So, here’s how it’s gonna work. I’m going to go through all the zones from Sonic 1, 2, 3 & Knuckles and talk about what I like, or dislike. Then I’ll compile them into a tier list. Sonic Mania will be excluded because it’s considered a modern take on the classic games, not a direct classic game. Sonic CD will be excluded because it sucks.
Let’s do this.
SONIC THE HEDGEHOG
Green Hill Zone
Green Hill’s grassy fields aren’t quite like one you’d find in, say, Super Mario Bros. The entire level is covered in checkerboards. There are enemies, but they are robotic, lifeless versions of forest critters that shoot lasers at Sonic. There are no power-up boxes, no life tanks, no question blocks. Just item monitors, grass, and deadly metal critters.
Oh, and the music. Hardly a soothing lullaby, the music is fast-pitched, with a tempo not dissimilar to that of racing games of the time. Very quick and upbeat.
Green Hill Zone is the peak of Sonic 1, a peak that the game would get very close to reaching again, but it's never quite enough. I think that’s a testament to how good of a first level Green Hill is.
Marble Zone
According to the former head of Sonic Team, Yuji Naka, Marble Zone was intended to “give players a chance to breathe” between the speedy stages. I understand the sentiment, to give players downtime between high-action stages, but that is exactly where Marble Zone fails.
Marble Zone is slow, correct. However, this does not make it relaxing. Far from it. Green Hill Zone was also designed with “chances to breathe” in mind. There are still slow, platforming-orientated areas in Green Hill, between the loops and springs. The problem with Marble Zone is that the slow-down is forced, for the entire level.
Marble Zone isn’t fully linear, no. There are still secrets hidden behind fake walls, but there aren't the two distinct paths, and there isn’t speed. No loops, no springs, just.. blocks. Block puzzles, vanishing blocks, lava-raft blocks.
Spring Yard Zone
Spring Yard is probably the closest the game gets to feeling like Green Hill again. There are numerous ways to run through the level, plenty of secrets hidden around, and now you get to outrun the slow blocks! It’s very satisfying to roll through the half-pipes and shoot upwards, maybe even over a wall.
Labyrinth Zone
Where do I begin with this zone? Have you ever talked to anyone who actually likes Labyrinth Zone? I sure haven’t. This level is what you get if you take Marble Zone, remove the smaller fast sections, and put it underwater.
Not only that, but being the fourth out of six zones, they had to ramp up the difficulty here. This leads to unfair badnik placements, strange spinning spikes that hide in walls, fire-breathing decorations and spikes you couldn’t have possibly seen. Sonic can’t swim, is incredibly slow, and will go down if you don’t find a water bubble within 30 seconds.
Star Light Zone
Probably the most forgettable zone in the game, this zone is similar to Spring Yard.. but worse. There are lots of bottomless pits and obnoxious invincible bombs thrown in that makes most players entirely disregard this zone. It doesn’t even come close to Green Hill, or even Spring Yard.
Granted, it is the third most fun stage in the game - but is that saying much when the others are Marble, Labyrinth and.. it.
Scrap Brain Zone
Scrap Brain is a step-up from Labyrinth, to say the least. No water, no dumb spikes, but lots of other strange choices. Bottomless pits, disappearing platforms, sudden electrical attacks in tight corridors.
Because it's the last zone, it has to be hard. Unfortunately that isn’t executed well here. Not at all. There are sudden pit traps, moving saws, the disappearing platforms, sudden enemies, flamethrowers, etc.
On top of that, Act 3 is just a grayscale version of Labyrinth Zone. Of course, it's the final act in the game, so it's obnoxiously difficult. Bottomless pits, extremely long water sections, sudden traps, bubbles that take longer to appear, and more super-slow water physics. Yay.
If you lose all of your lives in this zone, and have no continues, it's not like you go back to the start of the zone, no, you have to replay the entire game. The game ends with Final Zone, which is.. fine. Even with no rings the boss is pretty easy, but honestly Scrap Brain Act 3 may as well have been the boss, with how painful it is.
SONIC THE HEDGEHOG 2
Emerald Hill Zone
Emerald Hill Zone is often forgotten when talking about Sonic zones, and I don’t really understand why. They took what made Green Hill the best of the first, and added more on. Instead of just loops, there are loops that roll into other loops, while going downhill. There are new corkscrews, where you have to keep your speed up or risk falling to the bottom path.
Emerald Hill is a huge improvement over Green Hill, and yet its the latter that always gets brought back in newer games. Despite selling roughly the same, Emerald Hill is not nearly as iconic. Thinking about it, I might know why.
Chemical Plant Zone
Yes, Chemical Plant is next. This zone is intense - but in a fun way. The stage is huge, you’re almost always at full speed, and the music is a bop. Chemical Plant is generally regarded to be a highlight of Sonic 2, and I understand why.
As far as second levels go, Chemical Plant puts Marble Zone to shame. While Marble severely broke the pace of the game, Chemical Plant knows what you want and literally runs with it. There are always two, three or even four paths happening at the same time when running through this zone, and it makes for an incredibly fun, replayable experience.
Aquatic Ruin Zone
Ah, Aquatic Ruin. Don’t worry - this isn’t like Labyrinth. Aquatic Ruin Zone is the only water-themed zone in the classic games (excluding CD) to allow you to entirely skip the water. There’s a top path, which stays completely dry, as long as you have the skill.
This is what people love about classic Sonic level design. If you play well, you’re rewarded with a faster, more fun level. If you mess up, you’re punished by being dropped into the slow water below. To me, Aquatic Ruin is the perfect example of a water level done right.
Casino Night Zone
Casino Night Zone takes the bounciness of Sonic’s physics and pushes it to the extreme. This is the upgraded version of Spring Yard, and it shows. All around are bumpers, springs and the brand new pinball flippers. Sonic’s momentum is used both for and against him here, and it plays surprisingly well.
Hill Top Zone
A lot of people complain about the music in Hill Top Zone, but personally I like it and don’t find it annoying. With regards to the rest of the level, it’s fine - nothing of note, to be honest. Hill Top is the first zone that feels like a small pacebreaker, however for the most part it’s a fine level.
I enjoy the enclosed sections with the rising lava, I think they add some much-needed tension to an otherwise fairly forgettable level.
Mystic Cave Zone
Mystic Cave is one of my personal favourites. It has banging music, looks really pretty and has crushing pillars of death. Okay, that last one isn’t so great. There are also blocks that can crush you easily if you don’t pay attention. Unfortunately, unlike Aquatic Ruin, you can’t easily avoid the hazards in this stage.
Oil Ocean Zone
I’m sorry, but no. This zone is not good. There are unfair enemy placements that genuinely cannot be avoided when going fast, a lot of the level is spent shooting from cannon to cannon, and they brought back the slides from Labyrinth.
Metropolis Zone
Metropolis Zone is the longest, hardest and least fair zone in Sonic 2. It’s not fun. Particularly those slicer robots, and the giant screws that force you to run on the spot, only to send you spinning into insta-death crushing spikes. Hooray.
Sky Chase Zone
This one act zone is just Sonic and Tails chilling on the Tornado, waiting for the next level. It’s fine, mostly boring with a not ideal glitch, in which Sonic can run too fast and fall off, plummeting into the void below.
Wing Fortress Zone
I see Wing Fortress as a precursor to Flying Battery Zone from Sonic & Knuckles. It’s clear to me that they needed more time to figure out how to scale difficulty in these games. From the platforms which disappear into the wall, fan-assisted floating that makes controlling the blue hedgehog a pain, and some of the most precarious platforming in the series, death is likely, and you’re likely not gonna have many lives after Oil Ocean and Metropolis.
Death Egg Zone
This one is pretty interesting. You’re thrust in with no rings, where you’re up against the robotic Silver Sonic, who’s attacks are quick and unpredictable, and then you’re thrown into the final boss room, where you fight the Death Egg Robot.
The Death Egg Robot is a cool boss, for sure, but the strangely inconsistent hitbox and instant death (due to the lack of rings) goes against it, and this zone as a whole.
SONIC THE HEDGEHOG 3
Angel Island Zone
Angel Island is not dissimilar from Green and Emerald Hill, but this time it’s bigger in size and grander in scope. There’s much more running to be done, much more secrets to be explored, but it also works in an A-to-B format.
I’ve played a few Super Mario games in my time, and for those who want to go from Point A to Point B - they can, here. Of course, the other paths will always be there, tempting them. Hopefully, they’d eventually try some of ‘em out, but if they don’t want to, they don’t have to.
Halfway through, the forest is set on fire, making a drastic tonal shift. This is a great way to set up the two-act formula, and it really expands on what Sonic 2 started. The first act sets up the level, and then the second act ramps up the difficulty and the stakes.
Hydrocity Zone
Is it hydro-city, or hydrossity?
(it’s hydro-city)
Naming semantics aside, this is by far the best aquatic Sonic zone. I sang high praise for Sonic 2’s Aquatic Ruin, as that allowed the player to entirely skip the water if they were good enough, but Hydrocity does something not thought possible.
It’s a fun water stage. Simple as that. It doesn’t have a completely waterless path, because it doesn’t need one. It does a brilliant job at being a water level without being boring, slow or just plain unfun.
Marble Garden Zone
Marble Garden is the worst stage in Sonic 3. It’s filled to the brim with spikes, crushing blocks that will instantly end your life (and your controller’s durability). I’m pretty sure I filed a restraining order against this level in 2007.
Carnival Night Zone
Most remember this one for ‘the barrel’, an infamous object that resulted in many Time Overs as many 90s kids couldn’t figure out how to get the damn thing to move. I suppose, the internet wasn’t really a thing so they couldn’t just look up the Sonic Wiki and figure it out.
Hey, some people still don’t know after 26 years, so here’s a little hint - press up and down. How did no-one think of that?
Ice Cap Zone
Ice Cap is certainly among the best zones in the game. It begins with a relaxing, cinematic snowboarding section. It's more of a set piece than anything, as all you can do is jump occasionally and grab rings on the way down, but it’s still a nice change of pace from the chaos that was Carnival Night.
Once you enter the underground, it becomes a little more complicated, but overall is a well-designed, ‘cool’ time.
Launch Base Zone
Launch Base is a huge improvement over Scrap Brain and Metropolis. Due to the game being split in two, it's somewhat anticlimactic as the last level, but it works. There’s the cool MJ music, the threatening Death Egg in the background, we finally get to try out Robotnik’s Egg Mobile for ourselves.. and then there’s Big Arm.
The fight itself is fairly easy, but damn it’s cool. There’s the music, which is the definition of “why do I hear boss music?”, the design of the machine you fight is super cool, the dark background helps to really build the atmosphere, and then there’s the satisfaction as you send the Death Egg plummeting back down to Angel Island, kicking off the events of Sonic & Knuckles
SONIC & KNUCKLES
Mushroom Hill Zone
Mushroom Hill Zone is certainly the most exciting first level of the classic games. Compared to its predecessors, and even Angel Island, Mushroom Hill is more gimmicky and, to some degree, more challenging.
Due to being the beginning of the second half, there is a noticeable shift in difficulty here. While Launch Base was the height of difficulty for the first half, there is a sharp decrease in challenge going into this one. Don’t worry, that won’t last for one.
Flying Battery Zone
Flying Battery is an evolution of Wing Fortress from Sonic 2, and is a much better experience. This level is more balanced and fair, and features an awesome soundtrack. Flying Battery feels more consistent with the level design and theming of Sonic 3, which may be because it was originally meant to be between Carnival Night and Ice Cap.
There is an incredibly inventive mini-boss here, taking the form of one of the Animal Capsules Sonic has grown so accustomed to bashing open. Overall this level is high-speed, high-temp and high-fun.
Sandopolis Zone
Sandopolis Zone is another huge shift in difficulty, this time spiking upward, with death traps, more crushing pillars than ever, and ghosts that kill you if it gets too dark in Act 2. It has some cool gimmicks, such as loops you run around twice, but also drags a lot.
Lava Reef Zone
Lava Reef Zone takes the Angel Island approach, completely switching the style between acts. Act 1 puts you in a red-hot volcano, with weird gas robots, more crushing pillars and lots of lava. Act 2 cools down a bit as the Death Egg rises, but fire still spews out of geysers and both can and will catch you off guard.
Hidden Palace Zone
This zone is where the adventure turns. You face off against Knuckles, finally beating him up after two full games of him taunting you, and the truth is unveiled. Knuckles joins your side after Robotnik steals the Master Emerald, and with a prophecy on the wall showing Super Sonic fighting a giant robot in space, you know what must be done.
Sky Sanctuary Zone
This one-act zone is very unique, with the juxtaposition of the peaceful looking area and the urgency of the situation. Knuckles has collapsed, too tired and hurt to go on, and the Death Egg is rising in the background.
The zone cleverly weaves bosses of Sonic’s past into the stage, reminding the player of times in an era that is now coming to an end. There’s the original Green Hill Zone boss from Sonic 1 and the Metropolis Zone boss from Sonic 2, now against the new Mecha Sonic.
Death Egg Zone
Death Egg Zone here is a huge improvement over Sonic 2. Instead of two bosses, a full two-act stage awaits you here. Some of the series’ strangest gimmicks are found here, such as weird light bridges.
The star of the show here is gravity, which is constantly switching. It’s a clever gimmick, but can make the level overly complicated at times, as the player is left wondering if they’re going the wrong way after switching gravity again.
Doomsday Zone
The journey culminates in this grand showdown, Hyper Sonic versus Robotnik. Only available after collecting every Super Emerald, it is easily the most intense moment of the classic games.
This one is a race against time, as you have to beat the rotten egg’s final contraption before you run out of rings and suffocate in the void of space. Luckily, it’s not too hard, so there shouldn't be too much of a stress over everything the player has already gone through.
RANKING
Phew, that’s all of the zones discussed. Now I just have to rank them.
Take a look at this tier list. It’s split into Greatest, Good, Alright, Not Good and Awful. I’m sure that most people don’t agree with me and think I’m a foolish idiot for even CONSIDERING putting Lava Reef in JUST alright.
But yeah, that’s where I stand on it - and that’s okay. A lot of Sonic fans have the mentality that if you enjoy Labyrinth, or dislike Angel Island, you’re not to be trusted.
And that’s because you’re not.
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