Erm, you're making the connection. The song is filled with mexican elements so It could have been used even at the cut 'park' zone etc. No song evokes the desert feel better than Oil Ocean.
No doubt, Oil Ocean's music does evoke the "Middle Eastern" desert feel. What was used for Aquatic Ruin has an "American Desert" Wild West/Mexican Style vibe.
Although I'm not buying into any of this about talk which music was "meant" for which zone, Oil Ocean is blatantly a Middle Eastern themed track. It does sound befitting of a desert, but not am American one.
That's not a citation. Not only that, but: - everything else in the song is very Latin-styled, and suits its final placement, and - the song has been used for "Neo Green Hill Zone" since the Simon Wai Beta. You're going to need more evidence if you're going to claim that it was originally for a different zone.
XCubed's argument is not exactly the most sound one (pun intended). I agree that Aquatic Ruin Zone isn't going in... but I believe that is because ARZ is so generic in relation to other water level options... If anything, I think either Hydrocity or Labyrinth will go in before ARZ... with the more likely one being Labyrinth. My guesses: (with no knowledge of HOW MANY we are getting, I think these are the most likely classic zones to go in... I'm not suggesting ALL of them are going in.) GHZ - DUH Labyrinth Star Light - Possible Chem Plant Casino Night Mystic Cave Metropolis Angel Island Ice Cap Flying Battery - CONFIRMED... though I'd guessed this in my discord a lil while before. Sure enough, they merged Wing Fortress elements into it... which I like Sandopolis Lava Reef Sky Sanctuary Death Egg
I don't think Metropolis is likely to make the cut, since one of its main gimmicks (the rotating cylinder things) is already in Flying Battery.
The bouncing wall things are also kinda already in Mirage Saloon as piano keys. On the subject of Aquatic Ruin, I had always thought it was supposed to be Aztec-themed.
Am I the only one gunning for Launch Base as the S3 representative? It's got a ton of elaborate gimmicks, and the theme of the stage is open enough to where Eggman could have any number of creations loaded up and ready to launch, not just the Death Egg.
Launch Base Zone would be great! There's certainly nothing else like it in the series. I hope we get at least one abandoned Eggman base.
I'd be down for Launch Base instead of Metropolis tbh... actually, now that I think of it, Launch Base would be more likely. It was far more enjoyable of a stage, and its gimmicks and bosses were far more memorable... On the flipside, I'd be so joyful for a remix of Metro's music.
Launch Base has an incredible amount of potential. Imagine exploring the background in similar fashion to EHZ Act2. Imagine more collapsing buildings, or combusting corridors a la Hill Top Zone. And gawd, the music! You know, at first I was disappointed Mania was rehashing old zones, but having seen this is more than merely lip service to nostalgia and we are getting new zones as well, I'm ready for the Mania 2 announcement already! Maybe it's because we were starved for so long, but Mania sort of feels like winning the lottery. Maybe it's because I don't know anyone in person that is also a big classic Sonic fan, but it sort of feels like a game made FOR ME. Like as though I commissioned a group to make my dream game. It's amazing!
It would be awesome if one of the Sonic 3 2 player stages made a cut. Especially something like Endless mine, as I don't think the classic games ever had a traditional mine stage (Unless you count Quartz Quadrant or the Game Gear titles).
I would be absolutely blown away if they did. The hatred of that game by some of the classic fans they're trying to appeal to rivals the love of 3&K. I can't really say Hill Top's music is "bad" because it's competently composed and fits the level quite well, but it irritates me beyond belief. The only other classic Sonic music that comes close to being that annoying is Spring Yard, but I've warmed to that one over the years. That said, there are a handful of others that I don't mind, but I really don't want to hear again in Mania. These include Labyrinth and Launch Base (sorry, everyone) I think we all feel exactly the same way. I just can't believe how damn GOOD this looks. Though, if this was my dream game it would have Lava Reef in it DAMMIT /> Between Mystic Cave and Quartz Quadrant (one of which will almost certainly be in Mania, though I'd be more than okay with both) I think Endless Mine would be overkill. Besides... Endless Mine has better music and a more enjoyable 2P stage, but Chrome Gadget's background art is one of my favourites in the whole series, and I would love to see that atmosphere expanded to a whole zone. Despite the simplicity, it makes me think of abandoned warehouses, riding a ferry in the middle of the night, and other really interesting images. It's kind of the polar opposite of the "night-life" zones like Casino Night, Carnival Night and Studiopolis. (Probably worth mentioning that I don't even remember what the foreground looks like.)
The world in which Chrome Gadget is the S3 pick is the best of all possible worlds, but the effort redrawing the competition zones would require offsets the gains of rehashing an old zone entirely. So yeah, Launch Base.
It would just be like a new zone with a base. Hell the only thing that'd be the same would basically be the music, the level is too small to have many iconic sections. But yes, Launch Base is excellent
