Sonic News Network:Sonic Level Tournament/Qualifier

Today begins the qualifier round of the Ultimate Sonic Level Tournament 2014! Inspired by the Sonic News Network's extremely popular Ultimate Sonic Character Tournament held in 2010, the Sonic Level Tournament will choose a total of 256 stages, and you, the judges, will decide narrow down the competition until only one stage is crowned the most popular stage in the Sonic the Hedgehog series!

Only 250 stages, however, have been chosen, so that leaves six spots left in the bracket. And that's why we're holding a qualifier round! The two Sonic Rivals games, with six stages each, are a perfect choice for the remaining six spots. In this preliminary round, the twelve stages from the Sonic Rivals and Sonic Rivals 2 will compete in six battles, and the six winners will claim the remaining spots in the bracket.

Below await twelve stages, eagerly awaiting your vote, which could send them into the Sonic Level Tournament or leave them in the dust. We have included stage descriptions (written by different people, so each description is unique) with the battles so that each and every judge may make a well-informed decision in every battle. Choose wisely!

And so it begins...



Forest Falls Zone begins the Sonic Rivals adventure with a bang! It bears a striking resemblance to Green Hill Zone, but the new gimmicks and gameplay the player discovers along the ride brings a unique feel to the level. The colorful atmosphere, with fresh green grass and flowers everywhere, is certainly appealing to the eyes. Waterfalls can lead into underground caverns within the purple rockfaces. Eventually the player can take to the air, riding the winds on giant leaves, while the ponds found below have extremely large water lilies that can be used to hop across ponds. The scenery, the gameplay, and the plethora of alternate paths all combine to form a truly amazing stage.

Sunset Forest Zone from Sonic Rivals 2 takes place in a dense woodland area. Despite the characteristic Green Hill checkered pattern on the soil, it includes unique scenery as well, such as giant trees studded with man-sized mushrooms, usable vines, and cascading waterfalls. Gimmicks include ivy-covered walls the racers must climb and giant, pirate-style cannons into which the characters must jump in order to be fired over obstacles.

Which stage should win the battle? Forest Falls Zone Sunset Forest Zone



Colosseum Highway Zone, the second level in Sonic Rivals, will make you feel like you are going through the past, but it's actually the ruined future! Throughout this zone, you will see Ancient Roman style architecture, plus large centurion statues, Doric columns, aqueducts, antiquarian villas, and active fountains. The entire stage is covered with vines, moss, and shady trees, giving it an vivid aged look. The stage is set on onyx island, an island 200 years in the future! Can you imagine the enjoyment out of playing this level as silver? Good news: you can! The twisting corkscrews and boost hoops in the zone make for a nonstop white-knuckle experience!

Blue Coast Zone, the first level in Sonic Rivals 2, shows how a stage is supposed to start. This zone resembles a ocean-side palace with water water everywhere, but not an ounce you have to go through! Several times in the stage, you maneuver yourself in a barrel going downhill. What other stage do you find yourself doing that? As you near the end of the stage, it starts to remind you of Classic Emerald Coast. Before the end, you pass a giant marble statue of Sonic; giving you a sense of accomplishment for beating the zone. The Egg Liner boss afterwards is the icing on the cake!

Which stage should win the battle? Colosseum Highway Zone Blue Coast Zone



Sky Park Zone from Sonic Rivals is arguably one of the most beautifully designed zones in the game. It is an enormous roller coaster that contains twists, drops, turns, and loops. It fits the carnival theme with scenery such as circus tents, prize displays, and boardwalks. The observant player can even spot over-sized balloons shaped like Tails' and Amy's heads. Gimmicks such as the teddy bears from the prize displays can slow the player down, and other gimmicks (mainly roller coasters) help the player along his/her way to the finish line.

Neon Palace Zone is a large casino from Sonic Rivals 2. Keeping with the casino theme, this stage includes creative gimmicks such as pinball flippers and bingo squares. Playing card motifs are scattered in the background, and red-and-white dice-patterned tiles are commonly seen on the floor. The most noticeable thing about this stage, however, is the lights. Red lights, blue lights, white lights, all kinds of bright lights are all around in this zone. The impressive light show makes Neon Palace is easily the most colorful and beautiful stages in the game.

Which stage should win the battle? Sky Park Zone Neon Palace Zone



Crystal Mountain Zone is full of ice crystals, snow banks, slippery tracks, and freezing waters.The snowy peaks with frozen bluffs cut through wide rock chasms, complete with icy rivers. The course is decorated with many large, multicolored crystals and ice sculptures, along with bare trees, frozen grottoes below the surface and hanging icicles. There are also cryogenic geysers in the blizzard outside. The blizzard may slow you down, but bobsleds can send you hurling down slopes at death-defying speeds.

Frontier Canyon Zone is a rare occurrence of a Wild West-themed level in the Sonic the Hedgehog series. Crammed full of wooden saloons, railroad tracks, lassos and tumbleweed, Frontier Canyon uses just about every Western cliché possible. The desert sands are punctuated with cacti and rocky plateaus which stand out against the purple sky. A gem mine by the name of Gusty Gulch lies below the ground, waiting to be explored by the player in the third act. Despite the cliché scenery, Frontier Canyon brings something different to the Sonic Rivals series.

Which stage should win the battle? Crystal Mountain Zone Frontier Canyon Zone



Death Yard Zone is a dry, deserted wasteland filled with razor-sharp spike beds, corkscrews, gaping pits and boost hoops. Junkyard-like landscapes are filled with towers of rusting iron oxide cubes, active fans, giant conveyor belts, rusty cogwheels clank and broken pipes twisting through the area. The pollution in this industrial construction area explains the bleak landscape and dull yellow sky, and no sign of life is found in this stage, not even so much as a plant. The level also includes gimmicks such as ziplines, wrecking balls, torches, and oil spills, which can either hinder or advance the player's progress.

Mystic Haunt Zone is a haunted mansion featuring collapsing floors, acres of graveyard real estate and even ghostly copies of Sonic and Tails. Outdoors can be seen red rocks with striped patterns and stone ruins, with a purple aura all around. The night sky only enhances the haunted feel of the stage.

Which stage should win the battle? Death Yard Zone Mystic Haunt Zone



Bringing on one of the toughest soundtracks to ever appear in a Sonic game, Meteor Base Zone adds even more epic to the fast-paced handheld. The player must risk through the smashing meteors and sprint out of the high-tech station with the aid of rails and zip lines. As the base begins to disintegrate, it's all fun and games when an asteroid field of crimson meteors head straight at high speeds!

In a city of peril, Chaotic Inferno Zone brings the heat and punch to the PSP exclusive. The player must dash through the ruins to the goal, bursting out of cannons and grinding on rails just beneath a sea of lava. With excessive destruction and two pathways to complete the level in a totally alternative way, Chaotic Inferno literally brings one hell of a ride to Sonic Rivals 2.

Which stage should win the battle? Meteor Base Zone Chaotic Haunt Zone