Sonic News Network:Sonic Level Tournament/Week 4

Today begins the fourth 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 Triple Trouble and Sonic 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!



Great Turquoise Zone is a zone that appears in the game Sonic Triple Trouble. This zone is filled with palm trees with hidden springs, spring backed Bane Motoras, waterfalls, loop-de-loops, and spike traps. After Sonic or Tails reaches Act 3, they encounter the boss Tart Turtle. The first phase of the battle requires Sonic or Tails to jump and hit Tart Turtle, who doesn't attack at all. After dealing enough damage, Tart Turtle will fly up and off the screen. Now Sonic or Tails has to bounce on a Bane Motora's spring to get high enough and perform the Flying Spin Attack to damage the boss. After dealing enough damage, Tart Turtle will fall and crash. Afterwards Sonic or Tails encounters Knuckles, who activates a trap sending you into the next zone.

Turquoise Hill Zone is the first level of Sonic Chaos. It very much resembles Green Hill Zone with a different color scheme, as it is filled with grassy plains, palm trees, checkered soil, and shuttle loops. The player gets a chance to try out the game's new gimmicks before he or she reaches Lady Bug Boss in Act 3.

Which is the better stage? Great Turquoise Zone Turquoise Hill Zone



Sunset Park Zone is a multi-story railway at sunset. Ladybird-like badniks patrol the rails in Spin Coasters, which Sonic or Tails can expropriate after destroying their robotic occupants. Vertical wind turbines siphon power from the ocher air's breezes, although you have to be careful around them; while the towers won't damage you themselves, they will knock Sonic or Tails out of their spin attack, leaving them vulnerable to other hazards.

Gigalopolis Zone is an urban environment under the night sky. Some of the level resembles a construction site, with orange, metal frameworks and seemingly incomplete block walls. The background displays various high-rise buildings as well. Taken together, these features are somewhat reminiscent of Star Light Zone from the 16-bit Sonic the Hedgehog. Dodge the boss' projectiles and destroy it to advance to the next level.

Which is the better stage? Sunset Park Zone Gigalopolis Zone



Meta Junglira Zone is a sprawling, swampy rainforest. The bottom of the level is filled with viscous, muddy water. Strange basket-like plants above the mud can launch Sonic skywards into a thick canopy of wooden passageways. Bouncy fruits hang from the trees, frequently responsible for rebounding our heroes straight back down to where they came from. Springs both visible and hidden bounce Sonic or Tails into mazes of strange glass balls that bounce them around.

Mecha Green Hill Zone is a tropical area, but everything from the ground to the trees is completely mechanized. Steel palm trees deploy coconut bombs and Bane Motora badniks trundle across bleak fields of synthetic grass. The ground is stark and metallic, and the skies are sickly, polluted green (or orange, on the Game Gear version). The level also incorporates 'tilting bridges', that you have to sprint across fast or fall off.

Which is the better stage? Meta Junglira Zone Mecha Green Hill Zone



Robotnik Winter Zone is quite the chilly zone. Snow blankets the ground to such an extent in fact that snowboarding becomes an extremely quick way of blasting through the level. Snowdrifts occasionally conceal dark pits in the network of caves that course through the frozen ground. Breakable ice walls and powerful updrafts enable Sonic or Tails to proceed back above ground.

Sleeping Egg Zone is an unusual stage with many breakable blocks, and numerous foreground walls emblazoned with Robotnik's image. There are industrial-strength pogo springs scattered throughout the level, which our heroes can use for bouncing up to otherwise inaccessible areas. The greatest danger in Sleeping Egg Zone, however, comes not from the badniks or other hazards, but rather falling off the screen in one of the many yawning, bottomless voids that litter the stage.

Which is the better stage? Robotnik Winter Zone Sleeping Egg Zone



Tidal Plant Zone is Sonic Triple Trouble's underwater level. However, unlike most of its contemporaries, the waters of Tidal Plant are not cluttered with decaying ruins. This zone appears to be exactly what its name implies: a tidal power plant, presumably constructed by Robotnik to fuel his electric behemoth that is the upcoming Atomic Destroyer. Winding, submarine passages bristle with traps and electric eel badniks. Pressing the large, pink buttons along the floor releases giant bubbles which Sonic and Tails can ride inside.

Aqua Planet Zone has many underwater sections. The Zone consists of crumbling, half-submerged ruins, from which ruby-tinted offshore oil rigs can be glimpsed in the background. Aqua Planet is a stormy zone too, as the roiling clouds will attest.

Which is the better stage? Tidal Plant Zone Aqua Planet Zone



Atomic Destroyer Zone is the sixth and final level of Sonic Triple Trouble. This based is a huge maze filled with random chutes and traps activated from switches meant for Sonic/Tails to step on, which can be either lasers or Badniks. The entire third act is a Boss Endurance where Sonic/Tails must fight a total of four bosses. The first boss is Metal Sonic, regularly tries to charge at the hero. All the other bosses are Robotnik piloting three different machines. The first one is a pod with a spring below that bounces around and tries to flatten Sonic/Tails. The second one is an Eggmobile equipped with flamethrowers, an electricity generator and a energy ball shooter. The third and final one is a room where Robotnik is moving around in some tubes while various generators fire energy balls and even discharge electricity through the entire room. When all these bosses are defeat, Sonic/Tails finds the last emerald, rescues Knuckles, who was captured because of his loss in the previous level, and they all leave.

Electric Egg Zone is the sixth and final level of Sonic Chaos. This entire high-tech base is filled with traps made specifically to eliminate Sonic/Tails. These include switches that, when stepped on, fire lasers from the ceiling. There are also chutes that Sonic/Tails needs to use to get around, as well as mine carts. The final machine that Robotnik uses at the end of this level is an Eggmobile with legs that fire energy balls that bounce all over the room, make them hard to avoid. After some damage, the Eggmobile loses it's legs and tries to ram Sonic/Tails. When finally defeated, Robotnik will escape, but may or may not drop the last emerald in the process.

Which is the better stage? Atomic Destroyer Zone Electric Egg Zone



Botanic Base is the first regular zone (second overall) in the game Knuckles' Chaotix. The level appears to be nothing more than a enclosed greenhouse. Still, it fits with the description of a lot of first zones: beautiful scenery, and lots of trees and flowers. This may not be Green Hill Zone, but it's still a pretty zone to play in.

Windy Valley is one of the many stages in Sonic Adventure. It consists of three parts: an area with ruins, gusty winds (hence the name of the stage), and a violently windy tornado. (This stage contains a lot of wind apparently!) The second part is the inside of the tornado, all you need to do is to go up to get out. The final part is a scenic sky area with spiralling tracks. This stage can only be accessed by only three characters: Sonic (he plays all three parts), Tails (plays only part three), and Gamma (plays only part one). Aside from the Tornado, this is one of the most beautiful stages in the entire Sonic series.

Which is the better stage? Botanic Base Windy Valley



Speed Slider is a colorful, fast-paced maze! This zone is full of many paths in many forms, twisting and turning and overlapping to form an intricate stage, but there's still room for speed. Make your way up, up, up to the finish with your partner!

Twinkle Park is a fun amusement park with tons of fun rides! You can go into the castle and see the room of mirrors, or you can get on the roller coaster, and run circles around that castle! After a fun level of Twinkle Park, you can head on over to the Twinkle Circuit!

Which is the better stage? Speed Slider Twinkle Park



Amazing Arena is a level from Knuckles Chaotix. It is a massive arena with a music theme with projectors and speakers placed everywhere. Unlike the other levels, the heroes need to find and activate a light switch in order to light up the entire act in order to proceed. It is also the only level in the game with a Mini Boss. It is a giant Robotnik robot that can be either fought multiple times or ignored entirely. Robotnik's machine, this time, is a green mech with two small wrecking balls and a machine that can create Badniks.

Casinopolis is a level from Sonic Adventure. It is the third level for Sonic and the second level for both Tails and Knuckles. It is a large casino with different sections. First, there's the lobby, which is the main part of the stage. Then, there's the bathroom where Sonic can take a shower. And there's the two giant pinball machines that only Sonic can enter. These two pinball machines are themed after Sonic and Nights into Dreams, which is another Sega franchise. In the story, both Sonic and Tails enter the level to get the Grey Chaos Emerald. Sonic needs to enter one of the pinball machines to collect at least 400 rings to deposite in the vault to reach the Emerald. Tails, however, has to race Sonic through the garbage disposal (which Sonic will be dumped in if he loses with less than 100 rings) to get the emerald. Meanwhile, Knuckles travels around the lobby to continue to search for the Master Emerald Shards.

Which is the better stage? Amazing Arena Casinopolis



Techno Tower is one of the stages in Knuckles' Chaotix. It consists of 5 acts. The goal is to reach the top of the towers. The player can use various springs to reach the top. The stage also features many floating platforms and a drill machine that can be used in act 5. Dr. Robotnik tries to finish you off at the end of Act 5. Robotnik used extending arms to try to get rid of the heroes. He also uses many devices that the player must avoid. After the boss is defeated, the Dark Ring inside the machine disinegrates and Robotnik flees.

Hot Shelter is the second stage for Amy Rose, the fourth and final stage for E-102 Gamma, and the fifth and final stage for Big the Cat. It is a pretty large stage with thousands of gallons of water in it. The water tanks are filled with many exotic fish. While playing as Amy, you are running away from ZERO with little time to look around at the scenery. With Big, he is still searching for Froggy and goes fishing for him in a giant tank. Inside the interior of the stage, it is filled with many gears and mechanics. Some gears can be switch the direction they are going in with switches and can help the player get past the stage. There is also a transit system which is only visited by Gamma. Its a tunnel with varios trains that Gamma needs to jump onto to advance in the level.

Which is the better stage? Techno Tower Hot Shelter



Marina Madness is one of the levels in Knuckles Chaotix. It consists of five acts, with a boss at the end of the fifth act. The level is filled with many floating ships that help you navigate through the level. Some of these ships can be controlled by switches, making them rise or sink. Some ships give you acess to hidden areas. At the end of the fifth act, Dr Robotnik decides to take matters into his won hands. The doctor emerges out from the water and is protected by a shield. While the shield runs out for a little while, that's your chance to attack him.

Emerald Coast is the first stage in Sonic's story, the third level in Big's story, and the second level in E-102 Gamma's story. It is a beach scenery with various tables and bridges. The second part of this stage is more lush with trees and green plants. At one point, Sonic has to escape from being chased by a giant orca. This is the first stage to be playable in 3D, unlike the classic 2D side-scrolling stages. This level was later re-used in Sonic Generations for the 3DS. In both the classic and modern levels, you are chased again by the infamous orca.

Which is the better stage? Marina Madness Emerald Coast