SONIC 3D BLAST
For Sega Genesis, PC and Sega Saturn
FAQ/walkthrough by William Walker
TABLE OF CONTENTS
1. Introduction
2. Copyright Notice
3. Story
4. General Information
5. Special Stage
6. General Tips
7. Green Grove Zone
8. Rusty Ruin Zone
9. Spring Stadium Zone
10. Diamond Dust Zone
11. Volcano Valley Zone
12. Gene Gadget Zone
13. Panic Puppet Zone
14. The Final Fight
15. Level Select
16. Conclusion
1. Introduction
It's been quite a while since I had the time or inclination to sit down at the
computer and start writing a FAQ/walkthrough for a video game. I do apologize
for all who have been waiting for me to get back to work. I played an old game
I have on both the Sega Genesis and PC again for the first time in probably
years over the Thanksgiving Vacation - Sonic 3D Blast. I was amazed by how much
fun it was and how good the backgrounds and music were. I decided to write my
next FAQ/walkthrough for this game, like I'd planned originally to do during
the summer. In any case this is the last really good Sonic game released for
the Genesis. It was also released on CD-ROM for the PC, and for Sega Saturn,
but I assume most people will be playing on the Genesis version. If you have
another version you can use this walkthrough since the only fundamental
difference between the games are the Special Stages.
Sonic the Hedgehog is a rolling blue hedgehog who is Sega's title character,
and there's a Sonic game released with almost every Sega game system. Sonic is
one of my favorite game series and I have already written FAQ/walkthroughs for
other Sonic games, and had them posted. This may well be my last
FAQ/walkthrough for a Sonic game, since the only Sonic games I haven't yet
posted a FAQ/walkthrough for are Sonic Spinball and Sonic CD, and I'm not as
keen on those games as I am on the others. I like Sonic 3D Blast because it's
very different from the classic Sonic games, but it keeps enough of the
original aspects and has enough good new things to be fun. It's also got great
music in most of the levels.
2. Copyright Notice
This FAQ/walkthrough was begun by William Walker on November 30. All rights
reserved. Do not alter it, sell it for a profit, or do anything else that
violates copyright law. If you wish to post it on your own website, CHECK WITH
ME FIRST! I usually have no objections if someone wants to post my work on
another website. If you wish to e-mail me with questions or comments about this
game, please do, my e-mail address is j-d-walker@worldnet.att.net . E-mails
that are impertinent or contain things such as strong language, etc., will not
be replied to.
3. Story
Sonic 3D Blast takes place on Flicky Island, a remote island in the seas of
Mobius populated by little birds called flickies. Flickies have magical powers
and can travel between dimensions through large rings. Unfortunately, Flicky
Island is also where the seven Chaos Emeralds are located. These seven gems
have incredible powers, and the mad scientist Dr. Ivo Robotnik wants them in
order to take over the world. So Robotnik captures the flickies and seals them
in his own robots, to help him search for the emeralds. Sonic the Hedgehog,
Robotnik's nemesis and a friend of the flickies, goes to Flicky Island to visit
his friends. When he finds that Robotnik has taken over, he starts destroying
the robots and releasing the flickies inside them. To stop Robotnik as Sonic,
you need to rescue all the flickies since their ability to travel between
dimensions is the only way you can thwart Robotnik's evil plans. (This story is
similar, in several aspects, to the story of a lot of Sonic games).
4. General Information
Sonic 3D Blast has seven zones, each with two normal acts and a boss (it is
really Act 3, but Act 3 is just a boss battle, with no exploring). In all
normal acts (except the last one) you need to rescue flickies by defeating
enemies, and use them to break dimension rings that block your progress. This
is a new concept in Sonic 3D Blast, but I think it works very well. There are
usually three areas in an act (some acts have less; none have more), each with
a dimension ring at the end of the area. You need to find five flickies in the
area and have them following you when you grab onto the dimension ring. Once
you deposit five flickies in a dimension ring, it will break and you can move
onto the next area. Most dimension rings have a warp gate directly below them
that transports you to the next area after the dimension ring is broken, and
you can usually go back through to an earlier area; sometimes, though, you
cannot. In Spring Stadium Zone and Gene Gadget Zone, however, there are no warp
gates, but a different kind of gate. The last dimension ring in an act has an X
under it. Once you deposit five flickies in this ring, you have completed the
act.
To obtain flickies, defeat any enemies you see. There are up to four different
kinds of enemies in each zone, and each releases a different color flicky when
defeated. The flickies come in the colors blue, green, purple and red; once
released from their robot shells, they wander around until you touch them; then
they follow you. However, if you get hit, your flickies jump off and have to be
recollected. Red flickies are a bit of a pain, because they jump around rather
than walk around. The other flickies do behave differently when you lose them,
but the differences are not really important to the game. It's best if you
deposit all five flickies in a dimension ring at once - you score the most
points that way.
To control Sonic, use the directional pad to walk in eight different directions
(all the acts in this game are 3-D). Press button A or button C to jump, and
the start button to pause. Press button B while running to roll into a ball.
Press button B while standing still to do a spin dash. Hold it down for a
moment to charge it up, then release it to speed off in any direction. You can
change the direction of a spin dash as you rev it up. You can also, if you
wish, switch the functions of button B and button A and C at the options menu,
on the last screen before you start the game. Obviously, all these controls are
for the Genesis version. I don't know the controls for the PC and Saturn
versions.
All the acts in this game have gold rings. Pick these up because if you get hit
with no rings, you die. If you get hit with any rings, you lose all the rings
you have. Some do fly out away from you and you can grab them again if you're
quick, but be aware that they disappear a lot faster than in other, 2-D Sonic
games, so they are much harder to recover. Luckily, there are very few things
in this game that can kill you instantly - just a few objects that can crush
you, and those should be easy to avoid if you're careful. There are no death
pits in this game, nor is there any water you can drown in, nor is there any
time limit.
At the end of each act you score 100 points for each ring in your possession.
In acts with Tails and Knuckles you also score 100 points for every ring you
gave to them (see Section 5, Special Stage for details). You score, in acts
with flickies, a 'flicky bonus', but I am not sure what determines this bonus -
perhaps how well you kept your flickies, or how quickly you got them, or
whatever. You do score a time bonus of 10,000 points if you completed the act
in under 1 minute, and it decreases by half for every additional minute. I
think after it reaches a certain point it reverts to 0 or 100. However, since
most acts take a long time even if you move quickly, the time bonus is never
really substantial, except in boss acts. You score 100 points for depositing a
flicky.
If you deposit more than one flicky at once, your points for each flicky
double, so if you deposit all five flickies in an area at once, you score (100
+ 200 + 400 + 800 + 1600), or 3100 points. Points really are not important to
rack up, because you cannot get any extra lives with them.
These are the power-ups in the game:
Super Ring - Worth 10 rings
Invincibility - Makes you invulnerable for a short time
Speed Shoes - Increase your running speed for a short time
Shields - Come in 3 types:
Blue - The most common Shield, all it does is provide you with an extra hit; if
you have a Shield and get hit you lose the Shield but no rings or flickies.
This Shield protects you from the electric floors in Gene Gadget Zone, though.
Red - Only found in Rusty Ruin and Volcano Valley Zone. EXTREMELY useful Shield
that is the difference between life and death in Volcano Valley Zone. Provides
you with an extra hit and makes you immune to lava and fire attacks (the flame
throwers in Rusty Ruin Zone, and just about everything in Volcano Valley Zone,
are fire attacks).
Gold - Found only in Green Grove, Spring Stadium and Diamond Dust Zones.
Provides you with an extra hit and allows you to perform the 'Gold Shield
Blast'. To do this, press the jump button twice while near an enemy, and you
will automatically zoom over to it and defeat it. Beware, though, that this
seemingly foolproof way of defeating enemies is NOT; if you try it at too low
and angle or hit the enemy in a bad place (for example, you come in on a side
of the enemy that has a spike on it) you will get hit and lose the Shield. If
you do this when ne enemies are nearby you will simply zoom back down to the
ground.
1-UP - Worth an extra life (getting 100 rings and 200 rings is also worth an
extra life).
5. Special Stage
The Special Stage is how you find the Chaos Emeralds. It is a bonus stage that
exists out of the regular game. You don't need to collect all 7 Chaos Emeralds
to win the game, but you do need them to fight the true final boss. To play a
Special Stage you need to find Tails or Knuckles, Sonic's friends who play
surprisingly little role in this game. They are located in the first two acts
of the first five zones, but are usually fairly hidden, and sometimes only
appear if you come to a location in a certain way. Touch them and they'll take
all your rings, but you'll still score points for these rings at the end of the
act. If you give either one 50 rings, all at once or in several meetings, you
will be teleported to a Special Stage. In the Genesis version, there are
fourteen Special Stages; seven for Tails and seven for Knuckles. You play them
in order of completion; you do NOT cycle through them regardless of whether you
complete them, like you do in most Sonic games.
The Genesis Special Stage is very simple and very easy (well, not too hard
anyway). You'll be running down a bridge over a deep valley (in Knuckles
stages) or an ocean (in Tails stages). Your objective is to collect rings and
avoid spiked balls. You can run back and forth along the bridge and jump. Jump
over spiked balls and up walls (walls don't present any threat; they just stop
you until you jump over them). If you touch a spiked ball you lose 10 rings.
You must have 50 rings at the first checkpoint, 100 at the second, and 150 at
the third in all Special Stages; if you don't have the required number of rings
at any checkpoint, the stage ends. If you pass all three checkpoints, you earn
a Chaos Emerald. If you already have all the Chaos Emeralds you will get an
extra life instead. At the end of a Special Stage you score 100 points for each
ring you collected. You also score 10,000 points for each Chaos Emerald you
collect.
BTW, if you hit a spiked ball without any rings (you'd have to be very unlucky
for this to happen) you die, and the stage ends immediately, but you don't lose
a life in the regular game. The Genesis Special Stage is much easier than
Special Stages in other Sonic games (which are famous for being notoriously
hard) and it's not uncommon in the early stages for a good player to have
already gotten 150 rings by the second checkpoint. The later stages do get
harder but never extremely hard; this is one of my favorite aspects of Sonic 3D
Blast. The PC and Saturn have completely different Special Stages than the
Genesis. The PC Special Stage (which I have played) is similar to the Sonic 2
Special Stage, with you running down a chute that twists and turns, trying to
get rings and avoid spiked balls. It has only one checkpoint, at the end, and
the number of rings needed to win increases by 50 with each Special Stage. It
is much harder than the Genesis Special Stage. The Satrun Special Stage I have
never played but I have read about it in the tipbook I have for this game. It's
like Sonic 2's Special Stage, you're running down a chute and have to collect X
number of rings to pass checkpoints, but it's got a lot of things other than
rings and spiked balls, such as speed boosters, magnets and springs.
6. General Tips
Here are some general tips to keep in mind while playing Sonic 3D Blast:
-I could write a whole page on the art of defeating enemies, but I'll keep it
fairly simple here. Basically, the safest way to defeat MOST enemies is by spin
dashing into them. This has the advantage of allowing you to line it up exactly
and take your time, but make sure that behind the enemy you're planning to
defeat there isn't something dangerous, or plan on stopping quickly. To stop
spinning quickly, jump and hold in the opposite direction. Rolling through
enemies is riskier, even with practice. Jumping on enemies is not recommended
unless you can predict the enemy's movement, and even then it's risky,
especially if you aren't used to the 3-D or Sonic's movements. Enemies that
chase you, you simply need to enter their area of ground and spin dash and wait
for them to walk into you. The nastiest enemies are often those who move
quickly or erratically, since they are the hardest to pin down and hit.
-Take it slow. The best way to avoid getting hit, find most of the power-ups,
and generally have the easiest time in this game is to take it slow. Remember
there is no time limit, and most dangerous situations you will encounter can be
surmounted by simply planning the safest possible way of getting through them,
and being patient. There are some locations in this game where avoiding a hit
is more a matter of luck than planning, but these locations are relatively rare.
-If you want to play Sonic 3D Blast really professionally, here's how to do it:
Play through every act, open up all the areas, and obtain all the flickies in
the final area, so there's as little as possible left to hurt you, but do this
collecting a minimum of rings (so you don't lose too many rings if you get
hit). Then, collect all the rings in the act you can find, and go to Tails or
Knuckles and play a Special Stage. When you come back, all the rings will be
back, but all the enemies you defeated, etc., will stay the same. By doing this
with both Tails and Knuckles you can score each ring in the act 3 times, if you
patient enough. If you want your score to be over 1 million, this is the way to
do it.
-Unless you're in a hurry to finish the game (which I don't recommend) you
should always play Special Stages, even after you collect all seven Chaos
Emeralds. You can still score many points for the rings in a Special Stage.
-A large part of success at this game is holding on to your assets: rings and
Shields. Shields are incredibly useful, so once you get one, try to hold on to
it. This ties in to taking things slowly and carefully.
-Explore each act thoroughly to find everything.
-Sonic icons. These are spinning icons that look like Sonic's head. There are
about 50 in the game and all but about 5 are above springs. Most springs in
this game have Sonic icons above them. For every 10 you collect, you get a
continue (3 lives after a Game Over). Collecting them isn't that simple,
though. For all beyond Green Grove Zone, for the most part, they are so high
above the spring you can only collect them if you have five flickies with you.
So, if you want to have a lot of continues, go back through each area after you
find all five flickies and bounce on every spring.
-This is a very important tip for all boss battles. At the beginning of every
boss battle grab one but ONLY one ring. This is enough to keep you alive, but
if you get hit and lose the ring, you can grab another one. The thinking is
that if you grabbed all the rings at once and then got hit, you'd never be able
to recover more than a few, and soon you'd have no rings left. Keeping rings on
the screen during boss battles is very important to stay alive.
-Remember this is only a game, do your best, but don't worry too much about it!
If you find yourself getting upset or stressed about a section or a boss, try
taking a break from the game and coming back.
7. Green Grove Zone
Things to Bear in Mind:
-This is the first zone, so don't expect it too be very hard.
-The (non-enemy) obstacles to look out for in this zone are moving spiked
balls, cannons that shoot laser bolts out in four diagonal directions, and
exploding mines. Mines explode when you get close to them, and send out
shrapnel in four directions. Walk close to the mine to trigger it then move
away to avoid the shrapnel.
Enemies:
Spike Goon (blue) - A purple, stationary enemy who has a spiked ball rotating
around him. Spin dash into him, timing it so the spiked ball is on the other
side of him when you hit him. (The color after the name of the enemy is the
color flicky all these enemies release when defeated).
Bug (green) - Also purple, these guys wander aimlessly in an area until you
enter their area, then pursue you. Enter their area and spin dash in place;
they'll move right into you.
Caterpillar (red) - Moves through two holes in the ground. Really easy; just
stand on either hole and spin dash, and you'll defeat it automatically.
Walkthrough of Act 1:
This walkthrough does not mention rings, Super Rings or Sonic Icons, since
these aren't very important to the game. Try to collect any you find, of course
- usually they are in plain sight, or at least not too hard to find. Also this
walkthrough uses cardinal directions, and the abbreviations NW, NE, SW and SE
for northwest, northeast, southwest and southeast respectively.
Area 1 - Behind you at the start is a dead end so head NE across the bridge.
Step on the arrows to go for a ride through a loop. You can't control yourself
until you pass through the one-way gate, though. When you come out go SW to a
Blue Shield, then NE to the first flicky. SE leads to a dead end so continue NE
and use the arrows to be propelled up the hill. In the NE wall you will see a
weak place; spin dash into it to uncover a tunnel leading to a room with a Gold
Shield and a cannon. Grab the Gold Shield and jump into the cannon. Press A or
C to fire yourself back down to the dead end you passed a moment ago; now
Knuckles is there! (Obviously, whenever you find Tails or Knuckles, play a
Special Stage, then continue following the walkthrough). Make sure to re-grab
the Gold Shield after Special Stage. From the hidden area entrance go NW to
another flicky. Don't go up the hill but head west to the third flicky. Bounce
up to the next level on the spring. You are now at a large area; just explore
and you'll find the last two flickies. The dimension ring is near the top of
this area.
Area 2 - Immediately head NW to the first flicky. Don't cross the bridge to the
west, though; head SW down the ramp. Drop off the ramp and head NW to find some
Speed Sneakers (never grab Speed Sneakers; they're useless and sometimes
actually cause you to get hit). Head south to find a flicky. Then go NW, behind
the waterfall, to a Gold Shield. Grab it and head SW to a flicky. Then go south
to another flicky. Get the Invincibility and keep heading south. You come to a
drop-off; drop down to go back to the start of the act, but now Tails is there.
After Special Stage you'll need to go through area 1 again, though. After you
get back to area 2, go NW across the bridge with a mine on it, the one you
passed earlier. It leads to the last part of the area; you'll find the last
flicky and the dimension ring here.
Walkthrough for Act 2:
Area 1 - Follow the obvious path to the first flicky. Then head SE to a Blue
Shield. Watch out for the cannon that patrols the area. The second flicky is
near the cannon. The third flicky is NE of him, and the fourth flicky is to the
far east. The fifth flicky is NW of the second in a corner, and NE of the fifth
flicky is an Invincibility on a ledge. The dimension ring is near the top of
the area, NW of the fifth flicky.
Area 2 - You start this area zooming through a loop (you can never go through
loops in this game except when you can't control yourself. Bummer, eh?) After
going through the gate go to the far west side of the first area. You'll find a
small path leading SW, to Knuckles. BE CAREFUL OF THE MINE WHEN YOU RETURN FROM
SPECIAL STAGE!! You will have no rings, so it will kill you. The path ahead
leads SE from the south corner of this area. Follow it and bounce up on the
spring. To the NW is a Blue Shield. To the NE will be two flickies. Go east to
another flicky on the center of a hill. To the SE of him is a path leading to a
Gold Shield, guarded by mines. Take it if you dare. NE of the third flicky is a
boulder; spin dash through it and follow that path. Get the Invincibility and
bounce up on the spring. You're at an apparent dead end, but head SW and you'll
find a hidden path. Come back out in the open, and go NW to Tails. Backtrack
all the way to the first two flickies, and cross the bridge to the NW. Get the
fourth flicky and go north. You'll find the fifth flicky easily enough, but DO
NOT head to area 3 just yet. Instead, spin dash through a weak spot in the NW
wall. You'll enter a hidden area with a Gold Shield, a cannon and a 1-UP. DO
NOT jump in the cannon. It will send you back to area 1. Backtrack down the
tunnel and if you have all five flickies, go to area 3.
Area 3 - The first flicky is in the first area. A Blue Shield is in the top
center of the area; grab it if you don't have a Gold Shield. Then go SE, across
a bridge, to the second flicky. Go NE to find two more flickies. The final
flicky and the dimension ring are to the east.
Boss:
Robotnik will move towards you, and drop a spiked ball that will bounce toward
you four times. Run away from it and when it stops moving, position yourself
above or below it (preferably at a higher level or at least not on a lower
level). Robotnik will lower himself down to retrieve his spiked ball, and
repeat his attack. He is only vulnerable when he lowers himself down, and only
then by jumping and hitting the top half of his cockpit. DO NOT spin dash into
him, or any other boss, under any circumstances. If you're good, try getting
the spiked ball to stop in a position where it won't be too awkward to hit
Robotnik. Like all bosses, his windshield cracks up as you damage him. This
boss only takes five hits to defeat.
8. Rusty Ruin Zone
Things to Bear in Mind:
-Some doorways can be destroyed by a spin dash, leading to hidden areas, but
most can't (and the ones that can are covered in the walkthrough).
-A major feature of this zone are the rotating fans, which will cause you to
spin like a top if you touch them. When spinning you can move like normal until
you get hit or jump (so you can't climb steps while spinning). Spinning is the
ONLY way you can destroy pillars that block your progress; just touch them
while spinning and they crumble. You can also defeat enemies by spinning into
them.
-Watch out for immobile and rotating spiked balls (and their chains), but
especially for flame throwers, which are recessed into walls and shoot blasts
of fire, unless you have a Red Shield.
Enemies:
Gator (green) - This enemy just moves back and forth. He's very easy to defeat
and if you're daring or experienced, you can try jumping or rolling into him,
although spin dashing is always safest.
Bee (Blue) - These are a pain, because they move erratically over a wide area.
NEVER try to jump or roll into them; aim a spin dash at them and wait for them
to move in line with your spin dash (make sure the area around is safe for you,
of course).
Walkthrough for Act 1:
Area 1 - Go SE until you see a row of four fans. Start spinning, and crash
through the pillars to the SE. Follow this path to the first and second
flickies, then STOP, and backtrack past the fans (don't go past the flame
throwers to the SW if you can help it). Then take the other path, to the SW,
avoiding the rotating spiked balls. Get the third flicky and go down the steps,
where you'll find the last two flickies and the dimension ring. Tails is SE of
the dimension ring, behind soem columns. Reaching him is somewhat tricky - you
need to spin all the way down here from the fans at the top, carefully
maneuvering past the rotating spiked balls without jumping. Take it slow and do
it right - you've only got one chance (if you get hit and lose your rings, you
probably won't be able to play a Special Stage).
Area 2 - Follow the path and spin through the columns on the south path (the
other ones lead back to area 1). Grab the flicky you see as you go SE, then go
NE and grab another flicky. The path SE is blocked by pillars, so go NE
avoiding the rotating spikes on the walls, to a Red Shield. Get the flicky and
hit the fans to the SW (avoid the spiked balls) and spin SE. Go slowly and
carefully and keep spinning - there are some pillars ahead. Once you go through
them (the fourth flicky is just before them) you can stop spinning. The fifth
flicky and the dimension ring are in the area just beyond them.
Area 3 - Go east at the start, to a flicky and a Blue Shield behind columns. If
you spin dash through the doorway nearest the Blue Shield, you can go back to
area 2 if you wish. From the first flicky go SW to the second flicky. Go west
to two rotating spiked balls. Spin dash through the doorway west of them to
find Knuckles, but he's behind pillars. To access him you must first open the
doorway, then spin through while carefully spinning past the spiked balls. It's
rather tricky to do, but possible. The third flicky is south of the spiked
balls, the fourth is SE of the third, and the fifth and the dimension ring are
SW of the third (down some steps).
Walkthrough for Act 2:
Area 1 - Go NE to the first flicky. Bounce up on the spring to the next level,
then continue NE to the second flicky. Go SE down the hill, and at the bottom,
go SW and spin through the pillars. Grab the Blue Shield and spin dash through
the doorway to find Knuckles. Backtrack up the hill, and go up either of the
two ramps to the higher level. Get the Invincibility and the next two flickies,
then go SW down the side path to the NE to find the fifth flicky. The dimension
ring is in the far east corner of the area. If you approach it from the NW,
watch out for spiked balls.
Area 2 - This area starts with a rather tricky section; a steep hill you can
only scale by bouncing up tiny gray ledges that pop out from it. The main path
up is by bouncing on the spring to the NW, high enough to reach the first
ledge. Then just keep holding NW and you should bounce up the second two
ledges, to the top. It's much easier said than done but you can try as many
times as necessary. On the west side of the hill is another, single gray ledge
that can be reached from the ground. Use it to bounce up to an area with a Red
Shield, guarded by rotating spiked balls. Try as hard as you can to hold on to
it. After you reach the top of the hill, spin through some pillars and use the
spring, NOT the moving platform, to bounce over the gap. Falling in the gap
will send you back to area 1. Then go SW down some steps, with many flame
throwers. This is very difficult without a Red Shield, but no problem if you
do, as long as you don't get hit by the first flicky midway down the steps. The
second and third flickies are in the large area at the foot of the steps (and
there's a Sonic Icon behind the large pillar, by the way). Go SW to a fork in
the path; take the SW fork to find the fourth flicky, then go back and go NW.
Do not try to use the stationary platforms to cross the gap; it's very hard to
do so unless you're an expert jumper. Instead, drop down and take the hard
route, past the spiked balls and flame thrower. The platforms drop when you
touch them. Although you'd have to be very unlucky to have it happen, DO NOT
LET A FALLING PLATFORM CRUSH YOU or you will die. On the other side of this
bridge is the fifth flicky and a little further, up some steps, the dimension
ring.
Area 3 - Follow the obvious path picking up three flickies in plain sight. When
you get to a steep ramp with one bouncy ledge, don't try to climb it; instead,
bounce up on the spring. In that area get the fourth flicky and start spinning.
Break through the pillars and drop off the ledge. Being extremely careful of
both the rotating spiked ball and the flame thrower, spin past them and go down
the stairs. At the bottom of the stairs get the last flicky and break through
the columns. You come to a bridge of three stationary platforms like the one
you saw before. If you want, you can bounce over to the other side using the
spring and head directly to the final dimension ring, which is on the other
side of this bridge. Spin through the columns blocking it. If you want to find
Tails, however, follow the path south and SE of the bridge where you'll find a
Red Shield, and some spinners. Drop off the ledge to go back to area 2. While
still spinning, go SW, SW at the fork, and hit the lone column in the area.
Smash it and drop through the hole below it to go back to the start; now Tails
is there. Luckily, after Special Stage, the doorway will still be open, so you
won't need to play the whole act again.
Boss:
This boss lowers himself into a compartment in a huge statue on the NE wall
with two arms. Both arms extend toward you and the NW arm (the boss' right arm,
but to avoid confusion, I always refer to things in a boss battle from your
point of vies, not the boss') will pound onto the ground. Avoid the arm itself
but jump onto the paw-shaped platform at the end of it when it hits the ground.
If you don't do this immediately, watch out for the bullets the gun at the foot
off the statue will fire. Avoid, at all costs, being crushed by the paw as it
slams the floor. Standing on the paw as it moves back up, charge a spin dash
pointing right. When the arm moves back into its highest position release the
spin dash and you will hit the boss. Repeat this pattern bearing in mind that
the arm that hits the ground alternates each time. When standing on the SE arm,
aim your spin dash straight up. Five hits will do in this boss, as well.
9. Spring Stadium Zone
Things to Bear in Mind:
-The worst obstacle in this zone are the red spike floors, which are everywhere
in this zone. When you stand on one, all the spiked floors in the area will
shoot up spikes. To avoid getting hit you have to jump constantly when it
contact with these floors. You will have to cross these floors a lot in this
zone. REMEMBER TO JUMP CONSTANTLY!
-Use balloons to spring up. They will pop but reappear if you leave the screen
and come back.
-Don't touch bumpers if you can help it. They have a tendency to bounce you
into dangerous objects or enemies, and are totally pointless (and dangerous) to
fool around with.
-Springs in this zone look different from all other zones. They are recessed
into the ground, and often come in large banks. Also, there's no way to tell
whether a spring will actually bounce you up - some will, some will not. Often
ones with rings above them will bounce you up.
-Watch out for devices that blast out showers of tiny mines, and black holes in
the floor - spears shoot out of them when you get too close.
Enemies:
Crab (red) - Patrols an area and chases you, like bugs in Green Grove Zone. Use
the same strategy but never try jumping on these guys, as they're too
physically small.
Dragonfly (blue) - Moves erratically like bees in Rusty Ruin Zone; spin dash.
Spider (green) - Moves back and forth; no problem.
Puffer Fish (purple) - Floats back and forth along a set area, periodically
inflating and deflating. Jump and hit it ONLY WHEN DEFLATED. The key to
defeating these guys without gettign hit is the same as with most enemies: be
patient.
Walkthrough for Act 1:
Area 1 - Go SE for a long ride through some loops. When you stop moving, head
NE to a four-way junction. Further NE is a dead end, SW is the way you came,
and NW is the way to the rest of the area, but go SE first. Follow a path with
no flickies but several obstacles. When the path turns NW, bounce up on the
springs to the NE and you'll find a 1-UP. Continue following the path to an
Invincibility and a drop. Drop down and you'll be back at the four-way
junction; go NW. You come to a fork in the path. You need to take both forks;
the west fork has two flickies, and the east fork also has a flicky (and a Gold
Shield, surrounded by spike floors). After collecting them all go NW further
and bounce up to the higher level. There's a Gold Shield hidden in an alcove
somewhere in here, I think, but it cannot be seen. On the higher level on the
SW edge will be a Blue Shield, but don't get it if you have a Gold Shield. The
fourth flicky will be there as well. In the NW corner of this area is a spring
that will bounce you up to the fifth flicky. Drop back down and go along the NW
wall, to another spring which will bounce you to the dimension ring.
Area 2 - Go through the tube at the beginning. Then go NE to find an
Invincibility. Tails is in plain sight on a ledge on the NW wall; just follow
it and bounce up there. Then continue NE and SE through a loop. Go SW and when
you come to a fork, go south, down the ramp. You'll find Knuckles in plain
sight, but backtrack and take the SW route. This is a longer route than the
route SE of Knuckles, but has two flickies on it. Just follow the path and
avoid obstacles. After getting two flickies and heading NE you'll find a fork;
go NE. Go SE to find the third flicky. Follow the path (go slowly, of course,
bounce of springs to find rings and Sonic Icons, and watch out for spiked
floors) to the last tow flickies, and at the end, the dimension ring.
Walkthrough for Act 2:
Area 1 - Go SW down two ramps to the first flicky. Follow the path to the next
two flickies. North of the third flicky, on a ledge, is a Blue Shield. Nab it
and keep following the path, avoiding spiked floors and spear holes. You'll
find the fourth flicky, then after him, to the NW, an Invincibility on a ledge.
Continue SW, then NW to an area with the fifth flicky. Go south, then SE, past
a Super Ring, to an area with many moving spiked balls. Go very carefully
through here. Get the Gold Shield in the bottom corner, then go to the
dimension ring, which is in the NE corner.
Area 2 - Go through a loop. You'll find yourself in a large are with bumpers
and spikes. Carefully head along the NE wall. You'll find an alcove with Tails
AND Knuckles. To play two Special Stages, you'll need to give 50 rings to one,
then go out and find 50 more rings, and give them to the other. This is a real
pain, but it is possible. Anyway head SW from Tails and Knuckles to the first
flicky. Follow the path SE of him until you come to an Invincibility SW of a
loop, picking up two flickies on the way. Go through the loop and keep
following the path (avoid obstacles, mainly spiked floors) through the last two
flickies. Eventually you'll come to the dimension ring.
Area 3 - Go through the tube. Then go SW to the first flicky, and NW to the
second. To get up the tall NW wall you'll need to use the spring and bounce NE
up the balloons. It's tricky, but possible - hit the spring and hold NE and you
should bounce from one balloons to the next, and make it to the top. If you
fail you can try, try again. Once at the top go NW to a fork; be sure to take
the NE fork and grab the Gold Shield on the ledge. Then bounce NW to find the
third flicky, who patrols the top of a hill. Follow the path NE to the last two
flickies and the dimension ring. There are no secrets, but the fifth flicky is
VERY hard to get without getting hit, because of the many spear holes around
him. Just do your best.
Boss:
This boss is substantially harder than the first two. Robotnik will hover
around the arena out of hitting range, but watch out for his arms - the spikes
on the ends of them will come close enough to the ground to hit you, so avoid
them. After a while he speeds his arms up greatly and moves down to the ground
and starts pounding on it with his arms. Hit him by jumping onto him preferably
from the NE or SW. Do it quickly, for he'll only stay on the floor for a set
amount of time (or until you hit him). What really makes this boss hard is that
he speeds up a little each time you hit him, so by the time you're ready for
the last hit, he's zooming around like crazy. Also, there are some spiked
floors around the arena that will make your life tougher. It can be hard to
avoid him when he's chasing you like mad dog, but do your best. Don't bounce
onto the higher level, as there is little advantage to doing that. I have heard
that some people like to bounce to the higher ledge and stay there, jumping
constantly to avoid the spiked floor, and jump down onto Robotnik. I tried that
but believe it is actually more dangerous than the normal method of fighting
this battle, unlike what some people say, but try it if you wish. This bos
takes the standard eight hits to defeat, not five.
10. Diamond Dust Zone
Things to Bear in Mind:
-In this chilly place, there are some floors you will slip and slide on. Watch
out for this but if you find yourself slipping and want to stop, jump. You will
lose all your momentum this way. Also, when you spin dash, you can't slip.
-Some springs may be encased in ice; jump on them to break the ice. So, too,
will be flickies released from defeating snowmen; jump on them to release them,
too.
-Watch out for ice shooters; they shoot jets of cold air that freeze you in a
block of ice. To break free you must jump three times. Getting frozen doesn't
hurt you like it does in Sonic 3, but it does make you helpless to enemies or
obstacles until you break free.
-Also don't touch spikes. Luckily, though, although there are a lot of spikes
in this zone, they are of a kind that can be destroyed by spin dashing into
them. Always spin dash through them rather than jump on them to play it safe.
-Although they are technically an enemy, snowman mines don't release flickies,
and are not to be confused with other snowmen that DO release flickies (see
Enemies). When you come near a stationary snowman he will expand for a moment,
then blow up, releasing a shower of snowballs. Either walk near enough to
trigger him and get out of the way or spin dash into him - that will defeat him
and prevent him from blowing up.
Enemies:
Snowman (blue) - These guys are a PAIN!! They move around sending out blasts of
snowballs in every direction constantly. The only sensible way to defeat them,
although it's very risky, is to jump on them without touching their snowballs.
Spin dashing isn't recommended, for once. Also try to approach as close as you
can without getting hit by a snowball. If you get hit by one of these guys
either roll or spin dash through him while you're flashing to get rid of him.
Penguin (green) - Just moves back and forth.
Pogo Rabbit (purple) - Bounces up and down patrolling an area like crabs and
bugs, just bounces up and down instead of moving along the ground. Spin dash
through him, or spin dash in place and wait for him to come to you.
Walkthrough for Act 1:
Area 1 - Slide down the hill at the start. Go NW, spin dash through the spikes,
and avoid the ice shooter. That snowman is a mine, as are all snowmen who don't
move. Drop down and head SE, to an icy river. Amazingly this poses no threat to
you; it just flows in one direction and takes you with it. All these rivers
have spikes at the bottom, so watch out for that. If you jump up the river, you
will find Knuckles, but you don't have enough rings to play a Special Stage
yet. Make sure you don't give all your rings to Knuckles and have no rings, as
the first flicky is up ahead, and he is a snowman. (The main path is SW of the
river opposite the path you came down). Then the path goes NE, to the second
and third flickies (always spin dash through spikes when you see them; I won't
mention them from now on). SW of the third flicky is a tunnel, blocked by
spikes, that leads to the top of the icy river. The fourth flicky is to the NW.
SW of him is a tunnel, blocked by spikes, that leads to a 1-UP. The dimension
ring is in the center of this area, and the fifth flicky is to the east of the
dimension ring.
Area 2 - Grab the Blue Shield to the NW (surrounded by spikes). Then go east to
a snowman mine and a blue spring pointing SE. Spin dash into the spring and
hold SE and it will bounce you across the gap. Be sure to jump after you cross
to avoid hitting a bumper and bouncing back into the gap. Go SE to an ice
shooter; allow it to freeze you and you'll go on a ride (but lose your Blue
Shield). After the ride go SE and you will find the first three flickies in
plain sight. Spin dash through the spikes into the freezing river, and slide
downstream to find Tails. Be very careful not to touch the spikes at the bottom
of the river, though. Climb back up the river, up the hill (you'll need to jump
a little faster) and jump to the ledge up the river. There you'll find the
other two flickies and the dimension ring.
Area 3 - First you'll go on another ride through a loop. If you want, enter the
side path to the SW after the loop - you'll find some extra rings. Follow the
main path until you encounter five snowman mines in a row; detonate them one at
a time to play it safe. Spin dash through the spikes and grab the Gold Shield.
The rest of the path is rather simple; just follow the path and collect
flickies - you should be able to see them all. Be sure to grab the 1-UP east of
the dimension ring - you might miss it if you're too hasty. Also, near the
third flicky (a snowman) is a frozen pond. Jump on it to uncover a secret
passage back to area 1, if you want to try again to reach Tails or Knuckles.
Walkthrough for Act 2:
Area 1 - There's not much to say, really, since this area is very linear - just
follow the path. The flickies are all in plain sight, though some, like the
snowman, can be hard to get. Just take it slow and easy. There is a Blue Shield
in plain sight too. Obviously, spin dash through spikes whenever you come
across them, avoid ice shooters and snowman mines, and be careful of slippery
floors.
Area 2 - Follow the path until you go down some steps to an area with two
flickies (one a snowman). To the west will be some spikes surrounding a monitor
you can barely see. It's a Gold Shield. Grab it and head to the NE corner of
the area, where you'll find Tails (behind some spikes). Go SW and south -
you'll have a choice of two paths. The left one has a snowman mine so be
careful. To the south you'll find a large area with the other three flickies.
The dimension ring is to the east/NE.
Area 3 - You'll go for a ride at the beginning of this area. After it stops, go
SE and take the side path to the SW. It leads to Knuckles (behind spikes).
Continue on the main path avoiding obstacles, and free the first two flickies.
You come to an ice river; be sure to grab a Blue Shield to the west first. Then
jump across the river to the opposite ledge (there is a Sonic Icon downriver
but you'd need to be very daring to get it). From there the only tricky thing
left is to defeat the snowman. Bounce up on some snow-covered springs, and
liberate the last two flickies. The dimension ring is next to the last flicky.
Boss:
Robotnik will lower himself to the floor and shoot bursts of freezing gas from
the eight tiny ice cannons rotating around his cockpit. Jump and hit him but
avoid getting frozen; if you get frozen he will likely ram into you, so avoid
getting to close to him. Hit him quickly since he only stays on the floor for a
set amount of time. After you hit him he flies out of range and drops one or
two snowman mines that explode on their own after a short time. Set them off or
ignore them, wait for Robotnik to come back to the floor, and hit him again. He
loses an ice cannons each time you hit him but he also speeds up - he's going
like crazy by the last few hits. Just keep trying to hit him and eventually
you'll win. Eight hits does it.
11. Volcano Valley Zone
Things to Bear in Mind:
-GET AND KEEP A RED SHIELD!! This is the difference between life and death in
this zone. The obstacles to watch out for are flame cannons and lava - lots of
it. Both you are safe from if you have a Red Shield. Luckily, there are Red
Shields available fairly early in both acts, but if you lose it, you're cooked.
This zone is darn near impossible to get through without a Red Shield. Guard
your Red Shield, once you have it, with your life. This means: be EXTREMELY
careful when defeating enemies, avoid any Blue Shields you see, and do not
enter any Special Stages unless you have a realistic chance of getting the
remaining Chaos Emeralds, or are very skilled and want to max out your score.
You lose any Shield you had after a Special Stage.
-There are some elevators in this zone. Stand on them and spin dash to make
them rise - pretty simple. Do yourself a favor and don't stand below them when
they come down.
-There are a lot of brown blocks in this zone; jump on them to destroy them.
They often have lava beneath them so beware, but they also have teleport holes
beneath them. These teleport you to a different place in the act, and often
lead to secret rooms.
Enemies:
Scorpion (red) - Just moves back and forth.
Spiked Rover (green) - Chases you once you enter the area he patrols. Spin dash
through him or wait for him to move into you, but never try to jump on him -
he's too small to make that safe.
Bird of Paradise (blue) - Moves erratically, like bees is Rusty Ruin and
dragonflies in Spring Stadium.
Red Goon (orange) - This is the only enemy who releases an orange flicky in the
game; I'm not sure why. He moves back and forth and sort of floats above the
ground.
Walkthrough for Act 1:
Area 1 - Head NE and jump over the lava (you'll need a running start). Lava is
very hard to jump over in this zone because it's often quite wide; this is why
it's so hard to get through this zone without a Red Shield. After the lava
you'll fine the first flicky (don't bother destroying the blocks; nothing is
beneath them). Go SE and SW to the second flicky, then leap SW over the lava.
If you get hit do not try to recover your flickies; get the Invincibility on
this side of the lava and then do so quickly. Flickies are hard to recover
around lava, because they float above lava when they touch it - it's a royal
pain. Anyway the third flicky is here, as is a secret passage to Knuckles (spin
dash through the cracked wall NW of the Invincibility). Jump back across the
lava and over the brown blocks to the NE (nothing beneath these either). Follow
the path, collecting the fourth flicky, but watch out for flame cannons. They
can be a real pain; if you get hit by one DO NOT recover your flickies - push
on to the Red Shield, then recover your flickies once you have that. Trying to
recover your flickies around the flame cannons without protection may get you
killed. When you come to a room with five brown blocks, the fifth flicky and
the dimension ring, smash open the second block from the north to reveal a
teleport hole. Drop in to go to a secret room with a Red Shield. Recover any
flickies you lost and proceed to the dimension ring.
Area 2 - Follow the obvious path, picking up the first two flickies, until you
reach a dead end with five blocks over a pool of lava. The teleport hole you
need to proceed is under the middle block. Drop through and you'll be very near
the third flicky. You can go NW or SW. NW leads past some flame cannons to an
elevator. Ride the elevator up, then release your spin dash and jump
immediately to avoid falling back down. Once you are safely standing on the
little ledge, spin dash through the cracked wall to find Tails. Then backtrack
and go SW from the teleport hole. Ignore the Blue Shield you see and follow the
path (you'll need to ride another elevator) freeing the fourth and fifth
flickies. Eventually you'll come upon the dimension ring.
Area 3 - Go NW a ways, then NE and up the elevator. You'll see five blocks in a
cross shape; smash the middle one to find a teleport hole. It leads to a Red
Shield. Grab it (hopefully you still have the first one) and go back. To the NW
will be the first flicky, then go NE and pass the flaming jump rope (it's
almost impossible to pass these without getting hit, unless you have a Red
Shield). Get the next two flickies and head SE, jumping SW over the lava near
the lava fall if you want to find some useless Speed Sneakers. Continue SE and
ride the elevator up, then go NE to find the last two flickies and the final
dimension ring at the end of the room.
Walkthrough for Act 2:
Area 1 - Begin by walking NW. Carefully walk past the spiked balls as they move
back and forth. After the spiked balls, get the first flicky and spin dash
through the NW wall where it's cracked. You'll find a secret room with an
Invincibility. Grab it, run back out and run across the lava. Head east and a
little north, and look for an island with a Red Shield. Find it quickly before
your Invincibility runs out. Now that you have a Red Shield, you can walk on
all the lava. Get the second flicky in the top part of this large area (north
of him is a dead end; Knuckles will be there later). Then go to the far east
corner, and follow the path NE to a moving platform in some lava. You have a
choice of two ways to go: NW or NE. Go NE and up the ramp. Use the red spring
to bounce up over the wall. To the east will be five blocks in an X shape; the
middle one conceals a teleport hole that leads to a Super Ring. Go NW to the
third flicky and SW, dropping down, to the fourth. To the west will be five
more blocks. The second one from the west (the upper one) conceals a teleport
hole leading to a Red Shield. Go NE from this area, and follow the path, until
you come to an elevator. Ride it up to the final flicky and the dimension ring.
Area 2 - Go NW and jump over the lava pits with fire snakes leaping out of them
(I sure hope you have a Red Shield). After the first series there's a cracked
wall in the top corner that leads to Tails. Go SW, then SE, over more lava
pits. You come to three blocks; the SW one conceals a teleport hole leading to
a 1-UP. Cool! Grab the first flicky and cross the flaming jump rope tot he SW.
You come to a fork in the path; go SW, down the ramp, to a moving platform. SE
of this moving platform is a rather hidden island with some blocks. The one in
the corner takes you back to area 1; drop down and now Knuckles will be there
(but you'll have to go back through area 1). Unless you need only one more
Chaos Emerald, forget it. Head SW of the moving platform to an area with two
flickies. Get them and head north (there's nothing under these blocks). Take
the NW path and you'll walk up a ramp; jump NE over the gap to find the fourth
flicky. Backtrack, drop through the gap and head NW to an elevator. It leads to
the final dimension ring, but you need the fifth flicky first - he's to the SW
a ways (you'll need to jump over lava to reach him). Backtrack and head to the
final dimension ring. Interestingly enough, in the room with the final
dimension ring is the last Sonic Icon in the game.
Boss:
This is HARD, HARD, HARD!! I got stuck on this boss several times when I first
played the game, and I still get stuck on him when I play the PC version (which
is harder to control). Okay - there will be four islands located in the north,
south, east and west corners of the room. You start on the south island, and
there are barriers preventing you from freely jumping all over the room - you
basically have to stay to the outside. Between the islands are lava. Robotnik
will lower himself into the center, and just stay there. He will launch homing
fire snakes at you from the hole in the bottom of his contraption - these are
snakes of fire that follow you around. They burn out eventually but he releases
another one shortly after they do. You need to run away from them by jumping
around.
To hit Robotnik you must jump on the pipes sticking out from his central
contraption in the NW, NE, SW and SE directions, over the lava. Standing on
these pipes, you must jump and hit Robotnik and bounce back onto the pipe.
Bouncing back onto the pipe is no problem since you'll be reflected off
Robotnik in the same direction you were coming from. But jumping onto the pipes
from the islands is extremely difficult since they are very thin - try to watch
Sonic's shadow and use it as a guide, but you will probably get hit several
times anyway. Also, near Robotnik on all four pipes are flame spouts; avoid
touching them (jump over them to hit Robotnik). Occasionally one of them will
explode; if you're nearby, you'll get hit. You can't stay on the pipes very
long because of the fire snakes coming to get you. The conventional way to
fight this battle is to jump on a pipe about the time one fire snake goes out,
hit Robotnik about twice, run away from the next fire snake and repeat the
pattern.
However, this is extremely difficult since jumping on the pipes and running
from the fire snakes requires tremendous precision and it's inevitable that
eventually you'd get hit and get messed up. So it may pay to use a high-risk
strategy that can defeat the boss quickly if you can pull it off. Jump on any
pipe and hit Robotnik continuously paying no heed to fire snakes. It's
difficult to time it so the fire snake won't hit you on its way toward you, but
once it's following you over the pipe, you can sometimes avoid it by just
ignoring it and continuing to hit Robotnik. The idea is that when you bounce
off Robotnik, the fire snake follows you through the air and you can run
underneath it and hit Robotnik again. Obviously this is risky but if you can
pull it off, you can kill off the boss very quickly, so it may be less risky
than the slower way which also requires precision timing. Obviously retain at
least one ring if you can, but one really annoying thing is that the rings,
more than in other battles, get in your way and limit your jumping room, so
once some of them are gone, it may actually be easier to run away from fire
snakes. Don't grab them by accident though. This is a really hard boss, so
don't get frustrated! Eight hits will defeat him.
12. Gene Gadget Zone
Things to Bear in Mind:
-There's no more Tails, Knuckles or Sonic Icons for the rest of the game, but
other than that, this zone is identical in format to the previous zones.
-Rotating guns in this zone are a royal pain. They will shoot bullets in a
circular spray, like snowmen, once you get close enough. Touching them will
hurt you too. If you must get close to one do so after it rotates by you. The
really annoying thing is that often flickies are positioned very near them, so
you have to dodge the bullets while defeating the enemy. These spots can be
almost impossible to pass without getting hit.
-There are many tubes in this metallic place, just walk into one and you'll be
sent through the tube to the other side. A few are one-way, and one actually
gives you a choice of ways to go (see the end of the Walkthrough for Act 1).
-Fans will lift you up and are usually found in large groups. They can be used
to lift you up to floating rings but can also be a pain, as they cause flickies
to float as well (making them harder to retrieve if you lose them) and when
you're floating, you're completely helpless.
-Electric floors are everywhere here. They shoot up bursts of electricity a
split second after you touch them. They are similar to the spiked red floors in
Spring Stadium Zone, but they don't all fire at once - just one at a time. If
you have a Blue Shield, which is the only Shield from now on as well, you're
immune to them. Otherwise dash over them quickly (anything less than an all-out
run will get you hit) and don't touch them unless you have to, even if they
have rings over them as they often do.
-Don't touch the electric gates at the dimension rings; they hurt you!
Enemies:
Spider (red) - This enemy is stationary, and constantly eyes you, rotating in
eight directions. If he stands still for long enough he'll shoot a slow-moving
bullet at you. Run around him to confuse him and not allow him to shoot, until
you're ready to try to jump on him. Luckily he's fairly large and not too hard
to land squarely on top of. DO NOT try spin dashing into him.
Mouse (green) - Patrols an area and pursues you, but often the area he patrols
has a rotating gun in it, which makes life very hard. I recommend not trying to
spin dash into him when he's near a rotating gun. It's very hard to defeat many
of these guys without getting hit, but your best chance is to jump on him when
the gun is pointed the other way, and wait for the flicky to wander away from
the rotating gun before you pick him up.
-Puffer Fish (purple) - The only enemy found in two zones; exactly the same as
in Spring Stadium Zone. Use the same strategy.
Walkthrough for Act 1:
Area 1 - Go SE to the first flicky. Grab the Blue Shield to the SE. Continue SE
to the second flicky (be careful not to accidentally step on the fans when
you're trying to defeat him). Go down the steps with fans to find the third
flicky, guarded by a rotating gun. Get him as best you can, then dive into the
tube. The fourth and fifth flickies are on the other side. Grab them and head
SE, over an electrified floor, to the dimension ring.
Area 2 - Walk forward and step on the arrows to go for a ride through a
metallic loop. You come out at a Blue Shield; south of you is the first flicky.
Flickies are really hard to get in this zone; this one is guarded by a rotating
gun AND is on a slope. Hit him and grab him as best you can. The second and
third flickies are both puffer fish; they are located in the far east and west
corners of this area. The tube you must enter to proceed is in the SW corner,
guarded by mines from Green Grove Zone. Set them off then scamper away, and
enter the tube with three flickies. The next area is full of fans. Go SE and
grab as many rings as you can. The last two flickies are here, but they're hard
to get: one is a puffer fish floating over fans, and the other is a spider in
the center on a mound, putting him in a commanding position but not one
impossible to surmount. To beat the puffer fish you simply have to aim and jump
at him as best you can and hope you get him, and try again if you miss. There
are gray objects around here that act as bumpers. The dimension ring is in the
NE corner.
Area 3 - Bounce up on the spring, and run down the ramp to the first flicky.
Enter the tube and on the other side, get the flicky to the NW. Then go SW down
the fans, to find two more flickies (be VERY careful of the rotating gun). Get
the rings on the electrified floor if you dare. Enter the tube to go to a room
with a 1-UP and 40 rings over an electrified floor. Don't bother with the rings
unless you have a Blue Shield, but grab the 1-UP and head back through the
tube. Then go
NE up the fans, to the final flicky and a tube. Enter the tube and you come to
a fork. DO NOT press left or you'll be sent back to the beginning of the act.
You don't have to press anything, just don't press left. The main path of the
tube takes you to the dimension ring.
Walkthrough for Act 2:
Area 1 - Go NE, jumping up to the higher level. Get the first flicky, also near
a rotating gun (I just hate those guns, don't you?) And the Blue Shield in the
far north corner. Then head to the tube in the far east corner. It takes you to
an area with an extremely steep hill that you just tumble down if you touch it,
with ledges on it you can use to keep from falling, some of which move back and
forth. This is kind of tricky - you need to climb across this steep hill to
find flickies, but it's tricky to make the jumps - you'll probably fall a few
times. If you fall you'll slide down a ramp and get sent up through a one-way
door, to a room with an electrified floor. Enter the tube and go NW - you'll be
back where you started. One flicky is in the room you get dumped to at the
bottom of the hill (so you actually need to fall down there once, but after
that try to avoid it). Another flicky is located in an area to the SW of the
hill above the ramp - just drop down and hold SW hard and you'll enter it.
There's a Blue Shield there as well. The toughest flicky to get is the one in
an area NW of the top of the hill - you'll need to use the ledges near the top
to get over there. If you mess up and fall just keep trying. The final flicky
and the dimension ring is located at the bottom of the hill NW of the ramp. To
reach him tumble down the NW edge of the hill and hold NW hard. Just don't
touch the ramp or you'll slide down it.
Area 2 - Immediately go through a tube. You'll now have a choice of two ways to
go: NE or SW (grab the Blue Shield in this room if you need it). Go SW and jump
over the first set of spikes. Between the two spikes use the fans to lift you
up to the NW ledge, where a flicky (spider) is. You can also just jump up
there. In any event dodge his bullets and beat him, then jump over the other
spikes and continue SW. Keep going SW to find another very tricky flicky to get
(near a rotating gun and on electrified floors). Get him and go SE, then NE
down a ramp. Climb up the electrified steps to the NW to find another Blue
Shield. Then go right to a hill you need to get over. It seems you must use the
moving ledges to do that, but actually you can bounce up to the top using the
spring if you hit it right. Don't worry - you have infinite time. After getting
over continue NW, get the flicky and enter the tube. You'll come out (this tube
is one-way) at the top near the dimension ring. One flicky is nearby - he's a
puffer fish floating over fans - and there are many rings here as well. To get
the final flicky drop down to the SW and head NW once you are at the bottom.
You'll find the final flicky, but getting back up to the dimension ring is
rather tricky - you'll need to use the springs and fans, just be very careful
of electrified floors. Once you make it back up to the dimension ring, you are
done.
Boss:
This isn't too hard. You'll be fighting on a conveyor belt that flows SW,
behaving much like the freezing rivers in Diamond Dust Zone. There are spikes
at the bottom and Robotnik is at the top (the NE side). He'll float out of
range and about 3-6 spikes will come down the conveyor belt. Jump around them
but don't try to jump over one NE. The conveyor belt prevents you from jumping
very far when you jump NE, so jump either north or east. If you don't want to
slide down the conveyor belt face north - you'll get stuck against the side.
After a while Robotnik lowers down to the conveyor belt and fires missiles down
it from his ship. Hit him ONLY from below (you can also hit him from the west
but I prefer the south), NEVER head-on (from the SW). It's best to park
yourself right below where Robotnik is on the conveyor belt and when he slides
to the other side, run up a bit, then hit him as he comes toward you. He'll
only stay down long enough for you to get one good shot at him, so keep that in
mind. Don't stand between Robotnik and the wall, as he will hit you - the space
is not large enough. 8 hits.
13. Panic Puppet Zone
Things to Bear in Mind:
-This is the final zone, so don't expect any niceties. Robotnik has put all his
nastiest enemies and obstacles in this metallic jungle.
-This zone is a bit different from all the earlier ones. In act 1, there's only
one area, and no enemies will release flickies; instead, flickies are trapped
in glass cylinders - jump on them to crack them open. In act 2 there aren't ANY
flickies - you just have to get to the exit alive!
-Here's a few things you can expect to encounter here: Electric cannons (which
shoot beams of electricity at regular intervals) mines, fans, rotating guns,
electrified floors, tubes (some one-way) and conveyor belts. Some of the ones
in act 1 you can change the direction they go in.
-There are elevators here but luckily, unlike the ones in Volcano Valley, you
don't need to spin dash to make these rise - you just need to stand on them.
-No enemies will release flickies, so don't worry about defeating enemies.
Generally, don't worry much at all about collecting rings or going slowly and
carefully in this zone, since you're bound to get hit anyway. Just get through
each section alive!
Enemies:
Crab - Walks back and forth, shooting bullets in the four diagonal directions
constantly (he shoots them in an order around himself, though I forget if it's
clockwise or counterclockwise).
Choppers - Flit about erratically; these are a real pain, especially when there
are a lot of them.
Walkthrough for Act 1:
Go SW and south at the start, to the first flicky. Then go SW to find two
rotating guns. Run and jump past them as best you can, trying to time it so
they don't hit you. SW of them is a switch. You need to make it switch to
change the direction the conveyor belt to the SE flows in. To do that just walk
across it from SW to NE and it should flip. Before you step on the conveyor
belt, though, head farther SW - you'll find a Blue Shield. Then jump on the
conveyor belt once it's flowing SE and you'll go a fast ride at the end. After
that go SE, then NE, using the moving ledge to climb over the steep ramp.
(There's a ton of obstacles in here; I won't mention them all, just dodge them
as best you can). Once over the ramp go NW and eventually you find a flicky. Go
NE a bit but don't climb the hill with the several moving ledges; go NW again
instead. When you can go NE or NW again go NW to find an area with the third
flicky.
Then go NE and up the steps with fans on them. Once up the steps go west, and
when you can, go north to a room with a rotating gun. Slip past that blasted
gun as best you can and grab the flicky, then get the heck out of there. Do not
enter any tubes - there's one that takes you back to the start. The final
flicky is almost due south of the fourth one, at the top of the hill you saw
earlier. Grab him but try not to fall down the hill. Head back NW and enter the
tube in the NW wall. It leads to the exit. In the area it takes you to spin
dash down when the rotating gun is facing east, and get the Invincibility. Once
you're invincible dash NW to an area with a switch. Run across from SW to NE to
flip it, then run back down to the SE and get on the conveyor belt (now flowing
SE) before you run out of Invincibility. At the end of the conveyor belt you
must make a short but dangerous trek to the NE to the dimension ring, and you
are done. Don't worry; there is a switch that changes the conveyor belt back if
you for some reason don't have all the flickies.
Walkthrough for Act 2:
As already stated, there are no flickies here - but plenty of enemies. Start by
going west to a crab and a rotating gun. Get by them and enter the tube. In the
area you come to, avoid the enemies and head due south to a conveyor belt. Ride
it SE and you'll go for another ride. At the end stop quickly to avoid the
electric cannons, and continue SE, carefully running by the electric cannons.
The next area has a ton of mines and enemies. Ignore the Speed Sneakers and go
NE, then NW up the SW ramp. At the top go NE up another ramp, set off two mines
without touching their shrapnel, and enter the tube. On the other side go SW
avoiding electric beams, down a conveyor belt (no ride this time,
unfortunately). You come to another enemy and obstacle area. Go NE sticking to
the NW wall. You should spot an orange place where the barrier at the wall
appears to disappear for a short part of it. Spin dash into the wall there and
you'll bash through, and be able to grab the 1-UP you saw a minute ago on the
conveyor belt. Then continue up the NW wall, dive past the rotating gun and
into the final tube. You'll go for a neat ride through the giant Robotnik's
head.
Go SW, SE and NE. Your next challenge is a nasty steep hill you must climb up
using elevators. Stand on the first elevator, and ride it up to the stationary
ledge. From there hop (don't do a full jump) to the moving ledge, ride it SE,
and hop onto the elevator. The last hop is surprisingly difficult. If you mess
up just drop back down and try it again. Avoid, at all costs, being squashed by
a sinking elevator. Keep in mind they will not reset if they are off the
screen. After getting out of this area, the rest of the act is very linear.
There are many tricky spots and many, many enemies and obstacles to dodge. Just
muddle through keeping a ring at all times. The worst spot is one where you
have to ride an elevator up but the top of the elevator is guarded by a crab
who periodically shoots a bullet right at the spot where you will be standing
at the top of the elevator. There is a Blue Shield along the way though. Near
the end are some floor panels that fall out - don't worry, you cannot fall
through them, they just stop you from going back. After what seems like forever
(if you die along this stretch, you have to do the whole act over again) you
will come to the giant Robotnik's face. Walk up to the pipe that is his nose
and you're off to the final fight!!
Boss:
This is a very involved battle, as you can expect, but it's not the true final
battle. There are three phases, each with six rings (collect one at a time as
usual, but by all means grab all the remaining rings at a phase once you
complete it before you move on to the next phase). To complete each phase you
must destroy both of Robotnik's arms. There are always two of them, and to
damage them you must hit the shoulder. A blue light will sometimes flash at the
shoulder; you can only damage an arm when it is flashing (and it only flashes
for about three seconds). Otherwise you'll get hit. The arms require four hits
to destroy each time.
Phase 1 - This machine shoots bullets out that float and hit the floor. They do
hurt you but should be very easy to dodge. The two arms float around, zeroing
in on you when you are near one of them. Stand still and allow the arm to move
over your head, at which point you will hear a revving up noise. As soon as you
do run straight up, as the arm will pound the floor trying to hit you. Then it
will stay stuck to the floor for a few seconds while the blue light flashes.
The purpose of running north is that you should be near enough to the blue
light to jump and hit it. It can be hard to tell when you're standing right
below the light because of the 3-D, but do the best you can. After (hopefully)
scoring a hit, repeat the pattern. After the arms are destroyed drop down the
hatch in the floor to...
Phase 2 - Now the arms will launch fire snakes at you, like those the boss of
Volcano Valley launches but smaller. They will follow you around for a while
and eventually burn out. The left arm fires first, then they alternate. When an
arm launches a snake, its shoulder light flashes for a few seconds. The basic
strategy is to stand under the left arm's light, and when you hear the sound of
a fire snake being launched, jump and hit it. Then run down and around, jumping
over the snake being careful not to touch either arm (your space will be a bit
limited because of the rings, but if you grab a few by mistake don't worry
about it). Run around so you end up under the right arm's shoulder. The snake
will follow you but burn out somewhere along the way. Wait for the right arm to
launch, then repeat the pattern. After destroying both arms drop down to...
Phase 3 - This is the final and hardest phase, similar to phase 2. Now the arms
shoot volleys of blue bullets that bounce around the room like heck. The
strategy is similar to phase 2: stand unde the left arm's shoulder, and jump AS
SOON AS IT FIRES. The reason is that if you hit it quickly it'll only get a
chance to shoot a few bullets, while if you wait it'll shoot enough bullets to
fill the room, making it much more likely that you'll get hit. After hitting it
follow the same path you followed in phase 2, ending up under the right arm's
shoulder, but jump constantly to minimize your chances of hitting a bullet (and
dodge them if you can). Hopefully if there are only a few bullets they won't
hit you... hopefully. If you make it to the right shoulder in time, repeat the
pattern. A more cowardly strategy is to concentrate on one arm at a time,
running to the top corner and jumping constantly, hoping to avoid the bullets
when the other arm fires. Try this if you're having trouble with the regular
strategy. Once you destroy both arms, you win. The ending is a little different
in each version of the game. However, if you have all the Chaos Emeralds read
on!
14. The Final Fight
This exists only if you have the seven Chaos Emeralds. It's you versus
Robotnik's Final Weapon. There will be five stages, each with a different
platform you fight on. You must hit the Weapon once in each stage to move on to
the next stage. You will go around the whole series of five stages twice; the
Weapon takes 10 total hits to destroy. There are six rings at the first stage
and none anywhere else, so if you get hit, unless you can recover a ring,
you're kind of hosed. Once you go back to the first stage after the fifth
stage, by all means grab any remaining rings. However, on each stage, you must
first survive the Weapon's attack before you can hit it, and it only moves into
hitting range briefly. If you fail to hit it, it will repeat its pattern until
you do. I have heard that if you don't cross the bridge that appears to the
next stage within a certain amount of time, you automatically die, but I've
never confirmed this. Here is the strategy for each stage of the battle:
Stage 1 - This is a 6 X 6 grid with six rings on the SE side. The Final Weapon
will rise from the abyss below and sit behind the NW edge (don't worry, you
can't fall off). It will then put its two banks of three cannons on the ledge
and make them shift back and forth, toward you. Avoid standing in front of them
by running and jumping back and forth. Eventually they stop and fire laser
beams (one from each cannon). Avoid them. They will repeat the pattern
(shifting and then firing), then the Weapon moves forward until it is fully on
the platform, then retracts. When it moves onto the platform JUMP AND HIT IT!!
It's a pretty big target so that helps. Never try spin dashing into it.
Stage 2 - Now the Final Weapon appears behind the NW edge, and launches a fire
snake at you. Run away from it trying not to get cornered, and eventually it
will burn out. Then the weapon appears to the NE, and fires another fire snake;
repeat the pattern. Finally it appears to the NW again; stand in the far west
corner this time. It fires a fire snake, then moves onto the platform. Jump and
hit it from the side, from the SW. You should have no trouble hitting it before
the fire snake gets you.
Stage 3 - This is the hardest stage. It's on a tiny, 8 X 2 platform. Robotnik
will release two spiked hands that will float above the platform, moving over
your head (one patrols each half of the platform). They will rev up as
indicated by the noise in the background. When the noise reaches its zenith
make sure you are not standing beneath a hand since it will pound the platform.
The hand pounds a second before the noise reaches its zenith, so keep that in
mind. After three pounds the hands move to the edges of the platform. Run to a
corner where a hand is not at - this gives you the maximum possible reaction
time. They will zip sideways across the platform - JUMP!! Then the Final Weapon
appears and moves onto the platform; stand opposite it and hit it head-on. Just
hope you're standing in the right place, directly opposite him.
Stage 4 - This is the easiest stage. Robotnik appears to the NW and launches
five missiles straight up. Run around and they will try to land on you but
should miss. Make sure you wind up in the far west corner and no missile is
aimed there (you can use their shadows as a guide). The Weapon will move onto
the platform only halfway, so it's very difficult to hit, but try to do so from
the side (SW). Luckily the attack is so easy to dodge if you miss, you can
probably try again.
Stage 5 - The last stage. After you hit the Weapon on this stage the first time
a bridge appears back to stage 1. After you hit it the second time, it will be
destroyed and you've completed Sonic 3D Blast 100%. The platform is a 6 X 6
grid with a 2 X 2 section taken out on the NW side. That is where the Final
Weapon positions itself. It fires bullets from a swivelling cannon that bounce
around. Stay in the far west corner and when a bullet comes toward you, jump.
After three or four (I think three) volleys of bullets run down to the third
block on the SW edge. This is a dangerous position so make sure no bullets will
hit you, but it's the perfect spot to jump and hit the Final Weapon from the SW
as it moves onto the platform.
Congratulations on completing Sonic 3D Blast!!
15. Level Select
At the title screen enter the controller code baracuda (press B, A, right, A,
C, up, down, A). You should then be taken to the next screen. Select the start
option and the Level Select screen appears. Begin at the act of your choice,
including the Final Fight or a Special Stage. If you choose a Special Stage you
will begin the game in Green Grove Zone, Act 1 after the stage ends. This code
also lets you skip any act by pausing the game and pressing A.
16. Conclusion
I hope you enjoyed Sonic 3D Blast. It is the most modern Sonic the Hedgehog
game on the Genesis. I think it is a wonderful game that puts some new elements
in the Sonic setup, but keeps enough old stuff so it still has some of the
flavor of the original classics. It's also not too easy or too hard in my
opinion, has excellent music and backgrounds, a marvelous 3-D effect, and a fun
gameplay.
If you want more Sonic the Hedgehog, there are plenty of other sonic games for
Genesis - Sonic the Hedgehog, Sonic the Hedgehog 2, Sonic the Hedgehog 3, Sonic
& Knuckles, Sonic Spinball, and Dr. Robotnik's Mean Bean Machine. There is also
Sonic CD for the PC, and of course, Sonic Adventure for Sega Dreamcast. I told
you that blue hedgehog was all over the place! In any event, peace and I hope
my FAQ/walkthrough helps you complete Sonic 3D Blast.
I got information for beating this game from a tipbook written by J. Douglas
Arnold and Willy Gampos, called "Sonic 3D Blast Survival Guide for Saturn and
Genesis". It's a great tipbook that provides maps of each act, step-by-step
walkthroughs with shots from the game, and boss strategies. Get it - it should
be fairly cheap, since this game's been out for a long time. Thanks guys!
No information in this FAQ/walkthrough is copied word for word from any other
source; it is all my own work.
Once again, if you want to e-mail me, I am available at
j-d-walker@worldnet.att.net .
Good luck!!