Poll: Favorite Sonic Adventure level

Going by Sonic's levels, I've always loved Windy Valley and Final Egg, the latter giving off some of the most fantastic "final level" vibes I've had from a Sonic game yet. Windy Valley's first section is criminally short (it tends to be beatable before the level tune even loops once), though the tornado was pretty cool, too. In fact, while Sonic Adventure's levels were all-around fantastic, I notice how some of the best parts in the game tend to be really short, such as the third section in Speed Highway.

Also, the NiGHTS pinball table in Casinopolis was rather eye-popping for me, even though I hadn't heard of NiGHTS at the time.

 

Favorite Sonic Action Stage:

I'm between Windy Valley, Twinkle Park and Red Mountain. Those three have to be my favorite levels in the game. Windy Valley would be much better, if it was based entirely in the first part of the stage. Funny thing is that I'll choose a stage I didn't really like back then. I guess I'll go with Red Mountain, it probably has the best level design in the whole game. Every time I play this level it gives me a classic Sonic vibe. Also, artistically speaking, this level is great, especially the second part.

Favorite Adventure Field:
Station Square I guess, it was perfect, not too big (Mystic Ruins), not too short (Egg Carrier).

 

Wait... you can jump out of the chao garden? I'll take some chao with me. Specifically, my sister's. :v:

EDIT: Forgot a period.

 

I think the best is casinopolis.
you get the most rings there.
[acronym="Happy Face"][/acronym]

 

I don't like the adventure feilds, so I'll say none. But it was quite fun to get on top of the trees in that jungle area.

Best action stage, geez. Wind Valley was pretty awesome, but so was Speed highway. Ice Cap was obviously great, simply for the snowboarding. I dunno, I don't really a particular favourite, but Wind Valley seems to be the one I always go back and play, so I'll say wind valley.

 

My favorite levels vary depending on the character:

Sonic - Lost World. The "ancient ruins" levels have always been among my top favorites, they're just a real exploratory and visual treat for me. Plus, this one has just about everything I need in a 3D Sonic level.
Tails - Windy Valley. There are so many ways you can cheese your way through this level, it's fun trying new routes every time to see what does and doesn't work.
Knuckles - Red Mountain. This is the pinnacle of Knux's treasure hunting levels from the Adventure series. The area is so wide open for one to glide freely, and yet not so tedious that it gets boring.

I don't remember the other characters' stories well enough to list them.

My favorite Adventure Field is the Mystic Ruins. It's just a wide open earthy area to run around in that I love so much. Plus, the tribal feel in the background music really helps convey the feeling of being surrounded by nature.

 

Red Mountain, hands down. But that's for the pure fact that I'm a sucker for Volcanic stages coupled with the fact that the music was kinky. Though Lost World was awesome too with its Indiana Jones feel, but that's my Harrison Ford fangirlism talking.

Now my DAD would tell you he likes Casinopolis best. He just loves that one because he's a total pinball nut. (Seriously, I go to the arcade to play DDR and everyone ends up watching HIM get the high score on Pirates of the Caribbean pinball!)

However, the Sonic Adventure Zone I can't stand? HAS to be Sky Deck. Ugh, someone kill it with a spork! That Zone is evil!

 

I liked it, but it was hard to get through at first because it didn't run well on my old machine. I've seen food processors that were less choppy.

 

Emerald Coast I suppose, mainly because of the really awesome background tune in the first part.

 

Favorite Action Stage:

Windy Valley. I just really like the level design (art and layout,) for all three parts no less.

Emerald Coast makes a close second, for I like the level design a good deal for this place also.

Then comes Red Mountain; I find this a really fun level to try to beat in a record time -- it's sad that Tails doesn't get to do this level, it suits him very well, considering his flight ability and his racing gameplay.

Then would come Speed Highway because I like how it's more fast-paced than probably all the other levels, as the name implies, and the third part is really cool (as I'm sure pretty much everyone else agrees.) Its only flaws are the first part has too many really dangerous areas, in the second part it is slightly trickier to control Sonic than I would prefer, and the third part is sadly just a little too short. Tails' path is more fun.

And Fifth is Final Egg. This a really intense and cool level. Although I prefer its 1st and 3rd parts, the second part's music is one of my favorite music tracks from the game (not that that's important, I just thought I might note that.) I love Gamma's version of this level, rather short though it may be.



Favorite Adventure Field:

I'd like to say Egg Carrier, on account of how vast and cool it is, but there's just something about it that I can't quite put my finger on that I find makes it a depressing and/or boring stage -- really, I don't know why I feel this way, I just do (no Apple Jacks commercial jokes, please).

And the Mystic Ruins are really lush and pretty, and were kind of fun at first to explore, but the heavily wooded area is just to confusing and easy to get slightly lost in.

So my vote goes to Station Square; the only real con this place has that I can think of is it's kind of small, and I wish it weren't so I could explore it more.

 

I have not played all the levels for ages but lost world is quite funky and different so I selected that.

 

It wasn't until just now when I made an attempt to pick out my favorite level that I truly realized just how perfect this game was. There wasn't a single level I didn't like, each one contributed something unique. I managed to narrowed it down to Twinkle Park, Speed Highway, Red Mountain and Lost World; five years earlier, I'd have voted Speed Highway right off the bat, and I think it's still my favorite in some respects, but I've since really come to appreciate the level design Twinkle Park and Red Mountain have to offer.

I voted Red Mountain, but it was a close call- both stages have a strong emphasis on open-ended level progression, and while Twinkle Park boasts excellent aesthetics and some of the greatest gimmicks the game has to offer, Red Mountain's massive sense of scale and flow makes it such a blast to speedrun. There are just so many shortcuts to be made, both intentional and otherwise, and no other stage comes to mind that allows you to exploit spindash jumping so efficiently. It's about as close as 3D Sonic has ever come to living up to the legacy of the classic games: The main path is succinctly defined, yet transitory. Your goal is simply to get from points A to B using any means at your disposal, the only limit being your skill.

I will admit, though, that I'm quite fond of Amy and E-102's Hot Shelter, often to the point where I wonder if I don't actually enjoy them more than even the best of Sonic's stages. The overall atmosphere is pure scrumptious funk, and it's the one time in the game where you really get to appreciate each of the "misfit characters'" gameplay mechanics because it's the one stage that's custom tailored to them. Amy's version is the apex of platforming in 3D Sonic games- its exceptional length makes for a truly immersive experience, the layout affords the player plenty of opportunities for exploration and experimentation, and the TV room is the climax of the entire fucking game. On the other hand, the abundance of smooth ramps in the latter half of Gamma's rendition finally grants his rolling mode purpose, and the train ride is one of the game's more exhilarating moments.

As for Big's Hot Shelter, how many of you are aware of the hidden niche with the drain plug you can pull that opens up a completely new section of the level? Love him or hate him, you have to admit that was a really neat touch, even if it did render Froggy damn near impossible to catch. Hot Shelter is the stage that keeps on giving.

 

Replace that one instance of Speed Highway with Sky Deck and you've got a post that I agree with.

 

I like Windy Valley a lot. It's cool how you're constantly being blown to different areas of the stage.

 

I've always loved Sky Deck. The atmosphere, the music, the gravity shifting. I can play that level over and over. Alternately, Ice Cap is a close second. Be wild, Be cool, Be Groovy indeed.

My favorite Adventure Field is Mystic Ruins due to it being fun as hell to explore. It's gigantic.

 

I've always liked the snowboarding part in Icecap. Of course that also brings up my second fave. I can't really remember the name of it, but it was the sand-boarding minilevel. I always liked playing both of these.

These are followed by emerald coast, speed highway, and windy valley.

 

That stage is called Sand Hill. Though I'm pretty sure Sonic Retro has an article for every Sonic Adventure Action Stage, Adventure Field and Sub Game, so I suppose you could have easily looked that up on your own.