Sonic Mania - Part 2 - Green Hill Zone Act 2
16I know most people who will be watching this video won't read the description, but I also figure that, among those who do, they might not realize that these first four lines seen on the video page are not the full extent of my descriptions. Hence, I make these opening paragraphs a bit longer than they used to be, in hopes that they don't end at a sentence and can clue readers in that there is more, usually a lot more, to these descriptions. The rise of titles serving as descriptions and the increasing scarcity of people like me who use this description space as a way to explain the video has caused more people to forget the description space can be used as something other than a placeholder.
Each Zone in this game, except for the final battle, is made up of two Acts. Act 1 mostly plays the Zone straight, with gimmicks and enemies found in what it's based on (except for original Zones, of course). Act 2, on the other hand, becomes more creative, often turning the concept of the Zone on its head and bringing in more gimmicks and enemies from other sources. The background (and sometimes foreground) will change, the music becomes remixed, and, taking another cue from Sonic 3 & Knuckles, Act 2 picks up immediately where Act 1 left off, without so much as a scene transition--the title card for Act 2 just pops up on the screen at the location Act 1 ends, and you keep going.
Green Hill Act 2 is set at the edge of the underground lake, though aboveground. The mountains seen in the distance are now closer, as is an endless row of Green Hill's characteristic totem poles. This stage also introduces the idea of combining mechanics from different games together: The spinning spiked logs from the original Green Hill start appearing here, as is the Flame Shield. If you can find the Flame Shield, you are not only immune from the spikes on the logs, but you'll burn them into ash upon contact, allowing you access to whatever is below. (It's never a bottomless pit.)
Oh yes, and I think this is where I first use the special abilities granted by the elemental shields. When Sonic has the regular Shield or no Shield at all, he will perform the Drop Dash, which allows him to rev up a Spin Dash from midair (which, I believe, was first possible in Super Smash Bros. Brawl). The Flame Shield lets Sonic do a mid-air dash and grants him immunity from fheat-based attacks, the Bubble Shield allows Sonic to bounce and provides him infinite oxygen when underwater, and the Lightning Shield gives Sonic a double jump and makes him unaffected by electric attacks. All three can also deflect most projectiles emitted by Badniks. The Flame and Lightning Shields dissipate when Sonic gets submerged though.
Starting in this video, I'll play through a game save where I have all 7 Chaos Emeralds, (so Giant Gold Rings instead provide 50 Rings), and I'll skip the warp to the Blue Spheres stages. This is to save time and to keep a fluid pace with as few interruptions as possible. If you want to see more Blue Spheres and the rest of the Special Stages, not to worry. I've compiled them into 5 videos, which I'll put up later.
Giant Gold Ring Count:
Total: 3
Available in one go: 3
Badniks Returning from Act 1:
Motobug
Buzz Bomber
Newtron
Chopper
Crabmeat
New Badniks:
Bat Brain - A Badnik resembling a bat, found in the lower paths of Act 2. They hang from the ceiling but let go and fly towards Sonic when he gets close.
Other references:
Sonic 1 - Bat Brains are found in Marble Zone in that game, not Green Hill Zone.
Sonic CD - One boulder found on an upper path (which I don't take) can be pushed to reveal a hole in the floor, just like one boulder in Palmtree Panic had that.
Sonic CD - The log-like platforms traveling in a circular path resemble those found in the Past from Quartz Quadrant.
Sonic 2 - The Death Egg Robot was first fought at the end of that game.
Sonic 3 - The ziplines found here were first used in Angel Island Zone.
Sonic 3 - The Flame Shield burning the wooden bridges are similar to how the Flame Mobile would do the same at the end of Angel Island Act 2.
Eggman cuts to the chase and brings out the Death Egg Robot, which was the final boss of the 16-bit version of Sonic 2, though it was also a pretty easy boss in Sonic Generations. Depending on if Sonic is close or far away, it'll either extend its arms (if close) or throw a bomb (if far). Its extendable arms are the key to defeating this thing, as when they're extended, they function as platforms allowing Sonic to reach the upper area and damage it. You have to work quickly though, as the ground in this battle is limited: As the Death Egg Robot advances, take too long, and Sonic will run out of ground. (Or if you're playing as Tails or Knuckles, substitute "Sonic" with that character.)
8 hits defeats the Death Egg Robot, which will collapse and tumble back into the underground area. Eggman whips out his Phantom Ruby again, and this transports Sonic to the next Zone, Chemical Plant.
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