Every Classic Sonic Zone Ranked from WORST to BEST

[Music] hi what's up I'm Channel pop the mascot for the level-headed Fanboy welcome to a very special ranking it's something I've had on my mind for a little bit and decided hey let's pull the trigger I'm going to be ranking all 40 Classic Sonic zones and this is strictly from the mainline title so anything included in the Sonic Origins set as well as Sonic Mania however I won't be including remix stages so that does slash off about 60 of stages in Sonic Mania and I won't be including zones that surf purely to Stage a boss fight so sorry Sonic 2 Death Egg zone or final Zone from Sonic 1 not gonna be appearing on this list I also want to note that with the Sonic CD stages as well I won't necessarily be going into much detail about the good future bad future it's a cool idea and I definitely don't want to Discount that but generally it consists of horrible apocalyptic Wasteland or happy vibrant area with no enemies and lots of wildlife Mamma Mia you made it this far into the video and you still haven't subscribed what in the name of spaghetti and meatballs is this all about if thank you boy why I'm not subscribed to the channel pop yet and click on the link in the picture in the description below or I'll kill you boy the diss me that's so unspicy meatball yes it is all right so with all that finagling out of the way let's get into our 40th spot Metropolis right there at the very soggy bottom of this list is Metropolis Zone I think every Sonic fan can unanimously agree screw Metropolis even if it doesn't make the bottom of your list we can all agree that it's a horrible level Sonic 2 may be one of the better Sonic games in the series but this is a blemish on this game in terms of the presentation the theming and the music it's all actually really solid here kind of the mechanical inner workings of an Eggman base the platforming surrounding things like Machinery nuts and bolts cogs and gears and that's all really solid ideas on paper the unfortunate thing is it is populated with some of the most BS traps and Bs bad niggs just cheap shots or even a widescreen display can't quite anticipate you really have to have supersonic reflexes to master this one and it's to an extent where the difficulty feels more cheap than it does actually challenging and then as if this wasn't already a blemish on the game it decided to become a massive great whopping blem in that this is the only three act stage in the entire game so not only is it a terrible level it absolutely outstays its welcome it's tedious it's over long and it's unfair [Music] in at number 39 is marble Zone from Sonic the Hedgehog one you've hit the ground running with Green Hill Zone and now suddenly all of that is ground to a halt with marble Zone interesting following up that party atmosphere of the Green Hill Zone with this funeral Garden but okay I know what a lot of you are thinking Labyrinth zone is surely the worst stage from Sonic 1 that tends to be the unanimous Sonic fan decision but nah I'm gonna say marble Zone because the thing with marble zone is it's not particularly difficult it's just boring not helped by the fact that is the second level in the game following up the joys of the green hero Zone all that movement and momentum all that experimentation you've got in that stage with pushing blocks and waiting for platforms to move out the way and waiting for this block to make its way across the lava there are lots of bad Nicks packed into tight cramped areas as well and the caterkillers can just go to hell oh wait they're already there they're in Marble Zone marble zone is just a miserable level from top to bottom foreign at number 38 is Sky Chase from Sonic 2. and it's like okay on the first time playthrough is nice to have a bit of a breather after Metropolis Zone but at the same time I kind of just wish I could skip this one these days it's effectively a glorified Auto scroller except in this case there's no platforming to be done just bopping a bunch of enemies Sonic 2 is not exactly known for its riveting combat gauntlets so this just kind of feels redundant it's okay for a breather but anything else is just a bit pants really isn't it in at number 37 is Labyrinth Zone see still very low down this stage is just a bit of a slog the water for me isn't really the problem so much as the cheap traps even then though it is round Peg square hole effectively like marble Zone it's a very tight confined space and you're playing as a character who excels on Wide Open Spaces pair that with the fact that water slows him down and you've just got this very slow platforming slog it is commonly known as the most difficult Zone in Sonic 1 and I think I can attest to that in that yeah it's a nice sort of challenging Zone especially that boss fight at the end as well against Dr Robotnik and I could definitely see why they originally intended to have this be the second level but decided to move it to Mid game which is why marble zone is now the second level which it shouldn't be either I feel like the second level should have been Starlight Zone then again if you move Starlight going to level number two it really is just downhill from there okay spring yard Zone should have been level two but then do you really want marble Zone and Labyrinth Zone both on the jump oh man it's difficult maybe they did make the right cool with Sonic 1's level order in at number 36 is sandopolis right act one of sandopolis is fantastic act two it's the one and only bad level from Sonic 3 and Knuckles in my opinion comprised of some pretty confined spaces and a very Labyrinthian structure this is a maze it's got these sand slides and you have to figure out which one to go on and where to get off and there's a lot of very repetitive trial and error there the idea of having to keep the lights on to keep ghosts at Bay is also a really cool idea but I think paired with that very labyrinthine structure it does all become a little too much which is a shame because the theming of this stage is really cool and again the First Act is actually really solid it's just a shame that act 2 is a blemish on an otherwise perfect game all right in at number 35 is wacky workbench from Sonic CD the Saving Grace here is that it is at least easier than sandopolis but uh yeah this one's a dud see with Sonic it's all about the joys of movement momentum and traversal and here you get none of that because the floor is just bouncy like really really bouncy for pretty much the entirety of the level with the exception of some tiny floating platforms the theming here feels like it should be the end of game Robotnik base but it's just slap bang in the middle I honestly don't mind that idea what I do mind is just the fact that I can't just move forward in this stage without being propelled upwards it takes control away from the player and it's not even challenging it's just annoying where it does become very cheap is the fact that Sonic CD is All About Time Travel and hunting for these star posts that send you back to the past and then finding these robot generators how am I supposed to do that when I'm just being propelled around all of this is against my will leave me alone wacky workbench is not particularly difficult and it's over pretty quick but it's just a very very annoying stage [Music] in at 34 is Wing Fortress now I understand you want a final stage in a Sonic game to be challenging more so than previous stages but unfortunately particularly with Sonic 1 and 2 those first two anyways I they kind of fell back a little too much on stop and go platforming and Wing Fortress is exactly that it's full of Do or Die moments where you're dangling above Bottomless Pits enemy turrets shooting at you that you can't destroy but some that will become a theme Here is the theming and music is really cool that back half of Sonic 2 just isn't very good [Music] foreign coming in at number 33 is oil ocean zone from Sonic 2 particularly in the back path this is the final Zone before Metropolis so put it this way all of the last few zones of Sonic 2 are in this bottom part of the list because that back half of Sonic 2 is just full of like we don't quite know how to make a sonic level challenging yet without an over Reliance on more stop and go platforming now admittedly this stage isn't terrible we're at the part of the list now where they kind of stop being bad levels so much as just being all right or not very noteworthy or just not a great deal of fun and oil ocean falls into the ladder camp this stage feels like an obligation it's just very stop start stop start not really any opportunities to use your speed or your momentum or anything like that very much back in the Sonic one level design philosophy although I will say it's a little less tight and cramped I also appreciate that the oil does give you a chance to get out rather than just immediate drowning so that's at least something not a terrible stage but definitely one of the weaker ones foreign at number 32 is scrap brain Zone from Sonic 1. I'm gonna start off with some positives I like that each Act is distinctive the First Act being kind of the outdoorsy section of the scrap brain the second act being very much indoors inside the facility and the last act bit oh come on how dare you there are some interesting platforming gimmicks but again it can be very stop and go even when there is a nice stretch of zone for you to run across it's made stop and go by Flame spouting out in different formations these are the kind of traps where you can't necessarily outrun them you have to kind of stop wait for them to finish and then move along and that's not how I like Sonic level designed to be it's challenging but I like there to be the reward of being able to actually outrun and outpace the traps and sometimes if you fall into these traps it can be needlessly difficult to get out and yeah don't get me started on the third act being a reprisal of Labyrinth Zone even if it is mercifully short when you know your way scrap brain zone is a fitting end to Sonic 1 in that it has the Sonic one level design philosophy meaning take your time even though you're the fastest thing alive in at number 31 is quartz squadron from Sonic CD this level is just fine it's like a Mining facility and there's lots of conveyor belts and uh it's just okay it's very short it's not really noteworthy in any stretch of the imagination it just feels like filler I think that's the problem is I've got next to nothing to say about quartz Squadron you'll be lucky if you can find any quartz quadrant fans are there any fans of this stage out there the convey also interesting enough and they don't punish movement enough for them to be annoying and changing their directions can be kind of cool too so like just on a hole is it's kind of cool I guess the boss fight is really the only noteworthy thing here [Music] Hilltop from Sonic 2. again it's filler it all right I tell you what there is one really neat thing about this you're going inside the mountain that you saw in Emerald Hill that's a nice bit of World building you see this place in the first level and you actually get to go there later and you've got the discovery that it's a volcano as inside there is lava sometimes it's rising lava there's not a great deal of footing in this stage though meaning that generally your traversal will be limited to using zip wires or using the seesaws there's just really not a lot of room for maneuver in this stage overall it's all right [Music] foreign number 29 is metallic Madness what an awesome kind of reinvention of the scrap brain Zone style of level there's a lot of scrap brain Zone here but this stage feels like it's taking it up a few notches with some new unique platforming elements some cool new enemies and this sweet shrinking mechanic which really does vary up the platforming metallic Madness does manage to keep things very fresh which I really appreciate what I don't appreciate so much is some of the cheap Spike placement like you'll jump on a spring and it'll be sent careering up towards spikes and you've got no way of seeing that coming that's just cheap but fortunately everything else here really elevates this one foreign number 28 is Starlight Zone another good stage from Sonic 1. the noteworthy thing about this one is it actually allows you to use some speed with different ramps slopes and loopy Loops there is a lot of vertical physics based platforming in this one especially with the seesaws which can make it a little challenging and can require that's just a little more thought than you'd necessarily want to put into a Sonic stage as in it can make things a little bit stop and go but honestly that's really it as far as like actual critiques of the level design go one thing I will say that does let this stage down is that the theming is actually kind of just dull you've got stars and then you've got these Urban structures and that's it pretty plain for a Sonic level [Music] foreign number 27 is aquatic ruin from Sonic 2. proving that water stages can actually be fun it takes that upper layer bottom layer philosophy of Sonic level design and really doubles down on it with the lower layer being entirely underwater while the upper layer allows you to get a lot of speed there are elements of this stage that I'm not so fond of I don't like that the arrows that chase after you don't actually disappear and you have to let them pass you like jeez can you just like disappear after like five seconds I guess that way I'm not having to grind my momentum to a halt just to jump over you another complaint is what the hell happened with The Parallax scrolling in this level I'm guessing it's deliberate but it's just kind of gross that being said the theming is nice and if you're really good at this stage you can power through it foreign at number 26 is palm tree Panic from Sonic CD yes this on the surface does look like another Green Hill analog but this stage Prides itself on its verticality as proven from that massive ramp at the start of the stage its structure is comprised of so many different layers and it makes it ideal for the treasure hunting mechanic of Sonic CD and given how layered it is there's so much to explore but what I like is that this stage never loses sight of the fact that I do still want to move at a good Pace when playing as Sonic palm tree Panic is a great opening stage not sure what's so panicked about it though it seems pretty chill [Music] in at number 25 is Emerald Hill now elephant in the room Emerald Hill is very similar to Green Hill in terms of aesthetic but in terms of the overall layout and the gameplay there is quite a world of difference here if Green Hill Zone was kind of a playground for Sonic we could really play with his abilities Emerald Hill is more of a Speedway bringing Sonic 2's emphasis on speed to the very Forefront right out of the gate it's an energetic opener with great theming and great music but due to just how streamlined it is it doesn't quite live up to the opener of its predecessor and at number 24 is Mystic cave from Sonic 2. this is actually a very solid level yes it's quite tight and confined like a Sonic 1 level but it does at least allow you some room for maneuver yes there are instances of moving platforms that you kind of have to work your way around but these are at least pretty quick and there is reward for out running some of the obstacles now pair that pretty solid level design with some excellent theming some of the strongest in Sonic 2 and some very spooky Yuki music and you've got yourself a really strong stage also given that this is cave themed it does at least justify the Titan or cramped space held by the fact that outside of this stage Sonic 2 is a much more open game than its predecessor so Mystic k for its more cramped space ends up being a little bit more distinct it does go to show what's striking up a good balance can do [Music] in at number 23 is marble garden now this is a stage that has really really grown on me I do think it is the weakest stage in the Standalone version of Sonic 3 but even then it's a really good stage there are some really unique obstacles and platforming elements to this stage which Never outstay Their welcome plus a lot of different breakable structures and walls pair that with loads of slopes and hills and Sonic feels like a destructive force in this stage there's something about marble Garden that feels very grandiose to me like this would be home to some breathtaking views it's a far cry from Sonic 1's marble Zone which was this dreary sad funeral home this place actually offers you some open areas to actually just run around in and the deceptive bouncy spikes are a fun touch marble Garden might be the weakest of that first half of Sonic 3 and Knuckles but it's still a fun stage thank you in at number 22 is mushroom Hill which is just a terrific design for a Sonic stage so you've got these bouncy mushrooms and it really kind of varies depending on how much velocity you land on them with and you can absolutely speed through this level going from Vine to vine bouncing off of mushrooms left and right but one of the things that really makes this level great is the change in Seasons as you've Traverse from Spring to Summer to fall it's a zone that regularly changes it up and there are things that are constantly trying to hinder your speed but you can outrun those obstacles or just Master them this is a stage where with skillful play you can really Blitz it it's a strong opener to Sonic and Knuckles [Music] in at number 21 is Collision chaos Sonic CD's resident pinball stage that is a good name for the stage as you constantly collide with different bumpers once again like palm tree Panic this stage is built to be explored and I have to admit that while the pinball features are an obstacle they are quite fun to navigate your way around once again striking up a good balance between pinball features and overall level design also once again the theming here very strong I like the contrast between the very pink colors of the overall architecture combined with the light blue of the background elements it's one of the more unapologetically 90s looking Sonic stages and I appreciate it for that [Music] in at number 20 is spring yard from Sonic 1. the very first Sonic stage to feature pinball features such as bumpers no flippers in sight though for starters I love that sort of sleepy Urban theme this feels like it could be like in the middle of like Central Park at night although okay you've got mountains so it's obviously not Central Park but there's just like a really cool sort of after dark atmosphere which is only complemented by the music as well which also feels like kind of a late night kind of feel you know and it is cool how this stage kind of accentuates Sonic's pinball-like movement as well complete with the bumpers and a lot of these sort of skate Parky kind of areas lots of ramps and slopes the only thing that really does let this down is some of the slow-moving Block platforming it's not overly common but common enough and slow enough for it to kind of just let this down a few notches on this list whereas it would have been a lot higher while overall not the most consistent level design there is some strong level design going on here at the very least pair that with excellent theming and great music and yeah you've got a really solid stage in Sonic 1 something that can be a little difficult to come by [Music] in at number 19 is Stardust Speedway and it does exactly what it says on the tin it's stardusty and it's a Speedway however even so I do much prefer the theming of this stage to say Starlight Zone there's a lot more going on in the foreground elements lots of these very sort of bronzy Art Deco structures which I really like the design of but a big part of the appeal of this stage is how Sonic can just be jetted throughout different paths and different loops and Spins shot out of these little cannons and take all of these different little paths there are some sparingly used pinbally elements in this stage but for the most part this one is just all about the speed and well it certainly manages that but of course what really sets this stage apart from other stages is the boss fight against Metal Sonic as you race him through the very final stretches of this level using Sonic a character that it's all about his speed racing against another character is awesome but racing against your very own metal duplicate who has you matched is nothing short of Epic pair that with the stakes of Dr Robotnik chasing after the both of you with a deadly Death Ray and rescuing Amy Rose it's just this massive climactic event it's no surprise as to why this would go on to become probably the most iconic stage from Sonic CD and that metal Sonic would go on to become one of the most iconic Sonic characters of all time [Music] number 18 is title Tempest gotta say very similar to Labyrinth Zone in a lot of ways but a lot better level theming again very labyrinth-esque except now it's got a bit more of a colorful sort of art decoy look to it rather than the more naturalistic ancient ruined look of the original Labyrinth but most of all the level is really fun I always enjoy title Tempest the volcanoes in the background are a really nice touch and I love the lighting and how it changes when you're underwater in this stage it's not quite like any other water stage in the Sonic series where this benefits the most though is that you've actually got space to maneuver in this stage and The Little Speed pipes and different level gimmicks in here can be a lot of fun this is a water stage done right in at number 17 is hidden Palace a once lost Sonic 2 stage now brought back by the Christian Whitehead remakes and of course also accessible in Sonic Origins not only is this a great stage it also has the ripple effect of making Mystic cave into a better stage because it gets rid of that obnoxious Death Pit as said Pitt is where the hidden Palace can be found and I just I love the idea of a hidden Sonic stage funnily enough though this managed to be the most beautiful looking Sonic 2 stage of the bunch with a crystalline background green glowy lights and what looks like the Master Emerald there are underwater sections but that's not a main feature of this stage serving more as just a piece of World building than you know the actual main gimmick hidden Palace is just one of the prettiest Sonic stages the level design is perfectly Fair as well given that it's nice and open and you've got lots of space to run the platforming is all nice and solid nothing to stop and go here the addition of the Hidden Palace zone is easily one of the best aspects of the Sonic 2 remaster and I'm super glad that they carried it forward for the Sonic Origins version of Sonic 2. it's just a shame they didn't use the devoted hidden Palace Zone Theme instead opting for the multiplayer Mystic cave theme for some reason which just doesn't fit it anywhere near as well [Music] in at number 16 is lava Reef this stage excels purely just based on storytelling it's an active volcano on Angel Island the volcano where the death egg has crashed but there are also industrial elements as well where you can tell that Dr robotnik's bad Nicks have been hard at work trying to make the place habitable and get everything ready for the Death eggs relaunch so you can kind of see where the bad Nicks have been borrowing and the place has been heavily industrialized and it's just cool to see yeah that's Dr robotnik's Squad at work but also as you get into darker colder parts of the volcano you can see where things like the molten lava has solidified can now be walked on but there's also like little Crystal areas as well eventually leading to its very own hidden Palace keeping in theme with Sonic 2 there where you battle against Knuckles and the Master Emerald is situated but that's not all because we've got to talk about the boss fight so the mini boss is like a prototype of the fingers that you fight in the kayodai Eggman Robo final boss fight aboard the Death Egg and it's cool just to kind of get a prototype of the final boss here a little taster of things to come but then in the main boss you can see the Death Egg planted into the top of the volcano as Dr Robotnik is shooting missiles at you to stop you from stopping him to raise the Death Egg there is a great sense of urgency to this stage and then of course once you get to the hidden Palace within the lava Reef you finally throw down with and team up with Knuckles after he gets double crossed by Dr Robotnik stealing the Master Emerald there's just a lot of great storytelling here even down to the mural of what appears to be a super form going up against a Death Egg Robot holding on to the Master Emerald lava Reef as the penultimate full Zone in the game provides a really strong setup for the climax to come thank you in at number 15 is flying battery this giant mechanical Airship owned by Dr Robotnik serving effectively as his hangar this is where all of the bad Nicks are this is where all of those animal trap capsules are stored not only is it awesome to just charge your way through a thoroughly hostile environment filled to the brim with different bad Nicks it's just awesome how this stage takes iconography from all of the Sonic games especially those animal capsules and uses them against you as sometimes you'll jump on one and bad Knicks Will Spring out in one case it's the mini boss there are a lot of elements here that are very reminiscent to Metropolis Zone from Sonic 2 such as these round tubes that you run around and these very round turnpikes that you climb your way up but fortunately this stage doesn't have incredibly dickish enemy placement that can throw projectiles at you there are also elements of wing Fortress here though as well given that it's a very similar theme to Wing Fortress but you've got lots of platforming elements where you are suspended above a bottomless pit but it's a lot less do or die and can be expertly navigated using your speed blind battery feels like an apology for both Wing Fortress and Metropolis Zone as it just takes aspects from both of those two levels and makes them work pair that with some really cool twists such as the animal capsules and an absolutely banging accompanying track and you've got yourself a very high energy really exciting stage [Music] in at number 14 is Mirage Saloon from Sonic Mania now you'd think this would be a lot lower on the list considering its First Act Apes the Sky Chase gameplay mechanic but no actually for starters for a Sky Chase section this is 10 times more intense than the original Sky Chase was but it's also helped by the fact that you're doing a lot more with this airplane style of gameplay including fighting the Zone's minibus but it's also helped by the fact that you get to run atop a runaway train breaking up the airplane play the second act is even better consisting of some wonderful Wild West World building as you make your way across the desert to the Mirage Saloon an indoor section with mechanics consisting of spinny stools and piano keys and even guns there are even little pinball elements here too such as the flippers and the shooty guns the theming here is incredibly strong some of the strongest in the series I dare say a as you really go on this journey through the wild west through the desert with all kinds of old school and even Native American imagery with the eagle paraphernalia and so much more [Music] foreign number 13 is Carnival night from Sonic the Hedgehog 3. now I know what you're all thinking the barrel of Doom yes it is an instance of terrible telegraphing particularly for a Sonic game which kind of has telegraphing down at this point outside of that I'm hard-pressed to find anything really wrong with Carnival night well aside from the new music in Sonic Origins anyway okay aside from that Carnival night is a really fun stage it does plenty of things to distinguish itself from casino night sure there are pinball elements in there such as the bumpers but this stage is more focused on things like cannons where Sonic can become kind of a cannonball and balloons which can be used in platforming they even bring back some of the running wheels from scrap brain Zone here but also just the appearance of this place as well Sonic 3 very much Prides itself on more natural environments and Landscapes so having this Carnival slap bang in the middle of all of it just makes a really nice change of pace not only that but there's also the difference between act 1 and 2 as well with act 1 being very much the carnival business as usual whereas Act 2 is waterlogged with Knuckles shutting off the power it's probably the most tight and confined Zone in Sonic 3 but as a once in a while thing that kinda works it's obvious that this stage is kind of the follow-up to Casino Night Zone and even then that wasn't the first Zone to do a very pinbally party atmosphere Zone in the series but before this point it did it the best and I think Carnival night while I don't love it as much as casino night it is a worthy follow-up [Music] in at number 12 is Death Egg Zone from Sonic 3 and Knuckles there's kind of a payoff here in that we only saw a very little bit of the Death Egg Zone in Sonic the Hedgehog 2. here we actually get it as a full Zone in the game act one taking place inside the Death Egg where all of the activities going on and with loads of unique gravity gimmicks with Act 2 taking place outside of the Death Egg as you can see the Earth looming below oops sorry game apologist did I just say the e word there's a sense that this place operates like a well-oiled machine as almost every platform in this stage has some kind of different gimmick to it it's a very utilitarian environment but at the same time unlike previous final stages in the series such as scrap brain Zone and metallic Madness and Metropolis yeah there's a great sense of flow to this one it demonstrates that the final stage can still pose a challenge without stopping the player dead in their tracks every 5 seconds which I really appreciate there's no cheap BS here just reward for skillful play Death Egg is everything a final Sonic level in the classics anyway should be [Music] in at number 11 is press Garden from Sonic Mania another really cool bit of World building because like who makes the newspapers in the Sonic Universe well it's not a question I ever asked but here it is all right well what if I told you that the newspaper printing press is in the most beautiful luscious Garden you've ever seen that Mania team has some imagination I need to know what it is they smoked to come to this conclusion it's also helped by the fact it's just a damn fine level in general act one being full of conveyor belts crates and even these little text blocks that reappear and disappear for platforming act one especially goes very hard with utilizing printing press gimmicks into the platforming of the stage where Act 2 kind of doubles up as like an ice themed level with lots of the platforming obstacles and collectibles sealed inside ice blocks and there are also freeze machines that can freeze Sonic and Tails in blocks of ice now you would think that that would be purely just an obstacle made to deter the player but no if you think outside the box or inside the ice block in this case you can actually benefit from being sealed in a block of ice it by no means discourages that fast-paced Sonic style of play but at the same time it does reward the player for being patient too which is an excellent balance plus the music for press Garden is just as gorgeous as the aesthetic [Music] in at number 10 is Titanic Monarch from Sonic Mania now I said that Death Egg was you know how to do a classic Sonic finale stage Titanic Monarch is even better like with Death Egg there's a lot of very Dynamic level design here lots of very functional platforms but Titanic Monarch by no means relies on the same tricks we do however get the light orbs from Sonic 3's bonus stages implemented into an actual level here and they complement the flow really nicely it can take a moment to work out what direction you want to move in and obviously how long to stick around in order to gauge your jump but you get a good Flow State down and you can really go through these really quickly which is everything a Sonic obstacle should be but what's also great is while there is no shortage of obstacles and enemies especially some very unique enemy types that can lock Onto You Titanic Monarch has no shortage of slopes and Loops for you to just fling yourself around meaning that once you over overcome one of the more intense moments of platforming you are rewarded with this Speedway where you can just let loose so there's this wonderful marriage between moving fast and enjoying your movement as Sonic as well as challenging platforming act one has a very linear structure where Act 2 is a little bit more experimental going non-linear as you jump into different portals and complete different mini levels and this actually works pretty well but the best thing about this stage is how foreboding it is there's this atmosphere that feels like you shouldn't be there you are running around behind the scenes of an Eggman operation the sound design for the different enemies and different platforms is just really creepy and then there's the incredibly ominous and foreboding Track by T Lopes it just feels like you're not supposed to be there in a way that I haven't really gotten from any other final stage in any of these Sonic games which I just think is fantastic Titanic Monarch is probably one of the best ending levels in any Sonic game I've played at least as far as 2D Sonic games go foreign at number nine is the inescapable and frankly inevitable chemical plant from Sonic the Hedgehog 2. no matter how much fatigue I have for this stage being bought back in later games at the end of the day a good lead was a good level and chemical plant is a really good level back to the brim with slopes Hills obstacles it's just everything you could want from a Sonic level it's a very layered stage with a thrilling upper path and a much more arduous lower path the music absolutely slaps there's a little taster of an underwater section but it's not too much but also the fact that this stage set the precedent for what Sonic 2 was all about this was the stage that set the way for the future of the Sonic the Hedgehog franchise see this is the second level of Sonic 2. the second stage of Sonic 1 was marble Zone and from there it was all very arduous slow paced platforming here we've got a stage that is even faster paced than emerald hill before it while having more obstacles and enemies showcasing that yes Sonic Team were able to ramp up up the challenge a little bit without costing any of the speed in a lot of ways this was really the stage where Sonic became Sonic that true follow-up to Green Hill Zone which is probably why they keep following it up from Green Hill Zone in every game nowadays no matter how awesome that was back in the day stop it okay just just stop it it's a real shame how much repetition has completely changed the tone of what this segment would otherwise be I'm supposed to be celebrating this stage isn't it number nine out of 40. that's very impressive [Music] in at number eight is casino night Zone from Sonic the Hedgehog 2. effectively the successor to springyard Zone from Sonic the Hedgehog one casino night Zone set the precedent for Sonic's gambling addiction it's another Urban stage it's got more pinball gimmicks including the first use in this series of pinball flippers unless you view Sonic CD as the second game in the series okay narratively Sonic CD takes place before Sonic 2 but Sonic 2 released a whole last year earlier so I'm gonna go with Sonic 2 and just say yeah this was the first time we saw like pinball flippers in a Sonic game but we've also got these slot machines that can reward you with rings or it can take away your rings if it's feeling extra eggy today there are so many different ways to ground up points and rings in this stage and it can be very rewarding but I think what really makes this one is not just those mechanics it's not just that vacancy look of the stage but it's also just the music creating this very party atmosphere I don't think this stage would go down in Sonic history quite the way it did without that toe tapping big band Style music and what's so impressive about that is how they achieve the sound of the toe tapping big band jazz through the Sega genesis's 16-bit sound chip a testament to not just what that chip is capable of but what the right musicians can do with it casino night is like a party Midway through Sonic 2. a celebration of your progress a celebration of you as a player now go gamble to your heart's content bankrupt yourself go get a hooker in at number seven is Sky Sanctuary the Luscious floating home of Knuckles the Echidna this is the build up to the very climax of Sonic 3 and Knuckles which is a very climactic game in general it's a single act but there is some challenging platforming here you have to really be able to preempt the blasts from robotnik's Iconic egg Robos you start witnessing the Death Egg rise back into the sky knowing you have to stop at nothing to take that thing down again Knuckles helps you navigate the place and Dr Robotnik has sent his mercenary on you Mecha Sonic reprising a small number of different bosses from the series before just deciding to fight you Mano imano and then once you've taken him down you climb your way up to the Death Egg see Sonic 2 look at this this is how you do a transitionary chapter Sky Chase and Wing Fortress can bite it you've got this stage here which is neither as tough as some of the levels before it meaning that the player gets a bit of a breather before the big ending but it isn't boring and it ramps up the intensity from a plot perspective without going nuts with Bottomless Pits or cheap BS this is how you do that prey finale Act [Music] in at number six is ice cap Zone from Sonic 3. narratively very little actually happens here but that doesn't stop us from getting an iconic set piece as Sonic snowboards down the icy mountains and you have to navigate your way through the icy caves of the ice cap zone now one thing I really appreciate about this stage is that they didn't go nuts on Ice physics where the challenge is oh isn't it so slippery no they don't even do that ice cap is probably just the most conventional Sonic stage in Sonic 3 and Knuckles but it's just a very enjoyable stage no major gimmicks here you just make your way out of an ice cave another thing is that after the slightly more intense Carnival night and before the climactic launch base Zone this is a bit of an easier stage much more straightforward I don't have much to say about ice cap Zone its Simplicity is kind of what makes it work that doesn't mean there's nothing here there's some cool stuff like pushing this platform along and jumping on it and being carried over to the next part of the level falling icicles these bouncy trapeze thingies I don't know what to call them but you don't have anything like a forest getting bombed or Knuckles shutting off the power or some obnoxious race against the clock it's a straightforward A to B Sonic stage which is honestly dearly needed as a pace breaker for Sonic 3 amidst all the excitement that comes with that game great design great music in the original release sadly still not great in Sonic Origins just a good time all around [Music] in at number five is Green Hill Zone from Sonic the Hedgehog one yep number five nice to see that it wasn't entirely downhill from here but it was this perfect lightning in a bottle storm to introduce us to Sonic the Hedgehog beautiful luscious green Landscapes to offset our blue spiky friend but this is not simply a Green Hill no no no no no this is a coastal palm tree Laden jungle gym with a very unique art deco art style and a surprising amount of subliminal imagery prompting the player to just go forward what's so great about this stage is a how multi-layered it is be how open it is giving you loads of space to experiment with Sonic's gameplay style and it just kind of lets you go it at your own pace it sets a precedent that very little of the rest of Sonic 1 would actually follow up on it's probably why it's one of the most highly Revisited Classic Sonic stages though is that it just it gives you the space to play the game at your own pace and just in enjoy playing as Sonic it is the perfect opening stage for this whole franchise full of iconic imagery obviously iconic music like don't even get me started and most of all it's just a fun place to kind of take your time and go for a stroll there's not really much more I can say about Green Hill Zone that hasn't already been said so I'm just going to move over to the next one foreign [Music] at number four is Angel Island from Sonic 3. now what's kind of funny about this is that the entire Island you play on in Sonic 3 is called Angel Island yet the first stage here is called angel light and then everything else has a different name I guess it's kind of introduction to Angel Island anyways this stage like Green Hill Zone is like a literal Jungle Gym except now you're actually in a tropical jungle this time you can speed your way through the ground level or you can swing from Vine to vine you can Splash about in the water and you can speed your way around slopes and loop-de-loops even running your way up this tree there is a lot to play with here but Angel Island sets a precedent for the Sonic franchise this was our first instance of real storytelling taking place in Sonic stages as halfway through the First Act the place gets completely carpet bombed by Dr Robotnik setting up Robotnik is much more of a threat than ever before and then for the remainder of the First Act and also the second act you're running through a blazing in Inferno a jungle on fire and what a unique way to subvert the expectation of that luscious Paradise Sonic opener and turn it into a flaming nightmare at the end of the second act you have to outrun robotnik's Airship as he carpet bombs the rest of the island and then you chase him through the forest as you see him in the background and Sirens Blaze so you've got that fun gameplay that you'd get from Green Hill Zone but with phenomenal storytelling is as visually iconic as Green Hill Zone No but that's a sacrifice I'm willing to make for that amazing storytelling in at number three is launch base Zone from Sonic the Hedgehog 3. I am a huge fan of launch bass tone the way I see it it's like chemical plant but even cooler it is the Midway point of Sonic 3 and Knuckles Dr robotnik's first attempt to get the Death Egg back in the sky and you just have to chase him down and stop him I love running through the first act as you can see the Death Egg in the water looming over you traversing through construction terminals there's a lot of great world building here I love that sort of South Asian aesthetic to some of the architecture and you can see Dr Robotnik transporting cargo around the stage only to find out that said cargo is the mini boss you have to fight it gives a sense that Robotnik doesn't have the time to take you on right now the relaunch of the death egg is just more important then with the second act you're making your way over to the death egg and it's filled with these water pipes like we've seen in chemical plant except this time we actually get to go inside them there are some nice underwater sections here as well while it's not like an the water stage in general it does have underwater areas which do a nice job at varying up the platforming and then you take on Dr Robotnik three times once at the bridge to the Death Egg before you hop in is egomatic yourself and make your way over to the death eggs undercarriage where you fight him in this Tower machine with the rotating laser followed by fighting against the iconic big arms as the sky goes dark and you know you're in for a dramatic Showdown launch based zone is just epic there's a sense that Dr Robotnik and his bad Nicks are all hard at work and a sense of dread as the Death Egg looms over you but it's also just a damn fun stage as well with lots of platforming mechanics that do feel like they would exist in a construction environment such as elevators and pulleys overall fantastic level both there's a Midway point for Sonic 3 and Knuckles and as a finale for Sonic 3 standalone foreign in at number two we have studiopolis from Sonic Mania and like the other original stages in Sonic Mania there is an excellent sense of World building this is the TV and film industry of the Sonic Universe except it's been taken over by Dr Robotnik it's a glitzy glamorous Hollywood inspired location full of neon clad buildings TVs monitors clapperboards satellites that push you around the stage a popcorn dispenser paying homage to the Sega Sonic Popcorn Shop unique lighting effects this stage just has everything but amidst all of that is this really fun Speedway environment for Sonic to just run and Sprint and roll his way around tons of different unique loop-de-loops different slopes but best of all this is in my opinion aesthetically speaking the quintessential Sonic stage this stage just screams Sonic in terms of its art Direction with a gorgeous palette of light blue gold and purple a city in the sunset gleams in the distance every platform every surface you run on has been gorgeously designed this is just the Ultimate Sonic level in terms of its aesthetic and the music is no slouch either tlopes did a wonderful job creating music to set the scene for this stage the Mania team did such a wonderful job on the original stages in this game it's a wonder why they couldn't just do all of the levels for this game rather than having remixed stages foreign at number one is hydro City from Sonic the Hedgehog 3. back when we were talking about Labyrinth Zone earlier on who would have thought that a water stage would be the number one classic Sonic stage on this list Hydro city is in my opinion the most fun Classic Sonic stage to just power through with act one you are making your way through this Waterway filled with different conveyor belts different traps different obstacles little Cannon turrets and there is quite a bit of vertical platforming here but where this really works is that Hydro city does not lose sight of the fact that you still want to go fast as Sonic so it's still packed to the brim with slopes and loop-de-loops and there's plenty of space to really make your way around there are also instances where you have to switch on a fan to propel you upwards through the waterways act one is a lot of fun but it's act two where this stage really shines the most with Act 2 the stage begins with the walls closing in on you but this time challenge does not outstand it's welcomed by any stretch there's a lot of fast paced vertical platforming here but the best thing about Act 2 is it's basically a water park this probably has some of the most slopes and Loops of any Sonic stage ever as you're just being flung through different water slides which give you a ton of air time these slides can allow you to build up so much momentum that you could just run on top of the water instead of having to do any of the underwater platforming and the way these slides twizzle and twirl their way around it it just it's got a lot of spectacle to it visually the level is also very pretty consisting of like a very golden brick texture with a nice purple backdrop it feels a little darker than Labyrinth Zone but it also feels a lot grander than Labyrinth Zone in fact aesthetically speaking they are not Worlds Apart as you still have this very sort of ancient brick look these ancient glyphs all over the place but Hydro City Zone has much more color diversity especially with these blue water slides Hydro city is not only a really fun stage to just Traverse your way through it's also packed to the bursting point with Thrills and Spills and the music yeah it goes hard which is why Hydro city is my number one favorite Classic Sonic stage of all time the question is can it be dethroned as we've got Sonic Superstars releasing this fall a side-scrolling classic Sonic game featuring all new all original stages where will those stages factor into this ranking can Metropolis be dethroned as the worst Classic Sonic stage so many questions but my number one question is this what do you guys think how would you rank the classic Sonic stages comment below discuss and as always if you enjoyed this video and you want to see more like it be sure to hit subscribe hit the like button and in the description below is a link to my patreon page where for as little as one dollar a month you can get your name in the credits of my videos and now for a special shout out for the patrons in the 10 or above tier we have sure Reef dear Danny kale Bennett [Music] Kenneth kozlowski.com legendary Ray Ray Dr SP here during this time of year many Americans get angry at the sky I try to blow it up we know what it did did you know the skin on your elbow it's called a rain ass there you have it for the ten dollar patrons but we're not done because we wouldn't be done without giving some mentions to the patrons in the five dollar tier who are yako the volcanic Muto sss06 Dazzle fizzle and Council of Geeks thank you folks so much for your generosity it really puts a big old smile on my face and to all of you at home thank you so much for watching and have a great day gotta juice and cut it loose [Music] good

Channel: Channel Pup

Views: 22,674

Keywords: sonic, sonic the hedgehog, sonic origins, sonic origins plus, sonic zones, sonic 1, sonic 2, sonic 3 and knuckles, sonic cd, sonic mania, sonic levels, ranked, ranking, worst to best, sonic zone ranking, classic sonic, sonic superstars, green hill zone, chemical plant zone, sky sanctuary, death egg, channel pup, Channel pup sonic

Id: 3HPuemnP2Fw

Length: 53min 10sec (3190 seconds)

Published: Fri Jul 07 2023