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

[spinny]

 

 

 

 

 

I absolutely adore the haunted trope in Sonic games.

 

Mystic Cave, Pumpkin Hill/Sky Rail, Hang Castle/Mystic Mansion, Haunted Ship, you name it.

 

I love the fucking lot.

 

Bonus points if it's a haunted house. It doesn't absolutely need to be a house, I love Mystic Cave with all of my heart regardless of it being a cave, but haunted houses are an amazing callback to the interior designs of stereotypical haunted mansions which, to me, regardless of the deadly spirits that haunt them, the places can't help but look awfully cozy in my opinion. Sometimes I wish we'd get a haunted house in a modern Sonic games just for the absolutely amazing interior detail they'd provide us with.

 

The puzzles that are thrown at you (eg: Hang Castle's upside down sections, Mystic Mansion's door with the infamous skeleton) are also incredibly interestingly designed and mind-boggling, adding to the thick layer of confusion a spirit-infested level should have.

 

In a nutshell, haunted levels rock. More please.

 

A second favourite would have to be forest levels.

 

 

They can either be bright and sunny or dank and murky, or in Frog Forest's case, mix both together! Once again, I love forest levels for how much detail can be applied to their design; grass, hedges, plants, trees, flowers, overgrown nature, water pockets, the list goes on! The gimmicks such as grinding on vines in Frog Forest are a nice attention to detail as well.

 

Third, I'm gonna have to hop on the generic train.

 

 

City levels.

 

Like with haunted and forest levels, I love the attention to detail that can be provided, especially in places such as Modern Speed Highway and Modern City Escape, be it benches, cars, posters, outside tables, the list goes on. If there's one thing that I'd like to see more, it's Sonic actually going inside the buildings and exploring within those. It's one of the many things that makes me adore Classic Speed Highway for actually trying it out for once.

[Nepenthe]

Question #22: What are your top three zone types/tropes/etc in general?

 

I think it's very easy for me to just spout tropes because I like the way one or two levels look (ahmergerd, tropical levels, all dat blue!), but I wasn't convinced that was indicative of the stages I actually want to play when I sit down at a Sonic game. So I went down the list of the games I've played the most/have investment in to see which tropes actually count as my favorites based on which stages are the most fun to me. So here's my list (Note: Some levels get dual/weird representation because I didn't do this all that logically).

 

1. RUINS!

I am surprised the results skewed this way. Apparently I just really like running around areas left desolate by long-lost civilizations. But perhaps I specifically like these because of the amount of variety present in their design; Some are monochromatic, some are blazingly colorful, some are in the air, some are underground, some are lush, some are barren. When the people aren't around to tell you what the place was supposed to be like, it gives you leeway to make your level look like anything while still concentrated under the same theme. Maybe it's also because this trope lends itself to more interesting platforming defined by context. These levels tend to have gimmicks that are based on the treachery of mother nature and the anonymous tribes rather than Eggman's intervention: Moving wall traps, spears, fire pillars, giant rock snakes, giant tornadoes, crumbling structures, the whole shebang. The ruins levels are awesome.

 

2. BASES!

 

 

I can get with this choice. For one, base levels tend to be the penultimate levels, so the difficulty threshold for the platforming tends to increase and I like my platformers hard. But maybe there's just something about infiltrating an area by your lonesome- either in secret or with guns blazing- taking out robots, androids, and all other manner of metallic weaponry, with bullets and aerial assaults trailing around you, sharp fans and lasers threatening to slice you in half, all the while the abyss threatens to swallow you up. Whatever it is though, Eggman and GUN have apparently established strongholds in my heart.

 

3.

 

.....

 

..........

 

..................

 

THREE-WAY TIE BETWEEN CITIES, WATER LEVELS, AND AERIAL LEVELS!

 

Seriously, each of these had six levels each out of the ones I chose, many of them as a result of having a secondary trope. But since water levels tend to be more maligned than most, I'm going to give them the attention and thus a picture:

 

 

There's something about going from land to sea that strikes fear into players' hearts, whether it's due to awkward controls, terrifying possibilities of drowning, or those fucking Zelda temples. But water levels in Sonic games are my veritable Carnival Night Barrel, wherein my player sensibilities apparently didn't get the memo that they're supposed to be maligned. I like traversing these stages, if not for their aesthetics then seriously because of the water itself. It's fun facing an element that gives Sonic some trouble, either as you slowly wade through it desperately looking for air, or as you're running across it trying not to sink into at all. Water levels rock.

[RosaRosaRosalina]

DAY 22: FAVORITE ZONE TROPES

 

 

SKY ZONES

 

It's actually kinda funny. I'm terrified of heights, but Sonic levels in the sky have always been one of the coolest zones. The way you run freely, jumping on badniks almost gracefully with the view of the clouds have always been some of my favorite types of views. To give some credit, Sky Fortress Zone Act 2 is actually my favorite in terms of this. That sunset is just amazing, I tell you. These zones are also normally fast paced, too.

 

INDUSTRIAL ZONES

 

These zones are big, scary and downright AWESOME. It's just amazing to see something so evil be so alive and kinda upbeat while you're doing your best to run at super sonic speeds away from some deadly sawblades and dodging those GOD DAMN SLICERS THAT LIKE TO SNEAK UP ON YOUR ASS.  But aside from that, these zones are always nice, since they tend to rank up the difficulty of the game to a whole new level, and I'm just the type of person who's up for a challenge.

 

 

PARTY ZONES

 

These? I love these. I looooove these. The zones are the perfect time wasters in the face of any Sonic game ever. Slot machines, pinball machines, giant playing cards, bumpers, bingo, horse carousals, these zones are chock filled with fun things in every way. I would get addicted to these things within seconds. It's like taking the biggest acid trips while heading off to Las Vegas. These are just so bouncy, so vivid and just all around fantastic to be in. Thankfully the pictured game brought them back (sort of) and I would LOVE to see this trope made even more fun and more amazing than ever before.

[Endy]

Favourite level tropes...

 

Cities

 

The cities in Adventure - 06 era are just alright, I'm not really fond of any of the older ones. In the newer games however...they're amazing. They are visually stunning, fast paced, stylish, detailed, colorful, all of which I am a complete sucker for. Empire City sticks out, because jumping across the rooftops and speeding down the freeways are some of my favourite things to do, and the look of the city drowning in smog pleases my eyes (for some reason). Generations gave Speed Highway and City Escape a much needed update, and they both look amazing too. The crowded city highlighted in neon blue, eventually transitioning into a beautiful sunset the more you progress.

 

 

Ruins

 

I can't figure out why I find these types of levels so appealing. I guess I just like the atmosphere I get from them. The music in these levels are always pretty great, and I love to look at them. Especially Marble Zone here, its so pretty for how simplistic it looks. Sonic Boom looks like its going to have plenty of levels like this, so thats definitely going to make me happy.

 

 

Beaches

 

 

 

A classic. You can't get enough beaches in Sonic. My two favourites are Jungle Joyride (even though its also a mix of village, jungle ruins and beaches) and Emerald Coast. They're fun to travel though and an absolute blast to speed run, and are both visually pleasing despite SA1 aging quite a lot.

 

[Wraith]

My favorite came to mind instantly.

SKY LEVELS!

 

 

 

In pretty much any video game ever I've always favored sky settings over everything else, from Columbia to Skyloft to Sky Sanctuary. Making huge leaps and riding sky rails over and around floating islands and battleships and shit is just the coolest thing ever. Plus, they usually have the best music.

 

Sky Sanctuary in particular was a favorite of mine since I was a kid and first discovered it. It just has a really cool setting, gimmicks, enemies, and story events attached  to it. It's return in Sonic Generations was so fantastic it surpassed the original in my eyes. Eggman's own sky fortresses are usually great too, of course. Oh, and Babylon Garden and from Sonic Riders is pretty fucking awesome. a lot of me and my brother's most intense races were on those levels.

 

Nature vs Eggman

 

This next trope doesn't happen that often, but I really like when Eggman's industrial bases clash with some of the more natural scenery, giving the impression that he's literally draining the area of life.

 

 

Planet Wisp is pretty much my favorite example of this, even though more heavily toward the industrial side of things as opposed to the nature side. The rest of Sonic Colors handles this trope well as well, but Sonic CD as a whole relies on this trope a lot and it balances things a little better.

 

...Yeah, I mostly like this trope because of Sonic Colors. Sue me.

 

And for the last one, Winter.

 

 

Sonic handles snow levels surprisingly well, crappy ice physics aside. Usually with plenty of snowboarding, bobsledding, chase sequences, wonderful scenery, and awesome music. Some of my favorites include both the original and Sonic Adventure renditions of Ice Cap, and Holoska from Sonic Unleashed(mainly the Night portion, surprisingly. The day level's been growing on me lately though.)

 

Some of the runner ups include Casinos, Eggman's Bases, and tropical/beach levels. Cities are also great when done properly. 

[Rusty Spy]

Day 22: Top 3 Favorite Level Tropes/Types

 

Huh, this is an odd one. I never really thought about what kinds of levels I enjoyed most, I usually just think about what specific levels I liked. This is kind of cheating since these choices don't technically follow a specific themes, but are more connected by common elements. But I still like them and what they bring to the table.

 

1: Aerial Levels

 

Not specifically sky levels, but levels that are usually high up in the sky and give a wide overview of the stage; the sort of, 'highway in the sky' style levels. Examples include Rail Canyon, Egg Fleet, Sky Sanctuary, and Frog Forest. I've always had a fascination with heights and always enjoyed the sense of thrill in climbing to really tall areas or traversing obstacles miles above the world below. Mainly because the view is great and it also because it makes the levels feel a bit more open, and in some examples, this openness can allow you to take shortcuts by making bold leaps across the bottomless expanse.

 

2: Night-themed Levels

 

There's something therapeutic about levels that tale place on night.  It's mainly because theses levels are very easy on the eyes and have really nice contrast in colors. Examples include Carnival Night, Speed Highway, Bingo Highway, and Hang Castle. Even though most of these levels usually have high energy and are really fast paced, they still manage to be a little calming based solely on the environment they create, a sort of duality that not many other levels have.

 

3: Haunted Levels

 

Unlike my other choices that were based more on looks, I like haunted levels more for their gameplay. Examples include Mystic Mansion, Pumpkin Hill, and Pyramid Cave. The abstract themes that are associated with cryptic levels lend themselves to many unique gameplay gimmicks that stand out compared to the rest of the game. While not many Sonic games use this trope, and even fewer use them beyond putting ghosts everywhere, the times when a level evokes a bit of strangeness and mystique makes them a thrill to play in.

[Lady Soniko]

DAY 22: FAVORITE ZONE TROPES

 

 

Futurism

 

 

Futuristic settings in Sonic just fit with the overall aesthetics and worlds that SEGA create for the blue blur, it also makes Eggman's mechanical prowess more believable and makes for some interesting freedom in stage gimmicks and art design, seriously Grand Metropolis has some fucking insane levels of detail and polish that goes unnoticed, the ideas and gimmicks surrounding the stage about releasing cut off energy to proceed is both clever and fun with the way they pull it off, giant moving walk ways in the sky, flying hover cars, energy plants and the like.

 

  

 

Urban areas in Sonic are also another guilty pleasure since there's nothing quite like blazing through a city brimming with detail and life, it feels like Sonic is immersing himself into a realistic environment, and helps ground some realism into a pretty erratic series in terms of locales, Rooftop Run in Spagonia has some breathtaking art direction as it pretty much personifies Europe into one big joint locale as it's got a Spanish feel mixed with London with it's clock tower, it's also my favourite Sonic level ever, of course I mean the Unleashed iteration, not that half assed Generations mess, although I love the festival theme in that game with the balloons and confetti and such.

 

 

 

Spooky locales in Sonic games are a welcome experience for me, but sadly they haven't been relevant in recent callings which sucks, because levels like Hang Castle and Mystic Mansion both bring some crazy ideas and level design to keep the players on their toes, SEGA are also pretty fucking perfect at making catchy spooky themed music. Again the level design and art direction honestly take the cake here, because the team literally can go nuts and make a totally wacky world with creepy castles, and pumkin ghosts that spawn at the drop of a dime.

 

I want to join no.3 with another trope because it's too good not to mention...

 

 

Fortress/fleets.

 

Because it's always great to hype up the final boss by giving us the ultimate fleet to take on as a final level, simply perfection.

[Kaabiitorori]

Day 22: Top 3 Favourite Level Tropes

 

Level tropes have been around in so many video games, and of course Sonic The Hedgehog takes advantage of this. Green levels, water levels, ice levels, fire levels, city levels... you name it! Many of these types of levels, in fact, are usually fun to play with due to the design or their mechanics. Precisely due to this, I must admit that I like literally most of the tropes featured in the series, and any of these I have listed in my Top 3 could easily have been number one.

 

3. Green Zones

 

A good amount of times this type of level is associated with the levels where Sonic's adventure starts, whether it's in the form of meadows, hills or forests. From the three all-time classic Green Hill, Emerald Hill and Angel Island to the modern Green Forest, Frog Forest or Windy Hill, running free through these levels feel so familiar yet so nice to start an adventure.

 

2. Water Zones

 

This may be an unpopular choice and with a good reason due to how slow some of the levels may be when Sonic runs underwater plus the pressure of collecting air bubbles in order to stay alive. But honestly, most of the levels I have played are quite fun in terms of design. Things like Labyrinth Zone (8-bit version especially), Hydrocity Zone, Aquatic Mine, or Aquatic Park are the reason why I like water levels, with the latter being the one that surprised me the most with its Japanese-inspired design, its well-thought mechanics (being the first time modern Sonic can move underwater!) and its supreme music track.

 

1. City Zones

 

City tropes laid its foundation thanks to Sonic Adventure and remained well alive since then. Running through a vivid (or in the case of Sonic '06, a not so vivid) city, full of glistening lights and tall buildings, speedways and bridges seemed like a good idea to work within the series. Speed Highway, Crisis City (Sonic Generations version especially), Empire City or City Escape are very good reasons to place this trope this high on the list; in fact, City Escape remains as my all-time favourite level for this trope, let alone one of my favourite levels of all-time in the series.

[Aero]

Day #22: What are your top three zone types/tropes/etc in general?

 

#1) Ruins.

There's something about ruins that catches my fancy. Whether it's the atmosphere, the flora, or the fact there's a few that even take place in the sky, the ruins stages are among my favorites. In fact, thanks to Sonic Adventure's Mystic Ruins in particular, I'd personally like to visit some real-life ruins some day.

 

#2) Cities.

Bright lights, catchy music, fast pacing, and atmosphere, the city stages have just about everything.

 

...What? You expected me to elaborate?

 

#3) Tropical/Hill areas.

I've always enjoyed tropical areas; they're relaxing and bring memories of previous vacations. The tropical areas in the Sonic games, however, are bright and energetic, keeping you on edge from killer whales destroying docks to giant mecha-fish chasing you on rails.

[C4k3]

Greenery type levels

 

 

Yes, the most basic trope there is. But that's what I like about it. Nothing like ruining the calming nature of a natural environment with the sounds of spinning, bouncing, and badnik bashing. They're also the most memorable, since you always tend to start you speedy adventure in these areas. Plus, they can really show the beauty of Sonic's world.

 

Night time/Stormy levels

 

 

Not sure if this counts as a trope, but I've always liked this one. They're not really common in the series, but I really wish they were. Lightning and thunder mainly play the cool factor in these. They're best used near to the end of the game, which symbolises shit starting to get real, or something bad has gone down. 

 

Industrial levels

 

 

Another cool trope here. Eggman is normally the mastermind behind these levels, filled with traps, deadly machinery, and other nasty obstacles. It's a big contrast on the more natural levels too. Things are normally a lot harder here, so that makes these levels more satisfying to conquer and master. Yes, I'm looking at you, Eggmanland...

[Blue Swallow]

DAY 22 What are your top three zone types/tropes/etc in general?

This may be the toughest question yet, I love almost all the types/tropes/etc.

In no particular order.

Beach

I love beach zones. I live near the beach so I love beaches. I can't understand how some people don't, beaches are always so pretty, and if there's not a lot of people around, peaceful. Sonic's beaches are no exception.

The sea creatures you see going about their business are nice to look at, like the dolphins in the image above. The creatures that stop what they're doing to try to kill you make a nice, somewhat different challenge.

One thing I'd like to see is more of in these levels are boats and ships in the water, it would be neat to see cruise ships and cargo ships and sail boats while on your journey.

City

There isn't to much I can say about city levels, I just like having them. Though I think one city zone a game is enough. Racing through a big city just, makes sense for sonic.

One thing I can say about city levels, while you don't actually see it in the stages, I like the thought of all the people walking on the sidewalks and driving in their vehicles, seeing a blue blur and feeling a burst of wind, and clutching the steering wheel or handles (or for the people walking) clutching shopping bags or their hat or some other object, and being like, "what the... what in the world was that!?"

And lastly, I prefer my city zones to be at night, the street lights, the neon lights, the building lights, the star lights (what can I say I love the lights) really enhance the level.

Amusement

These stages are just fun, you never know what to expect with these kind of zones, they could throw any thing at you. There always so happy too, even with all of Robotnik's mischievous robots and obstacles, they still remain bright and cheerful.

While I love the casinos, my favorites are the carnivals, they tend to be more fun to me, and they have more of the bright cheerfulness I like.

I would love too see another musical zone like music plant, as a lover of music I thought it was a really neat stage. Having instruments as gimmicks was a really cool idea and it would be cool to be able to actually play the real instruments , instead of a Gameboy Advance emulation.

[Komodin]

Question #22: What are your top three zone types/tropes/etc in general?

 

Ah, so you want to know what are my three favorite video game tropes, huh? Alright, it’s time for me to actually act like what my title implies for once, and go into Troper Mode!

 

1) The “Shifting Sand Land” Zone (First Used In: Sonic & Knuckles)

 

 

 

Ah, the desert level. First officially used in Sonic & Knuckles with the Sandopolis Zone, this trope has seen many different uses over the years, from the Western-ish area of Sand Hill to the Arabian-expied land of the Sand Oasis. I’ve always been heavily interested in the deserts of the world, especially those in the region of Sub-Saharan Africa. There’s always something about the way this series used this particular that gravitates me more to them versus, say, the likes of Mario. The aesthetics are always consistently awesome, especially the loveliness that is Sand Oasis. The level designs are generally towards high-speed dashing through the dunes and the like. I think the one thing that always -- always -- keeps me going back to them is the music. Seriously, I have yet to hear a single desert level track that I didn’t like, especially in games like Unleashed and Lost World, where they’re so jazzy, it’s crazy! While I love pretty much all of them, my all-time favorite desert level is Sand Oasis from Secret Rings.

 

2) The “Eternal Engine” Zone (First Used In: Sonic the Hedgehog)

 

 

 

The mechanized factory level has been a longstay in the series for as long as its very existence, starting with the polluted citadel of the Scrap Brain Zone. What I always liked about this type of level is how they helped personalize Dr. Robotnik, their usual creator, to their logical conclusion: in contrast of the natural, lively and generally happiness of the “Green Hill Zone” Zones, the “Eternal Engines” are deadly, mechanical, and all around malevolent in their appearances. Their level designs are usually very challenging and engaging, especially with Eggmanland, providing a good culmination of what the game has to offer from its humble beginnings. The music use is also usually top-notch, especially with Eggmanland and Mad Gear Zones. As far as personal favorites in this category go, mine’s the one and only Eggmanland from the HD version of Unleashed.

 

3) The “Palmtree Panic” Zone (First Used In: Sonic CD)

 

 

Starting with the original Palmtree Panic from Sonic CD, this video game beach trope has, too, seen a myriad of uses throughout the series, from the iconic Emerald Coast from Adventure to the Southeast Asia-esque wonder of Unleashed’s Jungle Joyride. Despite their usually serving as a secondary “Green Hill” Zone, I usually like Sonic’s use of them more that in other game series. What usually sticks out for me is the use of (relatively) calm and carefree music always seems to lift my spirits when I feel low. Since they’re usually the first or second stages in the games they appear in, the level designs are usually geared to further aid the player with learning to play the game, while beginning to set the stages for challenges later into the game. Out of all its use throughout the series, my favorite is, and always will be, the original Emerald Coast.

[WhoWhatMan]

DAY 22 OF 30

 

3 FAVORITE LEVEL TROPES

 

CITY/URBAN

 

I always love the cities levels in Sonic. They  always find way to mixed realism and wackiness of Sonic and always have a kick ass music with it.

 

TROPICAL

 

Usually colorful and pretty, the tropical levels is like a tour: You can see nature beauty while blasting through everything and basically make it look like there is a war going on.

 

CASINO/AMUSEMENT

 

I always love these levels! I feel like they put in all of their creativeness into these zones: Have fun gimmicks, wacky and catchy music, and extremely bright and cheerful.

[Frogging101]

Day 22: What are your top three zone types/tropes/etc in general?

Hmm, interesting question. I don't have much to say about it, unfortunately. I find that levels aren't made awesome by their tropes, but by how effectively the tropes are used along with other elements of the level's design. But, here we go...

I like City levels a lot, such as City Escape, Crisis City, and Rooftop Run. I like how they have lots of twists and turns but also open areas at the same time; they're fun to play through.

I also like Sky levels. They're challenging to run through quickly, have a lot of open areas and many routes.

Jungle levels are also pretty neat. I just like the look of them, mostly. They're all green and pretty

[azoo]

Hachachachacha~ It's Azoo again and it's another day of the 30 Days of Sonic!

 

Today's topic is the top 3 tropes in Sonic levels!

 

This topic is actually a really hard one for me to cover. I personally love stage tropes almost all equally, as the colorful amount of variety they offer to the series is one of the reasons I love Sonic stuff so much. So, because of that, this topic is being changed to...

 

Azoo's top FIVE favorite Sonic level tropes!

 

And here we start it off with..

 

5 ) City / Highway Levels

 

 

City levels to me are some of the best, due to how much of a sense of scale you get in them. The size of the buildings, the road structures and the flashy lights really send the message that you're a small hedgehog in a big world, but you don't let that get in your way. Also, these stages are fast, and that's a big part of the thrill to them.

 

4 ) Desert Levels

 

 

There's something about the yellowish orange hue that really just settles well with Sonic's blue color. Plus, the idea of sliding and dashing through the desert across the hot sands just emphasizes the action in Sonic's movement and leaves the player on their toes. The pillars and surrounding structures are glorious sights and they're just too much fun to see Sonic run around in.

 

The oranger, the better, in my eyes. 8V

 

3 ) The Ruins Stages

 

 

These stages always have their challenges and are filled with crazy traps. There's really nothing I can say that I don't love about them, besides the amount I get frustrated with them occasionally. I especially love SA1's "Lost World" and 3D Blast's "Rusty Ruin" due to the moodiness in which they bring to the environment, and how S3K's "Sky Sanctuary" really feels important as you traverse it.

 

2 ) 'Factory Base' Levels

 

 

Eggman's mechanical bases are always fun, but what about the ones that are part base, part factory? Those always tend to be the ones I remember best, featuring the neatest aesthetics and coolest gimmicks that set them apart from the usual. They're crazy and labyrinthine, and overall just nutty in structure. They're hectic in the best kind of ways!

 

And finally...

 

1 ) Green Hill Levels

 

 

Yeah. I said it.

 

Brown/orange checkerboards (or various patterns). Green, lush grass. Waterfalls. Billowing clouds in deep blue skies. This is the stuff I love. Seriously, I adore these stages. People get tired of them, and I can't blame them; but there's nothing about these stages I just don't enjoy, unless they get too rehashy. As long as they have their own flavor every time, I'm down for a new one.

 

 

Runner ups: Volcano and Ice stages. I love both of those massive amounts, but there aren't enough examples in comparison to the others. I also really like sky stages and casino/funhouse stages. Geez dude I love a lot of these. fdhjf

[-blank-]

Favorite level tropes? Heh-heh, this is gonna be fuuun~

 

 

 

3:

 

 

 

 

Flying Fortress Tropes

 

I  love flying fortresses in Sonic games, love them.These particular tropes have given rise to what I believe are some of the best designed levels the series has ever had. They tend to have a shitload of stuff going on at once and yet they almost never feel cluttered. True, there tends to be a ton of bottomless pits, but I feel that it's justified considering, yanno, flying fortress. Plus, I consider them to have an amazing atmosphere. And listen to some of the fantastic music these levels tend to have;

 

 

 

 

 

2:

 

 

 

 

 

Industrial Tropes

 

I've got to give Eggman credit here - some of the most memorable and awesome levels (not to mention some of the most frustrating) have been of his own design. But no matter who has created them, the thing is that industrial stages are really freaking cool either way.

 

Honorable Mention;

 

 

 

 

 

Jungle Tropes

 

Yes, these are pretty much the Green Hill tropes with much more trees. But hell, I've always found these stages very enjoyable to run around through and they tend to be some of the most gorgeous-looking levels in the games.

 

And that just leaves me with my top favorite...

 

1:

 

 

 

 

City/Urban Tropes:

 

Ah yes, city levels are most certainly my favorite level tropes in the series. Sure, they are used quite a lot in the series, but that doesn't matter to me. I think what makes city levels so great for me is all the different levels that have still managed to come about because of that. You have the New York-esque Skyscraper Scamper, the night-time Speed Highway, the ruined Crisis City, Starlight Zone, a city under construction, and so many others.

[Dr. Crusher]

~SSMB Has Cleared Zone Trope Zip-a-Dee-Doo-Dah Act 22!~

 

Grrr...

 

Question #23: What are your top FOUR zone themes for each of your top five/ten/three/etc games?

 

This is the most contrived question yet.

 

The question asks what it says on the tin. This question took me forever due to constantly changing various parts of it out of indecisiveness. If you haven't guessed, I'm shattered at this point. Sad times.

 

Note: For the sake of making things a little easier for everyone, in the case of games with music for individual Acts, you're free to just put both/all three of them together due to how similar they usually sound.

 

Note #2: I'm talking mainly about themes for "full" zones/levels. So tracks like Sonic the Hedgehog 2's Death Egg or Sonic Advance's X-Zone tragically don't count.

 

Note #3: Hub music also doesn't count. Because I'm a horrible person.

 

Crusher's Thoughts: Right, here we go.

 

#5 - Sonic Advance

Neo Green Hill - As I've said before, some may say that these tracks are too slow and relaxing for a first zone in a Sonic game, but I say... well, no. I disagree. I hope that's okay.

 

Ice Mountain - Act 2 is good, but for me, Act 1 is really good. It's exactly my kind of music.

 

Angel Island - This music track(s) makes me... "think" a lot, in regards to how much I love many of the characters and locations and so on in this series. How random zone music does that to a person, I don't know.

 

Egg Rocket/Cosmic Angel - Hey, they're two parts of the one zone. Seriously though, Egg Rocket is a very nostalgic track for me.

 

#4-A - Sonic Colours

Tropical Resort - Really gets you pumped up for exploring the first section of Robotnik's Intersteller Amusement Park.

 

Sweet Mountain - Very 90's, this.

 

Planet Wisp - A beautiful track to complete the slightly less beautiful backdrop of Robotnik's machinery turning the formerly beautiful home of the Wisps into an industrial nightmare... that isn't beautiful, I would imagine.

 

Aquarium Park - I think of Ape Escape when I hear these tracks, for some reason...

 

#4-B - Sonic Rush Adventure

Coral Cave - The beginning of Act 2 reminds me of the Dusk Excess Express music from Paper Mario: The Thousand Year Door. Don't ask why.

 

Haunted Ship - My favourite bits are the halfway and end parts, with the DUH-DUH-DUH-DUH, DUHHHH-DUHHHH DUH-DUH-DUH-DUH... That's an accurate text representation of it, yes.

 

Sky Babylon - The somewhat calming nature of these tracks make Sky Babylon itself feel all the more like a contrast to the more upbeat nature of Sky Sanctuary.

 

Pirates' Island - It's the calm before the storm, the storm being the climactic Charlie Chaplin sketch with Captain Whisker (and Johnny).

 

#3 - Sonic Lost World

Sea Bottom Segue - It appears to be the fan favourite track from Lost World, and I'm very happy about that. As a big fan of Aquatic Base's tracks from Sonic the Hedgehog 2006, it's nice to see a similar bit of music get plenty of respect.

 

Owl Lights - Just to be clear, this is the music for the last part of Silent Forest Zone 2. I'm guessing that this is not a track that most fans think about that much, but I really like this one a lot.

 

Dragon Dance - I like Dragon Road Day's music, so it's no surprise that I'll like this music. And it works really well when combined with Zavok's taunting.

 

Hidden World - Please tell me there's someone else out there who thinks that this music sounds like something from Gex.

 

#2 - Sonic Generations

Chemical Plant - One of my favourite bits of music in Sonic the Hedgehog 2, and it's just as good here. The Modern version in particular is superb, in my opinion.

 

Speed Highway - Running Through the Speed Highway was already brilliant, but Generations' Classic remix... now that's-a so nice.

 

Seaside Hill - I really liked how Ocean Palace was incorporated into the Modern remix, that was a really nice touch that made me respect the track even more.

 

Crisis City - I like Classic's dramatic music. And I like Modern's sad music. But which is better? There's only one way to find out: FIIIIIIIIGHT.

 

#1 - Sonic 3 & Knuckles

Angel Island - Like Neo Green Hill, this (...these?) has (...have?) always been one (... ... ...two?) of my top choices for starting zone music.

 

Ice Cap - I know some folk think of Ice Cap's music as overrated, but I disagree, I still love it all to bits. If you have a problem with that, you'll be having some hard times.

 

Launch Base - Further helping Robotnik's "I'm not a bad guy Rastafarian-looking sir, honest" schtick, Launch Base's music completes the zone's not-Bad Future-y scenery. And that's without mentioning the incredibly funky beat.

 

Death Egg - Act 1 really is perfect for the interior. And Act 2 really is perfect for the exterior. What else can you say.

 

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

[Nepenthe]

.......... Okay, give me like a couple of hours or so, and I'll think up a good list. Lordy.

[Indigo Rush]

Wait, huh?

 

 

Okay, let me see if I've got this down...

 

...you want the top four level themes from our personal top howevermany games?

[Tani Coyote]

Number 23! Oh dear god this should be fun.

 

Sonic Adventure 2

 

City Escape. Hello, I'm original! Fantastic way to open the game all around. It's one of the few lyrical level songs that isn't hard to decipher without a lyrics sheet.

 

Radical Highway. "Vengeance is Mine" couldn't be a more apt track name. The music really does come off as Shadow being legitimately pissed about something.

 

Pyramid Cave. I dunno really, always felt like it really illustrated the time-based nature of the stage.

 

Green Forest. It really gets the heart pumping and lets you know the whole place is about to blow the [bleep] up.

 

Sonic and the Black Knight

 

Misty Lake. I dunno, seems very serene and optimistic, while at the same time having a sad background to it that shows how dire the situation in Camelot is.

 

Knight's Passage. Really love how it fits the stage and gives a sort of racing sensation to get out of the Castle before Merlina turns it entirely upside down.

 

Shrouded Forest - Sir Lancelot's Route. That opening, man, just... that opening. Shadow's status as the elite knight is readily apparent with how much speed and tension there is to this song.

 

Dragon Slayer - Very foreboding. Fits the fact you have to take down a freaking dragon. And not that little whelp Merlina threw at you either.

 

Sonic Unleashed

 

Windmill Isle Day. Thrice the opening music is beautiful.

 

Rooftop Run Day. Dear god need I say more than just these three words? It is legitimately one of my favorite songs to imagine cruising at high speeds to. 

 

Cool Edge Day - Those little beats throughout the song just sound so nice. Don't know what instrument they are but they're hard to miss; to me it sounds like someone is actually playing with ice to make music somehow.

 

Jungle Joyride Day - Sounding exotic, it also has a tinge of danger to it, quite befitting of a stage that is a royal pain in the ass for me to beat.

[Inkling Cooper]

Hmm.... Hard one here. I don't have that many favourite sonic games yet alone favourite level music because I haven't played every single sonic game ever made, so, this is one of those questions which I can't think of an answer. So, for this one, I will just use what Crusher said.

At least it's not a characterisation question. But, something tells me that will come later on.

[Dr. Crusher]

Okay, let me see if I've got this down...

 

...you want the top four level themes from our personal top howevermany games?

 

Pretty much.

[Indigo Rush]

Pretty much.

 

Hrm. Alright.

 

 

This one's gonna be long.    

 

 

....can I use five instead of four songs?

 

...that way my mathematic OCD can stay in check?

Edited April 23, 2014 by Indigo Rush

[The Tenth Doctor]

Day 23: Fave 4 tunes from 5 fave games.

Sonic Adventure

Emerald Coast, Windy and Ripply. What a start! You feel the energy to begin your first 3d adventure and combined with the stage, feels grander than anything before it.

Windy Valley, The Air. This song makes you feel high in the sky. It also matches the high flying action of the stage.

Sky Deck A Go Go. This track rocks! Pure and simple.

Final Egg, Mechanical Resonance. Makes you truly feel as if your nearing the end, giving you chills as you know Eggman is coming.

Sonic Adventure 2

City Escape. Its just...damn catchy. It suits the level and, be honest, we all sing it.

Radical Highway. What a tune to introduce you to Shadow! The heavy guitar as well as the sheer awesomeness of the stage is jawdropping.

Metal Harbour. The guitars. The trumpets. You get a true sense of joyful freedom in this tune, which is what Sonic feels.

Sky Rail. Just a damn catchy track, Jun at his best. Plus, its called Mr Unsmiley.

Sonic 06

Wave Ocean, The Inlet. You put this track on, you feel fast. It made the Mach speed zone memorable.

White Acropolis, both. This is my fave Eggman base theme. Its funky, icy and feels straight out of Sonic 3D.

Crisis City, all. This track screams epic orchestra. You feel urgent and need to get out Asap.

Kingdom Valley, all. This tune adds a sense of wonder and joy to the ruins of the castle. Mach speed zone gets a shoutout.

Sonic and the Black Knight.

Misty Lake. Nothing sets the Medievel scene better than this. The violin work is extrodinary.

Molten Mine. What can't I say? Funky guitar, great strings, boiling lava!

Camelot Castle. Again, sets the mood fantastically.

Dragons Lair. Wow. What a dark yet sensational track. You really feel as if scaly death is near.

Sonic Generations

Speed Highway. Funky Classic added to the original thrills is a good mix.

City Escape. How to make the original better. Make a speedy version and a dance version. Im in love.

Crisis City. Guitar version? More violin version? This was made to make me smile.

Casino Night. A jazz band version...perfection.

[Vertekins]

5 - Sonic and the Secret Rings

 

The Palace that was Found; C'mon! How can you not like this song? It's so upbeat and peppy and damn is it catchy. Who's gonna rock the place?

 

Unawakening Float; This is a really intriguing song because it makes you wonder who's point-of-view it's told from. Sonic's? Erazor's? Lyrics such as "The fault is mine. For it is I who gave this heart"...is that Sonic admitting it was his 'fault' that he has the flame arrow in his heart? Or is it Erazor admitting that it's partly his fault why he has an evil heart?

 

The White of Sky; It just suits the stage it plays to to a T and has a great rhythm to it as well as a sense of eerieness in a way.

 

High and Broken; The only SatSR stage theme without lyrics apart from Sandstorm and that's what makes it stand-out a bit from the rest of the stage tracks.

 

4 - Sonic 3 & Knuckles

 

Lava Reef Zone Act 1; Probably the most dramatic-sounding act theme in the whole game, gives you a the real sense that you're in a volatile and dangerous area.

 

Launch Base Zone Act 1; I absolutely love how groovy this theme is, the beat of it and the addition of the synthesized voices.

 

Sandopolis Zone act 2; Very up-front with how ominous the inside of the pyramid really is with the darkness and Hyudoro's.

 

Sky Sanctuary Zone; Pure. Unadulterated. Epicness. 'Nuff said. Really gets-across the feeling that you're on a heroic journey to catch up to the Death Egg and are intent and taking it down.

 

3 - Sonic CD

 

Palmtree Panic Present (JP/EU); Such a cheerful theme with a real Sonicky-feel to it.

 

Stardust Speedway Good Future (US); The only truly good song on the mostly banal US soundtrack which I firmly believe is better than the JP/EU equivalent. Love that chorus.

 

Metallic Madness Good Future (JP/EU); Absolutely beautiful and such a powerful song in that it quite rightly sounds triumphant and yet subdued because whilst you're assumed to have given the Little Planet a Good Future, Eggman is still left to be dealt with.

 

Quartz Quadrant Good Future (JP/EU); Another absolutely beautiful good future theme from the incredible JP/EU soundtrack. The incorporation of sounds that are evocative of smashing crystals gives the theme that much more prettiness and the sound of birds chirping gets-across the sense that the wildlife is happy.

 

2 - Sonic Generations HD

 

City Escape Act 1; Incorporating Endless Mine's tune from Sonic 3 was a stroke of genius. Wonderful remix of Escape from the City.

 

Rooftop Run Act 2; Splendid take on the original song with a wonderfully celebrative feel tossed in.

 

Crisis City Act 2; What I really liked about this take on the original song was the incorporation of a really palpable feeling of depression given that the city is ablaze.

 

Sky Sanctuary Act 2; Does the original song absolute justice and sounds even more epic.

 

1 - Sonic Unleashed

 

Cool Edge Night; Actually my favorite song in the entire series. Sounds moody, isolated and dark, with a real 'cold' feeling to it extremely suiting of a polar region in the dead of night.

 

Jungle Joyride Day; Fast-paced, somewhat tense and incredibly atmospheric.

 

Skyscraper Scamper Day; Such a groovy urban theme that again, suits the pace of the stage.

 

Crimson Carnival; It's as dangerous-sounding as the level it plays to. Really epitomizes how high the stakes are in Eggman's hellish theme park on drugs.