Emerald Coast Zones: Seaside Levels in Sonic Games

[Sonictrainer]

During last winter I did a level theme topic for Ice Levels in Sonic games. Unfortunately, Time Eater visited the forum and decided to eat some of the topics, posts, status updates and other parts of the site.

While I kept a copy of that topic in a cooler, today I’d like start a brand new topic about warmer level theme in Sonic games: Seaside Levels! Even though Sonic can’t swim, he and his friends can still enjoy a run on tropical sandy beaches, ocean water, and ships in harbors and military bases.

 

Note: The List in this opening post only contains Beach, Harbor, and Seaside Levels from Sonic games I myself have played and experienced. If you have a favorite Beach/Harbor/Seaside level I didn’t mention feel free to talk about it in the topic.

 

 

Sonic the Hedgehog 2: Oil Ocean Zone

Either Westside Island has the biggest deposit of oil on Sonic’s planet or Dr. Eggman decided to flood the area to slow Sonic and Tails down. Whatever the reason, this Oil Harbor has a unique set of platforms, cannons, and elevators to navigate to the Prison Capsule. Also, Sonic and Tails can easily jump out of the oil in case they fall in.

 

 

Sonic Adventure: Emerald Coast

Welcome to Station Square’s beautiful beach, the Emerald Coast. Enjoy fun in the sun with one of the many umbrella tables and beach chairs. Bring some bait and your best lures and try to catch a big one at the local fishing spots. Go on a hike up one of the mountain trails and see the view from the lighthouse.

 

…Just watch out for the infestation of Badniks and the hedgehog eating Orca.

 

 

Sonic Adventure 2: Metal Harbor and Weapons Bed

Prison Island has 2 harbor levels for both Teams of Story Mode.

 

After getting assistance from Tails and Amy, Sonic rushes through the harbor while grabbing a pair of Light Shoes and a giant test rocket to aid in his quest.

 

 

Meanwhile Dr. Eggman provides a distraction for Shadow and Rouge to grab the Chaos Emeralds by destroying deactivated GUN robots. There’s also a “Bazooka” upgrade somewhere… 

 

 

Sonic Advance: Neo Green Hill Zone

Admittedly, most of the beach section of Neo Green Hill Zone starts out in Act 1 and disappears in Act 2.

 

Personally, I thought it was a cool nod to Emerald Coast in Act 1 and later Radical Highway in Act 2 with the bridge that the boss battle takes place on.

 

 

Sonic Heroes: Seaside Hill/Ocean Palace

Imagine if the Green Hill and Emerald Coast got married and had 2 beautiful children. Say hello to the first levels of Sonic Heroes.

 

Seaside Hill is the first level and Act of Sonic Heroes, allowing players to get adjusted to the game’s mechanics as they race towards the whale island or collect crabs. There are also 2 Bobsled sections.

 

While the level itself is called Seaside Hill, Act 2 is known as Ocean Palace. Ocean Palace is a giant set of white ruins with whale inspired art, giant turtles carrying big platforms, and a deathtrap with giant wheels called Kao that will try to squish your team.

 

 

Sonic Rush: Water Palace Zone & Huge Crisis Zone

Sonic’s first DS game has 2 seaside levels.

 

The Water Palace is a white city with a unique water system. Sonic and Blaze will have to use water slides, water cannons, underwater turbines, and mine pulleys to get through the zone. The boss of this zone is a metal lock ness monster with a long neck.

 

The Huge Crisis Zone is almost like Metal Harbor in 2D except most of it takes place on the interior of different ships and ports...and it seems Dr. Eggman and Eggman Nega reprogrammed all of the GUN robots to attack Sonic and Blaze. Use pipes, cranes, and rocket-powered flat beds to reach the Goal. Be careful not to be crushed by the giant pistons.

 

 

Sonic the Hedgehog 2006: Wave Ocean

If you thought this level looks exactly like Emerald Coast, I don’t blame you. The only difference between the two is that in this level there a little bit more detail, some Grind Rails, a section where you play as Tails, and a Mach Speed Section.

 

It’s kind of sucks, because they could have done more with the level to expand it…and fix the bugs. At least the music works.

 

 

Sonic and the Secret Rings: Pirate Storm

 

Sonic and Sharha jump across debris and storm the pirate ships to obtain the Water Blue Ring from Captain Bemoth.

 

 

Sonic Rush Adventure: Southern Island, Dinosaur Jungle Zone, Coral Cave Zone, Haunted Ship Zone, Pirates’ Island Zone, Hidden Island Zones, etc.

The majority of Sonic Rush Adventure takes place on islands by the seas of Blaze’s World with the exceptions of the Machine Labyrinth Zone, the Ghost Pendulum, Blizzard Peaks Zone, Sky Babylon Zone, and True Final Boss.

 

 

Sonic Unleashed HD: Windmill Isle and Jungle Joyride

While most of the countries have land, concrete, ice, sand, and feature some lakes and rivers, Apotos and Adabat will have Sonic boosting around the coast.

 

Apotos looks similar to Water Palace but without the underwater pathways. The Windmill Isle Day and Night Acts will Sonic racing across the White Islands to find out if anyone knows Chip and later meet up with Tails.

 

Adabat has the most unique night sky of any Country, where even though the sunsets, it’s not completely dark. Jungle Joyride has Sonic running across docks, waterfalls, sandy beaches, jungle grass, and crumbling temple ruins to restore the Purple Chaos Emerald. The guardian of this temple is the Egg Lancer, a combo of the Egg Beetle and Egg Devil Ray having all of the firepower of both but no shields.

 

 

Sonic Generations HD: Seaside Hill

When it was revealed that Seaside Hill would be the remixed representative of Sonic Heroes, I was happy… even though I would have rather picked ANY other level from that game (mostly Sky Fleet). However, it’s one of the best remixes in the game.

 

Seaside Hill Act 1 has Classic Sonic use cannons and Choppers to reach new areas and higher paths, choose 1 of 3 horizontal paths in the foreground and background, a fast current section like the ones in the Labyrinth Zone and Hydro City Zone, and another Kao chase.

 

Seaside Hill Act 2 is the biggest Modern stage in the game, giving Modern Sonic more room to move and multiple paths to take to reach the Goal Ring. There’s even a special Roulette Terminal where Sonic can choose to hop across the giant turtles or use a brand new racecar on an all-new racetrack.

 

Whales appear during the both Acts to help both Sonics if they don’t seem to catch enough air and are heading towards the ocean.

 

 

Sonic Generations 3DS: Emerald Coast & Water Palace

Like other fans, I was kind of hoping for more Handheld games to have remixed representatives in the 3DS Version. At the same time I was curious as to how they would remix a 3D original level into 2 separate 2D acts.

 

Emerald Coast Act 1 is a must closer 2D remix of the Sonic’s version of the level in Sonic Adventure except someone decided to break apart the orca running dock. Emerald Coast Act 2 has Modern Sonic explore a new area of the beach. Towards the end, the orca really goes out of its way to take a bite out Modern Sonic.

 

Water Palace Act 1 will have Classic Sonic to activate switches in order to activate the water cannons, dodge and defeat a Giant Flapper, and use a bubble machine to reach the Goal Post.

 

Water Palace Act 2 changes Modern Sonic’s original course of the Zone but now he slides across the water during some parts (like in Wave Ocean).

 

 

Sonic Lost World: Tropical Coast

Tropical Coast is the beach area of the Lost Hex, where Master Zik lives in retirement making juice out of the fruits from his garden.

 

Sonic will have to use the Yellow Wisps to get through whirlpools underwater, the Orange Wisps to reach small planetoids, and the giant fruits’ juice to reach new areas and have a food fight with Master Zik.

 

 

 

If you had to choose, what would be your number 1 Seaside Level in a Sonic Game?

 

What are some old or new ideas you'd like to see in future Seaside Levels in Sonic games?

 

What's another level theme you'd like to see fused together with the beach, harbor, or seaside themes in Sonic games?

[Mauro Fonseca]

Find it a bit odd how you skipped Green Hill Zone, Emerald Hill Zone, and Angel Island Zone. While the first seems to be around a lake, not a sea, the latter seem to me to clearly be ashore on their islands.

 

Regardless, this might be my favourite level theme to me. It just isn't Sonic without either being in an island or at the very least having a ton of water nearby.

[Sonictrainer]

Find it a bit odd how you skipped Green Hill Zone, Emerald Hill Zone, and Angel Island Zone. While the first seems to be around a lake, not a sea, the latter seem to me to clearly be ashore on their islands.

 

Yeah, I wasn't sure if the other "Hill" levels would count for this theme or not. 

[Osmium]

My favourite seaside level is definitely Angel Island Zone from Sonic 3 (even though that's more of a jungle level than a seaside level). 

I love the lush green background and the overgrowth in the foreground that shows you are deep into a tropical jungle, and I think it gives you a more immersed feeling than Green and Emerald hill. 

 

 

Some of the set pieces in the zone really help give it an different identity from Green and Emerald hill. The ropes that you can ride and the logs that you can walk on in the waterfalls make it feel like it's a wild jungle. 

 

The level design also gives you a feeling that it's a distinct jungle. The level design is more vertical and you're climbing rocks and waterfalls and sometimes you come to an area where there aren't any more trees giving you a feeling that you're at the canopy.

 

When the Fire Breath attacks, the whole zone catches fire, if gives you a feeling that Eggman really isn't messing around anymore and this game is going to be a really big deal.The autoscrolling section with the blimp that tries to shoot you down really helps the mood. 

 

The music is awesome. The first act theme is a relaxed tropical exotic type theme that really puts you into the mood. The second act theme sounds more dangerous and is slightly faster as to catch the tone of the orange blaze of the burning jungle behind you. 

 

I think this zone has one the best tones in the classic series and it really puts you into the setting, in a way that Green Hill and Emerald Hill didn't. 

[Failinhearts]

Seaside Hill is the first Sonic level I've ever played so it holds a special place in my heart more than any other beach level in Sonic.

No offense Emerald Coast, Water Palace, etc.

[Cortez]

Best beach level.

Sonic Shuffle had some really cool level tropes actually, I would have liked to have seen some main game levels with mixed tropes like ice/beach and sky/fire.

[Dantemustdie00]

Seaside Hill I find the best, not only for the seaside theme, but it also keeping with the Sonic look with the checkered cliffs and walls.

 

It also doubles as a Ruins stage to boot.