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Level Tropes - Let's talk about them

Discussion in 'General Sonic Discussion' started by RetroKoH, Jun 6, 2013.

Favorite Trope Zone, Act 1 (Multiple Choice)

  1. Tropical Island Theme (Green Hill, Emerald Coast, Wave Ocean)

    13 vote(s)
    20.3%
  2. Space Theme (Death Egg, Doomsday... the like)

    13 vote(s)
    20.3%
  3. Carnival/Casino Theme (Spring Yard, Casino Night, Carnival Night)

    17 vote(s)
    26.6%
  4. Underwater Theme (Labyrinth, Hydrocity)

    10 vote(s)
    15.6%
  5. Jungle Theme (Jungle, Angel Island, Lost Jungle,)

    14 vote(s)
    21.9%
  6. Industrial Theme (Scrap Brain, Metropolis, Launch Base)

    25 vote(s)
    39.1%
  7. Sky/Flying Fortress (Sky Chase, Wing Fortress, Sky Sanctuary)

    17 vote(s)
    26.6%
  8. Cavern Theme (Mystic Cave, Quartz Quadrant)

    10 vote(s)
    15.6%
  9. Winter Theme (Ice Cap, Cool Edge, White Acropolis)

    20 vote(s)
    31.3%
  10. Fire Theme (Marble, Lava Reef, Crisis City)

    12 vote(s)
    18.8%
Multiple votes are allowed.
  1. RetroKoH

    RetroKoH

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    This page for reference, if you don't know what I'm talking about.

    What types of levels do you enjoy the most in a Sonic game? Least favorite? - For me I can say that my favorite is the flying fortress theme, second being the casino/carnival theme.
    My least favorite would HAVE to be anything associated with the Ancient Ruins trope. I don't necessarily dislike most Ruins stages... but to me they usually seem the least memorable of the zones in most cases. (Marble Zone being a lovely exception)


    Also wanna get your thoughts on any kinds of level tropes that SEGA hasn't done yet? Hard to think of any myself.

    EDIT: Revised the poll with more options. choose multiple options that you like.
     
  2. Paradigm

    Paradigm

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    Primrose Hill
    An original story entitled "Obscured into Hubris"
    I love the industrial theme. Final Egg is probably my most memorable stage in any Sonic game.
     
  3. Ell678

    Ell678

    Am I Annoying You? Member
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    A trope I was thinking about while day dreaming about if I could do any kind of level in the world is a jungle party. In the middle of a jungle with strobe lights, spot lights, stages, all at night, like some massive disco. Props for syncing the music with flashing lights and stuff. Populated with some dancing Flickies and other Sonic creatures and I reckon it would look groovy as fuck.

    EDIT - My favorite though? Difficult to say, I like industrial levels, but I'm a sucker for space ones. I'm not a fan of levels set in a town or city, like Speed Highway, or underwater levels. Some underwater levels I do like, but some I don't.
     
  4. TmEE

    TmEE

    Master of OPL3-SA2/3 Tech Member
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    Estonia, Rapla City
    T-04YBSC-A !
    Labyrinth, Scrap Brain, Oil Ocean, Hydrocity, Launch Base, Sandopolis and Death Egg are my most fav games in the first 3(or 4 in S&K is separate). Half of it is because I like the stages and other half is because of the music.
    I'm a big sucker for sand, pyramids and ancient ruins...
     
  5. RetroKoH

    RetroKoH

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    Just a quick question on the topic... have there been any winter levels that featured ice physics?
    I wanna say Cool Edge from Unleashed, but I haven't played that in years and honestly don't remember...
     
  6. Sonic Warrior TJ

    Sonic Warrior TJ

    Have an ice time Member
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    My favorite zone is most likely Flying Battery Zone. The music's fantastic and fits perfectly with the stage, which is fast, fun, and huge with multiple paths and several cool gimmicks that are thankfully not overused. The Act 1 boss is rather unique to the series, and while I could live with or without the 'intro' to Act 2's boss, it does build up some suspense for a just-cool-enough-to-be-memorable fight. There really isn't anything I find wrong with good ol' Flyin' Batt'ry.

    And yeah KoH, Cool Edge did have ice physics, for both day and night Sonic.
     
  7. Rosie

    Rosie

    aka Rosie Member
    I don't really have any favourite tropes. Sonic has pretty much covered them all with varying levels of success, it's more to do with the music, atmosphere, level design and level gimmicks than anything else. That said, I did like the levels from Sonic Colours because they were a bit different from usual, the design was often cheap as hell and half of the acts sucked, but they were mostly good ideas from an aesthetic perspective. I love the way Sonic 3 uses the levels to properly convey a journey, it feels like you're moving through the island instead of turning up at random stages. I'd quite like to see more stages with water in them, rather than "water levels", I really wanted to be able to jump in the water in Green Hill Generations because I feel it gives the world a more open, living feeling.
     
  8. Sparks

    Sparks

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    I'd have to say my favorite zones are ones that have a heavier emphasis on speed, such as Chemical Plant and Hydrocity. It seems like these also tend to be the most memorable Sonic stages. Favorite theme however is probably mechanical zones and ruin zones, even better if the two are mixed together.
     
  9. Jayextee

    Jayextee

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    I DONE MAKED GAMES.
  10. Palas

    Palas

    Don't lose your temper so quickly. Member
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    It's not very easy to decide which would be my favourite zone in Sonic. It could be Quartz Quadrant, Scrap Brain (Master System), Stardust Speedway, Labyrinth (Master System), Sunset Park, Volcano Valley, Lava Reef, Flying Battery etc.

    As what would be the best theme/trope, this is not so relevant a question as that about how they build their strength. Industrial/urban levels are strong and charming when they contrast with nature-themed or bucolic levels. But, mind, even city levels can be bucolic in atmosphere. Like Stardust Speedway, Good Future. There's a certain feeling of loneliness to it, you know? Likewise, Angel Island feels overwhelming and lively even though it's a forest. So yes, once again it's a matter of contrast, more than what's intrinsical. Starlight Zone is such a fan-favourite because it gives off a certain feeling of relief, even though you're already way, way past the point of no return. The speed and sense of freedom is a part of that. Living in a city like the one depicted in Starlight Zone would be boring, but being there at that time is awesome.

    ...But alright, let me stop being grumpy. I have to say that, for what it's worth, I love zones in which nature and human intervetion meet, creating some kind of lost or unborn utopia. Sonic CD's good futures do that more often that not, but we also have Aquatic Ruin, Lava Reef Act 2, Botanic Base etc.
     
  11. BigTheCat

    BigTheCat

    ♥STYLISH SONIC♥ Member
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    Music Plant and Toy Kingdom probably have my favorite level tropes from the entire series. I love those stages so much, and I'd really like to see something like that again in the franchise.
     
  12. Pigeon

    Pigeon

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    I'm a bit of a sucker for Flying Fortresses. They're just so iconic and have a certain sense of danger and tension to them. I especially like Sky Fortress, well Acts 2&3 anyway. They just have good design and feel like they could be a penultimate level, which is what I feel Flying Fortress levels are best suited to.
     
  13. Billy

    Billy

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    Y'know, when I think about my favorite level tropes I realize they're kinda based on my past experience. Having actually been to places like Las Vegas Nevada, it seems obvious why my favorite tropes are casino and desert.
     
  14. Jason

    Jason

    *Results not lab tested. Member
    Hydrocity is the best Sonic level ever. There, I said it.

    Throughout the franchise, levels with a high focus on water have been aggravating because water adds a lot more tension by holding Sonic's speed back and the threat of drowning. Labyrinth is a huge offender by forcing players into water constantly. With enough skill, Chemical Plant and Aquatic Ruin can avoid water all together, but it removes the facet of the level almost entirely if you do. Hydrocity lets players have water AND speed. There are only a few required water routes in both Acts, and they are not particularly long ones, keeping the players mindful that water is there and if you play it right you won't have to be in it for long. The beginning of Act 2's moving wall uses water far differently than any other water section by forcing the player to move quickly to avoid being crushed AS WELL as the (non-existent) threat of drowning in that section. Water can be run across at high speeds for more enjoyment of water's surface tension. Lots and lots of fast-moving, twisting water slides to keep moving through water fresh. There is very little slogging through water at all. Instead, far more emphasis is put on the speed potential of water. More water park than death trap. Coupled with a vibrant atmosphere and theme, and it's the pinnacle of what Sonic and water can do. I wish more water stages acted like Hydrocity. I guess the closest is Water Park from Sonic Rush, but Hydrocity, pun intended, blows it out of the water.
     
  15. Some Dude's Hand

    Some Dude's Hand

    Needs more loops... Member
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    Getting my ideas off the paper and into the computer.
    I would have chosen tropical islands, but the Green Hill/beach/coastal shtick has simply been overdone. A lot of them are missing some elements that keep it a fresh experience, rather than feeling like a forced trip down memory lane. The Jungle levels are a personal favorite, as they put a good spin on the trope while at the same time keeping the original "first level" feel. Plus, they have some of the most kick-ass music in the series.

    I've never figured out why I like the Cave levels so much. Maybe it's the atmosphere, maybe it's the aesthetics, maybe it's the gimmicks...

    Casino levels are also fun because almost every one of them are unique in some form, also the concept of Sonic as a living pinball fits the gameplay like a glove.
     
  16. Overlord

    Overlord

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    Echoing this trope choice. It's so overlooked but so full of potential.
     
  17. Covarr

    Covarr

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    I had to say fire. Levels with fire or lava tend to encourage high-speed gameplay while generally not being nearly so automated as some. Lava Reef, Crisis City, and even Hill Top were all fairly fast-paced, and yet none of them were their respective game's "a ton of boosters level" (see: Chemical Plant, Hydrocity). Marble a little less so, but only because it was in Sonic 1.

    I also really appreciate lava as a fairly versatile mechanic. It can rise and fall (HTZ), it can chase (Marble), it can pour (Marble, LRZ), it can erupt (Marble), stuff can come out of it (Mario)... there's so many things you can do with what the player perceives as a single type of obstacle. I also like the way that, much like spikes, it can be used to make a dangerous floor and enforce platforming, without resorting to bottomless pits.
     
  18. Endgame

    Endgame

    Formerly The Growler Member
  19. RetroKoH

    RetroKoH

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    I just realized I didn't have the desert trope in this poll... not my fault, if I could, I'd have all of the trope on the wiki in the poll...
    Anyone a fan of the deserts?
     
  20. Skyler

    Skyler

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    No ruins theme, no vote. :colbert: