SA2 Green Hill Zone

Sonic Adventure 2 is a very difficult game, and to be honest it's a tad disappointing, but what is it that keeps us going after completing the secret story? Just what's the point? Why do we bother?

I'll tell you why, it's so that we can experience one of the greatest tributes to fans ever seen in a game. That's right - by achieving 'A' ranks on every mission of each level in the game, a new stage is unlocked on the level select screen, just above that small green island. It's Green Hill, from Sonic the Hedgehog on the Mega Drive/Genesis! ^_^

I was very chuffed when I finally opened it up, after 90 hours of play. But the point is, I played it STRAIGHT. I refused to use downloaded saves from that newfangled Internet thingy, or to do it using cheat devices. And no matter how desperately you want it, I suggest you do the same. After all, the personal satisfaction of knowing that YOU did it, down to your pure luck and skill, far surpasses the 5-minute 'Oh look, it's an extra level. Big deal' feeling you'd get had you cheated yourself.

Anyway, here are the screenshots (if your definition of 'screenshot' is "point camera in rough direction of TV and click") I took shortly afterwards, hope you like. Oh, and Page Down works well here, incase you wanted to know. Finally, feel free to use them on your own site if you wish, as long as you say that you got them from here (www.annoyboy.co.uk):

	Sound Test It appears on the 'extra' music select screen after being played. Which is odd, because it's an Action Stage (although you don't get an emblem for finishing it).
	Start The level starts off in a Yoshi's Story kind of 2.5D, but changes shortly afterwards. Most fans have become pretty vocal in that the whole level should have been like this. It would have been nice...
	Buzz Bombers A nice place to bring back the Buzz Bombers from the first game, this shot was taken on the level's first platform. Up that spring in the tree is a line of rings, and down that slope behind it is another trail of rings.
	The Bridge You can see this bridge on the left of the last picture, it also has a few rings floating above it. This shot also proves that you can use your skills learned in SA2 (light dash) And was taken at a strange angle. Must see my doctor about that.
	Choppers! Stay put on the bridge to see these guys, who also first appeared in Sonic 1. They are quite useful for homing attack threadings for extra points. And trust me, you'll need them, as it's very hard to get an 'A' on this level.
	Collapsing Platforms You don't see many of THESE in SA2, do ya? True to the layout of Green Hill Zone Act One, expect to see a few of these before the end of the level. Speed check! ^_^
	Checkpoints The checkpoints AREN'T in the traditional style, they kept the SA2 ones. Anyway, towards that palm tree is a downhill slope, come into the screen there to find...
	A Chao box! Why you would want it is beyond me, because you wouldn't need to raise your Chao at this stage, but nevertheless you can pick up a Chao key and a Unicorn from inside this crate. Weird...

I took more shots than this, but I haven't had time to scan them, so hopefully they'll be here next week. Until then, I hope this article has intrigued and inspired you all to keep trying! And the score needed for an 'A' is 13000 - I'll tell you how to do it next update!

Sonic Adventure 2: Green Hill