Since they have been part of the series since the second game, levels with casino-inspired designs are some of the most prevalent, long-standing, and recognizable areas in Sonic games. Alongside their bright lights and energetic soundtracks, casino stages often feature unique gimmicks, minigames, or high-stakes gambles using pinball tables and slot machines to complete the theme.
Still, while every casino level brings something new to the Sonic franchise, some stand out more than others for their designs, replayability, and importance to the story. Out of all the areas inspired by the nightlife at casinos, these have made a name for themselves by becoming fan favorites.
7 Frozen Factory Zone 3 - Sonic Lost World (Wii U & PC)
Frozen Factory is the fourth world in Sonic Lost World. While the world’s levels involve moving snowballs and solving puzzles in the 3DS version of the game, the Wii U and PC releases give the stages a more vibrant personality by progressively pulling in more inspiration from a casino’s pool tables, tokens, and flashing lights before its final map.
Of all the zones in Frozen Factory, its third act highlights the energy of a casino with falling dice, rolling slot machine wheels, and a pinball machine minigame, almost completely leaving behind the theme of a barren and frozen workspace. Between its fast-paced gameplay and wide variety of obstacles, Frozen Factory Zone 3 is a compelling and surprising casino stage worth its extravagance.
6 Casino Street Zone - Sonic The Hedgehog 4: Episode 1
Released starting in 2010, Sonic the Hedgehog 4 is a sequel to Sonic & Knuckles that features many levels inspired by the classic stages that brought the series to fame, including Casino Night Zone from Sonic The Hedgehog 2.
Like the original casino stage, Casino Street Zone includes pinball machine bumpers and flippers that help Sonic navigate the stage’s spinning platforms and loops. Still, in the zone’s second act, the game adds its own twist to the theme with pathways made of cards that otherwise reward Sonic for running past them.
5 Casino Forest - Sonic Forces
While searching for Sonic in Sonic Forces with their original character, Tails directs the player to Casino Forest in the Mystic Jungle because he received intel that Sonic might be nearby.
Unlike many other casino stages in the franchise, Casino Forest combines its vibrant environment with another common theme that Sonic and his friends confront throughout their adventures, the natural and ruin-filled jungle. While the level balances both aspects of its design, one of its most stunning features is the impressive yet seemingly ancient casino visible in the background for much of the stage.
4 Casino Paradise Zone - Sonic Advance
Sonic Advance made a name for itself as one of the best Sonic games for the Game Boy Advance for its distinct art style and level design, and while the series has dozens of fantastic stages, the only area that broadly resembles the casino theme is Casino Paradise Zone.
Despite its name, Casino Paradise Zone doesn’t include two of the most prominent elements in the franchise’s other casino levels: slot machines and pinball machine minigames. Still, it does feature pinball flippers and bumpers for Sonic to bounce on, as well as rotating platforms and complex pathways to make the stage a celebratory environment that rewards risks with power-ups.
3 Casino Park - Sonic Heroes
When it comes to casino stages, few can match Casino Park from Sonic Heroes. Many of the level’s pathways are pinball machines, and it also features roulette wheels, spinning dice, and slot machines in passing to make the stage a flashy, cohesive experience.
For its energetic and unforgettable design, Casino Park inspired three stages for two racing spin-off series, Team Sonic Racing and Sonic & Sega All-Stars Racing. While perhaps the most well-known of the three courses inspired by the Sonic Heroes stage is Roulette Road, it is difficult to capture the charm of the original Casino Park.
2 Casinopolis - Sonic Adventure
Appearing in Sonic, Tails, and Knuckles’ storylines in Sonic Adventure, Casinopolis has multiple distinct playstyles that take advantage of its unique design. While Tails’ stage is a race against Sonic through the level’s sewer system, Sonic and Knuckles primarily explore the main floor of the casino to reach their own goals.
Fitting with the casino theme, Sonic’s version of the stage offers players the biggest and most intriguing gamble by encouraging them to collect over 400 rings by exploring the sewers or playing pinball machines featuring Sonic characters and designs from another retro Sega game, NiGHTS: Into Dreams.
1 Casino Night Zone - Sonic The Hedgehog 2
In one of the best 2D Sonic games of all time, Sonic The Hedgehog 2, Casino Night Zone is the stage that started it all. It introduced the pinball mechanics, such as bumpers, flippers, and levers to the game alongside slot machines and the ability to gamble for additional points and coins.
While there have been a number of fantastic casino stages in the Sonic franchise throughout the years, their success, charm, and gameplay all stem from the unique and captivating experience that is Casino Night Zone, proving it to be the best casino stage time and time again.