Jump to content
Awoo.

Zone Themes


Derg

Recommended Posts

Even though this goes sorta hand-in-hand with the 'Initial mechanical city zone' criteria, I've always wanted a nuclear power plant as a Sonic zone. Call it the Nuclear Plant Zone or Radioactive Rally Zone or Radiocide Zone.

I mean come on:

2008-03-three-mile-island-nuclear-plant.jpg

Imagine that superimposed in size, more surreal and devoid of any civilian presence with twisting runways and pipe-transports. Tell me that wouldn't work.

And it would be best as the daytime counterpart to Chemical Plant.

Bah, who am I kidding? A long time ago me and a few of my friends were working on a fangame called "Sonic 2 and a half" that was to take place after Sonic 2 and between Sonic 3 (this was before we knew Sonic 2 goes RIGHT into Sonic 3) and we designed some zone sketches. Here's to show you some neat ideas I always had:

Autumn Hill Zone was the first level:

autumnhillconcept_nuc1.jpg

autumnhillconcept_nuc2.jpg

autumnhillconcept_nuc3.jpg

Then there was Geyser Woods Zone (my old friend ShokRabbit designed this one):

geyserwoods_shokrabbit1.jpg

geyserwoods_shokrabbit2.jpg

geyserwoods_shokrabbit3.jpg

Incartopolis Zone was the city level:

Incartopolisconcept1.jpg

Incartopolisconcept2.jpg

And of course Nuclear Plant Zone:

nuclearplantconcept_nuc.jpg

And I love this one, Quaintshire Brook Zone, it was inspired by Greenlandic hill towns and Bridge Zone. Its music was supposed to sound like Bridge Zone meets Endless Cave:

quaintshirebrook_nuc1.jpg

quaintshirebrook_nuc2.jpg

quaintshirebrook_nuc3.jpg

The game in general was supposed to be a break from the Tropicana-theme of most Sonic games and take place exclusively at North Island, South Island's less interesting counterpart and featured three new characters. Man, I miss working on that game... it would've been so neat if done. We were all intimidated by the level art, though, we didn't know how to approach it.

Edited by nUcLeArEnVoY
  • Thumbs Up 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

You know what I would like to see? A city theme level that is actually like a city. I do believe in the 2D games, only Route 99 has come closest to this. Every other city zone just, is far too Robotnik, or only city by name.

It depends what you define as city. There's been plenty of zones that appear as if they fit in a city (ex: Star Light, Gigapolis, Stardust Speedway). But yeah, I think Route 99 may be the only actual city zone that's not Robotnik-related. Maybe something like Speed Highway or Empire City?

Or how about a city in the winter? Complete with massive ice hockey arena. Robotnik's Rink. :lol:

Continuing with snow themes, it's true that most of the recent ones have just been all snowy mountains. How about a Christmas zone? Robotnik in a robot Santa would of course be the boss, and you beat up robot elves. Springs could be designed to resemble Christmas presents.

Edited by Dr. Crusher
Link to comment
Share on other sites

It depends what you define as city. There's been plenty of zones that appear as if they fit in a city (ex: Star Light, Gigapolis, Stardust Speedway). But yeah, I think Route 99 may be the only actual city zone that's not Robotnik-related. Maybe something like Speed Highway or Empire City?

GUH. Forgot Star Light and Gigapolis, I wouldn't really consider Stardust myself, it had a semblance of a city, but nothing t show people lived there. Star Light at least had in the BG Windows and Houses. Which is kinda what I'm hinting at.

Edited by DarkOverord
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Although the tropical zone looks like a "repeat" of green hill, it could actually be fridge brilliance. As act one could be a mix of green hill/emerald hill, and then act two could be a mix of emerald hill/angle island. This could make it nostalgic in story telling/level design, and the mobius strip would be justified in its use. So the level would be the tropical theme with a "classical" spin onto it!

Then we get Hydro Marble Plant Zone!(As cool as that idea may be, I'll be quite/stop with that kind of humor...)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I like your designs, nuclearenvoy. I made some too, but they're more conceptual than technical.

Microcosm Zone

Microcosm_Zone_by_Super_Stingray.jpg

Sonic is shrunk down to a microscopic size and must traverse a world of germs, viruses and protists. Probably the shortest Sonic level in history at about 1.5 millimeters in length.

rt76j32kp490Zone

rt76j32kp490_Zone_by_Super_Stingray.jpg

This is supposed to be a mock glitch level. The game pretends to screw up before this zone and the final boss is the computer virus that's causing it, which you must beat to revert the game to normal.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Holy crap nUcLeArEnVoY put a lot of thought into this. Some of the ideas I see/read on this thread could be really fun to play if they were made.

Edited by Dejablue
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Sonic has never done a stomach level before.... (the whale in SRA doesn't count), and I would love to see that. I'd also like to see something that's more space and less base than Death Egg. Naturally, I assume that they'd keep with familiar concepts for the first episode (and rightly so), I just hope they bring back the factory motif in an interesting way in the first episode. There is no doubt that is my favorite recurring Sonic level theme.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I just want to see a casino stage with slot machines and pinball tables and such, when I think of "classic Sonic" that is what I instantly think of. They can come up with all the new ideas that they want, but damnit I want a casino level, and I won't accept one without slot machines. Well, I probably will, but you can't really have a casino level without slot machines can you?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I'd get a huge kick out of a casino/carnival stage that's also the near-final Eggman stage; finally show off a proto-Eggmanland that fits his weird-yet-genius personality. I really, really like the idea that this brilliant madman wants to take over the world so he can build his own theme park.

I actually figured that's what Eggmanland in Unleashed would turn out to be, and it only partially delivered (via the brief roller coaster section and the hub area selling Eggman-themed carnival food, etc). The rest was far more industrial than I'd hoped during the big build-up. I'd really like a more expanded version of that, one with neon, smiling Eggman logos and all kinds of traps decked out with his decorations. And little mini-distractions like the slot machines in Casino Night... there could be little "Whack-a-Sonic" areas where dummy-hedgehogs pop out of the ground and launch you up to collect rings or smack into flying badniks. Even if it's an even mix of the two, theme park and industrial factory, with Sonic breaking into "staff only" areas that are populated by badniks or eggrobos for long stretches of the level.

...I'm sad now because I know I'll probably never see that. Aww.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

nUcLeArEnVoY just owned the thread D:

The only problem I see it's that some zones doesn't look surreal enough to be considered as classic (I wouldn't mind, but some people would).

Link to comment
Share on other sites

It looks like a lot of my ideas are shared with you guys. I drew three complete level layouts for a fangame and two more levels half completed.

It's really too specific to hope for, but my favorite was Catacomb Cliffs, an area on Angel Island. The lower area of the level was a dark and sticky marsh covered by thick jungle trees, and the upper sections were these purple rocks that rose up in large pillars. I wanted it to have a story, so I decided the rocks would be a massive catacomb for the Knuckles tribe elders, with monuments carved into the face of the rock. The purpose was to start in the dark section and work your way really high in the cliffs where heavy winds could blow you back. You'd also see ghosts who'd be hostile at first and friendly later, like a certain Echidna.

The thing I like most about that level is the winds and the darkness. Darkness was used well in Sandopolis act 2, but we don't see a lot of weather in Sonic games. Maybe a flooding Aquatic Ruin zone where water levels rise and fall. Or just for mood. Final Fortress was very stormy. A boss in the rain would be epic.

Some other level themes of mine were a sewer level with ring-draining green water. It'd work like a more dangerous water level, with the normal mechanical hazards of an Eggman base. To make it more fair the water wouldn't kill you if were stuck at zero rings. The other one was a train level with a steam and combustion theme, kind of like a 2D Rail Canyon. The idea was that this was Eggman's rail station and he was escaping in a high speed train. But the station was a machine in itself with lots of pistons and chambers that shoot you around with explosions. Gears too. You'd chase the train down in sidescrolling boss level.

The train theme is pretty popular though, and it's been used in a few rare stages. Maybe Sonic Team has the same idea. E.G.G. Station anyone?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.
×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

You must read and accept our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy to continue using this website. We have placed cookies on your device to help make this website better. You can adjust your cookie settings, otherwise we'll assume you're okay to continue.