed section (I still say that the Mach Speed section was one of the best looking parts of the whole bloody game). But unfortunately, being Sonic '06, it didn't end up doing well for various reasons (the biggest probably being the clever innovation of hiding keys all over the place for Rouge to find without the use of a radar). On top of that, like most of the areas in Shadow's own game, being ancient ruins aside, the whole place looks too desaturated. It really was a huge shame it turned out the way it did.

 

Colosseum Highway - Sonic Rivals

While I might not care too much about the Rivals series, I do like some of it's concepts for zones, and would like to see some them be remade into more traditional zones. Colosseum Highway is one of them; the Ancient Roman aesthetic, the potential fountain gimmicks... surely it's worth another go?

 

Levitated Ruin - Sonic and the Secret Rings

Notable for being the only level without any song lyrics (incidentally, High & Broken happens to be my favourite music in the game), this is basically a slightly better Sky Troops, only you're flying above a forest and riding on what appears to be giant fort-carrying stingrays. Needless to say, it's a surreal experience... even before you meet the Gargoyle Djinn.

 

Sky Babylon - Sonic Rush Adventure

My friend happens to love this zone, and with good reason. Sky Babylon is essentially Chaos Angel Good Future. Disregarding all the fan-specific masturbation revolving around the suspicious use of the word "Babylon", the place provides a lovely backdrop, with a subdued green night sky looming over the flora-kissed ancient city, full of small fires, strange balloons, and purple electricity. Topped off with the Ghost Condor - who looks absolutely nothing like a condor - and you have your penultimate zone all set.

 

Pirates' Island - Sonic Rush Adventure

...Which leads us to this zone. This is another one I really enjoy. Who'd have thought making Soleanna more pirate-y would make for a good final zone? Not unlike Launch Base, there's a lot of water here (well it is an island), and with it come various sea elements, such as aqua-spurting cannons, giant anchor platforms, and bizarrely enough, cute widdle dolphins. Named Ecco, yeah? And don't get me started on the big fight with the pirate captain Whisker himself (and Johnny), whose theme music makes things take a turn for the 60's Spider-Man-y. Now I love this zone for being different from what you've come to expect for a final Sonic level, and the whole Buccaneer-Venice gig is a joy to see... That and I tend to take a liking to anywhere that looks like Venice anyways.

 

Gigan Rocks/Gigan Device - Sonic Riders: Zero Gravity

Never thought a Riders game of all things would have some didgeridoo magic. You have the outside full of pagodas resting atop the mountain peaks, and the inside caverns with blue crystals and blue fire and blue everything. It's a hell of a view when you're breaking the laws of gravity like a rebel.

 

Dragon Road - Sonic Unleashed

Fireworks, dragons, and everything ridin' spinnaz... It must be China. Running along the walls is all well and good, but be careful when it's night time, for it's here in which Dark Gaia's gangsta' crew start to go postal, before coming face-to-face with some phoenix who got possessed. But don't ruin the ornaments. They cost a lot of money.

 

Jungle Joyride - Sonic Unleashed

As I mentioned last time, while Jungle Joyride is mostly about the beach and jungle side of things, you eventually start noticing more and more temple elements, which is appropriate, given this zone pretty much showcases the Gaia Temple to rule them all. And as I also mentioned before, the night stage music is so cash.

 

Misty Lake - Sonic and the Black Knight

It's just (more) medieval Kingdom Valley, innit. But this time, you talk to some condescending girl, find an equally condescending talking sword, fight a dragon, try to fight the initial head honcho villain, and generally just try to appreciate the foggy yet calming setting whilst ignoring Sonic's banter.

 

Forgotten Tomb - Sonic Free Riders

I think it looked a little bit like Mystic Ruins? I don't know. I can barely remember. In fact, you might even say I... have a crap memory. Oh well, shit happens.

 

Lost Labyrinth - Sonic the Hedgehog 4: Episode 1

Of all the Episode 1 zones, this one was probably the least (or close to least) like a copycat. It felt more like a combination between both the Genesis and Game Gear Labyrinths in terms of design and visuals, with a little bit of Lost World thrown in there. And a minecart.

 

Aquarium Park - Sonic Colours

I could listen to the hub music for hours. As for the zone itself, another triumph. Dragon Road returns but now takes a dip and was handed to Robotnik for ownership, making things even better. Throw in some classic underwater tubes, pretty lights, and some samurai-themed Egg Pawns, and you have a winner on your hands. Now where is the Bucket O'Sushi...?

 

Seaside Hill - Sonic Generations

The Generations version of Seaside Hill combined it with Ocean Palace's more prominent white architecture, making for a stunning improvement (not that the original was bad, I just like this version more). The stone disks are faster, the ruins are more Labytinth-er, and there's various routes for you to take. Jolly good show.

 

Sylvania Castle - Sonic the Hedgehog 4: Episode 2

Say what you will about Sonic 4, but I thought this was a much better Kingdom Valley. It's rustic yet colorful, we're given the new Fullboar and Zoomer Badniks, and the Egg Serpentleaf - easy as it may be - was a great bait-and-switch joke. Now how to explain to people that "sylvania" is a real word and not just an excuse for Castlevania jokes...

Edited May 9, 2013 by Dr. Crusher

[Mando-Whirl-Wind]

up next, the water trope... no wait we just did that with the ruins trope XD just kidding. For some reason it always seems like ancient ruins are littered with traps, why cant there be a nice safe one for once? (only partialy kidding)

[Semi-colon e]

I don't think Aquarium Park really counts as a ruins level just because it's similar to Dragon Road. Dragon Road has had time to decay while Aquarium Park is newly built on rocks and shit. The city is perfectly fine so it's not a ruins level imo.

[Your Vest Friend]

Now how to explain to people that "sylvania" is a real word and not just an excuse for Castlevania jokes...

 

If you talked more to British people roughly my age, it wouldn't be a problem. I still have that fucking Sylvanian Families jingle in my head, the woodland bastards. 

[Dr. Crusher]

I don't think Aquarium Park really counts as a ruins level just because it's similar to Dragon Road. Dragon Road has had time to decay while Aquarium Park is newly built on rocks and shit. The city is perfectly fine so it's not a ruins level imo.

 

I actually agree with that, but I thought it was too good a zone to pass up.