Let's think up new Sonic zone tropes!

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.

 

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.

 

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?

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?

 

*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.

 

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

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

 

Lecherous Oldman Zone

 

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.

 

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

 

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

 

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.

 

Two words:
Eggplant Valley

 

Something similar to that was actually a deleted Sonic X-treme boss...

 

Wait, I got another one. Subway Zone.

No, not the sandwich shop, you idiots, I mean the underground train system. You'd be running underground through long tunnels while being chased down by trains. And given how complex subway systems can get...



...I'd say we've got plenty of inspiration for massive, branching paths.

 

Err... Battlefield Zone? Old area with tons of old traps + weapons, smoggy air to it, projectiles galore, army-style drone Badniks, Worn down fortresses. Oh, and Dr. Robotnik is in a tank.

 

I said this in irc earlier but it's too funny so I'll post it here as well.

Crystal Egg Zone + Hidden Palace Zone = Crystal Palace Zone.

 

Tails Adventure? Really? That doesn't count. It's not a Sonic game and it doesn't even say zone. Besides. Exactly what it says on the tin. A lake is not a river. And once the game lies to you, that lie sticks. I'm also tempted to say that Gamegear shit is irrelevant since it wasn't up to snuff anyway.

Also, the second you said grinding, you raped my dream. I hate it now. It's yours now. I mean really. Grinding? Sucks. Grinding up? That sucks more. Grinding up vines? Ugh. No. Thats almost as bad as Sonic grinding on a rope shot from a Ballista. Vines are high in friction. If they were grindable you wouldn't see Tarzan (and Sonic for that matter) swinging from them.

 

Sonic Retropolis Zone. Run through the rusted copper hills of text while avoiding the downsyndrome Sonics, Motobugs, RED RINGS and TacoBots that chase after you.

 

You heard him, folks. The intellectual property rights are mine now. Not Dimension's. Not SEGA's. MINE. Now watch as I do nothing with them... forever!!

And as for grinding; Final Rush was alright, wasn't it? I admit that it's spammed all over these days, but it has its place if used responsibly.

 

Final Rush was awesome. But grinding was fresh back then and you actually did something while you were grinding. Also, grinding up too effort unlike in every game since then. Anything that plays off physics is good... but they've long since tainted grinding with their incessant whoring. Fact is, it never should have been used for anything more than a typical stage gimmick. But grinding thinks its one of the bad boys who gets to play with springs, spikes, and checkpoints.

 

6 words.
Quantum Chaos Zone must be made.