Fighter Battle Zones: Arenas in Sonic Fighting Games

[Sonictrainer]

While it’s always been fun to run, jump, and platform to collect Rings with Sonic & his friends, it’s also fun to watch them in a Ring beating the Rings out of each other. Fortunately, before Sonic himself got an invitation to Smash in Brawl, there were games that allowed fighting fans to scratch that itch…sort of. The first game was Sonic the Fighters aka Sonic Championship, an Arcade Fighter featuring the first 3D models of Classic Sonic, a unique collection of old & new characters, and an incorrect number and color palette of Chaos Emeralds. The second was Sonic Battle, a handheld Fighter featuring 2D sprites, different characters from the Dreamcast Era, and all 7 Chaos Emeralds being Green. Today, I want to look the many arenas Sonic and his friends fight in as they decided who would board the Lunar Fox to take out the Death Egg 2 and form Links with Emerl the Gizoid. I also wanted to take a glance at the Sonic exclusive Stages in the Smash Bros. universe.

NOTES: 
1. All entries in this opening post are Fighting Levels and Hubs from Official Licensed Sonic & Nintendo Games. This includes: 

• All arenas in Sonic the Fighters/Championship
• All Town Maps and Levels in Sonic Battle
• The Super Smash Bros. Versions of Green Hill Zone & Windy Hill Zone

2. I wanted to include some of the arenas from SEGA Heroes but they’re too bland and generic to be identified with Sonic.

3. Pictures, fonts, and other cool graphics will be added shortly. Also, all Arenas & Hub Maps will be separated by Spoiler Tags to make loading this topic easier on the site.

 

Special Thanks to DryLagoon for voting on this Level Theme Topic in the last one.

However, the next topic will be continuing where I left off with the Earth themed Levels in Mystic Cave Zones (Mine, Tunnel, & Underground Levels in Sonic Games).

Sonic the Fighters/Championship: South Island

Spoiler

South Island is a small caged arena built in the Green Hill Zone. Seeing as Knuckles was the one who came up with a Tournament to decide who should pilot the Lunar Fox, he is the first opponent everyone faces in Arcade Mode and the Guardian of the Red Chaos Emerald. Since he’s the first opponent, Knuckles is way easier to beat than if he was controlled by a harder or smarter opponent. 

Sonic the Fighters/Championship: Flying Carpet

Spoiler

Flying Carpet is a massive flying carpet soaring across a desert with a Sonic Sphinx in the background. Amy is your opponent and the Guardian of the Pink Chaos Emerald, which canonically should not exist unless the Gray or Cyan Chaos Emerald changed color. It also doesn’t help that it looks purple after defeating her… Speaking of Amy, she’s our first weapon fighter in the game.

Fast Fact: This is the first time we see Amy use the Piko Piko Hammer in the games. However, the first ever Piko Piko Hammer appears as an item Tails uses in Tails Adventure and is even called the ‘’Pikon Hammer” in the Japanese Version. Tails wouldn’t use it again until Sonic Advance 3 when he’s paired with Amy.

Sonic the Fighters/Championship: Aurora Icefield

Spoiler

The Aurora Icefield is an icy arena located on North Island, home of the Yellow Chaos Emerald Guardian, Bark the Polar Bear.

Sonic the Fighters/Championship: Mushroom Hill

Spoiler

Mushroom Hill’s arena takes place on a giant tree stump surrounded by mushrooms. Here players fight against Espio, the Guardian of the Burgundy Chaos Emerald….don’t ask me why it’s this color…

Sonic the Fighters/Championship: Canyon Cruise

Spoiler

Canyon Cruise is a white cruise ship traveling down a river surrounded by Green Hills. Tails is the challenger here and the Guardian of the ? Chaos Emerald.

Sonic the Fighters/Championship: Casino Night

Spoiler

Casino Night’s arena takes place on an arena with neon cards as the cage. This is where Nack the Weasel was hiding out after stealing the Purple Chaos Emerald from its guardian, who was possibly Honey the Cat. Nack is the second of the weapon fighters, armed with his popgun and using it to shoot corks to attack opponents from a distance in combination with bouncing off his tail for a double kick attack when in close combat. The corks can be deflected with Spin Dashes.

Sonic the Fighters/Championship: Dynamite Plant

Spoiler

Dynamite Plant is a fusion of the Chemical Plant Zone and Oil Ocean Zone. This is where Bean the Dynamite, the Guardian of the Green Chaos Emerald, is located.

Fast Fact:

Sonic the Fighters/Championship: Giant Wing

Spoiler

The Giant Wing is a plane flying through the sky. This is where players will fight Sonic, who guards the Blue Chaos Emerald.

Sonic the Fighters/Championship: Death Egg's Eye

Spoiler

After getting all 8 Chaos Emeralds and riding the Lunar Fox to the Death Egg, players will end up in Death Egg’s Eye. This is the interior of the Death Egg 2, where players face off against Metal Sonic, the hardest opponent in the game. Metal Sonic hits fast, destroys barriers, and takes out chucks of your HP bar.

Sonic the Fighters/Championship: Death Egg's Hangar

Spoiler

After surviving Metal Sonic, the arena will lower down to the Death Egg’s Hangar and start the final battle with Eggman and his E-Mech, a sort of battle suit. Both your character and Eggman will enter Hyper Mode as you quickly try to defeat Eggman within 15 seconds. If you manage to win, your character will escape the exploding space station. If you get defeated or don’t defeat Eggman within 15 seconds, you lose, can’t retry, and sort of get a Bad Ending.

Fast Fact: In the 2012 Rerelease of Sonic Fighters, the E-Mech got an ability to launch bombs.

Sonic Battle: Emerald Town

Spoiler

Emerald Town is a Hub Map combining elements of the Green Hill Zone and Emerald Coast. Besides being the first Hub Map in the game, Emerald Town is also the location of Tails’ House, his laboratory, Emerald Beach, and a Jewelry Store with a Chaos Emerald on display. From Sonic’s Chapter onwards, Emerald Town will be the first area most Chapters start in when Emerl forms new Links with the rest of the cast.

Sonic Battle: Battle Highway 

Spoiler

Battle Highway is a road near a warehouse or construction site, filled with containers and barriers. It’s also the first Battle Arena in Story Mode, where Sonic fought against Shadow after Shadow threatened to destroy Sonic if he didn’t give Emerl to him. Due to the walls in the stage, it’s easy to rebound off of them for a counter attack, smack opponents into them if they don’t know how to rebound off of them, or hide to quickly Heal. In the last Chapter, Emerl can challenge Shadow here and Copy more of his Chaos techniques.

Fast Fact: Normally, Battle Highway is an arena that appears mostly in Central City, although there are few Chapters where it appears in Emerald Town, like in Sonic’s Chapter.

Sonic Battle: Emerald Beach

Spoiler

Emerald Beach is a sunny, wet, and sandy arena located south of Emerald Town, where Sonic first found and formed a Link with Emerl. Since then, the pair were often seen there “playing”. In Story Mode, the first fight that takes place there is where Sonic fights Rouge twice in a row. In the Final Chapter, Emerl can “play” with Sonic and collect more Skill Points and Copy Data.

Fast Fact: Emerald Beach is an unlockable song in the 3DS Version of Sonic Generations.

Sonic Battle: Tails’ Lab

Spoiler

Tails’ Lab is a laboratory Tails created southeast of his house in Emerald Town. The arena is wide and has 2 sets of big structures to stand on, rebound, or smash against. The first Story Mode battle takes place in Sonic’s Chapter when he faced off against E-121 Phi #2, a member of Eggman’s Gizoid replicas that are gray recolors of Emerl, that could copy Sonic’s basic moves but didn’t have his speed & agility. In the Final Chapter, Emerl can do Virtual Training here.

Sonic Battle: Holy Summit (Hub Map)

Spoiler

Holy Summit is a Hub Map on Angel Island, where Knuckles lives and guards the Master Emerald plus a Chaos Emerald he found offscreen. Besides Knuckles’ house, characters can spar in the Chao Ruins and the similarly named Holy Summit, where Chaos Zero makes a surprise appearance in Emerl’s Chapter.

Fast Fact: Despite meeting Chaos Gamma here for the first time, none of Eggman’s Phi Series will appear in the Holy Summit.

Sonic Battle: Chao Ruins

Spoiler

Chao Ruins is a small area filled with stone walls depicting ancient art of Chao. Sonic, Tails, & Emerl will battle Chaos Gamma here while on the way to Knuckles’ Home. In the last Chapter, Emerl can roughhouse with Knuckles here.

Sonictrainer Says: Chao Ruins is also notorious due to the first Knuckles fight in Chapter 1. This Survival Battle is difficult because Emerl’s original moveset is a weaker and slower version of Sonic’s, he doesn’t have enough Skill Points to equip enough Copy Data, he doesn’t have enough useful Copy Data this early in the game, and a simple 4 hit combo from Knuckles can KO Emerl. Also, Emerl has to fight Knuckles twice. At least the game gives an option to practice with Sonic & Tails first to rack up Skill Points and get better Copy Data.

Sonic Battle: Central City

Spoiler

 

Central City is a Hub Map where Amy, Cream, & Cheese live in the obvious pink apartment building and where a few G.U.N. facilities are located. Tails & Emerl will travel here for the first time to use the Central Lab’s computer after Emerl crashed Tails’ computer. The arenas that can be found in Central City include Battle Highway, Library, and Amy’s Room.

Fast Facts: Sunset Hill Zone’s music is a fusion remix of the Green Hill Zone and this Hub Map’s music. Also in Emerl’s Chapter, the Sonic Team building can be assessed to input passwords to get rare cards.

 

Sonic Battle: Library

Spoiler

The Library is a wide arena with a dinosaur fossil in the center and a block in each corner of the stage. The first battle in the Library happens when Tails tries to investigate Emerl’s origins in the Central Lab and accidentally alert security, which results in Tails & Emerl fighting against Guard Robos, which are gray recolors of Chaos Gamma Eggman created and sold as security robots to make money. In the Final Chapter, Emerl can go solo against Cream & Cheese here.

Sonic Battle: Night Babylon

Spoiler

Night Babylon is the casino district of Central City, featuring a bar, hotel, theater, an exclusive Fighting Gym, and the hidden, in plain sight, entrance to the Gimme Shelter. Guard Robos are used at every business here including Club Rouge, although I’m not sure how Omega feels about this... After Rouge tricked Sonic into making Emerl form a Link with her, defeated Amy in Emerald Beach, and dismantled Chaos Gamma in Battle Highway, she took Emerl to Night Babylon and attempted to turn him into a master thief. The only arena in Night Babylon is Club Rouge.

Sonic Battle: Club Rouge

Spoiler

 

Club Rouge is a gym owned by Rouge, that acts as Team Dark’s hideout...or just a rest stop for Shadow. The arena itself is the inside of a giant pinball table. Unfortunately, there’s no extra prize for smacking opponents across the bumpers. The first Story Mode battle takes place when Rouge & Emerl fight against Amy, who’s ready for a rematch. In the Final Chapter, Emerl can steal some moves from Rouge here.

Fast Fact: A small section of Egg Quarters’ music can be heard here. Egg Quarters was one of Rouge’s Stages in Sonic Adventure 2.

 

Sonic Battle: Gimme Shelter

Spoiler

 

The Gimme Shelter is a Hub Map of Eggman’s secret base hidden in Night Babylon, where Chaos Gamma, the Guard Robos, & Phi Series are created. It’s first visited in Chapter 4 where Eggman tricks Knuckles & Emerl into entering the area and zaps Knuckles with the “spiky rodent trap”. The only arena in Gimme Shelter is the Metal Depot.

Fast Facts: Gimme Shelter is also the name of a song by the Rolling Stones. Also, sometimes the English version of the game misspells it as Gimee Shelter.

 

Sonic Battle: Metal Depot

Spoiler

The Metal Depot is a long, rectangular stage separated by 5 giant blocks, with 3 of the blocks connected to the boundaries. In the first Story Mode Battle, Emerl had to fight Chaos Gamma alone after Knuckles got caught in Eggman’s trap. In the Final Chapter, Emerl can analyze Chaos Gamma here.

Sonic Battle: Amy’s Room

Spoiler

 

Amy’s Room is a pink apartment building in Central City where Amy is currently living. Cream & Cheese seem to be staying at her place during the game’s story. The arena itself is a wide arena with Amy’s portraits placed on the top of furniture… and Piko Piko colored boxes. A Chao’s head and a heart shaped photo of Sonic is also present in the floor patterns. The Stage will appear for the first time in Amy’s Chapter when Emerl helps her boxercise. In the Final Chapter, Emerl can boxercise some more with Amy to copy her quick jabs and awesome Healing.

Fast Fact: Amy & Cream are the fastest Self Healers in the entire game, with Cream being 1st and Amy being 2nd.

 

Sonic Battle: Holy Summit (Arena)

Spoiler

The Holy Summit arena is a frozen part of Angel Island where Chaos Zero has reappeared. It only appears in the Last Chapter and exists so that Emerl can get Chaos Zero’s Copy Data. This is the only arena in the game that has pits for intense close combat.

Sonic Battle: Colosseum

Spoiler

The Colosseum is an arena created in virtual reality, made entirely out of wireframes. This arena can be accessed randomly in Tails’ Lab thru Virtual Training in Emerl’s Chapter or by choice in Battle Mode.

Sonic Battle: Death Egg (Hub Map & Arena)

Spoiler

 

The Death Egg is the last Hub Map, that takes place on a space station built by Eggman. This version of the Death Egg is equipped with the Final Egg Blaster.

The Death Egg arena is a flat square where Emerl battles against Eggman, who fights in his Egg Mobile using bombs and missiles, and Sonic has to fight Ultimate Emerl, a version of Emerl whose third eye is open and can use Ultimate Skills, super versions of 1 of every character’s move. If Sonic’s not careful, he can get KO’d in 1 hit.

Fast Fact: Emerl’s Ultimate Skills can be unlocked but it’s impossible to equip all of them at once with the game’s max amount of Skill Points being set to 500.

 

Sonic Battle: Green Hill

Spoiler

Green Hill is an arena based on the Green Hill Zone but without any curves or inclines. Fighters can duke it out on the ground or on top of the mini hills.

Super Smash Bros. Brawl/Wii-U/3DS/Ultimate: Green Hill Zone

Spoiler

In the regular form of the Green Hill Zone, fighters will battle in the center of a curve in the Zone near a wooden bridge and next to a Checkpoint. If enough damage is done to the center of the curve, it will collapse and become a bottomless pit for a certain amount of time. In Ultimate, only certain parts of the terrain will break instead of the entire thing.

Also, if a Fighter touches the Star Post, it will spin and act as a hazard for their opponents, hurting anyone who touches it while it’s red. If anyone goes too far to the left or right, they can go out of bounds and get KO’d.

In the background, Tails, Knuckles, and Silver will sometimes be seen running from left to right, through the Shuttle Loop, through the level. 

While everything is the same as in the Brawl Version, there is now an Omega Version of the stage that has fighters on a small, flat Green Hill to smash each other.

Fast Fact: In Ultimate, if someone is playing as the Pokémon Trainer on this stage, he/she will stand on top of the Shuttle Loop in the background. In the Battlefield & Omega versions of this stage, they will stand on the main platform.

Super Smash Bros. Wii-U/Ultimate: Windy Hill Zone

Spoiler

In the regular form of the Windy Hill Zone, fighters will battle on a floating platform over a bottomless pit. There are 3 mini platforms on the main platform and multiple platforms on the windmill, turning counter clockwise, on the right side of the stage. Fighters can’t stay on the Windmill while it moves, or they risk going out of bounds and KO’ing themselves. There are also 2 double sided Springs spinning near the sides of the main platform over the pit, which can sometimes help or hurt Fighters that get too close to them.

Fast Fact: The small animals Ricky, Pocky, Flicky, Rocky, Cucky, Pecky, and Picky can be seen all over the stage.

Zone Discussion Questions
1. Have you played Sonic the Fighters/Championship and/or Sonic Battle before? If so, who are your mains? Do you main Sonic in any version of Smash?

2. What is your number 1 BEST arena in a Sonic Fighting Game? Or if you can’t pick one, what are your top favorites?

3. What is your number 1 WORST arena in Sonic Fighting Game? Or you can’t pick one, what are your least favorites?

4. What are your favorite Level Music Tracks from Sonic the Fighters/Championship & Sonic Battle?

5. Should Sonic the Fighters/Championship and Sonic Battle get remakes or sequels?

6. Could North Island be a locale for a future Classic or Modern Sonic Game?

Sonic/SEGA Fighting Game Discussion Questions
1. Are there any moves or abilities that you feel would be perfect for 1 or more Sonic characters in a Fighting game?

2. If SEGA/Sonic Team/whoever made another Sonic Fighting Game, would you include a few special guests, like in the Riders Series or split the cast between Sonic & other SEGA IPs, like in the All Stars Racing Games?

3. Are there any mechanics, ideas, or elements from past or other fighting games that you think would be perfect for a Sonic/SEGA Fighting Game?

4. What other Sonic Levels, besides Green Hill Zone & Windy Hill Zone would be perfect for a Sonic/SEGA Fighting Game?