Sonic News Network:Sonic Level Tournament/Week 3

Today begins the third week of the Ultimate Sonic Level Tournament! Inspired by the Sonic News Network's extremely popular Ultimate Sonic Character Tournament held in 2010, the Sonic Level Tournament has chosen a total of 256 stages, and you, the judges, will narrow down the competition until only one stage is crowned the most popular stage in the Sonic the Hedgehog series!

This week features every stage from Sonic CD and Sonic 3D Blast. These matchups have been sorted mainly by stage theme and ordered by stage order in each game, and we hope this setup streamlines the process of voting and gives you time to think through your decision before casting a vote. Note that each stage represents every appearance they have had in the entire Sonic the Hedgehog'' series. Please vote accordingly.''

You have one week! Vote below!



Palmtree Panic is the first zone in Sonic CD. The stage is a tropical region with many palmtrees, hence the name, and star-shaped plants. Like usual, this first stage is similar to Green Hill Zone. While playing through the stage, you will either travel through the past or future. While in the past, the scenery changes to a more prehistoric look. While in the Bad Future, the scenery changes to a mechanized world with palmtrees ripped and broken apart. In the Good Future, the scenery is still mechanized, but much cleaner and seems to be completely water-powered. In Act 3, Sonic will have to face the EGG-HVC-001. It is a fairly easy boss and once beaten, Sonic is rewarded with a capsule.

Green Grove Zone is the first stage in Sonic 3D Blast. Like most first stages, it is based on Green Hill Zone. The goal of this level is to help Sonic find all the missing Flickies. Dr. Robotnik has used the Flickies to create his badniks again and, as usual, Sonic needs to save them. Sonic has to deposit five saved Flickies into each goal ring in order to advance. Once you have done so, twice in act 1 and three times in act 2, Sonic will complete the level and advance to the boss.

Which is the better stage? Palmtree Panic Green Grove Zone



Collision Chaos is the second stage in Sonic CD. Amy Rose is captured by Metal Sonic, and Sonic pursues! He runs through what looks like a mechanized forest and casino. When in the Bad Future, the sky turns black and the clouds turn red. Everything looks much darker. The Good Future looks much brighter, the water looks much cleaner, and the casino is much more advanced. When Sonic reaches the boss, he has to beat Dr. Robotnik in in a giants pinball machine! Sonic must navigate through the machine while dodging obstacles being thrown by the Doctor then must attack him. Sonic is rewarded with a capsule.

Spring Stadium Zone is the third stage in Sonic 3D Blast. Its appearance is most like Spring Yard Zone from Sonic the Hedgehog. It is the first zone to in this game to be built by Dr. Robotnik. Sonic must avoid deadly spike traps and encounters many different springs and bouncy things. The zone consists of three acts: two levels and one boss. Each level has about three goal rings in which to deposit Flickies. The boss is the Eggmobile with long spiky arms attached to it. Sonic must avoid this and attack the Doctor when the time is right. After this, Sonic will advance to Diamond Dust Zone.

Which is the better stage? Collision Chaos Spring Stadium Zone



The third stage in Sonic CD, Tidal Tempest is brimming with not only water (depending on the time period), but also picturesque to industrialised scenery. The theme of the stage changes with the time that Sonic is in. The past, present and Bad Future versions of Tidal Tempest have an ancient ruins theme, with the present resembling Labyrinth Zone from the first Sonic game. During the Past, the stage is in it's original, pristine and aquatic cave-like state, while the Bad Future has the stage built as an overly-industrialised, dysfunctional water plant, with polluted and toxic water. However, the Good Future shows Tidal Tempest as a beautiful and fully-operational aquarium-like stage that harbours even plant life and freely swimming fish. Quite a rewarding feat to see! The water level reaches its peak during both of the futures.

The scenery of Rusty Ruin Zone is filled with stone blocks, green and...kelp grass, from the waves that seem to have poured over the ruin. Operating fans are littered throughout the stage to help Sonic acheive a Whirl Attack, allowing him to break down pillars that would otherwise be impossible for the hedgehog to eliminate on his own. Like the previous zone, Green Grove, Sonic must free the Flickies that have been captured and turned into Badniks in Acts 1 and 2, depositing the Flickies in a large Goal Ring, which will in turn allow Sonic to progress farther into the level, eventually to the boss in Act 3, which is Robotnik commanding a large steel piece of armour that tries to crush Sonic. Once Sonic defeats Robotnik, he is taken on to the next zone, Spring Stadium.

Which is the better stage? Tidal Tempest Rusty Ruin Zone



Quartz Quadrant is the fourth level of Sonic CD. In the present, this area is a large underground mine filled with machines built by Dr. Robotnik to mine quartz for unknown purposes. The mine has multiple conveyor belts placed around to force Sonic to keep changing his speed. In the past, this cavern has almost no machinery and there is even a lake outside. In the bad future, Robotnik's machines have completely overun the place. If Sonic saves the future, the mine will turn into a beautiful utopia. Speaking of conveyor belts, Robotnik's plan this time is to trap Sonic in a room rigged with several traps. Sonic has only to survive in order to win.

Diamond Dust Zone is the fourth level in Sonic 3D Blast. It is a wide cold snowy mountain tundra that reminiscent of IceCap Zone from Sonic 3. This zone features rivers of slush that Sonic can walk on, but lead to some pointy frozen spikes! Some of the ground is frozen forcing Sonic to slide around a bit. There are also frozen ice spikes on the ground that Sonic can break with a Spin Dash, but stull hurt him if he touches them. To make it more difficult for the Blue Blur to chill, Robotnik has placed several exploding snowmen around that detonate if approached. Speaking of the good doctor, he has attached several ice blowers that can freeze Sonic, including portable ones in his Eggmobile for his eventual battle with the hero is this cool Zone.

Which is the better stage? Quartz Quadrant Diamond Dust Zone



Wacky Workbench is the fifth level of Sonic CD, and wacky is the perfect word to describe this weird place. It is a weapon factory built by Robotnik where the floor is design so that it propels Sonic into the air where he could get zapped by the numerous electric fences installed around. If Sonic travels back in time, he can visit the place while it is in construction in a canyon. In the future, the factory will be abandoned, rusty and no longer in position of running. Saving the future will turn this weapon factory into some sort of toy museum. Robotnik's weapon this time is a drill-shaped mech that bores through the floor and Sonic is forced to use it to fight him.

Gene Gadget Zone is the sixth level of Sonic 3D Blast. The ever pressence of machines mean that Sonic getting close to the doctors main base. This entire zone looks a lot like a space station, with various tubes that Sonic can enter in order to navigate this big level. Robotnik has filled the floor with devices that electrocutes Sonic if he stands on those devices for too long. Luckily, the Blue Shield is there to make Sonic immune to electric damage. Tails and Knuckles no longer appear to help out Sonic has this is Robotnik territory. Robotnik will try to ambush our blue hero with a conveyor belt, some spikes and an Eggmobile with missile lauchers. After that, Sonic can finally enter the headquarters.

Which is the better stage? Wacky Workbench Gene Gadget Zone



"Turn it up! Get down!" Anyone who remembers that phrase can easily remember the Stardust Speedway, perhaps the most recognizable zone in Sonic CD! A jazzy and radical zone, Stardust Speedway is where Sonic finally saves Amy Rose from terror and disaster from the evil Metal Sonic! A highway filled with bright lights and colors all around, Stardust Speedway is just about the same even in the Good or Bad Future! While although the past is much more ancient-esque setting due to the lack of technology, Stardust Speedway is still a wonderful zone, as the music is one of the most memorable of the Sonic CD.

Volcano Valley Zone, the fifth stage of Sonic 3D Blast, is an underground lava-filled cavern packed with dangerous badniks at every turn! The lava can make platforming a matter of life or death, but find the fire shield and there's room for error. After freeing the captive Flickies, Sonic must face off against another of Robotnik's deadly creations, but this time Sonic won't escape without getting burned!

Which is the better stage? Stardust Speedway Volcanic Valley Zone



"Turn it up! Get down!" Anyone who remembers that phrase can easily remember the Stardust Speedway, perhaps the most recognizable zone in Sonic CD! A jazzy and radical zone, Stardust Speedway is where Sonic finally saves Amy Rose from terror and disaster from the evil Metal Sonic! A highway filled with bright lights and colors all around, Stardust Speedway is just about the same even in the Good or Bad Future! While although the past is much more ancient-esque setting due to the lack of technology, Stardust Speedway is still a wonderful zone, as the music is one of the most memorable of the Sonic CD.

Don't panic! The seventh/final stage in Sonic 3D Blast with an industrial theme, Panic Puppet Zone is the core of all of Robotnik's operations on Flicky Island. The Act layout and structure is different from the preceding stages in the game, as you are first tasked to rescue non-roboticised Flickies in the first act, then reach the end of the level in the second. The boss of Panic Puppet is Robotnik controlling the large central Robotnik tower that Sonic can view in the previous acts. A three part battle, the fight gets heated quickly (Literally! The second part shows Robotnik beginning to attack with flamethrowers). After the final part, it cools down (as he wields ice cannons in the last part) and once you beat him, you complete the game! If Sonic has collected all of the Chaos Emeralds, he is instead transported to The Final Fight!

Which is the better stage? Metallic Madness Panic Puppet Zone