While infiltrating one of Eggman's warehouses in search of riches, Rouge stumbles upon a big surprise: Shadow is still alive, locked away in suspended animation. A nearby E-100 series robot, furious with his master for locking him away, aids Rouge in the liberation of her old comrade. Shadow wants answers, Omega wants revenge, and Rouge wants trouble, so the trio set out to locate Eggman.

   Amy, noticing a photo of Sonic in the newspaper, promptly swoons and plots a reunion with her spiny sweetheart. When Big catches a glimpse of the article, he spots his lost frog buddy Kaeru-kun in the foreground of the photo. Cream spots Cheese's lost companion Chocola Chao in the same image, so the trio set out to locate their missing comrades.

   Charmy Bee excitedly bursts into the Chaotix detective agency carrying an anonymous package that contains a walkie-talkie. The disguised voice on the other end offers the reptilian PI's big bucks for their help. Espio is suspicious, but Vector and Charmy are already drooling over their promised reward.

   Unbeknownst to all, Eggman is a prisoner on his own battleship following a mutiny by one of his creations. This ghost from the past, locked away for years and all but forgotten, has a score to settle with Sonic...

   Each team consists of 3 characters that can be swapped on the fly. Each hero sports a slightly different strength - speed, flight, or power - and each formation has its own advantages when dealing with certain obstacles. Collect Power Cores to increase the potency of each formation (from levels 0-3).

• Speed -- This is the fastest formation, used for all-purpose dashing and tricky maneuvering. The lead character charges in front while the two assisting characters follow in a straight line.
• Fly -- Used for flying over gaps and taking down aerial enemies. Air time is limited, but can be increased by collecting Power Cores. The lead character ferries his two partners through the air in a vertical formation.
• Power -- Best for destroying enemies or busting through obstacles. The two partner characters run alongside the leader in an arrow formation and automatically assault nearby enemies.

   There are a total of 4 teams, each sporting slightly different goals and/or play styles. Each group has its own unique "Team Blast", a powerful attack technique that destroys all enemies on screen. To use a Team Blast, the blast gauge must be at max: fill it up by collecting Rings and attacking enemies. (After using a Team Blast, there's a brief recharge period before you can use another one, even if you manage to fill the gauge back up in that time.)

Team Sonic -- Team Sonic's game sports the most balanced difficulty and a general emphasis on speed. Team Blast is Sonic Overdrive: Knuckles swings his companions into the air, Tails gives Sonic a boost kick, and Sonic unleashes a massive Light Spin Attack that destroys all the enemies on screen. Sonic retains the ability to perform the Light Attack for a short while after the Blast: jump and press the action button near a group of enemies or toss him into the melee with a Thunder Shoot or power formation dunk. :: Sonic the Hedgehog :: Rocket Accel (ロケットアクセル) -- Press and hold the action button until Tails and Knuckles get into position, then release to dash forward with a burst of speed. Homing Attack (ホーミングアタック) -- Jump, then press the A button again while in midair to home in on the nearest enemy, Item Box, or bumper. Tornado (トルネード) -- Jump, then press the action button while in midair to have Sonic unleash a stationary blue whirlwind that blows the armor off all nearby enemies. Light Dash (ライトダッシュ) -- Approach a trail of Rings and tap the action button to zip off at light speed along the chain. Kick (キック) -- Tap the action button to skid along the ground with a brief sliding attack that can be used to smash wooden Containers. triangle jump (三角跳び) -- While in a narrow crevice, tilt the D-pad toward either wall and use the jump button to home in on the surface and briefly latch on. Continue tapping the jump button to leap from wall to wall and zigzag through the crevice. Tap the action button to let go. :: Miles "Tails" Prower :: ascending flight (上昇飛行) -- Jump, then press and hold button A while in midair to take flight. Release to descend. While descending, tap button A to dash back upward with a burst of energy. When the flight gauge reaches empty, Tails falls back down to terra firma. Thunder Shoot (サンダーシュート) -- Press the action button to soccer kick your companions into nearby enemies or targets. The attack is weak, but packs an electric charge that stuns robots and smashes wooden Containers. Dummy Ring Bomb (ダミーリングボム) -- When your partners are incapacitated, press the action button to toss a trio of damage-inflicting dummy Rings. :: Knuckles the Echidna :: Dive (ダイブ) -- Jump, then press and hold the A button while in midair to join hands with your partners and slow your descent. Combination Attack (コンビネーションアタック) -- Press the action button to have Knuckles dash forward with a powerful punch (Dash Straight). Hit the button a 2nd time and Knuckles will smash the ground with a fiery explosion attack (Spinback Knuckle). If power formation is at level 1 or higher, hit the button a 3rd time to have Knuckles slam back into the ground with a powerful crush (Volcanic Dunk). Jump Attack (ジャンプアタック) -- Jump, then press the action button in midair to have Knuckles throw his unfortunate companions at any nearby enemies or obstacles.

Team Dark -- Enemies are numerous and vicious for Team Dark, and their rank requirements are stricter than for any other team, making it the most difficult game of the bunch. Team Blast is Chaos Inferno: Shadow unleashes some Chaos Control while Rouge lifts Omega into the air so he can cut loose with a massive, rotating beam attack that destroys all nearby enemies and freezes time for a short while after the blast. :: Shadow the Hedgehog :: Rocket Accel (ロケットアクセル) -- Press and hold the action button until Rouge and Omega get into position, then release to dash forward with a burst of speed. Homing Attack (ホーミングアタック) -- Jump, then press the A button again while in midair to home in on the nearest enemy, Item Box, or bumper. Tornado (トルネード) -- Jump, then press the action button while in midair to have Shadow unleash a stationary black whirlwind that blows the armor off all nearby enemies. Light Dash (ライトダッシュ) -- Approach a trail of Rings and tap the action button to zip off at light speed along the chain. Kick (キック) -- Tap the action button to skid along the ground with a brief sliding attack that can be used to smash wooden Containers. triangle jump (三角跳び) -- While in a narrow crevice, tilt the D-pad toward either wall and use the jump button to home in on the surface and briefly latch on. Continue tapping the jump button to leap from wall to wall and zigzag through the crevice. Tap the action button to let go. :: Rouge the Bat :: ascending flight (上昇飛行) -- Jump, then press and hold button A while in midair to take flight. Release to descend. While descending, tap button A to dash back upward with a burst of energy. When the flight gauge reaches empty, Rouge falls back down to terra firma. Thunder Shoot (サンダーシュート) -- Press the action button to soccer kick your companions into nearby enemies or targets. The attack is weak, but packs an electric charge that stuns robots and smashes wooden Containers. Dummy Ring Bomb (ダミーリングボム) -- When your partners are incapacitated, press the action button to toss a trio of damage-inflicting dummy Rings. :: E-123 Omega :: Dive (ダイブ) -- Jump, then press and hold the A button while in midair to join hands with your partners and slow your descent. Combination Attack (コンビネーションアタック) -- Press the action button to have Omega perform a wide slash attack, then tap it again to follow up with a fiery roundhouse. If power formation is at level 1 or higher, hit the button a 3rd time to have Omega cut loose with a 360° machine gun attack (Omega Arm). Jump Attack (ジャンプアタック) -- Jump, then press the action button in midair to have Omega fire his unfortunate companions at any nearby enemies or obstacles.

Team Rose -- The two girls and their fat cat companion enjoy the easiest game with fewer enemies, shorter levels, and more Rings than any other team. Team Blast is Flower Festival: Amy and Cream giggle and dance happily on Big's parasol as an explosion of flowers bursts from the background. All enemies on screen are destroyed, and Team Rose is imbued with temporary invincibility. :: Amy Rose :: Rocket Accel (ロケットアクセル) -- Press and hold the action button until Cream and Big get into position, then release to dash forward with a burst of speed. Homing Attack (ホーミングアタック) -- Jump, then press the A button again while in midair to home in on the nearest enemy, Item Box, or bumper. Tornado Hammer (トルネードハンマー) -- Jump, then press the action button while in midair to have Amy swing her hammer and unleash a pink whirlwind that travels across the ground and blows the armor off all nearby enemies. Propeller Hammer (プロペラハンマー) -- Jump and continue holding the A button while in midair: when Amy reaches the apex of the leap, she'll whip out her hammer and pirouette for some extra air time. :: Cream the Rabbit :: ascending flight (上昇飛行) -- Jump, then press and hold button A while in midair to take flight. Release to descend. While descending, tap button A to dash back upward with a burst of energy. When the flight gauge reaches empty, Cream falls back down to terra firma. Thunder Shoot (サンダーシュート) -- Press the action button to soccer kick your companions into nearby enemies or targets. The attack is weak, but packs an electric charge that stuns robots and smashes wooden Containers. Chao Attack (チャオアタック) -- When your partners are incapacitated, press the action button to hurl Cheese into nearby enemies. :: Big the Cat :: Dive (ダイブ) -- Jump, then press and hold the A button while in midair to have Big whip out his parasol. Amy and Cream latch on to his flab and the three descend slowly to the ground. Combination Attack (コンビネーションアタック) -- Press the action button to have Big whip out his fishing rod for a wide slash attack. Press the button twice more to have him whack the girls baseball-style into any nearby enemies or obstacles (Fire Knock). If power formation is at level 1 or higher, press the button a 4th time to have Big swing his lure around for a wide 360° sweep attack (Big Fishing). Jump Attack (ジャンプアタック) -- Jump, then press the action button in midair to slam back into the ground with a powerful belly flop. Continue pressing the button to chain the attack.

Team Chaotix -- Level structure and goals vary drastically for the reptilian PI's. Obectives vary from stage to stage, but usually involve collecting hidden items. The Team Blast is Chaotix Recital: Espio strums his shamisen, Charmy bangs on his drum, and Vector bellows into the mic for an explosive performance that destroys all on-screen enemies and procures a Ring Item Box from each. :: Espio the Chameleon :: Rocket Accel (ロケットアクセル) -- Press and hold the action button until Charmy and Vector get into position, then release to dash forward with a burst of speed. Homing Attack (ホーミングアタック) -- Jump, then press the A button again while in midair to home in on the nearest enemy, Item Box, or bumper. triangle jump (三角跳び) -- While in a narrow crevice, tilt the D-pad toward either wall and use the jump button to home in on the surface and briefly latch on. Continue tapping the jump button to leap from wall to wall and zigzag through the crevice. Tap the action button to let go. Konoha Gakure (木の葉がくれ) -- Jump, then press the action button while in midair to disappear into a whirlwind of leaves. While invisible, Espio can sneak up on robots for a preemptive strike or throw giant shurikens from a distance. To end stealth mode, jump and press the action button or just take damage. :: Charmy Bee :: ascending flight (上昇飛行) -- Jump, then press and hold button A while in midair to take flight. Release to descend. While descending, tap button A to dash back upward with a burst of energy. When the flight gauge reaches empty, Charmy falls back down to terra firma. Thunder Shoot (サンダーシュート) -- Press the action button to soccer kick your companions into nearby enemies or targets. The attack is weak, but packs an electric charge that stuns robots and smashes wooden Containers. needle attack (針攻撃) -- When your partners are incapacitated, press the action button to have Charmy charge butt-first with a weak sting attack. :: Vector the Crocodile :: Dive (ダイブ) -- Jump, then press and hold the A button while in midair to have Vector blow a balloon with his massive maw. Espio and Charmy latch on to his scaly hide and the three descend slowly to the ground. Combination Attack (コンビネーションアタック) -- Press the action button to have Vector chomp on his spinning comrades. While in this stance, press the button twice more to spit them out at nearby enemies or obstacles. If power formation is at level 1 or higher, press the button a 4th time to have Vector bust loose with a radial vocal explosion (Vector Breath). Jump Attack (ジャンプアタック) -- Jump, then press the action button in midair to slam back into the ground with a springy pound attack. Continue pressing the button to chain the attack.

   Items are gleaned mainly from Sonic Adventure 2 with a couple of new additions.

   Enemies are abundant and aggressive. Even peon encounters tend to be lengthy affairs. For the first time in the series, each bot sports a power bar: the damage you inflict depends on which formation you're using and what level it's at. Smash groups of enemies in rapid succession for bonus multipliers: 2 enemies for 200 points, 3 for 400, 4 for 1000, and 5+ for a sweet 2000.

   There are a total of 7 stages, each divided into 2 rounds and a boss fight. At the end of each round, points are awarded based on time, Rings, and Power Cores remaining. The game then critiques your performance with a letter grade from A-E: earn A ranks all around to unlock Super Hard Mode, a suicide run through the entire game as Team Sonic. (Note that enemy lists below are for Team Sonic only - other teams may encounter slightly different armadas.)

Sea Gate -- The ornery Omochao gives a quick rundown of the game mechanics in this short Seaside Hill obstacle course. There are no Special Stage Keys and you aren't graded on your performance. Team Rose begins Story mode in this stage; Team Sonic can only play it through the "Lesson" option in the main menu. Teams Dark and Chaotix can but long to play through it.

Seaside Hill -- Skirt checkered hillsides on your journey to the whale-shaped island. Loop-de-loops thread off into dynamic knots that would terrify most mortal beings. Use power formation to smash through irreplaceable historic ruins. Vector can push the giant blocks and send them sliding into enemies. Enemies: [ Egg Pawn | Flapper | Cannon Flapper ] Missions: Team Sonic: [ Get to the Goal Ring | Reach the Goal Ring within 5'00" ] Team Dark: [ Get to the Goal Ring | Defeat 100 enemies ] Team Rose: [ Get to the Goal Ring | Collect 200 Rings ] Team Chaotix: [ Find 10 hermit crabs | Find all 20 hermit crabs ] Ocean Palace -- Crumbling red and white ruins jut out of the water. Toward the end of the stage, you'll cross a bevy of giant sea turtles swimming along the surface of the ocean. Each, conveniently enough, carries a small chunk of level on its shell. For Teams Sonic and Dark, the stage ends with a rolling escape from a trio of giant spiked wheels (just what were those ancients thinking?). Enemies: [ Egg Pawn | Flapper | Cannon Flapper ] Missions: Team Sonic: [ Get to the Goal Ring | Reach the Goal Ring within 5'00" ] Team Dark: [ Get to the Goal Ring | Defeat 100 enemies ] Team Rose: [ Get to the Goal Ring | Collect 200 Rings ] Team Chaotix: [ Rescue the lost Chao | Rescue the lost Chao without being detected ] Egg Hawk (エッグホーク) -- Eggman escapes along a narrow peninsula in this large bird-shaped vessel, strafing the beach with machine gun fire. After a while he reaches an open area and lands the machine for a direct attack. The Hawk consists of 7 separate components each with its own HP bar: a wing, propeller, cockpit, and 4 gun compartments. Destroy the cockpit to trash the machine.

Grand Metropolis -- Glowing blue highways made of energy act as conveyor belts while air cars zip at unsafe speeds through the sky in this futuristic Neo-Gothic city. The HEXAeco corporation seems to dominate the local economy... Enemies: [ Egg Pawn | Flapper | Cannon Flapper | Cameron ] Missions: Team Sonic: [ Get to the Goal Ring | Reach the Goal Ring within 5'00" ] Team Dark: [ Get to the Goal Ring | Defeat 100 enemies ] Team Rose: [ Get to the Goal Ring | Collect 200 Rings ] Team Chaotix: [ Defeat all 85 enemies | Defeat all 85 enemies within 8'00" ] Power Plant -- Destroy Gold Camerons to open locked gates. Little orbs of flame hover dangerously like blots of Tang in outer space: blow them out like candles with a well-placed Tornado attack. Teams Sonic and Dark find themselves stuck in an exploding tower near the end of the stage: keep moving to outrun the molten metal. Enemies: [ Flapper | Cannon Flapper | Laser Flapper | Cameron ] Missions: Team Sonic: [ Get to the Goal Ring | Reach the Goal Ring within 9'00" ] Team Dark: [ Get to the Goal Ring | Defeat 100 enemies ] Team Rose: [ Get to the Goal Ring | Collect 200 Rings ] Team Chaotix: [ Defeat the 3 Gold Camerons | Defeat the 5 Gold Camerons ] Team battle -- Team Sonic faces off against Team Rose when Amy, hell-bent on taking Sonic home with her, decides she'll drag him there by force. Team Dark, meanwhile, stumbles across Team Chaotix. Rouge, for reasons unknown, presumes the detectives to be a threat. Espio speculates that the rather antisocial Team Dark must be under the employment of their adversary.

Casino Park -- This bizarre casino city is arranged in the shape of a giant roulette wheel. Dubious urban planning aside, however, the action takes place on platforms and chutes high above. In addition to the customary pinball tables and slots, the park also features giant roulette wheels and morphing dice. If all three characters fall into a slot machine, the Ring bonus is multiplied. Note that Egg Pawns here are dressed up as bunny girls, clowns, and bowtie-wearing casino managers. Enemies: [ Egg Pawn | Cameron | Klagen ] Missions: Team Sonic: [ Get to the Goal Ring | Reach the Goal Ring within 5'00" ] Team Dark: [ Get to the Goal Ring | Defeat 100 enemies ] Team Rose: [ Get to the Goal Ring | Collect 200 Rings ] Team Chaotix: [ Collect 200 Rings | Collect 500 Rings ] BINGO Highway -- Most of this stage is spent rolling precariously along a series of glitzy slides. Poker chips lie sporadically around the surface of each platform: collect them to fill bingo grids for Ring bonuses. Enemies: [ Egg Pawn | Laser Flapper | Search Flapper | Klagen ] Missions: Team Sonic: [ Get to the Goal Ring | Reach the Goal Ring within 6'00" ] Team Dark: [ Get to the Goal Ring | Defeat 100 enemies ] Team Rose: [ Get to the Goal Ring | Collect 200 Rings ] Team Chaotix: [ Collect 10 casino chips | Collect all 20 casino chips ] Robot Carnival (ロボットカーニバル) -- The robot carnival is an endurance match against several waves of enemies. Teams Sonic, Dark, and Chaotix must clear through 12 waves each while Team Rose gets a lighter load with only 8.

Rail Canyon -- This mammoth ravine could swallow the Grand Canyon whole and then be ready for the main course. Of course there's instant death down below, and nothing to hold your crew up but a spaghetti bowl of twisting rails. Rhino Liners and vicious horned trains patrol the tracks waiting for a chance to knock you and your comrades into oblivion. Enemies: [ Egg Pawn | Cannon Flapper | Laser Flapper | Rhino Liner | Bomb Flapper ] Missions: Team Sonic: [ Get to the Goal Ring | Reach the Goal Ring within 5'00" ] Team Dark: [ Get to the Goal Ring | Defeat 100 enemies ] Team Rose: [ Get to the Goal Ring | Collect 200 Rings ] Team Chaotix: [ Get to the Goal Ring | Reach the Goal Ring within 6'00" ] Bullet Station -- This end of the gulch features 4-way cannons that look and function like giant pistols. Hop into the loading chamber to be fired out one of the massive barrels: press left and right to maneuver your team into Balloons and, as Team Dark, avoid spiky iron balls. Enemies: [ Egg Pawn | Rhino Liner | Klagen | Gold Klagen ] Missions: Team Sonic: [ Get to the Goal Ring | Reach the Goal Ring within 6'00" ] Team Dark: [ Get to the Goal Ring | Defeat 100 enemies ] Team Rose: [ Get to the Goal Ring | Collect 200 Rings ] Team Chaotix: [ Destroy 30 capsules | Destroy all 50 capsules ] Egg Albatross (エッグアルバトロス) -- This is basically the Egg Hawk with a new blimp attachment. A cannon in front fires iron balls while guns on the wings fire radial blasts that are difficult to avoid. Blow off the bottom portion by smashing a wing or concentrating your attacks on the body of the vessel. Once the lower end of the Albatross has been jettisoned, take out the blimp by attacking the propeller in front. Avoid the cannons spouting iron balls on either side. Pop the blimp and all that's left is the plain ol' Egg Hawk. The Hawk has all of its original attacks, but now flies at a faster speed and won't stop to land. After wiping out the Albatross, each team discovers that the Eggman they've been chasing is a fake. It seems a certain red-eyed robot has been luring the parties to the canyon to procure some data...

Frog Forest -- The rainy jungle is filled with monster fungi that would make Mushroom Hill weep with envy. Hop on a shroom or a giant fruit to bounce high into the air. Grind on vines and use speed formation to hitch a ride on propeller flowers (press up and down to steer yourself into Balloons). Giant frogs inhabit the forest: approach one and the startled amphibian will summon rain before making its escape. The life-giving precipitation causes nearby plants to sprout, enabling access to new areas. Enemies: [ Egg Pawn | Cameron | Egg Knight ] Missions: Team Sonic: [ Get to the Goal Ring | Reach the Goal Ring within 5'00" ] Team Dark: [ Get to the Goal Ring | Defeat 100 enemies ] Team Rose: [ Get to the Goal Ring | Collect 200 Rings ] Team Chaotix: [ Reach the Goal Ring without alerting frogs | Reach the Goal Ring within 4'00" without alerting frogs ] Lost Jungle -- The swampy lower regions of the jungle are inhabited by giant black frogs: the dark rain they summon causes nearby plants to shrivel and die. Fruit that falls off the violated vines can destroy enemies, but also damages your party. Teams Sonic and Dark spend the last portion of the stage swinging from the jaws of a killer croc that would have Steve Irwin running for the hills. Enemies: [ Cannon Flapper | Bomb Flapper | Needle Flapper | Egg Hammer ] Missions: Team Sonic: [ Get to the Goal Ring | Reach the Goal Ring within 6'00" ] Team Dark: [ Get to the Goal Ring | Defeat 100 enemies ] Team Rose: [ Get to the Goal Ring | Collect 200 Rings ] Team Chaotix: [ Find 10 Chao | Find all 20 Chao ] Team battle -- Teams Sonic and Dark bump into each other in the jungle, and though they're pursuing the same villain, they seem very eager to beat the crap out of each other. Team Chaotix, meanwhile, stumbles across Team Rose, and Espio mistakes Cheese for one of the Chao they seek. Cream accuses the nosy intruders of kidnapping Chocola, and vituperation quickly gives way to combat.

Hang Castle -- The creepy castle can be played upside down or right side up: tag glowing orbs to reverse the citadel's orientation. Will-o'-the-wisps mark the edges of invisible pathways: use them as a guideline. Pumpkin-headed ghosts pop out of thin air. They're easily disposed of once in sight, but since they regenerate, they're never gone for long. Enemies: [ Egg Pawn | Laser Flapper | Search Flapper | Gun Flapper | Egg Knight | Egg Bishop ] Missions: Team Sonic: [ Get to the Goal Ring | Reach the Goal Ring within 6'00" ] Team Dark: [ Get to the Goal Ring | Defeat 100 enemies ] Team Rose: [ Get to the Goal Ring | Collect 200 Rings ] Team Chaotix: [ Find 10 keys | Find 10 keys without being detected ] Mystic Mansion -- The haunted manor is well-stocked with traps and tricky illusions. A comically creepy peeping skeleton appears around corners, giving you a hint as to where you should be headed. About halfway through the stage, Team Chaotix encounters a giant spider web ideal for grinding hijinks. Enemies: [ Egg Pawn | Egg Knight | Rhino Liner | Egg Magician | Heavy Egg Hammer ] Missions: Team Sonic: [ Get to the Goal Ring | Reach the Goal Ring within 7'00" ] Team Dark: [ Get to the Goal Ring | Defeat 100 enemies ] Team Rose: [ Get to the Goal Ring | Collect 200 Rings ] Team Chaotix: [ Blow out all 60 red torches | Blow out all 46 blue torches ] Robot Storm (ロボットストーム) -- The robot storm is an endurance match similar to Robot Carnival but with tougher enemies. Team Rose gets the two dollar treatment with only 6 waves. Team Sonic goes up against 13 while Teams Dark and Chaotix go up against 14 waves each.

Egg Fleet -- Eggman's latest fleet of aerial battleships sports an ocean theme that looks like it would be more at home in a Darius game. Travel from fish to fish via long, nerve-racking grind rails or propeller hang gliders. The fleet is well armed with giant guns and cannons of all manner. Enemies: [ Egg Pawn | Falco | Solid Pawn | E-2000 ] Missions: Team Sonic: [ Get to the Goal Ring | Reach the Goal Ring within 9'00" ] Team Dark: [ Get to the Goal Ring | Defeat 100 enemies ] Team Rose: [ Get to the Goal Ring | Collect 200 Rings ] Team Chaotix: [ Reach the Goal Ring without being detected | Reach the exit within 6'00" without being detected ] Final Fortress -- The aerial fortress is dark with steep walls on either side and abyssal death below. Platforms crumble under your furry feet, so keep a twitchy thumb on the jump button. When grind rails start to spark with electricity, quickly leap to one of the adjacent rails to avoid getting a face full of laser. Check Points are few and far between. Enemies: [ Egg Pawn | Egg Hammer | Heavy Egg Hammer | E-2000 | E-2000R ] Missions: Team Sonic: [ Get to the Goal Ring | Reach the Goal Ring within 9'00" ] Team Dark: [ Get to the Goal Ring | Defeat 100 enemies ] Team Rose: [ Get to the Goal Ring | Collect 200 Rings ] Team Chaotix: [ Find the 5 keys | Find the 10 keys ] Egg Emperor (エッグエンペラー) -- The Emperor retreats down a long, narrow peninsula lined with cannons. Chase after him, but don't try to attack because he can't be damaged yet. While you're in close, he'll slash with his laser sword and send shockwaves flying across the platform. Fall back a bit and he'll launch a barrage of homing missiles. Fall back further still and he'll charge head-on: this attack is nearly impossible to avoid, so keep up with his pace. After a while he'll pause and land on a large, safe platform: switch to fly formation and use Thunder Shoot to stun the old king long enough to land a few hits. The Emperor destroyed, Sonic thanks his comrades Knuckles and Tails for their kind assistance in the venture, then immediately makes his escape from the love-struck pursuit of young Rose. Team Dark, meanwhile, look over the body of another fake Eggman (though they assume it's the real one) lying in a pool of liquid metal. Omega revels in his victory while Rouge trots downstairs to raid the ship's treasure room. What she finds, to her shock, is a warehouse full of hundreds of Shadow clones sealed away in capsules. Omega moseys through and warns Rouge that he's about to lay waste to the immediate area. Rouge starts to explain that Shadow is actually an android, but cuts her speech short and leaves the details to Omega's imagination. The renegade robot reminds her that if all these clones exist, the original must still be around somewhere. Rouge heads back up and joins Shadow on the deck. She opts not to mention the army of duplicates she just discovered below and simply notes that there's no treasure on board. Team Rose, meanwhile, watch as Eggman's body melts completely into a pool of liquid metal. Kaeru-kun and Chocola escape unharmed from the puddle, but as Big and Cream rejoice over the return of their friends, they fail to notice a computerized voice confirming the absorption of Chaos' bio data... While all this chicanery is transpiring, Team Chaotix has made the most interesting discovery. After watching the fake Eggman melt into a puddle, Vector breaks down the door of their client's cell to discover what he'd apparently already figured out: it's Dr. Eggman himself. Though Vector was on to the doc's game, Espio and Charmy seem quite surprised by the revelation. Eggman assures them that his request was legitimate and they'll be paid in full... once he conquers the world. Unfortunately, those antsy Chaotix don't feel like waiting, and Charmy goes ballistic on the poor old doc with a flurry of sting attacks.

This final scenario is only accessible after you've collected all 7 Chaos Emeralds and cleared the game as all 4 teams. Team Chaotix continue their interrogation of the hapless Eggman: if his request was indeed legitimate, who was it that locked him up? The Doc is reluctant to answer. Out on the deck, meanwhile, Teams Sonic, Dark, and Rose convene at the bottom of a tall structure. Standing at the pinnacle is a mysterious, spiny figure who proclaims himself to be the master of all living things. To demonstrate his point, he summons a bolt of lightning from the stormy sky and destroys the Eggman-shaped structure on which he stands. An army of Egg Pawns runs for cover from this new menace as he begins a rather impressive transformation into a giant dragon-like machine. Team Chaotix arrive on the scene along with Eggman who explains the situation: this mysterious nemesis is none other than the long forgotten Metal Sonic, who has absorbed power from all his pursuers as well as the late Chaos. Only the Chaos Emeralds could offer some slight hope of victory against the vengeful robot. Fortunately, between the 4 teams, they've managed to collect all 7. Sonic volunteers to take his old rival head-on. Tails and Knuckles offer their support while the other 3 teams offer to buy some time. Metal Madness -- Teams Rose, Chaotix, and Dark each assume a different position along the brink of Metal Sonic's girth. In phase 1, Team Rose attacks the beast's right side: aim for the glowing orb in his hip. Metal attacks by firing icy missiles from his spine and sweeping the platform with a flamethrower on his right arm. When he's tired of pyrotechnics, he'll switch to his lashing tail. Inflict enough damage and control switches to Team Chaotix who are working the left side of the Metal Madness gig. The giant robot's lost the flamethrower, but now attacks by firing off his pointy javelin fingers. When the digits land, they form small icy explosions that encapsulate any lagging members of your team. Free your comrades as soon as possible by attacking the crystal containers. Continue your assault on the glowing hip orb, but note that it now changes color after receiving so much damage: when it's blue, it cannot be damaged in speed formation. If it's red, power formation is useless; if it's yellow, fly formation is the dud. Finish your work as Team Chaotix and control switches to Team Dark, who are face-to-face with Metal Sonic's front side, where the cryo-colossus has the use of all his attacks except the tail sweep. Metal Overlord -- As usual, Super Sonic and his (not super) companions begin the battle with 50 Rings that deplete by the second. Pop giant balloons to add clusters to the tally, but unless you absolutely suck, you shouldn't be needing them. Metal Sonic only has 3 different attacks and each can be negated by the proper formation. First, he fires Chaos Control blasts from the orb in his chest. Switch to speed formation and use Sonic's Homing Attack to bust through them unharmed. When the Overlord attacks with a barrage of homing missiles, switch to fly formation and use Tails' Thunder Shoot to blow the offending projectiles out of the sky. When Metal Sonic ducks below the clouds, he's going to come back up and throw a ship from Eggman's aerial fleet. Switch to power formation and have Knuckles bust through it with a mighty punch. Since the Overlord can't be damaged by normal attacks, the goal is simply to keep negating his assaults until the Team Blast gauge fills up. 5 Team Blasts wins the battle. Back on the deck of the ship, Metal Sonic devolves into his original form and laments his utter inability to achieve the one thing he was designed to do: defeat Sonic. The blue hero assures his robot duplicate that he's always up for a rematch, but cuts his speech short to escape from the groping paws of the rapidly approaching Amy. Big and Cream wave farewell to their pink team leader while the ever-skanky Rouge informs Knuckles that she's off to steal "someone else's treasure." After a moment of dumb silence, Knuckles realizes she's talking about the Master Emerald and promptly gives chase. Team Chaotix chase down the escaping Eggman to negotiate their promised reward while Metal Sonic collapses and is lifted off the ground by Omega who exhanges a knowing, perhaps sympathetic, glance with Shadow. Sonic and Tails, meanwhile, run off in search of their next adventure.

   While the scenario game suffers from cumbersome mechanics and clumsy level design, it plays like a walk in the park compared to the utterly (utterly, utterly) dysfunctional Special Stages. Mash the D-pad all you want, it doesn't matter. You may as well put the controller down, cross your fingers, and pray that Sonic does the right thing. The object, theoretically, is to pursue and tag a rapidly fleeing Chaos Emerald through a long, winding tube filled with colorful Spheres and bombs. Odd-numbered rounds are simply Bonus Challenges in which you race the clock for points and extra lives.

   Earn Emblems in the scenario game to unlock various 2-player modes:

• Action Race -- No Emblems required. Race to the Goal Ring in shortened versions of Seaside Hill, Grand Metropolis, or BINGO Highway.
• Battle -- 20 Emblems required. Knock the other team out of the ring in one of 3 tiny arenas: City Top, Casino Ring, or Turtle Shell.
• Special Stage -- 40 Emblems required. Race to the Chaos Emerald in one of three Special Stages, creatively titled Stage 1, Stage 2, and Stage 3.
• Ring Race -- 60 Emblems required. Collect more Rings than your opponents within the time limit.
  • Egg Treat -- Chase down a Ring-spouting Egg Hawk. 60 seconds.
  • Pinball Match -- Collect Rings from the slot machine on a giant pinball table. 120 seconds.
  • Hot Elevator -- Collect Rings on one of Power Plant's rising elevators. 60 seconds.
• Bobsleigh Race -- 80 Emblems required. Race to complete 3 laps around one of 3 bobsled tracks: Seaside Course, City Course, or Casino Course.
• Quick Race -- 100 Emblems required. Starting from opposite ends of the stage, each team races to the center of a short, obstacle-rich course: Road Rock, Mad Express, or Terror Hall.
• Expert Race -- 120 Emblems required. Race to the Goal Ring in shortened versions of Rail Canyon, Frog Forest, or Egg Fleet.

   Other modes include Lesson, Challenge, and Super Hard. Lesson entails a trot through Sea Gate (the tutorial stage) as Team Sonic. Select Challenge mode to replay any previously cleared stage or try secondary missions (time attacks or the like) for each. To unlock Super Hard mode, earn A ranks for every mission as every team (a herculean task). Your reward is a big, nasty suicide run through all 14 stages at Team Sonic. Levels are larger and meaner, encompassing areas from other Teams' games. There are no bosses, no Emblems, no rankings, no Special Stages, and no continues. Expend all your lives and you start all the way back at stage 1. Good freaking luck.

   Other miscellaneous options include a CG Theater for viewing cutscenes, Audio Room (sound test), controller vibration settings, and language settings (dialogue in Japanese or English and subtitles in Japanese, English, French, German, Spanish or Italian).

• The PlayStation 2 version suffers from weaker hardware and is afflicted by several graphical problems common to the system: jagged edges, texture shifting, dodgy framerate, and a general lack of polish.
• The GameCube version features the option to toggle hardware deflicker on or off.
• The Xbox version includes a brightness adjustment option.
• The PS2 and Xbox versions feature both Japanese and English dialogue tracks, but only the PS2 version actually includes an in-game option to toggle between them. The Xbox version defaults to the language setting of the console itself. The GameCube version includes only a single language track owing to Nintendo's proprietary mini-disc format, which offers less space than the standard DVD utilized by the other two consoles.
• The PC version, released several months after the console originals, sports crisper graphics with adjustable framerate and draw distance. Like the Cube version, however, it features only a single dialogue track.