Yeah the timer's not really that functional because anyone can beat this stage in less than eight minutes but combined with the music it really adds to the atmosphere. Also it's nice seeing someone appreciate all the little nooks and crannies in these stages, they have more secrets than most people realize.
the time limit in this stage is great because it's so lenient, its enough to pump up the first playthrough without being stressful. Unlike a certain other *"5 minutes should be plenty!"*
One more little detail : At the end, when the ground is falling down, if you're fast enough to reach the highest spring, you are rewarded with a bigger bonus score. The lowest spring gives no bonus, the second give 200 pts, the next 500 pts, then 1000 pts and the highest giving you an awesome 2000 pts.
I remember as a kid me, my brother and cousins were like "we gotta get all the little animals or they will not make it" The fact that this level does set up a thrilling run for the end before it's too late
10:20 in all my 20 years I played this game I always wondered what those balloons were for, and now today two decades later I learn that if I held the A button Sonic does a dive 🤯
I like Sonic Forces. I have fifty hours on the game, despite it being only two hours long. I only said it because, in addition to it being true, it would also get me the top comment.
Green Forest has always been one of my favorite levels in the game. Partly because of the actual level design and the atmosphere, but most of all, the music.
I could honestly watch you analyze every stage SA2 has to offer like this and know for sure that every single video would be a joy to watch and show everyone things they never even knew about, like the 2-Player mode paths and the other hidden areas were totally unknown to me and I played through the game multiple times over the years.
Quick correction at 6:52 pointed out by DaSheepKiller, I correctly said the power-up is the "Ancient Light" but then allude to it being the Mystic Melody power-up instead of the light speed attack, my bad!
I never realised just how much thought went into SA2's level design, I absolutely adored this game since I was a kid so it's fascinating to see it's suprisng depth picked apart and explained. Definitely refreshing after the stupid counter culture idiots randomly deciding to pretend the game was never good as well, man am I sick of that crap. But yeah, I'd love to see the rest looked at like this.
It‘s interesting to know that this stage was also the first one made, and that in SA1 there was a jungle level planned but scrapped, this stage was in the planning stages for a long time which shows.
I wonder if that sand sledding stage in SA1 was what they ended up on instead of this one. From what I remember it was pretty short compared to the other SA1 stages.
This era of games had a lot more hidden areas, secrets, and replayability. As a kid, even though open world games weren't really a thing yet, I still felt like games had unlimited possible hidden secrets because of the optional power ups and hidden ruins that made platforms.
Exactly, it’s what makes me prefer Mario Galaxy over the open world and linear 3D Mario’s, it and it’s sequel, feel like they offer me enough space and sense of scaling, but not too open to the point it feels barren and relying on generic landscaping for movement
@@whydoievenbothertryingwith6679 That's a funny thing to say, considering that Mario Galaxy's levels have always felt more barren and repetitive than those from the open world Marios to me. For instance, if you explore around you in Mario 64 can find content and secrets in every nook and cranny. Do the same in Mario Galaxy and there isn't much to see or find outside of the main path.
I literally finished this level for the first time today (got the game yesterday) and it was freaking amazing. My blood was pumping so much, I love playing games blind
Exept for the Pyramide and crazy Gadget. I dont exactly what it is about the Pyramide but in crazy Gadget the last part is my cryptonite, i even manage to reguraly get softlocked there
6:00 also white jungle’s layout is still kinda there too! 6:57 light speed attack 7:35 I always found it interesting how the area here looks so similar to the platform sonic & shadow fought on, and as a kid thought oh crap sonic went the wrong way first and had to double back I just really love this stage
Well in the cutscene as the stage starts, that’s DEFINITELY where they’re placed. You can tell by the robot and the platforms in the background of the cutscene, which were not present in the fight. They most likely did that to save on memory or processing power when loading the cutscene, but I do like your explanation too lol
It is the same platform they same platform they fought on, or atleast the platform they are standing on in the cutscene before the level begins. You can see it from the flying GUN bots that have their back turned to the platform.
"Have you ever had a moment in a video game where you felt like you were gonna crap yourself?" Not only did that trigger Green Forest memories, but also my past experiences with Wario Land 4.
You're like the best person ever to breakdown SA2's game design and intentions, it's almost like if you can exactly put up in words what we feel without us even saying it before lol. Awesome job! Looking forward for more stages analysis or any SA2 content!
I never knew about the A holding on the vines! I always saw the balloon there and was like "What's the point of having this there if the vine doesn't send you far enough?"
Ah i have a love/hate relationship whenever i see a time limit in a game. Weather that means an explosion that will wipe out the place you're currently on or otherwise someone is about to die. Its such a highly intense moment that keeps you on edge. The mental effect time limits have on you during gameplay really does make you make mistakes that you maybe wouldnt have made otherwise since you would have the time to move on at your leisure
Over the course of 1 weekend we got a ZoomZike sonic episode, a Summoning Salt Speed Run Progression, and. A John Bois Secret Base video, I don’t think that life could get any better than this😍
If we’re gonna keep on this track of analyzing SA2 levels, I’d like to see you analyze Iron Gate. I think it’s a really unique contrast to City Escape where you essentially go on an Eggman rampage to make up for the fact that you’re not that fast. It also gives the Dark story it’s own kind of kickstart that fits its side more. (being a destructive romp where you brazenly infiltrate a military compound as opposed to a free spirited escape from an unjust pursuit by that same military)
I’ve played this game 15 years ago and I have never known about “vine grinding”, time to play through this level again! Honestly I’ve never seen more than half of these secrets in this level.
@@syweb2 It's from the only video where Zike critices a level instead of praising it. Said level also comes from a bad game, unlike basically everything else ZoomZike analyzed.
7:35 The really funny thing about this section is that it's where the cutscene at the start of the level takes place and they didn't even try to hide it by despawning the enemies during the cutscene.
I'd love to see analysis videos on some shooting and hunting stages, particularly Iron Gate in how it introduces the Dark Side story, and Security Hall if only because it's my favorite hunting stage.
That's something to consider since utmost every stage has a parallel that mirrors the goal of that player character. This emphasizes the overall theme of SA2: duality.
I remember playing green forest for the first time and I legit reacted to eggman saying the island will blow up just like sonic at the same time. The entirety of the stage my mind was thinking a single thing. I was repetedly thinking "Oh shit I gotta finish this as fast as I can"
I remember watching this as a kid, the music blaring, the timer going. I was so excited for more action, and once I beat it, I was ready for more!..then Pumpkin Hill.
The way the "Blows Up!?!" cutscene plays inside of the level is super clever. It means they can start the level immediately after you learn about the bombs, without needing to waste time waiting on a loading screen. By the way, the music only syncs with Sonic landing if you load it from mission mode. When you play it in story mode, it syncs with Shadow running away in the cutscene instead. Both ways feel very deliberate.
Well those double arrows are actually supposed to indicate the hidden animal whistle spot, it's done earlier in the level too. But clever thinking I only ever found the lower area after falling by accident one time.
It's possible, but I personally don't think this is the case. A lot of arrows can be found in the battle mode, and they each point you towards different paths, which is what I feel was being done here.
Well they do it before that area aswell with those specifically small arrows and both have an animal in the bush pointed to, but I guess it does also point to the hidden area
It’s because they had to develop games that were multi platform after that, and had to scrap the Dreamcast adventure engine and constantly work on hardware for multiple consoles at once which meant less refine and polish.
@@TheDisarminghinkle Remastering a game already developed on a Dreamcast is different to making a game specifically for multiple platforms. It affects design decisions.
6:57 You're confusing Ancient Light for Mystic Melody. Ancient Light allows Sonic to perform the Light Speed Attack, which uses a fully charged spin dash to attack multiple enemies at once. Mystic Melody is located in Final Rush.
Something I feel that can definitely be added to the video is how cleverly some of the animals are placed and hidden whistle spots! I love your videos and hope to see you eventually analyze every SA2 level!!!!!
zoomzike is virtually the only youtuber i've seen who gives a REALLY strong case for SA2 being good. i also love the capstone for this video done at 11:56. this is a really good series on how to make levels with soul
In all fairness, most people (even those that dislike SA2) like the speed stages. I'd have more of a difficult time trying to convince people of the other ones. I'm glad you enjoyed it!
I love these analysis videos, I've played these stages hundreds of times, and these videos make me appreciate them even more. I'm always learning something new since some of the goodies are off the main path/best path
Noo you forgot to mention that the "hard" difficulty of this level reduces the timer to 3 minutes! (I think) Anyways, great video as always! Love a good blast to the past.
Something I don't see most people think about is, how many people actually died in that Island's explosion? In so much media you see situations like this where Cities are destroyed or such but usually our protagonists just move on trying to stop the antagonists, Sonic and Co don't take a second to worry about the Island's destruction after it happens and the game moves on ignoring the possibly thousands dead. It's a weird thing in media I don't see adressed much, helicopters and cars explode everywhere with cities leveled and next to never do the characters question the implications of that, even in Shows like Avatar where they make a big deal on not killing one singular evil person yet they wipe out Tanks filled with people left and right. Then again on second thought considering this is the same game where they just shrug off and move on from the Moon being destroyed maybe that's a bigger concern barely addressed. Obviously they weren't intending to think about those things in the game but it's weird to see such major levels of destruction ignored more often than not 99% of the time. Just something I remembered that I find interesting to overthink.
Final Rush hit that brown note for me, just seeing the huge space colony, all those rails, the earth below me whilst listening to the kickass stage music and all of this on top of finally vanquishing Crazy Gadget... That level enshrined SA2 as one of my favorites.
I NEVER KNEW ABOUT THE DIVING PART AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH i cant believe im still learning stuff about this game. ive always rly wondered what every path through the levels would look like and these videos are such a great way to experience that. thank you zoomzike for my life
The best thing about these classic 3D Sonic stages is that they tell a compelling story. I really wish I could revisit these experiences on Switch, but there's sadly nothing.
Green Forest is legit my favorite stage in the game. The rush you get, and the storyline for why you are running forward and the music...everything about it is soooo good. And for a side note, I HAD NO IDEA YOU WERE SUPPOSED TO HOLD THE BUTTON! I always wondered what that balloon was doing there! XD
honestly with how much you were talking about the setting and urgency of the island blowing up i really hope you end up doing something similar with the final hazard boss fight considering all the dialogue from everyone aboard the ark. i always enjoy going back and checking it out, it’s such an intense and satisfying setting for the game’s climax. Stakes are hard to get higher than “giant satellite in space being steered into earth which will surely cause planetwide extinction if it collides” And that’s not even talking about how it subtly sets up what ends up happening to shadow at the end of the fight, with shadow worrying that he can’t maintain his super form while sonic notices and urges him to fall back. All that to say, I really enjoyed this video. great stuff!
I'm loving these adventure level videos, the Adventure games were always my favorites and these really express why that is for me, the developers really put a lot of effort and soul into these levels with the hidden pathways and overall build.
second video of yours i’ve seen now, love the content. the fact that your finish time on each level ends up matching the video length in both is such a neat touch. subscribed 👍🏾
You keep teaching me new things I haven't figured out after years and years of hundreds of playthroughs of this level. A button lets you get the balloon?
You teach me so much about this game that I didn’t already know. This is coming from somebody who A-Ranked Green Hill zone, and beat the main stories at least 3 times throughout my life. And somebody who very much enjoyed the multiplayer modes. And from somebody who played this game several times without actually beating it.
This was so interesting!! I really love your level analysis videos, they make me realize things I would've never thought about otherwise. Thank you so much for making them, I never even played any of the sonic games but this keeps me captivated, it's just so interesting to see what the designers all thought about and all those little details!
The timer adds a sense of hurry and rushing, even if it has no impact it only works in making you feel you have to hurry, even replaying this i still have a sense to rush and beat the stage
Honestly, your enthusiasm is contagious. This game was a standout from my childhood--it *was* my childhood and growing up after the fact seeing people peel it apart for being campy and whatever is one thing, but seeing you dissect what the appeal was in spite of those things warms my heart.
the best thing about green forest's song is how it is fast paced like, in all the other songs in the game, you can feel the speed sonic is running at, but this song, you can feel the rush in sonic to get out of there and save amy and tails, and it adds so much to this level
This stages song is one of my favourites in the entire series, my favourite detail is that the song is called "WONT STOP, JUST GO" which is everyones thoughts when first playing this level
@@vict01409 i love treasure hunting stages lmao. The way you have to think and use your hunter intuition is so cool. I often times turn the game on just to play Pumpkin hill and other hunting levels.
@@KOTEBANAROT oh, I almost forgot, I really love knuckle's and rouge part in the last stage, they are not exactly treasure hunting, but still, such a great stage for them
"You bet, the adrenaline is gonna be pumping on your first playthrough" 5 yo me: HOLY S**T THE ISLAND'S EXPLODING Honestly tho, this series is amazing, keep up the good work
Okay so i may repeat myself but, I would love a video about Lost World from Sonic Adventure and how it is great as a level design perspective with it's different sections, mixing action, puzzles and different atmospheres like, a desire of adventure, the fear of the unkown... A video with this topic would center avout the level for Sonic since it is more complete, but a passage about the Knuckles version of the stage would be nice. The level is also great when we think about lore. There's obviously the cutscene after the level and the paintings about perfect chaos, echdinas... but there's also the fact that the paintings were probably an inspiration for Gerald Robotnik for the creation of the Shadow Prototype, Biolizard. And, when we think about it, Robotnik's grandfather also may have stopped in front of the mural painting that we see in the fight versus Knuckles in S3K. The art show an antropomorphic hedgehog with quills pointing up and a yellow trail/aura, just as Shadow when he runs. And something i just realized while typing, the painting also pictures a giant face looking like Robotniks with arms holding the master emerald in space, which clearly predict Doomsday Zone, but also may have given yhe idea for Gerald Robotnik to create the Ark, which is in space and can use chaos energy :O. Wow when i talk about Sonic i talk a lot. Anyways it is sick how a level can make the Sonic's universe and lore this cohesive. I hope you will see my comment and like the idea. Great video like always
Ok...this game has some of the best level design in videogame history. Branching paths that are more rewarding to land then they are punishing to miss, little details, amazing/fitting sound tracks, the way the levels connect and help tell the story... each level really feels purposeful
I always found it interesting that the little conversation at the start takes place on a little island later in the level(with the wooden box it seems to be the bounce bracelet path one). You hear a beetle hum too. A bit odd if you figure it out since it’s quite far ahead, but I guess it makes sense it just picks a spot that looks closely enough to the boss stage if you don’t pay attention. Although perhaps an inaccessible patch of land would’ve been the most truthful.
![[Live สด] การออกรางวัลสลากกินแบ่งรัฐบาล งวดวันที่ 16 พฤศจิกายน 2567](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/wPd7VFfWHIA/mqdefault.jpg)
Just give us the 4 hour breakdown on every level in this game already
^ PLEASE
Pleaseee
Please
TRUE
THIS
Yeah the timer's not really that functional because anyone can beat this stage in less than eight minutes but combined with the music it really adds to the atmosphere. Also it's nice seeing someone appreciate all the little nooks and crannies in these stages, they have more secrets than most people realize.
the time limit in this stage is great because it's so lenient, its enough to pump up the first playthrough without being stressful. Unlike a certain other *"5 minutes should be plenty!"*
It was scary on my playthrough, but I can't play the game anymore. Dad took my brother's Xbox 360 away years ago. Brings back memories...
Hi cybershell :)))
@@FredCyber green forest and security hall should have switched timers...
You’re alive 🥺
One more little detail : At the end, when the ground is falling down, if you're fast enough to reach the highest spring, you are rewarded with a bigger bonus score. The lowest spring gives no bonus, the second give 200 pts, the next 500 pts, then 1000 pts and the highest giving you an awesome 2000 pts.
I noticed that as well
That transition from Green Forest to Metal Harbor at the beginning was GODlike
If that's godlike then what level is Michael Gondry?
Other way round, bro
I remember as a kid me, my brother and cousins were like "we gotta get all the little animals or they will not make it"
The fact that this level does set up a thrilling run for the end before it's too late
10:20 in all my 20 years I played this game I always wondered what those balloons were for, and now today two decades later I learn that if I held the A button Sonic does a dive 🤯
Same here man
I always thought that one balloon was what caused Sonic to go back up; kinda mind blowing that you're actually able to collect it after 20 years.
*"BLOWS UP?!"* - A hedgehog about to run for his life.
You werent supposed to hear that. Pretend he sayd nose up.
THERE GOES HAWAII
THE ISLAND IS GONE
This level has more tension than the entirety of Sonic Forces.
I mean
Your not wrong
A G R E E D
forces bad, upvotes to the left
(not that I'm disagreeing with that sentiment, but so help me it's been beaten into the ground)
I like Sonic Forces. I have fifty hours on the game, despite it being only two hours long. I only said it because, in addition to it being true, it would also get me the top comment.
Forces music doesn't sync up with Sonic landing.
Green Forest has always been one of my favorite levels in the game. Partly because of the actual level design and the atmosphere, but most of all, the music.
I could honestly watch you analyze every stage SA2 has to offer like this and know for sure that every single video would be a joy to watch and show everyone things they never even knew about, like the 2-Player mode paths and the other hidden areas were totally unknown to me and I played through the game multiple times over the years.
SAME
Sameee
Yeah the nerdgasming is real.
I'd be lying if I said I don't sympathize
I've played this game too many times to count, never knew you could hold A on the bungee vine to go lower.
0:05 Great Transition from green forest to metal harbor!
Yep, smooth af
Quick correction at 6:52 pointed out by DaSheepKiller, I correctly said the power-up is the "Ancient Light" but then allude to it being the Mystic Melody power-up instead of the light speed attack, my bad!
damn, that was fast
All is forgiven
Never realized how much fun the devs had making these levels. Loving your analyses
Recently Takashi Iizuka stated that the development of SA2 was one of the most fun.
Another ham person. Funky
I never realised just how much thought went into SA2's level design, I absolutely adored this game since I was a kid so it's fascinating to see it's suprisng depth picked apart and explained.
Definitely refreshing after the stupid counter culture idiots randomly deciding to pretend the game was never good as well, man am I sick of that crap.
But yeah, I'd love to see the rest looked at like this.
@@_-Lx-_ Between the camera and the non-sonic levels, even having never played it I can see why people didn't like it. I'll have to try it one day.
It‘s interesting to know that this stage was also the first one made, and that in SA1 there was a jungle level planned but scrapped, this stage was in the planning stages for a long time which shows.
You mean a level version of Mystic Ruins? Ooooh
I wonder if that sand sledding stage in SA1 was what they ended up on instead of this one. From what I remember it was pretty short compared to the other SA1 stages.
This era of games had a lot more hidden areas, secrets, and replayability.
As a kid, even though open world games weren't really a thing yet, I still felt like games had unlimited possible hidden secrets because of the optional power ups and hidden ruins that made platforms.
Exactly, it’s what makes me prefer Mario Galaxy over the open world and linear 3D Mario’s, it and it’s sequel, feel like they offer me enough space and sense of scaling, but not too open to the point it feels barren and relying on generic landscaping for movement
@@whydoievenbothertryingwith6679 That's a funny thing to say, considering that Mario Galaxy's levels have always felt more barren and repetitive than those from the open world Marios to me. For instance, if you explore around you in Mario 64 can find content and secrets in every nook and cranny. Do the same in Mario Galaxy and there isn't much to see or find outside of the main path.
I literally finished this level for the first time today (got the game yesterday) and it was freaking amazing. My blood was pumping so much, I love playing games blind
I guess there's a lot you could say about the Speed Stages in SA2, huh. They're all pretty great.
Edit: Most
Exept for the Pyramide and crazy Gadget.
I dont exactly what it is about the Pyramide but in crazy Gadget the last part is my cryptonite, i even manage to reguraly get softlocked there
@@LS9646 Pyramid Cave's actually my favourite. Don't have a particular reason for it though... I can't say it's a stand out stage.
Pyramid Cave doesn’t really stand out much, but it helps you get used to the Bounce Bracelet, has some cool paths, and has a good atmosphere.
final chase is shit imo
@@cumdungeon I think final chase is the third best action stage
Edit: I got it wrong, it's final rush
I do kinda wish that the timer was a little less lenient, but I still love this stage anyway. The music and visuals are awesome.
5 minutes would have been good enough, honestly
You mean…
“Five minutes should be plenty!”
Start the level then go to the restroom
Maybe I like to play SA2 in my bathroom, wise guy.
@@mcmistle9892 clearly youre doing it wrong
I like how you have more time to complete this stage as sonic than you do security hall as rouge.
They tell you why tho. Eggman tells her she needs to get the emeralds, with enough time to escape.
This level gives me so much nostalgia. Watching these makes me think that a new Sonic Adventure game could actually work well if done right.
Yeah, SA2 has so many little issues that a sequel could fix
6:00 also white jungle’s layout is still kinda there too!
6:57 light speed attack
7:35 I always found it interesting how the area here looks so similar to the platform sonic & shadow fought on, and as a kid thought oh crap sonic went the wrong way first and had to double back
I just really love this stage
Well in the cutscene as the stage starts, that’s DEFINITELY where they’re placed. You can tell by the robot and the platforms in the background of the cutscene, which were not present in the fight. They most likely did that to save on memory or processing power when loading the cutscene, but I do like your explanation too lol
It is the same platform they same platform they fought on, or atleast the platform they are standing on in the cutscene before the level begins. You can see it from the flying GUN bots that have their back turned to the platform.
Green Forest definitely gives me the runs
H A
EWWWW
...You might want to have that checked out.
"Have you ever had a moment in a video game where you felt like you were gonna crap yourself?"
Not only did that trigger Green Forest memories, but also my past experiences with Wario Land 4.
You're like the best person ever to breakdown SA2's game design and intentions, it's almost like if you can exactly put up in words what we feel without us even saying it before lol. Awesome job! Looking forward for more stages analysis or any SA2 content!
One of my favorite stages for the adrenaline factor alone, god I miss these types of on your feet scenarios
I never knew about the A holding on the vines! I always saw the balloon there and was like "What's the point of having this there if the vine doesn't send you far enough?"
The song in green forest is called "Won't stop, just go"
0:05 that transition from green forest to metal harbor was incredible!
Haha, right!? Clean AF.
Nothing in this game was scarier than the fucking beetle in egg quarters, not even the sudden timer.....
Ah i have a love/hate relationship whenever i see a time limit in a game. Weather that means an explosion that will wipe out the place you're currently on or otherwise someone is about to die. Its such a highly intense moment that keeps you on edge.
The mental effect time limits have on you during gameplay really does make you make mistakes that you maybe wouldnt have made otherwise since you would have the time to move on at your leisure
I wish I wouldn't get major anxiety over it cause for the life of me I can never finish Majora's Mask
Over the course of 1 weekend we got a ZoomZike sonic episode, a Summoning Salt Speed Run Progression, and. A John Bois Secret Base video, I don’t think that life could get any better than this😍
If we’re gonna keep on this track of analyzing SA2 levels, I’d like to see you analyze Iron Gate. I think it’s a really unique contrast to City Escape where you essentially go on an Eggman rampage to make up for the fact that you’re not that fast. It also gives the Dark story it’s own kind of kickstart that fits its side more. (being a destructive romp where you brazenly infiltrate a military compound as opposed to a free spirited escape from an unjust pursuit by that same military)
I’ve played this game 15 years ago and I have never known about “vine grinding”, time to play through this level again! Honestly I’ve never seen more than half of these secrets in this level.
Alright can’t wait for you to break down Terminal Velocity next week! (If you know the reference you’ll understand my assumption)
"I can think of 2 Sonic levels that do a great job at immersing you into the the conflict..."
@@trashgang_ there we go
@@trashgang_ What video is this from?
@@syweb2 It's from the only video where Zike critices a level instead of praising it.
Said level also comes from a bad game, unlike basically everything else ZoomZike analyzed.
7:35 The really funny thing about this section is that it's where the cutscene at the start of the level takes place and they didn't even try to hide it by despawning the enemies during the cutscene.
If you analysed every level in this game I wouldn’t even be mad, these videos are an absolute blast to watch
i love hearing zike geek out about sonic levels, or mario party, or ace attorney, or literally anything.
I'd love to see analysis videos on some shooting and hunting stages, particularly Iron Gate in how it introduces the Dark Side story, and Security Hall if only because it's my favorite hunting stage.
That's something to consider since utmost every stage has a parallel that mirrors the goal of that player character. This emphasizes the overall theme of SA2: duality.
I remember playing green forest for the first time and I legit reacted to eggman saying the island will blow up just like sonic at the same time. The entirety of the stage my mind was thinking a single thing. I was repetedly thinking "Oh shit I gotta finish this as fast as I can"
And they said videogames can't give someone PTSD
I like how he sounds happy each time. Encouraged me to watch more of his videos, and made me smile
I remember watching this as a kid, the music blaring, the timer going. I was so excited for more action, and once I beat it, I was ready for more!..then Pumpkin Hill.
The track for Green Forrest is even called "Don't stop, just go!"
PLEASE make the titles of these videos get more and more unhinged with each new release
The way the "Blows Up!?!" cutscene plays inside of the level is super clever. It means they can start the level immediately after you learn about the bombs, without needing to waste time waiting on a loading screen.
By the way, the music only syncs with Sonic landing if you load it from mission mode. When you play it in story mode, it syncs with Shadow running away in the cutscene instead. Both ways feel very deliberate.
Fantastic point!
I love that level's background music.
Well those double arrows are actually supposed to indicate the hidden animal whistle spot, it's done earlier in the level too. But clever thinking I only ever found the lower area after falling by accident one time.
It's possible, but I personally don't think this is the case. A lot of arrows can be found in the battle mode, and they each point you towards different paths, which is what I feel was being done here.
Well they do it before that area aswell with those specifically small arrows and both have an animal in the bush pointed to, but I guess it does also point to the hidden area
Another amazing video green forest is definitely one of my favorites! The music is incredible aswell
That transition in the beginning from Green Forest to Metal Harbor tho
I've always appreciated how this stage contrasts with White Jungle
I just can't figure out why they were never able to make another Sonic game as good as SA2.
It’s because they had to develop games that were multi platform after that, and had to scrap the Dreamcast adventure engine and constantly work on hardware for multiple consoles at once which meant less refine and polish.
@@calistusjay60 I wonder how the fact that I played the Gamecube version factors into that.
@@TheDisarminghinkle Remastering a game already developed on a Dreamcast is different to making a game specifically for multiple platforms. It affects design decisions.
@@calistusjay60 So, what's the excuse for the Sonic Boom games?
@@TheDisarminghinkle Nintendo exclusivity deal forced the team to start the game from scratch 5 months away from deadline
6:57 You're confusing Ancient Light for Mystic Melody. Ancient Light allows Sonic to perform the Light Speed Attack, which uses a fully charged spin dash to attack multiple enemies at once. Mystic Melody is located in Final Rush.
I've played this game 50 million times, and I didn't find half of this stuff.
I need to check out your other videos. Your palpable joy when you talk about this game you love is intoxicating😃
Welcome one and all Max0r here with the involuntary Speed Run of um, uh, The FOREST
I’ve played this stage so much and those ring boxes that are hidden by that arrow you mentioned I never knew about till watching this. Great video!!
Something I feel that can definitely be added to the video is how cleverly some of the animals are placed and hidden whistle spots! I love your videos and hope to see you eventually analyze every SA2 level!!!!!
zoomzike is virtually the only youtuber i've seen who gives a REALLY strong case for SA2 being good. i also love the capstone for this video done at 11:56. this is a really good series on how to make levels with soul
In all fairness, most people (even those that dislike SA2) like the speed stages. I'd have more of a difficult time trying to convince people of the other ones. I'm glad you enjoyed it!
The forest levels are BY FAR my favourites as I just love the details and just the fact it’s in a forest, especially the shadow one
I really appreciate you having the level timer at the end match the length of the video.
this guy does not rest
This level won’t let you either
I love these analysis videos, I've played these stages hundreds of times, and these videos make me appreciate them even more. I'm always learning something new since some of the goodies are off the main path/best path
Please make more of such videos. I absolutely love these
2:53 That’s a HUUUUUGE stretch.
Holy shit that transition right from the get go. Easy sub. Loved this game.
Noo you forgot to mention that the "hard" difficulty of this level reduces the timer to 3 minutes! (I think)
Anyways, great video as always! Love a good blast to the past.
4:40
When you land on the top path, keep going the way you're facing and jump off! You'll land on the lower path.
you're making me appreciate one of my childhood favorite games more and more, i really hope you continue with these sorts of videos!
Something I don't see most people think about is, how many people actually died in that Island's explosion?
In so much media you see situations like this where Cities are destroyed or such but usually our protagonists just move on trying to stop the antagonists, Sonic and Co don't take a second to worry about the Island's destruction after it happens and the game moves on ignoring the possibly thousands dead.
It's a weird thing in media I don't see adressed much, helicopters and cars explode everywhere with cities leveled and next to never do the characters question the implications of that, even in Shows like Avatar where they make a big deal on not killing one singular evil person yet they wipe out Tanks filled with people left and right.
Then again on second thought considering this is the same game where they just shrug off and move on from the Moon being destroyed maybe that's a bigger concern barely addressed.
Obviously they weren't intending to think about those things in the game but it's weird to see such major levels of destruction ignored more often than not 99% of the time.
Just something I remembered that I find interesting to overthink.
Really have been enjoying these short analysis videos of Sonic stages so far!
Final Rush hit that brown note for me, just seeing the huge space colony, all those rails, the earth below me whilst listening to the kickass stage music and all of this on top of finally vanquishing Crazy Gadget... That level enshrined SA2 as one of my favorites.
I NEVER KNEW ABOUT THE DIVING PART AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH i cant believe im still learning stuff about this game. ive always rly wondered what every path through the levels would look like and these videos are such a great way to experience that. thank you zoomzike for my life
Oh wow, new Zike video! Let's see what it's abou-
...Nice title my dude lmao
You can feel the sheer passion of the guy for this one level.
I'm glad you mentioned that vine segment. I think the new radar for the hunting stages was also a multiplayer concession
The best thing about these classic 3D Sonic stages is that they tell a compelling story. I really wish I could revisit these experiences on Switch, but there's sadly nothing.
Yeah hopefully one day the remaster the adventure games for switch!!
Green Forest is legit my favorite stage in the game. The rush you get, and the storyline for why you are running forward and the music...everything about it is soooo good.
And for a side note, I HAD NO IDEA YOU WERE SUPPOSED TO HOLD THE BUTTON! I always wondered what that balloon was doing there! XD
I played this game when I was like 5, so when this level started, I almost started crying due to the stress the timer gave me.
That Green Forest-Metal Harbor transition at the beginning was P-perfect.
honestly with how much you were talking about the setting and urgency of the island blowing up i really hope you end up doing something similar with the final hazard boss fight considering all the dialogue from everyone aboard the ark. i always enjoy going back and checking it out, it’s such an intense and satisfying setting for the game’s climax. Stakes are hard to get higher than “giant satellite in space being steered into earth which will surely cause planetwide extinction if it collides” And that’s not even talking about how it subtly sets up what ends up happening to shadow at the end of the fight, with shadow worrying that he can’t maintain his super form while sonic notices and urges him to fall back. All that to say, I really enjoyed this video. great stuff!
Thanks for all the kind words!
I'm loving these adventure level videos, the Adventure games were always my favorites and these really express why that is for me, the developers really put a lot of effort and soul into these levels with the hidden pathways and overall build.
second video of yours i’ve seen now, love the content. the fact that your finish time on each level ends up matching the video length in both is such a neat touch. subscribed 👍🏾
Honestly you made this game even better , these little details just make the game even more awesome.
You keep teaching me new things I haven't figured out after years and years of hundreds of playthroughs of this level. A button lets you get the balloon?
How was anyone supposed to know that ?
You teach me so much about this game that I didn’t already know. This is coming from somebody who A-Ranked Green Hill zone, and beat the main stories at least 3 times throughout my life. And somebody who very much enjoyed the multiplayer modes. And from somebody who played this game several times without actually beating it.
This was so interesting!! I really love your level analysis videos, they make me realize things I would've never thought about otherwise. Thank you so much for making them, I never even played any of the sonic games but this keeps me captivated, it's just so interesting to see what the designers all thought about and all those little details!
The timer adds a sense of hurry and rushing, even if it has no impact it only works in making you feel you have to hurry, even replaying this i still have a sense to rush and beat the stage
Honestly, your enthusiasm is contagious. This game was a standout from my childhood--it *was* my childhood and growing up after the fact seeing people peel it apart for being campy and whatever is one thing, but seeing you dissect what the appeal was in spite of those things warms my heart.
the best thing about green forest's song is how it is fast paced
like, in all the other songs in the game, you can feel the speed sonic is running at, but this song, you can feel the rush in sonic to get out of there and save amy and tails, and it adds so much to this level
Honestly, I didn't even notice the timer because I was too busy speeding to that absolute banger of a song this stage has
This stages song is one of my favourites in the entire series, my favourite detail is that the song is called "WONT STOP, JUST GO" which is everyones thoughts when first playing this level
I've been playing this game since it launched on dreamcast and with every video you put out you teach me something new! Thank you! Great work!
I love these SA2 analysis videos! (Although eventually, you’re gonna make a vid of every Speed stage in the game at the pace you’re going)
I hope he makes videos about the mecha stages, those are my favorites
@@vict01409 i love treasure hunting stages lmao. The way you have to think and use your hunter intuition is so cool. I often times turn the game on just to play Pumpkin hill and other hunting levels.
@@KOTEBANAROT I like the treasure stages but not as much, except for knuckles's last one and pumpkin hill, I love those
@@KOTEBANAROT oh, I almost forgot, I really love knuckle's and rouge part in the last stage, they are not exactly treasure hunting, but still, such a great stage for them
"You bet, the adrenaline is gonna be pumping on your first playthrough"
5 yo me: HOLY S**T THE ISLAND'S EXPLODING
Honestly tho, this series is amazing, keep up the good work
Okay so i may repeat myself but,
I would love a video about Lost World from Sonic Adventure and how it is great as a level design perspective with it's different sections, mixing action, puzzles and different atmospheres like, a desire of adventure, the fear of the unkown... A video with this topic would center avout the level for Sonic since it is more complete, but a passage about the Knuckles version of the stage would be nice. The level is also great when we think about lore. There's obviously the cutscene after the level and the paintings about perfect chaos, echdinas... but there's also the fact that the paintings were probably an inspiration for Gerald Robotnik for the creation of the Shadow Prototype, Biolizard. And, when we think about it, Robotnik's grandfather also may have stopped in front of the mural painting that we see in the fight versus Knuckles in S3K. The art show an antropomorphic hedgehog with quills pointing up and a yellow trail/aura, just as Shadow when he runs. And something i just realized while typing, the painting also pictures a giant face looking like Robotniks with arms holding the master emerald in space, which clearly predict Doomsday Zone, but also may have given yhe idea for Gerald Robotnik to create the Ark, which is in space and can use chaos energy :O. Wow when i talk about Sonic i talk a lot. Anyways it is sick how a level can make the Sonic's universe and lore this cohesive. I hope you will see my comment and like the idea.
Great video like always
Green Forest was always fun to run through and is one of the highlights of the Hero Side Story
Holy I did NOT catch some of these growing up. Crazy how much they put into this O_O
Ok...this game has some of the best level design in videogame history. Branching paths that are more rewarding to land then they are punishing to miss, little details, amazing/fitting sound tracks, the way the levels connect and help tell the story... each level really feels purposeful
Forest? More like giant explosive jungle with polkadots
I always found it interesting that the little conversation at the start takes place on a little island later in the level(with the wooden box it seems to be the bounce bracelet path one). You hear a beetle hum too.
A bit odd if you figure it out since it’s quite far ahead, but I guess it makes sense it just picks a spot that looks closely enough to the boss stage if you don’t pay attention. Although perhaps an inaccessible patch of land would’ve been the most truthful.