Theory-Sonic Mania takes place entirely on Angel Island.*spoilers*

[SatAMhog]

Hey guys, hope your'e enjoying yourselves.   I was playing Sonic Mania and knowing what we do now about the Phantom Ruby's abilities, I had a fun little thought.  Remember how the Phantom Ruby Prototypes(in Sonic Forces) could transform reality TEMPORARILY for the individual to fatal results?  My thought is that Angel Island itself was transformed into various places from Sonic's past to throw Sonic off his game while Eggman was running to try and get to the Titanic Monarch launching.   Sonic would be totally whacked out and Eggman, knowing where they really were, could always have the upper hand.  Some areas stayed the same(either because Eggman didn't care or he got lazy lol), but this is my best guestimate based on the original level order of Mania.

Green Hill=Angel Island Zone:Considering a few elements from Act 2 share Angel Island's gimmicks(the swings, the rectangular water areas),this one is the most plausible since we're "transported" from Angel Island to Green Hill.  It's more like the area around us was TRANSFORMED as the Hard Boiled Heavies were.

Chemical Plant Zone=Launch Base Zone:I would've said Launch Base was Titanic Monarch, but no...it's the Launch Base Zone.  Transporting pipes were commonplace in Launch Base.

Studiopolis=Hidden Palace zone expanded.  We never saw how big it actually was and I like the idea of Eggman bulldozing it and transforming it into an Eggman TV station.  The shrine of the Master Emerald becomes the capital of Eggman's TV Dreams.

Flying Battery=Flying Battery They're the same, so it's the same Flying Battery but Phantom Ruby MODIFIED to be much bigger!

Press Garden=Mushroom Hill  Mushroom Hill turned into a interesting hybrid of an ancient printing press factory.  Considering it took place in a giant forest and Act 2 reminds me of the forest from Mushroom Hill, the print press and giant trees pressed into Eggman's log shredders tell me this is Mushroom Hill transformed into a bad future.

Stardust Speedway=Marble Garden  Going on the theory that the Phantom Ruby transformations are imperfect at best, many parts of the original zone remain in place including the ball like slingshot, the pulleys, and so on in  Act 1.  Act 2 is a recreation of the future so it looks like the transformation is perfect in places, and imperfect in others.

Mirage Saloon/Oil Ocean=Sandopolis...Mirage Saloon is Act 1 of the zone while Oil Ocean takes place in the massive pyramid of Act 2.  There are no ghosts but that's because of the Phantom Ruby's powers of transformation.  The switches from the pyramid remain only because the transformation itself is not complete and the ghosts have been transformed into a black cloud of ring sucking mist that if it gets thick enough will sap your rings down to 0. 

Hydrocity=Hydrocity...it's transformed into a grander version of it's former self, which I adore.  It's my favorite level in the game.

Lava Reef=Lava Reef...the place is being mined by Eggman for the completion of his Titanic Monarch as a callback to S3 and K when the Death Egg was atop the volcano as you can see Little Planet in the background like you could see the Death Egg in S3K.

Metallic Madness=Ice Cap Zone.  It has open water and mountains in the background and thus Eggman changed this area to the Metallic Madness.  Act 1 is open and shows an open water background with all sorts of buildings in the background.  Act 2 takes place completely inside in the base.

Now, my favorite...

Titanic Monarch=Carnival Night Zone  Eggman LOVES theme parks, especially ones made after himself.  So, he decided Carnival Night would be the perfect place to build a theme park like base including bumpers, waving Eggman banners, magnetic orbs, and enough bumpers to drive anyone crazy.  Plus, it's kinda like Eggmanland all over again.  A unique final level still. 

So, in a way, it's like Sonic 3 and Knuckles, but the order of the zones is mixed up and the Phantom Ruby is screwing everything up save for a few zones, but even those are transformed in other ways.    Do you think this holds any water?  Let me know.  Thanks for your time!

  

[Blue Blood]

The issue with this is Classic Sonic. He's not an illusion in Forces; he's very much the real Classic Sonic pulled into the Forces world by the Phantom Ruby. The Phantom Ruby may create illusions in Forces, but Mania clearly displays that that's not the only thing it does. Even if you wanted to say that the levels in Mania are illusions and not a result of Sonic and co being teleported around various locations, the Ruby definitely does warp Sonic to another dimension/time after the Egg Reverie fight. It has powers beyond creating illusions.

Also it's never explained whether where the Ruby came from in Forces. The fact that prototypes exist doesn't make sense when it's a naturally occurring gemstone in Mania. And where does it even go at the end of the game?

The plot holes are pretty unworkable. But have fun with your headcanon. I'm just going to stick to the theory that Sonic Team can't tell a story properly. I've got endless amounts of evidence for that.

[Razule]

35 minutes ago, Blue Blood said:

 

Also it's never explained whether where the Ruby came from in Forces. The fact that prototypes exist doesn't make sense when it's a naturally occurring gemstone in Mania. And where does it even go at the end of the game?

It isn't explained where the Ruby came from in Mania. There was a "dimensional breach" and it landed in Angel Island. No matter where we look, the Ruby comes from literally nowhere

Mania: Falls from the sky

Forces: Just pops up one day

[Blue Blood]

Just now, Razule said:

It isn't explained where the Ruby came from in Mania. There was a "dimensional breach" and it landed in Angel Island. No matter where we look, the Ruby comes from literally nowhere

Still, that's explanation enough. It has strange dimension-warping capabilities, and somehow materialises on Angel Island of its own accord. That implies that it was somehow warping around under its own power, just as it wad later used to warp the heroes during Mania. But its origins in Forces are much less clear, as it's implied in the game to be a creation of Eggman with the presence of prototypes, yet appears in a similar fashion to Mania in the prequel comic. 

 

[Salamander]

If the Phantom Ruby can create illusions with real effects, it can create illusory warps (space, time, or both) with real effects.  "Illusion" isn't really a great description, in the end; it's instant, individual-specific reality control.  I believe this addresses all contradictions.

[Blue Blood]

1 hour ago, FFWF said:

If the Phantom Ruby can create illusions with real effects, it can create illusory warps (space, time, or both) with real effects.  "Illusion" isn't really a great description, in the end; it's instant, individual-specific reality control.  I believe this addresses all contradictions.

So what you're saying is that Classic Sonic was never warped anywhere, as it was just an illusion. Forces never happened; it was just an illusion riddled with illusions. Both Forces and Mania took place at the very beginning of Angel Island.

[Razule]

6 minutes ago, Blue Blood said:

So what your saying is that Classic Sonic was never warped anywhere as it was just an illusion. Forces never happened; it was just an illusion riddled with illusions.

Maybe Modern Sonic as a whole doesn't exist

[Multikaris]

4 hours ago, Razule said:

It isn't explained where the Ruby came from in Mania. There was a "dimensional breach" and it landed in Angel Island. No matter where we look, the Ruby comes from literally nowhere

Mania: Falls from the sky

Forces: Just pops up one day

I’d blame the Super Genesis Wave. Or Generations!Classic!Eggman. Or both, somehow. 

[Salamander]

2 hours ago, Blue Blood said:

So what you're saying is that Classic Sonic was never warped anywhere, as it was just an illusion. Forces never happened; it was just an illusion riddled with illusions. Both Forces and Mania took place at the very beginning of Angel Island.

I'm saying exactly the opposite.  The Phantom Ruby generated a space-time portal with real effects upon Classic Sonic; those effects were nullified upon the destruction of what was, we must assume, the same Phantom Ruby.  The only real "illusion" is the description of the Phantom Ruby's powers as such.  It's individual-specific reality control, conjured up and dispelled at a moment's notice.

[superman43]

Do you all remember Solaris prototype ? Sorry, Sonic 06. 

My conclusion is that Mania could be actually both. Eggman brought Little Planet next to Angel Island when Sonic and co. were going through Press Garden (for me, illusion of in-between Ice Cap and Mushroom Hill). Oil Ocean doesn't take place in Sandopolis pyramid, that's an unacceptable idea for me. 

West Side Island could have been brought by Phantom Ruby as well (look at Sonic Mania title screen, there are 2 islands, not one).

[Forte-Metallix]

On 12/4/2017 at 7:27 AM, Blue Blood said:

Still, that's explanation enough. It has strange dimension-warping capabilities, and somehow materialises on Angel Island of its own accord. That implies that it was somehow warping around under its own power, just as it wad later used to warp the heroes during Mania. But its origins in Forces are much less clear, as it's implied in the game to be a creation of Eggman with the presence of prototypes, yet appears in a similar fashion to Mania in the prequel comic. 

 

I think the idea is that the Phantom Ruby was its own thing that just showed up in Classic-Universe Angel Island, caused everything in Mania, got sent to the Modern dimension alongside Classic Sonic, and then ended up in Modern Eggman's possession, as shown in the last prequel comic. Then he made multiple prototype duplicates of it.

What I wanna know is, why did the Ruby appear in the Modern world several months before Classic Sonic, despite them being sent through the same rift? They could've just explained it as them being sent through space and time, and Sonic leaving the rift at a different space/time coordinate than the Ruby, but that would've required the Forces writers to explain anything about that story.

[Sonictrainer]

Personally, I believe that in Sonic Mania the Phantom Ruby originally had 3 abilities: the reality changing, warping, and power-up (turning the Egg Robos into HBHs and eventually the Phantom Heavies).

However, at the end of the Egg Reverie Zone, it changed after being absorbing power from the Chaos Emeralds, which is why it can create duplicates of other characters.

Then after Modern Eggman found it, he experimented with it, creating the Prototypes to test out its powers, which is why the Green Hill Zone looks like a desert now. He also added elements such as Infinite being able to create Ruby Mists that look like a swarm of Red Cubes and instantly transform environments quicker and within smaller timeframes if another person makes contact with it.

However, that doesn't explain what happens to Infinite or the original Phantom Ruby after Forces ends.