Special Stage (Sonic Heroes)


 * For Special Stages in general, see here.

Like many variations, Special Stages in Sonic Heroes are similar to ones from Sonic the Hedgehog 2 in a small extent. After Sonic Heroes, these variants of Special Stages have later appeared in Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Winter Games and Nintendo 3DS version of Sonic Generations. They are circular light tubes instead of typical, half-pipe cylinder pipes. Here, the player can collect multicolored spheres and have to avoid large amount of bombs.

Sonic Heroes
In Sonic Heroes, the way to entering them require players to find the Special Stage Key from small cages at the normal zone and hold onto them until the level was completed. Special care must be taken in that if the player is hit, the key is lost. If the player collects the Special Stage Ring from first act (for example Seaside Hill), the player will enter the Special Stage with Bonus Challenge, while getting key at second act of the zone (exp. Ocean Palace) transports the player to Special Stage with Emerald Challenge, where the Chaos Emerald can be collected. There are seven Special Stages for each of two challenges, making a total of 14.

Bonus Challenge
The Bonus Challenges will begin and upon completion will award the player extra lives, making them completely optional. Here, the player's team are running automatically and collect Power Spheres on the glass pipe route, which are most of the time set on large rows. The player has to collect them to gain the Power Dash Meter on the right cornet and reach the goal within the time limit. The Power Dash Meter has three sections: yellow, orange and red. The player is able to push down B button to make team run faster. When pushing down the button, the Power Dash Meter starts to counting down and the player has to collect more Power Spheres while running.

There are three variants of Power Spheres: four multicolored sphares on each group, red Power Spheres (gives lots of points) and Blue Spheres (increase the power on dash meter). If the player keeps running on sphere rows, the player will earn extra time and increases the score, as much as he/she keep creating linking combo. There player has to be careful with bombs, that are able to slow the player down quickly after touching it and take some of power from Dash Meter. Bombs are heavily placed on large fences and some of them also spin around the pipe. Suddenly on the certain sections, the large orange and white balloon starts flying at the front where neutral Chao and Dark Chao are riding it. They start throwing either Blue Spheres, Red Spheres, or Bombs. Some of later challenges feature pulley that can be used to swing and collect Power Spheres by pushing left and right.

Emerald Challenge
When the player access to Special Stages with Emerald Challenge, the major goal is to chase down floating Chaos Emerald by boosting and try to catch it before the Special Stage route ends. These challenges are much harder, while the features from the Bonus Challenge are the same. However none of Chao balloons, change gates or pulleys aren't seen in these ones. Team Rose is recommended to use to collect Chaos Emeralds from Emerald Challenges, due team having much shorter regular stages of all four teams in the game. Getting all Chaos Emeralds and clearing all four stories unlocks the game's last story.

Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Winter Games
These variants of Special Stages have made appearance as major part Dream Bobsleigh event in Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Winter Games. It is seen that the event starts at Nocturne Gate (that is only featured Sonic Chronicles: The Dark Brotherhood) and after entering to the gate, it transports to the Special Stage, which has most of the same features from Sonic Heroes, although the stage also uses elements of Koopa Cape from Mario Kart Wii.

Sonic Generations (3DS)
The Special Stages based on Sonic Heroes make a return in Sonic Generations (3DS). The goal is very much the same and boosting also returns. The difference is these have much better control compared to the originals.

Trivia

 * Special Stages in Sonic Heroes are notorious for being quite glitchy and control issues. Mostly the player speed may radically slow down after getting stuck above corner.
 * Sonic Heroes is known to be first three dimensional Sonic game to feature Special Stages.