Blue Ridge Zone

Gameplay (left) and combat (right, vs. dragodons) in Sonic Chronicles' Blue Ridge Zone

Blue Ridge Zone is the fourth area visited by Sonic's team in Sonic Chronicles: The Dark Brotherhood. Although the other areas on the world-map (Green Hill Zone, Central City, Mystic Ruins, and Metropolis) have all been seen in previous Sonic games, Blue Ridge Zone is a new location - in part. The chilly alpine region features fir trees, distinctive azure grasses, and snowfall as you head further north. Giant freshwater alligators - dragodons - are encountered here, as well as roving squads of Marauder-controlled Eggman mechs.

In the southwest, the team finds the remnants of Station Square. After being destroyed by Perfect Chaos in Sonic Adventure, the city has been reduced to a tumble-down shanty-town. Nonetheless, its surviving residents carry on as best they can; the place even sports a rudimentary airfield, where the Tornado biplane lands.

Within the Chronicles story, Blue Ridge Zone is simply a through route for the heroes; they land in Station Square with the intention of accessing Metropolis, located at the northern edge of Blue Ridge. However, Procurator Shade stops their progress by detonating an avalanche to close the pass - thereby obliging the team to find another entrance. Eggman reveals that there is such a way inside: a code-locked doorway hidden under an ice formation, which the avalanche conveniently dislodged.

Side-quests in Blue Ridge Zone include:

• Recruiting Shadow the Hedgehog, who is also in Blue Ridge looking for the entrance to Metropolis (so he can rescue E-123 Omega).
• Saving Timmy, who fell down the well (according to his absent-minded father).
• Preventing a power-plant explosion, after an incompetent technician failed to reset the breakers.
• Escorting a GUN official back to Station Square, after his squad was attacked by Marauder forces.
• Delivering a copy of the Blue Ridge Times newspaper to a citizen who's somewhat... indisposed.

Blue Ridge Zone is also the first time that the party learns of Shade (and the Marauders') true identity: Nocturnus Clan echidnas, ancient enemies of Pachacamac and Knuckles' own ancestral Knuckles Tribe.