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Spring Stadium Zone is the third Zone in Sonic 3D Blast. As with the other Zones in this game, Spring Stadium Zone consists of two standard Acts followed by a third Act containing only the boss fight.
Description[]
Spring Stadium Zone is a crazy funhouse of pinball cushions and bumpers. There are lots of colored blocks here, and the ground is colored in a blue and green checkerboard pattern. In addition, the walls are colored in a white and red checkerboard pattern with red and yellow circles inside each square. Also, there are lots of horizontal slopes.
History[]
After defeating Robotnik in the Rusty Ruin Zone, Sonic moves forward into Spring Stadium Zone.
Gameplay[]
Act 1 and 2 are divided into two and three sectors, respectively, where the player must find and destroy five Badniks within the available areas. Each of them contains a Flicky in a specific color, which Sonic must touch to make it follow him (five blue Flickies are trapped in Dragfly Badniks, six green Flickies are trapped in Spider Badniks, nine red Flickies are trapped in Shell Badniks and five purple Flickies are trapped in Fish Badniks). Each sector also has a Dimension Ring which the player must deposit the Flickies they have collected into. After collecting and depositing all the available Flickies into the Dimension Ring, the wooden hatch blocking the hatch below it will open, allowing the player to head into a tunnel that will take Sonic to the next sector. Eventually, after completing the last sector, Sonic will be warped away in a pillar of light.
Spring Stadium Zone has three main gameplay elements. The first is the red Springs. These gimmicks appear differently from those in previous Zones, as they appear in groups as part of a substrate. They are quite common and helpful when traversing the Acts. However, not all of them have been activated and some of them are simply decorations on the ground. The second gameplay elements are the Bumpers, which take the form of flattened red and yellow panels on the ground. These gimmicks can repel Sonic with quite a lot of force. The third and most common gameplay element, however, are the spikes. These obstacles are hidden inside panels on the ground that have five holes in them, often creating larger tracts. When a player steps onto any of these panels, all the spikes in that area will protrude after about a second, thus posing a threat to Sonic. However, jumping will keep spikes retracted and allow the player to land safely.
Other obstacles appearing in the horizontal area are cannons aimed into the air. Every now and then, these cannons will shoot projectiles into the air, which will then fall down in various patterns. Also, blue Balloons will fly over spikes fields. These balloons will knock Sonic upwards after being touched and rupturing, before regenerating. Act 2 also features small holes in the ground that, should Sonic be near them, will spout out spears. These spears will retract back into their holes after protruding. Loops, twisted tunnels and Dash Panels also appear in this Zone, but only in automated sections.
Overview[]
Act 1[]
Act 1 starts off with a simple one-way path into the next area, where the Act truly begins. A yellow cannon spouting spiky projectiles in the air will not only be the first deadly obstacle encountered, but these cannons will also be present at other areas of this Act as well. The player needs to either run fast past them or wait until after firing to slip past it. A dangerous pathway off to the right leads only to an Invincible shelved on the high ledge upwards. Onto the left, this area splits into two paths before converging again near the gate to the next section. A Badnik rests at the upper left corner of the Act near the exit gate.
After rescuing the Flickies here, Sonic must make his way through an obstacle course before officially entering the second sector of the Act. Once in the second sector, two more paths (one short, one long) lead up to a final path containing the goal at the end. A few Badniks and cannons will be available in the long path. The final path requires Sonic to jump over a pit of retractable spikes, using the floating balloons if necessary. A few more obstacles, Badniks, and cannons stand in the way of the Goal Ring.
Act 2[]
Starts off with another steep downhill slope full of Bumpers and Triangle Bumpers, leading left-downwards to more spiked and Spring-filled slopes. A zig-zagging path leads to more surprises ahead, one of which include the spears. One Badnik rests on a rather large ledge towards the exit gate. Past a few wavy bumps, the exit gate rests high in the corner of a small hill, guarded by a few moving Iron balls. Passing the next loop behind the gate signifies the next sector.
In the second sector, more Bumper tables and Balloon filled pits await. Lots of jumping will be needed and using the Springs on the floors are the only way to climb up the large hills in this area. Using the winding tunnel past the second exit gate will signify the third and final sector of this Act.
For the third sector, a difficult challenge awaits. Sonic must use the Balloons to scale upwards on top of a large, mountainous wall leading to the Goal Ring. Another Gold Shield lies near the top, at another ledge. The final obstacle is a uniquely placed wall of spikes at the bottom of a rather strong slope.
Act 3[]
After treading his way through all of the obstacles, Sonic lands in a spike and spring filled arena, where Robotnik encounters him from above.
Boss[]
The boss of Spring Stadium Zone is Dr. Robotnik, who is piloting an Egg Mobile with two pawned arms. This boss moves around the spiky arena, occasionally swooping down low in an effort to pulp Sonic. The key to victory is getting behind the doctor and Spin Jump into him to deal damage. Another way is to leap on the Springs at the top of the arena, reaching a spike-filled ledge that is high enough so the player can attack the boss even when he is in the air. Eight hits are needed to defeat him.
Tails and Knuckles locations[]
In Act 1 and 2, the player may encounter Tails and Knuckles. They can take the player to the Special Stage for fifty Rings.
Act 1[]
- Tails is located in the second sector. Following the transition between the tunnel and the loop in front of the intro to the sector. Here, the player should lead to the left in order to find some blue Balloons floating above a spike field. There, by the wall, there are four springs that will bounce the player along the wall to the area where Tails will be standing.
- Knuckles is located in the second sector. After exiting the loop, the player must go to the section with the Springs in the middle of a hill. On the right side of this hill is a slope with Bumpers. Head there, and Knuckles can be found on the left side of a triangular Bumper.
Act 2[]
- Tails and Knuckles can be found standing side by side in the second sector. Right after getting out of the loop at the beginning of this sector, the player will hit a slope with Bumpers. Right behind it, there will be a hill separated by spike panels, and the subsequent path of the Act will lead downstairs, next to it. There, the player has to climb the hill while avoiding the obstacles, and then go through the short passage to the small room hosting Tails and Knuckles.
In other media[]
Books and comics[]
IDW Publishing[]
When Witchcart tried taking over Flicky Island for her own gain, Spring Stadium Zone, referred to here plainly as Spring Stadium, was where Hocke-Wulf chose torment local Flickies by catching them with butterfly nets. When Tails picked the wolf off his bike, he whistled for his ride to fly back to him; this would end up being used against him, as the Flickies would whistle the bike over several times in several directions, causing Hocke-Wulf to fall off. With no other choice, he ran towards his fellow canid, before accidentally falling into a pit of springs.
Trivia[]
- During development of Sonic 3D Blast, this Zone was known as "Casino Night Zone", a name reflected on Act 1's music demo tape for the Sega Mega Drive version.[2]
- In the Sega Saturn version of Sonic 3D Blast, statues of Dr. Eggman above glowing "Robotnik" text are occasionally featured throughout this Zone. Because the "Robotnik" text is unedited in the Japanese version, this marks one of the few cases where the name was used in Japanese sources prior to Sonic Adventure 2.
Gallery[]
Level maps[]
Gallery |
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Music[]
Name | Artist(s) | Length | Music track |
---|---|---|---|
Spring Stadium Zone Act 1 (Genesis) | Jun Senoue | 3:06 | |
Spring Stadium Zone Act 1 Demo (Genesis) | Jun Senoue | 2:54 | |
Spring Stadium Zone Act 2 (Genesis) | Jun Senoue | 2:54 | |
Spring Stadium Zone Act 1 (Saturn) | Richard Jacques | 2:47 | |
Spring Stadium Zone Act 2 (Saturn) | Richard Jacques | 3:32 |
Video[]
References[]
- ↑ Sonic 3D Blast (Sega Saturn) Japanese instruction booklet, pg. 18.
- ↑ Revealed! - Never Heard Sonic 3D Casino Night Zone Music Demo. Youtube (2 December, 2019). Retrieved on 4 May, 2024. "Jon Burton: Never heard demo version of Casino Night Zone Act 1 music. It's called Casino Night Zone as that what the level was going to be called early on in development. It was later changed to Spring Stadium Zone."