Dr. Crusher Presents: The 30 Days of Sonic the Hedgehog (sponsored by PowerVerte)-Fin, PAGE 150

[Semi-colon e]

No particular order to this one.

 

Blue Sphere, 3&K

 

It's relatively fair. But actually the music is awesome as well and some of the layouts get really creative. The fact that there's about a billion different ones adds to the variety too, some of them are pure dickery though. I don't mind these ones at all, they're fun, and there's no bullshit to trying to get to them either. Get into the ring and that's it.

 

Sonic Rush's half pipe

 

Touch screen controls make this one awesome as fuck. The QTEs are actually interesting and fun because you have the stylus, and it also adds to the control and allows you to do anything. You get a lot of leeway, more than you think, and while they get tough, they're a mostly fair challenge unlike the rest of the game, ironically. Also that music is crazy awesome.

 

Sonic CD's UFO

 

Only with the American music though. It's so bassy and 90s that I love it. These ones are hard as balls but very unique and interesting, especially with the trippy backgrounds. The UFOs get annoying in the later ones, but the 2011 version makes it a lot easier to play and they're better than they were before. Certainly beats getting the Good Future manually in every single level.

 

Johnny, Sonic Rush Adventure

 

Uses the secondary part of the game (the sailing stuff) to create something of it's own, and the Waterbike is the most fun because it plays similarly to the main levels if you think about it by having a boost meter and tricks. You need to upgrade your vehicle to win the later ones, but that's generally a non-issue. Johnny isn't particularly hard, but he has some tricks up his sleeve and you need to pay attention. It was also a good way of getting Johnny in the game more as in the cutscenes he barely appears. Well done guys, seriously.

 

Game Land, Sonic Colours Wii

 

Firstly the DS version has good special stages, but they're an honourable mention. The Game Land levels aren't always well designed, but it's basically more normal levels which I always welcome. The ones that are nostalgia throwbacks to Sonic 1 are good, but there's also some weird trippy ones like water in the middle of nothing you need to drill through. It continued to use the Wisps in a creative way too. And Super Sonic was awesome in this game, lack of Wisps aside.

[ElectricAngel]

Day 2: Top 5 Special Stages

 

Ah, Special Stages. Those darned levels where the Chaos Emeralds always hide. I was never really fond of Special Stages, mostly because of how hard they are, but I do find some to be enjoyable. At least when you're not trying to get the emerald.

 

Number 5: Sonic 1

 

 

Sonic 1 was the first traditional Sonic game i had played that included Special Stages. I remember when I first saw the giant ring, I had passed through it not knowing what it was. The second time I saw it, I jumped into it out of curiosity. The level itself confused me and I initially went for the goal signs because, well, it says goal. I had no idea how to get a Chaos Emerald until I googled the Special Stages. Yes, i was quite dumb. But hey, it was my first time. These are number 5 on the list because they aren't that annoying to play through and I never had too much trouble, thus found them quite enjoyable to play in. But seriously though, that background is trippy as hell. What's up with that?

 

Number 4: Sonic 3 (& Knuckles)

 

 

I was never really fond of how you access these Special Stages. I hated how I had to always look up a guide to find the tricker giant rings hidden in the levels. However, the stages themselves are really fun to play. There are no goal posts or spiked balls to hinder your progress. All you have to do is get blue spheres and avoid red ones. It's simple and fun, and gets more challenging the more time you spend in them, as the character moves faster as time progresses. This creates a challenge to get the spheres fast and have good reflexes. They're not annoying, nor tedious, and on top of it, they have a great song to them as well.

 

Number 3: Sonic Rush

 

Ah, Sonic Rush. One of the better handheld Sonic games. I enjoy the Special Stages in this game because I believe they took the idea of Sonic 2's Special Stages and actually made them fun. You don't have Tails running into bombs, you've got nice groovy music playing, and I like the idea of adding badniks in the stages. It adds a bit of challenge, and hey, you actually get rings for defeating them. I'll always like how in these stages, you've got simple fun gameplay and the ring limit is nowhere near as ridiculous as Sonic 2's, so I was never frustrated with them. Also, the way you access them is great. All you need is a full boost meter and find that spinning wheel (whatever it's called) and you're in. There's no need to replay the entire level just to access the Special Stage which makes it all the more appealing to me.

 

Number 2: Sonic Generations (3DS)

 

 

Sonic Generations on the 3DS, to me was quite... boring. The entire game was in 2D that kind of defeated the purpose of the whole 2 Sonics gimmick and the stages themselves weren't as well designed as the console counterpart. It doesn't help that the ones from the Genesis era were just 3D remakes for Classic Sonic. But the Special Stages took me by surprise. Of course, I saw the Heroes-esque design and got worried, but was surprised to see they play really well. Sure, they might be the easiest Special Stages in the franchise, but they are fun to play. This is how the Heroes Special Stages should have been, as opposed to the slippery broken mess we got. But I guess you could blame the controls or physics engine of that game. Anyways, I liked how simple and fun they were. Not much to say. Generations as a whole was a easy fun experience to celebrate the blue blur's legacy. And since the Special Stages fit that concept, it was okay.

 

Number 1: Sonic 4 Episode II

 

 

Come at me, Sonic 4 haters. I agree that Sonic 4 isn't the perfect successor to the classic trilogy, but for what it is, I like it. Granted, I don't go back to the game that much, but if it's one thing I always come back to Sonic 4 Episode II for, it's the Special Stages, as well as a few select acts and boss fights. Now, the Special Stages here are very similar to Sonic 2 and Sonic Rush. However, here you can actually boost here. Not only that, but they added a few gimmicks that made Tails quite useful in helping you collect rings, such as the band that connects you two. Not only did they put a great twist on the classic Sonic 2 formula here, but they added a few nice features such as the Tails band, switches, and 10 ring rings. I just had a blast when playing through these stages and I love almost every aspect here. It's also nice that Tails can no longer lose rings. In your face Sonic 2! Anyway, as a whole these Special Stages are my absolute favourite. They are fun to play, easy to access (collect 50 rings and jump in the giant ring at the end) and are one of the key reasons I replay Sonic 4 Episode II. And this is probably the only Sonic game I got back to for the Special Stages. They're that good. 

[PickleBrows]

Top 5 Special Stages

 

5-Sonic Heroes "Light at the end of the tunnel"

 

While technically playing Sonic 1 first I was properly introduced to the series with Sonic Heroes and it was here I first encountered special stages. These bloody things are the reason that I never fully beat Sonic Heroes because I always seemed to be tripped up by something be it slowing down, randomly falling off the sides or running out of time. Years later I grabbed an Xbox copy and seemed to have an easier time with them. Nostalgia pretty much got this on the list.

 

4-Sonic Rush "It takes two (screens) to tango"

 

My first handheld Sonic game (let's agree the  McDonald's games don't count) and a new way to go for the emeralds. I liked the idea of Sonic using his boost to open a portal to another dimension, really satisfying to make it in with only a smidge of boost left. The stage itself was quite fun with the touch screen working surprisingly well. Props for improving Sonic 2's issues of pop in as well.

 

3-Sonic 3K "It's a sphere with more spheres on top of it. You see where we're going?"

 

Yes, the ever popular Blue Sphere stages make third on the list (dodges incoming gunfire). The reason these place third is that they were never hugely fun for me. I don't know why but it always feels more like a chore grabbing all the emeralds in 3K than the other classics for some reason, excluding Sonic 2. The stages themselves play fine and they're not bad by any means. I think my issue is that they're too easy now so it feels less rewarding when I know that more than likely I'm going to come back out with the emerald every time. The music is great though, I'll raise a glass to that (or at least I will once I turn 18).

 

2-Sonic 1 "trippin' through space and time"

 

Now let me explain. This is not getting number 2 because of great design. In fact I'll say that all the other games I've listed are probably better designed than this. This gets number 2 because of the risk/ reward feeling they provide. You have to be skilled enough to make it to the end of the stage with enough rings to even have the opportunity to get an emerald which encourages newcomers to replay the game and improve in order to get in. The stage itself likewise requires skill on the players part. You need to learn the stage in order to keep track of the goal blocks while the stage spins and you also need to learn to manipulate the blocks that control the spinning of the stage. There's always a feeling of adrenaline, knowing that one mistake can cost you your emerald. 

 

1- Sonic CD "So that's what the back of my head looks like!"

 

Yes folks, Sonic CD takes the Best special stage award 2014 (most biased award ceremony in history). Like Sonic 1 some skill is required to get here with the 50 rings requirement still in place. Once in we get treated to the first instance of being able to control Sonic in three dimensions (not real 3D but let's roll with it). I should at this point say that I'm counting the special stages as they are in the 2011 re-release of the game. Sonic handles pretty well and I've had no issues moving him around the stage. The reason this took number 1 is because of the fun-work ratio. There's still plenty of effort on the player's part to win but running around and smashing the UFO's allows you to have fun while you're at it. 

[Ducktor Naldush]

Top 5 Special Stages

 

Well, I don't have an actual top 5, but these are the special stages I liked the most;

 

Let's start with

5) Sonic 3D: Flickies' Island for the Mega Drive

This is just nostalgia talking. I know full well about the blandness and laughable difficulty of these stages, but I still love them. Must be the music. Yeah, it's probably just the music.

 

4) Sonic Rush Adventure, for the Nintendo DS

These stages were actually...odd. I mean, they hadn't the psychedelic background  or the funky music of other games but...well, you're a blue hedgehog racing against a robot shark, in a sea full of mines and explosive stuff.

 

3) Sonic Advance 3, for the Gameboy Advance

Ok, the method of reaching these stages was STUPID and tedious, but it's still not as stupid as Sonic Advance 2. That  being said, I liked the idea of riding the Tornado while collecting rings and avoiding bombs in what looked like another special stage.

 

2) Sonic Heroes, for the PS2, GC, and Xbox. Also, PC.

BOOSTBOOSTBOOSTWHOOOOOOOOOOOOA. You're racing against a Chaos Emerald, baby! These things got bored of just waiting for you, apparently. 

 

1) Sonic The Hedgehog 3 for...well, almost everything, at this point.

Beautiful music, simple yet entertaining gameplay. The method of reaching these stages was fair, too!

[Jovahexeon Jax Joranvexeon]

By "Badnik-types", I meant... well, um, any robots that "look" like proper Badniks. That is, not Egg Pawns, Egg Fighters, Egg Gunners, and so on. It's not just limited to the Badniks in the Classic games either, you can choose Badniks from other games like Adventure 1 and the Advances as well.

 

However, because a lot of folk went ahead and said Egg Pawns and other things anyway, I decided to just let them be.

Might I be able to count these bad-asses?

 

 

 

E-Series

E-Series: E-123 Omega

64 Comments

E-Series: E-105 Zeta

22 Comments

E-Series: E-104 Epsilon

7 Comments

E-Series: E-103 Delta

5 Comments

E-Series: E-102 Gamma

60 Comments

E-Series: E-101 Beta MKII

19 Comments

The E-100 series, my personal favorite badniks?

 

Oh scrap, I'm a day late.

[spinny]

My all-time favourite Special Stage, eh?

 

Kill me for this, but...

 

 

It's this.

 

1. Sonic the Hedgehog (1991). It's trippy and confusing at first, but when you get the hang of it, it's easy as pie. This is how Special Stages should work in my opinion. It also helps that you notice the "GOAL" signs a long time before you stand a chance of falling in so you can skip a heartbeat and force yourself back around.

 

Second is...

 

 

 

2. Sonic Rush Adventure. It's an amazing, really unique spin on the Special Stage formula. It's not a trippy land, it's not brand new "whats going on" gameplay, it's a waterbike race against Johnny using the skils you've gained from the previous adventures via sailing. Really nice.

 

Number three is...

 

 

3. Sonic the Hedgehog 4: Episode II. It's Sonic 2's special stages done right. Tails is still clumsy as ever, but to make up for it, he loses no rings when he takes damage! ...Now if only the 7th one wasn't such a bitch...

 

yeah spindash compliments sonic 4 for once

 

Number four is...

 

 

 

4. Sonic Advance 2. ZERO's cameo is amazing and really makes me smile every time and the music kicks ass. The entrance to these special stages may be ridiculously cheap and unfair, but that aside, I have no problem with these babies.

 

And last but not least...

 

 

5. Sonic Blast. It's silly and it's relatively simple. When you're drunk, bored, tired, whatever and you feel like playing through a Special Stage, this or 3D Blast 16-bit is your best choice. It's really nothing great, hence why it's at the bottom here, but it's fun for a little while.

[MamboCat]

Ahh shite I missed day one.

 

But if anyone cares; it's between Rhinobot, the two Badniks that look like Scratch (Clucker, I think..). Grounder (errr. Grounder?) and Splatz, cause it's so darned cute.

 

As for my favourite special Stages:

 

1) (I assume 1 is best): Sonic 3/& Knuckles' Get Blue Spheres

 

 

I love it. The models of Sonic, Tails and Knuckles are great (if a little super shiny), the idea of running around the globe is a nice one, it gives you a good loop for the level, the perspective looks great and the sky is gorgeous and everyone's happy...

 

er... Yes.. the moment I discovered what going around a block of 9 or more spheres would do gave me absolute joy, and in the case of the Sonic 1+Sonic and Knuckles add-on it finally let me find out where all the rings were! The stages are just about the right level of challenge and the fact that you have multiple chances to complete them all is an added bonus.

 

Oh and did I mention the music is glorious?

 

2) Sonic 2's Get X Rings/Halfpipe

 

 

 

This was the first Sonic Special Stage I played, and my tiny young mind was blown away. The perspective man! Look at it! The twists and turns of the halfpipe made my mum giddy as she watched me play it! Again, the idea is a simple one and it's why it works pretty well as a stage, and had become a sort of staple in 16bit games. For example the Stampede level in The Lion King greatly resembles this kind of perspective, only you're running away from something, not towards it!

 

The music is iconic, I reckon. Play this randomly to a bunch of people from around the 90s and they might just recognise it, even if they are not Sonic nuts like we are!

 

Aided by the fact that have multiple changes to complete all of them is a bonus, and in doing so, this gains a special place in my heart as the first set of Special Stages to give you Super Sonic! Yaaay!

 

3) Sonic 4 Episode 2's rehash of the above special stage:

 

Only because it tickled my nostalgia bone.

 

Also the animations at the end of the stage are very nicely done, especially the failure ones:

http://cloud-4.steampowered.com/ugc/1155423501567893781/CD30A6C9E67FA9EA5441928B825485685CE47CB5/1024x575.resizedimage

 

4) Sonic CD's UFO Hunt;

 

I'm actually really shit at this. I can't seem to be able to hit the UFOs no matter how I position Sonic! I've only ever managed to complete 2 of these as it was in Taxman's shiny new version which isn't as mean as the original version I had for PC.

 

Again, it's the perspective that makes it look awesome. Some of the backgrounds are insane! Gameplay-wise I think it feels like an in-between of the halfpipe and Get Blue Spheres stages. I'd also add that I love the little victory pose you get upon getting a Time Stone, and I also love both soundtracks. They. Are. AWESOME! The Japanese one gets you all pumped up and the US one sounds all mysterious and spooky, like.

 

An added bonus of course is finding this guy:

 

 

AHHHH OMG! ROBOTNIK-ZILLA!!! AAAAAAAAARGH!

 

5) Sonic Chaos' Uh... grab 100 rings then do some challenge..... thing...

 

I dunno what it's called... but yeah, I think I like Sonic Chaos' special stage because it is so varied! And that grabbing 100 rings in some stages is pretty easy. I think my favourite one is either the rocket shoes stage, where you speed through space grabbing giant rings, or the one with the big jumping springs, because once you know what to do it's pretty funny.

 

Yeah. That's my lot, anyway!

[FourCartridge]

My favorite Special Stage?

 

 

Sonic 3D Blast Saturn. It may not have the "OMG Trippy" feature of the other Special Stages, but it has Richard Jacques, which more than makes up for it. And Whoo rollercoaster design; that is always a bonus.

[Yoko/葉子]

My 5 Sonics are:

 

Sonic 2 16-bit for being my very first video game to play.

Sonic 3 (alone) for being the first game I ever beat as a child.

Sonic Unleashed for being a mix of beat-em-up, running and traveling the world.

Sonic Heroes because it won me a friend in real life.

Sonic Riders Zero Gravity for fun race courses and shweet music.

[Captain Fun]

Day 2: Top 5 Special Stages:

 

1: Sonic 4 Episode 2: This one was fun in co-op. It's basically like 2's special stage but without the limitations. I feel like it was more or less an improvement in every way. Plus, Tails won't drop rings upon being hit. 

 

2: Sonic 3 & Knuckles: The blue sphere game is the only special stage I have an easy time clearing. I'm pretty shit at most special stages... and Sonic games in general. :C

 

3: Sonic Colors Simulator: Again, Co-op antics make this tolerable when the controls are not. 

 

4: Sonic 1. Not that hard, so I can do it. And the music is kinda nice. 

 

5: Sonic Heroes. At least, I think I liked this. It's been many years since I played it. 

 

I'm disappointed because I can't have the Saturn version of 3D Blast in my list, because I've never played it or owned a Sega Saturn. 

[Solly]

Day 2: Top 5 Special Stages

 

1. (Best) Sonic 4 Episode 2

It's basically the concept introduced in Sonic 2, except far more playable. It's much easier to do in multiplayer, and it has new mechanics, like the tether between Sonic and Tails, as well as boosting.

 

2. Sonic 3 and Knuckles. Blue Sphere is both fun and really tense at the same time. Once you understand the mechanics, it becomes about understanding the individual levels, as well as execution, making it kind of unique.

 

3. Sonic Colors. The Sonic Simulator stages were really fun in multiplayer. The actual platforming controls could be hard to get a grip on, like everything in that game, but co-op is such a mindless slaughter that these become really fun with another person.

 

4. Sonic Rush. Yes, I already listed another remake of the Sonic 2 special stage, but this one was good too. The touch screen in this game made everything feel really smooth and easy to control. It also had amazingly weird music.

 

5. Sonic the Hedgehog. Enjoyable, but a little awkward to control. 

[Dr. Crusher]

>:I I'mma do it anyway.

 

Only problem is that Tails is awful and he sucks here.

 

 

My 5 Sonics are:

 

Sonic 2 16-bit for being my very first video game to play.

Sonic 3 (alone) for being the first game I ever beat as a child.

Sonic Unleashed for being a mix of beat-em-up, running and traveling the world.

Sonic Heroes because it won me a friend in real life.

Sonic Riders Zero Gravity for fun race courses and shweet music.

 

Uh, Lime? Not to ruin your fun, but I haven't asked about your favourite Sonic games as of this point. I only asked what your favourite Special Stages are.

[Debug Ring]

Favourite special stages?

3) Sonic Advance: Why? Free fall boarding that's why. That's just bloody awesome. And it's a cool way of doing the half pipe stages without them being half pipe stages.

2) Sonic Simulator: I chose these because they're a new, inventive type of SS, and they're good fun. They're almost like test stages, and O love how they remixed the soundtrack to give it a classic feel.

1) Sonic 3D Blast (Saturn): I think these are the best special stage, and best half pipe stage because the atmosphere is just great. The levels get intense, the music is fitting and good and they're just general good fun. So that's my topper.

Sorry that I couldn't get five though.

[Dr. Crusher]

Sorry that I couldn't get five though.

 

No worries, Mr. Time Lord.

[Jolt_TH]

Hmm ok, day 2. Well I do like a fair few of the special stages, so here goes!

5: Sonic Generations 3DS

Basically the Heroes special stages done right, the concept is really good, chasing the emerald, and it runs smoothly with much better improved physics than Heroes. It's only so low because it is stupidly easy.

4: Sonic 4 Episode 2

I really quite like these remakes of the classic Sonic 2 special stages, they look really good kid the fact you can boost AND see the hazards and rings before they hit you make then really enjoyable, plus it has a good difficulty curve I feel.

3: Sonic 1

The good old classic special stage. These are super simple, yet can be a right bitch to complete, the taxman remake definitely helped with the controls and upped my enjoyment of these special stages. Plus fish and birds and the LYING goal orbs.

2: Sonic Rush

These were really tied for first but I had to have some sort of ranking. I found these special stages really good fun and I know it's another half pipe special stage but it is improved upon by te touch controls. They make it so much more responsive, plus the QTEs are actually kinda fun and can save your ass if you accidentally got hit or missed some rings...plus ya know, that music mannnnn!

1: Blue Sphere

So the number one spot, of course is blue sphere, thus may be slightly bias because they are the one special stage I can complete continuously (aside from rush). The idea is genius and the technology was groundbreaking at the time. The sprites look really good (although as skneoeb said before really shiny). The difficulty curve is fair and the controls are responsive so if any mistakes are made it's your fault, not the games.

Honourable Mentions

Sonic 2

Although I couldn't do these (unti the taxman remakes at least) the idea is a sound one and I always enjoyed having a go. But mostly the music though!

Rush Adventure

I love how these special stages fit with the second part of the game and sorta lead to my 100% goal of revealing the entire map. I just never really found them all that hard. As fun as they were it literally was "boost to win"

[PSI Wind]

I don't really have a Top 5 as I generally don't like how you get to the Special Stages. The one I love though is the Colours DS one. That music, man! So good.

[Komodin]

Question #2: What are your top five (or less-than-five, if you can't think of that many) Special Stages?

 

Top 5 favorite Special Stages, huh?

 

Okay, to be honest, I find most of the Special Stages this series had over the years to be somewhat ... meh for one reason or another. However, there are at least five that I genuinely like. In no particular order:

 

1) The Blue Spheres (from Sonic 3 and Sonic & Knuckles)

 

 

Perhaps it's because I played this particular set of Special Stages hundreds of times in my childhood -- I honest to God have all 16 of the Special Stages' layouts fully memorized -- but out of all of the "Classic Era" stages, the Blue Spheres are the ones that left the biggest impression on me. Between the relatively high-paced music, the fairly challenging gameplay, and the workable controls, these stages are just more fun to me than either the Tilt-a-Maze or the Westside Halfpipes set. Although things can get somewhat hectic when you take a long enough time in a stage and things speed up exponentially, I never really felt out of control at any point. All-in-all, this set gets a big thumbs-up from me!

 

2) The Mine Bridges (from Sonic 3D Blast (Genesis version))

 

 

I've never played the Saturn version of 3D Blast, so its set of Stages aren't familiar to me (although they do look pretty cool), but personally, I think this set of Stages here are rather fun. Sure, they're perhaps a bit too easy for their own good, but usually when it comes to minigames like this, I'd prefer having too-simple versus too-difficult, anyway. The controls are manageable, the music is serviceable enough, and I can't help but laugh at how easy it is to overshoot the ring objectives. Ultimately, while I can't really comment on the Saturn version, the Genesis version is plenty fine.

 

3) The Clear Pipe Emerald Chase (from Sonic Heroes)

 

 

Out of all of the "Pipes" Stages, both the Emerald and Bonus sets here are one of the very few that I genuinely like. I mean, sure, the controls can get rather janky at times, the Flying characters are pretty much useless here, and the difficulty spike for the third Emerald Stage is and always will be jarring as heck. However, if there's one thing that makes it so that I can never really hate them, it's the lovely music. It's like, every time I hear them, especially the Bonus theme, I just get pumped up to get the job done.

 

I think what also helps here is that instead of me racing to get the Chaos Emeralds, I'm actually chasing them down. Perhaps I'm a bit daffy, but I can't help but find it interesting that the emeralds themselves want me to prove myself worthy of collecting them.

 

4) Tilt-a-Maze II: Electric Boogaloo (from Sonic the Hedgehog 4: Episode 1)

 

 

Yeah, I know that I implied earlier that I didn't care much for the original Tilt-a-Maze set from Sonic 1, but really, the way I see it, this set is basically that one, done right. Despite me not having direct control of Sonic here this time around, controlling the maze itself and all, I actually feel that I have more control of him here than I ever did with the original, ironically enough. The music's much more pleasant, the visuals are likewise, and the timed nature of this feels more challenging, in a fair way. Although I'm not a big fan of the "collect X rings to get pass here" gates, I still have a ton of fun with this set of Stages, especially on my Nexus 7.

 

5) The Westside Halfpipes: REMIX (from Sonic the Hedgehog 4: Episode 2)

 

 

Likewise, with this set of Stages, I not only find them to be the original Westside Halfpipes done right, but also that they're the best Halfpipes Stages made so far. Unlike the originals, the controls here are significantly better, with no real delays in movement.  Not only that, with Tails not losing any rings if he gets hit this time around, the difficulty (for at least the first six stages) are much more fair. The speed button helps move things along, the light 3D Blast Saturn elements with the springs to other halfpipes keeps things interesting, and that ring-collecting rope sections brought an interesting spin on things. Also, the music's awesome and the visuals are top-notch. However, you wanna know what I liked the most about this particular set?

 

The character expressions in the console/Mobile THD versions!

 

 

 

 

 

 

See all this? Those are the faces of people who are having fun with their mission! 

 

So, all-in-all, this set is simply wonderful!

[Dr. Homem]

A special stage's value to me is based entirely on its fun factor. Such is the way of bonus levels in general, considering their existence is basically of being extras to the main gameplay - even though most in this series also have the important purpose of collecting Chaos Emeralds. With that, the ones I've enjoyed the most are:

 

5- Sonic Heroes' Sphere Tunnels

Like Crusher, I'm generally not a fan of the pipe special stages, but this one is a great example less because of the gameplay itself, but because of the wonderful composition of the level's various elements. The visuals are bright, colorful and rather surreal in nature, with a playful music that fits in well with the "race" theme. This could be higher up in the list if the movement wasn't so clunky, but that doesn't prevent it from being one of the more aesthetically interesting special stages.

 

4- Sonic 3D Blast's Effortless Bridges

This is an incredibly easy level, to the point getting the necessary amount of rings to access it was harder than getting the ones necessary to finish it. As such, getting all emeralds was a simple task (which makes me further annoyed that the final boss always crashed on my copy). But being challenging isn't all there is, and 3D Blast managed to provide one of the more unique versions of the special stage. Perhaps being a breeze is exactly what makes it fun: it's like a breathing room from the rest of the game.

 

3- Sonic 1 (8-bit)'s Bouncy Rooms

The Master System's version of the first game features an interesting take on the Sonic special stage formula: it has no objective. No emerald to collect, no time stone to find, nothing. Just an opportunity to amass some easy rings and extra lives. That's how bonus levels usually work in other franchises, and while this method obviously doesn't work for every case, it gives us some good fun with no strings attached. Just jump up, down and around until your time runs out.

 

2- Sonic 1 (16-bit)'s Rotating Acid Trips

Another stage type that hasn't been copied much, with the exception of S4Ep1. The strange backgrounds and confusing layouts may frustrate you for the first few times, but once you get the hang of it, it's a surprisingly enjoyable activity. There are two elements I particularly like in this level. One, the "jewels" that change color every time you hit them until disappearing, which gives a sense of progression to every action. Two, the maneuvering between walls and corners for using the level's rotation to your advantage, something that brings another layer of thought to the level, if a minor one.

 

1- Sonic 3&K's Sky-Colored Spheres

Can't beat the best. Blue Sphere is pure entertainment; there's nothing too complicated or unusual, you only have to run around and gather the blue spheres, but having to navigate around the red ones and having a preferable order for their collection makes it harder than it looks. In the end, Blue Sphere is proof a mini-game doesn't have to be overly complex to be good; a simple but clever gameplay can be just as challenging and satisfying.

[Dr. Crusher]

3- Sonic 1 (8-bit)'s Bouncy Rooms

The Master System's version of the first game features an interesting take on the Sonic special stage formula: it has no objective. No emerald to collect, no time stone to find, nothing. Just an opportunity to amass some easy rings and extra lives. That's how bonus levels usually work in other franchises, and while this method obviously doesn't work for every case, it gives us some good fun with no strings attached. Just jump up, down and around until your time runs out.

 

I always liked the visuals of that one...

[Indigo Rush]

For the longest time, I wasn't aware that the Special Stages in Sonic 1 (GG/MS) weren't for the Chaos Emeralds. I always felt unskilled when I didn't know where to go.

 

...In hindsight, I should have put that together when I collected one lying on the ground in the middle of the second act of Green Hill.

 

I was not a smart man.

[Briraka]

Eh, can't really make a top 5, but I can try to do a top 3.

 

3: Colours DS's - Blue Spheres & Half Pipe's Manbaby

 

What I like about it is that it mixes up the tried and true half pipe by mixing in the Blue Sphere elements. And the challenge off trying not to run into wrong spheres.

 

2: Blue Spheres - Waste Your Life by Locking On to Sonic 1

 

As if this didn't get enough praise... well whatever, I'm gonna praise it anyway.

 

The challenge was just right, it felt great to get a Perfect, and things get tense when it decides to speed up.

 

1: Sonic 1 - WOOOOOAAAAAAAHHHHH!!!

 

This special stage changes things up from the normal gameplay, but still feels familiar. The calming music and the psychedelic background ease the tension a bit while you're jumping in hope to not run into a GOAL block.

 

FUN FACT: Sonic 1 is the first game where I got all of the Chaos Emeralds.

 

Honorable Mention: Triple Trouble - The Emerald Temples

 

I really like the concept with this one. Race to the Emerald before the time limit is up by using the skills you've acquired during you're adventure. Thing is though... I've never actually played these stages.

[ImPantsAtThis]

Top 5 special stages? Ugh, I've had the hardest time with this one.

 

 

#5: Sonic Rush

 

Back in the day, many years ago, when I owned a DS I positively rushed (no pun intended) to get a Sonic game for it. It was... eh. I didn't like it much; the blistering pace was okay to deal with, but I never thought it should be the focus of a sidescroller -- the screen, as wide as it was, had to move fairly quickly to keep up.

 

The special stages, unlike the hectic levels, were a treat. The controls of 'almost instantly go where you touch' were beautiful; to this day I rue halfpipe stages that don't have touchscreen for this philosophy. The best part, however, was when I found an exploit -- during the stages, you hit these small (springs?) and launch up into the air. What follows is a little minigame: you have to hit these numbered buttons that show up to pull off tricks and get more rings. But you can pause while doing it. So, by tapping the first number, pausing and then moving and pressing down on the next one while still paused, you can mash the pause button twice to re-pause, having pressed the next number. You can repeat this to finish tricks, as far the game knows, almost instantaneously.

 

#4: Sonic 3 & Knuckles

 

Not much to say on this, since I haven't had much practice chasing blue spheres. That said, I've loved what I've played so far; it feels very puzzle-y, so it's a nice changing of pace from the speedy based platformer that it-- OH GOD WHY AM I SPEEDING UP?

 

#3: Sonic Heroes

 

This is here mainly for nostalgia reasons -- during easter break one year I plowed through a Heroes 100% run, and it was the first time I'd gone after the emeralds. It's tough, the controls are slippy and the layouts are awful, but the music and the sounds the boost spheres make when you pick them up? Mmmm.

 

#2: Sonic CD

 

Let me start out by saying I hate these levels. They're cheap, the UFO hitboxes are stupid and the level designs are unforgiving. Why are they here then? In the 2011 remaster, I butted heads with these trippy x-files demons from hell, and I've grown to have a grudging respect for their difficulty. It's very satisfying to hit a red spring, turn 180 degrees and land on a UFO halfway across the map. Also, the JP music for 'em is fascinatingly creepy.

 

#1: Sonic the Hedgehog

 

I love these because I can do them. They're moderately difficult, with those cheap bouncers and blocks that take ages to break, along with the frustrating but also useful 'R' blocks that totally change the direction of spin of the level that help and hinder you at every turn. But they're so psychadelic and bizarre, featuring background full of duck and other birds, that it's almost impossible not to be entertained by them. Unless you get motion sickness easily.

 

(P.S.: that 7th stage is horrible. Glad I didn't have to do that one.)

 

Honorable mention:

 

#237: Sonic the Hedgehog 2 (damnit Tails, I said 'jump'!)

[Dr. Crusher]

(damnit Tails, I said 'jump'!)

 

You're going with Indigo and T-Man.

[Komodin]

Question #2: What are your top five (or less-than-five, if you can't think of that many) Special Stages? (Continued)

 

... Oh, yeah! I almost forgot to mention this in my original post:

 

Honorable Mention: Game Land's Sonic Simulator (Sonic Colors Wii)

 

 

Since the ultimate goal of completing these courses is to collect the Chaos Emeralds, this set counts as Special Stages at least as much as the 2D set from Triple Trouble. As far as controls go, they are exactly the same as in the main game, so take it what you will. While the music tracks are all pretty good, being chiptune remixes of the main game's world themes, the visuals aren't too special, being recolored assortments of blocks floating about in the sky. What I do like about it, though, is how multiplayer focused it is. For the first time since Sonic Adventure 2 / Sonic Heroes, this is also a multiplayer mode that's genuinely fun. You and your buddy can team up to get the Chaos Emeralds without getting in each others' way. In fact, that's how I got all the Emeralds -- teaming up with my family members to get the job done.

 

All-in-all, I like them bunches, but they could've been better, hence they're just a Honorable Mention.

[ImPantsAtThis]

You're going with Indigo and T-Man.

 

Aw crud, I didn't even realise xD How's the weather at Crushatraz this time of year?