TheSonic Adventureseries marked the 3D debut ofSega’s platforming mascot, and to celebrate the hedgehog’s arrival on the Dreamcast, the developers at Sonic Team made sure that the leap to the next generation was truly something new. The centerpiece of both the original Sonic Adventure and its sequel, Sonic Adventure 2, would be the action stages.
These levels would range from simple platforming experiences to much more complex and grandiose affairs. Furthermore, each of them would be adaptable to the six different gameplay styles of the various playable characters in Sonic Adventure, or tailor-made for the three different playstyles of Sonic Adventure 2. Here are the best stages these two games have to offer.
Playable Character
Knuckles
The treasure-hunting stages of Sonic Adventure 2 can range from overly simple to extremely challenging, but Death Chamber strikes the ideal balance. Knuckles has to explore an ancient Egyptian tomb consisting of three different animal-themed chambers, various hallways connecting them, and a large central room.
Unlike Rouge the Bat in the Egg Quarters level, Knuckles doesn’t have to deal with the annoying Egg Beetle enemy, allowing players to focus on the mission of finding the keys to the Space Colony ARK. The level’s main drawback is that the small enclosed spaces in the chamber could occasionally cut off the camera. Overall, however, this is a fun level that encourages vast exploration.
Playable Characters
Sonic, Knuckles
The second-to-last-level of both Sonic and Knuckles' stories in Sonic Adventure, Lost World sends players through a vast ancient temple inspired by Aztec architecture. In Sonic’s playthrough, he has to solve various puzzles, including riding a snake-shaped stone boat to reach the door to the next area, a dark hallway where mirrors are used to light up the way, and a room with wall panels he has to arrange in order to walk across them. These puzzles can be tedious for people who prefer the high-speed gameplay of Sonic, but fun for those who enjoy critical thinking.
Knuckles' experience is more simple, taking place in the wall-panel room in his search for pieces of the Master Emerald, but nevertheless demonstrates the best of what the treasure-hunting mechanic has to offer. Regardless of character, though, the overall theme and gimmicks make this a solid entry.
Sonic, Big, E-102 Gamma
The iconic shot of the Blue Blur running away from a giant whale on a wooden pier was the defining image ofthe first 3D level in the series' history, and helped usher in a brand-new generation of Sonic games. But there’s more to Emerald Coast than that, as Sonic also explores a vast environment filled with beaches, jungles and islands on his quest to rescue Tails. It’s a basic starter level for Sonic Adventure, but it succeeds in its main goal.
The other characters who explore the level are Big the Cat and E-102 Gamma. Big, as usual, is looking for his missing frog Froggy, and has to fish in the ocean to find him. Gamma, taking a break from his usual hunts for his fellow robots, is also looking for Froggy, and eventually successfully steals him from Big.
Sonic
Following Sonic’s first fight with Shadow, Green Forest involves our blue hero having to escape from the dense rainforests of Prison Island in exactly eight minutes, as the island is slated to blow up when the timer runs out. In this level, Sonic runs down grassy paths, swings down vines, collects rings, and jumps on enemies in his race to safety.
The time limit gimmick is mainly a formality, as most players generally complete the level in around three to four minutes. In the dark story, Shadow also ventures through a similar level called White Jungle. However, as its name implies, Green Forest is a more colorful and vibrant experience, so it gets the edge here.
Dr. Eggman
Weapons Bed is essentially a reskinned version of Metal Harbor, which Sonic visits in the Hero story. This time, however, Dr. Eggman is the one traveling with the warships off the docks of Prison Island. As its name suggests, this is where the military organization G.U.N. stores a lot of its arsenal, and players are tasked with wreaking as much havoc as possible en route to finding the entry to the military base.
While Metal Harbor is a standout stage itself, Weapons Bed is a prime showcase of what the shoot-em-up gameplay style of Dr. Eggman and Tails is all about in Sonic Adventure 2.
Sonic, Tails, Knuckles
In Casinopolis, Sonic and Tails visit a giant casino in the middle of Station Square in their search for the Chaos Emeralds. It consists of four major areas. One is a giant casino hub area, with various bathrooms, and a trophy room where the end of the level is located. However, to climb to the top of that room, you need to collect enough rings by playingthe pinball machines, which are themed to both Sonic and NIGHTS Into Dreams. However, if Sonic finishes each game of pinball with fewer than 100 rings, he is sent to the sewers and has to climb his way back up to the casino.
Tails and Knuckles also have their own variations of the level. Tails has to race Sonic through the sewer portion of the level. Knuckles' level, meanwhile, takes place in the hub room, where he must find pieces of the Master Emerald. He also has access to the upper levels of the casino area that Sonic doesn’t, including a giant pirate ship.
Shadow
Radical Highway is a landmark stage in the history of the Sonic series, as it marked the very first stage in which players controlled Shadow the Hedgehog. Inspired by San Francisco’s famous Golden Gate Bridge, this level involves Shadow swinging off highway signs, riding construction lifts, and flying rockets acrossthe nighttime cityscapeas he is on the run from G.U.N. forces following a Chaos Emerald heist. It was a strong introduction to the fan-favorite character, and a good way for players to get accustomed to his playstyle.
Radical Highway has also become one of the most reoccurring locations in the series, with it appearing as a playable stage in the 3DS version of Sonic Generations, and more recently in the sequel gameShadow Generations. It also was the basis for the Snowboard Cross event in Mario and Sonic at the Winter Olympic Games.
After Sonic and Tails land on the Egg Carrier, Dr. Eggman changes the ship’s form, forcing the duo to travel along the outer decks of the bridge to destroy the ship’s cannons and reach their arch-nemesis. Sky Deck has a reputation as a very challenging stage, as the narrow platforms and many aerial parts mean that one wrong jump can send you falling to your death. The many frustrations you encounter make it all the more satisfying when completed.
The final act of the stage takes place in the Egg Carrier’s cargo bay, where Sonic has to dodge falling obstacles while dealing with the ship’s constant changing gravity. Knuckles' level also takes place in this area, and unlike Sonic, he has access to the control panels that can change the gravity of the stage.
Speed Highway is the sixth stage in Sonic’s story in the original Sonic Adventure, where Sonic is in hot pursuit of Amy Rose, who has been kidnapped by Dr. Eggman’s robot Zero. The first part of the stage takes place in the Station Square city skyline at night, as Sonic runs through mid-air highways and jumps on skyscrapers and helipads. Afterward, he has to run down a tall skyscraper while avoiding everything in his way. The stage ends in the morning hours, where Sonic now has to race through the more low-rise areas of the city.
Tails and Knuckles also play through this stage, with Tails' level taking place in the nighttime section and Knuckles' in the morning section. A recreation of this level would also appear in Sonic Generations, primarily based on the first part.
The moment Sonic started to snowboard down the streets of a San Francisco-inspired city as the opening riffs of “Escape from the City” played, players knew they were in for an exciting video game experience. City Escape is to this day arguably the most iconic 3D level in any Sonic game, and for good reason. This level makes excellent use of both classic Sonic mechanics like Spin Dashes and Homing Attacks, and new ones introduced in the game, like swinging off bars and rail-grinding.
The final act of the level involves Sonic being chased by a giant truck down the streets of the city to the end of the level. The truck scene to this day remains a legendary moment in the series' history. The stage’s legacy was cemented in 2011, when it became the Sonic Adventure 2 representative in 2011’s Sonic Generations, complete with a re-recorded version of “Escape from the City”.
