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


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Ok, to be honest I'm really not that big on special stages in general. But if I had to choose:

 

5. Sonic Advance: Your on a snowboard in space while plummeting down a colored tube at high speeds. How is that not awesome?

 

4. Sonic Advance 3: Standing on top of the tornado while collecting rings? Awesome sauce. Fun Fact: This along with the special stages from Sonic Heroes were the only ones I managed to complete as a child.

 

3. Sonic Heroes: I really loved the music in these stages, and honestly I didn't have that much difficulty catching those emeralds as much as seemingly everyone else did.

 

2. Sonic 2: I always loved the way you could just run around and around on the loop while still going forward as a child. Of course, part of me always resented these stages because Tails kept screwing me over.

 

1. Sonic 3 & Knuckles: A simple yet effective layout and memorable music makes for one of the best special stages in Sonic's history.

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[ Day 2 : Top 5 Special Stages ]

 

This is a bit of a tough one, because I can hardly even remember the special stages to a lot of the games bar the ones that emotionally scarred me for life.  So let's see which ones didn't.

 

[ 5 : Racing Johnny | Sonic Rush Adventure ]

 

SRA is one of my all-time favorite Sonic games, partly due to the vehicles.  For that reason, I've always admired the special stages in this game for taking a unique approach and giving a worldly construct to the concept of obtaining the emeralds.  These stages are a blast to play and are always delightful... but there's one thing that keeps me from putting higher on the list:  Not only does it take far too long to get the Material necessary to upgrade your vessel so that you stand a ghost of a chance against Johnny, but it's incredibly repetitive cycle.  You'll find yourself playing the same act over and over and over again until you finally get the right amount of Material and if there's one flaw I can name about the game in general, it would be that.  Still, I like the concept and I love the execution.

 

[ 4 : Red Sonic | Sonic Colors (Wii) ]

 

Red Sonic, much like Green Mario, is probably the best character in the series he's in.  He's full of character and delight, and I can't wait until Red Sonic's Mansion is released on the Sega GameCast later this year.  Er, moving on... yeah, I thought it was pretty neat that they tried to implement cooperative play.  Not to mention, it's probably the only special stage that uses existing gameplay mechanics as opposed to going through some disorienting new view.  Also, you can replace Sonic's head with one of your Mii's and let me tell you.  You guys haven't lived until you've sped through these stages as Zoidberg and Hank Hill.

 

fukken red sonic

 

[ 3 : Stylin' Stylus | Sonic Rush ]

 

I'm not big on Sonic 2's special stages.  No, it has nothing to do with Tails, as he is a perfect angel.  In fact, he is so good that he makes me look terrible by comparison, and that's why we agreed that it would be better if he just didn't show up unless I was playing as him alone.  Totally respectable.  Okay, but seriously, it has nothing to do with Tails.  I just hate how slow Sonic seemed when traveling along the horizontal axis, which made the timing nigh impossible at times.  Also, I have the memory of a goldfish, if I really choose to insult goldfish with such a demeaning blow to their memory, so it's impossible for me to remember what happens in between every single attempt.

 

Despite Sonic Rush's special stages being more fast-paced, I feel the problem is alleviated here and the precision of the stylus makes them considerably easier.  I don't know if that's a popular opinion or not, but I just found these stages to be challenging, but not frustrating, which is more than I can say about Sonic 2 and many of the copycat special stages (with the exception of 3D Blast, which is almost insultingly easy) that would come later.

 

[ 2 : Dafuq is this | Sonic 4: Episode I ]

 

N-no, I'm serious...

 

I loved Sonic 4's special stages.  They had a great deal of strategy that wasn't too frustrating to figure out, plus the surrealism and trippy nature of Sonic 1's special stages, without the disorienting physics and headache-inducing spinning to go along with it.  They weren't too frustrating, either.  Unless you're using a keyboard like I did my first time around then ohgodwhy.  But otherwise, they're fun little special stages and surprisingly one of my favorites.  I like them.

 

But my absolute favorite... wait for it...

 

 

[ 1 : Blue Balls hahaha I'm so original I bet no one ever made that joke | Sonic 3 & Knuckles ]

tumblr_n19ktgVE0d1rw70wfo1_500.png

Spoiler Alert: I'm not funny.

 

Okay, but I've mentioned before that Blue Spheres is probably the best balance of puzzle and speed in the series.  The game speeds up so it's disorienting enough to be challenging, but also gives me just enough breathing room so that it doesn't make me hate the game.  Plus they're really addictive to play.  I don't know what it is, but I really love doing these.  The only thing I don't like is the occasional instance of "running all over the map looking for Blue Spheres" but I mean, it's better than constantly failing every five minutes.

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Well, I've never really been a big fan of special stages. It's not like I suck at them or anything! But some throughout the series have been pretty enjoyable for me.

 

Sonic_Rush_SP_Stage.PNG

 

First up is Rush's special stage, which is essentially Sonic 2's special stage but with touchscreen control and a few QTEs, but it's really enjoyable. Back when the game first came out, I always thought it was cool controlling Sonic/Blaze with the stylus, especially since I was new to the DS and how the games were controlled. Also, Vela Nova Cake is an idiot once again A NEW DAY is a marvellous track that plays during them. 

 

specialstage_shot2.png

 

Next on my favourites list is the one and only original special stage from Sonic 1. This is probably just nostalgia speaking, but this was a fun (and sometimes infuriating) stage. It's also home to my favourite special stage music in the series. Again, that's probably just nostalgia, but I generally really do love it. Random note: I only discovered last year what the UP and DOWN bumpers actually did. How I never figured that over the years, I don't know.

 

sk-misc-cheatss3andkimg2.png

 

Last on my list is the universal favourite among this fanbase, Blue Spheres from Sonic 3&K. Shit can get really intense here, thanks to the game eventually speeding you up over time. A severe panic attack later after jumping over multiple rows of red spheres (take a wrong turn and kiss your ass goodbye when you're at max speed) and I've finally retrieved the emerald. Definitely a good stage if you like tense situations. Even better when you bag a 'Perfect' score as well.

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

 

It's always snowing.

 

I like snow, you see, and I never got any snow last Christmas, so now, the snow has been doubled.

 

Of course, part of me always resented these stages because Tails kept screwing me over.

 

I've come to the conclusion that Crushatraz is going to be as busy as Pleasure Island at this rate.

 

No, it has nothing to do with Tails, as he is a perfect angel. In fact, he is so good that he makes me look terrible by comparison, and that's why we agreed that it would be better if he just didn't show up unless I was playing as him alone. Totally respectable. Okay, but seriously, it has nothing to do with Tails.

 

Your sneaky sarcasm doesn't fly by my head either, missy.

 

Also, Vela Nova is a marvellous track that plays during them.

 

Killjoy Crusher is here to say that it's actually A New Day that plays during the Special Stages. tongue.png Vela-Nova is the track that plays during the fight between Sonic and Blaze.

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Red Sonic, much like Green Mario, is probably the best character in the series he's in.  He's full of character and delight, and I can't wait until Red Sonic's Mansion is released on the Sega GameCast later this year. 

Personally, I'm more interested in Sonic & Red Sonic: Subconscious Scamper for the Sega 3DGear.

 

Also I started the music in your post and refuse to stop it even if it's ten minutes long. I guess I could stop it now, but I'd feel like a quitter, and I ain't no quitter, you hear?

 

On an actually relevant note, I liked the special stages in Sonic 4, though I didn't mention them in my last post...I guess Episode's 2 can be my number five. E1's is pretty cool too, and I found more enjoyment in it than the one it's based on. Probably because it doesn't make me dizzy and/or annoyed.

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I only have a top 3 favourites, sorry

 

Number 3): Sonic Rush

Great implementation of the touch screen, upbeat music and a little breakdance move from Sonic as the reward (along with the emerald of course). Relaxing

 

Number 2): Sonic Advance 3

It's you on the wings of the Tornado, wind on your face! Pretty impressive for the good old GBA. Adventurous.

 

Number 1) Sonic 4 Episode 2

Basically Sonic 2 done right. Plus there's the little scene during transitions where Sonic cheers a tired Tails, as he's telling him "Hold on, Buddy! We almost made it!" Happy-go-lucky.

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Can I be the proverbial Snowden without the immunity and just fling myself into Crushatraz? Because I, as an honest and faithful Sonic fan, cannot sit idly by and pretend that Tails isn't anything but utterly ruinous in the context of Special Stages. Besides, it's not like I won't have fun shanking my way to the top anyway.

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Can I be the proverbial Snowden without the immunity and just fling myself into Crushatraz? Because I, as an honest and faithful Sonic fan, cannot sit idly by and pretend that Tails isn't anything but utterly ruinous in the context of Special Stages. Besides, it's not like I won't have fun shanking my way to the top anyway.

 

Okay, but you'll have to watch your furry costumes get thrown into the fireplace.

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Given I've barely played any of the handheld games, this list is a bit tricky to say Top 5 Favourites.

 

5. Sonic 3D: Flickies' Island. Thin bridge of mild peril!

 

Well, yes, they're massively easy, but the reward is quite high. I really enjoy the Final Zone of this game, and unusually you can keep playing Special Stages even after getting all the Emeralds for extra lives! Given how difficult some levels get, you need that bit of help.

 

4. Sonic the Hedgehog. The head-trip!

 

Very strange, but once you get the hang of these stages they have a charm all of their own.

 

3. Sonic 3 & Knuckles. The ever increasing tempo!

 

Well, its all been said before, hasn't it? I don't find it as memorable as everyone else though.

 

2. Sonic 2. The half-pipe with no skateboard!

 

I actually find these really simple, when playing a character solo. The targets are lower, and no laggy partners. Even better, thanks to the nature of Sonic 2, you get far more chances at these than almost any other game (apart from Sonic 4). Its possible to unlock Super Knuckles before the first boss, and I appreciate that leniency.

 

1. Sonic & Knuckles. The Glowing Spheres thingy!

 

Ah-ha! No one saw this coming, did they?

 

 

I only even thought of it when the Gumball Machine got a mention, so loophole exploited! No Emeralds at stake, but a great opportunity to stock up on rings and lives, grab yourself a shield and enjoy DAT FUNKY BASSLINE. That opening gets me in the mood everytime. And just so you don't hang around too long, you have to avoid the ever-rising laser vortex traction beam.

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Okay, but you'll have to watch your furry costumes get thrown into the fireplace.

 

 

Fine by me; the bird's actually broken and needs a redo, and the dog needs a better shave and thus I'll probably start to hate him in six months anyway.

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Fine by me; the bird's actually broken and needs a redo, and the dog needs a better shave and thus I'll probably start to hate him in six months anyway.

 

That's what they all say.

 

That's what they all say...

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Question #2: What are your top five or less Special Stages?

 

I don't even remember most of the Special Stages after Sonic 3 & Knuckles let alone name 5, but oh well, let's see how many of these things I actually "enjoyed".

Blue Balls from Sonic 3&K is by far the best Special Stage that the series has offered. It's easy to control Sonic and it has a simple objective, get the blue balls.

The fact that it ain't completely random or a memory test compared to the others is a huge plus.

 

WDEb3lU.png

 

Run In A Tube from Heroes is the only Special Stage other than Sonic 3's one that I actually remember "enjoying".

It is basically a different take on Sonic 2's stages where you run inside a tube grabbing colorful bubbles in order to boost and get the Emerald.

It had some gnarly music too.

 

mWVU3T1.png

 

And that's it, I guess. Special Stages are pretty forgettable unless you like to repeat them after unlocking Super Sonic, but I sure as hell don't.

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Favourite special stages, eh? Hmm...

Number five- Sonic the Hedgehog (1991).

My first experience with special stages came very early on in my life. Sonic 1's special stages were (and still are, I guess) burned into my mind for being so weird. The drastic change of pace compared to the standard stages was probably the standout feature to me, being about careful movement and steady progress, as opposed to the speedy sidescrolling I had just gotten used to.

Number four- Sonic Rush Adventure.

I love Johnny. He's my favourite robot rival, even beating out the fantastic Metal Sonic. I'm not sure what I love so much about him, but the fact you have to race him for the emeralds on a jet ski is certainly a persuasive argument. The special stages found in Rush Adventure were the most fun part of the entire game for me, and I still go back for a quick blast of them every now and again.

Number three- Sonic 4 Episode 2.

This is on the list because if some catchy music, and because it was a blast to play these stages together with my mates.

Honestly, that's all there really is to that one!

Number two- Sonic Lost World 3DS.

Another set of stages that are a blast to play, but only if you play them properly- stood up, arms out, and in a reasonably clear environment. The last few stages will have you spinning until you're dizzy, but if anything, I feel like that adds to the experience. This one also had some pretty great music! ...If only I could recall how it went though...

Number one- Sonic Heroes.

Yup. Sonic Heroes. Top of the list. I know the game wasn't particularly well designed, but I feel a great sense of nostalgia wash over me when I think about it, and that just seems to iron out all the flaws.

The stages themselves were fantastic- bright, colourful, energetic and compulsive. I was never very good at them, often blaming the game's poor physics on my own lack of skill, but even so... I cannot help but love them. That feeling of coming so agonisingly close to the emerald, just to run out of time... Teeth grinding, but very much one-more-go material. Again, that's probably in part down to the stunning music accompanying your hurtle down the pipe.

I considered perhaps making Generations 3DS' stages my number one, owing to their similarity to Heroes', but as good as they were, they just don't quite capture that feeling the original had.

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I'll admit, I never really liked special stages in general. The sudden gameplay changes mixed with the fact that they're necessary to really complete the game always left a bad taste in my mouth, and I don't think they're usually very fun. That said, there are a couple that I kind of like. Keep in mind that I haven't played most of the handheld Sonic games, so who knows, maybe I'm just missing the best ones.

 

 

So, to start with, the special stages from my favorite Sonic game: Blue Spheres from Sonic 3 & Knuckles

 

Special_Stage_S3.png

 

Yeah, I dunno. Nothing too special to say about this one. It's not bad like Sonic 2's special stages were, they're not too long, and they require skill instead of luck. I also like how the action speeds up with the music. Gives it a sense of urgency without resorting to time limits or ring count requirements. Not to mention the S&K half's stages were hard without feeling cheap. 

 

If there's another one I enjoy... uh... How about: Sonic Heroes's Rainbow Tubes that were kind of alright I guess

 

640px-Heroes_Special_Stage_E_Challenge.p

 

I mean, it's not like these were especially good or anything, but they were tolerable enough. They were alright, and it had a pretty good feeling of "Wow I'm collecting SO MANY BALLS so now I can GO SO FAST". Other that that I feel pretty neutral about these.

 

Finally, we have the one that is only kind of a special stage: Sonic Colors Game Land might not even count but whatever

 

640px-Virtual_Hedgehog.png

 

I guess I like these because they aren't really special stages. They're just regular old levels, with the only real difference being the lack of background and the fact that you play as a Sonic robot. The gameplay is the same as the standard levels, and I like those, so I like these. Even though they're technically not special stages, they're kind of weird and you get a Chaos Emerald at the end, so hey, close enough. 

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Day 2: Top 5 Special Stages:

 

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5. Sonic Colors DS: I gotta give at least a handheld version some love in this round. Unlike it's Wii's counterpart, I found the DS version of Sonic Colors' Special Stages to be a lot of fun. I like in each round you have to focus on a different color of orbs to collect, which makes focusing on that single color per round a fun challenge, especially with the other colors being present on the track as obstacles. I love the music and Sonic's occasional outbursts as well as you can tell that he's having fun while flying through the tracks. smile.png

 

UQRmO9a.png?1

 

4. Sonic CD: I liked how this one was different, as the objective had nothing to do with collecting rings, orbs or spheres, but UFOs of all things. I like how this special stage was different due to earning not a Chaos Emerald after completing the stage, but a Time Stone. I thought racing around to find and destroy the UFOs against the clock was a fun concept. I also liked how different the background and settings were for each Special Stage in the game.

 

ddZyzSg.png?1

 

3. Sonic the Hedgehog/Sonic 1: I definitely have to go with the original, the Special Stage that started it all. Sure it was a rotating maze that had strong potential to leave you feeling trippy, but it was fun maneuvering Sonic to the Chaos Emerald, breaking the diamond shaped blocks that changed various colors before disappearing and trying to avoid the Goal blocks at all costs. I vividly remember the various sound effects and the music from this Special Stage...I have some very fond memories playing these Special Stages some 20+years ago. Nostalgia sure is powerful! happy.png  

 

gty9HdZ.jpg?1

 

2. Sonic 4 Episode 2: It's like the Special Stages of Sonic 2, only with a modern touch and done right, especially with Tails not doing any harm when he touches bombs like he infamously did in the previous game. I've always found this kind of gameplay in the Special Stages to be fun (having the option to boost too among other things is pretty neat) but anytime the best friends Sonic and Tails team up is always awesome to see, and that and seeing gestures such as Sonic giving Tails a "thumbs up" after successfully reaching a checkpoint and the two celebrating together after getting a Chaos Emerald never ceases to make me smile. tongue.png

 

nZTemg0.png?1

 

1. Sonic 3/Sonic the Hedgehog 3 & Knuckles: Simply put, it's fun and very challenging as a Special Stage should be, especially when things really start speeding up. I also found Sonic,Tails, and Knuckles' animations in the Special Stages to be cute with them walking /speed walking when the pace picked up. I also liked the simple, yet colorful checkerboard designed arenas. I love how you can play this Special Stage as a side game via Blue Spheres also for even more fun.

 

And I just love the music track for the Sonic 3 & Knuckles Special Stages:

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xJmdbJ1WnYw

 

I really wish Special Stages like these would become a thing again in the main series of Sonic games aside from the handheld versions as they are really fun to play. smile.png

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5. Sonic the Hedgehog 3 & Knuckles

Sonic3SpecialStage.gif

Although I find Blue Spheres pretty bs at times, I really enjoy it - like, I play the Blue Spheres lock-on game like, once a month. And the designs are sweet.

 

4. Sonic the Hedgehog 2

Sonic_2_SpecialStage.gif

Sonic 2's special stages defined the halfpipe formula... Which is now over-saturated. Sonic 2, Saturn 3D Flickies Island, Pocket Adventure, Rush, Episode II, Colours DS. But the original did what it did great.

 

3. Sonic Rush

Sonic_rush_specialstage.jpg

"But Apollo, you just said there were too many halfpipe special stages!" Yeah, well, Sonic Rush did Sonic 2's better, more refined, a kickass soundtrack. So, shh. >:U

 

2. Sonic the Hedgehog CD

Specialstage2shot1.png

CD TECHNOLOGY. MODE 7 GRAPHICS. Okay, CD was probably the most original special stage in the series. Not forgetting it was hard as dicks. And both versions of the theme freaking rock. They rock so much; they get spoiler tagged.

 

1. Sonic Rush Adventure

Sonic_rush_ad_race.jpg

This was pretty challenging. But that was all the more fun. Timing and knowing when you boost, hitting the trick ramps over Johnny and slipstreaming him. All these tactics made for a great special stage.

 

DAY 2 COMPRETE

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Top five special stages? Man, so many of them are terrible. I think if if had to pick then my top five would be Sonic Rush Adventure followed by Sonic 3 and Knuckles, Sonic the Hedgehog, Sonic Advance and Sonic Advance 3.

 

Sonic Rush Adventure's are the pretty much the ultimate combination of challenge and fun. It also has a really good song. A lot of special stages involve beating the clock and racing to get towards a Chaos Emerald but there's a completely different dynamic involved when you're actually racing another character I feel. It makes it more interesting and more like something is on the line.

 

Sonic 3 and Knuckles' special stages are just really iconic. Some of them get pretty obnoxious as far as "mess up once and you fail" goes but the vast majority of them are interesting enough while still being fun and not frustrating. Catchy and memorable songs are a major part of what make special stages stick out for me and this is another example.

 

Not many special stages actually match the quality of the original game's. The song, while not upbeat, is definitely one of the most memorable songs from the Genesis / Mega Drive games for me and it fits the dream like aesthetics perfectly. I never found them particularly frustrating either. This is also back when there were only 6 Chaos Emeralds and there was no room for a super special bullshit 7th stage.

 

The funny thing about Sonic Advance's special stages is part of the fun was actually finding the springs in the levels to launch you into space. Sky diving from space on a board makes no sense but was fun and it definitely embodies the more cheesy "extreme" style of the late 90s and early 2000s. The animations for the characters that you get upon successful play are also a very nice treat.

 

Sonic Advance 3's special stages also stick out in my mind due to the basic concept of them. Riding on the Tornado's wings really sets it apart from all those other tubes and half pipes that keep getting recycled over and over again. And once again, these special stages had a good song.

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Day 2: Top 5 Special Stages

 

This is a tough one...I can't say I enjoyed the majority of the special stages in the series, but these ones are my favourites:

 

Sonic 3D Blast (MegaDrive): I liked this one mostly because of how easy it was. But it was also challenging in the way you had to time your jumps, or risk losing Rings.

 

Sonic CD: I LOVED this one for the concept alone. Just running through a track destroying UFO's but it's not easy, as the UFO's themselves fly around faster than I could even keep up with. X__X

 

Sonic Colours DS: This one was rather enjoyable! I really hate how half pipes are very overused, each one being worser than the game before. But this one was great! Hearing Sonic say "Too Cool!" at every checkpoint was a nice touch too. X3

 

Sonic Generations 3DS: This one takes Heroes' special stages and makes them better. I can't count over how many times I've speedrunned these, everytime being very enjoyable. The music was pretty great too.

 

Sonic Advance 3: This one is my favourite special stage of all time. Sonic riding atop the Tornado 2 and collecting Rings as you go along. The music was fantastic, and just tributed to the experience. Loved every bit of it.

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Why's it gotta be top five? GODDAMN IT.

 

 

 

Um...hmm, ok let's give it a shot.

 

 

 

5. Sonic Advance: I really hated these special stages, if only because of how wonky they were with the depth perception. I couldn't tell if I touched a ring half of the time, and it just bugged the hell out of me.

 

4. Sonic Advance 3: These are much more tolerable, but still pretty meh. I don't remember much because its been years since I've beaten Adv. 3, but it was mainly dodge and crap.

 

3. Sonic Colors: I've never played this game, so I can't really judge on the quality of its difficulty, but damn that music is too good. 

 

2. Sonic Rush: Yea, the half pipe has been done to death, but it worked with Rush because of its use of a stylus. It felt so rewarding dodging every obstacle with the flick of a wrist.

 

1. Blue Balls Sphere: Pretty much the only Special Stages that I can say I have completely memorized. Even their Sonic & Knuckles` counterparts. The most adrenaline rushing of the special stages, especially near the end when the tempo gets faster and your heart starts skipping beats. Good times.

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When I try to think of 5 Special Stages I like the most, or even 5 special stages I actually like to begin with, the only one that comes to mind is Blue Sphere. It was fast paced, required lots of quick thinking and had you on the edge, but in a good way. No other special stages have grabbed me like those did. 

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1: Sonic CD: Why didn't they bring these back? I don't care if they're UFO's it's great! Love the way they do time in this one, love the music in the stages, they look fantastic and when the camera pans around Sonic it looks so cool even to this day.

 

2: Sonic 1: I don't know why but I just find these ones really relaxing. And the imagery is really... odd... yet relaxing.

 

3: Sonic Heroes: When these don't bug out on you, they're actually not that bad, I like how fast they are, like how you always feel like you're doing/collecting something. Just like them.

 

4: Sonic 1 Game Gear: Ok I really enjoyed these, despite how simple they are and the fact you don't get a chaos emerald in them, just.. bouncy bouncy.

 

5: Sonic & Knuckles. Something about the way it gets faster and faster yet you're still able to keep up and you're convinced you're gonna fail but then suddenly do it! Love it.

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~SSMB Has Cleared Special Shoo-Be-Doo Act 2!~

 

You're going to pay for this...

 

Question #3: What are your favourite FIRST zones/stages?

 

280px-Summerforest.jpg

*Not actually a first zone in a Son-ohyougetthefuckingidea.

 

Every adventure has a beginning, and the adventures of Sonic and Co. are no exception. They have a tendency of starting off at green hills, bustling cities, and slightly less green hills (which I wouldn't say is bad mind you, because they usually come with their own unique gimmicks at least), but occasionally there will be the odd exception. Regardless of where they are, we must nonetheless respect these areas to the best of our ability, for they represent the start of each grand fight against Dr. Robotnik. Or someone else. But usually, and preferably, Dr. Robotnik.

 

Note: You don't have to list these in any favourite-to-least favourite or vice-versa order if you don't want to. You can list them however you choose to. I'll be listing my favourites in order of appearance as usual, because I'm boring.

 

Crusher's Thoughts: It's only fair to bring up Green Hill itself from the original Sonic the Hedgehog... the Genesis/Mega Drive version, I mean, although the Master System/Game Gear version is interesting in it's own right. We've seen it plenty of times, but what do you expect? With it's checkered soil, dancing flowers, and iconic Badniks, this is the place that started it all, and we wouldn't have anything else if we didn't have Green Hill. (Even though this was the hardest zone to make for the designers, which is kind of funny.)

 

This might be a strange choice - especially for it's infamous excuse for a "first" boss, the Doodlebug Mecha - but I do like the Underground from the Master System/Game Gear version of Sonic the Hedgehog 2. Due to the zone setups in this game being noticeably different than usual, you start off in a mining area that's partially volcanic. Like many of the other zones in the game, this helps the game stand out on it's own, which is always commendable. Also, I like the music, yes I do. Really gets you pumped up and ready for action.

 

Little (and oddly specific) shout out to the Past version of Palmtree Panic from Sonic CD, because I really like the music and prehistoric background in that one.

 

The confusingly named Angel Island of Sonic 3 & Knuckles is definitely in my top three somewhere. You start off in the jungle, already different enough to stand out from the Green and Emerald Hills, but it still feels familiar enough, but then-BOOM.

 

BOOM.

 

KABOOM.

 

EXPLOSIONS.

 

FIRE.

 

FIRE.

 

LOADSAFIRE.

 

HELLFIRE.

 

FIRE AND BRIMSTONE.

 

THIS AIN'T NO GAME.

 

BUT IT'S NOT A LIVE ACTION THRILL RIDE.

 

...*ahem*, yes. So a forest fire ensues, perfectly demonstrating Robotnik's disregard for the wildlife (and also his amazing luck for presumably keeping said forest fire under Knuckles' nose). If the very first scene didn't make it clear that this game was going to be a little "bigger" than it's two direct predecessors, this part surely did. Angel Island was just the start of the (in my opinion) majestic, exciting, and simply fantastic journey on... er, Angel Island.

 

Also, the Monkey Dude has one of the greatest names in the Badnik library. You can't convince me otherwise.

 

Now to be fair, I do like City Escape from Sonic Adventure 2 despite not being that big on most of the game's other stages. Having said that however, I think I prefer the original Sonic Adventure's Emerald Coast. Much like the rest of the Adventure 1 stages, what I like about Emerald Coast is that you can feel your progression. You start out at the resort, make your way through the docks and around the lighthouse, and eventually you find yourself in the middle of the beach. I started respecting Adventure 1 a lot more during the Summer Holiday period in 2012, and the sense of legitimate progression in the levels is one of the biggest reasons why. Not to say that it's a deal breaker for me if a game doesn't have as much of that though, I mean it's not something I would lose sleep over or anything.

 

I love Sonic Advance's Neo Green Hill. Sonic 2-borrowed name aside, Neo Green Hill isn't as much of a copy and paste as you think it would be. Yes, you have the checkered hills and grass as far as the eye can see, but you also have beaches reminiscent of Emerald Coast, and there's even a little bit of the city life at the end. I said before that you usually start out with tropical or urban, but this one combines both, and it doesn't even clash (or at least it doesn't to me). Furthermore, I don't care if they're not "pumped up enough" for a Sonic game, I love the zone's music tracks just as much as I love the zone itself.

 

Leaf Forest from Sonic Advance 2... I have to mention Leaf Forest. I have to mention Leaf Forest. Sonic Advance 2 was the first Sonic game that I ever played, so Leaf Forest was the first time I got a direct look into Sonic's world. So... it's really nostalgic for me, you see. (Seriously though, what's up with those floating green screen things in the background?)

 

Starting out with urban is surprisingly rare in the 2D Sonic games, but Route 99 from Sonic Advance 3 is one of the few examples of such, which already makes it stand out on it's own, funnily enough. But what's better is that it's not all washed out. I would love more Sonic cities to look as bright and cheery as this one.

 

Fun Fact: When I first saw the Sonic Screensaver images via Gems Collection, this one...

 

Sonic01.jpg

 

...reminded me of Route 99. (And, uh, still does.)

 

It should come as no surprise that I would very much enjoy Tropical Resort from Sonic Colours, seeing how it makes up one part of Robotnik's Intersteller Amusement Park. It's not often that you get to see such a view from space at the beginning of a Sonic game, is it? Robotnik always thinks big. All that aside, I really do love this one. It gently gets you into the scheme of things like any good starting zone/stage should do, the music is pretty jammin', and the visuals are very-a nice. The Aztec (or Mayan?) architecture in particular even reminds me of Adventure 1... and also, Bugs & Taz: Time Busters. Because that had an Aztec Era, you see... I love Bugs & Taz: Time Busters... It's a good game... Moon Valley was so pretty...

 

So with that out of the way, you may now post awaaaaaayyyy!~

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I've never really been the biggest fan of special stages,but they can be nice distractions from the main game. My favorites would probably be:

5. Sonic Heroes

specialstage027.jpg

 

I know they play like garbage, but I really loved the look of these special stages and the idea behind them. I liked the different backgrounds they all had and the music was awesome.

 

4. Sonic Generations (3DS)

320px-SpecialStageGenerations3DS.png

 

These ones were Heroes' stages, but done right. It had everything the ones Heroes, but were more playable.

 

3. Sonic The Hedgehog

Sonic%201%20-%20The%20Special%20Stages%2

 

My favorite part about these special stages was the fact that they didn't have a different gameplay style the normal game, besides being curled into a ball the whole time. It made it a lot easier to get into them and they weren't too difficult.

 

2. Sonic Advance 2

sadv2_special02.gif

 

For these ones, I thought the 3D effect was well done and they controlled well. Also, it was cool that they had Zero in them.

 

1. Sonic 3 & Knuckles

Sonic3SpecialStage.gif

 

I know this is an obvious choice, but these are the best special stages in my opinion. They controlled well, the 3D effect was well done, and the music was pretty awesome as well. 

 

EDIT: Oh shoot, I posted this too late. Sorry. mellow.png

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Green Hil Zone (Obvious,I know). The reason why I chose it is mainly because of how iconic it is. Even if you don't play the game you at least know the music. Without that level, we wouldn't have been here.

However, I also quite like Emerald Coast and City Escape.

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Favorite 1st zones?

 

Tropical Paradise from Sonic Colors - I love how colorful the stage is and the music to it is awesome!

Leaf Storm Zone from Sonic Rush - that level is so amazing. the colors and scenes and the music!

Route 99 from Sonic Advance 3 - the music rocks but its the design that makes me love it alot

Windmille Iland from Sonic Unleashed - the scenes, the speed and the music!

Green Hill from Sonic Generations - yes green hill looks way better and much faster in 3D.

Wespolis from Shadow the Hedgehog - i love the design and the music

Ocean Wave from Sonic 2006 - the music and the scenes!

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