| Sonic Heroes Seaside Hill |
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Seaside Hill (シーサイドヒル Shīsaido Hiru?) is the first stage of Sonic Heroes. It is a coastal archipelago with beautiful coastlines and ancient temples.
Description[]
Seaside Hill is a coastal area with white sand beaches and a blue ocean inhabited by killer whale underneath a clean, blue daytime sky. It is very tropical in nature, complete with palm trees and lush green grass covering the tops of its various trademark hills. It also possesses many cliffs and passages, and has various islands just outside the coast in the shape of whales. It is also known for various sea ruins (some of which move when a person gets close to them) that are made of white stone with red patterns on them.
In 2P Play, the stage takes place at sunset.
Story[]
Team Sonic[]
The adventure of Team Sonic (Sonic, Tails and Knuckles) begins when they receive a letter supposedly from Dr. Eggman. The heroes start their quest to stop the scientist's malevolous plans in Seaside Hill, where they head to the "Whale Island" and continue on from there.
Team Dark[]
After overcoming their differences, the newly formed Team Dark (Shadow, Rouge and Omega) make their way through Seaside Hill and to the Whale Island to find Dr. Eggman, who is involved in the team members' respective quests.
Team Rose[]
Team Rose (Amy, Cream and Big) begin their search for Sonic, Chocola and Froggy respectively in Seaside Hill. They make little progress there, however, forcing them to continue onwards.
Team Chaotix[]
Seaside Hill is also where Team Chaotix (Espio, Charmy and Vector) begin their series of missions assigned by a mysterious client to prove their skills. Here, the detectives find ten hermit crabs and continue onwards.
Gameplay[]
Being the first stage of the game, Seaside Hill is rather easy, having unarmed Egg Pawns and Flappers as enemies and featuring several Hint Rings to help the player learn the game's mechanics, which include the character formations and their abilities, the cannons, the Checkpoints, and the Special Stage Keys. The terrain is rather expansive, with many branching paths that require a certain character formation to get through. There are also many loops with two or three branching paths each; each of these paths has an Item Box. In order to get all three of them, the player has to switch to Power formation. Additionally, this level has stone blocks which can be pushed with Power formation.
Every team, minus the Chaotix, goes through sections where they have to drive a Bobsled; this is a small vehicle which accelerates thanks to the Speed character, is controlled by the Power one, and can jump with the Fly character. Along the way are Floating Item Boxes which have Rings inside.
Overview[]
Team Sonic[]
- Mission: Head for the whale Island!
- Extra Mission: Get to the goal ring within 5 minutes!
Team Sonic starts Seaside Hill by running through a long, straight path before encountering a wide spring that, if Homing Attacked on using Speed formation, allows them to go through a Rainbow Ring. If they do not catch this Rainbow Ring, they can continue by jumping through a few pillars and using a normal Spring to move on. The Spring is in between two platforms with one Item Box each. Afterwards they will encounter a Power formation gate, which will switch them to said formation and have Sonic, Tails and Knuckles spread out, allowing the player to grab three rows of Rings at once. Soon after, they will be launched to the next section through some Jump Panels.
Upon landing on the next island, the player will come across their first Checkpoint. Following that is a three-way loop. With Power formation, the player can snatch all of the Rings Item Boxes in each of these ways. If the player is curious, they can find a platform on the cliff soon after this loop, which has a 1-Up and a Spring to go back to the main path. Soon after, however, they will come across their first batch of enemies: three unarmed Egg Pawns. After taking these out, the player is given a choice to continue: either use Power formation to destroy a rock with a Spring within, or use Fly formation to simply fly to where the Spring leads. Following this are two sets of rocks with a wide Spring, though the player can just continue with Fly formation. Using Fly formation, the player can snatch a Rings Item Box that is over a platform to the left. Nearby is a sleeping Egg Pawn with an Egg Bazooka. When this Badnik is taken out, the player can take either of two paths: either go to the left one, which leads to a half-loop with a series of Springs that lead them to the next section, or use Fly formation to fly through a Dash Ring that takes them to a platform with a square of nine Rings that also allows them to reach a Floating Item Box with a red Power Core. Nevertheless, both sections connect afterwards.
Next is a batch of four sleeping Egg Pawns. By this point, the player should have filled the Team Blast Gauge, allowing them to try the Sonic Overdrive Team Blast on these enemies. The path is then blocked by some rocks which can be destroyed in Power formation. The player will then be forced into Speed formation and will be able to try out the Light Speed Dash on a row of Rings which leads them to the second Checkpoint. Following that is another three-way loop and a Jump Panel which will launch the player to an islet with some sleeping Egg Pawns and their first cannon. They can then reach a different section depending on the character formation: Speed formation sends them to two rising platforms which lead them to the next section; Fly formation leads them to the left of two tall pillars, which has a Dash Ring that takes them to the right one, which has a Jump Panel which leads to the next section; Power formation, meanwhile, allows them to fire anyway, but at default it points them towards a platform with a Floating Item Box that has a red Power Core.
The following section is another islet. If the player has taken the Fly formation route, they will be able to grab a Floating Item Box with a yellow Power Core. This islet has several enemies, including Egg Pawns and Flappers. Afterwards, the player will have to use Fly formation to go through a series of rising pillars. They will also learn to use Thunder Shoot on a Cannon Flapper. After this section, the player will ride a Bobsled. The track has lots of Rings and Item Boxes, and is clear of any enemies or obstacles. Once they run into a roadblock that forces them out of the Bobsled, they will have to use a Jump Panel to go to the next big island.
After landing, the player will reach their third Checkpoint. On the right, they can destroy a rock using Power formation which has a Spring that leads them to a small platform with a Rings Item Box and another Spring to return to the main path. Alternatively, they can just take a wide Spring. The path has a few Egg Pawns and some Springs that can only be reached using Fly formation; these allow them to continue.
A drawing of the beach section of Seaside Hill. Light blue items are those that are collected by Team Sonic, grey ones by Team Dark, magenta ones by Team Rose, and green ones by Team Chaotix.[1]
The next section is one of the largest of the level. The player can jump to a few Dash Rings which lead them to a path which has another one above. Both of these paths have many enemies and Rings. However, they can also fall into a beach filled with enemies, items, and secrets. Following this gargantuan section is a narrow path that leads to the fourth Checkpoint. This section consists of a long, thin path over ancient ruins over the sea. The first obstacle comes after a Jump Panel and a row of three Dash Rings, consisting of two Flappers and a Cannon Flapper in between. To continue onwards, the player must also use Fly formation. Next are more Flappers and Cannon Flappers, with a wide Spring leading to another narrow path with three Flappers at the start. After this is a three-way loop, and some rocks blocking off the path. The narrow path continues, but Egg Pawns carrying Egg Spears are in the way. The path is once again blocked by some rocks. Afterwards is a massive room with three rocks hiding a Special Stage Key, a 1-Up, and nothing respectively. At the center of the room is a cannon, which allows the player to go up with Speed/Fly formation and continue.
The Whale Island, where Teams Sonic and Dark end their respective versions of Seaside Hill.
The player will then be launched through Dash Rings and Jump Panels before reaching the fifth Checkpoint, followed by another Bobsled section that is similar to the previous one. Afterwards is a large three-way loop, followed by a Speed formation gate and several sleeping Egg Pawns. After another thin pathway, the player will arrive at their target: the Whale Island, an island that is shaped like a whale. They will enter a cave from the whale's "mouth" and make their way up through a ramp and a Spring that leads them to a Team Blast Ring Floating Item Box, which allows them to take out a nearby horde of Egg Pawns and get to the Goal Ring. There is also a hole with a hidden 1-Up and a Dash Ring to get back to the top.
The ranking for Team Sonic's missions is the following:
| Rank | Score[2] | |
|---|---|---|
| Mission 1 | Mission 2 | |
|
60,000 | 50,000 |
|
55,000 | 45,000 |
|
50,000 | 40,000 |
|
45,000 | 32,000 |
|
<45,000 | <32,000 |
Team Dark[]
- Mission: Get to the whale Island!
- Extra Mission: Defeat 100 enemies!
Compared to Team Sonic's version, Team Dark starts slightly further back from the former's starting point but both versions finish at the same point. Other than that, the level's overall layout is the same, but there are some small tweaks that make it much harder than Team Sonic's. Regardless, this stage is still easy.
For the Extra Mission, it is possible to meet the 100 enemy threshold within a single cycle through the stage, though it requires the player to navigate through all possible branches as well as careful steering of the Bobsled to defeat most of the missable enemies in the two Bobsled sections.
The ranking for this mission is as follows:
| Rank | Score[2] | Time[2] |
|---|---|---|
| Mission 1 | Mission 2 | |
|
|
70,000 | 7:00 |
|
|
65,000 | 7:30 |
|
|
55,000 | 9:00 |
|
|
45,000 | 11:00 |
|
|
<45,000 | >11:00 |
Team Rose[]
- Mission: Get to the other side of the sea!
- Extra Mission: Collect 200 rings!
Team Rose starts this level over some ruins, just before the second islet. This version of Seaside Hill is noticeably easier than the others, with fewer enemies and more gimmicks to help the player learn the mechanics. The stage ends just before the second Bobsled that Team Sonic and Team Dark use.
The ranking for this mission is as follows:
| Rank | Score[2] | Time[2] |
|---|---|---|
| Mission 1 | Mission 2 | |
|
|
48,000 | 2:30 |
|
|
42,000 | 3:00 |
|
|
35,000 | 4:00 |
|
|
28,000 | 6:00 |
|
|
<28,000 | >6:00 |
Team Chaotix[]
- Mission: Find 10 Hermit crabs!
- Extra Mission: Find all 20 Hermit crabs!
Team Chaotix starts the level where Team Sonic would encounter their first Checkpoint, just before the first three-way loop, and ends shortly after the beach section. This version has more gimmicks where various secrets can be found (namely the ability to move specific stone blocks with Power Formation attacks) and the Bobsled here is removed. Additionally, Warp Flowers which Charmy can use have been added; at the end of the team's level is a Warp Flower that leads the player back to the beginning to find any crabs they have missed.
There are twenty hermit crabs in this level: In the normal mission, only ten have to be collected to complete the level, but the Extra Mission requires the player to find all twenty, meaning they will have to thoroughly explore the entire level. A list of the hermit crabs' locations is below. It might be recommended to also read Team Sonic's overview of the level to better locate them.
- Hermit crab #1: This crab can be found after the first three-way loop on the platform on the right of the cliff which has the 1-Up Item Box. For reference, this platform is parallel to three rows of Rings.
- Hermit crab #2: This crab is on a small stone platform just before the first horde of Egg Pawns.
- Hermit crab #3: This crab is hidden in a rock which Vector can destroy that is behind the first sleeping Egg Pawn with an Egg Bazooka.
- Hermit crab #4: The fourth hermit crab is on another small stone platform which is found by following the right path just after the previous crab has been located.
- Hermit crab #5: This hermit crab is on the left short pillar before the horde of Egg Pawns after the first Checkpoint.
- Hermit crab #6: The hermit crab is on the first islet in a series of stone pillars. More specifically, it is on the short pillar to the left.
- Hermit crab #7: The seventh crab is in the same series of pillars as the previous one, on the tallest right pillar, hidden underneath a rock that Vector can destroy with a Hammer Down.
- Hermit crab #8: To get this hermit crab, the player must enter the cannon after the previous two crabs have been collected in Fly formation. This will lead them to a really tall pillar with the crab near the Jump Panel.
- Hermit crab #9: The ninth crab is after the cannon, in between the tall pillars, inside a Wooden Container.
- Hermit crab #10: This crab is on the second islet, underneath a large stone block that Vector can push.
- Hermit crab #11: It is located before the series of Dash Panels after the second islet.
- Hermit crab #12: The twelfth crab is at the end of a series of platforms at the left of the second Checkpoint, inside a Wooden Container.
- Hermit crab #13: To obtain this crab, the player must jump into the cannon found not long after collecting the previous crab in Power formation, then fire to an islet with rocks to the left. Inside of one of these rocks is the crab.
- Hermit crab #14: This crab is on an islet that can be reached through a Warp Flower after the third Checkpoint.
- Hermit crab #15: At the beginning of the beach section, the player has to drop down and push a stone block with Vector.
- Hermit crab #16: This hermit crab is near the previous one, and is also underneath a stone block.
- Hermit crab #17: This crab is next to a line of Rings near the end of the beach section.
- Hermit crab #18: It is over one of the three pillars that are near the cannon that lead to the end of the level.
- Hermit crab #19: This crab is on the stone path to the left, at the beginning of the section. To get to it, the player has to simply run up the path behind the cannon and jump onto the long, stone platform. The crab is underneath a stone block.
- Hermit crab #20: The twentieth and final crab is at the very end of the level, guarded by some Flappers.
The ranking for this mission is as follows:
| Rank | Score[2] | |
|---|---|---|
| Mission 1 | Mission 2 | |
|
|
45,000 | 35,000 |
|
|
40,000 | 30,000 |
|
|
35,000 | 25,000 |
|
|
28,000 | 18,000 |
|
|
<28,000 | <18,000 |
Trivia[]
- In the Sound Test, Seaside Hill is called Seaside Hill Zone.
- The E3 demo's Seaside Hill layout still exists in the final game, but it is only for Team Rose and has no Rings.
- The intro drums from Misty Lake's theme in Sonic and the Black Knight are similar to the intro drums from Seaside Hill.
- As Team Chaotix, it is possible to fly past the area with the last flower which teleports the player back to the start. This allows the player to access the cannon where Team Rose finishes, though the placement is different from the first two teams. When the player reaches the second bobsled area, the section will be blocked off and the player will be stuck, forcing them to restart or exit out of the stage.
- Seaside Hill's music can be played during events in Mario & Sonic at the London 2012 Olympic Games, Mario & Sonic at the Sochi 2014 Olympic Winter Games, and Mario & Sonic at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games. It is also featured in Sega Superstars Tennis as an unlockable track for the Green Hill Zone court.
Music[]
| Name | Artist(s) | Length | Music track |
|---|---|---|---|
| "STAGE 01 : SEASIDE HILL" | Jun Senoue | 2:42 |
Variants[]
| Name | Artist(s) | Length | Music track |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1P (E3 Demo) | Jun Senoue | 2:49 | |
| 2P (E3 Demo) | Jun Senoue | 3:25 | |
| Dengeki Bunko: Fighting Climax remix | N/A | 5:06 |
Videos[]
See also[]
Notes[]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 In Team Rose's story, the first stage is Sea Gate. However, it is labeled as the zeroth stage, and does not appear in the Stage Select after completing it, making Seaside Hill the first.
References[]
- ↑ Guess, Gerald (January 6, 2004). "Stage Maps". Sonic Heroes: Prima's Official Strategy Guide. Prima Games. p. 134. ISBN 0761544496.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 Guess, Gerald (January 6, 2004). "Rankings". Sonic Heroes: Prima's Official Strategy Guide. Prima Games. p. 159. ISBN 0761544496.