What are your thoughts on the many different special stages throughout the sonic games? What's your favorite? What's your least favorite?

I'll start on the negative side and talk about some of my personal least favorite special stages starting with the classic Sonic 2 half pipe! I hate the half pipe in Sonic 2 and pretty much in every game the half pipe is in with one exception I'll talk about later, keep in mind I've never played the whitehead version of Sonic 2 so all I've ever dealt with is the original trying to be 3d but isn't really 3D half pipe where you can't see a thing that's coming until it's pretty much to late I don't like it when 2D games on old consoles suddenly go for a 3D look they can't pull off and I think it all comes from playing Sonic 2. The only one that I've played that I think is worse than the half pipe is Sonic Lost World's terrible spin the 3ds up and down and all around special stages I felt sick every time afterwards after around 4 emeralds I just gave up trying to get Super Sonic cause it just wasn't worth it.

When it comes to special stages I like I think I'll start out with my most controversial pick I like the Sonic Heroes special stages... at least on the pc version see I hated them just like everyone else when I was a kid but ever since I started playing the PC version of Heroes instead of the PS2 version I stopped thinking it was the most slippery invention since ice and instead find them kind of fun with their boost mechanic which thinking about it came before Sonic Rush :o but I'm not about to act like Heroes made the boost formula xD That said I think the absolute best special stages in Sonic has to be the Sonic Mania ones because they offer a great challenge and a mix of previous special stage mechanics. I think I would of said Blue Spheres was the best if it wasn't for Mania making me go insane doing all the gold medals on Blue Spheres but I still would probably say it's the 2nd best special stage.

We really went off this deep end of the barrel. Where’s the originality, where’s the passion? Where’s the love in these threads?


All I’m saying is this, I’ll put more detail in a later time when I have more freedom. More blue spheres, Sonic 3D blast special stage is whack, and chao garden was the best special stage I been in.

Again more details later. Remember I’m not competing so no point of trying to help myself.

Well, I have only played 4 sonic games, Sonic I, Sonic 2, Sonic 3 and Sonic and Knuckles. However, I will start off with my least favorite special stage.

When I first got Sonic 1 the first game. I thought the special stage was groovy due to the changing backgrounds and having to rotate to get to the emerald in the center of the spheres or blocks. However as I have aged it has become my least favorite. I cannot really tolerate that stage anymore.

Every since my brain surgery. The special stage in sonic 1 due to the changing backgrounds having to spin and rotate, which sometimes you have to do very fast, gives me headaches. So that is why it is my least favorite.

I liked the Special stage in Sonic 2. I thought having to run through what looks like a pipe and get rings is really cool. It is difficult though as you get past level 4 the exploding spheres become more numerous.

I also liked Sonic 3 and Sonic and Knuckles Special stages.Collecting the blue spheres is a nice touch. But touch a red one and you do not get the emerald.

Sonic 2, 3 and Knuckles special stages I also like because they do not give me a headache.

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I'll stick with the Main games aside from a some Ports or Notible Exceptions

Sonic 1 MS: Fairly harmless bonus stages, just get rings and that's it. I don't really see why people hate this version but I defo think there's a lot better ones.

Sonic 1 Gen: I always kind of like this one albeit with a bit of distance. These are by no means my favorites but they do the job and kind of looked cool during the time.

Sonic 2: These used to really blow me away even though now and days the spectacle of these kind of wore off. Used to really love these and now I think they're extremely Bulls***. Stick to the Mobile/Origins version for obvious reasons

Sonic CD: Has the same problem as Sonic 2's which the remaster fixes imo, just to a lesser degree. These are also somewhat fun to begin with so bonus points for that.

Sonic 3&K: Perfect, always been one of my favorites of the series and still really is. The pho 3D really helps make this one a bit more interesting to play through especially on repeats and gives you more control the the Half Pipe of Sonic 2, genuinely can't say enough good things

Knuckles Chatoix: I generally don't get the hype for these. I mean they're good but they aren't the best special stages of the Sonic Series or anything.

Sonic 3D Blast Gen: Fairly mediocre Runner, better then Half Pipe just because it doesn't play at like 10 FPS on Original Hardware

Sonic 3D Blast Saturn: Really love this half Pipe even though it's not even that much better then Sonic 2's and fairly certain this might be unpopular opinion. I really enjoy these, they feel a lot better to play.

Sonic Pocket Adventure: I love Pocket Adventure, I realllllllllly hate these special Stages. At least in Sonic 2 you could mostly get a grasp at where you're going. In this game it's sometimes impossible to even guess.

Sonic Advance: Same issue as Pocket Adventure times 100 cause now you have ALL the Axis to f' up

Sonic Advance 2: Not bad, kinda enjoy them. They're like CD's but feel a bit more enjoyable since gathering rings isn't as annoying as hitting UFO Monitors

Sonic Advance 3: A much better version of Advances, I actually really love this one

Sonic Heroes: The whack ass balancing in these stages are just make these not fun at times. Other times they're stupid easy. Not the worst but it sure is close

Sonic Rush: Actually good Half Pipe that really utilizes the touch screen and makes really engaging, probably one of my favorites but not in the top.

Sonic Rush Adventure: These are cool but Johnny Intimidates me and I've never fully completed Rush Adventure sorry

Sonic 4 Episode 1: Decent, really easy to save scum though

Sonic Colors DS: I always enjoyed these if not a bit less then Rush, but still really great and a unique take on it.

Sonic Generations 3DS: They brought back the most mediocre special stage instead of like... Blue Spheres. "I've had enough of this dude."

Sonic 4 Episode II: Uh... better Sonic 2 half pipe that's all I got. I don't hate Sonic 2 Halfpipe but it's sincerely one of the most overdone special stages in the series and this is just as basic b**** as it gets.

Sonic Lost World 3DS: This is the worst one. It's just... forced Gyro. The biggest sin humanity ever committed.

Sonic Mania: Legitimately this Special Stage is easily one of the best in the series, genuinely. They even brought back Blue Spheres! Absolutely perfect.