What are your favourite level genres?

[HunterTSF]

Over the years, our favourite little speedy blue protagonist has ventured across quite a vast variety of vibrant fantastical landscapes ranging from the checker-boarded rectangular landmasses of Green Hill to the wonderful snowy mountaintops of Vancouver, Canada. And, I present a fairly straightforward question here - what is your favourite level genre? And why?

I'll start of with my favourite two, and why they've tickled my fancy.

1. - Cyberspace

Examples include: Techno Base, Cyber Track, Colosseum, Digital Circuit, Mad Matrix

Oh yes, how I absolutely adore these types of levels! The colourful fluorescent circuitry, the computer-themed hazards, the awesome techno beats, and the crazy surrealism of it all - it's just fantastic! Take Mad Matrix, for example. Shadow and Espio defrag Eggman's computer by traveling at approximately 54 Mb/s through high-speed circuits, all the while avoiding firewalls, and facing off against Eggman's digitized Egg Pawns as they venture off to activate some terminals to complete some detective work. I don't know why, but I find this all to be positively awesome.

2. - Urban

Examples include: Station Square, Central City, Grand Metropolis, Westopolis, Soleanna Castle Town, Spagonia, Shamar, Empire City, etc...

Ah yes, these areas have become quite more common since Sonic's (ahem, most notable) d

Edited September 8, 2009 by HunterTSF

[Phos]

My favorite has to be the flying aircraft carrier style, especially (actually, only) Flying Battery and Sky Deck.

[Indigo Rush]

I enjoy the Casino and Green Hill-like levels, personally. The Casino/Carnival ones because they usually involve a lot of spinning and rolling around, and the Green Hill levels because they look gorgeous!

[JD!]

I've always preferred the fauna levels, Emerald Hill Zone, Angel Island, those kinds of levels. They look so lush and beautiful and are a joy to explore.

[slam422]

Personally, I enjoy the Ice styled levels. Since they usually occur mid-to-late in the game when featured, they have a good level of difficulty to them. They also tend to have amazing soundtracks for the levels (Ice Cap Zone & Cool Edge Day being the most notible). I'm also a freak who likes anything to do with the ice element, so that kinda contributes to it as well...

I also like the industrial/factory styled levels, mostly because I like to see Sonic zipping through a factory where the robots that he fights are probably made right there and then..... but to be honest, I really cannot think of too many examples that exist within the actual games that are like this other than the Egg Factory from Sonic Riders. Why ISN'T this featured more?

I've also gotta give my props to the casino levels, in all their neon glory. I mean: who DOESN'T enjoy bouncing Sonic around a giant pinball machine & gamble their rings on oversized slot machines? Am I right or am I right?

[Frieza]

Mystic Cave/Lava Reef

I guess i like atmosphere these levels had, the music and the textures of the stages just made them stand out more in my mind. I liked the Green Rocks/Fireflys.

Edited September 9, 2009 by Frieza

[Frozen Nitrogen]

High-in-the-sky levels. Not so much Phos' aerial aircraft carriers - rather ones with vast expanes of white fluffy cloud beneath you and potentially very little keeping you from falling straight through them. Sky Chase Zone is my favourite Ye Olde 2D level, with Windy Valley being my favourite all-time level, and Levitated Ruin (of Secret Rings, with the giant sky-mantas) my favourite of recent games.

(But then there's Altitude Limit with its fake difficulty, which ruins things for everyone.)

[azoo]

Green Hill-esque tropical levels. They're the first thing that pop up in my head when I think of Sonic's world. Truly magical and defining; the tropical enviornment is absolutely amazing. Checkers, crazy fauna, bright blue skies, billowing clouds, islands in the distance, beautiful oceans...

Runner-ups go to the volcano / underground levels and the urban / casino levels.

[Diogenes]

Hm, I've never really thought about it...

Levels near water. Not necessarily "water levels", but ones where water is a significant part of the overall theme (and only when it's meant to look nice). Hydrocity Zone, Emerald Coast, Ocean Palace, and Adabat are good examples.

Ice levels. Partially because they're often "near water" levels, but also because of the colors. It's all clean whites and cool blues, it gives that perfect feeling of chilliness as well as the quiet solitude those places tend to have. Ice Cap (both versions) and Holoska are the best examples.

Nighttime, but brightly-lit, "city" areas. Casino Night and Carnival Night count, along with Star Light Zone. Certain outer space levels also work, like S3&K's Death Egg and some of the ARK levels. I think it's the combination of the starry sky alongside the manmade "stars" of the city lights/various technology.

Sky levels. Sonic's acrobatic stunts feel even more exciting when they're done tens of thousands of feet above the ground. And I particularly like the clean daytime ones, 'cause you get the same sort of whites and blues as in the ice levels. Sky Chase, Wing Fortress, Sky Sanctuary, Sky Deck, Egg Fleet, that sort of thing.

[188Eternal]

As a person who has a lifelong obsession with snow and blizzards, I instantly adore levels such as Ice Cap Zone, Ice Mountain Zone, and Twinkle Snow.

Such stages tend to have such cheerful music as well.

As a fan of Star Wars, I also adore levels such as Death Egg Zone, for obvious reasons...

There's stuff such as tractor beams and reversible artificial gravity generators and atomic reactors.

Edited September 9, 2009 by DarkJedi188

[MobileChicaneX]

Defantily the high aerial levels like Winged Fortress or Egg Fleet.

Egg Fleet has to be one of the most epic levels ever, i love the fact that if you make a major wrong move you fall to your oblivion.

[Semi-colon e]

Highway levels. Speed Highway, Starlight, Stardust Speedway and Chemical Plant are some of my favourite levels. They have alternate routes, great graphics, BADASS music, and are always really fast paced.

I also like faster paced water levels, like Hydrocity, Water Palace, Coral Cave and Pirates' Island, and more. Water is most fun when done at high speed as well, and most of these have level specific gimmicks that are a lot of fun.

Honourable mention to the starting levels - most of the first levels in the games are really fun. Green Hill, Plant Kingdom, City Escape, Emerald Coast, and that. They are usually well designed.

I kinda like some bouncy levels, but only a few that much - Collision Chaos, Carnival Night, and Music Plant really.

[Ebby]

I would say, Carnival/Bouncy/Casino levels

Spring Yard, Carnival Night, Casinopolis, BINGO Highway, Twinkle Park (...I think that fits) and Music Plant too!! I love the music in Music Plant as well! XD

[lounge]

I love urban/city stuff. I like the feel and look of it. Grand Metropolis is a work of art. City Escape's just plain cool. I want to see a new, cleaner more modern version of a city level. Grinding on building tops with a beautiful skyline in the background would be really something.

[SefHighwind]

I also really enjoy the urban environments. I just really enjoy running around in the city, that's why I've always enjoyed all of the station square area in Sonic Adventure and the Highway areas in Sonic Adventure 2.

[Thirsty Pocket]

I'm pretty lame, because I tend to have some weird love of "the first level" that appears in Sonic games... and many others for that matter.

I often find myself firing up my VC version of Sonic 1, only to quit after I beat the first Robotnik Machine. I always fire up Sonic Adventure 2 only to go straight to City Escape. I love Emerald Coast, Emerald Hill, Neo Green Hill, Underground Zone... the only time the "first level" isn't my favorite is in Sonic 3. Although to be honest... I am not entirely sure which level I like the most in Sonic 3. They all have their ups and downs... Hm.

[MobileChicaneX]

I love urban/city stuff. I like the feel and look of it. Grand Metropolis is a work of art. City Escape's just plain cool. I want to see a new, cleaner more modern version of a city level. Grinding on building tops with a beautiful skyline in the background would be really something.

Empire City?

[Phos]

Hm, I've never really thought about it...

Levels near water. Not necessarily "water levels", but ones where water is a significant part of the overall theme (and only when it's meant to look nice). Hydrocity Zone, Emerald Coast, Ocean Palace, and Adabat are good examples.

Ice levels. Partially because they're often "near water" levels, but also because of the colors. It's all clean whites and cool blues, it gives that perfect feeling of chilliness as well as the quiet solitude those places tend to have. Ice Cap (both versions) and Holoska are the best examples.

Nighttime, but brightly-lit, "city" areas. Casino Night and Carnival Night count, along with Star Light Zone. Certain outer space levels also work, like S3&K's Death Egg and some of the ARK levels. I think it's the combination of the starry sky alongside the manmade "stars" of the city lights/various technology.

Sky levels. Sonic's acrobatic stunts feel even more exciting when they're done tens of thousands of feet above the ground. And I particularly like the clean daytime ones, 'cause you get the same sort of whites and blues as in the ice levels. Sky Chase, Wing Fortress, Sky Sanctuary, Sky Deck, Egg Fleet, that sort of thing.

I would say, Carnival/Bouncy/Casino levels

Spring Yard, Carnival Night, Casinopolis, BINGO Highway, Twinkle Park (...I think that fits) and Music Plant too!! I love the music in Music Plant as well! XD

You guys are making me want to change my answer D:

[-Mark-]

I'm not sure I can pinpoint a single type of level that I generally prefer over others, although if it accounts for anything, City Escape is my single favourite level from a Sonic game.

I will also state that I miss the presence of genuine underwater stages since Sonic moved to 3D. They have a nice claustrophobic feel to them that brings a nice change of pace and the tactic of having to keep finding air bubbles to stay alive.

[lounge]

Empire City?

The thing about empire city though is that the weather makes everything look depressing. I don't really like the art direction in that level anyway.. or maybe it's just the weather.

[Frozen Nitrogen]

The thing about empire city though is that the weather makes everything look depressing. I don't really like the art direction in that level anyway.. or maybe it's just the weather.

But Empire City does have ZEPPELINS.

Everything's better with zeppelins.

[Unholy Sonic]

To me it would be the Aerial levels like Flying battery, all the space levels with the major gravity controls everywhere like in crazy gadjet and from sonic & knuckles inside the death egg. I also like underwater levels like metropolis and the water temples of Sonic rush.

City levels can be good but I want moar challenge & speed in them like in SA1 with speed highway. Running down the building on that game compare to SA2 was.... omgzisisdabombftwyay!! like.

I don't have any perticular levels I could hate, if I don't want to play certain types of levels, its because of my own lack in skills to perform certain task wich requires precice timing and speed or.... i'm being too hasty to finish the level heh.

PS: Love the forum look even tho I already said it in another post.

Edit:

Forgot to say that moar seperate roads wich in the end returns to the main path in any levels can also be good like they did in SU. Just don't make it so if we miss a shortcut its a certain doom for us like in Eggmanland....

Edited September 11, 2009 by Unholy Sonic

[DaBatGuy]

Eggman's HQ stages:

Metallic Madness, Final Egg, Metal Harbor*, Rail Canyon, Eggmanland

I love stages were you not only bust in or out of Eggman's metal cities but actually get to see your path of destruction during the level or immediately after.

*I know that's a GUN base but it's the same idea.

Eggman's Airbase stages:

Flying Battery, Death Egg, Sky Deck, Final Rush, and Egg Fleet.

Same as the Eggy HQ levels, I love watching the place get blown apart by Sonic's actions but in the airships it's much more obvious and there's the added suspense of falling to your doom with any wrong move.

Urban Highways:

Starlight, Stardust Speedway, Chemical Plant, Speed Highway, Radical Highway, Route 99, Crisis City, Empire City

Growing up in NYC I always used to imagine how Sonic would use his speed to turn real world structures into a mach 1 jungle gym as he traveled so naturally I've always enjoyed these stages to some extent regardless of the game's quality.

Jungle stages:

Angel Island, Mushroom Hill, Green Forest/White Jungle, Frog Forest, White Jungle, Tropical Jungle, Plant Kingdom, Adabat

Just like the Urban stages I like these levels because I like seeing how Sonic would travel through more realistic environments. The twisting vines and criss-crossing branches make for natural flora racetrack.

Spooky levels:

Mystic Cave, Sandopolis Act 2, Twinkle Park(Amy), Lost World, Pyramid Cave/Pumpkin Hill, Hang Castle/Mystic Mansion, Haunted Ship.

I like dark, gothic themes and the claustrophic design of some of these stages plus the ghosts and booby traps add a cool sense of fear and anxiety. You don't just run fast because you can, you're running to GTFO.

[MizukiMoon]

I think my favourites would have to be green hill and tropical type levels. Why? Purely because I like the bright colourful scenery, they're usually memorable and easy, plus the music's usually good.

Casino type levels are another favourite of mine, again because of the lovely colours, which is why Casino Night Zone is my all time favourite Sonic level.

[Random Rhyme]

I think my favourites would have to be green hill and tropical type levels. Why? Purely because I like the bright colourful scenery, they're usually memorable and easy, plus the music's usually good.

Casino type levels are another favourite of mine, again because of the lovely colours, which is why Casino Night Zone is my all time favourite Sonic level.

My opinion is mostly this.

I would also add on Urban levels because Sonic running through an urban area has a nice realistic feel. From the cars speeding by to the highway running its one of my favs.