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Chemical Plant Zone (ケミカルプラントゾーン Kemikaru Puranto Zōn?) is the second Zone of the Mania Mode of Sonic Mania and Sonic Mania Plus, and the third Zone of the Encore Mode of Sonic Mania Plus. This Zone is a re-imagination of Chemical Plant Zone from Sonic the Hedgehog 2 for the Sega Mega Drive.
The Zone is a massive chemical-producing facility on West Side Island that is used by Dr. Eggman. As with most other Zones in Sonic Mania and Sonic Mania Plus, Chemical Plant Zone is composed of two Acts, with a boss fight at the end of both.
Description[]
In Act 1, Chemical Plant Zone has the exact same appearance as Chemical Plant Zone from Sonic the Hedgehog 2. A heavily industrialized area in a city that contains pools of various synthetic chemicals, most prominently Mega Mack, the Zone is covered in light gray buildings with warning signs, some of which are covered by transparent tubes carrying blue blobs. These tubes have yellow platforms on top of them that the playable characters can stand on. The plant is full of tubes of different kinds. In the background, some tall, red buildings can be spotted underneath a crimson sky. Also, at the bottom of the background, there is a gigantic and toxic, lime-white lake of chemicals.
Act 2 takes place inside of a gigantic laboratory with a crimson background. The place is decorated with enormous green machines, some of which are taking blue Mega Mack from one place to another. There are also many large gilders supporting the building. Act 2 also features large beakers and jars in the background, as well as new additions like gelatinous Mega Mack, sticky platforms and chemical bubbles.
In Encore Mode, Chemical Plant Zone looks nearly the same, except that the sky is dark blue. As such, almost everything in the Zone receives a blueish hue. The laboratory in Act 2 has also been re-colored to have a blue background and sea green-colored machinery.
Story[]
Mania Mode[]
Having been teleported to the Chemical Plant Zone when Dr. Eggman got his hands on the Phantom Ruby, Sonic, Tails, and Knuckles began their trek through the Zone to catch up to Eggman. At the end of the Zone, the trio overcomes Eggman and his Mean Bean Machine, although Eggman eludes capture upon his defeat. After that, Sonic and his crew enter one of the sewer pipes and go to Studiopolis Zone.
Encore Mode[]
After getting teleported to Chemical Plant Zone by the Phantom Ruby-wielding Dr. Eggman, Sonic, Tails, Knuckles, Mighty and Ray begin traversing the Zone in hopes of finding Eggman and getting the Phantom Ruby back from him. After overcoming many obstacles, the group confronts Eggman inside his lastest contraption at the end of the Zone and beats him. With Eggman having escaped their grasp upon his defeat however, the heroes go to Studiopolis Zone through a sewer pipe.
Gameplay[]
Like the original Zone, Chemical Plant Zone has blue chemical jets that shoot indestructible blue blobs from one tube to another, or in a parabolic path; these require very quick reflexes, as touching this Mega Mack will cause damage. There are also yellow-clad pipes filled with blue chemicals that spiral through almost the whole map. These pipes can have very steep drops and may climb after a drop. There are also collections of yellow/purple squares that move back and forth periodically. The player must use these blocks to scale vertical shafts, which requires a knowledge of the game physics and quick reflexes as one can get crushed by them.
In Act 2, many new gimmicks are introduced. These include gelatinous pads,[2] which can be covered by many different kinds of Mega Mack. Dark blue ones damage the player unless they are using a Bubble Shield. There are also light blue and green Mega Mack pools, which cause the playable character to bounce upward when landing on them, much like a Spring. The color of these Mega Mack pools determines the height of the bounce; blue ones trigger small bounces and green ones trigger large bounces. In some places, large syringes also appear, with which the player can inject new chemicals in nearby Mega Mack pools by standing on their plunger. This will change the pools into a different Mega Mack type.
There are also strange gelatinous purple pads set on the walls and ceilings around the Zone. Touching these pads makes the playable characters cling to them until they jump off. These pads may also slide along the surfaces they are placed on, allowing the player to ride them to different areas of the Zones. In addition, there are purple bubbles that are pushed upward by DNA strand-shaped spheres, which can carry the playable character up to higher areas.
The Zone has the original Zone's high-speed warp tubes, miscellaneous terrain features that suck the player in and deposit them at the other side of the tunnel, that wind across the Zone. These tubes come in new shapes, and the player can choose which tube to follow at intersections.
Overview[]
Act 1[]
Chemical Plant Zone Act 1 remains true to the original Chemical Plant Zone. The first part is taken from Act 1, while the second one incorporates Act 2. However, new paths are featured as well, though they do not introduce any new gimmicks. As with the original Chemical Plant Zone, this Act features winding passageways, high-speed warp tubes, harmful Mega Mack balls, and slopes on which the playable characters can reach full speed.
The pools of Mega Mack also return, including the infamous "rising pool" from the original's Act 2, where the playable character must escape from a vertical shaft with shifting block platforms that fills up with Mega Mack or risk drowning. Unlike the original version, this shaft fills up faster than the player can ascend, so it is inevitable for them to be trapped under the Mega Mack.
Encore Mode's version of Chemical Plant Zone Act 1 is almost identical, except that slight modifications have been made to the level design to make it slightly harder to navigate. A notable change introduced is some platforms before the "rising pool" section, allowing the player to jump onto these platforms with a well-timed Spin Jump and skip this section completely.
Act 2[]
Chemical Plant Zone Act 2 introduces many of the new stage gimmicks, such as the sticky sliding platforms and the bouncy Mega Mack pools. In addition, intertwined tube chutes are present, taking the player to either the left or right direction.
In Encore Mode, the whole Act remains almost identical, though with some minor tweaks to make it harder.
Bosses[]
Act 1[]
The Amoeba Droid in Mania Mode, from Sonic Mania.
The boss of Chemical Plant Zone Act 1 is the Amoeba Droid, a machine similar to the Big Icedus from IceCap Zone from Sonic the Hedgehog 3. This boss will utilize the chemicals to form a damage-inducing defense around it while it moves around the arena. it also spin the chemicals around itself before scattering them and restarting the process. To defeat this boss, it must be hit when its chemicals are spinning around it. After six hits, it is destroyed.
Act 2[]
The Mean Bean Machine in Mania Mode, from Sonic Mania.
The boss of Chemical Plant Zone Act 2 is a battle against Dr. Eggman in a game of Puyo Puyo in the Mean Bean Machine. The fight follows the exact same gameplay as in Dr. Robotnik's Mean Bean Machine. The player and Eggman must connect chemicals together in order to make them disappear, causing gray ones to appear on the opponent's side. The goal is to overwhelm Eggman with gray chemicals. The player will win when Eggman's third chemical stack from the left is completely filled up. Because of the random nature of this boss battle, the time limit is frozen for the duration of the fight.
Trivia[]
- Chemical Plant Zone features several references and Easter eggs:
- The animation of Sonic shaking off the dampness caused by the falling drop of Mega Mack at the beginning of Chemical Plant Zone Act 1 is similar to the animation used for him at the beginning of Toxic Caves in Sonic Spinball.
- The high-speed warp tubes in Chemical Plant Zone Act 1 and 2 that let the player choose their path are similar to those seen in Metallic Madness from Sonic the Hedgehog CD.
- Chemical Plant Zone's Amoeba Droid bears a strong resemblance to the Big Icedus, the sub-boss of IceCap Zone in Sonic the Hedgehog 3, except it rotates and levitates chemicals instead of ice.
- Caterkiller Jr., an enemy that appears in Chemical Plant Zone Act 2, was originally an enemy in Angel Island Zone from Sonic the Hedgehog 3.
- It does appear as an enemy in Angel Island Zone in the exclusive Encore Mode for Sonic Mania Plus.
- The gelatinous pads in Act 2 that bounce the playable characters up make the same sound effects as the electrified floor in the Wacky Workbench from Sonic the Hedgehog CD, and work in a similar way.
- The coiled and translucent tubes in Chemical Plant Zone Act 2 work like those from Carnival Night Zone in Sonic the Hedgehog 3, although their appearance is more similar to those from the present of Quartz Quadrant from Sonic the Hedgehog CD.
- The groups of blocks in Chemical Plant Zone Act 2 that lower themselves when hit from underneath appear to be based on those that appear in Star Light Zone from the original Sonic the Hedgehog.
- The music for Chemical Plant Zone Act 2 has samples of Metallic Madness' music from the Japanese soundtrack of Sonic the Hedgehog CD in it.
- The Mean Bean Machine utilizes the signature gameplay style from the Puyo Puyo series and the spin-off Sonic title, Dr. Robotnik's Mean Bean Machine. It also features a remixed version of the track "Final of Puyo Puyo" from Puyo Puyo, which in turn was used with the name "2 Player vs." in Dr. Robotnik's Mean Bean Machine.
Music[]
| Name | Artist(s) | Length | Music track |
|---|---|---|---|
| "Chemical Plant Zone Act 1" | Tee Lopes | 1:03 | |
| "Chemical Plant Zone Act 2" |
Videos[]
Chemical Plant Zone Act 1 and 2 - Sonic Mania
See also[]
References[]
- ↑ Sonic Mania: Hacking Diccussion (29 August 2017). Retrieved on 31 August 2017.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Sonic Mania - Chemical Plant Zone Act 2 Gameplay. YouTube. Sega (8 June 2017). Retrieved on 7 September 2017. "Sonic and friends venture inside the Chemical Plant, finding a laboratory full of caustic chemicals and strange gelatinous pads."