Extra Special

[big_smile]

Seeing as the Weekly Poll once again managed to evade the clutches of death (it was supposed to be deleted during the forum revamp), it seems only fair to make more of an effort in assisting this phoenix to fly.

While the Special Stages perhaps don’t indulge in the same level of innovation and experimentation that they once did, they still remain an iconic part of the Sonic series. Which Special Stage is your all time favourite? To avoid confusion, the Bonus Stages of Sonic 3 & Knuckles and Chaotix have been excluded together with stages from spin-off titles that are mere clones of those found in main games.

[Lizard]

I vote for Chaotix since that is the only game where I liked the Special Stages more than the normal stages. Plus since I usually hate the special stages in the Sonic series, finding one that I actually like and enjoy is a major plus. Problably one of Chaotixs few redeeming features.

Runner-up would be Sonic CD but that mostly for the lovely backgrounds.

[Brazillian Cara]

There's no way to hate slot machines. Sonic 3 & Knuckles.

[James McGeachie]

Sonic Rush, definitely. The stylus control works really well and the stages are a lot of fun while still providing a good challenge. I found myself constantly going back through the last one trying to best my highscore, something I definitely wouldn't have even considered with the "classic" ones.

[smiths32]

For me it would probably be the Sonic 3 and Knuckles special stages, I always used to get some sort of adrenaline rush from playing them once they started to speed up, trying my best to find the lost blue sphere without hitting a red one. My eyes would be spinning in circles by the time I finally got the Chaos Emerald. I also get a kick out of trying to get a perfect on them, kind of adds a bit of replay value to them.

Sonic CD's would be second place, they're a little similar to Sonic 3 but you're in a smaller area. In some ways I'd say they're better as there's a lot of skill required to beat them and the music playing (specifically the original track) is also rather spiffing. However I've never actually collected all the time stones and there didn't seem to be as much strategy as S3K needed.

The original special stages were also pretty cool but I always felt that you couldn't control it well enough- you had to really watch what you were doing otherwise you'd fall into a goal pit.

The Sonic 2 special stages had a neat idea but they were just too darned hard, I can only ever get all the emeralds on it if I have a friend playing as Tails, or if Sonic and Knuckles is locked on. In contrast, the ones on the Mega Drive version of Sonic 3D (it's not here anyway but...) were far too easy.

For what it's worth, the Triple Trouble special stages were decent, the best bit was fighting Fang at the end of them, though some of the platforming elements in the stages was frustrating.

The special stages in Chaotix seemed like a good idea but didn't feel like they were executed properly (much like the rest of the game). They often felt too long and it was regularly too easy to fall off them, making them rather frustrating.

Sonic Advance had terrible special stages. From what I can remember, they were too dificult, plus for the longest time I didn't know that pulling off a trick at certain points earned you rings.

Of course, the vote for all-round, worst special stage goes to Heroes. Simply because they are more technically flawed than the rest of the game (and that's saying something), trying to control it properly normally ends up with you stuck on the roof, so the best way to finish them is to mash the buttons and hope for the best. To make things worse it's a pain to get to the special stages.

I haven't played any of the rest, though I hear that the Saturn version of Sonic 3D had excellent special stages.

[G.Silver]

There's no way to hate slot machines. Sonic 3 & Knuckles.

That's the <i>Bonus</i> stage, btw.

I played through Sonic 2 recently and found that after Sonic Rush's take on the halfpipe, Sonic 2's special stages were considerably less interesting and not very challenging, especially given that the paths through them are ingrained into me so deeply I bet my children's children will be able to pick up a controller and play through those stages with no problem. But at the same time, Sonic Rush's don't let you run on the ceiling, and they're always the same color (what's up with that?!) I think I'm going with Sonic Rush. Really.

I really like Sonic CD's and Chaotix, but I have trouble thinking if that wasn't just because the 3D effects were neat at the time (and Sonic CD's had all those different backgrounds) and that they were considerably challenging. Sonic 3's also had a definite challenge element to them and were interesting enough in that you could go wherever you liked that playing them endlessly on the Sonic 1 cart was actually pretty entertaining. Sonic 3D Blast's were awesome but I don't own the Saturn version so I don't really remember them too well.

[DackAttac]

I'd have to go Rush, myself. With the Blue Spheres of S3&K close behind. Although my friend swears by the Saturn 3D Blast ones, and I never owned a Saturn, so I wouldn't know what he's talking about.

[Protodude]

Yeah, I'm going to have to go with Rush too. It was the first time since Sonic 3 & Knuckles that I actually bothered to beat all the special stages.

[FlashTHD]

Chaotix's Special Stages were fantastic. At first, they don't seem all that complex or cool until you start on the more difficult ones...then you get tons and tons of branching paths, platforming tests on wide open and uneven terrain, taking advantage of carefully placed walls to proceed, ect. Very impressive design.

Second place would go to Sonic 3 for having such a simplistic and yet challenging formula, and Rush/Sonic 2 a close third. I probably will never get a chance to play 3D Blast's Saturn version, so I give the nod to Rush for having the most fun variation of the halfpipe stages yet, but Sonic 2 gets props for introducing them in the first place.

I give Sonic 1's stages Honorable Mention; I liked how "different" and weird they were, but they're still damn annoying to me even after having played it for years and years.

However I've never actually collected all the time stones and there didn't seem to be as much strategy as S3K needed.

Yeah, those were all a little imbalanced. Even if you're doing a shitty job, just wait for the Timer UFO to show up, pop it, and you're set as long as you keep it up. They're kind of fun, but I don't really care for them.

[big_smile]

My vote goes to Chaotix, mainly due to the challenge and variety of obstacles it offered. It was a classic case of ‘just one more go’ gaming, as each fiendish trap was deceptively simple-looking. I also liked that the time limit was based on the number of rings collected in the main levels, which gave further incentive to try again.

Rush comes in at a close second. The stage makes great use of the enhanced precision that the stylus allows for, resulting in unique, highly frantic experience. The only disappointment is the visual design, which is almost as bad as the special stages from the PC version of Sonic 3D.

The Saturn version of Sonic 3D also deserves a mention. It takes all the good features of the Sonic 2 special stages and enhances them with a greater sense of speed, spectacle and variety. Accessing the stages, however, is unnecessarily tedious. It’s a shame that Sonic Team didn’t retain the hidden stage select menu from the Mega Drive version or utilise the Saturn’s battery back-up.

^_^

[Professor Machenstein]

My vote goes to Sonic Rush. If I said why, I would just be repeating what everyone else here have said. As for its BGM, while I don't like the vocals, I like that strange Genesis styled beat playing in the background. I cannot describe why, but it sounds very Genesis-like.

Sonic 3D [Saturn] was also an evolution of the Sonic 2 Special Stages. From what I remember playing those Special Stages as a kid, I was bouncing on springs to other half-pipes, it was a blast. God, how much I wish I still had Sonic 3D for the Saturn. I'll buy another copy of the game from my local flea market just to play those Special Stages again.

I should mention the Sonic & Tails 2 ones as well. Not those wonky 3D ones, but the ones where you navigate through the ruins and you get to fight Fang for the Chaos Emerald. I believe that was what Hidden Palace Zone was intended to be like in Sonic the Hedgehog 2, before some douche stole the build that had it.

[smiths32]

Quote:
However I've never actually collected all the time stones and there didn't seem to be as much strategy as S3K needed.

Yeah, those were all a little imbalanced. Even if you're doing a shitty job, just wait for the Timer UFO to show up, pop it, and you're set as long as you keep it up. They're kind of fun, but I don't really care for them.

The main reasons I never got all the Time Stones were that I would be wandering around the stage so much that I'd end up losing my rings or that I enjoyed searching for the Capsule in each level so much that I thought that collecting the Time Stones would spoil the fun of that. Thanks for the advice anyway.

[Frieza2000]

I feel I must stand up for Sonic 3D. If Rush doesn't even let you run on the ceiling then I don't see how it could be better. Sonic 3D's stages weren't perfect; with today's technology we could do so much more both visually and mechanically. But Saturn's special stages are undoubtedly the closest realization of the halfpipe's potential.

Sonic 1 is a close second favorite of mine. The trippy music, backgrounds, and sheer creativity blot out how frustrating and almost luck-based it could be. Chaotix is third. As a platforming fan I enjoyed Sonic & Tails/2, but they're more like sub-levels than special stages. Sonic & Tails 1 was more varied, but still just different levels of the same game. I'm not too crazy about blue sphere. It's fun for a while, but it's too nerve racking and requires too much concentration.

The worst one is defiantly G-Sonic. It's worse than Heroes because it actually plays the way it's supposed to and still feels broken, and because half of the time its design makes no sense (bouncers to nowhere, arcs of rings that look like you should be able to grab them in one jump but you can't). Not to mention that if you lose a single one you lose your chance to fight the emerald-only boss, which is almost as hard to beat as it is to reach.

[Baba O'Reily]

Sonic CD, on the grounds that it gave me something pretty to look at (the backgrounds)

[Kishi]

I go for the Sonic 3 ones. Unlike the special stages from the first two games, the controls weren't slippery and the difficulty was well-balanced.

The Sonic CD special stages were incredibly gorgeous, but although I realize the challenge completely hinges on it, the time limit sort of spoils everything.

[Bo]

I like the special stage format where you get to play at the end of an act more, a la Sonic 1 and CD. For playing as Sonic, at least. Seeking out the star posts or big rings interrupts the speed and flow of the acts, and I always want to get them out of the way so I can do the rest of the levels. S3&K should have big rings at the end of the acts for Sonic and spread out so Knuckles can search for them.

Once you get into the actual stages, however, it's all about Sonic 2 or Saturn 3D Blast.

I enjoy Sonic CDs, but I totally suck at them, but I still manage to get the Time Stones, because you can go pretty much forever in the stages, even if you suck, by hitting the extra-time ship. I spend way too much time jumping in vain at the last real one I want, but the time ship is somehow way too easy to hit.

[j-man]

Sonic 2 Special Stage ftw. I have to say my choice is based almost exclusively on it's funky fresh music, but I also have to give it props for successfully fooling me all those years ago into believing the game was 3D, as well as marking the first time I learned the correct pronounciation of "chute" was not, in fact, "chutty". Sonic 3D deserves extra mention for it's slice of nostalgia pie with bells-and-whistles cream.

...bells-and-whistles cream? Dear Lord, Freud would have a field day with my posts.

[Tsuyoshi-kun]

I liked the Mega Drive Sonic 1 Special Stages most, actually. Those funky backgrounds were cool to look at, and I never really did like Sonic 2's Special Stages (too frustrating) or Sonic 3 & Knuckles' (too similar, plus I don't like how you speed up over time).

Second place votes go to either Sonic CD or Chaotix.

Last place goes to Sonic Heroes. After some practice, they're way too damn easy to breeze through in 10 seconds. Where's the challenge in that?!

[Omni Hunter]

The Sonic 1 special stages are probably the most notably different.
The gameplay is kind-of recycled for the Sonic 3 bonus stages but it's never been used for grabbing the emeralds again.
Ever since Sonic 2 it's always been the 3rd person view and as fun as it may be, the chutes, plains, balls and so on have been recycled a lot, why not use the original special stage design again?

I'm also a fan of the mazelike element of the S1 special stages, it's a challenge that I enjoy far more than "Collect Ring/Balls or Defeat Enemies".

[Baba O'Reily]

...bells-and-whistles cream? Dear Lord, Freud would have a field day with my posts.

I've stopped taking stock in what Freud says. Sometimes, a cigar is just a cigar.

[Light Speed]

Freud was a crazy fuck. The only reason any of his stuff has any merit today is because he was the first person to even attempt psychoanalysis. Seriously though, his work is crazy. I would hate to have to talk to that guy for an hour, because I'd find out I am actually gay and/or want my mother.

Then again, I'm guessing if I went to a modern day psychiatrist I'd just get put on Prozac.

As for the bonus stages, I voted for Sonic 3. They were the only ones that were hard, but not too insanely hard that I had too memerize the entire level.

[jenkins]

Until I played Chaotix, which was about a week ago, I had always liked S3+K best. I remember finding my first giant ring, the first time I heard the music, the first time I realized that circling a group of blue spheres turned them to rings, and the first time I got a Chaos Emerald. Oh, the memories.

Behind S3+K comes CD, because they were beautiful, had a (then) unique concept, and amazing music, American and Japanese versions. Also, it took me forever to realize how to get into them.

It was a while before I played another special stage, and when I did, I was kicked in the crotch by Advance's special stages, which were criminally difficult. To date, I have only managed to beat the first. At least they looked nice and were pretty entertaining to find.

Advance 2's sucked beyond belief, and couldn't even bother to get their own music.

The special stages for Sonic 1 and 2 were okay, but not nearly as good as S3+K. Of the two, I'm not sure which I prefer.

Advance 3 had spectacular special stages; they are easy, amusing, and pleasing to the eyes and ears.

And my favorites, as I stated a good while before, were those from Chaotix. They had awesome, trippy, graphics, pretty good music, and were fun and addictive as crack for various aforementioned reasons.

For those who are interested but haven't picked them up already, here are the backgrounds for the SCD and Chaotix special stages:

http://dioxaz.free.fr/decors_soniccd_special_stage.htm
http://dioxaz.free.fr/decors_chaotix.htm#special_stage

[FlashTHD]

It was a while before I played another special stage, and when I did, I was kicked in the crotch by Advance's special stages, which were criminally difficult. To date, I have only managed to beat the first. At least they looked nice and were pretty entertaining to find.

Those weren't really hard until you get to the last one - and if you've only managed to clear the first one, you don't want to know about last one. The psuedo-3D aspect of it is just screwed up, so it takes a while to get used to the perspective and line up with the rings.

Incidentally, what is it with Dimps and making the final Special Stage an excruciating experience? 5 Sonic games out of them now and it hasn't changed. That's one sadstic trend that desperately needs to be done away with.

[Light Speed]

I only ever saw two or three Sonic Advance 1 special stages cause I didn't care enough to find the spring in all the levels. I still to this day have yet to see a Sonic Advance 2 special stage because I never bothered to find the special rings. I think I got 5 by accident once. I've never even played Sonic Advance 3, and I don't have a DS. However, as more and more time goes buy the more and more I think I should get one.

I just dropped like 500 bucks on a 360 though, so it'll have to wait.

[jenkins]

Those weren't really hard until you get to the last one - and if you've only managed to clear the first one, you don't want to know about last one. The psuedo-3D aspect of it is just screwed up, so it takes a while to get used to the perspective and line up with the rings.

Incidentally, what is it with Dimps and making the final Special Stage an excruciating experience? 5 Sonic games out of them now and it hasn't changed. That's one sadstic trend that desperately needs to be done away with.

Oh, I've seen the last one as well (the first special stage in Advance which I tried was the Angel Island one...what is that, the sixth?), I just can't treat it as being any harder than the ones leading up to it. Incidentally, I've come within three rings of beating the second special stage, but as you pointed out, it takes a [very long] while to adjust to the perspective.

Advance 3 isn't too bad, the perspective looks awkward but works wonderfully anyway. The last one isn't too much harder than its predecessor, which isn't too much harder than its predecessor, etc., etc., right back to the first one, which is beyond easy.