Sonic Mania Giant Ring Special Stage Locations (zone name spoilers etc)

[TheOcelot]

I think it would be a good idea to have a topic where we detail giant-ring locations for the special stages we've found in Mania in order to help each other. Naturally we will come across giant rings which others may have missed. So I think this could be quite useful. We can detail where we've found the giant ring and/or post videos etc.

So, to start with I have uploaded a video of me getting the first four chaos emeralds in Green Hill zone. I can only find one special stage giant ring in act1 of GH (5:50), but I've found three in act2. Have you guys found any others in Green Hill?

I will upload videos of each zone as I go. I know I've found one giant ring in Chemical Plant act1&2, and found two in Studiopolis act1.

[Ryannumber1gamer]

I know Knuckles has one that's seemingly only accessible to him. Since he starts at a different location than Sonic in Green Hill, he has a giant ring right at the start of his stage.

[Polkadi~☆]

I found one in Chemical Plant Act 1. Take the top route at the start of the act. Go through as usual until you reach a spot where three springs and then a booster (in close proximity) pushes you down some slopes, and taking you through another S bend. At the end of the track, you'd run into a red spring. You need to jump over it instead of run into it, and get onto the path above. Follow it as usual, until you reach a large downhill slope. YOU MUST SPIN DOWN IT for this to work. Gathering enough speed, you'll hit a ramp that takes you high up into some rings next to another path. As soon as the ramp takes you up, immediately go to the left. You'll find a platform where a special stage ring lies.

There's Mirage Saloon Act 1 Sonic/Tails, but that's cheating. If you don't know how to get there, jump off the end of the train and then turn back when low enough.

Stardust Speedway Act 2, keep on the low path. I can't remember exactly how to get there, thanks to the blazing fast speeds, but you should run into some spring cannons which will launch you into the ring down that route.

[Sonictrainer]

I took some pictures of areas where I found Giant Rings. I'll add directions later.

Flying Battery Zone Act 2

 

Press Garden Zone Act 2

After landing on top of a group of trees, go to the left and through a wall to find this and Jump on the Spring in the alter.

 

Stardust Speedway Zone Act 2

In the highest part of the Stage, near the beginning. Sonic can use a rocket/firework or Tails to get here. You have to jump immediately after going through a tunnel.

29 minutes ago, Polkadi said:

There's Mirage Saloon Act 1 Sonic/Tails, but that's cheating. If you don't know how to get there, jump off the end of the train and then turn back when low enough.

 

Oil Ocean Zone Act 2

 

Lava Reef Zone Act 2

I was heading right until I saw a Spring on a wall that bounced Sonic to 2 vertical moving platforms. To the left was this one.

[CleverSonicUsername]

Very early on in Oil Ocean Act 1 you'll find a fire shield next to one of those green vents, you really can't miss it. Pop that sucker open and then drop straight down, you'll fall through the ground, allowing you to jump on the oil under a vat to the right. You'll come up to a bunch of fans which will then carry you up to a special stage ring.

In Lava Reef Act 2 you'll come up to a "walker" section (the device you find very early on in Act 1 that moves forward as you jump from one leg to the next) towards the end of the stage. You'll need to take it along a long stretch of lava, past two Rexon's. If you manage to make it to the other end with the walker intact, you'll find a hole in the wall that leads to a special stage ring.

In Hydrocity Act 2 there's one where it normally is in one of the segments with the grey expanding platforms, found in the wall to the far left. Not sure exactly which segment since there's multiple, but I recall this one's layout being 1:1 with the original's. Really if you need the ring just keep trying the left walls during these bits.

In Studiopolis Act 1, towards the end of the stage, you'll run through a series of glass panels near the bottom of the level, followed by a ramp that shoots you straight up. Manage your speed here and you'll find a special stage ring in the middle of the wall after ramping. Go too far and you'll be locked out.

I've found rings in both acts of Flying Battery, Press Garden Act 2, Studiopolis Act 2, Titantic Monarch Act 1, and both acts of Chemical Plant but would struggle to describe how to find them. The ones in Mirage Saloon Act 2 have also not changed location from any gameplay videos, so between those and the easy one in Act 1, if you're that far into the game and need a few good attempts, there's plenty of opportunities.

[Sonictrainer]

1 minute ago, CleverSonicUsername said:

Very early on in Oil Ocean Act 1 you'll find a fire shield next to one of those green vents, you really can't miss it. Pop that sucker open and then drop straight down, you'll fall through the ground, allowing you to jump on the oil under a vat to the right. You'll come up to a bunch of fans which will then carry you up to a special stage ring.

I remember that one.

[CleverSonicUsername]

Chemical Plant Act 2, near the start of the act you'll be deposited into a large open area with numerous green pools of mega muck. Your momentum will very likely be carrying you right at high speeds by this point, but jerk to the left and you'll find a few light blue pools of muck. Make your way along those and you'll enter a small area with a bit of platforming that will lead up to a special stage ring.

[Polkadi~☆]

Oil Ocean Act 1, on the top route. You'll come across three of those green fire launchers, the left one leading you to a breakable ledge and lift. Go on those, and get to the higher area. From there, you'll find a breakable ledge and a fan that will push you up, which you must upon up on. From there, go to a spring on the right, which will launch you off to the left, upon two hills. Jump right after the second hill, and you'll land in a special stage ring.

If you fail the jump, it's very easy to try again. But there's a difference. The breakable ledges don't respawn, but you should have no trouble getting to the lift. Then spin dash jump when at the top of the lift, and the fan will catch you and push you up.

[CleverSonicUsername]

Flying Battery Act 2. When you go outside of the ship and into the storm for the first time, make your way up until you get to a series of propellers. Work your way up the propellers making use of the wind to move you along, until you see a Clucker next to an extended handle. Land your jump on the handle and you'll be taken up to a hole in the wall leading to another special stage ring.

[Pawn]

I've been looking for them in whatever random zone I've felt like playing for the last hour and managed to find four. I compiled a video for this thread because it's easier than explaining routes XP :

Press Garden Act 1 and Oil Ocean Act 1 are perfect for retrying harder Special Stages, as they're right at the beginning. Stardust Speedway Act 1 and Hyrdocity Act 2 are nearer the end of the levels.

[SSF1991]

Man I love how they implemented the locations of the Giant Rings. It's not just finding them in little holes in the wall. You can find some along alternative routes, embedded in skinny, secret paths, surrounded by shrines and other enviornmental objects, and more. The variety...<3

The ring locations listed in the thread so far are just the beginning. They really got creative with where these Giant Rings are located!

(Also I can't remember which act of Hydrocity it is but when you're shot down across the water via a bunch of slides, go back to where you first encountered the water. Go underwater and there should be a Giant Ring there, in the left wall.)

 

[kirby1up]

7 hours ago, Ryannumber1gamer said:

I know Knuckles has one that's seemingly only accessible to him. Since he starts at a different location than Sonic in Green Hill, he has a giant ring right at the start of his stage.

if your talking about the one thats has a small pool of water around it in the caves of act 1. Then yes there is a way to reach that area with tails and sonic. once you reach the first spring you have to stick to the lower area keep heading right. past the motorbug and spikes there will be a ramp that will lead you down into the cave area. stick to upper half of the caves. keep going right and jump into the wall that you will come across.

[Tay]

13 hours ago, OcelotBot said:

I can only find one special stage giant ring in act1 of GH (5:50), but I've found three in act2. Have you guys found any others in Green Hill?

 

You can actually glitch below Sonic's killplane into Knuckles' GHZ1 and grab an early large ring. 

Edit: Sorry, I realise this was already being discussed but I have now updated the video to show a route with both large rings in GHZ1 as Sonic. Hope it helps someone

Edited August 16, 2017 by Tay
Updating clip

[Jbito]

I found one in flying battery act 1. I'm not sure how to describe where it is, and i don't have any way to record my game other than filming with my phone. I can still record it if you guys want me to.

[KingJackel]

There's a special ring at the bottom of the Mega Muck pit (the one with the rising water a moving blocks) in Chemical Plant Act 1.

You can get to it by either taking the lower path at the start of the level and going left when you're in the tubes, or by just jumping down the pit when you reach it from a higher path. Either way, there are a set of blocks at the bottom that will rise once you land on them. Go to the right before they rise and you will find the special ring.

[TheOcelot]

Just uploaded a video of me finding three special stages rings in the 10th zone; Lava Reef act2.

I haven't found any in Metallic Madness or Titanic Monarch:

 

Also, here's three special stages rings in Studiopolos act2.

 

[Ggori1]

I found three in oil ocean zone act 1, two of which have already been mentioned. If you go to where the 3 green launch platforms are (by the second giant ring) and go right and to the bottom path, you'll slide down a few slopes of oil. When you land keep going right and try to stay on the upper path but if you fall look for a kind of stairway that has green launch platforms leading up and go right until you reach an elevator that is right next to the wall. As soon as you stand on it you'll see the giant ring and you might also notice that one of the bricks doesn't have the center filled in. Jump into it to reach the giant ring.

[Cappjr]

I cut together a video of me finding some rings in:

Act 2 of Flying Battery Zone (3),

Act 1 of Press Garden Zone (1),

Act 2 of Press Garden Zone (2),

Act 1 of Studiopolis Zone (1), and

Act 2 of Metallic Madness Zone (1).

Excuse some of my poor jumps. Hope it helps someone out!

 

[Ggori1]

If any of you want to you can just go into debug mode and glitch through walls to look for them. Also if you have it on the switch you can enter stage select by holding y+b which also functions as a debug mode. (It's great, I just broke the game by doing a bonus stage stage in the true final boss fight).

[superman43]

As I saw it might be possible to get all 7 Chaos Emeralds in Green Hill Zone. 5 are usually on YouTube + Knuckles´ one + there is one on the upper path in GHZ 1 as well. Plus I think there is one more in GHZ 2, in the area where you come to a spring there seems to be a breakable wall.

[TheOcelot]

I was convinced there was a second giant ring in Chemical Plant act2 and after a bit of exploration I found it.

It's near the start at 1:00 in this footage I've recorded. Quite well hidden.

 The second one at 5:05 we already know about.

[Kuzu]

For the record, the same rules apply as back in S3&K; two Special Rings per Act.

[TheOcelot]

The special stage ring I've just discovered in act1 of GH (which I can't believe I didn't find earlier) is at 0:44 in this video I've quickly uploaded:

I've found so many in the other zones (some really well hidden) and yet I missed this one.

[CleverSonicUsername]

On 8/21/2017 at 4:07 PM, Kuzu the Boloedge said:

For the record, the same rules apply as back in S3&K; two Special Rings per Act.

There's more than 2 per act in some levels and S3&K had waaaaay more than 2 per act in some cases. 

[superman43]

50 minutes ago, TheOcelot said:

The special stage ring I've just discovered in act1 of GH (which I can't believe I didn't find earlier) is at 0:44 in this video I've quickly uploaded:

I've found so many in the other zones (some really well hidden) and yet I missed this one.

I´m curious whether there is a Giant Ring on the upper path of GHZ1... it was visible here: 

 but probably it´s now the one placed closer to the end.