Casino Night Zones: Amusement Levels in Sonic Games

[Sonictrainer]

Sonic’s world has a number of fun attractions for families, couples, trill seekers, and gamblers to go to spend their Rings.
 
They normally come in 1 of 3 forms: 
-Amusement Parks
-Casinos
-Carnivals or Festivals

Note: The List in this opening post only contains Carnivals, Casinos, and Theme Parks from Sonic games I myself have played, experienced, and remember well enough to talk about, as well as levels I feel are debatable as Carnival/Casino/Theme Park Levels. For example, I have never played the Rivals games so I didn't mention Sky Park Zone or Neon Palace Zone. If you have a favorite Carnival/Casino/Theme Park level I forgot about, a level I didn’t mention because I never played it, or have a level you feel can be described as a Carnival/Casino/Theme Park level, feel free to talk about it in the topic.

 

Sonic the Hedgehog: Spring Yard Zone

This level always seemed like a Casino that’s under construction.

 

Sonic the Hedgehog 2: Casino Night Zone

Welcome to Sonic’s version of Las Vegas. The Neon Lights, miniature elevators, and the giant pinball machines started the ‘’Casino” Level trope. It’s also unique for having only the Badnik, Crawl, roam the show floors.

 

Sonic CD: Collision Chaos Zone

This area of the Little Planet has a unique casino area. Unfortunately, Sonic is too preoccupied to play around after watching Metal Sonic kidnap Amy in the Present.

 

Sonic the Hedgehog 3: Carnival Night Zone

I’m not sure who exactly built this place but after avoiding a jungle fire, underwater death traps, and getting buried alive, Sonic and Tails can’t really complain. This carnival features balloons to pop, weird gravity wheels like the ones in Scrap Brain Zone, different rotating and flying barrels of doom, cannons to shoot Sonic and Tails, and… lava platforms? During Act 2, Knuckles appears to shut the lights off.

Did anyone else not get stuck on the “Barrel of Doom”?  Or am I the only one?

 

Sonic Triple Trouble: Sunset Park Zone

This level has Motobugs riding carts, Badniks riding elevators, and that mosquito Badnik from Sonic CD. Sonic and Tails can highjack carts with a Spin Jump and ride by Spin Dashing. This stage is also unique for having a transition right from Act 2 into the Boss Battle, where the Goal Plate disappears into the ground, the grounds starts moving, the music changes, and Sonic/Tails run on top of a moving train to take out an evil Thomas Train.

 

Sonic 3D Blast: Spring Stadium Zone

…It’s like Sonic is inside of a weird, bright colored funhouse made up of springs, bumpers, pop-up spikes, and grenade turrets.

 

Sonic R: Radical City

This course has Sonic, Tails, Knuckles, Amy, and Eggman racing through a small city and part of its casino. There are several shortcuts where racers can jump the railing. The Green and Purple Chaos Emeralds are here as well as the infamous Tails Doll, who waits to challenge racers who can find all 5 Sonic Tokens.

 

Sonic Adventure: Casinopolis and Twinkle Park

Casinopolis is Station Square’s indoor casino, which has 2 pinball tables based on Classic Sonic and NiGHTS, a prize room containing the Grey Chaos Emerald for 400 Rings, an underground sewer system, a locker room with showers, and a few hidden pieces of the Master Emerald.

Twinkle Park has bumper cars, roller coasters, bowling alleys, a carousel, a fishing pool, mirror maze, and exploding barrels. Remember, cute couples get in free!
 

Sonic Advance: Casino Paradise Zone

The Casino Paradise Zone is a colorful casino with multiple pathways and 1 Special Spring in Act 1.

…Is that the Disneyland Castle in the background?

 

Sonic Advance 2: Music Plant Zone

This music themed park has giant, colorful instruments and floating sheet music for Sonic and friends to jump, roll, and bounce off of. This is also where Sonic rescues Tails from Dr. Eggman.

 

Sonic Advance 3: Toy Kingdom Zone

The Toy Kingdom is a park filled with elephant slide, panda teacup rides, toy rockets, animal head balloons, pendulums, and spinning star cranes. You also reunite with Amy after defeating Dr. Eggman and Gemerl.

 

Sonic Heroes: Casino Park (Act and BINGO Highway)

Casino Park is one of the checkpoints on the way to stop Dr. Eggman’s Egg Fleet.

Casino Park figures giant pinball tables that teams will have to bounce around to get Rings and reach the Goal Ring. There’s a VIP Table somewhere…

BINGO Highway challenges tenants to try and collect giant BINGO chips to get BINGO and score Rings. Apparently, there’s a secret Air BINGO…

As awesome as the Casino Park Zone sounds, I do have to admit that pinball physics aren’t perfect and the camera doesn’t help.

 

Shadow the Hedgehog: Circus Park

In this stage, Shadow can either help Tails collect 400 Rings, help Eggman get rid of those “G.U.N. geeks”, or just go find that darn 4th Chaos Emerald.

 

Sonic Rush: Night Carnival Zone

If the Casino Night Zone is inspired by Las Vegas, the Night Carnival Zone seems to be inspired by New Orleans. Sonic and Blaze will have to walk on neon lights, use pop-up springs, and swing pulleys to get through the Zone.

 

Sonic Riders: SEGA CARNIVAL & SEGA ILLUSION

These are 2 crossover levels featuring elements from other SEGA franchises besides Sonic.

SEGA CARNIVAL takes place during the day and features elements of Samba De Amigo, Billy Hatcher, NiGHTs, and Crazy Taxi.

SEGA ILLUSION takes place during the night and features Samba De Amigo, NiGHTs, Space Channel 5, and Chu Chu Rocket. Watch out for the Opa Opa!

 

Sonic Unleashed: Eggmanland

After years of failures, Eggman finally creates Eggmanland, a giant country-sized amusement park factory fusion powered by Dark Gaia’s energy. Due to the unnatural, red cloudy skies it’s hard to tell when it’s day or night here. Then again, being around all the Dark Gaia Energy is probably enough to transform Sonic back and forth between his Hedgehog and Werehog forms without the Sun. Loved and hated by many, Eggmanland is the last ride for Sonic and Chip’s adventure to bring the planet back together.

 

Sonic Colors: Tropical Resort, Sweet Mountain, Starlight Carnival, Aquarium Park, and Asteroid Coaster
It seems that after making Eggmanland, his own country sized theme park, Eggman wasn’t ready to give up on making a theme park. So he went into space, kidnapped stolen planets housing cute aliens, enslaved said aliens to power his Badniks while also draining and breeding them into a brand new evil version of themselves, turned his Chaos Energy Planet Cannon into a Mind Control laser, and combined them all into a giant space theme park.

Tropical Resort doesn’t have water or beaches but it does have several shopping areas and introduces Sonic and Tails to Yakker and the White Wisps. I’m not sure who’s driving the cars though…

Sweet Mountain is a small, cinnamon bun shaped planet that Eggman turned into a food themed park. Unfortunately for Sonic, they don’t serve Chili Dogs here…but he can find the Red, Yellow, and Orange Wisps here.

Starlight Carnival is a beautiful parade of lights, sounds, and death traps. Sonic can meet the Blue and Green Wisps here.

Aquarium Park is a water paradise for different types of fish and underwater Badniks. This is also the first place where Sonic meets the Big Chaser.

Asteroid Coaster is a prehistoric roller coaster attraction that hides the Nega Wisps. Even though they’re too far gone for Tails to translate, Sonic can still use their powers to grow big and consume anything in his path.

Sonic Generations HD & 3DS: Rooftop Run, Casino Night, and Tropical Resort on the 3DS

Today, in Spagonia, a festival is taking place between different countries….until Eggman's blimps came to crash the party.

While Act 1 is literally the original, Act 2 adds some giant roulettes into the stage for Modern Sonic to get some Rings and Extra Lives.

Tropical Resort seems to be a throwback to both Act 1s of the Wii and DS versions of Sonic Colors.

 

Sonic the Hedgehog 4: Casino Street Zone and White Park Zone

Casino Street Zone is a fusion of elements of the Spring Yard, Casino Night, and Carnival Night Zones. Act 2 is unique for trying some originality using cards as platforms and rewards if you flip them over.

White Park Zone is a winter themed amusement park with rigged snowboard trails, rigged roller coaster tracks, and rigged underwater sections. Good thing admission is free. 

 

Sonic Lost World Wii U: Frozen Factory Zone 2 & 3
In the coldest part of the Lost Hex there’s a factory that connects to an indoor Casino, being watched over by Zeena. Outside the actual Frozen Factory Zones 1 & 4, are 2 Casino levels.

Frozen Factory Zone 2 has a Super Monkey Ball inspired route, where the snow is so sticky Sonic rolls into a giant snowball. As a snowball, Sonic collects Rings differently and has to go through giant pool tables with giant pool balls to beat Zeena in a extreme snowball fight.

Frozen Factory Zone 3 is a throwback to the Casino Night Zone, with the addition of Silver Coins, Egg Pawns, lasers, and secret pinball tables.

 

 

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

What would be your least favorite Amusement Level in a Sonic Game?

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

What's another level theme you'd like to see fused together with the amusement/casino themes in Sonic games?

[Rey Skywalker-Ren]

My favorite levels? 

From Sonic 4:

Casino Street Act 2: Love this stage! It is to coloful and interactive. The music is also amazing to. I like how you can use the card trails to go to the levels. Also this level you win ALOT of prizes. Mostly because you can flip over card when you run by them and they can be lives or they can be rings. 

Casino Street Act 3: The barrels the cannons! Yeah! Love them! Awesome music and fast speeds? Love them to! Also a note you can do the barrels to make your own shortcuts (something only us skilled sonic 4 players know... just kidding)

Sonic Colors:

Sweet Mountain: I love this stage. The design and the music is freaking amazing to listen to. also the Eggman PAs for this one especially his "they sit on the rides with there butts" one is awesome

Starlight Carnival: OMG this stage is beautiful look at the design! I love the music so. But wow!

----

I do wanna bring up somethnig I hate about the casino levels. These:

I HATE THESE! I hate them in Sonic Advance, I hate them in Sonic CD, I hate them in the genisis games I hate them everywhere. Hell they put these things in my favorite game! 

You know theres a section in Sonic 4 Act 3 where you need to bonce of these to get to the other side. Do it wrong you go back. Oh and it dont stop there! Hohohoho no. You wanna reach that goal? You have to stare at these things. Yes theres a hole between 2 rows of these. you hit these and you are DEAD. oh and the platformes you stand on they fall so yeah have fun.  

[Muscles Maximum]

Music Plant and Toy Kingdom are my favorites.

I also have a huge soft spot for Twinkle Park ♥

[Sonictrainer]

Answering my own questions, here's some ideas I'd like to see for a Amusement Level:

Casino Coast Zone

• This is a tropical themed casino made on a beach or a luxury ship.
• Parasailing to grab Rings and Power-ups

Casino Castle Zone

• This is a Casino themed to look like a level from Sonic and the Black Knight.
• There could be a paths where Sonic has to ride giant darts going into giant dart boards for Rings and power-ups
• Catapults would return
• Maybe something incorporating Chess pieces or a chess board 
• The boss could be a Neon Light Dragon.

Crazy Casino OR Grave Gamble Zone

• A haunted themed casino or an old abandoned giant, videogame arcade (like a darker version of the basement of Casinopolis)
• It can feature some throwbacks with Boos from Sonic Adventure 2, the pumpkin enemies from Sonic Heroes, Dark Chao, Nega Wisps, and those gargoyles from Sonic and the Secret Rings
• Pinball boards are actually graveyards and Sonic has to bounce off of tombstones

Chao City

• A Chao themed amusement park, where the enemies are Eggman designed Omochao
• Chao follow you as you defeat enemies
• The Boss is a Eggman version of the Chao Gunner from Sonic Adventure 2 Battle

Sonic Spot Zone

• A giant amusement park based on Sonic and Friends (like a Sonic Land)
• Virtual Hedgehogs are the badniks here
• In one Act, you can race against Sonic Man to win prizes
• The Boss is Metal Sonic & Tails Doll

[LucaEllwood]

Interesting topic, thanks, really very informative, this is some kind of excursion into history. In the modern world, online casinos are incredibly popular, I have been in this area for a very long time and I confidently recommend look here a proven resource with a review at the best online casino 1 euro deposit, there you can always easily find a resource for playing with a big bonus for a beginner, with convenient game interface and all the necessary information on the main page, go to make a choice, good luck!

[Sega DogTagz]

Got something of a soft spot for White Park. The theme is wildly creative and the roller coaster motif just fits so well with Sonic. The Boss Battle in Act III makes full use of the tracks, and it just is a thematic match made in heaven with Metal Sonic joining the fray.

 

Also thought Colors entire Interplanetary Amusement Park was nice. Each level was an expressive and unique.

[Iko]

Casino Night from Sonic 2 is one of the most iconic levels in the series, though my favorites are:

Twinkle Park (Adventure), Casino Paradise (Advance 1), Music Plant (Advance 2)

I also like the environments in all the Sonic Colors stages and Generations' Rooftop Run in a festival.

If I have to pick one, it would be Music Plant, and I would like if one day that place got revisited in a new game, updated with new visuals, additional details and more level gimmicks.

 

My leas favorite is probably Spring Yard... probably not the worst, but the one that annoys me the most when I reach it. Casinopolis from Adventure is also annoying due to the ring grinding.

 

New (or old) ideas for a future amusement level?

Arcade-videogames as a level theme. There have been a few references already but never a level fully based on this theme (unless you count the Sonic Simulator from Colors, pretty generic place made of floating blocks).

Also, supermarket/shopping center, or maybe an aquatic park with sliders and more. Not sure if it can be considered "amusement", but also a museum would be cool, with libraries, observatories, dinosaurs' skeletons and much more.

 

Two themes mixed?

Casino and jungle... no I'm joking. well, the aquatic park theme that I mentioned before, but fused with lava/volcano, featuring some badniks who have fun playing with lava.

[Shadow Chaos Control]

Sonic The Hesgehog 2’s Casino Night is my favorite of the casino themed levels in the games. 

[Guest]

My idea may be a bit out there, but...

A world full of board games and the like- it's made of giant chess boards and such. The enemies include chess pieces, attacking in different methods based on how each piece moves. Darts constantly fire at you, and you can ride some to get to dart boards they're heading towards. Includes some casino aspects, like cards as platforms etc. Maybe also includes some illusionist/magician enemies and elements.

Maybe also a P.E./Field Day type zone with all sorts of athletic events you need to get through- maybe you can pass by them, but if you jump into a basketball hoop while robots play basketball (before trying to attack you), you can score rings and items.

[KnuxDLX]

Casino Nights is one of the funnest places I have ever been. I don’t even like casinos, but I think the casino theme has a kind of hidden meaning.

 

Casinopolis.

[Guest]

43 minutes ago, KnuxDLX said:

Casino Nights is one of the funnest places I have ever been. I don’t even like casinos, but I think the casino theme has a kind of hidden meaning.

I remember going to a casino the first time as a 22 year old adult... yeah I was disappointed. Wasn't like Sonic at all! xD Whole place smelt awful of cigarette smoke and they don't even use physical slot machines anymore, just computers. That said, I did have some fun and won a small amount of money. I think I won like $100? I don't remember lol.