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For Special Stages in general, see here.

In this stage, you'll race through the course collecting Rings. You'll need a set number to pass through the checkpoints placed throughout the stage. If you don't have enough Rings, the stage will end. Press Cross (Circle) for a Spin Jump, and Square (PSTriangleButton) to boost Sonic and Tails's speed as you make your way to the finish line.


— Opening instructions, Sonic the Hedgehog 4: Episode II (PlayStation 3)

Special Stages in Sonic the Hedgehog 4: Episode II are a series of special levels. They are entered in the same method as with those on Sonic the Hedgehog 4: Episode I: the player must have collected at least fifty Rings and jump into a Giant Ring hovering above the Signpost at the end of first two Acts of each Zone.

Closely similar to Special Stages of Sonic the Hedgehog 2, Sonic and Tails are running through rounded half-pipe course littered with a certain number of Rings to collect to pass through checkpoints in order to receive a Chaos Emerald Collecting all seven Emeralds gives Sonic the ability to transform into Super Sonic, and changes the game's ending.

Gameplay

When the player enters the Special Stage, the perspective is switched to behind playable characters, as they are running constantly on flat domed half-pipe courses. The objective is to collect required amount of Rings to pass through one of three checkpoints successfully. Playable characters can move sideways and perform Spin Jump (Press Cross (Circle) for PlayStation 3 or XboxA (XboxB) for Xbox 360) to avoid obstacles. By pressing a secondary button (XboxX/XboxY for Xbox 360, PSTriangleButton/Square for PlayStation 3) actives a boost, that can be useful for attracting Rings or increasing the speed to pass through half-pipe course faster.

Along with Rings and Super Rings (grants ten extra Rings), there are two types of obstacles found in groups: Bombs damages Sonic on contact, causing him to lose ten Rings (Note that in Single Player mode, Tails will not lose Rings if he is damaged by a bomb unlike Sonic the Hedgehog 2, but this occurs in multiplayer mode.) and electrified light-green diamonds, that slows the player down but it does not decrease Ring count.

Special Stages feature different gimmicks, that are usually needed to receive more Rings. Stepping on Dash Panels sends the playable character forward or along Ring strings at high speed, while singular Springs launches playable characters to a different half-pipe above, which usually contain more Rings. When the player passes through a yellow arch, an separate mode gets activated, which a set number of brighter Rings appear, as the player has to collect all of them in order to receive extra twenty Ring bonus. If the player misses any, he/she does not receive the bonus but will still retain collected, brighter Rings on the counter. Another, additional feature is an rope mechanic activated by touching a icon on the center of the half-pipe course, that creates rainbow colored rope between Sonic and Tails. If the player collects Rings from larger group, the rope will retain all Rings between Sonic and Tails. The rope will eventually disappear as the player progresses on the half-pipe course.

When the player collects enough of Rings and passes through each checkpoint, the player receives an Chaos Emerald. Unlike Sonic the Hedgehog 4: Episode I, Special Stages do not contain a time limit, but the game rewards the player with Ring and Time Bonuses, as the latter's score is based on how long the player took to finish the Special Stage. Getting total score of 10,000 points rewards the player with extra life.

Special Stage information

Endings

Trivia

Gallery

Gallery

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