Windy Hill

Windy Hill (ウィンディヒル) is the first world in Sonic Lost World. Located on the far-left corner on the Lost Hex, Windy Hill is the location where the events of Sonic Lost World begin, as Sonic the Hedgehog and Miles "Tails" Prower crash-land at Windy Hill after their recent ambush with Dr. Eggman.

Overview
Windy Hill is a level consisting of many planetoids full of idyllic, grassy setting level, with lush green trees and simple plant life, a trait followed by most first levels of the Sonic the Hedgehog series video games. Checkerboard soil and tiny lakes are present in the level. Cloud platforms are also located at Windy Hill, where the player can use the clouds to jump to proceed through the zones. No actual wind breezes appear within any of the zones, with the exception of Zone Four in the Wii U version of Sonic Lost World. Giant windmills can be found and used by Sonic the Hedgehog at Zone Two and Zone Four of the Wii U version. Note that this description of Windy Hill only applies to Zone One, Zone Two, and Zone Four on the Wii U version of Sonic Lost World and Zone One and Zone Three on the Nintendo 3DS version of Sonic Lost World.

Zone Three and Zone Two of the Wii U and Nintendo 3DS versions, respectively, change the normal theme of Windy Hill just within said zones. Instead, both zones consist of Sonic running through underground temples, with lava being ever present. 360 degree tube-like platforms are seen during the level, as if gravity has no effect on the temples. Sonic must rely on his parkour moveset to get through vertical walls that are the only way through the zone.

The Wisp reappear in all of the zones at Windy Hill, but is unknown whether the Wisps live at Windy Hill or in the Lost Hex in general. The Cyan Wisp, Indigo Wisp, and the Red Wisp are native at Windy Hill, whereas the Red Wisp is exclusive to the Nintendo 3DS version of Sonic Lost World.

History
In the midst of the clouds, Sonic and Tails are chasing Dr. Eggman, along with Orbot and Cubot, in his Egg Mobile via the Tornado. Eggman drops the Capsule, and Sonic spin dashes on the Tornado to get the Capsule and release the animal friends in the Capsule. However, Sonic misses it and lands back on the Tornado, where he and Tails will swing back around to release the Capsule. Eggman then takes the opportunity to shoot the Tornado while the heroes are busy with the Capsule. Thus, Eggman uses his gun to shoot at a wing of the Tornado and the heroes begin to fall down until they discover the Lost Hex. Tails decides to land on the flying continent and the beginning of Zone 1 or the Tutorial, Wii U version and Nintendo 3DS version, respectively, takes place.

After Sonic releases the animal friends from the Capsule in which dropped at Windy Hill, Amy Rose and Knuckles contacts Sonic to check up on him, as she asks if Sonic and Tails have freed the animal friends. Sonic only states that he has released just the one Capsule Eggman had with him, but the blue hedgehog promises Amy to release the other Capsules located on the Lost Hex. Meanwhile, Zazz is ordered by Zavok to defeat Sonic. Zazz encounters Sonic at Zone 2 (Wii U version) or Zone 3 (Nintendo 3DS version), but is defeated easily. Sonic then finds Eggman along with the Deadly Six at Windy Hill just before Zone Four (Wii U version) or the Boss Fight (Nintendo 3DS version). Eggman commands Zazz on defeating the hedgehog for the second time, while the scientist and the other Zeti leave Zazz and Sonic behind to brawl. Shortly after defeating Zazz the second time, Sonic checks up on Tails, who has recently finished repairing the Tornado. With this, Sonic and Tails move on to Desert Ruins.

Zone 1
Zone 1 of Windy Hill in the Wii U version of Sonic Lost World is mostly played in the "behind-the-back" perspective gameplay that the past Sonic the Hedgehog video games have used over the years since Sonic Adventure. Full of planetoids, big and small, with a choice to go around the tubular planetoids, Zone 1 has many alternate pathways, whether the player wants to go through the zone as quickly as possible, or if the player wants to search for the Red Star Rings scattered throughout the level. Badniks, such as Moto Bugs, Choppers, Snale Blasters, and Orbinauts, are present to make the pressure go up for the player. Sheep also appear throughout the zone, but will cause no damage to the player unless touched. The Cyan Wisp is available to use in Zone One, in which when using the Wisp, Sonic transforms into the Cyan Laser Color Power. A Capsule (note that it is the exact same Capsule that Eggman dropped at the beginning of Sonic Lost World) is located at the end of the zone, specifically on a small planetoid. Releasing the animal friends inside will end the stage.

Red Star Rings locations

 * 1) At the start of the level, run directly forward. You'll eventually cross a spiky, rotating log and then a bridge. immediately afterwards, you'll see a tree. Get a running start and hit the tree dead-on to be launched to the first Red Star Ring.
 * 2) After reaching the second area, use either of the two extended ramps to reached the raised portion in the back. You'll hit a checkpoint, be launched to a set of moving platforms, and pass through another checkpoint. Grab the bell, and then follow it along a series of collapsing walkways, touching it each time it stops. It will eventually situate itself atop a tree and turn into a Red Star Ring.
 * 3) When you come to a large windmill-like structure halfway through the level, climb to the top using the supplied platforms to find the third Red Star Ring.
 * 4) A boost on the top level of the giant windmill will launch you into the sky. While passing through, you'll see a couple of small cloud platforms on the right-hand side. Bounce from the second platform to reach the Red Star Ring.
 * 5) When you reach the area surrounded with waterfalls, take the route covered in shadow. The final Red Star Ring will be on your right.

Zone 2
Zone 2 of Windy Hill in the Wii U version of Sonic Lost World is a 2D-perspective zone where the gameplay is slightly like the gameplay from the Sega Genesis Sonic the Hedgehog games. Taking the actual level design of Windy Hill and switching it to a 2D-perspective zone, this zone takes place during a sunset, in which the farther the player goes, the darker the level gets. Badniks from Zone 1 reappear in this zone and the Indigo Wisp, which transforms Sonic into the Indigo Asteroid Color Power, is present in this zone. While the player is going through the zone, several quotes from Zazz can be heard. Eventually, after a giant wall in the background covers the sunset, a Moon Mech will appear, in which turns out to have Zazz behind it. Once Zazz is shown, the Zone Two battle begins. It takes approximately eight hits to defeat Zazz. Once Zazz is defeated, Zone 2 is finished.

Red Star Rings locations

 * 1) Jump to the center of the windmill at the beginning of the level to get the ring.
 * 2) There are a couple of raised platforms on the right side of the windmill near the start of the level. Ride the windmill to the top to reach the second Red Star Ring.
 * 3) At the entrance of the cave, you'll see a power-up. Grab it, and continue through the cave until you come to a loop. Press R to use the power-up, and enter the portal that appears at the center of the loop. You'll be teleported to an area with a Red Star Ring in it. Stand in the very center of the room and charge a jump to reach it.
 * 4) As you're passing through the cave, the fourth Red Star Ring will be above you, sandwiched between two walls hanging over a couple of sheep.
 * 5) When you leave the cave, the final Red Star Ring will be atop a pyramid of rings just above the exit.

Zone 3
Zone 3 takes place within a tubular gem mine inside ancient ruins, where the gameplay has been switched to behind-the-back perspective. Rolling, breakable, boulders roll inside the tubes, in which the rocks can hurt Sonic if the player is not careful. Badniks that appear in Zone 3 include Moto Bugs and Bat Brains. The Cyan Wisp reappears in this zone. Underground pathways appear in the zone, to where Sonic can find hidden collectibles, such as Red Star Rings, underneath. Green slime also appears in the stage, slowing down the hedgehog through the stage. The final part of the zone includes Sonic running through several boosters to reach the Capsule at the end of the level, in which if the player releases the animal friends in said Capsule, the zone will be concluded.

Red Star Rings locations

 * 1) After travelling through a tunnel wherein you'll be forced to outmaneuver a few rolling boulders, you'll be launched into another tunnel. Upon landing, turn back, hang from the ledge at the tunnel's entrance, drop, and double jump to reach the hidden area below. You'll find a few blocks of crystal to be smashed. Inside one of them is the first Red Star Ring.
 * 2) Upon making it out of the second boulder-filled tunnel, you'll see a group of five bats, followed by the second Red Star Ring on your right as you're passing under the spiky half-cylinder.
 * 3) About two-thirds of the way through the level, you'll come to a checkpoint followed by five boosts in a row. Immediately after landing, you'll find the third Red Star Ring encased in a block of crystal.
 * 4) This one is extremely tricky. At several points throughout the level, you'll have the opportunity to collect a laser power-up, which you'll need to use.. After hitting the checkpoint immediately preceding the third Red Star Ring, ignore the boosts and instead keep to the right. You'll see three enemies and a few rings lining the wall behind them. Look to the right and you'll see a corridor with no floor. Jump over to it and press R to initiate the power-up and launch Sonic to the platform on the far side. Continue down the hallway to find the fourth Red Star Ring encased in crystal.
 * 5) In the final boulder tunnel, you'll see a bell. Grab it and follow it until it reveals the final Red Star Ring.

Zone 4
Zone 4 of Windy Hill has two segments within the zone; the first half of the stage is devoted to a behind-the-back perspective gameplay style, where Sonic must defy gravity to move all around tubular platforms to proceed through the level. Sheep are also present in the level, but unlike in Zone 1 and in Zone 2 of Windy Hill on the Wii U version of Sonic Lost World, these sheep will chase Sonic and push him off of the stage. Spike-poles are also present within the first half of the stage. Soon, Sonic will fly off from the segment via springs. With this, the second half of the zone begins, in which the gameplay has switched to a 2D side-scrolling perspective gameplay. Flowers will rise when Sonic is nearby, and badniks such as Moto Bug and Choppers reappear to hurt Sonic. Sonic must go upside down at one point to continue going through the stage, and having to use logs from waterfalls to proceed. Zazz can be heard throughout the zone, taunting at Sonic. Eventually, Sonic encounters Zazz and his Moon Mech and the hedgehog will start chasing Zazz. However, the tables turn for Sonic halfway through the chase, and Sonic will be chased by Zazz. Then, the two will begin to fight each other, as if Zazz is defeated, the zone will be finished. Approximately eight hits are needed to defeat Zazz in Zone Four, but if the player charges their Homing Attacks, it only takes two hits to defeat Zazz.

Red Star Rings locations

 * 1) Toward the beginning of the stage, you'll needed to jump over some thorny plants. At the end of the platform, you'll see a row of six jump pads needed to launch you to the next area. Don't use them. Instead, circle 180 degrees to the "ceiling" of the area, where you'll find another group of three jump pads situated above the first six. Use those to reach an animal cage. Use the next set of jump pads immediately in front of you and jump over a few charging sheep to find the first Red Star Ring.
 * 2) During the side-scrolling segment, there's a hidden path beneath the three sunflowers, the entrance of which is blocked by a red sheep. The second Red Star Ring is suspended just over the exit.
 * 3) When you reach the area with the waterfalls, you'll come to one with falling platforms in a row. Time your jumps carefully to reach the third in the sequence, where the Red Star Ring is located.
 * 4) Midway through the level, you should see a power-up immediately in front of a set of steps. Take the power-up and climb the steps to find a loop. Use the power-up to open a portal in the center of the loop. In the room that you're teleported to, steer Sonic to the center of the room to crush the structure and unearth the Red Star Ring.
 * 5) Just before you encounter the zone's boss,you'll pass a couple of windmills. The Red Star Ring is perched high above the first one you see. Jump up to one of the platforms on the top-right of the windmill, and use the momentum and a well-timed jump to launch yourself over the left side.

Nightmare Zone
Exclusive to the bonus edition of the Wii U version of Sonic Lost World, the Nightmare Zone is a DLC that appears at Windy Hill. In this zone, the player must go through a boss rush of all of the members of the Deadly Six again with assistance from NiGHTS villains. The bosses are essentially the same as the Zone Four bosses of each world, with the exception of certain aspects being replaced with NiGHTS elements. The zone starts out with Sonic running through Windy Hill with NiGHTS until Wiseman appears and disorientates Windy Hill into black and white colors. After that, Sonic faces Zazz, Zomom and Master Zik on NiGHTS-related villains. Sonic will return back to Windy Hill after defeating the Second Level Nightmarens. The other three Zeti will appear to challenge Sonic after the hedgehog makes his way through the stage for several seconds. Defeating all of the Zeti and Nightmaren returns the world back into color and Sonic will release the Nightopians from a NiGHTS Capture similar to how the Animal Friends are released from Capsules in the regular gameplay.

Tutorial
A basic tutorial given to the player on the Nintendo 3DS version of Sonic Lost World, this tutorial teaches the player the basics of the parkour system and the new control scheme used only in Sonic Lost World currently. Sonic will finish the stage via releasing animal friends from a Capsule, the same Capsule Eggman drops in the beginning of Sonic Lost World.

Zone 1
Like its Wii U counterpart, Zone 1 of Windy Hill on the Nintendo 3DS version of Sonic Lost World offers a behind-the-back perspective point-of-view level design, with a level appearance much like its Wii U counterpart (with minor exceptions, such as the lack of waterfalls). The biggest change is that a selected path is the only way to go in the zone, unlike the Wii U version, in which the said version you can go through multiple pathways. In this zone, Sonic must travel through moving walls, defeat badniks such as Moto Bug, Buzz Bomber, and large Sandworms, and even run away from a giant Caterkiller badnik towards the end of the zone. The Indigo Wisp, which transforms Sonic into the Indigo Asteroid appears in this zone. A Capsule appears at the very end of the zone, in which if the player releases the animal friends locked inside, the zone will end.

Zone 2
Zone 2 of Windy Hill on the Nintendo 3DS version of Sonic Lost World is much like Zone Three from the Wii U version of the same game; a tube-like underground temple setting, this level defies gravity and is literally a fairly straightforward level. The Red Wisp is present in this zone, allowing Sonic to transform into the Red Burst Color Power. Lava pools appear throughout the zone, giving more energy to Sonic if he is in the Red Burst form. Badniks in this level include Bat Brains, Moto Bugs, and A Capsule appears at the end, with animal buddies trapped inside. Once stepping on the capsule switch, the animal friends will be released and the level will end.

Boss
Zazz is the boss of Windy Hill and the player encounters him in the end of Zone 2 and Zone 4. In the end of Zone 2, he appears to hover with the Moon Mech that can shoot stars from its mouth. If the player manages to hit the Moon Mech enough times, Zazz will fall down and tries to fight against the player himself. During this phase, the player is able to damage Zazz.

In Zone 4 however, after the player runs past the latest Star Post, the player will come across with Zazz, who start running away with the huge, familiar yellow moon on his hand, that shoots stars to the sky. These stars will fall down to the ground, which the player should avoid. Zazz also tries throw yellow objects into the player. After chasing Zazz, the second boss encounter against Zazz takes place. During the confrontation, Zazz has a more simple pattern, but tries to still throw moon-shaped objects to the player's face.

Super Smash Bros. for Wii U
Windy Hill makes an appearance as a playable stage in Super Smash Bros. for Wii U. It retains much of its appearance from Sonic Lost World. Several Animal Friends appear in the background, but do not appear to affect gameplay. Several rotating springs also appear, and can bounce players in the direction the spring is facing. The windmill also appears and can send players past the blast line for a K.O. There is also a Final Destination variant known as a Omega Form (meaning that it is flat, platform-less and gimmick-less). Both variations of the stage are available for 8-Player Smash.

Sonic Runners
In Sonic Runners, Windy Hill appears as the default course. The area is best suited for Speed Type characters. It looks much the same as its appearance in Sonic Lost World.

Archie Comics
Windy Hill appeared in Sonic Halloween Comic Fest 2013 and Sonic Super Special Magazine #9 comics published by Archie Comics, which are both comic book prequels to Sonic Lost World.

Prior to the events of Sonic Lost World, Dr. Eggman, Orbot, Cubot and three Buzz Bomber Badniks had found the Lost Hex. Eggman and company then land and look around at the Lost Hex, specifically Windy Hill, up until they encounter Zavok, the leader of the Deadly Six. Zavok demands Eggman to leave the Lost Hex, as the Lost Hex is the Zeti's property. However, Eggman challenges a fight between his badniks and Zavok. Although Zavok was able to mind-control the badniks to fire at Eggman, the scientist was able to use the Cacophonic Conch to tame Zavok. From there, Zavok was forced to serve Eggman and had rallied up the other members of the Deadly Six–Zazz, Zomom, Zeena, Master Zik and Zor to find and capture animal friends on the Lost Hex for Eggman's army of badniks. (SHF 2013/SSSM #9)

Zone 1

 * In the Wii U version, bouncing off of the clouds causes Sonic to give off after-images and attract nearby rings. Neither of these effects occur in the 3DS version when bouncing off clouds.
 * The music for Zone 1 of Windy Hill is similar to the music of Rooftop Run in Sonic Unleashed.
 * In the Nintendo 3DS version, at the ends of the partially cylindrical stage are wooden mallets implying the player is only limited to the left, center, and right side of the stage, as apposed the all four sides like in the Wii U version.

Zone 2

 * The sunset during Zone 2 has some resemblance to Splash Hill Zone Act 3 from Sonic the Hedgehog 4: Episode I.

Zone 3

 * The area design on Zone 3 is similar to those from Marble Zone from the Sonic the Hedgehog (1991).

Zone 4

 * Waterfalls with falling logs are seen in Zone 4 which bear resemblance to Jungle Zone from 8-bit version of Sonic the Hedgehog.
 * In the Gamecom's demo, Zone 4 didn't feature the second boss encounter with Zazz, as the zone ends to regularly by opening the Capsule.

Miscellaneous

 * Windy Hill is also the same name based off of a segment of Windy Valley. Interestingly, the game Windy Hill appears in (that being Sonic Lost World) has also the same name as a Sonic Adventure action stage.
 * Much of the designs used in Zone One, Zone Two, and Zone Four are based from Jade Gully Zone from the cancelled video game, Sonic X-treme.
 * The stage has the same name as the AFL (Australian Football League) training ground Windy Hill which was Essendon's old training ground.
 * The design of Windy Hill bears a strong resemblance to Green Hill Zone from Sonic the Hedgehog (1991).

Music
Zone One = Zone Two = Zone Three =

Videos
Act 1 (Wii U)= 3DS Tutorial Walkthrough= Wind Hill Act 1 3DS Walkthrough= Act One Music= Windy Hill Trailer=