O----------------------------------O
| SONIC THE HEDGEHOG |
| FAQ/Walkthrough v1.0 |
| Written by Snow Dragon (C) 2003. |
| All rights reserved. |
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
=================
I. Story and Intro
II. Controls/Items
III. Walkthrough
a. Green Hill Zone
b. Marble Zone
c. Spring Yard Zone
d. Labyrinth Zone
e. Star Light Zone
f. Scrap Brain Zone
g. Final Zone + Epilogue [SPOILERS]
IV. Bonus Stages Walkthrough (Chaos Emeralds)
a. Blue Emerald
b. Yellow Emerald
c. Purple Emerald
d. Green Emerald
e. Red Emerald
f. White Emerald
V. Miscellaneous Codes
VI. Credits 'N Stuff
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STORY AND INTRO
===============
In Sonic the Hedgehog, the flagship title of the massively popular 16-bit
Genesis/Megadrive system, you of course play the role of the titular
protagonist who is not on a quest to save any sort of damsel in distress but
rather an entire race of beings: the Flickys, whom the mad scientist Dr. Ivo
Robotnik has encased in robotic form and made to do his evil bidding. Your
job is to go through the game's six zones, which are divided in three
separate acts, and destroy all of the contraptions Dr. Robotnik has created
in order to thwart your 18-level mission. Along the way, you'll collect a
bunch of items like rings, super speed-up shoes, invincibility, and extra
lives. It's a fast-paced game with enough action to keep anyone hooked for
the entire duration. So let's get into it!
Contrary to what my rushed-to-publication Super Dodge Ball Advance FAQ says,
_this_ is my 30th FAQ, not that one (which is my 29th). I hope you enjoy
reading and using it as much as I enjoy writing. I felt I needed some Sega
stuff to balance out my Nintendo-heavy contributor page, and so here is this
review for a Genesis game that holds a special place in my memory.
The only things you need to know:
1) Look in the Table of Contents for specific help on what you need. I made
this one extra-detailed in the hopes that it's a bit easier to use.
2) If you need to ask a question or register any suggestions, requests, or
complaints about this or any of my FAQs, e-mail me. The address, as
always, is <
[email protected]>. Remember to make triple-sure that
the question you ask isn't already addressed in the walkthrough, or I
will totally disregard it. CONSTRUCTIVE COMMENTS PLEASE.
3) The walkthrough is written according to the path I took. I hope no one has
a problem with this.
Well, now that that's out of the way, let's get into the meat of this
walkthrough!
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CONTROLS/ITEMS
==============
There are only four things you need to know about Sonic the Hedgehog's
controls. That's why I lumped these two sections together.
CONTROLS
--------
1. Moving Back and Forth
------------------------
Press Left and Right on the D-pad to move Left and Right. You do not need to
push a specific button to get Sonic running; he will automatically do so if
he has enough leeway.
2. Jumping
----------
All three buttons (A, B, and C) will allow Sonic to jump. Personally, I use C
because it's closest to my thumb.
3. Pausing
----------
Press Start to pause the game. Of course, you have known that Start pauses
games since the dawn of time, so why did you need me to tell you?
4. Rolling
----------
While Sonic is running, press Down to make him roll. This can break certain
walls and lead to secret areas if you are the Stalwart ExplorerT type of
person.
ITEMS
-----
Sonic can get many items that will help him greatly in the quest to defeat
Dr. Robotnik. And here they are!
Rings
-----
Rings are the equivalent of Mario's coins. Collect 100 and Sonic will receive
an extra life. Having 50 at the end of either Act 1 or 2 of any given zone
will cause an enormous ring to appear above the exit that acts as a portal to
the Bonus World, where Sonic can maneuver through a topsy-turvy trippy dream
world to compete for a Chaos Emerald. Sonic's rings act as a sort of shield
for him. If he is hit, a mess of rings will fly away from his body, leaving
him vulnerable to die by the hand of any enemy that gets near him. As long as
you have one ring to your name, you can't die unless you fall in a pit, touch
spikes, or get crushed between a moving surface and another wall. If you are
hit by an enemy with no rings in your possession, Sonic dies.
10 Rings
--------
If you see a static screen with a ring on it, bounce on it to add 10 rings to
your collection.
Shoe
----
Pounce on a monitor with a picture of a shoe on it to temporarily give Sonic
super speed. Depending on your surroundings, this can either be a blessing or
a curse.
Extra Life
----------
A computer screen bearing Sonic's face will reward him with an instant extra
life if he breaks it.
Invincibility
-------------
These are often very well hidden, so be on the lookout for them so you can
cruise through levels at top speed without a worry or care. Bounce on a
screen with sparkling stars on its screen to become temporarily invincible
for the duration of the game's theme song. You can still die if you fall in a
pit or get sandwiched between two surfaces, so watch out.
Enormous Ring
-------------
As mentioned in the Rings entry, an enormous ring will take you to the Bonus
World if you're fortunate enough to have 50 rings at the end of a level and
then jump into it after spinning the sign that marks the level's end.
Hidden Point Bonuses
--------------------
Jump around after beating a level to uncover point bonuses hidden among the
background. You can uncover point bonuses ranging in value from 100 to 10,000
in each of the game's twelve non-Robotnik-encountering acts.
Continue
--------
The only way you can earn continues in Sonic is to get 50 rings in the Bonus
World.
Chaos Emerald
-------------
Though they are little more than a side diversion in Sonic 1 (your ending
varies slightly depending upon if you get all six or not), Chaos Emeralds are
the stuff of legends on the planet Mobius (where this and all Sonic games are
set). They have the power to be used for the ultimate good or to power
weapons of unimaginable destructive capacity. The moniker of "emerald" is a
slight misnomer, seeing as how they tend to come in colors other than green,
but they are nonetheless quite powerful and worth your while to get a hold of
if at all possible.
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WALKTHROUGH
===========
I. Green Hill Zone
------------------
ACT 1
Jump and get the game's first three rings, then hop up to the short plateau
and jump on the 10-ring monitor. Kill the fast blue bee robot as it speeds by
to shoot you, then jump to the nearby tree to your right. It's barely
visible, but there's a yellow spring hidden in the treetop. Hop on it and
you'll shoot upward to five more rings. Go forward past the fish jumping up
out of the water and then jump in the top of the second tree past that
bridge. You'll hit an invincibility monitor that's there but that you can't
see that well. Run forward until you reach a yellow spring opposite a cliff
overhang. Jump to that area, but watch out - the cliff overhang crumbles
underneath your feet, as do all others that look like this one. Go past about
two more of these falling edges until you reach a blue post. It will turn red
when you run past it - it's a checkpoint. You'll start back at that point
should you happen to die.
Run straight forward from that goal point. You'll go through the famous
dizzying loop-de-loop that mesmerized gamers in the Genesis' formative months
and through a tunnel that takes a short break to make room for another
checkpoint. You'll shoot up a natural half-pipe of sorts and get a couple of
rings in a large trapezoidal formation. When you come down, there's a short
way to go until you make the exit. If you have 50 rings or more when you get
there, there will be a humongous ring above the sign and to its right. Jump
into it as you pass the sign and you'll be taken to a rotating bonus stage
where you can try for one of the six Chaos Emeralds. If you don't have fifty
rings, pass on to the next act.
ACT 2
Grab the rings hovering horizontally over the bridge and vertically over the
spring, then take a detour to the left. There are spikes to the left of that
yellow spring, and if you control your jump right, you can sort of dive past
them to a lower area holding twenty rings and a shield, which will allow you
to take a hit without causing you to suffer any ring loss. You're now in this
bottom pit area then (if you made it past the spikes, that is - if you didn't
then you more than likely died), and you have no apparent way to get out. To
do so, start from up against the spikes (you won't get hurt by touching their
sides) and run to the wall to the right, pressing Down before you get in
front of it. If executed properly, you'll roll up into a ball and destroy the
weak wall ahead of you, which opens up into a more expansive area where you
can get a super-speed shoe. After getting that, ride the moving ledge above
you to the waterfall with rings in front of it. Make your way to the half-
pipe ahead, which plants you on a swinging ledge. Get the rings that are in
the ledge's path and stop at the tree to the left for a shield if you've lost
your other one. Some invincibility to the right will help you blow right
through to a checkpoint. Go straight ahead from here until you reach the exit
(and hopefully, another large ring!)
ACT 3
Hit the top of the second tree from underneath to reveal invincibility, then
speed ahead with it. Use the spring to get up to the cliff edge that falls
under Sonic's weight and keep progressing up the high road to a shield. Try
to stay along this high road until you make a checkpoint. You have two
choices here; get the super-speed shoe and speed ahead for a load of rings,
or take the high road along the moving platforms and make it to another quick
checkpoint. The high road reaps an eventual convenient reward, so take it.
When you make the second checkpoint post, ride along the moving ledges until
you get to one that just falls. Let it take you down; you'll be on the top of
a loop-de-loop and right near an accessible 1-up (the small reward I was
talking about). Jump down to the left to get a shield out of the palm tree
below, then continue through the loop as normal and jump when you reach a
small mound in front of the red springboard on the rock to get back on higher
ground.
Ride the swinging ledge that stops in front of a series of ledges that fall
shortly after you land on them. Jump across them to a cliff, above which is
more invincibility. Grab that and run with reckless abandon across the
rotating spike log, which normally requires patience and good timing to get
past. Continue forward to the platform on a chain swinging very low over a
bed of spikes. You'll come to a short curve that will result in you
uncovering a 10-ring monitor. Shortly after that, if you get a running start
from way back near the bed of spikes and jump at the correct moment, you'll
get your third invincibility of the level out of a very tall palm tree. This
comes just in time for your first battle with Dr. Robotnik.
His first contraption that attaches to his ship is a giant ball-and-chain. It
swings back and forth as he moves in the same manner. With invincibility on
your side, you can get in an easy three or four hits out of the eight that
are required to send him running. For the rest of the time when you don't
have temporary invulnerability, beat his ball-and-chain to the proper ledges
and jump to get him, then outrun it back to the opposite ledge, and so on and
so forth until his ship explodes. He will run in terror, and the screen will
move to the right to a sort of containment device. Inside is a boatload of
Flickys. Press the button on top to release them and go to the next zone.
II. Marble Zone
---------------
ACT 1
To kill the caterpillars who are covered in spikes, roll in front of them so
that you hit their faces. This will allow you to kill them without hurting
yourself. If this fails, avoid them altogether and move on. At the first
major slope, hit the brakes and go inside the room under it when the moving
platform dips down. You'll find three monitors containing thirty rings. If
you can hang onto them plus the others you get in this initial above-ground
area until you get to the exit, you'll be able to play in one of those
coveted bonus stages, so stay on your toes.
You'll come to some humped ledges that catch fire when you stand on them.
Commit their shape to memory so that you know not to lollygag when you hop on
one and continue ahead to a shield that will aid you in keeping those fifty
precious rings. Go down into the underground place and move slowly through
the Plexiglas pillars that move up and down. When you come to a button,
you'll probably stand on it to make the hanging spikes move up, but when you
come off it, it will slam back down. Using Sonic's mighty pushing abilities,
walk up against the marble block sitting on top of the hanging spikes and
push it onto the button. It will be stuck there and allow you to move down
under the spikes. Keep going down through the retracting spikes and hit the
checkpoint to the left, getting the shield near it if you've already lost
your other one.
The bobbing blocks in the ceiling will drop as you approach them, creating a
bridge of sorts that allows you to cross over the long river of lava there.
Make your way across them and go up as far as you can until a hanging spike
chain falls. Jump on top and up to the left to enter a hidden tunnel leading
to forty rings and a 1-up. Backtrack through the hidden tunnel and go up the
shifting marble ledges to a falling weight and spiked chain. Move quickly
through those two objects and jump up to fresh air. Your biggest problem here
will be a couple of spiny caterpillars and fire-catching platforms; other
than that, it's smooth sailing to the exit.
ACT 2
Head down to the underground area as fast as possible and touch the button to
make the clear column move down. Go left and push the block into the lava,
then start using it as a boat of sorts to advance slowly but surely over the
molten liquid. Take a detour up and to the right at the lava cascade to find
ten rings and a shield. You don't have to rely on the marble block to get
across the lava now; just go left and beware the devices in the wall that
shoot fireballs.
You are now at a long row of blocks that you have to push out of the way in
order to reach the corridor below. As soon as your feet hit the ground, start
running, because there's a wall of lava in hot pursuit - pun totally intended
:) As soon as you get past that, you'll soon find swinging platforms
situated in such a way that you can simply walk from one to the next. Be sure
not to hit the red springboard ahead or it'll launch you right into the lava,
maybe even at the expense of your rings. Touch the button, jump up, and get
the shield before riding another block across another river of lava. Stay
still as the lava that shoots up propels your block into the air. If you get
to the end of the line, there's a hidden tunnel leading to 20 rings and a 1-
up. Only get it if you feel it's worth your time, because after getting it
you have to make a trip back across the lava (that thankfully moves pretty
fast) to get back to the original block. At the final lava shooting, jump to
the purple overhang sticking out of the wall and go up to the fresh air
checkpoint, which is accompanied by ten more rings. Head right.
Go through the barrage of fireballs, caterpillars, and bee robots to the
slope, which you can again go under, this time for only twenty rings. Kill
the bats in that small alcove and backpedal out of there, going right. Crush
the blocks that are blockading your forward progress by jumping on them, and
get the shield if you don't have one. To the left are spaces out of which
huge pools of lava come crashing down. Skillfully evade them and go to the
left where an invincibility screen is hugging the wall. Get it and wade
through the lava as if it's a day at the beach. You can then make your way
carefully through a series of rapidly falling spikes which eventually lead up
to the exit.
ACT 3
Don't go in the area under the first slope this time. Instead, head to the
right for ten rings and go down into the latter underground area. After
dodging the crisscrossing fire-shooting wall devices, you'll have to hotfoot
it (there I go with the puns again) over a series of alternating falling
blocks and chained weights. Your travails over the magma are rewarded at the
end of the line with a shield - that is, if you're willing to go past two of
the gliding Plexiglas columns. Drop down through the greenish-gray blocks
that fall when you stand on them and move immediately to the left. Touch the
button to make the pillar go down and head right. Ride the block along the
lava river until you get to the first deal of the fiery stuff that shoots up.
Jump to the left and wait patiently for a lone block to ootch out of the
wall. Use it as a stepping stone to the purple platform above and then go
right.
When you go right, you'll get to two falling spike chains. Go across them and
into the wall which leads into a hidden tunnel, which reveals a 1-up - ah,
but it does not end there, my friend, oh ho ho, no it doesn't! Keep going to
the right through _another_ hidden tunnel and you'll be at the business end
of another falling chain. Wait until it goes back up and then hop onto it
when it falls back down again.
You probably don't realize what a huge shortcut you just took, but trust me,
you just made some major headway really really fast.
Go up along the spiked chain to the left and up the steps to a 10-ring
screen, making sure to watch out for the individual spikes that FWIP out of
the wall on alternating steps. Continue to the right, jumping on the bats and
across the weights chained to the ceiling that fall for you to jump on.
You'll soon come back to the above-ground. Leap past the fireballs that leap
out of the lava as they're headed back down to avoid getting hit. At the
checkpoint, run and jump past the lava to the two purple brick ledges.
Dr. Robotnik will appear once again, this time with a widget on the bottom of
his cruiser that drops spreading flames. Hit him when he first appears and
he'll go to the ledge on the left. His pattern is predictable and easy to
force him into if you hit him as he comes toward you to set your ground on
fire, and then jump to the opposite ledge after hitting him so his flames
don't lick you. Repeat this yawn-inducing pattern until he is down for the
count, then save the Flickys and move on to the Spring Yard Zone.
III. Spring Yard Zone
---------------------
ACT 1
At the first red springboard, shoot off it and press Down to roll into a
ball, then veer to the left. You might catch a glimpse of a moving platform
that sits next to an extra life and a speed-boosting shoe. Keep trying to get
up there and get those items, then go through the narrow hall to the right.
Bounce off the red springboard to get by the bumpers and go right (unless you
want to get the rings behind you, in which case you should mess with the
bumpers first). Go down through the shifting beige blocks and roll down the
hill. Let yourself hit the spring (while holding Down) so that you kill the
rolling robot that's on your tail.
When you make it to the outside, you'll see a button. Hit it and immediately
jump to the platform behind you before it goes up. It may look as though it's
out of your leaping range, but it can be made in a single jump. At the top,
jump to the edge of the half-pipe with the spiked balls creeping along it. To
the far left are ten rings and a shield. Backtrack to the five-block platform
that morphs from a left-facing staircase into a right-facing one. Ride along
the top to keep from being pushed off and walk to the next one, then to the
vertically-oriented moving platform that takes you down to safe ground. Stay
along the high ground - if you slide down the steep hill onto the bumper that
bounces you to the low road, use the yellow springboard nearby to get back
up. Keep going until you reach a checkpoint.
From there, go to the right and fall down at the shifting staircase for
invincibility, then bounce back up via the springboard and go to the two crab
robots on the very top ledge, getting any interim items below in the spring
fields as you feel it is necessary. At that point, drop down to the 10-ring
screen and get it, then make a controlled jump in to the button next to the
yellow springboard. Get the boost off it and speed right ahead to the exit.
If you're getting the bonus portal ring, be warned that it's positioned a
little higher than normal, so you'll have to backtrack and reach it before
the game forces Sonic to go forward without getting it.
ACT 2
Don't go off the red spring behind you, you'll just go back and forth in a
dumb horizontal line. Instead, go down and let the half-pipe carry you, but
don't go along the top row where the crab-bots are. Instead, take the low
road that has the spiked balls moving slowly up and down. Go through the
corridor until you make it outside and see two red springboards. Jump on the
lower of the two, but hold right. You'll go through the wall and be able to
travel through what is normally just background decoration. If you make it
all the way to the end without getting crushed by the moving blocks, you'll
be rewarded with a free extra life. Bounce out and make your way against the
wall to the right amid the chaotic springs and bumpers. You're trying for the
vertically moving ledge that will take you up to safe ground and eventually
to a checkpoint.
Jump on the red springboard just after that checkpoint and go to the right,
staying along the horizontal platforms that move in and out and the shifting
staircases. When you reach the stationary ledge with four rings, go down and
to the right. Drop down past the bumper and JUMP when you get to the end of
the ramp. You'll reach an alternate exit that holds more rings for you in
case you didn't quite make the quota of fifty. Note that the bonus ring is
positioned much lower than usual, but you still have to jump to get into it,
so don't horse around or you'll be forced into going into the next level. If
you don't make the ramp jump, just go to the exit as normal.
ACT 3
Go forward through the line of bee-bots, who are easier to avoid by rolling
down the hill, and into the spring pit, where a shield is located between the
springboard triads. Go up to the right and pounce the 10-ring monitor and go
to the right through the spiked balls and turning mini-spikes. Ride the
blocks downward and go inside the wall to the left for some rings. Backtrack
back up them when you have those and go left. Get to the platform above the
shifting blocks and touch the button to open the door. Kill the two crab-bots
and get ready for major platform jumping.
Don't bother to roll through the half-pipes with the spiked balls creeping
through them, because you'll outrun them and ending up losing your shield, or
worse yet, your rings. Make the careful jumps required when there's an
opening. When you come to the next set of shifting blocks, you can go to the
bottom quickly for three rings (if you're obsessive) and then go back up.
This will look somewhat identical to the first area of this type, but at the
top there's a robot that you should roll into to kill and a checkpoint.
Keep moving forward and shoot down through the humongous half-pipe. There is
a tunnel leading to the right, but go up to the wall above it and hold right.
You'll find a secret compartment containing invincibility and a super speed
shoe. Ignore the springboard that leads up and get the 20 rings and shield to
your right. Continuing to go right will result in you going really fast and
getting the final checkpoint before encountering Dr. Robotnik. Slow down at
the shifting staircases and remember to go along the top of them so that you
don't get pushed down into eternal abyss. When you reach a row of dark brown
blocks immediately following that, you've reached the Bad Doctor himself yet
again.
He appears normal at first, but when he gets right above you, a spike will
appear from his ship that takes out one of the blocks and destroys it,
leaving a gap for you to fall in. The one mistake people make the most is
running randomly around the place having him take out chunks in random spots,
which makes for some haphazard jumping. Don't do that. Instead, go to the far
left and wait for him to come down. When he ducks down, hit him. Sometimes,
if you're lucky, you can get in two hits at once. After having Robotnik
eliminate the far left block, run to the far right and have him take out that
one. If you keep going until you're enclosed on the inside, you won't have to
worry about any making needlessly hazardous jumps to single blocks. Just be
sure to keep hitting him or you'll eventually be down to one block and you'll
be high and dry!
As usual, eight hits will do him in. Kill Robotnik, then jump to the Flicky
containment device and press the button to move on to the Labyrinth Zone.
IV. Labyrinth Zone
------------------
ACT 1
Go to the far right and get the shield, then go into the water. Unlike Mario
the everyman and like the rest of us, Sonic only has limited breathing
capacity underwater. Touch the button at the bottom of the pond floor and go
in. Notice the little grouping of bubbles on the ground. Eventually one will
rise that is large enough that Sonic can breathe in and extend his time
underwater. If you're in the water too long, a 5-second countdown will begin,
at which time you obviously have five seconds to find an air bubble or risk
drowning. In any case, breathe in the necessary bubbles and get the 10-ring
screen to the left.
Go into the water and go all the way down and press the button to open the
door on the right. You'll be pulled through in a current tunnel. Step off the
ledge that goes up that you land on or you'll get crushed between spikes and
die, even if you do have a shield. Go down and refill your oxygen at the
bottom floor with the bubble group. When you go through to the right, fill up
again at the bubble puddle on the right, even if you don't need it, and
advance upward through the very fast-spinning spiked balls on the ring
chains. If your countdown starts going, get out of the water ASAP. You'll be
at a series of platforms on a conveyor going upward.
Jump on one of them going up. You'll get crushed between the surface and some
more spikes if you stay there, so jump to the next one in the series as you
approach them. Hop to the button against the right wall to open up a floor
below. Past the burrowing nose robots is a checkpoint. Get it and keep going
right. Along the very bottom of the level, touch the button to open the door;
it will close as soon as you enter. The water level will sink enough during
your passing of the retractable harpoons that you can go up for air. Go up
the steps and ride on the cork, which floats when the water level rises
again. Jump to the left.
When you drop back into the water, be careful. There are some retracting
spikes and an enemy that is surrounded by spiked balls that he throws at you.
Wait for him to get rid of his supply of four, then either jump on him or
ride the moving ledges out of the water. Avoid the ornamental heads that blow
fire and jump off to the right. The water level will now rise again; don't
get caught between the corks and the ceiling. Open the door with the button
at the end of the hallway and go up past the harpoon to fresh air, and then
head right to finish out the level.
ACT 2
Go to the right and let the stream of water carry you down into the briny
deep. When you land in the water, go to the right for some invincibility.
Take the watery road to the left and get the 20 rings, then go down and to
the right until you reach a tunnel with a current. Get some of the rings down
here if you feel like it and then take the red springboard up. Ring screens
are scattered about on various ledges throughout this area, and one of them
is covering a button you need to touch to move on. After touching it, go to
the right and hit the checkpoint.
There is some invincibility to the right of the checkpoint. Get it and blow
through the one-way path. It should last until you reach a block that you
must stand on to make fall. Conveniently, there is a puddle of bubbles right
there, so take a hit of oxygen off one before moving onward. Watch out for
the circular enemies that throws his thorny barrier at you. The corridor is
thin enough that you can get over each one with a single jump. Roll into him
as opposed to jumping into him, because you could catch a bubble and lose
your rings from stepping on him. Continue on until you reach some
crisscrossing conveyors. Jump to the second rotating square before you get
crushed between the spikes and ride the second set of them out of the water.
Go to the right over the dry land tiles and to the exit.
ACT 3
Watch out for the drillbots that pop out of the ground at the beginning as
you come to a stream of water coming out of a gargoyle's mouth. You can jump
off the stream to shoot off at an angle and find a shield at one point, but
you will keep continually looping unless you find a switch. Keep jumping off
when you start going down to the left. With perseverance (or skill, one) you
will reach the button, which is accompanied by a 10-ring box. Go to the
immediate right, where a wall has opened up. Jump through the new passage.
Touch the next button to open up the floor beneath you, which leads to
another watery area. Kill the fishbot, but don't touch the switch to the
right just yet. If you continue left, the floor will help you get the height
needed to jump to a ring windfall. Get those and then find the button to the
right. Go down and to the right, grabbing an oxygen bubble if needed, and
then leap carefully through the field of harpoons in front of you. Don't fall
with the block that collapses under Sonic's weight, but keep moving forward
along the linear path. There should be enough air bubble groupings around to
keep Sonic's lungs in good shape. When you come out into safe air, three
spiked spheres will be swinging around at varying speeds. Proceed to the
right, getting the 10-ring monitor if you feel like it.
Ride the moving platforms to the right and jump to the right to find some
invincibility (mind the spikes). Go down the line and get the lone ring box
to the right, then ride along to the left and jump to the left when you see a
passage in the wall leading to 40 rings and an extra life. Come back up for
air, as you'll inevitably need it, then head down and touch the switch to
open the door. You'll soon be at a wavy tunnel (no current); walk through it
and get yet another round of temporary invulnerability before descending
further into the depths. Make it to the checkpoint and go forward.
There is a series of single blocks ahead, but worry not - it's safe to fall.
20 rings are located down in that hole, along with two different stops for
fresh air. An opening floor to the right will help you avoid a pesky enemy
that throws his spike shield at you. Get the shield that protects you and
make the curve up to the left where ten more rings lie. Move carefully
through the swinging spikes at left. If you get hit, it's a long fall, and
you really don't want to make that trip again, so get it right the first
time. Luckily, the surface is coming up. Make it there and ride the moving
platforms as far as you can. The floor button at the top will reverse their
direction. Take the new route to a plateau harboring a line of five of those
drillbots. Get past them and cruise down the cascade that was behind them.
You'll hit a checkpoint at the bottom.
The water will steadily rise with you at this point. Move up through the
winding corridor. At the top, you'll find a shield to the left. Get it and go
to the right. Dr. Robotnik is there. He will now attempt to run away from
you. Stay in hot pursuit, trying as hard as you can to keep at least the
bottom of his ship in your sights as you make yourself upwardly mobile
through the harpoons and gargoyle heads that shoot fire. To add to your
troubles, the water is again rising. Don't worry about getting in the
required eight hits to kill him; if you make it to the top, he will run
scared. He got away clean this time, but there are still two more zones for
you to get him good. Release the Flickys and head for the Star Light Zone.
V. Star Light Zone
------------------
ACT 1
This zone starts with a nifty secret: 30 rings and invincibility right from
the get-go. Just run forward and roll to charge through the wall. Some
springboards will help you make it back out. Run like the wind with your
state of indestructibility and stand on a series of four tiles. They will
turn into a staircase that you can go down. Go to the right down the first
hill, then backtrack. The staircase will have reverted to its original
straight position, allowing you to get the 1-up that was before inaccessible.
Cruise down the hill and continue running. You'll barely make it past the
hole and go up a wall. Hit the red spring you see to your left. It will send
you careening off walls and eventually into the path of a fan, whose wind
current you cannot push yourself past (under normal circumstances - I will
indicate when said circumstances are otherwise). Go forward and either roll
under or jump over the spiked enemy, whose different color indicates that he
will not throw his spikes at you and is ergo impossible to kill. Hit the flat
edge from underneath to reveal a staircase. Go on the yellow springboard at
the top and hold right. You'll just barely make it to the higher road.
Keep going right through the rotating ledges that appear to be just floating
in space. Go up the ramp with the fan (which is now facing left and turns off
periodically) and roll under the spiked guy who just moves forward, staring
blankly. From there, run forward until you reach a 10-ring screen. Backtrack
to the floor that may have seen collapse in the corner of your eye and go
down there. A fan will blow you right, so roll to get the twenty rings
located down here. Jump out to the right and run to the exit.
ACT 2
Go forward as far as you can at the beginning. For some reason, you'll come
to a halt immediately after the collapsing floor. Jump back and get yourself
a running start, then jump and go up the half-pipe to where the fan is. Avoid
the robots with the short fuse on the ledge above - when you approach, a
timed fuse will begin and they will explode shortly. When they're eliminated,
go up to where they were and take the high road by going on the yellow
springboard. Roll slowly under the two floating spikeys, then run along the
series of hills to two staircases that will lower themselves so that you
might go ahead. They will lower themselves to a platform that falls on top of
a spikey enemy - a clever trap, it is. Jump ahead and keep going right.
When you go down the next automatic flight of stairs, you'll encounter a new
obstacle: floating catapults. The spiked ball on the right will shoot up into
the air when you hit the opposite end of the catapult. When you fire a spiked
sphere into the sky, go to the other end of the catapult. When the ball
lands, you'll be shot upward. The ball will fly higher and send you farther
upward the harder you come down on the catapult, so use that knowledge to
reach higher areas and hidden secrets. Go right along those until you reach
more rotating sets of four ledges, then go down the wavy hills just past them
which lead directly to the exit.
ACT 3
There are many rings to be had in this first area if you can move fast and
not get hit by the slow spiked guys at the same time. Go to the right past
the floor that falls and up the half-pipe with the fan at the top. You'll
only be able to pass when the fan turns off, so keep walking up it until
you're free of the fan's pull. When you walk up the next quarter-circle
curve, you'll see a springboard to your right. Hit it and press Down to go
into a roll. You'll fly up past a machine that shoots fire and get a couple
of rings. When you land, proceed to your left.
Use the two catapults to go up and to the left. The invincibility is tricky
to get what with all the short fuse-bots right above your head, but just roll
gently into the power-up and you'll not have to worry about getting hit by
the debris from the many explosions. Jump down to the catapult below; you may
have to get two boosts off of it to reach the top ledge that you need to get
to. When you get to the top of the level where the fan is pushing you
forward, jump to the opposite platform. Roll down the wavy hill to avoid the
spike shield-bots, then roll through the next series of loop-de-loops. You'll
land on a platform that takes you slightly up. Jump to the left after the
ceiling walkers have exploded.
There is a half of a spiked ball swinging along here; jump on the non-spiked
part and get the rings that lie in its path, then head right to another ledge
that takes you up. Another series of loops will take you to a lone catapult
and a platform that takes you down just a bit. Beware the hill; it will lead
you into a springboard that sends you back into enemy fire. Move slowly on it
and descend the resulting stairs. Pray that you have a shield up ahead too,
because the spiked moving guy combined with the line of fuse-bots is tough to
get past. When you walk up the final half-pipe, you'll be met with a
checkpoint. Touch it and proceed to Dr. Robotnik's arena.
Using what you've learned about the catapults thus far (that when you get
launched off of one you turn into a ball and that those things hurt when they
hit you), you have all the knowledge you need to defeat the bad doctor in
this match-up. Either you can launch the balls (which are now bombs) at him,
or you can use them to propel yourself up to his ship's level and hurt him
yourself. The best combination is to propel yourself up to him with the
middle one and then use the bombs in conjunction with the seesaw on the left.
If you aim correctly and are quick enough, he should go down in no time flat.
Now it's time for the last zone.......
VI. Scrap Brain Zone
--------------------
ACT 1
Beware of the trapdoors that open and shut at different intervals. You don't
want to be caught on one and fall into the pit below. If you think you're man
enough to get the rings, go ahead and do it, then go right (while avoiding
the broken pipes that shoot fire) to the wheel with the button in front of
it. The button reverses the wheel's direction each time you hit, and you see
that there is a small round compartment for Sonic to fit into. Turn it so
that it is going clockwise and fit yourself into it. Go on ahead when you
come out the other side.
There are ledges that spin here. When they are spinning, you can't stand on
them. Find the time intervals and pattern and go to the top, stopping off on
the left for a shield first. Go right along the high road and roll into the
face of the caterpillar who is making a return from the Marble Zone. You'll
then see some blocks that appear as if out of thin air. Use them to go up and
avoid the fusebots from the Star Light Zone. It takes a while for the next
series of appearing and disappearing blocks to pop up, but if you proceed
long enough along their road, you'll be treated to ten rings and a shield in
case you lost yours already. Fall off the left side of that ledge now.
You'll be in front of a new series of line-guided platforms. They spin along
the bottom half and are stable along the top. Follow the pattern as you go
across the similarly shaped trio. Walk along the hill you are taken to and
you'll soon find yourself at another rotating wheel. Make it turn clockwise
using the button provided and hit the checkpoint, then return to the wheel
and fall down into the tunnel below.
Now you are at a series of platforms, each of which moves in the exact same
pattern. Walk on top of each one, then go to the left up against the wall
until it makes a wide enough gap for you to keep going down. At the bottom, a
door will open for you and close behind you. It's relatively easy to beat the
spinning ledges, as they twirl one right after another and make for an easily
maneuverable platform. Just be sure to avoid the fire-blowing pipes at the
end of each set. Fall straight down at the edge of the second one and ride
the stable platforms along the line to thirty rings. Kill the pig that lets
bombs out of his stomach and continue up along the path to the level's
conclusion.
NOTE: You won't have a chance for Chaos Emeralds in this zone. The bonus ring
will not show up even if you complete the level with more than 50 rings
in your possession. Tough luck!
ACT 2
Run along the spinning gears here and jump at the top to give yourself a good
momentum burst upward. Go as far up as you can. You'll see one switch around
the middle, but pass it and find another one even farther up. You'll know it
by the floor that opens and closes on you, and there's a red springboard
after it. Avoid both and head right. You'll find some robots with short fuses
toddling along the ceiling. Get past them quickly and fall in front of the
floating gear to the right to reveal ten rings. Sneak your way to the right
and go up the gears (avoiding the swinging spiked ball) to locate a shield.
Make your way through the series of swinging balls ahead as best as you can,
although it's admittedly difficult when walking along opposing conveyor
belts. When you clear them, you will happen upon a tunnel. Walk into it.
After being transported through the tunnel, you'll have to go under a pair of
pistons that has the ability to ruthlessly crush you. Roll under the thing
that looks like one of those plasma lamps without the protective lid and
you'll reach another tunnel that takes you straight down in less than a
second. Alternating blocks will then start appearing that you have to jump
to. Jump straight down off the third one of these and you'll land right smack
dab on a 1-up. Leap deftly over the electricity generators to the right and
you'll get 20 more rings AND you'll find a way out of this hole! Excellent!
Continue right.
Either roll or walk under the buzzsaws that come down out of the ceiling, but
run quickly to safe ground when a renegade one starts buzzing toward you. The
tunnel will protect you; walk into it and you'll head straight up. Be careful
where you walk here, as swinging spikes and a fire pipe will attempt to cut
off your ring count. A door ahead of them will open automatically - go
through it. Go right, ignoring the pig stomach bomber and the two
catepillars. After a swinging ball triad, you'll have reached the end of the
level. Remember, no bonus stages!
But it doesn't quite end yet. Dr. Robotnik lies ahead in his red button-up
shirt and Mickey Mouse pants, and there's nothing stopping you from
eliminating him! Except for that force field wall there. Trapped on a series
of blocks, there's nothing you can do as he presses the button that destroys
them one by one. All great heroes have to go through hell before they get to
heaven, and Sonic the Hedgehog is no exception. You have no choice but to go
through one final act before the game's denouement.
ACT 3
Since you're stuck in what appears to be a gray-shaded clone of the Labyrinth
Zone, you don't have much choice but to touch the button that makes the stone
lattice to your left move down its path. You don't have to ride along it,
though you can. Wouldn't it be more exciting to go ahead of the path? Let's
do that. Walk off to the left and wait for the moving ledge to come to a
halt.
Wade through the purple pond to the button that opens the floor, then go back
in when it's safe to wiggle through the harpoons. This purple water is
actually more chemical than anything, and Sonic loses his breath much faster
in this violet liquid waste. As a result, you're going to have to wait on
just about every air bubble mass you see to yield a bubble just as a safety
precaution. The first one can be seen just below the floor you opened up.
Grab the fresh air and move past the two swinging spikes, which are located
on the same hub. Move forward through the gargoyle fire shooters, being sure
not to get. Safe dry land is just up ahead. When you reach it, go to the
farthest right water pit and fall straight down to find another grouping of
air bubbles. Eat one and proceed to your right. From here, you only have to
make your way up. Don't worry about your rings - you won't be needing them. A
bed of red springboards is just ahead. Bounce on the central one to reach the
Final Zone.
VII. Final Zone + Epilogue [SPOILERS]
-------------------------------------
There are no rings to aid you in the final battle against Dr. Robotnik, who
now has two tricks up his sleeve in his last desperate attempt to foil your
good-doing plans. There are four columns in his lair, and two will move at a
time. The evil doctor is nestled inside one of them, and you must hit the
side of the one that he is in to score a hit. After the pillars retreat back
into the ceiling and floor, you must then avoid an assault from four
electrical charges that emanate from the red siren on the wall above you.
There is usually a large gap between two of them, so locate it and use it to
keep from getting fried. The column/electricity pattern carries on the same
way for the battle's entire duration. The same eight hits are required as
usual. Just make sure not to get hit by static or crushed by metal.
At the end of the battle, Robotnik will make a cowardly getaway. Pursue him
and follow him all the way to his one-man ship. You can either let it get
away and watch him in his state of utter panic, or you can get in one final
hit and watch him crash and burn.
A movie now plays in which Sonic celebrates with the remaining Flickys in the
Green Hill Zone, and another short film immediately follows it wherein you
watch Sonic as he travels through all six zones. If you got all six Chaos
Emeralds, the final screen will show Dr. Robotnik stomping angrily up and
down on the words "THE END." Otherwise, it will say "TRY AGAIN" and will
display Robotnik juggling whichever Emeralds you were unable to collect.
Congratulations on beating the original Sonic the Hedgehog!
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BONUS STAGES WALKTHROUGH (CHAOS EMERALDS)
=========================================
BLUE EMERALD
The first Chaos Emerald is also, incidentally, the easiest to get. You start
at the end of a corridor that is turning round and round, as all bonus stages
in this game do. Make your way down it and take note of the some of the
symbols that line the walls. Up and Down have little bearing on your
direction, but you need to watch out for R (Reverse), which makes the stage
turn a full 180 and can seriously throw off your sense of direction. Bumpers
also contribute to the inherent chaos of the special stages, so watch out for
them as well.
In any case, head down the corridor until you come to a path that branches
out in three directions. Two of those paths lead shortly to walls that read
GOAL on the individual circles. If you want a Chaos Emerald, then DO NOT
TOUCH THESE. They will boot you out of the special stage immediately and
you'll have to wait for that particular bonus stage to come around again in
the rotation to try for that Chaos Emerald.
Avoiding the GOAL walls, you want to head into the pathway that has some
circle that look like translucent peppermints. Shortly inside this room is
the Blue Emerald, hidden behind a square barrier of diamonds. The diamonds
start off blue, and you must touch them to make them change colors, blue
being the strongest color of diamond and purple being the final color before
they disappear and you're able to get through to the Emerald. Watch out for
the GOAL walls that are in this small enclosed space or, like I said, you'll
get booted from the joint. Make advantageous use of the Reverse pad if needed
and break through the diamonds until you have the Emerald.
Remember also that if you get 50 rings in a bonus stage, you'll earn a
continue whether you get the Emerald or not.
YELLOW EMERALD
If you see a line of rings anywhere in this stage, it's most likely pointing
you in the right direction. Stay along the proverbial bread crumb trail of
those golden circular beauties until you reach the faded circles allowing you
entrance into the Emerald's lair. There's still one GOAL wall in that final
chamber, so be careful. More diamonds surround the Emerald, which this time
is yellow, so make efficient use of your bumpers and R-pads. Get the Emerald
(and hopefully a continue) and move on to the next stage.
PURPLE EMERALD
This special stage is one big Emerald lair. It dumps you right in the middle
of the action, so take some time before tackling the diamond barrier to move
around and collect 50 rings if you feel safe doing that. Wearing down the
middle of the arena is slow goings, as when the stage turns fully around
you're often dumped back at the very edge. Use bumpers and nearby Reverse
icons to keep Sonic near the middle of the level so that he can continue to
whittle away at the Emerald's defenses. If you get knocked back toward the
edge, just lather, rinse, and repeat your previous strategy. Be sure to watch
out for GOAL walls all the while.
GREEN EMERALD
Unless you're trying to fail, you most likely won't fall into a GOALpost
while making your way through the winding corridor. The GOAL walls are
situated far from the rest of the action and aren't much of a worry until you
get to the rotating bonus stage's central hub. Considering the centralized
positioning of many of the rings, getting a continue out of this one
shouldn't be too much of a task. Keep yourself in the safe alcoves in the
central hub around the Green Emerald (finally, a stone color that matches the
stone!) and you won't have too much trouble. Finally, keep in mind that the
GOAL walls are far more concentrated in here than they were in the partially
similar Blue Emerald stage.
RED EMERALD
This stage is reminiscent of the Blue Emerald stage in that it is primarily
directed along a single path and rings guide you most of the way. You should
have no problem getting fifty rings for the easy continue here - in fact,
there are sixteen in front of you right at the start! The forks in the path
that lead to undesirable GOALs are quite easy to spot and stay away from.
When you do get to the central area containing the fifth Emerald, just know
that the only thing concentrated very heavily is bumpers. You'll have hardly
any problem getting through the diamonds to the Emerald, as they are
scattered a fair distance from each other, enough so that you can get through
them before the stage flips you around and slams you back into a wall.
WHITE EMERALD
Though this is the final Emerald, it looks awful easy to get. You start right
beside it in a bonus stage reminiscent of the one where you acquired the
Purple Emerald. However, the arrangement of the diamonds is a tricky one, and
this stage rotates faster than most. Don't make it a point to consciously go
for a continue unless you're that kind of obsessive freak. Keep plugging away
and going for the sixth and final Emerald and you'll have it in no time.
After getting this or whatever other Emerald constitutes your final one, a
message will appear saying SONIC GOT THEM ALL, after which you can no longer
access the bonus stages for getting 50 rings. Your game's ending will now
also be slightly different as a result.
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MISCELLANEOUS CODES
===================
Just a couple of fun things that are cool to know.
STAGE SELECT & SOUND TEST
At the title screen, before it goes to the demo, press Up, Down, Left, and
Right. You'll hear the sound of a ring being collected. Now hold A and press
Start to access a list of all the stages in the game - any of which you can
start in, including the special stage*. There's also a sound test so that you
can listen to your favorite tunes from the game, if you're in such a mood.
* Choosing the special stage takes you to the one that gives you the Blue
Emerald. Whether you get it or not, you'll be dumped into Green Hill Zone
Act 1 after it's over.
WHO'S THE IDIOT WHO SCREWED UP THE DEMO?
If you hold the A, B, and C buttons, Sonic's performance during the demo will
not be quite so much up to par as it normally is.
This code also applies to the end movie displaying demos of all the zones
Sonic travelled through.
GETTING CONTINUES
In the bonus world when you're trying to get the Chaos Emeralds, take time to
move around and get 50 rings. Whether you successfully get the Emerald in
that particular stage or not, when you come back into the real world you'll
get a continue, which of course allows you to start back in the zone you were
at if you lose all of your lives.
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CREDITS 'N STUFF
================
Well, here we are at the end of my 30th FAQ (for real this time), and so it
comes time for the obligatory thanks. Not much here in the way of thanks -
these sections are always a pain to do :p
Here are the following folks I'd like to give a shout-out to:
** My dad for moving the big computer into my room. Now I have the freedom to
write FAQs on the big monitor.
** The guys at the FCB (FAQ Contributors Board) here at GameFAQs. Looking at
their daily FAQ progress topics is one of two things that is giving me the
motivation to continue in the field of walkthrough writing. Frankly, I'm a
lot better at writing reviews than instruction manuals.
** The other thing giving me the motivation is a fellow FAQ writer,
falsehead (Sophie Cheshire). Our playful rivalry in terms of KB count is
also a good motivator. She's also a lot of fun to talk to on AIM. I'm
still winning, falsie!
** My parents, who actually encouraged my writing further after discovering
that I had won Review of the Month two months after the fact. Thanks guys!
** Pegboy (Derek Kader), a Close and Personal Friend who reminds me that I
need to work on these things.
** Anyone else who encourages or otherwise contributes to improving my
writing ability.
** CJayC for posting my brilliant guides on his brilliant sites.
** Any sort of caffeinated beverage that I drank while writing this guide.
If you are going to use this guide on your site, the least you can do is ask
permission first by e-mailing me at <
[email protected]>. Make the note
short and sweet. If you're e-mailing me about anything, whether it's related
to this guide or another one or what, put what you're talking about in the
subject line of your message. I need to be able to differentiate the spam
from the important stuff. I really can't keep people from stealing guides, I
mean, it's going to happen, what can I do? But you know. Whatever. Just ask
before you do it. Most people can do it with little or no problems.
If you use my guide on your site, you may HTML-ize the text or change the way
it's set up on the page, but don't change a single letter. All words must
remain the same - don't alter anything whatsoever. I would like to see
screenshots added to some of my guides though. I always thought that would
look super-sweet.
Oh, and don't sell my intellectual property for money either. That's so not
cool at all.
This version of this guide (1.0) is (C) April 25, 2003 by Snow Dragon. The
latest version of this walkthrough can always be found on GameFAQs and
IGN.com.
Have a nice day playing Sonic the Hedgehog!
