The release of Sonic Origins means a whole new generation of gamers get to see the blue hedgehog when he was at his coolest. He turned the Genesis into a 16-bit stopgap into a must-have system with his attitude, gameplay, and level design that made the most of his skills.
Not all levels are created equal though. Some are better than others, with Sonic 1’s Labyrinth Zone and Sonic 2’s Metropolis Zone giving the over 30-year-old fans nightmares from their difficulty. But these levels will bring them back to their happy place. These are the Sonic Origins zones gamers must play.
10 Spring Yard Zone
Despite being advertised as a speedster, the original Sonic the Hedgehog wasn’t really a game players could rush. The speed was a reward for crafty use of the game’s physics. The player has to build up momentum, then use it to crash through walls, or skip awkward obstacles.
Spring Yard Zone embodies this with its vertical drop slopes, half pipes, and inclines where Sonic has to outrun a rolling badnik on his tail. It even introduced the pinball motif future Sonic games would use via its bumpers. That said, the slow, square, vertical platforms bring it down a touch.
9 Star Light Zone
Green Hill Zone is iconic, but it’s been constantly recycled in nearly every modern Sonic game. It’s also a little too easy. Is there a level in Sonic 1 that offers good speed and a challenge? Well, yes, its name is just above this paragraph.
Star Light Zone mixes long straights with slopes that can make Sonic move really fast when he rolls up. But it’s not a complete breeze, as there are tricky enemies like Orbonauts and Bomb Bots to look out for. They can’t be killed without moving carefully or an Invincibility power-up, so players have to look out. The most vigilant will even be rewarded with hidden paths towards extra rings and power-ups.
8 Tidal Tempest Zone
Sonic CD’s levels are generally a love-them or hate-them affair. Some fans love their maze-like design that challenges the player to explore every nook and cranny for time travel posts, robot generators, and more. Others hate how clunky they are compared to smoother, speed-based designs like in Sonic 2 and 3&K.
Tidal Tempest won’t change their minds as it’s still quite a labyrinth. Unlike its predecessor, its paths are wide open and less hazardous. Navigating it is less of a hassle, and its color scheme and music tracks (both US and Japanese) are quite calming. It doesn’t even have the series’ nerve-wracking drowning theme. It’s just a soothing, 90s trek to the end.
7 Metallic Madness Zone
The final level of Sonic CD isn’t a cakewalk, though it might be an easier experience than the other levels. Wacky Workbench left players bouncing all over the place, and Stardust Speedway was a mess of paths capped off by a tricky race against Metal Sonic. Thankfully, Metal Madness’ gimmicks gel much better.
There are springs that send the player into the background or foreground, or walls that help them dodge one enemy or encounter another. Most memorably, there are alternate paths where a laser makes the player tiny, and they have to move through little pathways towards another laser that brings them back to size. It ends Sonic’s CD-based adventure off on a high note.
6 Casino Night Zone
Spring Yard Zone started the pinball trend, and Sonic 2’s Casino Night Zone perfected it. There are springs that can be charged up like a pinball machine and send Sonic and friends up through shafts at high speed. There are even bumpers that can help or hinder the player in their journey and provide points.
Living up to the ‘Casino’ part of its name are its slot machines. They’re little gates that the player can jump into to get the wheels rolling. If they’re really lucky and get 3 Sonics, they’ll get 100 rings. But they could get also get 3 Eggmans and lose everything they have. Of course, they could always be ignored. But the chance to get an extra life or fuel for Super mode is tempting.
5 Mystic Cave Zone
Sonic 2 often rivals 3&K as the Blue Blur’s best Genesis outing. Though it also has its less enjoyable levels, and they’re unfortunately stacked at the end of the game. Oil Ocean Zone, Metropolis Zone, and Sky Chase + Wing Fortress Zones aren’t particularly exciting and have some cheap enemies and traps.
Luckily, Mystic Cave Zone sits before them. Enemies have openings to attack back without wonky hitboxes blindsiding the player. The level has a memorable look with its dark blue and green color scheme, and catchy, eerie music. There are plenty of paths to take, each leading to different tricks and treats. It did have a literal pitfall if the player didn’t pull the right lever in Act 2. But Origins turned it into something special.
4 Hidden Palace Zone (Sonic 2)
This original take on Hidden Palace Zone turned up in prototype versions of the original Genesis release, and an incomplete version can still be found on the Genesis ROMs by hackers. The level even had its own, unique badniks and obstacles that went unused in the rest of the game.
Headcannon Studios spruced it up for their Mobile port of Sonic 2, completed its design, and even gave it a unique boss battle with Brass Eggman. Now players can experience this hidden gem on their bigger screens through Origins and check out what it would be like if it was finished off. They just need to fall down Mystic Cave Zone Act 2’s Pit of Doom to find it.
3 Hydro City Zone
Water levels are usually rather maligned in platform games. The water physics slow the action down and limit the player’s movement and attack options. Some, like the Sonic series, could even make the player drown if they didn’t get air soon enough. Sonic 2’s Aquatic Ruin Zone usually got plaudits for its design because it’s possible to avoid the water altogether by going for the high road.
However, Sonic 3&K’s Hydro City Zone manages to give the player a good balance between water and air without being aggravating. The player can end up racing through and on water with its speed boosters, slopes, and loops. Drowning is less of a risk because there’s always a clear path back to the surface. Yet it still offers a challenge with its closing walls, sneaky badniks, and hidden goodies.
2 Flying Battery Zone
This zone was originally going to follow Hydro City Zone when Sonic 3 was in development. Ultimately, it was shifted into the Sonic & Knuckles portion of the game, but there’s something about its design that fits well with its original placement.
It offers the same perks as Hydro City Zone, with its high-speed thrills and hidden Blue Sphere portal rings. Only instead of water, players have to contend with flamethrowers, rotor blades, magnetic traps, and sneaky mouse-like badniks that can nip at their heels. There are paths to avoid most of them, though it requires more vigilance than its water-based counterpart. It’s a thrill ride from beginning to end.
1 Doomsday Zone
This zone started a trend in Sonic games where its true finale involved Sonic going super or hyper, and finishing off a giant bad guy. Both the Adventure games, Shadow the Hedgehog, Sonic 06, Sonic Unleashed, Sonic Generations, and more follow in Sonic 3&K’s footsteps.
Collect all the Chaos Emeralds as Sonic, and he’ll get access to this extra zone after the last boss in Death Egg Zone. They have to lure Dr. Eggman’s missiles back into his machine while dodging space rocks and collecting rings. It sounds simple enough, though it requires a careful eye on the boss and the ring count. After that, the player just has to hit the Death Egg Robot a few more times to free Master Emerald and get the game’s best ending.
Sonic Origins is out now on Playstation 4, Playstation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, Nintendo Switch, and PC.