We're finally here, folks. The final regular Zone of the Sonic 3 saga. The last time we were in the Death Egg we barely got to take a look around before we were attacked by Silver Sonic and then Robotnik. This time we're taking the full tour.
We start our tour with this annoying bastard, the Spike Bonker. He shoots out his little spiked ball if you're close by, it is quite fast and he will keep shooting it until you're far enough away or you destroy him. I find myself getting caught by this more than I'd like to admit.
See those blue dots? When they continuously shoot forwards you can run across them like a bridge. Careful though, if they stop you will fall. I never fell to my death, though a couple of times I did fall into some power-ups!
These things aren't so bad, they make you float for some reason which usually allows you to dodge the ball. A bit counter-productive, but I ain't complaining.
A platform. It's one of the last times we'll see a platform so I guess I felt the need to show it off.
Drinking game for this level: take a shot for every life I lose. It's not bad yet, but it will once I get to the end of the Act. Oh yeah, you jump onto the handle and it flies you somewhere. I like stuff like this, it's like they're saying "oh, have a wee break, you deserve it!".
I'm not sure what to call these, so let's come up with a technical term for them. These "make-you-go-fast-thingies" from Wing Fortress are back. They launch...LAUNCHERS, that's what they are. Sorry. They launch you in whatever direction is the way forward.
This little section acts like a little anti-gravity zone. It's cool, you just float up and down but otherwise you're still kinda in control. Also, EGG. EGG. EGG. EGG.
This is probably the hardest obstacle in the Zone for me, this platform is a conveyer belt, it will either drag you into spikes, or you'll run into spikes on the opposite end of the screen or missiles will hit you. I never get out of this one unscathed, hence why I'm invisible (I just lost my shield).
These platforms don't want to kill you, they just want to take you on a journey. There is little electrical currents around the place, but they shouldn't be a problem during most of these little sections (if my memory serves me right at least).
New rule to the drinking game: down a drink whenever I GET an EXTRA LIFE!! (Spoilers: I think this is the last EXTRA LIFE!! I get. Sorry, I'm getting a little emotional. You can't tell but I'm crying rivers of tears right now.)
Now, it may be the final level of Sonic & Knuckles, but the ideas just keep coming. The idea here is that there is springs on each side, you're aim is to press all six of these buttons. The button-pillar though moves up and down meaning it's not as easy as it looks as half the time it's off screen. Eventually though...
And now, for my favourite part of the level...
You get caught by...a couple of wheels? But once the countdown ends you get launched in this tunnel of golden rings, usually sending you up and down and all around before actually taking you where you need to be. But it looks so cool, so I can forgive it for being a little OTT. There's a few scattered over the next couple of acts and I'll throw in a couple more pictures to give you a better idea of what I'm on about.
Yeah, remember those missiles I talked about? The first image shows me during the aftermath of getting hit by one. The second shows my failed attempts to jump out of the way as I tried to take a picture of it.
This leads us quite nicely too...
THE BIGGEST PAIN IN THE ASS I'VE EVER EXPERIENCED IN SONIC. I don't know why, but I was having some serious trouble with this boss. Confession time: I lost about 10-15 times. It doesn't show because at two points I quit the game to sort of calm myself down and get into the zone.
Basically this boss is shielded by those spinning eggs, however they will come down giving you a chance to attack his obvious "HIT ME HERE!" spot, the eye. Every time you do, however...
They explode into spikes. As long as you stay in the corner you should be fine. Eventually I found a great tactic. Stay in the corner, when the eggs come down attack it once. Don't try again until THIS happens...
The eggs will spread out attempting to attack you. If you try to attack the eye just before or just after it you will get caught by them (you have to take a running jump before attacking the eye, and if you do attack the eye AND THEN they spread out, you'll fall into them). Once they unspread, take one more shot. After the forth time you will have destroyed all the eggs. That's part one of the boss..
The eye will escape containment, along with two of those platforms with spikes on the bottom. The strategy is simple you might think, jump on the platforms and then jump on the eye. You really don't need to use the platforms, you can jump right into the eye. After a while I figured out the best way to win is to attack it, get to the corner (after each attack the platforms spin wildly and the eye will shoot the laser out of his ass). Once the laser is off, spin dash to the opposite end of the screen and then attack him first opportunity and then run back to the corner. Eventually...
I should have closer to ten lives. I'm not proud, but at least I beat it eventually.
Act 2 has a cool gimmick. It's the sort of gimmick that may seem annoying, but it honestly rather okay to actually play...
Parts of the level you have to play on the ceiling. It still plays the same, they don't try to trick you with reverse controls and it doesn't take long to adjust to it at all. There's one part I'm bad at, but we'll get to that when we get there.
We've seen these before in other levels and other games, but this is it. No more 2D Sonic after this (well...there's Sonic 4 (Part 1), but that may never come...). Think of this as a little retrospective.
This blue button changes the gravity settings. This one takes us back to the ground.
It may have only been 16-bits, but damn Sonic had some impressive sights at times. Almost there now...
...in fact, here's the Act 2 boss!
Much easier than Act I. You can't attack this one directly, the bouncer is ALWAYS pointed at you. Instead you have to use its own weapon against it.
It will crap out these little motors with spikes on top of them. But beside where Robotnik is standing? Go in there and...
You change the gravity of the room, taking the motors with you. Now, they also explode into spikes and they will do eventually. But once you enter the elevator, you are invincible. However, to actually harm the boss you've got to use timing. If you think in a couple of seconds a motor will be directly underneath the boss, switch gravity and...
You will hurt it. Keep doing this and...
Only one more thing to do before the end. Now I've done a little research and if you end this battle with rings, you can take them to the final boss. There are no actual rings in that level though. However, even if I had rings, it would be pointless. Let me demonstrate...
So we're chasing Robotnik. Obviously he gets into a giant robot that looks like him. The platform starts to fall and I don't realise I have control until...
...this is probably the lowest point of the game. Still though, beating this boss without rings. Can I do it on my first ever attempt?
No.
But how about FIVE attempts?
You see the platforms start to fall. Just run as far as it will let you. Now, for part one of this boss you have to defeat a certain part of his body...
His fingers. This is easy. Just stand still, he'll move towards you or just his hands. Once they stop moving, jump and you'll hit his finger. Each one takes three hits to destroy. If you're skilled enough you can get two hits by not just tapping the jump button to do a small jump, but I rarely had the confidence to do that. After all, I have zero rings.
Once they all go it's time for the real challenge...
He will chase you, you must keep running. He will shoot fire out of his nose (he must have clear sinuses...or no sinuses 'cause he's a robot and they won't have SHUT UP). This is easy enough to jump over. Straight after this you want to attack his nose. This is why...
Say AAAAAAAH...
He will open up to charge a laser. At first I thought it was really hard to dodge, but there is a way. The laser will charge up like I said, when it stops making a noise that's your cue to jump. Hopefully you will jump safely out of the way.
But I've failed to mention WHY we want him to open his mouth...because of this...
The master emerald. This is where it gets a bit hectic. After jumping over the fire, you must attack his nose, then immediately jump into the emerald, you will bounce onto the platform and then wait for your cue and then jump over the laser. You have to do this a few times and this is one of those times where although it's very sequential it can still seem very hectic at the end simply because it's all a bit fast.
But of course, eventually, all good things must come to an end. Remember this Robotnik...in Space, no one can hear you...
EXPLODE!!!!
...dude, I just used my line. Ugh, you're so inconsiderate! But yeah, this is another one of those "you've already won, just kick him while he's down!".
That's all, folks.
If you had all the chaos emeralds and you played through Doomsday Zone, you will have returned the Master Emerald to Angel Island and it would rise. Unfortunately I did not, but that can wait for a bonus episode. After all, my main goal was to simply finish the game.
So, I'm going to produce a separate post giving my overall feelings of the Mega Drive Sonic Saga, just because this one is so long already. But yeah, it's been a month and a half, a bit longer than I had hoped, but that's it for Sonic the Hedgehog for now. I love these games and it feels good to finally be able to say I've beaten them.
It's time to wave goodbye to the lovable blue hedgehog. Thank you for reading these, even if just been this one update you're still cool to me!
Now, I don't know about you guys, but I'm sick of platforming mascots...
...crap.
Music
Death Egg Zone
Ending Theme
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