ign.com | sonic colors guide page 1 of 102 strategy guid… · sonic colors basics sonic colors is...

Sonic Colors Guide

by Jason Venter

Sonic Colors is a rather lengthy adventure. Eggman is trying to siphon energy from aliens on a variety of tiny planets. He has pulled those planets close to his amusement park and now you'll need to explore each unique world to free its alien inhabitants. The name of the game here is speed, but you'll also find plenty of Special Rings to collect. This guide will walk you through the gameplay basics, in case this is your first time playing a Sonic game or you'd just like an explanation of what's different this time around, plus our walkthrough will help you get through every challenge in every one of the worlds that Eggman is trying to ruin. Along the way, we'll help you find all 180 Special Rings so that you can get the most out of the Sonic Simulator. What more could a hedgehog need?

Sonic Colors Guide Contents

Basics

Game Walkthrough

Secrets and Unlockables

Common Questions & Answers

© 2010, IGN Entertainment, Inc. May not be sold, distributed, transmitted, displayed, published or broadcast, in whole or part, without IGN's

express permission. You may not alter or remove any trademark, copyright or other notice from copies of the content. All rights reserved.

»

More »

of 102IGN.com | Sonic Colors Guide

© 2010 IGN Entertainment, Inc.

Sonic Colors Basics

Sonic Colors is a fairly straightforward game and you'll be able to work through it rather easily if you take the time to understand and master a few key things.

Movement and Attacks

Sonic is capable of bumping against objects and destroying them, but he needs to be in ball form. When he leaps into the air, he'll automatically start spinning as he assumes the ball form, but it lasts only briefly before he reverts to his weaker standard form. If you brush up against an enemy while you are not whirling crazily, you'll be knocked back and any rings that you have collected will go flying. You'll have a brief moment of invulnerability then before enemies can harm you again. If you take damage while there are no rings in your possession or you fall into a bottomless pit, then you will lose a life.

As you work through stages, you'll quickly find that you are capable of double jumping. This is useful when you navigate some of the trickier platforms that you'll encounter, and it's also useful because double jumps mean that you can spend a lot more time spinning. If you're swimming underwater, you can jump repeatedly to work quickly through the water (generally in spinning ball form) and to knock out most fish that would like to eat you.

It's important to note that if you jump into the air and there are enemies or easily destructible objects nearby (such as weak asteroids), pressing the 'Jump' button a second time will cause you to launch against them. Typically, this is exactly what you will want to do in those situations. The attack is referenced in this guide as a 'homing attack,' and often the homing attack is what you will want to use in those situations. However, there are times when it can work against you. As you are ascending to a high ledge, for instance, you might accidentally launch toward an enemy below you and find yourself forced to follow an alternate route. Thus, it is important to always be familiar with your surroundings and potential hazards.

When you jump high into the air, it's also possible to perform a ground stomp of sorts. This will allow you to slam down and destroy some weak crates or similar objects. It can be your only way to proceed in some cases. When the button is pressed while on the ground and moving, it will instead perform a kick slide that allows you to pass under low ceilings and the like.

Finally, one other ability to keep in mind is your boost. Each time that you use the boost, you'll drain some energy from your special meter (which can be refilled by collecting white wisps). If you have no energy on your meter, you can't boost. When you can boost, though, it can be used before or after a jump or double jump to help you cross wider gaps. It can also allow you to run across the surface of water (when the button is held down) and it can break through translucent yellow blocks that you will find in a few select stages.

Wisps

The game gets its name from alien creatures called wisps that you can use to aid you as you work through the adventure. You'll have to unlock each new wisp type, which happens automatically as you progress through the various planets featured in the game. Once you unlock a new wisp type, you can revisit old stages to find that holographic capsules have been given form. That means that you may need to return to old stages frequently if you want to collect everything in the game.

When you collect a wisp, you'll keep and hold it until you either use it, finish the stage or you collect a different type of wisp (you can only carry one color at a time). When you put a wisp to use, its power will last a certain amount of time before expiring. Often, you can pick up another wisp of the same color to keep your power active, which is required in some cases if you want to do everything that is possible within a given stage.

There are eight wisp colors. The White wisp simply fills your special meter with energy so that you

Basics Part 2= Basics Part 1



can dash. His seven friends are the ones that you'll use to activate more special abilities, as outlined below.

Color Special Ability

Cyan The cyan (light blue) wisp can convert himself into laser energy that bounces along the various crystals placed throughout stages. Thus, he's typically only useful when you see telltale crystals positioned in out-of-the-way locations. However, note that he also is capable of smashing through destructible black crates that Sonic himself can't eliminate. That fact will come in handy on occasion.

Yellow Yellow wisps are capable of transforming into a powerful drill. The drill is capable of burrowing through the sandy soil that you find in the game's earlier stages. It can also speed through water and is a lifesaver if you have it in your possession and find yourself swimming but about to run out of oxygen with no air bubbles in sight. Additionally, the drill form is capable of ramming against many enemies (though not all) and destroying them without causing Sonic to take damage. Note that drill energy will expire if you pass through the special tubing that is hidden away in some stages, but that's okay because the tubes typically take you to secret underground chambers where the drill form would be a nuisance.

Blue The darker blue wisp has the ability to affect the translucent blue rings and blocks that you find throughout applicable stages. Usually, you'll find less opportunity for creativity with the blue wisps because their ability is so specific. You can convert the blue blocks into blue rings (that you can collect to eliminate) or the floating blue rings can be turned into blocks. Once you put the ability to use, it will last for a number of seconds, during which you can change rings back to blocks and blocks back into rings for as long as the ability is in effect. That's going to prove useful.

Orange When you put an orange wisp to use, you'll turn into a rocket and blast high into the air. You can break through many parts of the architecture, but not through iron ledges. The rocket is actually one of the least common of the wisps, since it can only be used in those two-dimensional areas where you're viewing Sonic as he runs from the side. Most stages have no reason to grant you rocket capabilities, so when you do find one, you can be sure that putting it to use somewhere close at hand will net you a special reward.

Green Perhaps the least commonly used wisp of all is the green one. When you put it to use, you can start floating slowly into the air. You won't last long in that form, typically, but you can extend the duration of its effects by passing through rings. Often, there's a way to find a long trail of rings and to boost along it to keep the effect in place for quite some period of time, or at least until you pass through another capsule that keeps it going. You'll need to get good at boosting as you approach rings if you want to navigate some of the trickier areas in the game.



If you want to beat the game, you'll need only a passing familiarity with the wisps. If you want to master it and collect all of the Special Ring items hidden throughout the world, you'll need to make your acquaintance with the wisps a more intimate one.

Scoring

When you work through the various stages, you'll be scored based on your performance and a rank will be assigned to you at the end of the stage. At first, it may not be entirely obvious how your score is tallied. There are a few factors that are considered.

The first and most important is the amount of time that it takes you to progress through the stage. When you first attempt a level, it's unlikely that you will speed through it quickly enough to receive the top reward for finishing early. However, it's generally rather easy to go through a stage quickly on subsequent attempts.

Another factor is your number of rings collected. This includes the standard rings that are placed all throughout the stage, and it includes Special Rings that are typically hidden in hard-to-reach passages or high in the air where you have to figure our special solutions to reach them. If you want to get a good rating on a stage, you need to avoid getting hit so that you don't lose your precious rings.

On that note, another way to boost your ranking is by not taking damage at all. If you die in a stage, you've lost a good number of points and likely cannot hope for an 'S' ranking at the end of the stage. If you avoid taking out a bunch of easy enemies with wisp powers, that also will tend to count against you. In general, then, you'll get the highest ranking at the end of a stage by blazing through it quickly while collecting everything without taking much or any damage.

If you earn an 'A' ranking on a stage, you'll receive an extra life icon. You need to jump up to collect it on the screen that reports your results, or it won't be added to your tally of lives. If you earn an 'S' ranking, you'll have the opportunity to collect three extra lives. It's possible to earn an 'S' rank on each of the main 44 stages, and the game will tally the number of times that you have done so on your behalf. Your rank on a stage shows up before you enter each stage, so it's easy to tell where you have missed earning a high rank within each planet hub.

Special Rings/Rewards

Items known as Special Rings are hidden throughout each of the initial 44 action stages. There are five per stage. Boss stages contain no Special Rings. Throughout the game, there are a total of 180

Pink One of the most exciting wisps in the game is the pink one, which converts Sonic into a buzzsaw shape. While in that form, Sonic is capable of shredding through the destructible black crates. He can also attach himself to walls and ceilings, which makes it possible for him to reach otherwise inaccessible rooms. Enemies don't fare well against his fearsome charge, either, and he can double jump. Usually, when you find one such wisp you can find others close at hand to keep your rampage going. Remember that it's possible to boost while in buzzsaw form to cover even more ground before its energy expires.

Purple The purple wisp is another that is used only infrequently. In that form, you turn into a small purple head that gains mass as it eats black crates, enemies and other objects. Each time its size expands, the head will also perform a quick boost forward, which is something that you need to anticipate if you're navigating treacherous ledges at the time. If you don't consume objects while in the purple wisp's form, it'll quickly expire.

Basics Part 1= Basics Part 2



of the Special Rings to collect. We have noted the location of each one in our walkthrough.

As you collect special rings, you'll receive a reward of sorts for every tenth one collected. That reward is always a new level in Game Land, known in-game as the Sonic Simulator. From the main map, you can select the simulator to play retro-style action stages. If you manage to collect all 180 Special Rings, you'll make a total of 18 stages available in that mode. If you clear all of them, you'll unlock the ultimate reward: Super Sonic.

Finding the Special Rings is important, then. It can be difficult, though, given how deviously some of them are hidden. The game does help you, though, by giving you clues as to how many rings you have found. Before you enter each stage, there are holographic representations of five rings. They will turn red with each unique ring found, so it's easy to tell when you need to return to a stage (possibly after you have gained new wisp abilities in later stages) to find a reward.

When you're working through a given stage, you also have a clue because the five holograms that appear along the bottom of the screen typically represent the order in which those rings are positioned throughout the stage (though this is not always the case and some stages have alternate routes that prevent you from collecting every Special Ring on a single run). Usually, then, if you see a Special Ring light up on the bottom of the screen and there's still a gray hologram to its left, that's a good sign that you've missed collecting one.

We recommend that you play through the game in a manner that is fun and convenient for you, then go back through to collect the Special Ring items at the end, when you're looking for more to do in the familiar stages. That way, you'll spend less time attempting to collect rings that may very well be out of your reach at the current time.

Sonic Colors Walkthrough

Click on a section of the Walkthrough below to get started.

Tropical Resort Act 1






Tropical Resort Boss

Sweet Mountain Act 1




»

»

»

»

»

»

»

»

»

»

»





Sweet Mountain Boss

Starlight Carnival Act 1






Starlight Carnival Boss

Planet Wisp Act 1

Planet Wisp Act 2

Planet Wisp Act 3

Planet Wisp Act 4

Planet Wisp Act 5

Planet Wisp Act 6

Planet Wisp Act Boss

Aquarium Park Act 1

Aquarium Park Act 2

Aquarium Park Act 3

Aquarium Park Act 4

»

»

»

»

»

»

»

»

»

»

»

»

»

»

»

»

»

»

»

»

»



Aquarium Park Act 5

Aquarium Park Act 6

Aquarium Park Act Boss

Asteroid Coaster Act 1






Asteroid Coaster Act Boss

Terminal Velocity Act 1

Terminal Velocity Act Boss


Your newest adventure as the familiar hedgehog is not an entirely linear affair. You'll begin in the Tropical Resort area, where you must complete the first two stages. Then you can save your progress and either attempt acts that you've already completed or tackle new ones. The more stages you complete, the more will become available.


The first stage begins automatically once you start a new game. You'll appear behind Sonic as he looks forward toward a corridor. Run along that corridor, collecting rings as you go, and soon you'll see a narrow hallway ahead. There's a red track hanging in the air over that hallway. You can leap toward it, then in the air dash forward to grab onto the railing and start grinding along it. Doing so may require a few attempts, but you can run back and try again if necessary. When you grind along the railing and reach its end, you'll collect the game's first Special Ring.

»

»

»

»

»

»

»

»

»

»

»

»

»

= Sweet Mountain Starlight Carnival Planet Wisp Aquarium »

Tropical Resort

Act 1 Act 2 Act 3 Act 4 Act 5 Act 6 Boss



Grind along the red railing in the first hallway and at the end you'll find a Special Ring.

Jump into the air, then take out your enemies with a homing attack!

Continuing past that point, you'll soon reach a long corridor with bunches of balloons dangling in the air. These are good practice targets. You can leap into the air, then jump while airborne to home in on the balloon targets as you careen along the corridor like a ricocheting bullet. Not far past that point, you'll hit bumpers and fly up to higher ground, where you'll encounter your first enemies. You can deal with them as you did the balloons, and there's a dangling rope beyond those enemies that you can attack to carry yourself to higher ground.

You'll need to follow the course from there and watch for a wide pit with airborne enemies placed above it. You can use homing attacks on the enemies to easily cross the pit. Keep going from there and you will find a hallway full of more enemies. Just continue along that corridor, bashing them with homing attacks, until the perspective changes so that you're now watching as Sonic runs toward the right in a two-dimensional perspective.

Race to the right and you will dash along some rails for a moment before you reach an area where it's possible either to run along the low ground (through a loop) or to take a high road by following a suspended railing. Either way, you'll proceed to the right and reach a wide open area with balloons in it (to your lower left once you reach the end of the railing, if that's the route that you've chosen to follow). You can use your homing ability to break the various balloons. More will rise to replace any that you destroy, which is good because you want to use the balloons to gain enough elevation that you can grab a Special Ring. Once you have snagged it, go ahead and proceed to the right. You can climb the ledge in that direction and keep going.

Use the balloons to gain elevation so that you can snag a ring.



Keep to the right as you grind along the final set of three tracks, so that you can jump through a hovering rainbow ring and collect the stage's final Special Ring.

Soon you'll find yourself zipping along a rail, now with the camera following behind Sonic rather than watching him from one side. You can hop left or right from the first railing to grab an item from an adjacent railing as you speed along the course.

When you reach the far end of those railings, you'll find yourself back on solid ground and racing toward a distant hallway. As you launch out into the air, you'll be prompted to press a button. You can mash that button repeatedly to gain elevation and to perform tricks that award you with points. Beyond that, there are more tracks to grind along. You should head to the right here and pass through one rainbow ring to launch and grab some standard gold rings. Though there are more rainbow rings to the left, keep to the right and watch for a hovering rainbow ring. Leap to reach it as it passes overhead and let it carry you up and forward, where you'll snag the stage's final Special Ring.

After that, head left to the center of the three tracks and at the end, you will launch through a series of rainbow rings. While airborne, you'll approach the end of the stage. You can launch forward with a burst of speed to tag the finish line with flair as the stage concludes.

More rings for your collection...

� After passing through the checkpoint, as you head right you'll find a yellow wisp in a capsule. Grab it, then activate it and drill down and toward the lower left. You'll arrive in a hidden room with balloon groupings that you can ascend for a Special Ring.

� Along the upper path through the stage's second half, you can jump on and grind along a red railing to find another yellow alien capsule. Collect it and continue to the right, where you'll leap onto high ground. Here, there's more soft sand through which you can drill. Head downward through that sand while in drill form and you will find three circular objects. Break them all apart without descending so far that you drop through the bottom of the sand pile and once you do so, a Special Ring will appear.


Head right through the stage, as Sonic races around a fountain and down a slope, across a pit with some circulating fans blowing. From there, he'll fall down to some bumpers that bounce him up to a rainbow ring that in turn launches him toward the right.


Tropical Resort




You can launch yourself from the half-pipe to the left to reach the ledges where the stage's first Special Ring is waiting to be collected.

There's not a lot to do for a large portion of the stage except run and collect rings.

Continue toward the right and you'll arrive in a half-pipe of sorts. Use a speed boost to launch out of that half-pipe and toward the right, where some ledges are dangling in the air. If you timed it right, you'll land on the first of those ledges. Hop to the right, where a Special Ring is resting on the next ledge. Grab it, then drop down to lower ground and proceed toward the right.

As you rush forward, the camera will shift to show blocks falling away just behind you. Continue past that point and be ready to use homing attacks to dispatch of your enemies as you keep moving right. You'll come to a wall with a glowing laser. Don't brush up against that; instead, hop up some ledges ahead of it and then keep moving to the right to reach high ground. Continue right from there and speed your way around another fountain.

Beyond that fountain, the camera shifts so that the camera is again following along behind Sonic. Speed down a series of corridors. This is a rather lengthy section without much opportunity for interaction. Just keep hitting speed ramps and leaping forward to avoid any small obstructions until you reach an area where you're once more watching from the side as Sonic proceeds toward the right. Here, you'll see a crate positioned against the base of a high wall. Leap onto the crate, then from there to the top of the wall.

The air vents will allow you to gain the elevation that you need to collect the Special Ring.

The stage's final Special Ring is behind the finish line tanks.

From the top of that wall, continue toward the right. Here, there are some floating ledges positioned



in the air over spikes that line most of the floor. Continue along those platforms and you'll reach an area with fans blowing gusts of air. You can float along those, but note that overhead there's a Special Ring you can't quite reach. Continue right and some higher gusts of air will start to blow you upward. Let them carry you up a short distance, then drop left to collect the Special Ring that was previously out of your reach. Next, continue right again and this time let the air carry you to higher ground.

Continue right from there and you will find yourself racing along hallways again. You'll know the final approach when you reach it, since it is full of enemies as you descend a steep slope. Break apart the enemies as you descend, but don't be in a hurry to hit the stage-end marker at the base of the hill. Instead, circle around behind it to find the stage's final Special Ring. Then trip the marker to complete the stage.


� Not far right from the start of a stage, past a fountain, you can collect a yellow wisp from a capsule. Put it to use to drill down to a narrow passage below, then head to the right past air ducts that blow you up vertical shafts. Between two such shafts is a a shaft with no fan below it. Jump up into the shaft, then hop your way up the walls to find a Special Ring at the top of the shaft.

� After running across a bridge of blocks that falls behind you, continue right and start up a high bank to the right with aid from gusts of air. At the top of one such gust, there's a yellow wisp capsule. Grab it, then keep moving to the right for quite some time until you pass through another checkpoint. Here, you'll find all sorts of sand to the right, but you can drill straight down. Pass the first pipe on your left and keep descending until you see a second pipe. Pass left through it, which takes you to the right side of the sand-filled area, then continue left as you head back in the direction that you just came. You'll cause a ring of monsters to appear. Quickly demolish them and move left, grabbing a yellow alien capsule as you go to extend the life of your drill. Another ring of enemies will appear. Destroy them, then continue left for a third ring of those enemies. When you defeat them, a Special Ring will appear for you to collect.


From the start of the stage, head forward through the passages. Green arrows will appear to map out the route that you should follow if you want to collect the most capsules and rings: right, middle and left.


Tropical Resort




Hit the speed pads with an extra burst of speed so that you're sent gliding forward through the air and through a floating rainbow ring.

Drop down after using your 'laser' ability to clear a gap, then run toward the screen to find a hidden Special Ring.

In the first hallway, keep to the right as you run and watch for a raised platform to your right. Leap as you approach that raised platform and a red target reticule will appear on an overhead enemy. Launch into the air and hit him with a homing attack, then run to the end of the ledge on which he stood and leap forward through the air. Be ready to use another homing attack, this time to latch onto a hook that will pull you up to a platform where you can grab the stage's first Special Ring. Then drop down and continue along the hallways. As you reach the end of that first large hallway, give yourself a burst of speed as you hit a speed pad and fly up, over the top of the slope and out through the air so that you pass through one of three colored, rainbow rings hanging in the air. That ring will launch you forward a nice distance.

Drop down from there and race along another hallway like the first one. Reaching the end of that will allow you to bounce along a series of pads to reach a high ledge. Start forward and there's a cyan wisp in a capsule. Brushing against him grants you a special ability that you can use to fly across the coming gap in laser form. You can use that as you like, then drop down and run back toward the screen. You'll come to the edge of a ledge where a Special Ring is waiting. Collect it, then head back the way you just came. Bounce up on some springboards to reach a higher ledge with a low wall. You can press the 'X' button to slide under that gap and proceed through the stage.

You'll have to slide under some more walls before hitting a speed pad that boosts Sonic along a corridor that slowly winds in a circle. At the base of that path, you'll follow another long, straight passage. Slide beneath the wall that you find at the end of that passage, then drop to a lower ledge. From there, drop down again and then start along the next passageway. Watch to the right, where you can jump and use a homing attack to slide along a wire and collect another cyan wisp from a capsule. Just beyond that is a series of short ledges that you can ascend. Along those there are blue crystals. If you bounce from the springboard at the base of the lowest ledge, then activate your laser while airborne, you should be able to zigzag along a crystal path and reach the highest ledge without having to slow down much.



You can jump into the air, then use your kick slide move to crash down and break simple gray crates such as the ones shown here.

Homing attacks will allow you to take care of these guys, as usual.

At the top of that series of ledges, you'll find some flying purple enemies that you can use to cross a wide pit. If you're in a hurry, you can give yourself a boost of speed just after you hit the last of the enemies to launch forward to a high ledge that otherwise is unreachable. Then speed forward from that to reach a checkpoint. Otherwise, take the low road and you can run along the ground to find a circular pad. Step on that pad and blocks will extend from the wall to the right. You can hop along them as you might stairs on a staircase. When you reach high ground, you'll reach the same checkpoint that you would have if you had proceeded along higher ground. Continue from there and soon you'll reach an area with floating ledges. Hop along those to reach the highest ledge and collect some easy rings as you continue toward the right.

Soon you'll reach an enemy who is waiting on a ledge to your right. He's the first of two such enemies, and beyond him you'll need to slide under a low wall in order to keep moving to the right. At the base of that slope, move right again and you'll soon have to eliminate more enemies before you reach an area with some gray crates spread across a wide gap below, like a bridge. Floating ledges lead upward and to the right from there, or you can take a detour to the area below (just jump and then smash through the blocks using the same button that allows you to slide). The only thing you'll find right now is a couple of springboards and a yellow alien wisp hologram that isn't active on your first trip through the stage.

Continuing to the right, you'll find another series of gray crates, this time positioned over a bunch of rings. Grab the rings if you like, and continue moving toward the right to reach still more crates. These hide plenty of goodies that you may choose to gather, but don't spend too long if you're anxious to finish the stage with a good time. Move right from there and speed pads will send you rushing along a looping ring, after which you will need to use homing attacks to eliminate a group of enemies that are waiting on the ledge beyond.



Run along this path and watch for an important springboard just beyond it.

On the high ledge, use a laser move to hit this crystal and follow a course that will take you up to a waiting Special Ring.

Past those enemies, you'll find a wide gap in the air with plenty more purple enemies to use as temporary ledges as you make your way across the expanse using repeated homing attacks. Just be careful as you land on the far ledge. Enemies will rush you and may hit you with their spinning maces if you're not quick to react. Eliminate those goons, then it's time to pay attention.

As you proceed to the right, you'll run along a lengthy path that moves forward in an arc. You'll notice a springboard, just ahead of a checkpoint gate. Pass through the checkpoint if you like, but then head back left and bump against the springboard. It will carry you up and through the air, toward the right, where you'll land on the first of several ledges. Now you need to proceed toward the right. There are enemies to worry about here, and at one point you'll send yourself flying into the air and will need to jump along with the prompts to gain altitude. Keep making careful leaps along platforms, disarming enemies and collecting rings and cyan wisps as you go.

If you proceed correctly, you'll finally reach a ledge with a blue crystal in the air overhead. Activate your laser move and aim at the laser to fly along a preset course to high ground. There, a Special Ring will be waiting for you. Collect that ring, then slide down the wire to the right to reach the end of the stage.


� After you pass through the checkpoint near the stage's halfway point, you can continue right over a deep area of sand and you'll find a yellow alien wisp sitting in a capsule on a floating ledge. Collect the wisp, then dive down through the sand while veering toward the right and then downward to find an empty room with a yellow capsule. Collect it, then drill down and to the left from there. Enter the top of a tall pipe track to the lower left and it will transport you left along the map. When you emerge, you'll find a Special Ring just to the right.

� Collect the Special Ring noted above, then head back through the nearby pipe and you'll appear at the left side of the area. Head to the lower right from there to find another room with a yellow wisp, then keep working toward the right from there and notice some ring formations that point downward, as arrows. Descend and you'll find an area with rows of blocks that you can drill through to keep descending through the sand. As you do, follow more such arrows and avoid other pipes that will lead you back to the surface. If you descend all the way to the bottom of the area, including through a very narrow passage that runs between two final pipes (it's difficult at first, so the process may take several lives and attempts to get right), you'll find a Special Ring as your reward.


You start this stage at a full sprint that should carry you easily to the edge of a ramp that will launch you over a gap. Then you'll run downhill and arrive at a long corridor while an enemy floats in the air


Tropical Resort




ahead of you.

You can use homing attacks to bounce along the rising groups of balloons and to reach a Special Ring to their right.

Hop to the railing and grind along it for an extra life and a Special Ring.

Proceed to the right and you'll soon come across some balloons and the first easily reachable enemy. The first balloons are really just a distraction, and so is that first enemy. Eliminate them with homing attacks and then carefully use more homing attacks to ascend the three rising balloon groupings to the right. From the top of those bunches, you can glide out to the right to collect a Special Ring.

Continue right from there and you will descend to a lower area where there are numerous balloons and a lot of rings. Here, the flying object that is accompanying you through this stage will start sending out small spikes. Avoid those hazards to keep from losing your precious rings as you continue toward the right. You'll come to a dividing area in that direction. At that point, you can run along a lower path for more rings, or you can grind along a railing on the upper path to find an extra life and a Special Ring.

To the far right along that railing, you can climb up along a ledge to reach the end of this very short stage.


� As you head to the right, you'll quickly come to a yellow capsule floating above ground, near an enemy. Collect it, then dive into the soil and work to the far lower left. As you land along the left side of an underground passage, grab the purple wisp that waits there and then eat through the blocks to the right for a Special Ring.

� After collecting the Special Ring noted just above in purple wisp form, keep eating your way to the right and collecting more of the purple wisps to keep that ability going. You can eat through still more blocks and along the way, find another Special Ring.

� Continue right past the two Special Ring items noted above and ascend some stairs constructed from more of the black crates. Near a dead-end passage, you'll find a yellow wisp. Use its ability to drill straight down and pass through sand to reach the left side of an underground passage. Now as standard Sonic, work toward the right and you'll come to the base of a shaft that you must ascend while dodging spiked balls dropped by a floating enemy. If you reach the top of the shaft, you can collect another Special Ring.




Start by running to the right, where you'll soon find a series of crystals floating high in the air. Below those crystals and a ledge beneath them, you'll find a cyan alien. Grab him, then look left. Use your laser ability and aim at the nearby barrier to the lower left of the first crystal. Unleash your move and you'll fly quickly along the crystals and reach higher ground.

You'll be able to use the crystals to reach high ground that otherwise would prove inaccessible.

There are lots of enemies along the path, so be sure to avoid their melee attacks as you counter with homing attacks.

Now start to the right again. You'll need to slide under a lower barrier, but don't have too much speed going as you do so. Just on the other side of that barrier, you can jump to break spinning white and orange discs. Then head down the slope to the right. Near its base, there's a hole where you can drop down to deal with some enemies below, or you can use a laser move to bounce up along some more blue crystals to reach high ground. There, use homing attacks to eliminate some waiting enemies

Past them, collect another cyan alien and you'll soon come to an area where you can use another laser attack to ride crystals up to high ground yet again. Proceed right from there and slide under a gap, then bump a speed pad that will launch you to the right as you break through crates and finally reach yet another cyan alien and more crystals. As before, ride the crystals to break more of the floating targets. This time, you'll reach a higher ledge where your arrival automatically triggers a checkpoint.

Pass through the wide-spaced blue gate and on the ledge above, you'll need to use a series of homing attacks to eliminate some enemies. You must run along a bridge constructed from crates, leap out and then use a homing attack to reach a far ledge with more enemies. There still are more of those same enemies as you start down the pathway beyond the first batch. Be careful as you make your way down the path, launching against one foe at a time. At the base of the trail, you can launch along another path and use your homing attack to launch from enemies and balloons as you proceed forward.


Tropical Resort




Launch carefully along the path so that you follow high ground and reach a Special Ring.

Descend to the base of the shaft with all of the balloons and you can find another Special Ring.

When you reach the far side of that gauntlet, you'll find yourself standing on a ledge that looks out toward a bit of a puzzle. There will be floating targets along the lower side that you can easily jump and reach. The trick here is to stand on the far left side of the ledge, just at the top of the slope that leads back down and to the left. Look toward the right and when you initiate your laser move, make sure that it ricochets from the wall ahead of you, back left and then from there right along the top side of the screen. If you do it properly, you'll fly along the crystal path and reach a high ledge where a Special Ring is waiting.

Drop down from that ledge and you won't have to head far to the right to find a vertical shaft full of balloons of various colors. Here, you should just barely see a Special Ring at the base of that shaft. You can hop out and you'll land on a balloon, which will quickly send you upward along the series of balloons. Don't panic, though. Instead, allow yourself to start falling straight down again. You'll break a few balloons as you drop, perhaps, which sends you back up. However, if you remain still and you are in a good position, you'll be able to slowly descend along a single column of balloons to reach the base of the shaft and collect the ring. Then use the springboard and balloons to ascend the shaft once more.

From the top of that shaft, head to the right and you will come to another puzzle of sorts. There's a Special Ring out in the open, behind a wall to your right. You can stand on the ledge and aim to the right, just below the rod of light that is extending from the wall near the Special Ring. Though that doesn't seem like it should work, it actually does and will allow you to collect the desired treasure. Then you can drop down to land on some balloons and cross to the right. There, a final cyan alien awaits. Collect it, then use its powers to climb the crystals to the upper right and to pass through the stage-ending ring.


� Head right through the stage and soon you'll find a pink alien wisp in a capsule. Collect it, then advance right through the stage, boosting as possible to increase your speed on straight stretches and leaping when necessary to ascend walls and the like. You can plow through enemies, and along the way you'll need to grab a second capsule to keep your energy up so that you can continue to advance far enough to the right to finally collect a Special Ring as your reward.

� Near the very end of the stage, some distance ahead of the goal ring, you can find a pink alien in a capsule. Collect it and then keep moving toward the stage while avoiding the cyan alien wisps that wait thereafter. Once you reach the ledge at the top of a shaft filled with balloons, double jump up and to the left from that ledge. Activate



the buzzsaw ability and attach to the wall, then quickly zip up and around the wall toward the right so that you pass over the goal ring and continue navigating the walls in that direction (you can use this method to easily collect another Special Ring mentioned in our standard walkthrough for this stage, as well). If you move quickly enough, you can roll along the ceiling over the goal ring and continue to the right. Collect the Special Ring that you find there, then finally pass through the goal ring that is now to your left to finish the stage.


Begin this stage by heading to the right Leap over any gaps and along the ledges until you reach an area where a spinning series of platforms awaits. You can leap onto the higher ledge (whichever one is highest as you approach) and let the platform carry you up and to the right.

The stage's first Special Ring is located at the center point of the second set of spinning platforms.

The second Special Ring is located just after the stage checkpoint. Ride the platform down and then leap to the ledge where the ring rests.

Continue right from there, bashing the enemy that gets in your way, and you'll come to another of the spinning ledges. This one won't start spinning until you hop onto one of its arms. Once you do, stand there and let the ledge spin slowly around. A Special Ring should appear. Leap to collect it when the ledge on which you are standing spins beneath it. Then proceed to the right, taking out the enemy that guards that path with one of your homing attacks.

To the right of that fallen enemy, you can keep moving and you'll soon come to a wire that you ride down to a lower ledge, activating a checkpoint in the process. A short distance to the right of that checkpoint, you'll find another of the spinning ledge groupings. Remember that when you jump onto the first one and step on the circular patch, you'll set the ledge to spinning until you leap to another ledge. In this case, ride the first ledge down to a low point, then jump left to the platform where a second Special Ring is waiting. Collect it, then leap back onto the moving ledge and let it carry you back up toward the upper right side of the screen. From there, leap onto the next ledge where another enemy is waiting.

Defeat that enemy and continue to the right to find another of the spinning ledges. This one has


Tropical Resort




three arms. You can leap onto any of them that you like and ride them down, then leap to collect the stage's third Special Ring. It's within easy reach. Then you can head right and you'll find more solid ground.

The third Special Ring can be obtained by riding another of the moving platforms and leaping when you can safely snag the ring without falling into the bottomless pit.

Use the multiple sets of platforms to reach the Special Ring near the upper left side of the screen.

Here, there's another Special Ring in plain sight, to the right. There are three separate groups of moving platforms here, and you need to use them one at a time. Start with the nearest one and ride it up so that you can leap to the second set of platforms, then ride that up so that you can reach the third. Let that set carry you left so that you're close to the ring, then jump out and grab it.

Now you can use the three sets of moving platforms once more, this time to reach the stage's goal point to the upper right.

Another ring for your collection...

� Work your way through the stage as normal until you find a pink wisp in a capsule, overlooking a drop-off to the right that is blocked by large black crates. Head to the right past those crates, until you reach some more black crates near the base of a high ledge with spinning arms and ledges that you can climb to the goal point. Instead of ascending, drop down in buzzsaw form to pass through some more black crates. Head toward the left and remain attached to the floor as it wraps around to a nook where a Special Ring is resting.

Tropical Resort Boss

This is a boss battle stage, so there are no Special Ring items to collect.

This battle shouldn't prove terribly difficult. Basically, there's a huge robot in the background and you will fight him in a circular arena. You only have to deal damage to him twice to win, but there


Tropical Resort




are unique strategies for each time that you deal damage and you need to avoid the attacks that the robot will use as the battle takes place. Until you have damaged him once, all that he will do is move his clawed, enormous hand around the outer edge of the ring that serves as the battle arena. Make sure that you stay on the moving platforms at the center of the area as much as possible and you can easily avoid that particular attack.

Your first job is to grab the alien and use your laser move to fire on the robot.

During the battle's second phase, be ready to move and avoid the blades when they come your way.

Once you deal damage the first time, the robot will start firing homing blades at you. They move slowly and you should easily have time to get out of the way if one is getting too close for comfort.

To deal damage to the robot the first time, hop on a ledge that has a cyan alien in a capsule. Collect it, then fire a laser at the alien's face. If the attack hits, you'll definitely know it. The platforms will all start spinning for a few seconds and you'll fall down to the base of the arena.

Once the platforms are solid again, hop onto one and then ride it up to the top of the area. You may have to switch platforms as you do so in order to avoid any of the homing blades that materialize. When you're up high, you can jump out and then use a homing attack to hit the robot in the face with the force of an angry blue hedgehog. If you aimed properly, that blow will finish off the robot and the stage is complete.


You'll start this stage on auto-pilot for a bit before finally you're given the chance to move around along the track that you're racing along. However, you should stay toward the center to gather the rings that are positioned there. As you reach the end of that stretch, you'll come up against some crates that you can leap along to ascend. Above, a rocket will launch from the wall.

= Tropical Resort Starlight Carnival Planet Wisp Aquarium »

Sweet Mountain




After you ride the wire across the gap, drop down and collect a Special Ring before you proceed.

Climb up through the stage, avoiding wasps and their projectiles as you collect rings from the moving platforms.

Head up the crates and then to the right to continue your ascent. Start down the hallway beyond and you can use a homing leap to grab onto a handle and slide down a wire to a ledge on the far side of a gap. There are some enemies here that you can eliminate with homing attacks. Before you press onward, head back toward the screen, near the start of the ledge on its lower level. There, you'll find a Special Ring.

Now hop back up and continue past where you eliminated the enemies. You'll race along a predetermined path through a large loop, then come to another ledge where you can head forward and leap up some crates to higher ground. There are some rainbow rings here, but they both simply propel you forward in the direction you should already be headed. Continue past them and along more paths. There's a lengthy path here with an 'S' sign letting you know that you'll need to swerve back and forth to stay on the solid ground that doesn't slow your trip through the stage.

At the end of that rush, you'll zip toward the right as the camera swings so that you're viewing Sonic from the side. He'll head along a ledge and through a stage checkpoint, then reach an area where he can leap along moving ledges while collecting yellow aliens from capsules. There are wasps in this area. They're slow to attack, but they do fire projectiles that you should be careful to avoid. You can quickly eliminate them with homing attacks as you collect rings and race toward the right.

Watch for the low opening, which warns you that the spike traps are coming soon.

You can bust open a crate to find a springboard, then use it to fly high into the air in the area with all



of the missiles.

You'll soon reach a wall with a low opening. Kick slide your way through that gap, then make sure that you keep moving as speed pads boost you toward the right. You'll run across black patches along the floor with holes positioned along their surface. If you dawdle, you'll be skewered by spikes that will soon emerge. Race to the end of that series of spike traps, then leap to safety on the crates just to the right. Continue to the right along the crates, then come to an area with white crates forming a bridge over an area below where an enemy is positioned near a springboard.

The enemy will fire lasers in quick volleys, but you can watch his shots, then jump and use a kick move to crash through one of the blocks. From there, quickly eliminate the enemy and head to the right. Jump onto the springboard and you'll fly up through the blocks overhead, breaking them and allowing you to land on a ledge that is positioned to the upper right. Quickly head along this ledge, since it will fall out from under you once you stand on it for a moment. You'll need to leap along several of those ledges as you proceed to the right, where you'll find a rainbow ring that fires you to the right. There, brush against a bumper that sends you careening along a track leading downward.

As you follow those tracks, they'll move you quickly through the stage until you pass through a checkpoint and hit a bumper that sends you into the air, where you'll find yourself facing a giant missile that is flying straight toward you. It'll boost apart just shy of hitting you. You can continue along this route, staying below the missiles that regularly materialize along it (subsequent missiles aren't always kind enough to burst apart as you approach). There are rings to collect, and along the left side you can also find a white crate. Jump into the air, then kick to crash down and destroy that crate, revealing a springboard. You can bounce up into the air from there, then use a homing attack first on an enemy, then on some nearby architecture to carry yourself to a ledge where it's possible to grab an extra life icon.

There's a Special Ring in it for you if you head right from the missile launcher before you go left.

Note the Special Ring positioned just below the missile bay.

Continue onward from there and you will eventually reach the wall from which the missiles are launching. Be careful at this wall, since each missile burst is followed by hot flames that extend from the wall and can harm you. You can hop up some short ledges to the right of that volatile opening and you will find a Special Ring. Then you can drop back down and head to the left, where a leap into the air puts you in position to use a homing attack so that you can pull yourself up to the high road and race through a tunnel.

At the end of that tunnel, a pad will launch you into the air. When that happens, you need to be ready to repeatedly jump as prompted on-screen to avoid various hazards. When you reach the top of that rapid-fire gauntlet, you can head along a long pathway and finally leap up to a ledge that offers a good vantage point. Ahead, you'll see more of the massive missiles approaching, and just ahead of them a blue patch on the floor. If you, like you can step on the patch to rain enemies down on the missile, which really doesn't seem to accomplish much. Be careful about standing at that level because it makes you a target for the missile.



Drop down beyond the blue patch and you can run along a lower level, only occasionally needing to jump (briefly) to higher ground before returning to the trenches. When you reach the far side of that area, you'll find yourself looking at more springboards near the base of the wall from which the missiles are being fired. Beyond the springboards is a Special Ring. Collect it while avoiding scalding missile exhaust, then use the springboards to fly up to the stage's goal.


� Work through the stage until the camera perspective shifts so that you're watching as Sonic runs from left to right. As he continues in that direction, he'll eventually find and grab a yellow wisp. Once you have that wisp available, use it to burrow into the ground. Stay near the surface as you work sharply toward the right. As you descend in that direction, staying just beneath the surface of the sand, you can find a small pocket (surrounded by black crates through which you can drill) where a Special Ring is waiting to be collected.

� After collecting the Special Ring outlined above, collect the yellow wisp that will appear and drill down and to your right so that you drop into a lower passage. Run to the right and you'll find floating platforms with blue switches on them. Hopping onto those will cause enemies in the background to meet with an untimely end before they can harm you. Keep working to the right, hop up some moving ledges (while stepping on more switches to defeat enemies that will fire projectiles toward you) and then grind along a railing toward the right. When you reach the end of that short railing, turn around and run toward it, then slide to pass underneath it and find a slope leading down to the left, where you can collect a hidden Special Ring.


This stage begins with a speed run. As you zip along the track, you'll see green arrows that point you along the route you should follow. You need to start by heading toward the right, then work your way left in small increments and finish up by heading right (toward the center of the lane) in time to launch through a series of rainbow rings.

As usual, the green arrows will let you know where to run as you race along the tracks and


Sweet Mountain




try to maintain your high speeds.

Ride up to high ground, then head left through the debris to find a Special Ring.

Those rings will launch you to the far side of a gap, where once more you'll need to run along a path dictated by a green arrow (this one an 'S' pattern) if you want to avoid having your rush slowed by the environment. On the far side of that run, you'll launch into the air and a slow-motion prompt will appear to let you know that it's time to mash the 'Jump' button repeatedly. If you do so, you'll gain elevation and land on a ledge that you will grind along for a short while before you go flying through some rings that launch you toward the right. Continue running in that direction and slide under a low wall.

Past that wall, keep running to the right. There will be some floating ledges with rings positioned along them. Grab the rings, then continue right and up a hill to find some crates against a wall. There's a blue pad here. Stand on it for a moment and enemies will rain down to your left. You can hit each of them with homing attacks and when the last of your foes vanish, a hook will drop down. Latch onto it with a homing attack to ascend to high ground, where a speed pad is available just to the right. Avoid the pad and head left, breaking through some debris as you go to find a Special Ring.

Return to the right and launch from the speed pad so that you are sped along the path toward the right. You'll soon launch into the air and then descend along a vertical shaft (keep to the center to collect all of the rings). Proceed right from the base of that shaft and you will find a hook. Latch onto it and ride it up to high ground, bash the enemy, then continue advancing toward the upper right.

Hop along the ledges to find yourself an easy Special Ring.

The striped rail is your last obstacle in the stage. Make sure that you use a kick move (rather than a homing jump) to snag the Special Ring just before you arrive on the rail so that you don't have to backtrack.

Soon you will come to a new series of ledges that you must navigate as you battle wasps. They drop into sight as you advance toward the right. You can easily eliminate them with homing attacks as you collect rings from the floating platforms.

Beyond the wasps, you'll race along some tracks before flying to the right and hitting a springboard. As it carries you into the air, use a homing attack on the dangling hook to the right. Let that hook carry you up to higher ground. There you can use another hook to the left to ride up to a green alien capsule (empty on your first visit to the stage) or you can continue to the right to find some robots that will attack. Defeat them, then use a stomp attack to break open the white crate and reveal a blue pad. Step on it, then continue to the right and you'll find more floating ledges. Jump onto one of those, then hop along the ledges to the right while being careful not to fall. To the far right, you'll find a Special Ring.

Past the ledge where you find that ring, you'll race toward the right, through a cave and along some



more narrow ledges until finally you can jump and grab a hook that carries you up a short distance to a striped rail. There's a Special Ring dangling in the air ahead of that rail, which you should be able to grab by using a sliding kick to pass under the block just ahead of it (a homing attack will only succeed in carrying you over it, which of course you don't want). If you mess up and use a double jump, you'll land on the rail and you will be pushed along it and to the right as you collect rings. It's a hassle, but if you miss the ring and would like to grab it, you can jump rapidly and turn yourself around partway along the rail. Then you can ascend along it, back the way that you've just come, where you can double jump into the air and use an air dash to fly left and snag the difficult ring. From there you can safely head back down the striped rail, collecting more rings before reaching the stage's conclusion at the base of that rail.


� Work through the stage until you pass through the first checkpoint and slide under a barrier not far to the right from there, as the perspective shifts so that you're viewing Sonic from the side. Just beyond the point where he slides under the low wall, there's a green capsule resting on a platform. Grab it, jump into the air, then use the green ability to fly up along trails of coins toward the upper left. Grab another green wisp there to keep your special energy going, then fly left and descend quickly through rows of spikes to find a Special Ring. As you near the highest point of your ascent toward the end of the stage, not far before the long track that you can grind along to descend to the goal ring, watch for a point where you ascend a tall vertical shaft with spike traps at its base. When you reach the top and start to the right, there will be three enemies standing on crates. Defeat them, then break the middle crate open to reveal a blue switch. Step on it and a hook will drop to the left. Ride it up to a high ledge with a green alien wisp hovering over it. Grab the wisp, then head out to the right with the wisp ability activated. Float quickly up toward the right and use speed boosts to ascend along short columns of rings (to delay the expiration of your special energy) until you reach the start of a long trail of coins. Use a final boost to catch the first of those rings and you should be able to continue along that string of coins, collecting a Special Ring in the process before finally landing near the stage's conclusion.


Start the stage by running forward along a series of unremarkable ledges, until you find a series of steps with enemies positioned along them. Use your homing attack to quickly ascend those steps by playing leapfrog from enemy to enemy, then keep moving until you hit a pad that launches you out toward a circular platform with enemies positioned along it.


Sweet Mountain




Ride the railing to land on the platform with an alien and some rings, then launch into the air to collect the rings positioned along the overhead railing.

After playing around with the rockets, head right and you can hop up along some ledges to reach the area's first Special Ring.

On this platform, use your homing attacks to eliminate the enemies, then look toward the left. You can head in that direction to break through some construction signs and find a helpful springboard. It will launch you up to a railing that you can grind along to collect rings while decreasing the time that you have to spend progressing through the stage. That rail will in turn deposit you on a platform with a vertical stack of rings directly above you. Activate your yellow alien ability to launch into the air, then collect whatever rings you can from the air overhead.

Work toward the right and up along another platform before dropping down and proceeding to the right. Here, there's another yellow alien and another string of rings that you can collect (as well as more rings in the air). Don't use your rocket just yet, though. Instead, keep moving right and you'll come to vertical shaft with springboards along the side. Use your rocket now to shoot straight up into the air and collect a Special Ring. As you descend, you can float to the right and land on a high platform to easily collect yet another Special Ring. If you mess up and fall down, it's not a big deal; just destroy the enemies and a hook will lower to your right, against the wall, that you can use to reach the high road (you can also jump left for another attempt at the ring once you reach the top point, if necessary).

From the top of that wall, take a few steps to the right and you'll be launched along a course that abruptly takes you to the base of a vertical shaft with enemies positioned along ledges above you. A huge missile will drop as you arrive, so make sure that you don't dawdle at the center of that area. After the missile's remnants disappear, use homing attacks on the overhead enemies to ricochet up the shaft and reach the top.



Hop from the backs of purple enemies to cross the gaps.

Leap out to the moving ledge, but be ready to duck to make it through the low gap as you drift back toward the right.

When you reach the top of that shaft, head to the right (collect the white wisp from the capsule on the way if you like) and through a checkpoint. Just beyond it, you'll find a vertical stack of rings. If you still have a yellow alien in your possession, you have a choice about how to advance. You can proceed to the right a short while and complete the stage the easy way, or you can use your rocket to fly into the skies and find a secret platform high above your previous location.

Start right along that platform and you will find an area to race along. It's important that you follow the next few steps rapidly, or you may fall behind on the timing. As you proceed to the right, slide under the low wall as prompted and use a jumping attack on a hook to let it carry you to a higher ledge. Continue right, then use a homing attack on a set of purple enemies to cross the gap. There should be another gap to your right, with more of the purple enemies and another enemy standing on a more solid ledge. As you approach, a rocket will start to descend from above. Let yourself bounce up and down for a moment on the springboard ahead of the gap (easiest if you avoid the speed pad a short distance ahead of it) so that you can get the timing down. Watch for a missile to come down and just before it lands and explodes, start across the gap with the enemies. Use your homing attack regularly and just keep moving. Don't stop on the center platform.

When you reach the far side of that gap, you'll find another of the springboards. Repeat the process that worked on that first set of gaps to cross a second one. When you get to the far side this time, you'll see a wide gap and a floating ledge will approach. Leap out to it, just ahead of a missile that will descend from above in an attempt to ambush you. Land on the ledge and as it starts back toward the right, duck to pass under the low ceiling. Be careful that you're not moving when you try to duck, or you could find yourself sliding into the abyss instead. Next, wall jump up through a gap and to a solid ledge where you can collect a Special Ring just to the right.

Grind along the wire but be ready to jump to avoid whirling spikes.

The two paths through the second half of the stage meet up as you pass the row of teacups.

Once you have gathered that ring, look out ahead of you and you'll see a railing along which you can grind. Whirling spike blades are positioned along it. You need to be ready to leap to avoid those, and a leap can and perhaps should be followed by an air dash to make sure that you well and truly clear the spikes. There are around three groupings of spikes, then you'll come down onto solid ground to finish up the stage.

Note that if you went the other route (the one that didn't require the rocket blast), you'll find yourself proceeding along a much safer course. It's still somewhat tricky, though. You'll start by running along a few simple tracks, but pay attention as you run. The second batch of barrels along the right



side of the track hides a springboard. Brush against it to fly up to an overhead green rail, then grind along it for a short distance before a red rail appears to your left. Leap onto it and ride it to its end to find yourself flying up to a higher stock room that's full of barrels. Break through them all to find a special Special Ring.

Next, use a homing attack to ride up to higher ground. Continue forward and use homing attacks on purple enemies to reach the far side of a treacherous area where it's easy to fall into an abyss if you're not paying attention. Proceed from there and you'll soon reach the point where the two paths through the stage's second half converge. As you keep running toward the right, the camera will shift to show teacups riding along a track in the background. Just after that, you'll grind down a railing to finally reach the end of the stage.


� Work your way through the stage until you come to the checkpoint just ahead of where the stage splits into upper and lower routes for its last portion. Just past the checkpoint, there's a pink wisp hanging in the air that can grant you the buzzsaw ability. Ahead of it, there's a half-pipe. You can boost up the half-pipe to gain enough elevation to grab the desired wisp (boost energy is available in a capsule in a small little cranny not far to the left, if you need it). Then start to the right, like you're taking the lower path. You'll see some destructible blocks overhead. Jump into the air and activate your wisp ability so that as a buzzsaw, you cut through those blocks and continue up through the passage overhead. Continue grinding and you'll come up along an inverted half-pipe that leads to the right, where there's a ledge hanging in the air. Position yourself over it, then press the 'Jump' button to drop down onto it. The platform starts floating slowly to the right, where you can collect a wisp to keep your special energy meter in good shape. As you continue toward the right from there, you'll need to roll around to the underside of the platform on occasion (then back onto its top side) as you navigate blocks that prevent you from safely progressing to the right. Rings give you an idea as to your ideal position as you advance. Make sure that you keep grabbing capsules and soon you'll reach a point where you're below the start of a half-pipe that you can follow along to snag a Special Ring. Simply jump up to attach to the half-pipe, then quickly roll around to collect the ring and keep moving from there so that you can get ahead of the moving platform and easily drop down onto it from the lower right side of the half-pipe (or rise to higher ground and proceed along that route if you prefer).


Start by running down the hill toward the right. You'll break through debris and reveal a springboard that bounces you up to higher ground. Continue right, where stepping on a blue switch will set a nearby wall to spinning. The wall extensions glow faintly orange, which is your hint that if you brush up against them, you'll take damage. Stand on the switch until the wall has spun around so that you're least likely to hit it (usually that means it is in a horizontal position). Then head through the opening that you have created.


Sweet Mountain




Use the switches to orient the walls so that you can safely run beneath them.

The crystals will serve as your ticket to high ground and the stage's first Special Ring.

Keep moving right and there is a series of ledges that you can ascend to another of the switches. This one affects the movement of two walls, which you again want to spin into a horizontal position (or close). Pass beneath them, then run down the hill beyond. Break through more debris and you'll trigger a switch that makes a cyan wisp appear in a capsule on the ledge nearby. Hop onto that and collect the capsule, then from there hop up and destroy the enemies that wait to your right. Continue in that direction and you'll soon reach the edge of another ledge, where a switch is positioned ahead of more of the glowing orange walls.

For the first of those gates, you need to spin the gate so that it is now vertical. That allows you to head down the vertical shaft it was blocking on either the left or right side (there is a better reward if you go on the right side, but that route is also more dangerous). You'll arrive at the lower level, where you face a series of those gates. Just hop on the switches and stand on them until the gates are positioned as you like them (again, horizontal is usually best) and keep moving. Note that switches here affect multiple gates. When you pass through the twin gates on the far right side of the passage, you then will be able to ascend through another vertical shaft.

On your way up this shaft, note the blue crystals. Remember the wisp that you snagged a moment ago? You have an option about how to proceed. Your first choice is to use the cyan alien's powers now to reflect light against the lowest of the crystals. Do so and you can then race along a path up to higher ground. As you arrive, run to the right and slide under a low wall. Keep sliding to the right and descend along a slope to find the stage's first Special Ring. Continue to the base from where you collect that and leap over a gap to a ledge to the right.

Ride the platform high enough to collect another Special Ring before you worry about



heading to the right along the corridor.

Work your way through the crates, using homing attacks to remove any threat from enemies.

Your second choice is to save the alien and proceed along a lower route that requires you to stand on switches to make the dangerous gates swing open. Proceed along that route, then ride a lever up and you'll arrive on the same ledge that you would have reached if you took the other route. As you start to the right from there, though, you'll notice an upper ledge to the right with a blue crystal positioned on it. Now you can use your wisp ability to aim at that crystal and to speed along a new course that allows you to collect a different Special Ring.

Whatever choice you make, you'll wind up at the same platform to the lower right, at the end of a grinding rail. As you proceed to the right from there, watch for enemies and be ready to launch into the air and deal out a homing attack, or else they'll damage you before you even know what hit you. When those foes are gone, you can demolish the crate that they were guarding to reveal a blue switch. Stepping on it will cause some platforms to your upper left to start moving. Each platform has a blue switch located on it, so you can hop along those platforms (or remain stationary on them) as necessary to avoid more of the spinning walls.

Soon you'll come to a set of two platforms that rise together as you stand on either the left or right switch. Stand on the left one first and raise the platform so that it's out of reach of the nearest rotating wall, then stand on the right one to raise the platform higher. You'll soon come even with a platform to your right with a purple capsule on it, but note first that if you ride your current platform higher in the shaft, you can find and obtain another Special Ring. Once you have that, then you're good to leap to the right to the platform with the purple capsule, and from there to solid ground once more.

Head right a short distance and you'll find the first of several enemies in this area. You will need to descend through a winding corridor with blocks stacked throughout it, taking out enemies with homing attacks as you go. When you get to the base and start toward the right, there's a low opening that you must slide through. As you reach the other side of that opening, you'll trigger a checkpoint.

There's a secret room along the right side of the shaft.

Another secret room is located near the top left side of the shaft, a short distance ahead of the end of the stage. It contains a Special Ring.

As you continue toward the right, you'll almost immediately find a blue switch that you can step on, which causes the floor to rise slowly as if you're in an elevator. Overhead, you'll see the dangerous moving walls that you've already encountered elsewhere in the stage. You need to avoid those as you rise through the rather wide shaft.

This is your final challenge in the stage, but it goes on for awhile. The trick to surviving is to make sure that you only stand on a switch when you're confident that it will take you upward in a safe



manner. You can use your boost move to quickly switch positions to a different switch, if needed. Note that around halfway up the shaft, you can break through some debris that lines a recess to the right side and find a glowing pipe. Near the top of the stage, along the left side, there's also a recess with a Special Ring secreted away within it.

Above that recess a short distance, you'll find the end-of-stage gold ring that you can touch to finish the level.


� Near the end of the stage, you'll come to an area where there are a bunch of black crates with enemies positioned along them. Ahead of those crates, there is a purple wisp that you can grab to turn into a giant head that can demolish the crates and enemies. Break through the various enemies and work your way to the right. Aim especially for the crates along the ceiling, which you may have to jump to reach, and be sure to grab the second purple wisp to prolong your rampage. When you break apart the blocks positioned along the ceiling on the right side of the passage, you'll find a Special Ring.


This stage begins by propelling you forward and over a gap. If you're paying attention, you should notice a Special Ring resting at the base of that gap. As you land, skid to a halt and then run back toward the screen. Drop down into the lower area and continue toward the screen until you collect the ring.

You can find the first Special Ring a second or two into the stage.

The stage's second Special Ring is easily reached by jumping upward and using an air dash to access the ledge on which it rests.

Now hop back up the way you just came and continue through the stage. Next you'll need to run quickly along the shafts, dodging to the sides as you do so in order to collect rings and to avoid


Sweet Mountain




obstacles. Remember that simply sweeping the analog stick left or right as you run will cause Sonic to switch lanes, which makes it easier than usual to grab any rings or make last-minute dodges. As you proceed, you'll need to use your homing attack to destroy an enemy and to grab onto a hook that will pull you to higher ground. Then you can keep running.

The next thing you know, you'll go flying through the air and through several rainbow rings before landing on a new ledge with a checkpoint. You're now viewing the action from the side as Sonic continues toward the right. He'll hop along some dark blocks of ice and climb to higher ground (since at least on the first trip to the stage, he won't be able to collect the alien capsule that would let him clear those blocks) and a warning sign will flash on-screen as Sonic looks toward the right. Wasps will lower into place and fire projectiles. Leap over the first projectile and use homing attacks to cross the gap by leapfrogging from the first wasp to the second and then from the second wasp to a hook that you can use to pull yourself to higher ground.

Now start to the right again, clearing debris as you descend along a slope and reach the far side. As you continue to the right, you'll find more gray and blue blocks. Be careful as you approach; enemies will drop from above and they can harm you if you get within range. Knock them out of your way and climb to the top of that pile, then continue toward the right. Ahead, you'll see a ledge in the air with a Special Ring resting on it. Jump out toward the ledge and use an air dash to reach it. Collect the ring and climb onto the next ledge, making use of the dangling hook if necessary. Note that much of that ledge is comprised of spike traps, so be careful not to stand on them.

The only way to reach the Special Ring on the ledge is to let the catapult device give you the required momentum.

The spiked floor at the bottom of the shaft means that a misjudged leap from one of the catapults could easily prove fatal.

As you head to the upper right from there, you'll see black blocks hanging in the air in staircase formation. There are enemies positioned rather obviously along those, and they'll leap to attack as you approach. Eliminate them with homing attacks, then keep moving to the right. Drop down to the lower level and you'll find two ledges that rise and fall. You can cross along those to reach the higher ledge to the right.

Once you arrive on that ledge, continue toward the right and you'll reach a speed pad that will send you zipping along a loop toward the right. When you arrive, you'll pass through a checkpoint. To the right from there is a strange object. If you jump against it, the object will grab hold of Sonic and then swing to the side, at which point you can leap out to the ledge to the right. From that ledge, you can jump up and hit a bumper pad that will carry you back up to the left. There you'll find another of the strange catapults waiting. You can jump into it and then quickly tap the jump button twice while holding right on the analog stick. If you timed it properly, the device should launch you up and to the right, where you can land on a ledge and collect another Special Ring.

Drop back down and use the catapult to launch you left now, to the first of a series of moving ledges. Ascend those and climb toward the upper right, where you can start toward the right to find a vast gap with a bunch of blue spinning rings placed across it. You can drop down through those



and start to the right. You'll need to slide under a low wall and then you'll find yourself at the base of a tall shaft with more of the catapults. Here, there's a spiked trap floor along the base of the shaft. You need to ascend the shaft by leaping along moving platforms and to a recess to the upper right, from which you can jump out toward the left and into a new catapult. Make sure that it launches you up and toward the wall to the left, where you can land on an extended spring bar and bounce from there up and to the left. Then jump out to some moving ledges and climb them toward the top of the shaft.

Here, a path leads left to some enemies that are patrolling dark blocks where a Special Ring is positioned, though you can't access the ring on your first visit to the level. To the right, there's a final catapult and also more blocks above, which contain yet another Special Ring. Head up and to the right using the catapult. You'll find the first of several enemies there. Destroy him with homing attacks and keep moving throughout the stage, which will require using homing attacks on wasps, running along another long track and using your homing attack on a whole herd of standard enemies before a final dash to the finish line.


� Work your way through the stage to the point where you must drop down through some glowing blue rings to proceed. As you head right, you'll find a pink wisp that grants you the buzzsaw ability, then reach a wall not long after that where you can slide through a narrow gap to proceed. Rather than sliding through the gap, jump up against the wall and apply your buzzsaw skill. Quickly boost your way up the passage and through the room with the trove of rings. When you come out on the other end, keep moving by switching walls so that you're able to continue ascending the shaft that you've emerged into, toward the ceiling. Ride up the high wall and to the left, where you'll find a bunch of black crates. Break them apart and collect a Special Ring and another of the pink capsules that can keep your buzzsaw ability going.

� To get another Special Ring after you get the one described above, after smashing the blocks to collect the Special Ring and the wisp, roll back up the wall to the right and start in that direction. You can leap up to the ceiling and roll up through a shaft that leads up to another hidden room. If you get there quickly enough, you can smash apart more crates and collect the stage's final Special Ring.


Start by running right through the stage. You'll break some debris along the way, and then will come up against a series of yellow blocks. There's an enemy on the far side of the blocks who is firing a pistol. His shots will destroy the yellow blocks one at a time. Leap onto the nearest block, then leap into the air and use a homing attack to eliminate the enemy. Next, jump onto the ledge behind him and hop on the springboard, which will send you flying upward through a vertical stack of yellow blocks.


Sweet Mountain




Break through the yellow blocks with an air dash to collect a Special Ring.

There's a second Special Ring not long after the first, guarded by a gun-toting goon.

As you arrive on the ledge above, you'll hit a speed pad that boosts you toward the right. Let it carry you in that direction until you come to a series of yellow blocks hanging in the air. A Special Ring is positioned at their center. Jump so that you're even with the start, then use an air dash to burst through the blocks and collect the ring. As you land, keep running to the right and you'll come across more of the yellow blocks with enemies standing behind them. What makes this situation different is that in many cases there are fewer of the blocks, so you have to be more proactive about taking out the enemies with your homing shots unless you want them to shoot you. Also worth noting is the fact that one of the enemies is guarding a Special Ring that you can easily grab once you eliminate him.

After defeating that enemy and claiming the Special Ring, leap up onto the ledge above where it was positioned, and from there to the upper right. You'll run along a series of ledges, aided by boost pads. You'll need to slide under a low barrier and as you emerge on the other side, be ready to leap into the air and use homing attacks on a series of enemies that will be waiting. Otherwise, they can surprise you and send your precious rings showering everywhere.

Past those enemies, you'll come to a series of blue blocks with a few yellow ones just in front of them. Unless you have the proper ability, you can't do anything with the blue blocks except pass around to their other side. Then you can look back left and there's a single yellow block that prevents you from reaching an extra life. Use a boost to fly through the yellow block. Collect the extra life, then head back toward the right.

There's an extra life that you can claim here on your first visit, but the Special Ring is out of



reach until later.

Grind along the railing to reach a Special Ring.

Along this same level, there also are some pistol-wielding enemies and more yellow blocks. Take them out with your homing attacks and that'll leave you free to examine your surroundings. You should see a Special Ring, but it's out of your reach right now because you don't have any blue aliens available.

Climb up the yellow blocks that are positioned overhead, which will allow you to reach the upper ledge. There, proceed to the right and you will find still more yellow and blue blocks. Keep moving right and you'll find that the yellow blocks form a staircase of sorts. The problem is that to the right, there are enemies firing regular shots at those yellow blocks. Quickly climb the blocks and work to the right, then descend through the enemy ranks, hitting each of them with homing attacks. When they're gone, you can climb back up to the top and to the ledge to the upper right. There, look left and you'll see a striped railing. Hop onto it and grind your way to the upper left for another Special Ring. Then return to the ledge.

Run to the right and you'll follow a series of loops before passing through the stage's goal ring.


� Work through the stage to the point where you see the extra life icon trapped behind some yellow blocks. In this same area, there's a blue alien wisp that you can collect by smashing through a yellow block. Drop down to grab the wisp from the capsule, which is located just to the right of a springboard that makes it difficult to obtain if you approach from the left. With the blue wisp skills active, head to the right and there is a blue block that you can turn into a blue ring so that you can drop down and collect the Special Ring that it was preventing you from reaching.

� As you work toward the end of the stage, you'll reach an area where numerous broken blocks form a staircase. A bunch of gun-toting enemies are behind the makeshift stairs, firing shots to make the blocks disappear and possibly harm you in the process. Work your way to the back side of that staircase, then destroy the enemies. Stand on the highest point of the stairs and double jump out to the left, then air boost. If you time it right, you'll fly left and collect a Special Ring. This is the cheap way of snagging the ring. The alternate method is to come to this point of the stage with the buzzsaw ability in your possession. If you do, you can use it to ride up the side of the blue blocks and collect the ring more easily (which is why we're listing the ring here).

Sweet Mountain Boss

It's time for a boss battle. In this fight, you'll need to defeat an evil pirate robot, but first you have to reach him. The fight has two unique phases and it will repeat those two phases twice, for a total of four phases overall.


Sweet Mountain




There are a lot of cannons on the ship, but they won't generally fire more than one shot at a time so they're easily dealt with.

If you get close to the pirate and you're not flying toward him in a blazing blue ball, you're going to take damage. Make sure that you keep a few rings on hand just to be safe.

During the first phase, you need to run from left to right, jumping and using your homing attack ability to bounce along cannon balls fired from cannons on the ship. You'll generally need to bounce from several in a row. It's pretty easy to learn the positions of the various cannons, and avoiding damage shouldn't prove too difficult. When you get to the far right side of the ship, you can use your homing attack to trip a switch, which will bring the second phase around.

That second phase begins with Sonic appearing on land near the ship. You can run quickly to the right and left to collect rings, which is a good idea if you don't have any. Remember that as long as you have rings, any damage that you take won't be fatal.

When the pirate arrives, you need to use airborne attacks to damage him, but you also need to use those attacks on any of the explosives that the pirate causes to float protectively around himself. Focus on taking out the balls first, at least enough of them so that you can get close. Then hit the pirate with a homing attack. Do so three times or so and he'll retreat to the ship. Follow him there and repeat the process that worked the first time around. It'll work again, and then you'll be back on land to finish the job with the pirate. During his final phase, he'll fire more projectiles, but play carefully and you should be able to beat him with relative ease.


This stage begins with a long warm-up sequence. Sonic appears first in a corridor long corridor that stretches straight ahead of him. He will run down it in a predictable manner, but he's upside-down. That will soon be fixed and you'll watch as Sonic runs along the pathway without any real points of interest as the camera shifts toward the side, then falls into place behind him again.

= Tropical Resort Sweet Mountain Planet Wisp Aquarium »

Starlight Carnival




Move to the side to stay out of the way of the machines as they alternate laser shots aimed in your direction.

Drop down through the rings in cube form, then let your ability expire so that you can collect the Special Ring as the blue blocks turn back into collectible rings.

Now watch for flying spaceships to swoop into view. Watch them carefully because first one of them, then the other will produce lasers that point at the ground just ahead of the ships for a moment before expanding their reach to harm Sonic. You can shift left and right in front of either of the machines so that you dodge the laser blasts while collecting rings.

Once you make it through that gauntlet, keep watching the pathway. You'll leap out into space, and from there you need to watch closely for a visual cue on-screen. It's a red, circular targeting reticule. When you see it flash, immediately use a homing attack to fly out toward it. If you're too slow to respond, you'll fall into the abyss and will be returned to the start of the stage. If you respond quickly enough, on the other hand, you'll need to continue mashing the button to leap along more floating panels (move the analog stick quickly back and forth to help bring subsequent reticules into range) before working your way up a series of platforms and finally advancing into a space station.

As you arrive in the space station, you'll trigger the stage's first checkpoint. The view here is two-dimensional as Sonic runs toward the right. Bounce up from a springboard and keep moving right to find a new sort of wisp form: the blue one. As the floating '?' will explain, you can convert briefly to cube form when you activate that ability. Doing so will turn rings into solid cubes that you can use as platforms, and it will turn cubes into rings that you can fall through and collect. Start by turning into cube form and dropping to the area below, where you can collect a Special Ring while avoiding the nearby enemy that spouts shrapnel toward you (you'll have to wait for your transformation to cube form to expire). Along the right side of that chamber, you can jump into a column of rings to return to higher ground when you're ready to do so.



Move while diving to collect rings and avoid enemies.

Move to the sides as you race along the ledges to collect rings and avoid enemies.

You can make your way up the shaft that waits beyond by using homing attacks on enemies that block your way, then pressing against blue triggers. Those will cause ledges to start moving, either opening corridors for you or allowing you to gain elevation. As you reach the top of the shaft's main portion, watch for an enemy turret on the wall. It will launch a regular series of shots that you'll want to avoid. There's a high ledge above that, but you can't reach it right now. Pass underneath the turret and along the hallway leading to the right, where you'll trigger another checkpoint.

Beyond that checkpoint, you'll find a launching pad with a '?' ahead of it. The '?' provides a tip: you can still move while diving. This comes into play immediately after you launch from the pad. You'll find yourself falling down a vertical shaft, where you can move left and right both to collect rings and to avoid enemies. At the base of that shaft, you'll find yourself flying forward through space for a time (where you can still move to collect trails of rings) before coming to land on a ledge.

As you race along this ledge, you'll have to avoid plenty of enemies that race alongside you, sometimes ahead of you or behind you. The familiar signs will appear to point your way through zig-zag motions that you can follow to most easily collect a bunch of rings while avoiding enemy contact. There are plenty of rings to gather, and also watch out for a Special Ring (positioned along the far right side of the second series of translucent walkways) that is easily missed if you're not anticipating it.

When you get to the far side of that series of ledges, which are broken up by small trips that send you soaring through the atmosphere, you'll come to solid ground once more. As you run to the right, you'll clear a checkpoint and then arrive at the base of another vertical shaft.

With the blue wisp's ability, you can turn rings temporarily into blocks that you can use to cross the wide gap.

Move quickly so that the ceiling doesn't crush you as it lowers.

Head up that next shaft and at the top, start to the right. You'll see an enemy perched atop a series of blue blocks, and just ahead of that there's a blue alien wisp that you can collect. Grab the wisp, but don't use him just yet. Instead, use a homing attack to launch yourself up to the enemy, then cross over the pile of blocks. To the right, you'll find a large pit with blue rings floating over it. Use the blue alien's ability now to turn the rings into solid ground. Quickly race to the right, then head up the series of blue blocks that you find there and leap to the upper left to land on some black crates where enemies are positioned among more blue blocks and rings. You can collect another blue wisp here. Do so, then put it to immediate use. Now a double jump can carry you back to the upper right, to a high ledge where a Special Ring is resting. Collect it, then jump to the right to return to solid ground before the blue alien's power's are completely drained.



Next, continue toward the right along a series of platforms. Each of these will launch you high into the air, to another of the platforms in a predetermined manner. When you are launched from the last of them, you'll drop down to the right and access another checkpoint. Now you can start to the right, but note that the ceiling will start to fall as you do so. You need to hurry to reach the far side without being crushed. The far side in that first instance is only a temporary resting point. You can collect a blue wisp there, then run under the next section of ceiling to reach an area with blue rings. Wait for the ceiling ahead of you to start lowering. Activate the wisp, then bounce up from the lowered wall and onto the top of some rings that are temporarily hardened. From them, leap up to a springboard and use it to launch high into the air. Head to the right and you'll be able to fall down onto the top of some solid blocks, where you can collect another blue wisp.

Activate the wisp to drop through the rings as the ceiling ahead starts to drop. You'll hit a springboard that will send you flying upward. Run to the right, collecting normal rings and a hidden Special Ring. To the far right, you'll drop down and Sonic will be running along more of the translucent purple pathways through space. Be ready for a final series of jumps that he must take along a final series of three floating panels (you'll see them as red target reticules flash briefly on-screen). Make sure that you don't hold the analog stick in any one direction as you fly along the panels. Move it quickly left and right to cause other reticules to appear or you may fall into the abyss. Past the last of those panel jumps, you'll reach the stage goal.


� Early in the stage, when you first arrive at the space station, you'll find a pink wisp that grants you the buzzsaw ability. Collect it, then ascend the shaft to a point where there's a locked door to the right that normally you would open by pressing a switch before falling through a vertical shaft while collecting rings. Instead of opening the door, put your buzzsaw ability to use. Slowly make your way up the overhead wall (don't boost or you'll move too fast), destroy the enemy positioned along it and then ascend to the very top. Once you arrive, stop and let Sonic return to his usual form. Head to the right, to the edge of a ledge, then double jump out and air boost to reach a ledge to the far right where you'll collect another pink wisp. Head right from there, then descend through some crates and start toward the lower left. You'll find a point where there's a blue switch ahead of a gate. Activate your buzzsaw ability and double jump up so that you attach to the ceiling. Now roll along it and back toward the right. You'll ascend a narrow vertical shaft and at the top find a Special Ring.


You start this stage with a view of Sonic as he runs toward the right along a rainbow-toned floor. You'll collect a blue wisp. To the right, there are blocks that you can turn to rings to eliminate some enemies and drop down a shaft, but there's nothing down there to collect on your initial run at this stage.


Starlight Carnival




Ignore the rings beyond the spikes and use the hook to reach the high ground instead.

Use your blue wisp so that you can climb enough to jump out from the wall and collect the Special Ring.

Continue to the right and there's an orange ring positioned within a vertical shaft. Drop into the ring and let it propel you upward and to a ledge toward the upper right. From that ledge, you can jump left to trip a switch that causes a bay door to open. That door grants you access to the base of another vertical shaft. Wall jump your way to the top of that shaft, collecting rings as you go, then hop over the gap and to the ledge to the right. Now you'll spot an opening through some spikes to the left, with tantalizing rings. You can't easily reach them without losing a bunch of rings in the process (thanks to the spikes), so ignore that treasure trove.

To continue up the shaft, double jump and watch for a target reticule that allows you to grab onto a hook and pull yourself to the top of the shaft. It's obvious that you can go to the right from here, but note that there's also a detour to the left. You'll want to check out that area later, when you have more wisp powers. On this, your first trip to the stage, continue right in the obvious direction.

You'll soon come to a wall comprised of large, hanging crates. Positioned among those are some explosive crates that will flash red and then explode after a few seconds if you brush against them. Work through the stack, detonating each of those crates. On the far side, you'll drop down to a ledge to the right, which looks out over a series of more of the explosive crates. They're held aloft by some blue crates. Use your blue wisp power to reverse the crates and rings. Leap over to the right area, against the wall. Jump up the wall, then dash out through the air and to the left to land on the ledge and collect the Special Ring. When your special ability expires, the blocks below will explode. Now you can drop down and through the opening that they created.

You can essentially burrow down through the blue blocks by quickly activating and



deactivating your blue wisp skill.

Don't let the enemies shoot you as you work through the final crawlspace.

You'll find another series of blue blocks, blue rings and exploding crates. You can leap left to land on a ledge with another blue wisp, and there are some rings to be collected in a recessed space to the left of that. Grab those, then activate the blue wisp while standing along the far right side of the shaft. Now you can quickly tap the same button to deactivate and reactivate the ability as you burrow down that side.

When you've done so properly, you'll drop to a lower shaft with enemies to your left. Quickly take them out with homing attacks before they have time to shoot you as you head to the left, drop down a shaft and continue left to reach the area's exit. It cab be a short stage.


� Head right from the start of the stage, keeping to the lowest levels. You'll find and grab a pink wisp. Head right from there to find an area where orange rings launch you up a passage. You can use the buzzsaw ability to attach to the wall to the right, then roll through a cranny while destroying crates to find a large room full of rings. Collect them and roll along the wall in the upper corner to find a Special Ring. Make sure that you destroy all destructible crates in this area so that you can easily return to the room later (and also the area along the lower side of the level) if you need another pink wisp.

� Start up the vertical shaft above where you find that first hidden Special Ring and you'll notice a switch to the left that is surrounded by spikes. You can only press the switch when you are in buzzsaw form thanks to the powers of a pink wisp. Make sure that you press that lever to open the door to the right as you ascend along the shaft to claim the Special Ring that we'll describe next. Once you have claimed that other ring, return down the shaft and pass through the opening to the right. In wisp pink form, you can head right and grab another wisp, then roll along the ceiling to find another Special Ring in a cranny.

� Early in the stage, you'll ascend a vertical shaft and then can start to the right. There's an area to the left, though, where enemies are positioned on ledges above explosive crates. There's a pink wisp among them. Grab it, then jump left and kill an enemy positioned against the left wall with a homing attack. Activate your buzzsaw ability and use it to scale the wall and work along the ceiling to collect a Special Ring.

� After you pass through the door to the right that you open by rolling through the spikes in buzzsaw form and stepping on a switch, continue right through the hallway. Use pink wisp abilities to roll down the slope at the far side of that hallway and through some destructible blocks. Quickly roll down that left wall toward the bottom of the shaft and look to the right. You'll see a formation of four explosive blocks with a Special Ring hanging below them. Quickly hop out to the blocks while in buzzsaw form, attach to them, then boost your way around their surface to collect the Special Ring. Then hop to safety on the wall. You can ride up the wall to find a switch on a floating ledge, then drop to that switch to open a special door that will allow you to proceed to the right and through the stage's goal ring.




Head down the trail and toward the right, as Sonic wishes. He'll descend a slope and to the right, you can jump out into the air and target a hook that is dangling from a high ledge. Do so and make sure that it pulls you up to that higher road.

There's a hidden area on the high road where you can collect an easy Special Ring.

The first time you reach this ramp, there's a Special Ring along its highest point that you can easily snag.

As you start to the right from there, you'll find a yellow cart that will glide slowly in that direction. You can jump onto it as it slowly moves toward the right. You'll bounce regularly from it, and you can use your kick attack in the air to quickly descend and bounce higher into the air upon landing on the moving springboard. This allows you to collect precious rings as it slowly glides toward the right. As it nears the far right edge, it'll stop. You can use your kick attack again and fly up to the ledge overhead. Now jump over a crate in that direction and the camera will pan up to show you a Special Ring.

Collect the ring, then drop back down and head back to the left. Drop down and proceed right now along the lower route, along another of the moving yellow platforms. In this direction, there's another high ledge that you can reach with an air kick. Land on it and you can find a second Special Ring. Then proceed to the right from there and hop onto the yellow platform. It will start to slowly rise and you can hop up ledges to the left, collecting rings. Quickly reach the top, then jump onto the rising golden springboard. Aim left so that you land at the base of a ramp to the upper left. You'll be propelled along the ramp and as you run in an arc around it, you'll collect another Special Ring.

The loop that you run along to collect that ring will deposit you on a ledge at its base. You can hop up a short ledge to the right and continue in that direction. Do so, and soon you'll pass through a checkpoint. Continue toward the right and you'll reach the edge of a wide gap. There's a floating yellow ledge here. You can hop out onto it, then bounce from it as you cross the gap toward the right and more solid ground. Note as you go that there are floating ledges with rings resting on them. You can hop onto these, but be careful not to move too quickly or you'll dash and fall off into the pit. Also, know that the floating ledges will fall away once you have stood on them for a moment (or within a few seconds once you first put weight on them).


Starlight Carnival




You'll need to hustle if you want to grab the Special Ring before the platforms fall out from underneath you.

Take out the wasp and collect a Special Ring as you do so.

From there, you should jump onto another of the floating yellow ledges. This one moves along a much more difficult route. The main thing to keep in mind as you follow that route is that the platform will only move forward along its predetermined course, never backwards. It'll take you first toward the right, then up past some short ledges with tempting rings placed along them (ignore them unless you're worrying about a high score and feeling particularly daring, since it's far too easy to accidentally dash off their sides and fall into the pit), then back left past a wasp.

As the platform proceeds left along that higher route, you can quickly bounce up through a gap (using a dropkick to gain the required altitude) and dash right for a Special Ring, then return left to the floating ledge before the platforms fall. Continue left along the ledge from there, which will slowly start to rise toward the top of its route where a glowing orb is waiting. Use a dropkick to gain enough altitude to collect a Special Ring that the orb is guarding and be careful to avoid the orb or you'll take damage. Now let the moving platform carry you toward the upper right. You can use another dropkick to reach some more rings and an extra life token if you're feeling brave.

Further to the right, ahead of a final floating orb, there's a high floating ledge. Whatever you do, make sure that you use a dropkick so that you can reach that ledge. Then jump out from the ledge, out to the right over the orb, and use an air dash to make it to the far ledge. On that ledge, jump to another floating yellow ledge. Use a final dropkick to gain elevation that allows you to tag the stage-ending gold ring.


You'll begin this stage facing directly toward the right. Step onto a platform, which will launch you up into the air. There, a speed pad will carry you under an overhead ledge. Spare a moment to look at the spinning orb positioned above that ledge. It periodically will fire a spread shot of green bolts of energy. Watch for a moment to get a feel for the pattern. If you collide with any of those green shots, you'll take damage.


Starlight Carnival




You can drop down into the opening where the second floating green ball is hanging to find a Special Ring.

Drop down along the column of rings near the far right wall to find a platform with a Special Ring resting on it.

It's possible to quickly run past the orb after it lets loose a charged energy spread shot. Wait for it to do so, then jump up onto the ledge and run under it and to the right. You'll find another of the floating green balls ahead. There's a gap you can easily jump to run overhead, but you don't want to. Instead, drop down through the opening (while avoiding the charged shots) to find a Special Ring. Then hop out and continue to the right.

As you proceed, you'll have to use homing attacks to take out two weak enemies. Then you'll come to a wider pit. This bottomless pit has several of the green balls positioned along it. You'll need to leap along ledges while avoiding spread shots. Proceed to the right and you'll come to a wall with ledges leading upward. However, there's a trail of rings just to the lower right. You can drop down along that trail of rings to land on a secret platform. Jump left to another platform and collect a Special Ring.

Now a hook will drop down. Use a homing attack to grab onto it and let it carry you back up to the series of ledges above. Ascend along those now while you keep an eye on the green balls to your left and upper left. The upper left one in particular poses a risk.

You'll have to deal with twice the usual number of shots as you ascend the shaft to the checkpoint. Make sure that you don't miss the Special Ring.

There are items of interest in the black crates overhead, but on your first visit you'll be stuck taking the lower route to the goal on the far right side of the passage.



As you ascend, you'll have to eliminate a few more enemies and then you'll come to another high vertical shaft. This one has a pair of green balls placed atop one another so that you have to deal with twice the usual nmber of shots, which is made trickier still by the fact that you have to jump and grab hooks with homing attacks to launch yourself up the series of ledges that lead up through the area. Make sure that as you reach the upper left side of the shaft, you grab the Special Ring that is out in plain sight. Then leap right and let the hook carry you up before another round of spread shots comes about and makes your life difficult.

At the top of that shaft, you'll activate a checkpoint. Then you should keep moving to the right to find a bunch of enemies positioned along crates that are stacked to form a staircase. You can ascend the stairs with homing attacks and go flying out onto the raised platforms to eliminate the six or so enemies on higher ground, though there's not much reason to risk that blitz on your first run through the stage. The lower route isn't much safer, though, and as you continue to the right you'll have to deal with more of the floating green balls and their spread shots.

Cautiously advance past the balls between bursts of fire, then on the far right side of the shaft you'll find a springboard that you can use to bounce up to the area goal.


� Around two thirds of the way through the stage, you'll grab a purple wisp and pass through a checkpoint. A gate opens ahead of you. Pass through it and start to the right. There's a white wisp to give your purple one energy, then beyond that a raised ledge. Leap onto it and take out the first enemy with a homing attack, then set your purple wisp power into motion. Now you need to start to the right, hopping from the edge of each platform to continue to the next while collecting more purple wisps and breaking through more blocks. Along the way, you'll find a Special Ring.

� Follow the steps outlined above, but make sure that you keep going through the blocks on the high road after grabbing that first Special Ring. As you continue to the right, continue jumping from the edge of each platform. You may want to repeatedly mash the 'Jump' button as you near the edge of each one until you see yourself leap into the air, since for some reason Sonic is extremely unresponsive to requests to jump in this area (mostly he's too busy chowing down on blocks). If you make it all the way to the far upper right side, you'll collect another Special Ring just before passing through the stage's goal ring.


You'll begin this stage as you did another one within the region: upside-down and racing toward a starry expanse. As before, you'll soon find yourself racing along lavender, translucent pathways.


Starlight Carnival




As you free fall through space, make sure that you float toward the upper left so that you can collect the Special Ring from its position at the center of the spiked ring.

There are a lot of enemies to eliminate along the yellow track.

Enemies will promptly appear to give you grief. You can watch the green markers along the bottom of the screen for hints about which way to weave in order to avoid their attacks. There are a lot of rings to collect, and plenty of alien capsules. Keep running and when you've run for quite some time, you'll launch out into the air. Without a platform to hold you aloft, you'll start dropping downward as columns of rings seem almost to race up toward you.

Here, make sure that you hold toward the upper left and you will have the opportunity to pass through a ring of spikes. At the center, you'll find a Special Ring that you definitely don't want to miss. Keep descending from there and eventually you'll arrive on solid ground as a speed pad pushes you through a checkpoint gate.

Continue toward the right and you'll drop to lower ground, where a bumper will start you forward along a yellow track. There are crates hanging in the air here, with rings among them, but you should focus your energy on avoiding the rows of foes that you'll face. You can eliminate them with a flurry of homing attacks to reach the far side of that passageway unscathed. Then a bumper pad will send you upward to a loop, which will carry you down and eventually to the right. Eliminate a few more enemies that wait there, then pass through another checkpoint.

You can't make it to the ring that hangs above the gap on a single flight, so make a stop to refuel as you ascend toward that prize.

Ascend toward the top of the tower, then head to the right to make an alien capsule appear so that you can fly some more.



After the checkpoint, you can launch over a ramp that sends you flying out toward the right. As you land, continue in that direction to find a new green wisp. With this wisp's ability, you can fly. Read the tutorial on flying carefully and remember especially that you can move faster while boosting through rings. During such boosts, you also won't lose precious special meter energy. Hold the 'Jump' button to fly up through the air and steer with the analog stick. Start by heading up and to a platform toward the upper right, where you'll find another green wisp. From there, fly out toward the left to find a Special Ring, then loop around to the top of the platform beneath which the ring rested. Fly out to the right to return to solid ground while avoiding the floating spikes.

You need to use more conventional platforming skills from there as you ascend the tower. Hop along a series of rising platforms, then use homing attacks to ascend a column of floating enemies and then ascend along still more platforms. On the second grouping of platforms, watch for the mud geysers that will try to shower you with rocks and knock loose rings.

If you want to take a detour through a part of the stage that you wouldn't normally see (though you'll miss out on a Special Ring by doing so), you can leap out above the higher of those two with a double jump to reach solid ground, then continue ascending along another column of enemies to arrive on a platform that will raise you up to a rainbow ring. Let it launch you to a nearby ledge. Run along that yellow ledge to the right and use a springboard to reach higher ground. There, you can collect some goodies if you have the proper wisps. There's a pulley that you can grab onto and ride down along a wire to reach lower ground to the right. Otherwise, you can reach that same platform by heading right after reaching the ledge above the mud geysers.

You won't make it through this stage if you haven't mastered the art of the homing attack. You'll need to use it frequently throughout the stage's second half.

Defeat robots on each of the ledges to make capsules appear, then use your alien powers to fly to higher ledges and repeat the process.

On that ledge, step on a blue tile to make a capsule appear. Grab it. Now that you have the capsule, put it to use by flying toward the right. There will be some rings floating in space, so you can speed through them and gain some altitude to find a Special Ring that is floating beneath some black blocks. We'll describe an alternate method for collecting that ring at the end of the walkthrough for this stage, if you're having trouble with this unconventional method. Collect the ring quickly, then make sure that you speed to the right as far as possible. Be ready in case your rocket power dies, so that you can air dash to the right and land on the ledge. You now have arrived on the ledge that you would have reached if you had taken the detour described previously.

Head right along this ledge and be sure to jump to avoid spike traps that will deploy along the floor. You can tell where they'll appear by watching for the black tiles. Past the first of those, you'll find a vertical shaft that you can ascend using careful wall jumps. If you miss, make sure that you don't fall and land on spikes. When you do make it to the top of that shaft, there are still more spikes to the right. Leap over those and on the far side of that yellow strip, you'll reach another bumper. Let it carry you up to a higher ledge, where you'll be run through a short sequence as Sonic races along some ledges before passing through another checkpoint.



Hop up the short ledge beyond that checkpoint to find a slew of enemy robots waiting. You can eliminate all of them with homing attacks and when you do, a green alien capsule will appear. This process now should be repeated as you ascend the tower in the background. There are numerous ledges as you rise, each with robot groupings along them. Always, eliminating robots will allow you to safely collect rings and to find another capsule so that you can keep ascending. You can sometimes use homing attacks to ascend along spiked, floating objects also. Keep going, make sure that you grab the extra life icon along the way, and when you reach the point near the very top, you'll notice ledges taking off to the left and right. Follow those ledges left to find some robots that you can destroy to reveal another green capsule. Head back to the right and activate the capsule, then use it to ride up along a series of rings that rises up along the tower. As the rings lead you to the back side, you'll collect a secret Special Ring that you might not have noticed before finally arriving at the top of the stage and passing through a ring to complete the stage.


� Work your way through the stage until you are watching as Sonic runs from left to right. Keep running in that direction, past one high capsule with a pink wisp that you can't reach yet. Use homing attacks from some enemies to the right and bounce to a high ledge with a pink wisp. Jump up against the ceiling and activate its powers, then grind left along that ceiling collecting rings. You'll circle up around to the ledge's upper side and start to the right, rolling up along stacks of crates. From the first such stack, leap up to an overhanging formation of the black crates. Now follow those crates upward to reach an area to your upper right where a Special Ring is hanging from the ceiling, waiting to be collected. You have to move with extraordinary speed and you can make your way better by jumping between platforms and breaking through destructible blocks. This one takes a lot of practice, or a lot of luck.

� Make your way to the top of the tall tower partway through the stage either by using your green wisp's hovering ability or by bouncing from spikes with carefully-timed homing attacks. When you reach the top of that tower and head to the right, you'll find a pink wisp floating in a capsule in the air, near some spike traps. Collect the wisp and head to the wall to the right, then roll up it before jumping left to some floating black crates. Climb up along the crates until you reach a long row of them leading left. Roll up and around so that you're on the top part of that ledge and quickly roll left, leaping over destructible crates so that they don't slow you down, until you have to roll around the underside of the platform (by breaking a crate) to collect another pink wisp and keep your power going. From there, descend toward the lower left along more blocks and when you get to the lowest point, you'll find a Special Ring hanging in the air for you to collect.


This is a rather unconventional stage with a relatively short path to its conclusion but with plenty of opportunities to explore for optional Special Ring items. You'll appear beneath an alien pod as the stage begins. It's the green one that allows you to fly, which is an ability that you can use frequently throughout this stage.


Starlight Carnival




There are treasures placed throughout the stage. You'll need to fly to reach them, particularly the higher ones near the top of the zone.

If you begin the stage by heading left and flying along the route that you find in that direction, you will reach a Special Ring as you ascend.

There are a number of ways that you might proceed from the start of the stage.

One good strategy is to begin by first heading to the left. You'll find a spike-lined corridor in that direction, but there are also plenty of alien pods placed along that route. They'll keep you in the air and fueled as you navigate the passages and ascend whilst collecting rings. When you reach the general top of the area, you'll find a whole slew of rings, with a Special Ring floating in their midst. Collect that and glide right to the nearest platform, where you can finally stop to rest.

Now you just need to continue ascending toward the top of the area. This is relatively easy to do. Simply hop along any ledges that are available or use homing attacks to launch from floating, spiked balls as you gain elevation. Occasionally you will need to use your rocket ability, which shouldn't present a problem because the capsules containing the green aliens are placed generously throughout the area.

As you ascend, you can press up against blue switches to make new ledges extend, which makes it easier to find a solid place to land. Near the top of the area, when you hit one blue switch you'll cause a long string of rings to materialize. Race along it in rocket form and when the rings vanish, head left to find another platform with another alien capsule. Hit a nearby switch to cause a trove of rings to appear overhead. Among them is the stage's final Special Ring. Fly up and grab it, then let yourself fall while being careful that you don't drop back down to spikes that are positioned to either side of the nearest solid platform.

Look for strings of rings to allow you to more quickly navigate the stage with your limited wisp



powers.

The trip to the ring at the top of the stage can be a dangerous one, especially once you run out of wisp energy.

If you're ready to finish the stage after collecting that ring, you can fly toward the upper right from the platform, up and then back toward the left. Boost through formations of rings whenever possible so that you rise more quickly. You should come within range of the first of a series of spiked balls as your rocket fuel expires. Use a homing attack to launch toward the nearest of those balls, then carefully repeat the process as needed to ascend the column of enemies and pass through the stage-ending golden ring at the very top of the area.


You'll have to go out of your way to collect most of the rings in this stage. We've noted the location of one of them above, but below we're providing tips to collect the other four.

� One ring is positioned on a ledge below your starting point. To collect it, grab the green capsule that appears above you as you start, then head to the right. Hop up some platforms past spikes, then fall out to the right and drop toward the abyss. As you come even with some narrow platforms leading to the left, activate your rocket and fly left while avoiding swinging spiked balls (you should sail over them as possible, rather than dropping low to pass underneath them). You should just barely make it to the far left. You may have to air boost to arrive safely. When you do land, you can collect a Special Ring. Now a green capsule appears for you to collect. You'll have to backtrack to the right by hopping along platforms while avoiding spikes, then fly up and around to solid ground again. � You can find another Special Ring if you head to the left from the starting point. There is a green wisp positioned near the edge of a ledge looking out across a pit with spinning spike balls. You can float over that pit and grab more wisps as you make your way up through a course lined by spikes and other such hazards. Keep to coin groupings whenever possible and make sure that you grab each new green wisp to keep your power going. You'll find the ring floating above a bed of spiked balls, amidst some rings. � As you ascend through the stage, you'll come to a platform where you can press left against a blue switch that is positioned on a wall and a trail of coins will appear to the right. Rather than following along that trail of coins, head up an overhead shaft with your floating ability. Float over a bed of spikes and to the right to find more green wisp energy, then from there keep ascending while aiming toward the left. You'll find an area in that direction where you can drop down to a low ledge with destructible blocks. Double jump up and to the right from that row of destructible blocks to grab a Special Ring from the cranny. � Near the top of the stage, you'll activate a switch that makes a long, looping trail of rings appear. Boost along the start of that trail and let the rings carry you through spike hazards while collecting a Special Ring on the way.

Starlight Carnival Boss

You've reached another boss battle. This one is preceded by a long cutscene. Once it concludes, you'll get right into the thick of battle.


Starlight Carnival




Stay out of the path of the gunfire as you approach the ship from behind and then launch into a series of homing attacks.

Collect any rings, but be ready to jump any obstacles and bullets as you continue the chase from a side perspective.

This boss battle feels a lot like an action stage. You'll be running along some of the translucent lavender platforms that you may recall from some recent stages. As you run toward your opponent, you can watch where its spotlight shines. There are three positions that you can move along as you run, so you need to make sure that you're not lined up with your opponent's guns when he begins firing machine gun blasts. Just veer to the side of the path of fire and keep running forward. Then as the bullets start flying, you can double jump into the air and use a homing attack to zoom forward and start dealing damage to your foe. Mash the button for all it's worth to keep inflicting damage.

Once you have torn up your foe sufficiently, it will sag to one side and you'll see part of its body fall away. The perspective will switch so that you're viewing the battle from the side as Sonic runs to the right in pursuit of the whale-shaped ship. Collect any rings that fly toward you, but be ready to leap to avoid any traps that may be dropped along the ground. You'll also need to be ready to leap over projectile shots, and to double jump and use homing attacks so that you can get in close and do more damage.

For the remainder of the fight, you'll simply alternate between the above two strategies to increase the damage that you inflict on the ship, until finally it will go down in flames as you are showered in rings and the stage concludes.

Planet Wisp Act 1

There's a long introductory run that starts off this stage. Sonic will begin running forward through some grass and you'll need to direct him along sloping pathways that proceed into the foliage. On the second such slope, veer left and ascend so that you bump against one of the speed pads positioned high along the wall. That will speed you along more such pads, allowing you to collect a white wisp to partially fill your boost meter.

= Tropical Resort Sweet Mountain Starlight Carnival Aquarium »

Planet Wisp




In pink blade form, you can easily reach items that otherwise would be quite difficult to reach.

Use a rocket wisp to launch yourself to the high Special Ring.

Keep moving and as you come up on a ramp that will launch you forward and into the air, boost so that you go flying higher and pass through some rings. Those will carry you to an upper ledge. Run forward along the ledge and the pathway crumbles beneath you. Near the end of the first ledge, jump into the air and then quickly press the 'Jump' button again to use a homing attack on a nearby springboard. It'll launch you to another track where you have to move up and down as you continue forward through spike traps. As you run, you can move sideways just like you would on other tracks in the game, to avoid spikes. First move left to the lowest point on the track to avoid the two spikes positioned along the middle and right tracks. Immediately after them, quickly move right two tracks (so that you're in the top lane) and collect a Special Ring. Then you want to be ready to bounce along springboards and to some railings along which you must grind. Be ready to leap left and right to other rails, since some end almost without warning.

When you reach the far side of those rails, you'll arrive finally on solid ground as the view shifts to accommodate Sonic's movement on a 2D plane. Start toward the right, beneath a hanging row of crates. Just past those crates, you'll find a new type of alien wisp: the pink one. The ability you gain with that wisp equipped is one of the most useful in the game and can be used in many earlier stages, as well. While in pink wisp form, you can move like Sonic but you'll be a spinning blade. That allows you to roll along ceilings, if you jump to attach to them. You can jump and attach yourself to the first ceiling directly above where you find the ability, then roll left along it and into a recessed area. There's a gate opening overhead, and you'll see an orange wisp resting in a capsule. If you like, position yourself over it so that when the blade ability expires, you'll drop down and collect the rocket ability. Then you can use it to blast up a high vertical shaft. When you come out on top, you can glide to the right and collect rings. Then you can drop down to the area below the track.

If you decide not to head to the left when you first obtain the pink wisp abilities, you can instead travel to the right and you will find a floating ledge that rises and falls in a short, vertical shaft. Hop onto that ledge and you can reach higher ground, which is where you would have arrived if you took the higher route in the first place. Here, there's another rocket wisp. Grab it, then launch yourself skyward (be careful that the floating platforms don't move in your way as you're launching). When you reach the peak of that blast and start to descend, you'll see the Special Ring below you. Glide carefully down and collect it, then continue gliding to the right.



Prove that you're an amazing hedgehog as you fly over massive gaps with nary a care in the world.

Many of the enemies in this game seem to exist for the sole purpose of serving as stepping stones.

There are some lower openings that you can pass through as you head toward the right. Along one of the highest ones, you'll find a track leading toward the right. You can use a speed boost to propel yourself along that track, which allows you to collect a string of rings before you return to the construction girders from which most of the stage is constructed. As you start to the right from there, you'll deal with several more enemies that fall easily to homing attacks. One of them is positioned on a platform that rises and falls. Defeat him, then jump onto the platform and let it carry you up to higher ground.

To the right, you'll find another checkpoint and then a ramp that launches you into space. Be ready here to mash the 'Jump' button rapidly as indicated on-screen. You'll gain elevation as you fly across a wide gap. Then you can make use of a pink wisp that you will find on the far side of that gap. You'll have options about where to go with that wisp ability. Note that if you want, you can easily go left and launch yourself up a series of walls to quickly climb the shaft. Remember that you can use your boost ability even in blade form to really make some tracks before the ability expires. However, there's an important item that you'd miss by doing so. It's located to the right.

To get that item, head right and use the pink wisp ability to break through the black block that bars your path. You can also collect rings and a rocket wisp from the floating, circular ledge with a whirling fan blade. Now continue up along the platform and work to the upper left. Break through destructible blocks and head around and to the left so that you arrive back on the ledge near where you collected the pink wisp a moment ago, but this time stand on the very left edge with the rocket wisp. Activate it and you'll fly upward, breaking through several glass ceilings before drifting down to land in a rainbow ring that launches you to the upper right. There, collect rings and an extra life as you head to the right. Slide under a low wall and down a slope. You'll land on a ledge to the right. Hop back left to the base of the slide you just descended and you'll see a low gap. Slide through it to find a Special Ring.

Drop down from there to a lower area, where you'll find yourself ascending again by using homing attacks on enemies that are positioned on moving ledges. Beyond them, you'll race along some ledges and grind along some railings before coming to a lengthy pathway.



Stick to the left as possible as you run along the ramps so that you don't miss out on the ramp that will send you flying forward to collect a Special Ring.

Use your pink wisp ability to turn into a blade and clear the area of weak blocks on your rise to the top.

The pathway that you're now running along is anything but safe. There are gaps positioned along it, so you'll need to see them coming and move left or right to avoid them. Quick jerks of the analog stick will do the job just fine. As you run, also watch out for enemies that are placed along the route. They like to get in your way and knock loose precious rings.

For the most part as you run, you'll want to stick to the left side of the track when given a choice. Along that route, you'll fly over a ramp that launches you across a gap and allows you to collect a Special Ring in the process. Not far beyond that, you'll finally reach the end of the treacherous ramps, accessing a new checkpoint as you do so.

Beyond that checkpoint, you'll run along fairly safe ground for awhile before the perspective shifts so that you're again viewing things from the side. As you proceed forward, you'll leap out and attach yourself to a strange spinning device. When you jump while attached to it, you'll launch out in the direction that its arm extends, like a cannonball shot from a cannon. You can use the analog stick to aim it up so that you launch upward along a trail of rings, if you wish. Otherwise, you can launch to the right and find a rising platform to carry you to high ground. Note that if you stay in one of the cannons too long without making a decision, you'll fall out of it (and in this case, to your death).

From the top of that rising platform to the right, continue toward the right and across a series of rising and falling platforms. There's an orange wisp in a capsule. Collect it, then hop left to a platform with a vertical line of rings positioned over it. Use the rocket to take a ride up to the high road, where you'll find a pink wisp in a capsule. Collect it, then put it to use. Jump to the ceiling and ride up along the higher area of the structure, breaking through destructible blocks and collecting another wisp to keep your energy going. You'll eventually find yourself on the ceiling with a Special Ring below you. Drop down to collect the ring, then descend along the right wall from there before double jumping left through the stage's goal ring.

Planet Wisp Act 2

There's a neat trick at the start of this stage that can save you some time if you're not worried about gathering Special Ring items. Though the game begins by propelling you toward the right, which


Planet Wisp




brushes you up against a springboard that sends you up into the air, you can hold left and drop back down to where you started the stage. Then you can head left and you'll reach an apparent dead end with an open vertical shaft overhead. It's possible next to double jump up and grab the left side of the shaft, then wall hop your way to the very top of the shaft. Once you arrive at the top of that shaft, head right and hop out to grind along a railing. You'll reach a ledge that typically would be accessed through more traditional means, as described below.

You need to jump and use an air dash to collect the Special Ring, then return left along the dangerous lower path while avoiding spiked balls.

Use the space between the spikes to ascend to the higher ledge and step out onto it to collect a Special Ring.

If you would prefer to take a more conventional route through the stage up to that point, you can instead head right from the starting point as encouraged. Bounce up from that first springboard, then hold right and almost immediately, you'll need to jump and use a kick attack to break down through a short pile of white blocks. Proceed to the right from there and use a homing attack to kill an enemy on some steps. Hop up and you'll find a series of platforms that rise and fall. Hop up to the highest of those, then hop left and use an air dash to collect a Special Ring in the air. Then return to the right and keep moving in that direction.

You'll descend along a vertical shaft, collecting rings as you do, then reach another of the series of rising and falling ledges. Let them carry you to the platform to the upper right, then use a hook to ride up to an area overhead. Drop down and proceed to the right by breaking through construction signs, then find yourself looking out toward a new scenario. There's a wide pit with a column at the center. On either side of the column, there are floating barrels that regularly send out spiked balls. To the lower right side of the area, you'll find a blue pad that can be stood upon, while a Special Ring rests on a ledge to the upper right from there. To get the ring, you'll need to leap out from the left ledge and use an air dash to fly over to the ledge where the ring rests. Then you'll have to return along the lower route (while avoiding spiked balls that rain down from overhead). Grab onto a hook to ride up to the high road, then jump out and through a glowing ring to be propelled along a series of rings. They'll carry you up to a higher ledge.

You've now arrived in the approximate vicinity of the ledge that you would have reached if you took the shortcut outlined at the start of our walkthrough for this stage. Continue right from that point and you'll reach a series of ledges that are rising and falling. Note that they have spikes on their top and bottom sides, but you can hop into the middle of each ledge for a safe crawl space of sorts. Start with the middle one, let it rise up so that it's even with the left one, then quickly step into the left one. When the left one rises, you can step left onto a ledge and obtain a Special Ring. Then you can work your way right through the spiked ledges and you'll find a stage checkpoint.



Make your way to the blue pad to lower the ceiling overhead, then return carefully to the left.

There's an extra life high in the air, if you want to spend the time to collect it.

Continue to the right from the checkpoint and you'll arrive at the top of a vertical shaft. Drop down it and head to the right, where there's a large black block ahead of the first of a few enemies. Take out those enemies with homing attacks and work carefully toward the right. There are more of the floating barrels in this area that fire out spiked balls. There also are enemies and a blue pad. The pad is your goal. You want to reach it and step on it to lower the ceiling overhead. Then you want to return (dashes work best if you mean to do so in one piece) to the far left.

Hop on the springboard, fly into the air and then air dash out to the right to arrive on the lowered ledge. Keep moving in that direction and eliminate enemies with homing attacks as you do so. You'll find another of the pads. This one will cause more platforms to start moving overhead. When they're extended properly, they form stairs that lead to the upper left or lower right depending on where in their pattern of movement the platforms are as you ascend them. You can ascend carefully to the upper left for an extra life token, or you can head to the upper right to reach the top of a stack of blocks. Use an air kick to break down through the blocks, which will launch you along a half-pipe to the right and then up through a series of glowing rings that propel you directly upward in a vertical shaft.

In that shaft, let yourself fall back down but veer to the left and you'll land on a ledge where the stage's final Special Ring rests. Then drop back down and let the rings propel you upward again. Now you can move to the sides and carefully use homing attacks to bounce up along springboards to a high ledge. There, a speed pad will cause you to zip to the right, where you should use a sliding kick to pass beneath a low ledge. Beyond that point, you'll need to advance along a few more walkways and slide under another low ledge to reach the area goal.


� After you pass a stage checkpoint, you'll drop into an area with lots of large black crates and enemies, as well as two floating enemies that spew spiked balls. Along the left side of that area, there's a purple wisp that you can grab. Do so, then put its powers to use by munching on enemies and blocks to the right. As you grow in size, leap to consume the higher blocks and in the process snag a Special Ring.



Planet Wisp Act 3

This stage begins in a different manner than normal. You'll start racing along a chamber with the camera behind Sonic as usual. Soon, you'll come to a ledge that stretches directly ahead. There will be alien ships flying ahead of you and they will fire laser beams periodically, along the left and right portions of the path. You can dodge left and right to shift positions along the track to collect rings. However, eventually the rings will only be accessible along a path that puts you directly in the line of fire.

Keep to the center of the upper path and leap over wide gaps rather than veering around them and putting yourself at risk of taking damage and losing rings.

Run along the road if you didn't take the crystal shortcut.

Grab the first set of rings, but otherwise keep to the middle of the path. Note that there will be a wide gap in the path. It looks like you should be able to veer right to remain on solid ground, but that will only result in Sonic getting hit by laser shots. Instead, perform a long double jump and you'll just barely clear the gap. You can continue to stick to the center of the path, leaping only as necessary to avoid falling through holes. Don't double jump unless you absolutely must, or you may target an enemy and that could throw you off your game and cause you to fall to a lower level.

About halfway across, veer into the left lane and leap into the air to pass through some rainbow rings so that you can acquire the cyan alien wisp, which you'll want to have in your possession in a moment. Then return to the center of the run. Falling to a lower level isn't the end of the world, by the way. It just means that you're not on the same high road that you were when the stage began and you'll miss out on a Special Ring that can be collected as you launch from the last of the ramps on the high road. You'll still be able to proceed forward, as long as you don't drop too many levels and wind up falling into the murky soup on the stage's lowest level.

Assuming that you keep to the high road, you'll eventually be launched into the sky (collecting the aforementioned Special Ring in the process) before finally you find yourself running along a dusty road. At the start of that road, there is a crystal positioned along the ground. If you grabbed the cyan alien wisp, as noted above, you can use it now to launch upward along the path and collect a new Special Ring. Then step forward to hit a ramp that sends you speeding up the hill and makes you brush against a springboard that in turn launches you upward yet again and causes you to collect an alien wisp. You'll activate a checkpoint in the process.


Planet Wisp




You can break through the column of blocks with your wisp powers activated to find a Special Ring in the area below the obstruction.

Go along the lower route to find an alien wisp, then take the upper route and use the wisp to turn rings into blocks so that you can climb toward the upper right and find another Special Ring.

Head to the upper right, where there's a wall of black blocks. Press up against them, then activate your blue wisp to eliminate the blocks. Head back left and collect another blue wisp, then return to where you destroyed the blocks. Continue to the right and among some enemies, you'll see a column of black blocks leading downward. Jump into the air over them, then activate the wisp. You'll crush through them. Then you're free to head to the left, where you'll find another Special Ring.

Now return to the right and hop along some ledges to reach an area where there are some enemies positioned along black crates that hang in the air near blue rings and blocks. You should avoid taking out any of the upper enemies for now. Drop down and start along the lower ledge, eliminating enemies along that route as you go. To the right, you'll find a blue alien capsule. Grab it, then return left. Jump up and use a homing attack to target the nearest of the upper enemies so that you can safely return to the ledge where he is positioned. Use the same technique on the next enemy to the right. Look in that direction and you'll see some rings. Stand on the black blocks ahead of that and use the blue wisp ability to turn the rings into blocks. Quickly hop up along those and work to a ledge to the upper right. Eliminate the enemies there with homing attacks and when you finish them off, you'll make a Special Ring appear.

Collect the ring, then head back down to the lower area that you visited a moment ago. Return along the lower path leading to the right to reach the place where a wisp is waiting. Collect it, then head out to the right. Note that there are several piles of black crates here. You can jump into the air, then crash down with your blue wisp capability to break dual stacks, two columns at a time. Work to the right and eliminate all destructible blocks. Then return left, carefully hopping along the blocks. Collect the wisp, then return to the right and get to the high ground. Activate the wisp, then hop along the blocks leading to the right to collect the stage's final Special Ring and to reach the area goal before the wisp powers expire.

Planet Wisp Act 4

The first thirty seconds or so of this stage will be spent running along a predetermined path. Sonic will race forward and all you need to do is keep him moving as he speeds along corridors and launches from ramps. You'll also need to steer him as he runs along a dirt path, or you can use his


Planet Wisp




boost move to make him navigate that part of the stage more swiftly.

You have to be careful as you wall jump up the shaft or you'll fly out into the pit to the lower left.

You can't get the Special Ring the first time you see it, but you can come back for it momentarily.

Eventually, Sonic will launch high into the air and you'll need to mash the 'Jump' button to keep him gaining elevation. When he reaches the far side of that series of jumps, keep him moving to the right as the ledge where he has landed buckles beneath his weight. As he nears the end of that area, he'll come to a ramp that will launch him into the air. Boost just ahead of the ramp and Sonic will gain extra elevation, fly through some rainbow rings and then land on a high ledge. Pass through the stage checkpoint and then grab the Special Ring that is waiting just ahead of some enemies.

Defeat the enemies, then drop to the lower level and proceed toward the right. Next, you'll run along a series of speed pads, using homing attacks to eliminate any enemies, until finally you ascend to a springboard.

When you bounce up from the springboard, an exclamation mark will appear on-screen. There's a currently unreachable goody to the far upper right. Don't worry about it for now. Instead, head along the lower ground to the right and you'll access another checkpoint.

There are plenty of goodies to collect along the conveyor belt as you avoid the enemies.

You've returned for the elusive Special Ring.

As you proceed to the right from there, you'll come upon a series of floating blocks that move through the following area like a conveyor belt. Some of those have enemies placed on them. You



can leap onto the closest one and then just keep jumping straight up regularly to avoid being dragged toward the right. That will allow you to collect any items on the pieces that pass beneath you, though sometimes you'll need to use homing attacks to eliminate the enemies that are positioned along the blocks. For the record, the items that you can gather are an alien wisp, an extra life token and a Special Ring.

Once you have all of the goodies, let the track carry you to the far right and then repeat the process that worked on the belt's upper left side so that you can stay in place until a platform to your right lowers. Ride it up toward higher ground, but face out toward the left to spot a crystal. As you come even with the crystal, use your wisp ability to fly out to the left along a course that will take you across the wide gap and to the high ledge that you noticed previously. There, you can grab another Special Ring. You also have the rocket ability in your possession.

At this point, you have a choice. Option one: You can step out onto the left edge of that platform and use the rocket wisp ability to launch high into the sky overhead. You should land on a grapple rail. Slide along that rail and you'll soon come to the right, where there's another of the belt-like formations of blocks. Defeat the enemies that wait there and make your way along the belt to the far right side, where the level's goal area awaits you.

Your second option is more tempting. Instead of heading to the platform's left side, head back to the right so that you're standing on the yellow and black caution tape on the edge of the platform. Activate your rocket wisp and launch high into the air, then descend without making any adjustments to your movement on that descent. Don't touch the analog stick until you land on a railing and start grinding along it and toward the right. You'll land in a machine that you can then fire from and toward a gap to the right. Immediately mash the 'Jump' button repeatedly so that you use homing attacks to leapfrog over the pit on the backs of flying enemies. Hold right on the analog stick so that you definitely clear the gap. You'll return to the rails and then you should ride to the end of each one and let rainbow bars launch you up to each new rail. Continue until you drop off into another of the rotating cannons and turn it so that it faces straight up, then launch from it to collect a Special Ring. Then hold out toward the right and watch for a target reticule to appear so that you can use homing attacks to bounce along two more enemies before returning to a grind rail. When you land on the ground, head right and slide under the low wall, grab the zipline and slide down to collect a Special Ring before passing through the stage's goal.

Planet Wisp Act 5

Start toward the right in the direction that the stage encourages you to go. You'll arrive on a ledge with two springboards. Stacks of yellow crates are positioned above them. As usual, you can jump on the springboards and use them to fly up through the crates to the area overhead. That area is a narrow ledge that allows you to look toward the right and see more yellow columns of blocks.


Planet Wisp




Make sure that you leap left across the gap and collect an easy Special Ring.

You can drop down along the right side of the pit to find a rocket wisp, then use it to launch into the sky before gliding down to collect another Special Ring.

Note that there's an enemy to the upper right, behind the wall of yellow blocks. He'll fire two shots that eliminate both blocks, then stop shooting for a moment. Rather than proceeding forward on the obvious high road, drop down the pit and fall way down the shaft, to a lower level where an orange wisp is waiting in a capsule. Collect it, step left and then let yourself blast high into the air. When you finish, you'll drop back down and land on a twin column of yellow blocks. Leap to the right now across a wide gap to land on a ledge where you can collect the stage's first Special Ring. Now jump to the right and you can collect an extra life icon. Then drop down to a ledge to the lower right from there and you'll arrive on a hidden platform with a Special Ring resting on it. Leap over the gap to the right and slowly advance in that direction. You'll note that, predictably, another gun-wielding enemy stands on the opposite side of that group of yellow blocks. Let the blocks materialize after he shoots them out of the way, then hop onto them and from there use a homing attack to dispatch of the enemy.

Now you're committed to crossing. Keep moving along the yellow blocks and use the homing attack again to reach the far side. Just ahead of safety, drop down along a column of rings into the apparent abyss. If you keep close to the right side, you'll land on a lower ledge and you can drop down to find a rocket wisp. Hop onto the ledge overhead again, then activate the wisp and you'll go flying up into the air. Then it's time to glide back down while steering to avoid spikes. At the base of a long column of spikes, you'll also find another Special Ring to collect. Then you can land and head to the right to pass through a checkpoint.

You can clear the blocks with a speed dash and collect an easy Special Ring.

Make sure that you grab the stage's final Special Ring at the top of the shaft before you hop to the upper right and let the speed pad carry you to the finish line.

As you continue toward the right, you'll quickly come to a wide area with enemies placed along thin ledges, green and gray in color. You can easily eliminate the enemies. Most of the area is filled with yellow blocks of the sort that you can quickly destroy if it suits you. Drop down toward the lower level, defeating any enemies that you encounter along the way, and veer toward the right. You can hop up along the yellow blocks and keep pushing to the right to get a view of the far wall. You should see a Special Ring positioned against it. While standing on that top level, use a speed dash to fly swiftly to the right, breaking blocks as you go. You'll collect the ring. Then you can use slide kicks to return to the left through the blocks. If you are in this stage with purple wisp abilities, an alternative strategy is to use the purple wisp ability to chew through the blocks and get the ring. It's not necessary, but it is fun!



Hop back up to higher ground and continue toward the right. You'll be sent flying along a ramp and as you reach the top, you must slide under a low gap to proceed to the right. On the other side of that gap, you'll ascend to a final challenge.

To the upper left, there will be a series of yellow blocks, positioned so that you can use them to climb to the area overhead. However, there are enemies positioned near those blocks. They will shoot the blocks if you let them. Of course the blocks will reappear, but it's still a good idea to eliminate all of the enemies with homing attacks. Then you can easily climb the blocks toward the top of the area. Note the Special Ring that is easily collected at the top left side of the shaft.

Once you ascend the shaft, land on the ledge overhead and start to the right. You'll hit a speed pad which will carry you swiftly to the stage's goal ring.

Planet Wisp Act 6

This stage begins on a treacherous note. You'll find yourself grinding along a railing which soon becomes a series of railings. There are gaps between them and if you fall into one of those gaps, it's a fatal fall. So you need to jump between the various tracks, but if you're too careful you'll miss out on rewards.

Grind along the railings and jump through rainbow rings to collect goodies as you advance through the stage's opening trial.

Start by grinding straight forward and when you reach the first gap, jump and pass through the ring. As it propels you forward, hold left and land on that track, then be ready to jump to glide through a ring positioned at its end. That ring will send you flying over toward the right, where you can jump to collect a capsule. Then head toward the center and prepare for a ring. You can jump through it to go flying along the tracks again.

Almost before you know it, you'll find enemies that you can lock onto while you try to gain elevation. This point actually presents you with a split in the path, though that's not entirely obvious. If you drop down instead of facing those enemies, you'll find Sonic falling through the air. Veer toward the right to find a Special Ring. As you collect it, immediately press up on the analog stick to move forward toward a grind rail in the distance. As you grind along this new rail, you'll need to switch tracks to avoid spinning blades that are positioned along the tracks. Beyond those, you'll find yourself on solid ground and racing down a corridor again. It's a short trip before another grinding session takes you to a platform as the camera shifts to accommodate a view from the side. You'll


Planet Wisp




pass through a checkpoint.

Continue toward the right, probably with assistance from a speed pad, and you'll launch into the air toward some floating platforms to the right. As you work to the right, you'll need to negotiate floating blocks on a conveyor belt of sorts. Be careful to use homing attacks to eliminate any enemies. Allow yourself to ride the belt down so that you can jump across the shaft where the belt is positioned and grab the yellow wisp. Then ride the belt up to the top. You should activate the hovering wisp ability and fly a short distance to the right, then use a boost to attach to a string of rings. Now the rocket should follow a looping pattern that leads far to the right and puts you in place above another conveyor belt.

You'll ride blocks along a lot of conveyor belts in this stage.

Sail through the sky, little blue hedgehog!

If you arrived at the belt with a lot of energy left in your special meter, you can easily fly down through a gap in the platforms to find and collect a Special Ring. Then work your way along that belt and then proceed to the right to find yet another belt. There's a lot more to this particular belt, including many more enemies, but your process for negotiating its challenges by now should be a familiar one. Look toward the upper left side of the belt and you'll see a higher ledge that raises and lowers. You want to double jump up to that ledge when it is at its lowest point so that you can land on it and collect a yellow wisp.

Use the yellow wisp's powers to transform into a rocket and then start flying toward the lower right. You'll find the start of a string of rings. As before, speed along those rings and you'll be carried far to the right, to solid ground with a pink wisp's powers now at your disposal. Though you seem to have reached a dead end, that's not the case. Activate the wisp's powers and roll up the wall to the right. Use boosts to quickly ascend as your spiked form gains elevation. You'll reach the top of an area with black crates, including some that can be broken with your blade. Quickly ascend by hopping up through the weak points and if you reach the top of the stacks in time, you can find and collect a Special Ring. Then drop down and to the right.

As Sonic in his standard form, use the speed pad that is on the right side of that low gap. It'll launch you up a ramp to the right and you can gain elevation as you float back toward the left. There, some ledges rise and fall. Climb up using those ledges while dispatching of any enemies with homing attacks. You'll reach high ground, where you can head to the right. You'll hit a speed pad that leads you along a grassy trail, then results in your hedgehog form being hurled through the air. Mash the 'Jump' button to gain some ground, then land and grind along another stretch of railing. Eventually, you'll land on a new ledge and your arrival will trigger another checkpoint.



You can use a pink wisp to climb the wall on the right side of the area, which leads to a Special Ring up above some destructible blocks.

If you prefer to play things safe, you can hop up ledges, using hooks and such to pull yourself up to a final series of ledges that you must carefully navigate to avoid falling into a bottomless pit.

Head toward the right here, using homing attacks on the few enemies that you encounter. You'll reach the lowest of a series of silver and green ledges. Hop up along those and work your way toward the upper left. You'll reach a ledge with a yellow alien just visible in a capsule below you. Drop off the left side of the ledge and collect the capsule. There's a blue switch on the overhead ceiling, so bump it to make a trail of rings appear to the left. Now is not the time to follow that trail, however. Instead, hop up and onto the larger ledge overhead. From there, jump to a floating platform overhead and from there jump to target and use dangling hooks to ascend through the area. To the upper right, you'll find a ledge to the right that you can leap over to, with a blue switch on the ceiling. Ignore it for now and keep ascending. You'll arrive at the bottom center of a large area with enemies. Attack them with homing attacks, then use your hovering ability to fly up and hit the blue switch on the underside of the platform at the bottom center of the area. Quickly fly right from there to collect a Special Ring that will have appeared. Note that if you're not quick enough to snag it, the ring will disappear.

Remember the platform with the blue switch that you ignored a moment ago? Drop back down now and hop over to it. You can quickly leap straight up to activate the switch, which causes a wisp to appear. Collect that wisp, then fall against the wall to the right side of the vertical space. Put the wisp's power to use and turn into a saw blade. Quickly speed your way up the wall and through some weak blocks in the ceiling, which is comprised largely of black crates. There are some enemies up there, but you can destroy them and also find a Special Ring for yourself, the last in the stage.

Now if you still have power on your special meter, grind around to the bottom side of the platform so that you're positioned directly above a column of rings. Drop straight down and you'll pass through the stage's goal ring. Otherwise, you'll fall to one side or other of a series of small platforms that are located to the upper left of the area where it was possible to find the pink wisp. You'll have to make your way to the top of that series of platforms using homing attacks. Then when you reach the top ledge, you can catch a lift up to a higher area and use some rainbow rings to launch yourself up to the stage's finish line.



Planet Wisp Boss

It's time for another boss battle. This one should be a breeze.

The circular ledges aren't as stable as the more solid platforms that you utilized in the previous fight of this nature.

They'll do the job, though, and get you close enough that you can use homing attacks to strike the robot's exposed face until your adversary is reduced to rubble.

Think back to the first robot you defeated. You can use the same general strategies here. The fight takes place in another circular arena, and your foe is once again a giant robot with a weakness along his face. The main difference that will matter for the purpose of this fight is that the platforms rotating around that face have been replaced by circular ledges.

The circular ledges are harder to stand on than the steel platforms were. You'll find that Sonic has a tendency to slide from their side and toward the bottom of the area, which is a problem because the robot will periodically fire lasers at that location. To thwart those efforts, you can use speed boosts if you fall and they will propel you upward along the sides of the arena. Then you can fly out and hopefully land on one of the planets on the way down. You don't need to land on it for long, just long enough to jump into the air and use a homing attack while your foe's face is exposed.

Repeat the process a few times and the battle will be over almost before you know it.

Aquarium Park Act 1

You begin this stage floating slowly through the air, watching over Sonic's shoulder as you descend a shaft. You can move left and right, up and down here to collect rings as you drop. Then you'll arrive at the base of the shaft and the perspective changes to show you looping through tubing before you arrive at one end of a long horizontal shaft. Run forward and you can move left and right along the shaft as directed by a green arrow sign that appears along the bottom of the screen.


= Tropical Resort Sweet Mountain Starlight Carnival Planet Wisp »

Planet Wisp


Aquarium




Move back and forth along the corridor to easily collect rings and alien capsules.

Frequent homing attacks are your best bet if you want to safely pass through the hordes of enemies that patrol these hallways.

Start your dash at the middle of the path, to grab an alien from a capsule, then continue along the path from there. It mostly will just direct you along an easy course to follow, where you can dodge left and right for more capsules. Now you have a choice about how you wish to enter the building ahead of you. As you race down the passage, you'll hit a small ramp that launches you into the air. Then when you land on the ground, you'll continue forward.

If you want to take the upper route, double jump into the air and then air boost forward. You should fly forward and hit one of several rainbow-colored rings that will launch you to a high railing along which you can grind. Almost immediately, switch left as another railing comes into view on that side. You'll avoid spikes in that manner. Continue along the railing and near its end, double jump out to hit more rings that will launch you to a higher ledge. Once you arrive there, slide under a low wall and you'll find some enemies. Take them out with homing attacks, then hit the springboard and it will launch you higher to some more rainbow rings. They'll in turn send you flying up to collect a Special Ring, the first available in the stage.

If you take the lower route instead of the upper one, you'll eventually fly across a wide gap. On the far side of that gap, you'll land in a hallway and start toward two enemies that will come at you with swinging blades. Quickly leap into the air as soon as you land and use homing attacks to dispatch your foes. Past those enemies, there are a couple more enemies along some steps. Use homing attacks on them also, then on the springboard that will launch you up to a higher ledge. There, leap forward across part of a gap and as you fall toward the ground, either keep moving to avoid enemies that by now are below you, or carefully take care of them before moving onward to contend with still more enemies. Beyond them, continue along the corridor in much the same fashion that you already have been. At the top of a high ledge, you can edge forward and drop down a long, narrow shaft before arriving on a stone walkway below. Now you've arrived where you would have if you took the upper route described in the preceding paragraph.

Proceed along that walkway, using homing attacks to dispatch of any enemies positioned along it. Be careful not to let them knock loose the rings that you've been hoarding. Continue past those foes, through a doorway, and you'll hit a speed pad that launches you through a checkpoint. Up the slope from there, you'll find yourself running along a passage with low gaps beneath blocky overhead constructions. You can push blocks along this path, and press the 'Boost' button to kick the block while you are pushing it, which will eliminate any enemies. At the end of the passage, hop up the block you pushed and to higher ground. From there, leap out to the right over a lake and you can target a fish enemy with a homing attack before dropping into the depths to collect some rings.

Note that when you jump while underwater, you get a lot more height from a single button press. Be careful that you don't let yourself leap up and into the underside of a fish. You can leap out of the water and gain height from there as well, making it easy to return to land if you so choose.



Air bubbles allow you to refill your supply of oxygen without leaving the deep water.

After grabbing the cyan alien, you can head back up the shaft that you just descended a moment ago if you wish.

As you continue through the stage, you'll soon find an additional complication, helpfully outlined with a rainbow-colored '?' along an underwater pathway. It is positioned just ahead of a series of bubbles that rise slowly toward the surface. The tip that you find here is that Sonic is incapable of breathing underwater for long periods of time. If you need to navigate a lengthy underwater passageway, you should look for spouts that send up large air pockets. Leaping through one will allow you to fill your lungs with oxygen so that you can stay underwater without returning to the surface.

Head up and to the right from where you receive that message and you'll soon find another '?' with another tip: you can press and hold the 'Boost' button to dash across the surface of water without plunging into its depths. That's helpful advice. You can either boost across this first pool and leap onto land on the right side, or you can work underwater and take time collecting rings. Either way, work yourself to the surface in the upper right corner and emerge onto land once more.

Continue toward the right to find a series of loops through which you can run. On the other side of those loops, you'll emerge in a 2D perspective as Sonic faces right toward a bit of piping that extends from an overhead wall toward the right. Start toward it and when you are beneath it, jump into the air and then use a kick attack to break through the block below you. At that point, you'll fall down through a shaft and can start to the right, where there's a cyan alien in a pod on a high ledge. Make sure that you leap up some moving platforms to collect it, though you should be careful to eliminate any enemies and their projectile weapons first. Continue right from there, and boost up the slope to get some serious air, then boost again to arrive on a ledge to the right. If you don't do it quickly enough, you'll accidentally collect a yellow wisp positioned on a floating ledge, and you really don't want that wisp right now. You want to keep the cyan one.



When you're in drill form, the fish will steer clear of you if they know what's good for them.

Just ahead of the stage's conclusion, head left and leap out of the water to find a Special Ring for your collection.

Continue to the right and boost to speed across another wide body of water. Briefly, you'll return to land. Then you can double jump out to the right, where you'll hit two groupings of orange rings that propel you toward the right. You'll arrive on land and then you can drop down from there to arrive in an elevator area of sorts. There are rings positioned here, and crates. The floor will slowly start to descend and you can run back and forth, collecting rings. Watch for enemies that will appear periodically as you descend, however. You can take care of them with homing attacks.

As you reach the base of that shaft, there may still be some enemies along the platform's right side. You can kick the crate to take care of all of them, so that it stops on the right edge of the platform. Then head left to press the switch positioned along that wall. It will cause some platforms and crates to appear above. Step out so that you're positioned on the third blue and yellow tile from the left wall. Now aim your cyan wisp laser toward the upper right, so that the beam points below the crates but above the platform that appeared to the upper right. Unleash the laser and you'll go flying up along a crystal path that allows you to snag a Special Ring for your collection. You'll arrive back on the low platform from which you launched.

Now proceed to the right, where the crate that you pushed should still be positioned along the edge of the bridge. Push it (not with a boost) so that it drops off the right edge of that ledge and lands on the platform below. Cautiously step off the platform yourself and hold left so that you land on the block that you just dropped. Drop left from there and into the water, then let yourself sink to the bottom of the ocean floor before running left in that direction and dodging purple fish to reach a yellow wisp surrounded by rings. Collect the wisp, then move left and you'll find black crates blocking a passage. Demolish that stack of crates using your wisp powers, then another one after it. Stay low, near the ocean floor and continue left to find another yellow wisp. Collect it to keep your special energy meter in good shape, then ascend through the vertical passage while avoiding spikes that can harm you even in drill form. Near the top of the shaft, head left rather than surfacing and you'll find a Special Ring sitting on a ledge.

Collect the ring, then head down a bit and back to the right in the direction from which you just came. There's a pipe there, so pass through it and now you'll appear in a passageway with a light purple sea creature floating in the background. Positioned along the wall to the right are several pipes. Enter the top one and continue to the right to collect another Special Ring. Now keep swimming to the right and up toward the surface of the water. You'll come out on land and then can hit a speed pad to cruise along the hallway. Next you'll pass through a checkpoint as the viewpoint changes to an over-the-shoulder angle. Race along that corridor and you will find yourself zipping along a series of yellow floating ledges. They will rise quickly toward a spiked ceiling that can knock loose your rings, so make sure that you move quickly (boost if possible) and keep going to the right. You'll notice an extra life sign below, out of reach. Pass to the right from there and drop down into the water, then proceed toward the left. Surface near a crate. Leap into the air and you'll find a Special Ring. At the peak of your leap from the water, leap again to collect the ring. Now head left and hit a blue switch. You will cause a platform nearby to lower so that you can ride it up and collect the extra life that you saw a moment ago.

Now return to the right and head in that direction through the water to find a yellow alien in a capsule. Activate the yellow alien and, in drill form, break through the various fish in the water in that direction before finally passing through the golden ring that marks the end of the stage.



Aquarium Park Act 2

You'll begin this stage by racing forward along a ledge until you reach a platform where some enemies are waiting. Defeat them with homing attacks, then leap past them and onto some blue blocks with rings inside. Head along those blocks and to the left, where you'll find the first of several platforms that move only when you are placing weight on them.

You can collect a blue wisp, then use its powers to convert the rings to blocks so that you can drop down and collect two Special Ring items near the start of this stage.

Move carefully along the upper series of moving platforms. Double jumps here can prove fatal.

Leap to the first of these, along the right side. It will start to drop as the left side rises. Double jump to the left side, then from there leap out to the next set of such platforms. Let them move so that you can easily jump up and collect the blue alien from the pod. Beyond those platforms, there are two enemies standing along some ledges. Take care of your foes with homing attacks, then use your blue wisp power to turn the blue blocks into rings and the blue rings into blocks. Jump between the first two of those blocks to collect the stage's first Special Ring.

Now you'll need to continue hopping left along the lower route, steering clear of overhead enemies as you go. You need to move quickly so that your blue wisp powers don't expire. If you move far enough left and do so quickly enough, you have time to collect a second Special Ring before leaping to the first of two more solid ledges positioned below and to the left of a floating island of black crates. Leap up those narrow platforms and from the top left one, leap to a springboard that will carry you higher along more springboards before finally allowing you to pass through the stage's first checkpoint.

You're now headed to the right along more of the platforms that move only when you're standing on the switches positioned along their surface. Be careful as you head right here. You want to make single, certain jumps whenever possible, particularly as you advance to the right, or you could proceed far enough to the right that you accidentally target an enemy and initiate a homing attack that you had no desire to use. That could prove fatal. Careful, well-timed jumps are really the best way to advance through the area.


Aquarium




Use your wisp powers to make it easier to cross the blue rings and blocks.

Use homing attacks carefully here, then let the platforms carry you up to another Special Ring.

As you arrive on the far side of the first upper grouping of rotating platforms, you'll land on a high ledge looking out toward the right, where there is a collection of blue blocks and blue rings dangling in the air. If you collected the blue alien wisp on your way across the preceding platforms, which you should have, then now is the perfect time to use it. Then you can jump to the right and run across the blue blocks before leaping to another floating ledge.

You have a choice about how to proceed from here. The dangerous route yields a Special Ring that you can't otherwise obtain. If you want to snag it, look quickly back to the left now at the blue rings and blocks that you just crossed. Your blue energy meter should still have plenty of energy left in it. Press the button to switch the blocks and rings again now so that you can double jump left and land on the two highest blue devices, which should at this point be solid blocks. From those, double jump straight up to hit a hidden rainbow ring that will launch you to one platform on a higher ledge, where another blue wisp waits. Before collecting that wisp, press the wisp power button again to turn the rings to the right into a solid ledge. Then collect the overhead wisp, leap onto those blocks and boost to the right before quickly leaping across a gap to stand on two blue blocks to the left of a stack of crates. Press the button again to switch those blocks to rings so that you drop down to a set of blue rings that have now turned into blocks. Leap over the gap where the crates were positioned, then across to another set of two blue blocks to the right that are positioned above blue rings. Quickly switch again so that those blocks become coins, then leap up the stairs that you have created to the right. If you move quickly enough up those stairs and to the right, you'll snag a Special Ring and drop down to the right side of the area goal ring. Now you can run back left and collect other rings that you missed by taking that dangerous upper route, if you wish, or you can return for them on a subsequent run (a better idea if you had a lot of trouble following the overhead route described above).

If you decided to take the lower route instead of following the upper route that we just outlined, you'll need to proceed right from the platforms that you first crossed using the blue wisp ability. As you proceed toward the right from there, you'll find that things have become slightly more difficult. The blocks that you find here rotate like the previous ones did, except now they don't stop moving if you're not standing on them. Furthermore, enemies are placed more generously along the route and they will think nothing of knocking you into the abyss. Besides that, there is a Special Ring to collect along the way, easily reached if you let the platforms carry you to their highest point.

Not far to the right from there, you'll come to a series of six spinning platforms, all attached to one anchor. You can climb along them using homing attacks, but try to stay to the left side as you deal with each foe so that you can easily drop to a platform if an attack goes awry. When the enemies are cleared out, let the platforms lift you to their highest point, where you can collect another Special Ring. Then leap to solid ground and run a short distance to the right to clear the stage.



Aquarium Park Act 3

This stage is a relatively simple one, made more complex by the fact that as you progress through it, powerful air currents will push you down and to the depths of the ocean. As you run toward the right through a stage that takes place almost entirely from a two-dimensional perspective, you'll survive only if you are able to reach air pockets to keep yourself from drowning.

Pass through an air bubble if you took too long descending, then run to the right to find a wisp that you can use to turn yourself into a rocket.

It can be depressing if you glide carelessly and miss the precious Special Ring.

Start on the high platform at the beginning of the stage and walk off it and to the right. You'll drop into the water, where you'll land on the first of several yellow platforms. You can hop along these and to the right and easily emerge from the water to refill your supply of oxygen, but as you reach the far side of those platforms you'll find spiked balls floating in the water. You can't cross those, so you'll need to drop down to the platforms and drop off the side of one. As you do, strong air currents will immediately push you down through the water toward a lower set of platforms. You can drop down along the left or right side of those as well, and you should to reach the ocean floor. If you're concerned about oxygen, you can head left to find a series of air bubbles, or right for to save some time.

In that direction, run quickly to the right and collect rings as you go. You'll come to several columns of rings, each with alien wisps in pods at their base. Jump up and collect the first of those pods, then put its skills immediately to use to rocket up and out of the water. You'll fly into the air, then start gliding downward. Drift toward the right while avoiding spikes and you'll have the chance to drift over a Special Ring. Collect it, then keep moving to the right. Run along some ledges and soon you'll be able to slide under a low gap, run along a loop, then continue right by leaping along a few ledges before reaching another area where you have no choice but to dive into the water again.

Do so, then find another rocket wisp positioned near the base of the water. Use that wisp immediately to rocket up into the air. Then you'll start gliding downward. Head slightly right to drop through a double column of spikes, collecting rings as you descend, then do the same for a second set and as you drop, you'll also snag a Special Ring. After you have the ring, glide to the right and you'll see high ledges leading to the right. Sail down between them and watch for an opening to the right where you can pass through and to the right. Do so.


Aquarium




Descend through the chimney-like formation of spikes to snag another Special Ring.

Ride the platform down through the black blocks, collecting rings and avoiding enemies as you go.

Now drop into the water to the right and sink to the bottom. You'll find a new rocket wisp sitting on a pipe. Collect that wisp, then head to the right to find a column three rings wide that rises toward the surface of the water yet again. Use your wisp powers to fly up into the air again. Glide left now to find another chimney of spikes in that direction. As before, you need to glide over so that you can descend through the center of those spikes. If you reach the base in one piece, you can collect a Special Ring before landing on a grinding track. Grind your way to the right and pass through a checkpoint.

Take a detour left now and drop into the water. Swim left to find another orange wisp positioned on a pipe. Head right from there to find a vertical column of coins. Use the wisp powers to fly into the air, then sail to the right and glide down through yet another spike-formed chimney to snag another Special Ring. When you land on the ground, head toward the right to start along a series of floating ledges. As you reach the right side, they'll begin to descend through an area with floating black crates. There are numerous rings along here, so collect those but watch out for enemies that will fill the area. They drop down from above, typically. You want to be able to land, then launch into the air with homing attacks that take out those enemies and prevent them from getting the drop on you.

When the platform reaches its lowest point, you can head toward the right and hit a speed pad that will carry you down a long hallway as the camera slides around so that now you're viewing things from behind Sonic. As you race down the hallway, there will be enemies positioned ahead of you that you can take out with homing attacks. Beyond them, you'll pass through the ring that serves as the stage's goal.


� Near the end of the stage, you'll find a purple wisp on the first of several platforms that descend through a vertical shaft. Put it to use and munch down black crates and enemies. Be sure to collect new purple wisps that appear as you descend so that you can keep your power going. Along the way, you'll be able to collect a Special Ring.



Aquarium Park Act 4

You'll begin the stage viewing Sonic as he runs from the left to the right. Start by dropping off into the water and heading to the left. You can use boosts to speed along the surface of the water if you like.

Head left from the stage's starting point to find the first Special Ring.

You can use your yellow wisp's drilling ability at the red tubing to reach hidden chambers.

On the far left side of the water, you'll find a small platform with a Special Ring resting on it. Collect that ring, then drop down into the water and veer toward the left. There will be fish swimming to your right, so be careful to avoid them as you descend to find a yellow wisp. Collect it, and also watch for a column of air bubbles nearby. Then head toward the right, descending along the underwater slope.

You'll need to pass a few columns of crates as you head right. Watch out for any fish that try to ambush you, and finally you'll come to a wall with some red tubing protruding from it. Activate your wisp ability and you'll fly through that tubing, along a course that takes you up into a tunnel in a hidden cavern. Proceed along the track through that tunnel, bounce up along some springboards and you'll collect a cyan wisp. From there, keep moving forward until you come to the top of a slope with a speed pad. You can activate your cyan wisp ability there to speed along the cavern roof and reach an area checkpoint more quickly.

Continue right from the checkpoint and you'll soon reach a pool of water. There's a fish that likes to leap from the surface of the water here, in short arcs. It leaps back and forth, so be careful not to let it catch you by surprise as you venture right and drop into the water. You can find air bubbles near the bottom, but watch out for the purple fish as you descend. There's a yellow wisp near the bottom, guarded by fish. Grab it, then continue to the right. There's tubing here, but don't put it to use just yet. There's a goody to collect.

Aim for more yellow wisp capsules that you find in the area to keep up your special energy. Work toward the right and stay low until you find yourself on the far side of a wide pool. You should be able to collect a cyan wisp underwater here, then continue right (still underwater) until you can come to the surface of a second pool. Do so and you'll arrive at a low wall with a gap. Don't slide under the wall, though. Hop onto the spring extension and bounce up from it to reach a higher platform with another cyan wisp. Collect it and head to the right to find a double ledge. Stand on it and point your laser toward the upper right so that it ricochets along the blocks and allows Sonic to


Aquarium




fly high toward the upper right, on a new platform. Here you'll collect another cyan wisp. Now walk to the very edge of the platform and aim your laser toward the lower right, so that it hits that wall and bounces to the lower left through a ring. You'll land on a new platform with yet another cyan wisp. After collecting it, aim a third cyan laser shot so that it bounces around and puts you in a path to collect the Special Ring. Note that it's also possible to fire a shot from the first of those three platforms, just slightly above a shot to the due right, and to bounce along the blocks so that you end up very near to the same Special Ring. Then you can wall jump to claim it. One of the two techniques should net you the ring, though neither approach is a sure thing.

Wait for the fish to make their leaps, then quickly leap to safely on the ledge between them and wait again.

In rocket form, you can blast through crates and through the dangerous eels that patrol these waters.

Drop down from collecting the ring and head up a slope to the right. There's a narrow pool of water here. Drop straight down to the bottom, then move quickly left along the underwater region. You have to move quickly because there's a long way to go, but you also need to be ready to leap to roll through fish. When you reach the far left, there's a column of air bubbles to refill your oxygen, a Special Ring and a yellow wisp. Grab the wisp and speed back to the right, then pass through some piping. When you arrive in the next room, head to the right a short distance and you can use an air stomp to crash down through a bunch of destructible blocks. At the bottom of that shaft, head right and you'll come to another vast pool of water. This one is patrolled by more of the vicious purple fish. They'll swim quickly toward you if they spot you, but they patrol finite areas and usually you can stay out of their way with a quick boost move. Along the left side of the pool, there's a yellow wisp. Collect it and move right through the fish-infested waters, collecting air from pockets as you keep descending and eventually find more red tubing near the floor, leading to the left.

Pass through the tubing after activating your yellow wisp ability and you'll speed left to a secret area with a Special Ring floating near its center. Collect that ring, then zip through more tubing (you can collect another yellow wisp along the way, if needed). You'll appear on solid ground again. Run along it and toward the right. You'll reach an area where there are platforms positioned over water, with fish nestled between them. The fish will leap out occasionally, in arcs that carry them left or right over the nearest platform. You can wait for a fish to leap over a ledge, then jump to that ledge, then wait and leap again as necessary to cross toward the right. If you want, it's possible to descend through the area, collect a yellow wisp underwater, then use it to break through some black crates to the lower right. From there, you can head to the right while defeating powerful eels before finally arriving on the far right side of the area and emerging to defeat some more standard thugs with homing attacks. Then you can collect a cyan wisp.

Next, head toward the right and you'll emerge from the water in good shape to start toward the right. Be wary of any enemies that might lurk in the area and watch for a blue switch on the right wall. You can press it to make platforms float into place. Then you can leap up those platforms to reach higher ground.



Descend along the shaft, kicking blocks so that you can pass through openings.

Stay ahead of the robot with boosts and dodges or you're as good as dead.

Once you arrive on the higher platform, keep climbing and pushing to the right until you reach a water fountain that propels you to a still higher ledge. From there, head right to arrive at the top of a vertical shaft that you must then descend. Make sure that you collect the cyan wisp at the top. Descending this shaft is easy, but it will require you to kick a block so that it moves through the space and allows you to advance yourself. Push the first one right one space, then follow it down and push it right two spaces so that it falls. Follow straight down after it and then leap left so that you're on some destructible blocks. Use your cyan wisp. Aim it straight down through the destructible blocks and release it. Sonic should fly through and collect a Special Ring. Now you can continue descending the shaft.

When you reach the base of that shaft, you'll need to defeat a few more weak enemies as you proceed toward the right and pass through a new checkpoint. Now you've reached a challenging point in the stage. As you continue toward the right, you'll collect a few rings and then the camera will slide around to show Sonic running toward the screen as a huge machine chases him. At this point, you need to take the evasive measures outlined on the screen to stay ahead of your pursuit long enough to reach a springboard that will take you out of its reach. It's not a particularly long run, but there's no way to replenish your rings and if you take much damage you're done for. Start by boosting to stay ahead of the machine, then watch where it is facing as it continues to chase after you. There are three positions where lights might appear, each corresponding to the left, middle and right positions along the screen. If lights appear in two or three of those positions along the top of the machine, you have the briefest of moments to get into position along the portion of the track that is not represented by a light. Momentarily, laser beams will shoot along the track and hopefully you avoided them. Just keep moving and boost to avoid swings from the mechanical arms or switch positions along the track to avoid laser beams.

After you have run far enough, you'll hit a bumper pad and that will launch you to a new portion of the track. You'll collect more rings, and then you must keep running as the process continues. When you make it to the end of that second run, you'll reach the area goal.

Aquarium Park Act 5

From the starting point, head right and bounce upward from a springboard. You'll appear along the first of several platforms floating in the air. Those first blocks are fine, but as you start to the right


Aquarium




you need to know that subsequent blocks will start to shake and then will fall away once you put your weight on them. Additionally, you'll come across black crates that, when brushed against, will begin to flash and then will explode.

Grab the Special Ring, then drop down and collect the rings on the lower level before returning to the floating platform.

You've arrived at the stage's first checkpoint.

You need to proceed toward the right using one of the floating yellow platforms that you may recall from a previous stage. As before, it moves in only one direction, to the right, and you will have to avoid obstacles around it as you proceed.

Begin by hopping along four narrow platforms with columns of rings positioned on them. You can easily collect the rings, then return to the yellow platform in time to perform a dropkick on it that allows you to gain the elevation necessary to collect another precious ring (this one worth multiple rings) to the right. Next, you'll come to a set of two platforms positioned along either side of an explosive crate. Head across those and return to the floating yellow platform, then keep moving to the right.

Next, you'll see a wide series of exploding platforms, with floating ledges overhead. Use another dropkick to gain elevation, then double jump in the air to reach the overhead platforms. Collect the Special Ring that waits there, then drop down to the explosive crates. Head across those and to the right, collecting rings as you go before returning to the floating yellow platform. Let it continue carrying you to the right, through a bunch of loose rings floating in the air. After that, jump along a few explosive crates and run along a low series of floating ledges that will drop away after you stand on them for a second.

Beyond those, there is a high ledge with another Special Ring resting on it. You'll have to advance just beyond that platform, then drop kick and as you fly up into the air, use a double jump to move left and collect the ring. Now double jump out to the right, where you will arrive on solid ground and pass through the stage's first checkpoint.



Make the crates explode, then quickly collect the Special Ring that remains in the blast's wake.

Stick to the high road to find a fourth Special Ring.

The solid ground is short-lived. To the right of that checkpoint, you'll have to jump down to some more of the ledges that drop once faced with the weight of a certain blue hedgehog.

As you advance to the right, you'll find platforms with arcs of rings positioned over them. The rings are there as a distraction. You want to hop onto the platforms and double jump your way toward the right, landing on each platform just long enough to get a foothold before leaping to the next. To the upper right, you'll find a series of explosive ledges with a Special Ring positioned among them. Brush against an explosive crate, then give it room to blast, leaving you free to collect the Special Ring. Do so, then return to the floating platform as it continues its advance toward the right.

Your goal now is to remain on high ground as you keep moving to the right. You'll have to run along platforms that threaten to drop and crates that will explode if you stick around long, so keep moving. As you remain on the high ground, you'll have plenty of opportunities to collect rings and also another Special Ring. Then you'll need to jump carefully so that you pass through one of a string of rainbow rings floating in the air. They'll launch you along a series of ledges to the right, until finally you find yourself soaring from a springboard.

At the peak of the resulting leap, fly to the right and then drop down through a narrow shaft. You'll land on a lower ledge and trip a checkpoint before heading to the right and launching up to another series of ledges.

Head to the right and remember that between every set of two bursts, there's a space through which you should be able to easily leap without taking damage.



You'll find the stage goal at the top of the ride.

Here, as you start toward the right, you'll see columns of light raining down from above. You need to avoid those droplets as you advance along platforms. Note that the droplets come in two rapid bursts, then there's more space to jump between them before two more shots will come.

Keep that pattern in mind as you head to the right and arrive at a series of three of the floating ledges. Those will start to rise through a final vertical area now. You need to move to the sides to avoid explosive crates and enemies that position themselves along the ledges. Try to veer mostly to the right, which puts you in good position to brush against one of the explosive crates in the 'L'-shaped formation near the stage's final Special Ring. Let those explode, then collect the ring and position yourself just to the left or right of the screen's center point as you continue to rise.

There should be a twin column of rings now, with light firing down so that the rings are dangerous to collect. Stay just to the side and you can bounce through between bursts if you want the rings. Otherwise, stay just out of their range. As you continue to ascend, there will be more bursts of light to the left and right, but you should easily miss them. Then you'll rise so that you're within view of the stage's goal. A dropkick will give you the height that you need to reach it and finish the stage.

Aquarium Park Act 6

Start this stage by running toward the right and dropping into the water. From there, swim down toward the ocean floor.

The red fish will swim closely around you and can protect you from harm.

Make sure that you swim to the upper left portion of this area to find a Special Ring that is easily missed.

This stage has a long introductory area, and at first it can be intimidating. However, the trick is to just keep working to the right while keeping to the lowest level possible. Along the way, watch regularly for pockets of air where you can replenish your supply, though in general you should be moving fairly quickly except when catching up on oxygen.

Keep moving toward the lower right and avoiding the purple fish. It's likely that smaller schools of red fish will catch up to you and swim around you. These fish form a protective barrier of sorts that will keep you from taking damage from some of the weaker fish. Keep advancing toward the lower right and you should eventually come to the top of a long vertical column that you can descend.


Aquarium




There are plenty of rings to collect as you drop through the area, and jets of bubbles will periodically blow you left against a wall before you arrive at the spike-lined base of that vertical passage. Swim right from there and work your way in general toward the upper right from there, relying on your smaller red friends to shield you from likely damage in the confined space.

When you reach the upper right area, you'll come to a stack of columns that block your way forward. There should be oxygen just to the right of that column, so collect some of it and then land on the ledge that extends a short distance to the right of the column to find that there's a low space under the column through which you can slide. Now you can go either left or up. Start by heading left, then up along that passage to find jets of water that push back to the right. There's a Special Ring there that you can collect by using a boost move against the current. Snag it, then head back to the right.

Stick to the top of the passage to easily avoid fish and spikes.

The gray walkway is dangerous, because you'll fall into an abyss when you unexpectedly reach its end unless you're paying attention.

As you proceed in that direction, you'll find yourself moving through a passageway with spikes along the lower side and lots of fish swimming around. It's easiest here if you stick to the ceiling as you advance, which will eventually take you to a point where you can either continue to the right (where you can surface from the water) or you can swim to the upper left. If you swim to the upper left, there are some tricky currents that you can negotiate for an extra life icon. Otherwise, you're probably best going to the right.

Once you come out on land, you'll pass through a checkpoint and then you'll find yourself racing along a new pathway. Here, it's easy to collect rings as you go, but watch for an '!' to appear on-screen. That's an indication that you're about to reach the edge of a precipice. As you approach, make sure that you're ready and as you crash through the last of the debris ahead of the waterfall, leap out over the gap and at the height of your first jump, make a second jump to clear the gap and land at the top of the waterfall.

Now you'll need to advance along the stream, jumping and using homing attacks to eliminate the crab-like enemies that await your arrival on the far side. There are rings to collect here, and you should definitely do so, but be careful to avoid any projectile attacks that your adversaries may send your way. Some of them are capable of firing homing missiles. Advance past those foes, using your own homing attacks as you go, and ascend to higher ground by way of a springboard located along the left side of the canyon. There, you can collect an alien wisp. You'll have to defeat some weak enemies that are guarding it.



Some rather weak enemies are guarding an alien wisp along the high ground at the top of the waterfall.

Ascend quickly to snag another Special Ring.

Now you have a choice as to how you wish to proceed. There are two routes, each with a Special Ring available along it, but you can follow only one route on a single visit to the stage.

The first route has you using the green wisp immediately. You can fly upward to the overhead ledge and eliminate some enemies. Then you can slide underneath a low opening and as soon as you do, quickly air dash forward or else you'll fall into a bottomless pit. Once you arrive on solid ground, your arrival should trigger a checkpoint. Start forward along the path and you'll find wide pits that you need to leap to clear. Leap over them and then hit a ramp that will launch you upward. There, you'll need to mash the 'Jump' button to gain elevation. Along the way, you'll collect an easy Special Ring. Once you come back down, you'll need to continue your race forward, where you'll go flying over another gap and find yet another Special Ring just out of reach. That's the one that you could have claimed if you followed the alternate route. When you land on the far side of that gap, there's a springboard that you can use to launch up to a higher ledge. Do so, then move into the next room and skip the next paragraph, which describes the other route that you could have taken.

If you chose not to take the first route outlined above, then there's a second route that you can follow instead. Instead of floating up using your hovering ability, head right and jump onto the springboard. Let it carry you high up into the air and hold toward the right to pass through and into a new passage. Tag the checkpoint. Now head forward (there's another green wisp if you want it) and put your green wisp abilities to use to quickly ascend a shaft. There's a short group of rings just ahead. Speed along those, then continue forward toward the start of a really long group of rings. Don't speed along those, however. Instead, keep gliding forward and gain altitude so that you're flying along the top of the shaft. Watch for your hovering ability to cut short, then immediately boost forward. You should just barely land on a far ledge. Use a homing attack there to ride a dangling hook up to high ground, then continue along some floating platforms. Enemies will drop from above to attack as you proceed. Advance cautiously and use homing attacks on enemies (the wasps in particular) to cross gaps to the far left where you can find a Special Ring. Then keep going to hit a springboard that bounces you up to the top of the tower that you're ascending. You're now at the place you would have reached if you followed that long trail of rings referenced a moment ago. Keep moving forward and a springboard will bounce you up to a high precipice. As you fall from that, control your glide so that you move into a side passage that branches off along the top side of screen as you descend. There, hit a speed pad and ride a cable down to collect another secret Special Ring. Now head forward to a springboard that launches you into a higher room. Your two possible paths through the preceding portion of the stage have now converged as you arrive in that room.

You're now at the center of a large area with a fountain. There will be enemies positioned along the floor level and more will pour in from above as you defeat the initial batch. Keep moving around and make sure that you're constantly leaping and using homing attacks to eliminate your enemies.



Targeting the fountain will allow you to soar upward, which makes it easy to see where your enemies are as you descend and then blast them with a homing attack or two. Once your enemies are all gone, you can proceed through a new opening and through another checkpoint.

If you keep moving and attacking, the enemies in the room with the fountain will have a difficult time doing any damage to you.

In drill form, you can easily collect rings and work to the stage's exit without worrying about taking damage.

The action unfolds in a two-dimensional perspective again as you proceed toward the right once more.

As you drop into the pool of water to the right, you've reached the final portion of the stage. It's a large one, though, with a lot of enemies swimming throughout and precious few pockets of air. Start by swimming fairly quickly to the right. You should find plenty of circular groupings of rings ascending in staircase fashion toward the upper right. Watch out for a large, nasty fish that likes to come out from a hole along a wall in the left portion of this area.

As you swim around between fish and rings, there also will be some yellow alien wisp capsules. Collect a wisp, then turn into drill form and quickly work around the stage. Remember that floating mines can still harm you, but the fish and eels are for the most part not a threat while you're in drill form. Head to the lower right corner of the area now. That's where the stage's goal awaits, on a raised pedestal. Before you pass through that ring, though, head down around its lower side, then right and up the vertical shaft. There's a final Special Ring that you can collect. Do so, then head up the remainder of that shaft and hold toward the left to pass through the ring and complete the stage.

Aquarium Park Boss

As you may have guessed, this stage is a boss battle.

This fight takes place in two phases that repeat twice before you emerge victorious. The first of those two phases is the one that is most likely to give you trouble. You'll appear along the lower left side of the stage and your target is a switch along the far right side. It's encased in a protective bubble that you can't break through.


Aquarium




The rockets are good at blocking homing missiles that are getting too close to you, but they also tend to push you away from your intended target: the encased switch on the arena's upper right side.

You can hit your actual opponent with dropkicks and with drill attacks.

Both phases of the battle take place underwater and there's a current coming from the right and pushing you toward the left so that you swim extremely poorly. As you head to the right, you'll need to use air bubbles to keep from drowning. You'll also need to avoid homing missiles that launch from three holes near the left side of the area. They'll pursue you and will break apart when they hit rockets that emerge from panels near the far right side of the stage, or when they burst against large bubbles floating throughout the area. Your goal is to let the homing missiles pursue you through the battle area and then collide with the bubble that is positioned around the switch near the upper right side of the stage. When that happens, you can use a dropkick to hit the switch. It's easiest to make that happen if you hang out near the rightmost series of air bubbles, just on the right side of the rockets. Eventually, missiles will start after you and when it's evident that they'll make it through, you can swim quickly up toward the barrier that you're trying to break.

Once the switch has been flipped, you'll battle your true enemy without homing missiles interfering. You still need to grab air occasionally, however. Find your foe and hit him with dropkicks or homing attacks while avoiding the many little guys that attack by his side (or hit them with more homing attacks). When you down your enemy once, the whole process repeats. Deal the final blow with powers gleaned from the yellow wisp. It's much easier to defeat your foe when you are mostly impervious to any attacks that he sends your way, plus in drill form you don't have to worry so much about collecting oxygen (or about being knocked out of the way of a bubble that you were about to collect by a stray enemy).

It's not actually a difficult fight once you become familiar with the process outlined above.


This stage begins with a long ride along a roller coaster. You can't do much but jump to collect trails of rings that are positioned in the air overhead. After several of those trails have been passed, watch for a floating rainbow ring. You definitely need to jump up and pass through that, so that it will send you flying forward through more of its brethren as the coaster descends along a track and then falls into the abyss. Sonic will continue flying forward and land finally on solid ground, where he can quickly run through the stage's first checkpoint.

= « Terminal Velocity

Asteroid Coaster




Start the stage on a simple roller coaster ride that leads to the first checkpoint.

With purple wisp powers enabled, you can easily gnaw through the blue pillars and other such obstacles.

As you continue forward, you'll hit a springboard and fly into the air, where you can then target an enemy that is dangling in the air ahead of you. Use homing attacks to launch from one such enemy to the next as you move forward across a wide pit, then land on solid ground again. Speed pads will propel you along that passageway, allowing you finally to reach another set of three springboards. Launch from them to the higher ledge and continue forward to find a new type of wisp: the purple one.

Purple wisps allow you to assume a fearsome form, that of a floating head with huge teeth. That form is capable of gnawing its way through all sorts of otherwise stout obstacles. Activate the ability and move forward along the hallway. There are blue pillars here that you can gnaw through as you proceed, along with plenty more of the wisp capsules so that you can remain in fearsome form until you reach the end of the passage. There, you can launch yourself upward to higher ground, then proceed to the left to eliminate some weak enemies and grab some rings. Alternatively (and this is the route that we recommend), you can gnaw through the back right set of pillars, then latch onto some hooks and haul yourself up to higher ground before proceeding along some ledges in that opposite direction. There's a zipline that you can follow, and then you can boost yourself up a half-pipe and gain altitude to snag a Special Ring. Beyond that, you'll soon reach an area with a speed pad. It will propel you along some blocks that quickly fall away under your weight before depositing you in a roller coaster.

Whether you went left or right after destroying the blue pillars in purple wisp form, you'll arrive at that same coaster. As it then speeds along the tracks, you will want to watch for a second coaster to your right. When it appears, leap right to land in it, then ride along it until a third coaster appears. Here you have a choice. You can leap to the new coaster, or you can stay on the current one for a few seconds more until orange rings appear overhead. Those rings will carry you up to a series of higher ledges. You can leap along those to find giant fans. If you jump over the fans, they'll blow gusts of air that allow you to climb a series of two high walls. Then you can use a homing attack to reach the far side of that series of ledges, where you can pass through another checkpoint.



Leap from the coaster to the orange rings and let them carry you forward to some fans that will allow you to scale high walls and reach the stage's upper area.

You'll have to bounce from asteroid to asteroid using homing attacks.

As you continue in this direction, you'll have to leap across several large pits. Watch for walls on the far side of those pits, which sometimes block the obvious route that you may be most inclined to take. You want to make sure that you can definitely land safely on the far side of a given gap before you make the leap. At one gap, there's an enemy that you can target with a homing attack to safely make the leap. Partway through the area, you'll find a particularly wide gap. If you don't clear it, you'll fall to a lower area, but you definitely want to stick to the high road. There, you'll find some ramps that will launch you over the gap and allow you to snag a floating Special Ring.

After collecting the ring, you'll drop down toward lower ground. There, you can see large asteroids hanging in the air. As you leap toward the first of those, hold right on the analog stick and be ready to tap the 'Jump' button as a red target reticule appears on an asteroid in that direction. Continue to hold right as you bounce from that rock and you should touch down on the Saturn-like planet to the right. Once you do touch down on its saucer-ish ring, run around that outer ring as you collect rings, until you collect a Special Ring and fly forward from a springboard that appears just after it. Now continue along the asteroid path, mashing the 'Jump' button repeatedly. This time you'll want to press toward the left on the analog stick as you reach the end of your journey so that you land on a ledge that waits there. Then you'll hit a speed pad that carries you through a new checkpoint.

Continue along that trail and you'll hit a springboard. The springboard launches you into a dangerous area where, for the most part, gravity is reversed. You'll find yourself at the start of an area where platforms are descending from the ceiling. You can leap out to one of those and you'll float upward rather than downward, hopefully landing on one of the platforms. Then you can keep working to the right in that fashion. Watch for the occasional gravity reversal, but for the most part the ceiling is your floor. Soon, you should reach an area where enemies also are placed along those platforms. You can use homing attacks to eliminate them easily enough, but you still need to watch that you land on an appropriate platform and that you don't dip too low or fly too high on the screen. Either extreme is fatal.



Ride the platform up until it almost disappears, then jump right to collect the elusive Special Ring.

You'll have to launch along a trail of more asteroids to reach the end of the stage.

As you near the far side of that area, note the roof. You'll see a Special Ring dangling just below it. Let the platform series just to the left carry you up so that you're about to disappear out the top side of the screen, then jump out and toward the right. As you come even with the Special Ring, quickly use a boost move to fly right and snag it. As you continue right while falling, you should land on the ground to the right and gravity will be back to normal.

Proceed in that direction now, and there are more enemies to kill. You can take care of them easily enough with homing attacks. Then continue through the passage that they were guarding, which is lined by black crates. On the far side of that passage, you'll launch into the air and it's time to speed along the path created by asteroids once more. The stage goal is on the far side of that group of asteroids, but there's a goody along the way. Make sure that you aim toward the left as you proceed through the formation so that you land on another Saturn-shaped planet's rings. Once you do, run around the ring and you'll find purple wisps. Collect them and keep moving until you reach a series of black blocks positioned near an overhead zip line. Activate the purple wisp powers and chew through the blocks to reveal a springboard. Bounce from it up to the zipline and ride along it to its end, then be ready to double jump out and thus target a second zipline. As you fly toward it, you'll pass through a final Special Ring and then you can ride the zipline to the end of the stage.


Start to the right and you'll almost immediately run into a capsule containing a purple wisp. Continue in that direction and you'll find immediate reason to put it to use. Gnaw through the crates and keep mashing the button to also clear the corridor of any enemies that lurk beyond the protective crates. You should reach the end of the passage as the wisp powers fade and you bump against, then launch from a springboard.


Asteroid Coaster




Keep moving along these platforms or you'll be knocked into the abyss.

Hit the right springboard and you'll careen along the lower route, collecting a Special Ring in the process.

As you fly up the overhead shaft, wall jump back and forth to quickly ascend to the very top and then resume your trek toward the right.

Now you'll find a dangerous series of ledges that protrude from the building. As you head toward the right, you can hop on a ledge and landing on it will cause a portion of the wall beyond to start to extend. If you remain on the ledge, then, you'll be knocked off of it and into the abyss. Keep moving and as you go toward the right, you'll find future ledges occupied by enemies. You can use homing attacks to lash out at them, to knock them from the ledges before you keep moving toward the right.

Continuing in that direction, you'll find that the path leads up and toward the right. If you fall down through a gap and hang toward the right, you can come within range of an enemy and use a homing attack to launch over to him, which will cause you to hit a bumper that sends you careening through an area to the right. You'll collect a Special Ring as you do so, before finally launching up along a series of rings. From the top of those rings, you can then drop to the right to land on the first of two more platforms.

Quickly hop to the right here, as your arrival will cause blocks to begin pushing out from the wall behind you. Past those blocks, you'll land on the first of several yellow platforms that form a sort of staircase along the wall leading to the upper right. You can't stand on those for long at all before they flicker and disappear, so keep hopping up and to the right to reach the top of the area. If you mess up, you can drop down and they should soon reappear, but be careful that you don't let yourself drop into the pit.

Descend along the shaft to collect an easy Special Ring, but be careful not to drop into the



pit after collecting it!

As is common within this particular region, you'll have to use regular homing attacks to negotiate an asteroid belt.

As you continue to the right from there, you'll come upon another pit that is blocked by three panels, including a yellow one at the center. Since there's an obvious path leading to the right, the yellow block should strike you as suspicious. Drop down and stand on it for a second and it will fade, allowing you to drop lower and see that you're at the top of a shaft made up of several more such yellow platforms. On the lowest level, there's a Special Ring in plain sight. Drop down and collect the ring, then quickly leap back up to the blue platform overhead and to the left. Now ascend the way you came and when you reach the top, you're good to proceed to the right again.

In that direction, you'll soon come to a bit of a puzzle. There are three markings on the wall that each indicate moving blocks that will extend from that wall. Hop up the blue platforms just ahead of them, then watch for the lower left of the blocks to extend. Leap out onto it, then to the one slightly above and to the right once it extends, then from there to the one to the upper left. Now from that ledge, leap out and to the right, use a homing attack on the springboard and launch yourself up and to the right. Now head along that pathway. Hit a speed pad and cruise up the golden trail, collecting rings on the way to the top.

Once you reach the top, you're in for quite the run. You'll launch out into space and will find yourself flying through a field of asteroids. As you go, quickly mash the 'Jump' button repeatedly so that as any asteroids come into view, you can launch to them in homing form and keep moving. Be ready to move the analog stick quickly left and right as required so that you don't miss any of the asteroids that you're supposed to target. You'll drop onto a larger asteroid briefly, hit a speed pad and run in circles around it before returning to the air to bash through more asteroids. Along the same route, you'll also run along a planet's rings, collecting smaller rings of the collectible variety.

When you reach the far end of the asteroid belt, you'll need to be ready to crank the analog stick left so that you're sure to land on solid ground.

It's time to put the purple wisp to use again.

It's important to mind the timing of the blocks as they extend and recede, since passing between them in a hurry is dangerous.

Ahead, you'll see a set of three purple wisps in capsules that span the corridor. Grab one and continue forward to start eating your way through a horde of enemies. It's important as you proceed that you continue collecting capsules to keep your wisp power energized while snacking on the enemies, or you could run out of juice at an inopportune moment and take damage. Past the largest grouping of those enemies, you'll find a final series of pillars to munch on, and then come flush against a back wall. There's a springboard there that will launch you up into the air. Let it carry you straight up (don't hold forward on the analog stick just yet) and you will find and collect a Special Ring. Then you're ready to continue forward along the path.



You'll now find yourself at the start of a bit of a puzzle. As you proceed toward the right, gravity reverses again. You'll find an assortment of yellow and blue blocks, as well as enemies and blocks that periodically extend from the wall whether you're near them or not. Those blocks will try to knock you into a pit, and the enemies will try to shoot you with their pistols. It's a dangerous area indeed. Work your way to the right, taking your time and advancing past the moving blocks only after they extend and begin to recede. That gives you the most time to make your way past them without getting in a rush and messing up due to your haste.

As you reach the far right side of the area, you can descend into a pit by hopping on a blue platform that will lower in that direction. When it reaches its lowest point, you can jump toward the lower left, with gravity still reversed. You'll land on blocks and gravity will return to normal. Now you need to keep moving in that direction, still watching out for blocks that extend and recede, until you reach the far left. There, you can hop up some yellow blocks to high ground, where pistol-wielding enemies await. Eliminate them carefully as you climb back up toward the area where you were a moment ago. Just before you reach that point, you'll be able to collect a Special Ring that is your reward for that hard work.

Reverse gravity can mess with your head, but progress is simple if you just remember how the blocks move.

Leap out and to the right from the ledge to land on some blocks that have temporarily extended, then run right from them and leap out to collect the stage's final Special Ring.

Now you'll need to proceed back toward the right again, but this time when you descend along the block on the far right side, you should head to the right instead of back toward the left.

To the far right, you'll ascend a shaft. Gravity is still reversed. As you reach the ceiling and start to the right, you should notice a checkpoint marker along the floor. Jump from the ceiling and you'll pass through the checkpoint. Continue right from there and you will find a springboard that launches you downward. As you reach the lowest point of that launch, hang to the right and you can land on the blue ledge. Start toward the right, but watch the background. There's a block here that will extend from the background to knock you away from your perch if you're not paying attention. Wait for it to recede, then head to the right and quickly double jump to the right to land on a set of double blocks that will have temporarily extended. Run right along those, then double jump out to the right and you'll come within range of the stage's final Special Ring. You may need to use an air boost to collect it.

Once you have the Special Ring, it's time to complete the stage. Head to the right along the lowest level and you'll come to another series of extending and receding blocks. Let the first ones extend, then begin to recede as you advance to the right. Your gravity will be reversed again and you'll be pulled to the ceiling. Head right and wait for the next set of blocks to recede, then move to the right. Don't advance too quickly or you'll go too far and be pushed away by a block. Just keep advancing slowly, one set of over-sized blocks at a time, and you'll reach the goal ring at the far side of the area. Stage complete!




As this stage begins, you'll find yourself running from left to right. There are plenty of objects of interest in the room around you, but you can't really interact with them just yet. Don't worry, though; you'll be back!

Ride the yellow platform across the field of spikes and be careful to avoid the blocks that will extend from the wall after you pass in front of them.

After descending through the shaft to the left of the spike pit with your blue wisp powers in use, you can use more blue wisp power to turn blocks to rings so that you can proceed left to the stage's goal.

Start toward the right and you'll come to the top of a vertical shaft with blocks, spikes and enemies. You can use homing attacks on the enemies and descend along the blocks. Ignore the spikes and the prize hanging over them for now and just focus on descending. Then run toward the right along the lowest point of the hallway. Launch from the springboard up to the ceiling overhead and pass through the checkpoint.

Continue to the right and you will find a wide pit of spikes. There's a yellow platform resting above that, so hop onto that and let yourself bounce repeatedly as it descends toward the spikes, then starts toward the right. Note the blocks in the wall behind you. For now, they will be placed one block at a time. When you pass in front of one, you'll cause it to push forward. For single blocks, you can just hold right on the analog stick and pass safely in front of the spikes. For sets of two or three spikes, that's not a safe approach. Pass in front of the first and as you launch into the air, use a dropkick to descend quickly to the floating platform. You'll bounce up higher into the air and as you come down, you should land on the blocks that will have extended from the wall. That allows you to collect a Special Ring from the first grouping of blocks. It allows you to survive on the second grouping of blocks, which is just as good.

To the right of that second grouping of blocks, you'll land on some blue platforms and two alien wisps will appear in capsules. You have a choice about how to proceed: either with a blue one or a pink one.

If you're anxious to complete the stage and not worried about collecting many more Special Ring objects, blue is the way to go. Grab it, then put it to use and drop to the blue blocks that have solidified to the lower left. Run along those and to the left, where you'll be able to collect more blue wisps before dropping down a shaft and heading left through what currently are blue rings. Defeat


Asteroid Coaster




any enemies along the way, grab the easy Special Ring, then pass through the area goal to finish the stage.

Roll along the ceiling through the areas that you just cleared and you will find Special Rings to add to your collection.

Some of the blocks to the left of the goal ring can be destroyed, granting you access to a final Special Ring.

If you're worried about collecting rings, rather than just completing the stage, then you need to make a different choice when presented with the blue and pink wisps. Collect the pink one instead, then activate it. You can latch onto the wall to your right, then speed along it and across the overhead ceiling.

Almost immediately, you'll come to a gap in the ceiling that you can cruise through. Doing so is in your best interests. You'll find numerous enemies to kill, along with a Special Ring and an extra life token along the far left side of the area. Collect those items, while refilling your meter with any pink alien wisps along the way, and return back to the right and down through the opening so that you're again following the ceiling over the huge spike pit.

Proceed left and descend through the corridor, then to the left. You want to be latched to the ceiling here so that you can ascend to a nook where another of the alien wisps is held captive by some blocks. Destroy those and use the wisp to renew your energy, then proceed up the passage and now you are in great shape to collect the Special Ring that previously was unreachable because of its position along a bed of spikes. Grab that ring now, then continue up and toward the left to the area's starting point. You can roll up the wall to the left and keep moving in that direction to drop down to a shaft with more solid blocks. Most of those can't be destroyed, but there are some weak ones in the mix. You can break through those for yet another Special Ring. Then it's a simple matter to head to the lower right from there and pass through the stage's goal ring.


This stage finds you racing along the rings on a massive saucer, while enemies race alongside you. The only real trick here is to avoid the enemies as you race, collecting Special Ring items as you go and eliminating enemies by ramming against them at high speeds (though not from behind or you'll just take damage).


Asteroid Coaster




Collect the Special Ring items as you race along the track, until you have four of them.

Set your enemies to spinning by ramming against the large fellows, and when you have done so a few times the area goal ring will appear.

From the start, head forward along the speed pad and then quickly move to the right one lane. Keep running forward once you've done that until you collect your first Special Ring, then promptly head left two tracks and run until you collect a second Special Ring.

Next, you need to head to the far right track for a third Special Ring, then all the way to the far left track for the fourth Special Ring.

To get the last ring and finish the stage, you'll need to take out some of your enemies. As you race, note that some of the enemies are larger and a darker gray color than most of the weaker brown foes. You can move quickly left while racing to smack against the larger enemies and to set them spinning, which will take out all of your other enemies. Do so three or four times and then a new Special Ring will appear, this time positioned on the far left (innermost) ring. Collect it, then return to the center of the track and race until you pass through the golden goal ring that will also have appeared.


This stage begins with Sonic dropping down a shaft. You can move him to collect a column of rings if you like. Once he lands, head toward the right and jump onto a platform, then from there jump up and pull yourself to high ground with a hook. Use homing attacks as you advance to the right to eliminate some enemies, then drop down and stand on a blue panel.


Asteroid Coaster




Descend through the shaft with the moving arm platforms, then use the enemies to gain elevation along the blocks to the left (which in turn allows you to reach the stage's first Special Ring).

With purple wisp powers activated, you can demolish the blocks and reveal a hidden Special Ring.

To the right, you'll see a moving arm rotate while you stand on the switch. You should remember these arms from a much earlier stage. Touching their glowing orange extensions will cause you to take damage, so your goal as before is to let them rotate so that they are positioned least inconveniently. Continue descending, stepping on switches as necessary to move the arms out of your way. You'll reach an area to the lower left, where you'll find two enemies standing along a series of black crates. Use homing attacks to take out the nearest enemy, then launch against the second one and as you bounce into the air from dealing with him, jump again to land on the platform overhead where you can collect a Special Ring.

Now drop down and head left of the crates, where a purple wisp waits in a capsule. Collect it and head back to the right, munching on crates. Destroy all of them on the upper level, drop down to the lower level and keep eating through them. You'll reveal and collect a second Special Ring in the process. To the right from there, you'll also find a cyan alien wisp. If your attempt at the first Special Ring failed, you can head left with the wisp and aim up in the general vicinity of the ledge where the ring was positioned, then unleash your laser move and possibly make your way up to the ledge to collect the ring. It can take a few tries, but it's doable.

When you're ready to proceed through the stage properly, collect that cyan alien wisp and then aim its light so that it sends you flying up an overhead shaft. When you reach the top, you'll pass through a checkpoint.



Just past the checkpoint, you can ascend a shaft to find another Special Ring.

A fourth Special Ring is located near the upper right corner of the chamber, in a recess that you can only easily reach with careful wall jumps.

You're now about halfway through the stage. To the right of that first checkpoint is a large area with black crates positioned throughout it, along with enemies and more of the moving arms. Start by leaping up the shaft just to the right. You can wall jump your way to the top to find a Special Ring.

Now drop down and start toward the right. In this direction, you'll need to continue moving arms out of your way as you advance up some of the black blocks. Enemies are positioned helpfully here, so that you can use homing attacks to reach higher ledges that otherwise can only be reached with creative wall jumps. There are two final items to collect in this area. The first is a Special Ring that you can reach by heading to the upper right portion of the area. You can climb up walls with careful wall jumps and when you reach the high road, you'll find the Special Ring.

The area's final Special Ring is more difficult to reach. To do so, you'll need to use the cyan wisp ability again. The ring is located in the very right top corner of the area, behind some blocks you can't normally break through. Look for that long ledge with the blocks, then position yourself to the lower left on some black blocks on the ground level. Activate the cyan wisp and quickly aim your laser up toward the ledge with the blocks and the Special Ring. If you were quick enough, you'll fly up to the ledge and destroy the blocks, collecting the ring in the process.

Now to finish the stage, just use homing attacks to defeat all of the enemies in the area. The goal ring will appear once you have done so.


This stage finds you riding along another series of coasters, much like the first stage in the region.

You need to be ready to switch coasters as you ride along the treacherous tracks near the beginning of the stage.

Move to avoid circular formations of spikes as you descend the shaft beyond the series of coasters.

As you ride down the tracks, watch for ring formations in the air. Leap to collect three sets of rings,


Asteroid Coaster




then ascend the hill beyond and as you reach its top, leap again to pass through rainbow rings that will launch you forward and to a new coaster on a higher track. Ride along that coaster for a short distance and another coaster will appear to your left. Note its presence, but do not switch over to it. Instead, stay where you are and descend a hill. Your coaster will reach a flat stretch. You need to be ready for that and quickly leap up to pass through some rings that will launch you forward and into a field of asteroids along which you can leap. As you approach that field, hold toward the left and don't press the 'Jump' button until a red target reticule appears on the first brown asteroid in that direction. Then launch along a few more to finally land on a blue-tinted train and tracks. Ride it until it starts a steep dive downward. As it does, prepare yourself and leap just before you run out of track. If you timed it right, you'll pass through more rainbow rings. These will carry you through a Special Ring and up toward a nearby asteroid. Bounce from it, then hold left until a red target reticule appears on a springboard in that direction. Launch to it and let it send you flying up to another train. As you board that train, keep to the center track as you pass some green lava and watch for more rainbow rings ahead. When they appear, jump to pass through them and you'll be carried up to a volcano. Now you'll find yourself descending through a shaft, with an over-the-shoulder perspective as you collect rings on your descent and avoid circles formed from spiked balls.

When you reach the base of that shaft, a speed pad will launch you to the right (through a checkpoint), then you'll fly upward from a springboard. Head to the right at the top of that leap and you'll find yourself ascending a vertical shaft. As you ascend here, note that there are spikes positioned along the ceiling. You need to jump onto platforms that will start to rise, then be prepared to move left or right to stand on new platforms so that none of them carry you up and into the lethal spikes.

Watch for the currents, which can quickly push you up or down against rows of spikes, as you work to the upper right side of the area to collect a Special Ring.

Your homing attack can eliminate fish and keep you from taking damage as you work through the passages, but make sure that you hurry to avoid running out of oxygen!

Once you get to the top, a springboard will launch you upward and you'll find yourself swimming through water that is held upward by inverted gravity. As you swim through this area, note that there are currents capable of pushing you quickly against spikes along the ceiling. Be careful to avoid staying above those water jets and move toward the upper right to collect a Special Ring that is positioned there. Then descend toward the bottom center of the area, where you'll drop through an opening to leave the water behind you.

Now you're at the base of a shaft. To the right, along a wall, there are worms that will appear from holes and fire projectiles at you. Head in that direction and be ready to leap over any of the projectiles that are at a level that can hit you. There's a pattern to the shots that you should quickly pick up, allowing you to safely approach and then to use homing attacks to eliminate the worms.

Beyond those worms, ride a platform up and through a waterlogged shaft. Your leaps will carry you up along the architecture, until you reach the top and swim through some more water to your right. Here, there are black crates that you can demolish using your purple wisp powers. Save your wisp



powers for the third such shaft and once you activate it, make sure that you make your way to the far side of the passageway and gobble up some blocks along the ceiling (just ahead of the pair of large purple fish) to reveal another Special Ring.

With your purple wisp ability, eat through some blue columns to find a springboard that will launch you to a high wire.

Work your way through the barriers to inflict damage to the generator core.

Soon, you should find yourself falling through a new shaft. You can move to collect rings. At the base, you'll grab a purple wisp from a capsule and clear another stage checkpoint.

Start forward along the path and you will find rows of blue columns. Head along this path, avoiding enemy attacks until you find several worms positioned ahead of a group of four blue pillars. Now use your frenzy ability to gnaw through the pillars and feast on the worms. You'll reveal a Special Ring in the midst of the rubble. Collect it, then press onward.

Ascend along the path's remainder and break through the blue columns as necessary, until finally you launch far into the air and then find yourself drifting downward. There are plenty of rings to collect here, and also a Special Ring if you veer toward the left of the area as you descend (the last Special Ring in the game). When you arrive at the base of the area, which is broken up by a short run on land where you can collect a few final rings, you'll be in a circular arena not unlike the one where you've battled previous boss monsters.

In this area, you'll see a generator core surrounded by purple mist. There are three shields around it, but they don't provide complete protection. You can launch against the generator when the timing is right to pass through the barriers and inflict damage. Be careful that you don't try to use a homing attack at the wrong moment, or you'll just launch against one of the harmful barriers and take damage. You need to hit the generator core three times and when you do, a hatch at the base of the area will open. You can drop through it to find the stage goal.

Asteroid Coaster Boss

You've reached the last of the standard boss battles.


Asteroid Coaster




Run after the ship and avoid projectiles and objects until you get close so that you can launch into the air and start using homing attacks.

Staying on the ground and moving around to avoid bullets tends to work better than leaping around shots, unless you have no choice.

This fight resembles a previous one. You'll need to run along paths to approach a ship that is flying ahead of you as it fires projectiles at you. These projectiles come in a variety of forms, including large rocks and spiked balls that you'll have to leap to avoid, or dodge to the side to avoid. You'll also have to deal with machine gun fire, though you have warning so that you can tell where those shots will come.

Race up behind the vehicle, double jump into the air to avoid any nearby shots, then watch for a red target reticule and hit like crazy when the opportunity to strike arrives. You'll deal damage in that manner before the ship pulls away and the perspective shifts to the side.

As you continue racing toward the right, the battle will continue in largely the same manner as it already has. There should be some rings to collect, so make sure that you snag those and then be ready to leap over any objects on the ground (such as spiked balls) or to move forward and backward to avoid bouncing asteroids and bullets. In general, you should only jump when you are approaching the ship and about to launch an attack, or when you have to leap to avoid obstacles. Otherwise, being in the air is more likely to prove a liability than it is to prove helpful.

The fight will continue alternating between the two perspectives as you continue dealing damage. When you win, you'll be showered with rings and the ship will go down in flames.


You'll find yourself running along a long road. There are no checkpoints, so you'll have to clear the stage on a single life. As you run, enemies will appear ahead of you, flying along the track. They are each capable of firing blue lasers at you, and they will happily do so as you run.

= « Asteroid Coaster

Terminal Velocity

Act 1 Boss Act 2



Blue laser lights are unkind to hedgehog fur, so make sure to dodge out of their way when you see them coming.

The first group of flying robots will depart to make way for a second group, and that one will make way for a third.

As the stage starts, the easiest thing to do is to switch lanes (there are three lanes total) according to ring placement. If there are rows of rings, you're safe running in that lane until the rings vanish. Then you had better be quick about switching lanes, because some blue lasers are about to come your way.

Once the rings are gone, you have fewer clues about where you can safely position yourself. However, there's still an art to it. The enemies will give visual cues before they fire their shots (by performing somersaults in the air in the order that they plan to fire shots), so you'll just have to keep switching lanes to stay ahead of their shots. Remember that when a machine starts firing, it'll point the lasers directly down at the ground first, then sweep upward to fire on your location. Just pick a lane and keep running, watch for the lights to flicker into sight directly ahead of you and then quickly dodge to the left or right. You may have to wait to change lanes in some instances until laser lights have just passed by you to one side (from one machine) before you switch to that lane behind the lasers in an attempt to avoid shots from the next machine.

You'll pass under an archway after the first group of enemies flies away, then it's time to grab some rings before dealing with a second set. The strategy is the same here as it was for the first group, and then you'll pass through another archway as the second group of enemies leaves in favor of a third.

As you run, switch lanes frequently to knock any cycles out of commission as they come up



from behind and try to take you out with swipes of their own.

The big vehicle attacks with sweeps of his arm that you can avoid by boosting, and with lasers that you can avoid by switching lanes.

The third enemy group is different from the first two. As you race along a walkway, you'll now find yourself running toward the screen as some of the cycle vehicles approach from behind. There are several lanes to run along here, and you can switch frequently and easily to stay ahead of any enemies. As vehicles pull up alongside you, simply dash over to the side (by switching lanes) to eliminate them. You'll set them spinning and more will come to replace them. Just continue the process until you launch to a new track.

A new enemy will come up behind you now, one of the large vehicles like one that you may remember from an earlier stage. As he did when you previously encountered him, this machine will swipe at you with his huge arms (just boost quickly to avoid such swipes) and he'll fire lasers from above. You can see lights appear on the machine before the lasers appear, so just switch lanes to position yourself in a lane that is not matched by a glowing light. After each light attack, he will follow up with a swipe attack. Move into the center lane and boost to stay ahead of the swipe. By moving into the center lane, you make it easier to dodge left or right and get out of the way of any subsequent laser attacks.

Continue running and dodging to avoid any such attacks until the big bruiser is joined by a bunch of smaller ones. Keep your focus on the large fellow, who is most likely to cause you harm, and switch lanes as necessary only when you can do so without guaranteeing yourself harm from the main machine. It's dangerous to get too far ahead of him now except with careful dodges because he likes to hang back and fire lasers at you. If his top disappears off the top of your screen because you're too far ahead, you won't have any warning about where he will fire his lasers.

You'll find the stage's exit just after you manage to escape from that last machine.

Terminal Velocity Boss

You've reached another boss battle, the final boss battle. Following the cutscene, you'll find yourself running along a path while your enemy soars in the skies ahead of you. Grab a trail of rings so that you can afford to take damage if necessary, and stick mostly to the center lane to give yourself the most options as you proceed.

As you run toward your opponent, you'll have to deal with a hazard or two that he throws your way before you can possibly get close enough to use homing attacks on his crustacean exterior. He has a few attacks. One is dark matter that he'll fire into the air. It lands in the form of blocks that will speed toward you. Dodge to the sides to steer your way through them. He may instead use spikes. If you see spikes coming, you need to jump quickly over them at the last second, then double jump in the air to avoid a second row of them. A third attack that he likes to use is a set of lasers. One will sweep across the screen (jump it) and then another will come from the opposite direction (jump it again).


Terminal Velocity

Act 1 Boss Act 2



You'll need to catch up to your foe, leap into the air and use homing attacks to hammer him if you want to inflict any damage.

When you're running toward the screen to escape the ship's charge once it is almost defeated, note that you'll have to deal with more desperate attacks that require additional evasive measures.

After you have dodged those attacks, you'll move in close and then you can jump into the air and use a series of homing attacks to bash apart some shell armor and finally to deal a blow to Eggman himself. Then it's back to chasing after him and dodging another attack before moving in close again.

Once you have hit Eggman a second time, the perspective will switch and you'll be running toward the screen. He'll use his same attacks again, but now they tend to be more difficult to avoid and there are extra wrinkles to them. For instance, the blocks may have a laser beam that speeds along them before they sweep forward toward you, so be ready to avoid that and then move quickly to avoid the blocks. Once you get through that particular gauntlet, then you can leap into the air and perform a homing attack chain to deal another series of blows to the ship.

From there, the process will repeat several times. With each subsequent round, you'll gain a few wisps that will fly at your side, and the approach on the ship grows more difficult by small increments. For instance, the laser might sweep five or six times, instead of the usual two. When you have finally done enough damage, directions will appear on-screen to use your wisp powers. Just mash the button repeatedly to summon all of the wisps at once, then double jump into the air and use a final homing attack to deal the crippling blow that finally takes out your opponent.


After defeating your nemesis in the boss battle, there's one final stage. You might have saved the day, but now you need to escape so that you can live to tell the tale!


Terminal Velocity

Act 1 Boss Act 2



Stick to the ground as possible and dodge around gaps that appear in the path. Double jump across them only when necessary.

The dark aura is building, but you're a hedgehog; you can outrun it!

Sonic will appear along a road, running toward the screen. That won't last for long before the view shifts so that you're watching things from over his shoulder. When that happens, you need to be ready to double jump and leap over a gap.

Now you'll be running along a lengthy pathway. As you run, openings will appear in the path ahead of you. Though you can double jump to cross these, sometimes that will cause you to land without much time to jump again in order to clear another obstacle. Therefore, you'll find that things go most smoothly if you focus on simply moving to the sides to avoid pits and only double jump across any when you have no real choice.

After you've run for awhile, the perspective will shift so that Sonic is now running toward the screen as a huge blast of aura builds behind him. Just keep running toward the screen now and before long, the screen will fade out of sight as the closing cinemas begin. You've beaten the game!

Sonic Colors Secrets

Unlockable: Super Sonic

Collect all 180 Red Rings from the 36 acts to unlock the 2nd and 3rd Sonic Simulator acts. Now, beat 21 of these Sonic Simulator stages (you can do this in single player). After this you can select Super Sonic from the now-glowing Options Satellite on the Main Menu. Collect 50 rings to activate Super Sonic -- some stages will change when you do so. You cannot use Super Sonic in Challenge Mode.

Unlockable: Playable Mii in Sonic Simulator

Collect 30 Red Rings to unlock a playable Mii in the Sonic Simulator.

Hint: Finish Line Minigame

At the end of each level you will see a screen with your stats for the level. you still have control of Sonic here, so jump into and dash through the numbers and you may score some



rings and extra lives.

Unlockable: Rainbow Star (Credits Minigame)

Beat the game and watch the credits roll to make the Rainbow Star appear on your map screen. Choose it to play the credits minigame.

Hint: Change Sonics Color in Simulator

Go to the character selection screen in the Sonic Simulator and press Z or C (L and R for GameCube controller) to change color to blue, red, pink, black or green. -RonnoxAnnihilator

Easter Egg: title Screen Manipulation

At the title screen use the control stick to turn the camera to look at Sonic and the aliens from different angles.

Sonic Colors Questions & Answers

We answer most of the questions that you might have in our Walkthrough. Simply select that portion of the guide, then skip to our information for the stage where you are stuck. If there are common questions that we don't answer in the walkthrough, though, you'll find them asked and answered here.

What sort of unlockable content is included in the game?

You can unlock stages for Game Land, known in-game as the Sonic Simulator. These are special, retro-themed stages that will test your Sonic skills. There are 18 in all. You can access a new one each time you find another 10 Special Ring items throughout the main action stages. If you beat all of the Sonic Simulator stages, you can unlock Super Sonic.

What are those semi-transparent capsules floating in some of the stages?

Many early stages feature semi-transparent capsules that you can collect when first you see them. You'll have to return to the stage later, when you have found new wisp abilities. There are a total of seven wisp colors to worry about, in addition to the white ones that you can collect right from the start of the game. You'll keep finding new wisps until the last worlds, so there's no getting around it: you'll have to backtrack to those early stages if you want to find everything.

I got an 'S' rank on a stage and earned three lives but they didn't show up. Why?

When you earn an 'A' rank on a stage, you'll gain an extra life. An 'S' rank earns you three extra lives. However, they don't just increase your supply of lives automatically. When you see them drop down on the end-of-the-stage progress report screen, you'll have to move

↓

↓

↓



around and double jump up the lettering to collect them. You have plenty of time to do so, but you have to realize that you can do so. If you simply stand still and read your report, then the option to collect the lives goes away after a few seconds.

Why can't I seem to get an 'S' rank on most stages? What am I doing wrong?

The most likely bet is that you're not finishing a stage quickly enough. You receive more points (toward your rank) when you zip through a stage super quickly. You also miss out on scoring opportunities if you don't collect enough rings and Special Rings or if you take damage from enemies or die. In other words, you need to move through a stage in a near-perfect form without missing much. That's the way to an 'S' rank.

In Aquarium Park a machine keeps chasing me and hitting me with his fists! Help?

Near the start of a stage in Aquarium Park, you can head to the right and run down a walkway to find Sonic automatically fleeing a huge machine that chases after him and tries to club him with its fists. Sonic will escape them without you having to do anything, but the machine returns at the end of the stage and then you have to pay attention if you want to survive. The trick is to learn the attack patterns. The machine starts by swinging a huge fist to club Sonic. You need to boost forward along the track just before it swipes, so that Sonic races ahead and avoids the blow. That process may repeat, and definitely will repeat if the machine is successful in its attempt to hit Sonic the first time. Note that the machine also has another attack: laser beams. There are three dome lights on the top of the machine: left, center and right. If two of those light up, then you know that they will fire lasers. You want to position Sonic along the track that didn't light up on the top of the machine so that the lasers pass around him. Then you need to get ready for the machine to speed up and eventually try another swipe with its fists. The pattern will repeat for some time, which is difficult at first, but you should soon get good enough at the process to avoid taking danger. There's bad news, though: the machine will return right near the end of the game, with extra distractions by its side. Start practicing!

↓

↓



ign.com | sonic colors guide page 1 of 102 strategy guid… · sonic colors basics sonic colors is...

Documents