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The Star Circles are rings of tiny floating stars created by Star Posts or other significant objects, which appear and grant access to Special or Bonus Stages after specific requirements are fulfilled. These requirements varies between games. The player simply has to jump into the Star Circles to be transported to the designated Stage.
Game appearances
Sonic the Hedgehog 2
First appearing in the 16-bit version of Sonic the Hedgehog 2, the Star Circle is in this game red and white, and is created by a Star Post when the player passes it with at least fifty Rings in their possession. In this game, they lead solely to the Special Stages.
The Star Circle rotates around the Star Post upon being activated, but will shrink and disappear after couple of seconds. If the player does not get a Chaos Emerald from the Special Stage, they can repeat the process by activating another Star Post. However, it cannot be activated after getting all seven Chaos Emeralds or in the game's multiplayer mode.
Sonic the Hedgehog Spinball
In Sonic the Hedgehog Spinball, the player can collect every Ring in a Stage to open a Star Circle (referred to as Bonus Gate in the urgent order) leading to the fourth Bonus Stage named "Clucker's Defense". The Star Circle itself can be found in remote sections or hidden areas of each Stage.
In Sonic & Knuckles, the Star Circle serves the same purpose and work in the same manner as in Sonic the Hedgehog 3, except it can lead to one of the game's two types of Bonus Stages. Where the Star Circle takes one depends on the player's Rings. Having 20-49 Rings creates a yellow Star Circle that leads to the Slot Machine Bonus Stage, and having more than fifty Rings creates a red Star Circle leading to the Glowing Spheres Bonus Stage.
In the locked-on game Sonic the Hedgehog 3 & Knuckles, all three Bonus Stages are featured and are accessed by different Star Circles with different amounts of Rings in the same manner as in both games:
It should be noted that after over fifty Rings, the pattern restarts with 70-84 Rings leading to Slot Machine-type, 85-99 Rings to Glowing Spheres-type and at least hundred Rings to Gumball Machine-type Bonus Stage.
To make a Star Circle leading into the Bonus Stage appear, pass a Star Post while carrying at least twenty-five Rings. To make a Star Circle leading into the Pinball Stage appear, pass a Star Post after beating all Bonus Stages with a perfect rank while carrying at least twenty-five Rings in Mania Mode or fifty Rings in Encore Mode.
In the Sonic the Comic series published by Fleetway Editions, the Star Circle appears as an energy field surrounding the Star Posts and allows travel between Zones and the Special Zone. In the media, Sonic has to run around the Star Post to charge it with Sonic Speed Energy to create the energy field
In the Sonic the Hedgehog comic series and its spin-offs published by Archie Comics, the Star Circle looks identical to its game counterpart, although it is not referred to by name. In this media, it is created between a set of StarPosts and serves as a portal between dimensions.
Trivia
Knuckles the Echidna in Sonic the Hedgehog 2 allows the player to retain all previously collected Rings after exiting the Special Stage which allowed the player to easily activate another Star Circle. In the original game (and the 2013 re-release), the player loses all the collected Rings after exiting the Special Stage.