[RedStripedShoes]

Flooded Metropolis Zone: Imagine those depictions of New York City after the ice caps have melted. That would be the theme for this zone.

Thunder Forest Zone: Robotnik builds a weather machine in the middle of a temperate forest and sets it to flash flood mode.

Giant Robotnik Zone: Sonic has gone into giant Robotnik-themed mechs before (Sonic 3D Blast comes to mind), but this one is so large that it can serve as a Zone all to itself. Fat jokes optional.

[True Dude]

Um, Sonic has done many cliches in games, in fact almost all of them, but I never did see him do a swamp zone. Also, there's never been an organic level, (not the plant type) but that's because Sonic isn't the type of game that a level like that would fit into.

[Sparks]

Um, Sonic has done many cliches in games, in fact almost all of them, but I never did see him do a swamp zone. Also, there's never been an organic level, (not the plant type) but that's because Sonic isn't the type of game that a level like that would fit into.

Something like this?

[Zephyr]

Twilight Zone. The level is all black and white, and takes place in an American 1950's suburban area. There is a narrator, who narrates the various obstacles and enemies that you encounter in the level, as you encounter them. At the end of the 4th act (yes, this zone has FOUR acts) you discover that this narrator is the boss, and is in fact Robotnik's newest mech. Oh, Sonic has to kill gay vampire and werewolf badniks along the way.

[RedStripedShoes]

Twilight Zone. The level is all black and white, and takes place in an American 1950's suburban area. There is a narrator, who narrates the various obstacles and enemies that you encounter in the level, as you encounter them. At the end of the 4th act (yes, this zone has FOUR acts) you discover that this narrator is the boss, and is in fact Robotnik's newest mech. Oh, Sonic has to kill gay vampire and werewolf badniks along the way.

Will Sonic have to face the ever-present danger of contemplating his existence and spontaneously popping out of reality when he realizes he is impossible?

[Mr. Mash]

Thunder Forest Zone: Robotnik builds a weather machine in the middle of a temperate forest and sets it to flash flood mode.

That actually sounds pretty good, though the flash floods could be a side-effect of one of Robotnik's plots rather than a weather machine =P
I've always wanted to see levels that were in the Sonic 1 concept art, but never used;
Like this 'japanese' one
And, uhh this!

I think running through a city, while it's being destroyed London-blitz-style would be awesome as well, lots of collapsing platforms and breakable walls, etc.
Hey, I might actually try to do this in my own hack!
I also had an Idea to use wing fortress' foreground artwork in a semi-underwater zone as if it's a submarine in the dock, but that's a theme which has been almost done a few times.

[Ross-Irving]

Zone tropes? Okay, zone tropes. I got a few...

A plateau, butte or mesa. Great possible place for going up steep slopes and making big jumps while also going into different paths that still flow well if you fuck up.

Drip Plateau Zone
Midnight Cliff Zone
Fog Slope Zone
Tetra Slopes Zone

An ocean's surface. Not in the ocean, not by the ocean, on the ocean. Much platforming to do and probably some really cool things to try out even with Sonic's regular moves. Shitload of opportunities for gimmicks.

Blue Arch Zone
Buoy Dive Zone
Tide Roll Zone
Lighthouse Reef Zone
Splash Harbor Zone
Slow Gulf Zone

A basin.

Cherry Basin Zone
Prairie Bowl Zone
Crop Top Zone
Gust Pipe Zone

A mine or a cave. Now I know Sonic 2 had a zone like this and Sonic 3 had one in 2P races, but I haven't really seen it been used since, so it's fair game.

Greenhouse Mine Zone
Steel Funnel Zone
Bass Cavern Zone
Diamond Boom Zone

And a few zone names that probably fall into typical tropes, jungle, tropical, the sky, whatever...

Saffron Safari Zone (a little long)
Amethyst Jungle Zone
White Cove Zone
Neon Edge Zone
Stratus Tracks Zone
Egg Rebel Zone
River Rush Zone
New Rapids Zone

I've got like two dozen more in mind. I love how two words can give someone a million ideas for how the zone looks, what gimmicks would be like, etc. It's like that with me, anyway.

[Ell678]

Um, Sonic has done many cliches in games, in fact almost all of them, but I never did see him do a swamp zone. Also, there's never been an organic level, (not the plant type) but that's because Sonic isn't the type of game that a level like that would fit into.

Some would argue that Aquatic Ruin is a swamp zone. Not completely, but in a way.

As for a 2D game, Crisis City? Bombed out, delapidated buildings and broken roads? What about a run down Casino style level? Carnival night, fallen to disuse and misrepair, covered in weeds and fauna?

Um, Sonic has done many cliches in games, in fact almost all of them, but I never did see him do a swamp zone. Also, there's never been an organic level, (not the plant type) but that's because Sonic isn't the type of game that a level like that would fit into.

Some would argue that Aquatic Ruin is a swamp zone. Not completely, but in a way.

As for a 2D game, Crisis City? Bombed out, delapidated buildings and broken roads? What about a run down Casino style level? Carnival night, fallen to disuse and misrepair, covered in weeds and fauna?

[Frozen Nitrogen]

A river. There has never been a zone to take place entirely on a single river. Not even Bridge Zone does that. It could involve jumping between barges, grabbing hold of water wheels, being dragged by a jetski badnik while on water skis, all kinds of stuff really. Thats actually an idea I had for a level forever ago and some of those concepts are adapted to stuff in Nexus.

*HaHEM*

Although I second this idea, and think it could work epic in 3D. I think I did elaborate my idea for a stage on a river somewhere long ago; basicly, you've just smashed Robotnik up on a sea level or something, and he powerboats away in an armoured submarine, zooming up a river to get back to his base. So your level is chasing Robotnik's sub up this raging torrent; jumping up logs floating down the waterway itself, sprinting along the banks, grinding up vines that criss-cross between the tree canopies on either side... and soforth.

What else would I like to see? I'd like to actually see one of Robotnik's LABS. Not one of his Scrap-Brain Factory-Cities: an actual LAB. It has been done (by my count) once before, in Flickies' Island Gene Gadget Zone, but I wasn't altogether impressed by that. In 2D it could work wonderfully.

The boss would be an automated vivisection machine. FUCK!

*EDIT: I feel I should point out here that SatSR had some awesome new level trope ideas, the creme de la creme being Levitated Ruin. Gargoyle eyries on the backs of giant sky-manta-rays? Z0MG AWESUM.

This post has been edited by Frozen Nitrogen: 04 February 2010 - 06:59 PM

[Mr. Mash]

What else would I like to see? I'd like to actually see one of Robotnik's LABS. Not one of his Scrap-Brain Factory-Cities: an actual LAB. It has been done (by my count) once before, in Flickies' Island Gene Gadget Zone, but I wasn't altogether impressed by that. In 2D it could work wonderfully.

Isn't that what Chemical Plant zone is supposed to be? uhh.. kinda?

oh, and how about a Jet Set Radio-esque Tokyo?

[TailsAddict]

Lecherous Oldman Zone

[Frozen Nitrogen]

oh, and how about a Jet Set Radio-esque Tokyo?

Remind me: was that the game where you had to spray grafitti over obscure out-of-the-way walls that no-one would ever, ever see?

If so, YES. I have only vague memories of it, but they're good vague memories.

[trakker]

I always had an idea I called Lightning Reef zone, dark and cloudy with electrical storms sparking down from the sky spiradically, lots of scorched ground and strange lightning rod equipment and conductor everywhere

[Mr. Mash]

oh, and how about a Jet Set Radio-esque Tokyo?

Remind me: was that the game where you had to spray grafitti over obscure out-of-the-way walls that no-one would ever, ever see?

If so, YES. I have only vague memories of it, but they're good vague memories.

Yeah it's an amazing game. Great soundtrack, too.

[Phithpleis]

School Zone: Where Sonic runs through hallways and grinds down stairway rails, avoiding badnik professors and rabid books and backpacks, and jumping over opened locker doors with minds of their own before he runs into them, causing him to lose rings.

Then, he goes across the gym, all the way outside into an endless-looking football stadium onto a track, where Sonic chases after Dr. Eggman. His mech is designed after a football player, and he throws football-shaped bombs at Sonic. Sonic must spin into and bump the pigskins back at the boss to inflict damage at him. The hedgehog himself cannot spin into the boss, because Eggman's mech is wearing spiky protective gear. Occasionally, he'll fly into Sonic, about to run into him. Sonic must jump over him. Then, when the boss moves back a few seconds later, the boss moves back again. After a set amount of hits, Sonic will run into the end zone, open the capsule, and score a touchdown.

Wow, long detailed information about a unique kind of boss.

Edit: Darn, a double post.

This post has been edited by Phithpleis: 04 February 2010 - 07:39 PM