Every Classic Sonic Zone Ranked from WORST to BEST

Let's rank all 40 stages from Sonic 1, CD, 2, 3 & Knuckles and Mania! There are some real stinkers at the bottom. #SonicTheHedgehog #Sonic #SonicSuperstars
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Sonic the Hedgehog[a] is a Japanese video game series and media franchise created by Yuji Naka, Naoto Ohshima, and Hirokazu Yasuhara for Sega. The franchise follows Sonic, an anthropomorphic blue hedgehog who battles the evil Doctor Eggman, a mad scientist. The main Sonic the Hedgehog games are platformers mostly developed by Sonic Team; other games, developed by various studios, include spin-offs in the racing, fighting, party and sports genres. The franchise also incorporates printed media, animations, feature films, and merchandise.
Naka, Ohshima, and Yasuhara developed the first Sonic game, released in 1991 for the Sega Genesis, to provide Sega with a mascot to compete with Nintendo's Mario. Its success helped Sega become one of the leading video game companies during the fourth generation of video game consoles in the early 1990s. Sega Technical Institute developed the next three Sonic games, plus the spin-off Sonic Spinball (1993). A number of Sonic games were also developed for Sega's 8-bit consoles, the Master System and Game Gear. After a hiatus during the unsuccessful Saturn era, the first major 3D Sonic game, Sonic Adventure, was released in 1998 for the Dreamcast. Sega exited the console market and shifted to third-party development in 2001, continuing the series on Nintendo, Xbox, and PlayStation systems.
While Sonic games often have unique game mechanics and stories, they feature recurring elements such as the ring-based health system, level locales, and fast-paced gameplay. Games typically feature Sonic setting out to stop Eggman's schemes for world domination, and the player navigates levels that include springs, slopes, bottomless pits, and vertical loops. Later games added a large cast of characters; some, such as Miles "Tails" Prower, Knuckles the Echidna, and Shadow the Hedgehog, have starred in spin-offs. The franchise has crossed over with other video game franchises in games such as Mario & Sonic, Sega All-Stars, and Super Smash Bros.
Sonic the Hedgehog is Sega's flagship franchise and one of the bestselling video game franchises, selling over 140 million units by 2016 and grossing over $5 billion as of 2014. Series sales and free-to-play mobile game downloads totaled 1.5 billion as of 2022. The Genesis Sonic games have been described as representative of the culture of the 1990s and listed among the greatest of all time. Although later games, notably the 2006 series reboot, received poorer reviews, Sonic is influential in the video game industry and is frequently referenced in popular culture. The franchise is known for its fandom that produces unofficial media, such as fan art and fangames.

[@ChannelPup]

Music: Tee Lopes '12 remixes: kzbin.info/www/bejne/m3W8YZ6Qna9jjck Sonic 2 HD OST Tee Lopes: kzbin.info/www/bejne/jIPNeYBurM6HmMk Sonic 2 HD OST Toni Leys: kzbin.info/aero/PLs32wOK-XZhZpLZrWNnxFiRPy3mdc3Ann Metropolis Zone by Tweaker: kzbin.info/www/bejne/raHRlGdqiMlsbMk Sky Chase by Dr Reverbnik: kzbin.info/www/bejne/rZDOdYFmf8Z9i8U Wing Fortress by Blake Robinson: kzbin.info/www/bejne/pH-zeoaqr95qkNE Project Chaos Album (used for S3K stages): ocremix.org/album/9/sonic-3-and-knuckles-project-chaos

[@benjamink.crowley4889]

Bruh. Quartz Quadrant is my favorite stage in Classic Sonic. I love the stage so much.

[@mistersp3753]

Yeah, I really like Quartz Quadrant. It's straightforward on the bottom, but the upper sections offer some great platforming.

[@keeby4]

Most underrated sonic level imo

[@undknuckles2856]

Its pretty good i agree

[@SonicTheCutehog]

Same here

[@kingkreal4409]

Best level in cd definitely better than Collision Chaos and Stardust Speedway

[@SubsonicSparkle]

My mind is blown that Quartz Quadrant is so low! That’s an easy top 5 for me. The appeal is the INSANE amount of routing options and how many awesome ways there are to utilise the level gimmicks to get to the past. The robot generators are the most elegantly implemented of any in CD and the theming throughout all the time zones is some of the most rich and detailed in all of Classic Sonic. And the music, gamers, THE MUSIC 🔥🔥🔥 One thing I loved about this video was the 5 seconds we had to guess which zone was coming up based on the soundtrack covers. Very cleverly done lol.

[@TempoKong]

I know Sonic music are generally great, but this achieves to be my favorite song of the series

[@frostbite3357]

I know! I feel like all of the Sonic CD levels were a bit low. It took the creativity from Sonic 1 and dialed it up to 11. The rich backgrounds ooze vibrance and beauty from every pixel. The music (at least from JP, but I like the US tracks too) hit so many emotions and brings the vibrancy of the colors directly into your ears. That’s why it’s my favorite game in the entire franchise.

[@Eric_Black134]

You know what my problem is with every Sonic game's soundtrack? Super Sonic has his own theme that cuts over the level theme. I really realized this during my playthrough of Mania. After the level I unlocked him in, I usually tend to avoid using it for anything but boss fights.

[@Galamoth06]

You're absolutely right. There should really be an option to turn off super music, like I'm sure there is in the fan-made versions. The stage themes are a huge part of the experience of the games; being forced to listen to the same short invincibility jingle on a loop almost feels like punishment for using super forms. It doesn't help that the super theme in Origins is terrible, either.

[@CannedDepression]

​@@Galamoth06You can do it in mania i believe

[@_Phiqx_]

I know, I have this same problem and I have an idea to fix it. Instead of having his own little theme, why not remix the original levels theme?

[@lukielbonifacio]

Quartz quadrant fan here! I think the music is amazing, the level looks beautiful and even if the gimmicks aren't that interesting I find it cool how when you get good the level becomes one big, extremely fun obstacle course you can beat in under a minute (counting both acts)

[@crustykeycap5670]

Quartz Quadrant is one of my favorite Sonic Stages for the reasons you describe. Also the past and future music is really good and the stages are fun to explore because they're multiple environments.

[@turb0717]

best stage to me actually the only one i take my time in just for the music

[@lukielbonifacio]

@@turb0717 yeah, quartz quadrant and stardust speedway have some of the best music in the entire franchise imo

[@Pirate_Knight27]

Would you believe Marble Zone is my favorite level in Sonic 1? The great aestetic, catchy music, And challenging platforming really make it stand out for me. I tend to like the plarforming and exploration aspect of Sonic games rather than the speed, so that probably explains it. Great video, btw! Always a joy to see what other people enjoy out of these amazing collection of zones!

[@thatoneguy1232]

Marble also has speed. Very underrated speed. There are sections where you are forced to ride slow moving blocks, but there are probably more sections where you can speed through platforming segments. It’s really good. And of course it has secrets and shortcuts. Multiple paths. It really is a solid Sonic level

[@frostbite3357]

I agree, Marble Zone is underrated. There’s so much creativity, and I feel that it’s one of more well done puzzle stages in all of Sonic. It also has a calm yet slightly eerie atmosphere that I love so much. In my opinion it’s one of the stand out stages in Sonic 1, because of how different it is from everything else.

[@AllyAndAlly]

I AGREE I LOVE MARBLE ZONE! It’s easily one of my favorite Sonic Zones.

[@clairehislop5873]

I like marble zone as well, the music is great & i love the design

[@JLTruRodYT]

Marble and Star Light.

[@hydrocityshark]

My favorite classic stage (stage in general) is Lava Reef. It’s a great final challenge that preps you for your fight with Knuckles. It also houses the hidden palace and master emerald.

[@Far2Sega4U]

Im going to name my child Lava Reef Zone tbh

[@AccelerateHedge]

Finally, someone like me.

[@thetruej7872]

Angel Island, Casino Night, Mirage Saloon, and Mushroom Hill are my favorite zones

[@nilkaamaro9785]

Emerald hill zone is so nostalgic to my opinion.

[@thatoneguy1232]

Condensed version of my Zones list so it’s easier to read: D Tier- 36. Sky Chase 35. Wacky Workbench 34. Scrap Brain 33. Metropolis C Tier- 32. Sandopolis 31. Labyrinth 30. Metallic Madness 29. Wing Fortress B Tier- 28. Marble 27. Marble Garden 26. Tidal Tempest 25. Spring Yard 24. Hill Top 23. Carnival Night 22. Collision Chaos 21. Casino Night A Tier- 20. Death Egg 19. Lava Reef 18. Aquatic Ruin 17. Hidden Palace 16. Ice Cap 15. Quartz Quadrant 14. Palmtree Panic 13. Oil Ocean 12. Launch Base 11. Emerald Hill 10. Mushroom Hill S Tier- 09. Starlight 08. Flying Battery 07. Stardust Speedway 06. Sky Sanctuary 05. Angel Island 04. Green Hill 03. Mystic Cave 02. Chemical Plant 01. Hydrocity

[@spence8507]

Great ranking! I think Wing Fortress should switch places with Marble Zone, but besides that it's a really good ranking.

[@MilesReset]

I hate Hydrocity

[@chaosspider5765]

@@MilesReset ok attention seeker

[@theblueblur17]

Nice ranking!

[@thetruej7872]

That's a really good ranking

[@EduardoRato420]

I'm always baffled for how you're able to pump out the amount videos of insane lenght in this amount of time

[@jothamsalifu9053]

100% agree. And they're all such enjoyable videos too

[@Ashly-28]

Exactly it's crazy

[@killmydread]

It’s basically his job so he kind of has too

[@clasherinotheone5249]

I am a Quarz Quadrant fan I love the zone and the soundtrack

[@evanhackler9876]

In my opinion, I think labyrinth zone’s cheap traps kind of fit with the theme of it being an ancient ruin and in my brain I think that the traps were installed by whatever ancient civilization built labyrinth created those traps to Deter away any intruders.

[@dip.918]

I only realized a few months ago that the huge "ramp" at the start of Palmtree Panic is actually a massive loop with a ramp on the other side only seen from behind Sonic, because the level flips upside-down momentarily.

[@andiekatamari]

Sky Chase is like. worse than a Mario 3 autoscroller because if you stim too hard (spindash, run around) while waiting, you can actually outpace the plane and fall off. At least in a regular autoscroller level it feels more like it's your fault when you die from fucking around

[@elecspark]

Links to all the covers?

[@shaankelly1302]

Loving all the ranking videos yoube been doing lately and the longer analysis videos on sonic things. Your content is on a whole nother level this past year. And i liked your content before but the more in depth analysis is always my jam espcially when ranking videos are long bc you go over each zone and give analysis about it. Love it. Keep up the good work my dude. Naturally i disagree with a lot. I like Metropolis. A little cheap sure but i like the challenge of it when its not being cheap. Also Labyrnith i quite like too. It takes a lot of runs to aprpeciate it but there is always a shortcut to get through each act in about 2 mins or so and i love the music for both Metropolis and Labyrnith. Also to answer your question Quartz Quadrant is my fav Sonic CD zone. Im a weird sonic fan. Also Hilltop is my fav Sonic 2 level lol. Love being up in the mountains and all that and the level design is really good. But for most of your bottom 10 i agree. Mostly just disagreeing on where we would place the good zones we both like. Finally someone agreeing Marble is the worst Sonic 1 level. Also Starlight is my fav Sonic 1 level by a wide margain #28?! Harsh man lol. So 3 of my fav levels are in your bottom 12 lol. Which is fine its interesting seeing different rankings and stuff. We disagree on a lot lol but ultimately basically like the same levels as i feel everything ranked 29 or higher are all solid to very good zones. Basically my favorite zones from each game. Sonic 1 - Starlight. Sonic 2 - Hilltop Sonic 3 - Marble Garden S&K - Mushroom Hill Sonic CD - Quartz Quadrant Mania - Press Garden

[@KingCharlesssII]

Finally someone shares my weird taste in sonic levels

[@joewilliams-un8vu]

I like the hints that tease the next zone on the number by using a remix of that zone’s music

[@mistersp3753]

Metropolis isn't that bad. Just get good. It certainly has its problems, but there are some fun gimmicks, and it's the only level in Sonic 2 with legitimately challenging platforming. After playing so many easy, linear levels, I welcome the added challenge.

[@spence8507]

It's not really about skill, it's just bad enemy and lava placement. Also running up those annoying screws is really annoying. Scrap Brain is way worse though.

[@mistersp3753]

@@spence8507 Metropolis is better than a few levels. I'd still put it in the 30s, but it doesn't deserve the bottom spot.

[@spence8507]

@@mistersp3753 I agree

[@Arkthus]

Also it's hard for a reason, it's near the end.

[@frostbite3357]

I kinda agree. When I first played through the levels I only died once or twice (one was because I didn’t know there would be a moving platform right before the boss and ran off the edge). Was it semi annoying with the enemy placement, a little, but I feel that it made me manage my speed a bit more. As long as you’re not blazing through then the level ain’t that bad.

[@tikihead94]

Unpopular opinion: I enjoy Metropolis Zone. It has it pit falls sure but worse stage no. It's in the top half for me but I don't blame anyone putting it in the 30s

[@Far2Sega4U]

Metropolis Zone from the start😭😭😭 Damn this was my favorite zone from Sonic 2 when I was 5

[@AllyAndAlly]

Don’t worry I also love Metropolis zone. I really don’t hate any Sonic 2 zones. Also I got kinda sad too bec Marble Zone is my favorite zone from Sonic 1.

[@Far2Sega4U]

@@AllyAndAlly Yeah Marble Zone is not bad either. Especially when you learn all the shortcuts

[@clairehislop5873]

​@@AllyAndAllyi feel the excatly the same, the music for both levels are awesome

[@fanOfMinecraft-UAs_channel]

I don't think that it should be the last place, but you're literally insane. The only redeeming quality it has is an ABSOLUTELY GREAT music. I would still place it in bottom 10

[@mr.pawstoons6003]

Fr screw the caterkillers, especially the big ones from the modern games🤣🤣

[@tailsthefox53]

Amazing video and you never disappoint us with sonic content.

[@bluetoyguy2022]

i'm pretty sure quartz quadrant IS filler. sonic CD's zones are mildly based off of sonic 1's. PP: green hill CC: spring yard TT: labyrinth and so on. but they removed CD's version of marble zone, and had to make a NEW zone to compensate. so yeah, as far as i know, this it true.

[@codygratias9780]

Love your choice in remixes!

[@HollowLeif]

Quartz Quadrant is peak lmao, also the music is like top five in the series

[@Moonlight_Soyuz]

Obligatory comment that 2P Mystic Cave is ABSOLUTELY the intended music for Hidden Palace. The so-called "Hidden Palace" song only features in a corrupted broken version of the level in the final game. EVERY prototype where the level is playable uses 2P Mystic Cave.

[@sanicmaniac]

5:45 I got it. Green Hill, Spring Yard, Marble, Star Light, Labyrinth, Scrap Brain.

[@bluebellsforever]

I never knew that hil top was actually the backround for emerald hill. Also, where did you get the music ?! It sounds awsome !

[@MilesReset]

The artists where the music came from are in the beggining of the video.

[@chaosspider5765]

the music is various remixes of the original music from the games, a lot of the sonic 3 music he used was from an album called Project Chaos.

[@josephfox1710]

i am a flying battery enjoyer

[@jagerzaku9160]

Quartz Quadrant is my favourite CD stage, it’s so comfy!

[@ominouspigeonmaster1571]

I think Im the only sonic fan who likes Metropolis zone x)

[@niwi7642]

We're 2! :D

[@CannedDepression]

3! Kind of

[@SloansDroneZone]

Putting QQZ so low on this list should be a crime.

[@ice_popzz6623]

Enjoying the list so far

[@gavinisback]

FINALLY someone puts Metropolis Zone lower than Labryinth.

[@thatoneguy1232]

I wanna try my hand at this. It’ll be a long one. Part 2 in replies: D tier: 36. Sky Chase Zone • This zone is a boring drag and slows Sonic 2 to a screeching halt. No matter what you do, how many times you get hit, how many badniks popped, now many rings collected, you will NEVER speed this up. Good music tho. 35. Scrap Brain Zone • I hate Scrap Brain. It is easily one of the worst zones ever. I don’t mind the palette or even the music. I just hate the design. I mean, from the very beginning of the first act there’s a trap floor with a bottomless pit…who did this and why? Then we get Labyrinth act 4 for no reason. And I don’t even mind Labyrinth that much! 34. Metropolis Zone • This zone is the ONLY bad Sonic 2 zone. Well, only bad full zone. I know I put Sky Chase below. The enemy placement is the worst it’s ever been in any game ever. The badniks are the most annoying of any badnik ever. Thankfully any player should be able to have Super Sonic before this point to even the playing field imo. Especially with modern versions of the game. You should have Super Sonic before Oil Ocean at least and that’s when you aren’t going out of your way to get the emeralds at every checkpoint. Also the boss is boring. Music is fine tho. C tier: 33. Wacky Workbench Zone • This zone is annoying. I love the music and especially the goofy past version of it(haven’t heard the US track in a while but lets be honest the JP track is better in every single way and is more so the canon/main version of the sound of CD. US track isn’t bad tho). Anyways, the music is all this zone has. Annoying hazards, dumb gimmick, boss isn’t hard but it’s boring. Hate this place. And don’t get started on the generators! Sure, I know where they are. But new players will probably never find them ever. And doing the special stage probably will be hard too considering it’s hard to keep your rings here. 32. Sandopolis Zone • love the music. Love the aesthetic. But man it goes on for so long. This is tedium to the max. And we all know how much we love slow stop and wait sections in Sonic! The bosses are also ehh. The rock golem thing was interesting tho. I can appreciate an attempt at a unique fight. 31. Labyrinth Zone • The music is good. This zone isn’t that bad. The only thing is that it’s really slow and I guess there’s some poor enemy placement in the beginning. I find it decently challenging and like, you can get by these zones pretty fast. But most of it is underwater which is very slow. The spin dash and drop dash are useful for this purpose but use it sparingly because there’s a lot of hazards that will hurt you. And the end is not too bad if you don’t try to blow by it 30. Metallic Madness Zone • This is a fine zone if it wasn’t so maze like. There are times where the zone will mess with you by trapping you out of your progress if you got a little too curious and backtracked. We all know that part. And it’s hard looking for the generators. This is the only zone where I get time outs. The music is great tho. I love the music and it makes the time running out kind of exciting. Can’t explain it. 29. Wing Fortress Zone • This Zone is just dull, but it’s not hard and it’s not too bad. Just very very dull which to some might be an even worse crime for a Sonic game. You can skip over some of the level’s lame platforming and that’s without doing the whole invincible frames thing. If you are Super Sonic/Knuckles or Tails, you can actually skip more of this zone. The boss is fine. Super easy you’re Tails who can beat it before the platforms even come out. B tier: 28. Marble Zone • The music and visuals are good as usual. There’s some genuinely fun platforming and rewarding exploration. The only issue is some parts are slow with the moving blocks and there’s one part in act 3 I thing that is super punishing. Boss is fine if a bit easy. Decent zone. 27. Marble Garden Zone • This zone has underrated music. I love it. It’s fast paced which is good. There’s just some sections where you can get whacked by unseen obstacles and the drill top thing is kinda clunky but it’s whatever. The boss is fine unless you’re Tails alone. Pretty good. 26. Tidal Tempest Zone • This is a pretty good zone and unlike Labyrinth, you can actually run here lol. This is one of the only zones where I prefer the US versions of the track(the other isn’t a zone but it’s Sonic Boom). I like that funky r&b soul sounding melody or whatever. I’m no music buff. I just really like it. It’s not bad to explore, it’s not bad to speed through. It’s a decent little zone that’s like Labyrinth but done better. Even the boss have a chase sequence but they spice it up and the finale with bubbles and dodging the little beams. It’s neat. 25. Spring Yard Zone • Again, music is amazing and the palette is amazing. The first of these carnival/casino type zones and I think its aright. The the blocks are kind of boring to sit through but it’s not awful. A pretty decent zone. And the boss is one of the more unique. I actually like it. 24. Hill Top Zone • This zone is alright as with all these b tier zones. I don’t have much to say about it other than I enjoy it. Probably the epitome of b tier tho. 23. Carnival Night Zone • There’s going to be a theme with this tier of zones lol. Here’s Casino Night. A pretty fun zone to play through. I like it and that barrel is blown way out of proportion. Not that hard to figure out. I never got stuck on it. Just experiment. I loved the music to this zone but it’s since been replaced by a version of its proto music and I think it’s fine. Obviously it won’t be as good as the MJ tracks, but it’s fine. Casino Night definitely got the best track of any of the three that were replaced. 22. Collision Chaos Zone • Like all these types of zones, it can be annoying with all the bumpers and springs sending you all over the place. And this has those dumb glass orbs. But it’s not bad. The zone is pretty, great music, and fun to traverse when you can control yourself. The generators aren’t placed horribly so exploring isn’t an issue. The boss is annoying but not hard. 21. Casino Night Zone • Like the last three of these kinds of zones, this zone has the same strengths and weaknesses except this one has the most fun boss fight. That’s all haha.

[@thatoneguy1232]

A tier: 20. Death Egg Zone • This is how you do a final zone! It’s fast paced, challenging, and fun! There are some tedious moments like those light things but they aren’t too bad. The Music is top tier. It’s a very good zone. Also the bosses aren’t that bad. 19. Lava Reef Zone • This is very fun zone. I don’t have much to say about it but that isn’t a bad thing. I will say I love that transition from the the steaming red to the cool blue. It’s a joy. 18. Aquatic Ruin Zone • This zone is very fun to play through. The first act goes by pretty fast but the second one is where it’s gets interesting. I like the water route and the top route! Haven’t been through the middle route admittedly. But the bottom and top paths are very fun and fast paced. Just watch out for the arrows at one point if you’re under water. I also like the boss. It isn’t amazing but it’s unique and not tedious. And the music, palette, all that is good. We know this by now😂 17. Hidden Palace Zone • This is a greatly designed zone. Now, I admittedly don’t know the other routes. I only play through one path😅. I know there’s the water part with those jellyfish badniks but I never see them. The boss is more of a waiting game but you can breeze through it with Super Sonic which any player over the age of 8 should have by this point especially with the ability to restart special stages and with the in general abundance of checkpoints in every zone. Also is there a story reason for this zone? Because I have a head canon where this zone is just a fake Hidden Palace made to distract people from the real Hidden Palace 😂 16. Ice Cap Zone • This zone is really cool(haha). This is one I don’t have much to say again. It’s just very fun. The music I will miss a lot. Hard Times is this zone’s music. The new one is ok I guess. It’s the second best of the new ones imo. The only think I don’t like really is that it just doesn’t go with the opening. Can’t explain it but the opening of the original track goes with that snowboarding cinematic. The new one just doesn’t fit it. Maybe it’s just me. The rest of it is alright. 15. Quartz Quadrant Zone • This is one of my favorite zones to speed through. It’s so fun. The generators aren’t even that hidden. You can just bump into them by complete accident lol. The boss leaves a lot to be desired. It’s very unique and interesting but man is there a lack of gameplay with it. I wish you could at least make it go faster if one was able to pull off a peel out or spin dash. The boss isn’t that great, but the rest of the zone is. 14. Palmtree Panic Zone • This is a good starting. It’s very fun as with all neo-Green Hills as they call it I guess. Again, not much to say other than it’s very fun. It’s the perfect zone to speed through, explore in, get used to the time travel, peel out, the weird nerfed spin dash. 13. Oil Ocean Zone • I’ll probably get some flack for this, but I love Oil Ocean. This is one of those zones where I only take one route tho lol. I’m not familiar with all of what this zone has to offer but I do experience is a fun, fast paced, decently challenging platforming level. There are shortcuts, alt pathways, everything! The badniks never gave me trouble outside the very beginning of act 2. I never get hit outside of that opening. The zone gets hate but I’ve never understood it. The boss is alright. Nothing too crazy or difficult but it goes a little slow with the beam thing. Also the music and palette are great. Great designed zone. 12. Launch Base Zone • This zone is very fun and challenges. It’s nice just zipping through it. And I love that big arm and the Rocket one are both fought in origins. The one knock I have for this zone is the music. This was the biggest blow for me. I love that “go go go” mess the original track had. This new one is awful. I hate it. Old music got me pumped. Now? Just doesn’t feel the same. Launch Base took the biggest hit imo. Some people actually like the new track and that’s fine. Just not for me. It’s the only one of the three that actually makes the zone worse for me😅. It would be S tier if it had its old track back. 11. Emerald Hill Zone • This zone is pretty cool and as iconic as Green Hill imo. It’s just lower because it goes by so so fast😂. Like there is 0 challenge in this zone. It’s just super fun to speed through and if you want, can explore too. It’s just very very easy. I like that in other versions of Green Hill, elements of Emerald Hill are implemented. Fun opening zone that’s too easy but doesn’t hurt it too much. 10. Mushroom Hill Zone • This is a fun zone. We all love the changing seasons gimmick of course. It’s one of the prettiest zones of the classic games. The only thing that hurts this one are those pulleys. Really wish they could just zip you up lol. S tier: 09. Starlight Zone • This zone is awesome. It’s the first true return to speed in Sonic 1. The green and black palette works well. The theme is amazing. It’s fun blasting away at high speed. The boss is easy but interesting and fun in being able to choose if you wanna bounce into the ol doctor or use his bombs against him. There are some areas that would trap you with bombs or orbinauts(is that their name?). This is really the calm before the storm tho. Because one of the worst zones is right after this one. 08. Flying Battery Zone • Another thrilling zone with the music to match. This is like Sega trying to make up for the super dull Wing Fortress and they are forgiven! 07. Stardust Speedway Zone • Let’s get out of the way the music is amazing. I don’t talk about it much but I feel it’s implied that all versions of the CD track is great. Past, present, and both futures and all with breath palettes. There are some valid arguments against this zone(unlike with Oil Ocean). I can see how it can be confusing to navigate. The flip signs that change what platforms you can walk on or go through have 0 indication of which one you’re on. The boosters send you flying everywhere and you can accidentally travel to a point in time you don’t want(almost always the future). And it can be hard looking for the generators. But man that feeling of going fast it’s just so good. And it’s fun doing time trials for this level(all zones are fun to speed through in CD except Wacky Workbench). Timing your jumps, hitting the boosters, going the right path through those tunnels(?) it’s all so exciting. And the Metal Sonic race is so cool. The moment you get there and he’s doing his own finger wag to the end of the race and you show him he’s nothing more than a pale imitation of the real deal. And yea there’s some serious rubber banding going on but it’s easy to ignore. You can choose to go up and platform a little or stay below and avoid Metal’s attacks. Just run into spikes and jump over him. It’s so fun if you completely smoke Metal and wait a few seconds for him to catch up and it’s equally as fun if you and Metal are neck and neck and you just barely beat him. 06. Sky Sanctuary Zone • This is super fun. Like all great zones, there’s a nice sense of speed and platforming. Mecha is a cool fight especially for Knuckles who looked pathetic against Sonic. The zone is amazing and I think everyone can agree it’s S tier. Also Knuckles shooing Sonic. Who knows the reference? lol 05. Angle Island Zone • This is a gorgeous zone with amazing music and the most different starting zone from Green Hill. Speed, exploration, platforming, all that good stuff and this zone delivers. And can say Knuckles has the coolest introduction? He beat the emeralds out of Super Sonic! I don’t care how ridiculous that is, it’s awesome! 04. Green Hill Zone • you all knew this would be up here. It’s the OG! And this zone has everything. It’s a perfect starting level. Maybe the perfect starting level. Also this is small but I love sound of the water when you’re near it lol. And as with all starting zones the boss is pathetic but the wrecking ball is at least charming lol. 03. Mystic Cave Zone • The music. Ok there’s more than just the music. It’s a fast paced zone with some fun platforming. It’s cool. And the palette is so good. The aesthetic is so good. I love this zone. My only complaint is the light bug badnik that can force you to stop. If you have a shield or don’t care about rings, I say just blast through them lol. The boss I admit, I do not like. I hate the dodge falling degree thing. Super Sonic to the rescue! But I kind of never fight the boss anyways because I prefer to go through Hidden Palace and fight that boss. Still, high tier zone! 02. Chemical Plant Zone • We all know…again. Music, speed, not much platforming but still. Exhilarating zone! Some people don’t like the water segment but it’s not that bad and there’s at least two ways to skip it. You can use speed to bypass it or go up an alt path where you can get more rings and an invincibility. You can cheese the boss unless you’re Knuckles. It’s a fun zone. 01. Hrydrocity Zone • I don’t care how one says it. I say Hydrocity and Hydro City interchangeably at any given time. I’m not married to one way and they both make perfect sense. However you wanna say it, doesn’t matter. What everyone can agree on is what does matter. The speed, platforming, music, level design, palette, boss fights. This zone is perfect! I have not one complaint about it. This is not just a good water level to me. It’s the best zone of the classic Sonic games!!

[@spence8507]

​@@thatoneguy1232I didn't read all of that, but I read your rank placements, I agree with a lot of it.

[@chaosspider5765]

@@thatoneguy1232 just a heads up, you spelt "Angel Island Zone" wrong.

[@mistersp3753]

Where would you place Doomsday Zone on this list? It's just as much a level as Sky Chase, except you can actually speed up the side scrolling a little bit with your air dash. It's also more than just a boss fight as you actually have a bit of traversal, even if it is a bunch of rocks as obstacles and some life-saving rings.

[@frostbite3357]

I’m a Sonic CD fan, so I guess that I’m a bit biased, but I love the beauty of Quartz Quadrant and Stardust Speedway. Also, I feel Green Hill is way too high on the list. Green Hill has annoying instant death pits in cheap areas, or that just look like spikes. People constantly forget that the spin dash didn’t even exist in Sonic 1, which in my opinion turns Green Hill into a slow and boring stage at some points. I’m not saying Green Hills is bad, just way overhyped.

[@fanOfMinecraft-UAs_channel]

The worst part of green hill is the part with platforms moving up and down over spikes (don't remember the act), and the walls of them don't have collision and you just fall into the void dying even if you have invincibility. Guess how I found out? Because I only played sonic 1 and 2 mobile ports and a part of S3&K before it glitches out on marble zone idk about sonic CD though

[@Gabrielgaming-]

Green Hill Zone Chemical Plant Zone Stardust Speedway Zone Flying Battery Zone and Press Garden Zone are all my favorite classic sonic zones

[@goldenyoshistar1]

33:47 Press Gardens act 2 is the only zone in Mania where I actually got Softlocked while trying to reach an area with tails that I thought was reachable. I had to run the timer out and if I hadn't turned the time over time off after this stage, I might have genuinely been softlocked and had to restart, which would have sucked.

[@sagecentral1809]

I love the Sonic and Spider-Man theme this channel has 2 of my favourite franchises in my top 3

[@nugget_bo0b]

I've completed quite a few classic sonic zones, not all of them, but a few. And so far I think mushroom hill is probably my favourite

[@RustyNickels]

This guy really likes to say, "In at number ____."

[@thesmellofadventure5370]

Sonic the Hedgehog: 6: Labyrinth Zone 5: Marble Zone 4: Scrap Brain Zone 3: Spring Yard Zone 2: Starlight Zone 1: Green Hill Zone Sonic the Hedgehog 2: 9: Metropolis Zone 8: Aquatic Ruins Zone 7: Oil Ocean Zone 6: Emerald Hill Zone 5: Hil Top Zone 4: Wing Fortress Zone 3: Casino Night Zone 2: Mystic Cave Zone 1: Chemical Plant Zone Sonic CD: 7: Wacky Workbench 6: Tidal Tempest 5: Palm Tree Panic 4: Collision Chaos 3: Metallic Madness 2: Quartz Quadrant 1: Stardust Speedway Sonic 3 & Knuckles: 14: Sandopolis Zone 13: Marble Garden Zone 12: Carnival Night Zone 11: Hidden Palace Zone 10: Launch Base Zone 9: Lava Reef Zone 8: Mushroom Hill Zone 7: Flying Battery Zone 6: Death Egg Zone 5: Ice Cap Zone 4: The Doomsday Zone 3: Angel Island Zone 2: Hydrocity Zone 1: Sky Sanctuary Zone Sonic Mania: 5: Titanic Monarch Zone 4: Egg Reviere Zone 3: Press Factory Zone 2: Mirage Saloon Zone 1: Studiopolis Zone

[@ncsr9675]

12:06 inst green hill the mountain from the background?

[@Apanblod]

The worst ones for me would probably be: 1. Marble Zone (by far) 2. Labyrinth Zone 3. Oil Ocean 4. Spring Yard Zone (awesome music though) 5. Carnival Night Zone And the best: 1. Sky Sanctuary Zone 2. Casino Night Zone 3. Mushroom Hill Zone 4. Icecap Zone 5. Flying Battery Zone

[@Egood_ty]

Fitting for superstars let's hope superstars is fun!

[@SonicTheCutehog]

Less than half of the Sonic 1 Zones are good

[@giovannischedgick4818]

(Hot take) Marble garden, mystic cave, Press garden , Aquatic ruin, Sandoplis, hidden palace are the top 6 best classic sonic zones of all time in my opinion.

[@Chicken_Nugget1]

I've got love for Sky Chase Zone. It's massively story building/telling & a great break before the final showdown. It's also unique in its play style which is always welcome in classic Sonic. (P.S. - Hard agree they should have used the intended track for HPZ. No matter what anybody says, it suits it so much more, for so many reasons.) (And yes, I'm aware the creators apparently intended it to be multi-player Cave Zone but, the fact "track 10" is used in what was left of the cut level in the original games? That proves what they were really going to use in the final cut & rightly so).

[@AllyAndAlly]

My unpopular opinions: 1. Marble zone is the best zone in Sonic one. EXPLANATION: I think this for many reasons. For one, I could NEVER pass this zone as a child. That made it nostalgic for me. Also you can get a decent amount of speed in multiple sections if you know how to. I also just LOVE the theming of this zone. It is one of my favorites in the whole series. Also idc that you have to wait sometimes because it has my favorite song from Sonic 1. 2: Oil Ocean is the 2nd best zone in Sonic 2. EXPLANATION: I love the music in this zone. I know most people don’t like the theming in this zone but I love it. Also it’s one of my favorite Sonic zones to just speed through. Trust me, if you know this zone well enough you can get some good speed. I actually don’t have to stop much in this one. 3: Sky Chase is fun. EXPLANATION: I love Sky Chase. It’s not my favorite zone in Sonic 2, but I don’t get why people hate it. I really love the break from all Metropolis, before we get into Wing Fortress. I like just being able to kill a bunch of badniks!

[@diazinamon2431]

Pup, could you tell me what the music at 4:42 is? Id really appreciate it.

[@miilexthemii9353]

This is the first time I was real happy with a ranking spot because yeah fuck marbel zone!

[@timothyparra]

Aquatic Ruin is the only fun water zone in Classic Sonic

[@Jack_Saint_Archive]

4:48 Do you know who made the Labyrinth ZoNE Remix ? It sounds amazing and I would like to know the artist

[@lukielbonifacio]

I think it was Tee Lopes

[@HollowJay]

Good list 😊

[@Lkid27X]

I was about to hunt this guy down when hydrocity got #1, but then I realized he’s a hydro-city supporter

[@SuperMariover64]

Unpopular opinion: i actually like scrap brain zone. All 3 acts, mainly because You can skip the labyrinth zone in act 3.

[@JaySurf27]

i love speedrunning launch base zone act 2

[@theanimatorboi1737]

I personally have Sonic 3 and Knuckles over Mania. I found Sonic 3’s story absolutely incredible and having so many memorable tunes and stages. Also the build up to the Death egg and the final boss is absolutely perfect. Sonic mania has all the great/ memorable stages combined across the franchise. Sonic mania was great but personally I don’t see it being better than S3&K because of S3’s amazing story.

[@robertbuckley2429]

Flying Battery is kind of half Like Metropolis on the inside and Wing Fortress on the outside. Flying Battery Zone act 2 in Sonic Mania however was the first time the Flying Battery ever flown through a thunderstorm.

[@ice_popzz6623]

Finished the video, very entertaining

[@por2geejeff26]

If flying battery had mania's layout. It would be higher, but its still a good zone

[@Pichu718]

QQ my dearest QQ is one of my favorite zones fr

[@melvinstevens3237]

For me number would be mirage saloon but i dont like act 1 Maybe just act 2 the music the environment the boss everything is on point

[@SoranotRoxas]

*Stardust speedway and Sky Sanctuary are some of my two favorite classic stages, they're music goes hard.* (I like green and Emerald hill but that's predictable).

[@spence8507]

Scrap Brain is way worse than Metropolis and especially Air Fortress Zone. It should be way lower on the list in my opinion. Edit #1: 11:29 I am a Quartz Quadrant fan, mostly because of the music. Edit #2: 11:55 Hill top is one of my favorite zones, shame in you for having a different opinion than me. Edit #3: 13:07 that's what Scrap Brain does but it has terrible obstacles every 10 seconds instead of every minute. Edit #4 15:04 That's one of the only good levels in Sonic CD imo, I have no idea how you think Collision Chaos is better. Edit #5 17:30 I think Marble Garden is really boring and it's way worse than Hill Top, Mystic Cave, and Emerald Hill Edit #6 20:05 I liked this zone a lot, especially the secrets and the alternate methods to get ring boxes, but it's ruined for me because I have to spend a lot of the time waiting in those stupid elevator things. Edit #7 28:37 this would be on my top 5 if not for the skychase section Edit #8 37:52 I like Casino Night but compared to the other zones in the top 15 it's not that good. The pinball stuff mostly gets in the way and there's a lot of waiting involved. It's a good zone. But it's not a zone I ever look forward to playing. Edit #9 40:50 I like IceCap, but it's more of a top 20 for me rather than a top 6 Edit #10 47:22 I'm not a fan of Studiopolis Act 2.

[@benjamink.crowley4889]

Scrap Brain isn't that bad. There is a cheap shot thing where in act 2 or act 1 (I can't remember) there's a bottomless pit at the start of the level where you can die if you try to run across a bridge. Never liked that.

[@spence8507]

@@benjamink.crowley4889 I just think it's really hard to see the stupid pipes that spit out the fire. Also never take the lower route in Scrap Brain Zone Act 1.

[@thatoneguy1232]

@@benjamink.crowley4889 scrap brain is pretty bad. That trap floor at the start alone makes it bottom tier. I wouldn’t call it F tier as I don’t believe in an F tier classic Sonic zone but it’s down there. In my own rankings I only have it above sky chase because there’s at least actual gameplay

[@XCharizard100]

Bruh putting Quartz Quadrant and Starlight zone that low

[@aarongarcia3594]

Quarts quadrant is my second favorite zone in cd

[@potturtle366]

the italian boys rly came in 1 minute in and sent death threats 😢

[@undknuckles2856]

My personal top 5 classic sonic Zones(All of this is my personel opinion). Nr.5:Mystic Cave Zone Nr.4:Star Light Zone Nr.3:Flying Battery Zone Nr.2Mirage Salon Zone Nr.1Ice Cap Zone

[@mrug123]

Honestly marble doesn’t deserve to be at 39.

[@yotamz.r.6948]

hydrocity has been dethroned a long time ago... by our green eyed lord holy kingdom, toy kingdom!

[@Noshadesfunky]

never heard of toy kingdom but hydrocity is the best zone of all time.

[@yotamz.r.6948]

@@Noshadesfunky so, you never played the advance games?

[@Livithen86]

Me and my brother always liked metropolis zone and it gets too much hate do to its difficulty, most games in its entirety back in the day was known for being unfair and was just expected and caused the player to adapt and learn.

[@Obdmapping]

NO WAY METROPOLIS IS LOWER THAN WING FORTRESS. Seriously I had some fun in metropolis but sky chase… Unless you play as tails you’re doomed.

[@jackbeaton3329]

Can you make a sequel to this video where you at the game gear and master system zones and super stars

[@thebluetankengine1121]

I managed to make all the good futures in Sonic CD (on mobile) and making a good future in Wacky Workbench was pain. I apply this to Metallic Madness. These 2 levels were pain.

[@markerikson7423]

Calling all Metropolis fans

[@thomasverslycken2563]

Honestly exept for wacky workbench there is not a single classic zone that i personally don't like Sonic 1: i like every zone (marble & labyrinth less but still like them) Sonic CD: i like every zone exept wacky workbench, it's the only zone that i don't like in any of the classics (collision chaos less but still like it), also i'm a big fan of quartz quadrant, specially the past version Sonic 2: i like every zone (metropolis & sky chase less but still like them) Sonic 3 & knuckles: i like every zone (sandopolis act 2 less but still like it) Sonic mania: i like every zone

[@ricardoct]

I can’t fully agree with the list 😂 but I enjoyed a lot revisiting all the classic zones 😍

[@undknuckles2856]

But its his personel opinion.

[@JohnnyBoombatz1119]

Only thing I disagreed was with Metropolis. Yes it's cheap but that's what I like about it. It should be difficult. Then when you first play it and the 3rd act pops up, it's like perfect trolling.

[@ArcadianLegend]

I'm surprised you didn't really talk about Mirage Saloon Zone having 3 wildly different implementations of the first act.

[@CannedDepression]

What's the 3rd one?

[@cameroncole180]

Knuck

[@bugpowderdust8736]

I understand not including the Zones that are more or less boss oriented(although I'd probably include them anyway for the sake of completion), but why didn't you include the remixed Mania zones? IMO, they're different enough to separate them from their original counterparts.

[@JoMaTo1]

I mean... I think the 8-bit games would be classic games too but... Ah who am I kidding, most people don't even know what they are or haven't played them.

[@officialFredDurstfanclub]

It's me. The Quartz Quadrant fan

[@CyberKevin]

.......I Love Metropolis zone... Actually, I love stages that are near the end that are just pure evil obstacles to Sonic, that's exactly why I love Eggman Land in Unleashed too Give me challenges at the end of my adventure!

[@CyberKevin]

As I progress though the video, have to say... do you just hate challenges? :/ Because for me, the appeal in Sonic games is how the game give you zones to learn Sonic's gameplay, THEN challenge you in difficult to master zones... Metropolis, Sandopolis, Oil ocean, even Marble Zone, and specially Labyrinth zone are that... If they were not here, the game will be too easy and unappealing to masterise... ACTUALLY, that's my main issue with Mania that lack a lot of zones like that, when I play Sonic Mania, I already know I'll have nothing that will really challenge me until the 2 last zones... When I play Sonic 1, I'll be challenged at zone 2, 4 and 6. For Sonic 2, I'll be challenged at zone 3 if I go under water, then zone 5, 6, 7 Sonic 3 & K is the most Mania-esque game actually in that sense

[@elviejomonca4719]

I have to admit it, I died the first time I played Sky Chase Zone

[@misschieflolz1301]

Lol Metropolis at the bottom of the pile. I like metropolis. I played this a lot as a kid and it's where I'd always get lost/stuck and I guess I kinda got used to it. Yes, it is absolutely unfair at times.... or most of the time. But that makes it FUN. LOLOL

[@guptaa]

17:01 blud just rhymed words for no reason

[@fyb3rotik]

This intro is peak lol don’t change it for years please

[@ChannelPup]

No plans to!

[@fyb3rotik]

@@ChannelPup honestly, feels like a celebrity replied to my comment lol.

[@skakirask]

Your music choices are triggering my nostalgia feels... Live at the Sandopolis, Dead Batteries, Roasting Point, and Walk On Water, all amazing tracks.

[@sanicmaniac]

13:00 there's a yellow amogus in the background

[@clairehislop5873]

Favourite- 1-marble & star light, least fave- labyrinth(that godforsaken boss fight). 2-chemical plant, aquatic ruin, mystic cave & metropolis, least fave- wing fortress (boss fight again), oil ocean & death egg. 3- hydrocity, ice cap & launch base, least fave- don't really have 1 though that barrel in carnival night is so annoying. Knuckles- Flying Battery & Lava Reef, least fave- Sandopolis (those stupid ghosts), & Doomsday (just a bloomin pain).

[@Ignacio376]

Random asf but metropolis zone had a similar beat to that Pokémon song “heading to viridian city”

[@pabzplayz2330]

if i were to do this then i would've done Sonic 1, 2, CD and 3&K because Mania came out Decades after Sonic 3&K

[@apexatrovinator7510]

Damn Quartz Quadrant that low

[@leothompson3484]

As someone who hates Chemical Plant with every fibre of my being I feel really stupid watching this vid lol

[@marplatense31]

I remember a time when people claimed Starlight Zone was the best Sonic 1 Zone. And now people don't like it as much anymore?

[@Arkthus]

I always found it boring

[@djmeagaaim17antman]

I noticed that too (I still love it) but the same can be said about the reception of Spring Yard Zone too. I think it might have to do with the overall reception of Sonic 1 becoming unfavorable over the years. People have started to see Sonic 1 as a mediocre game which i also seems to be happening with CD and the latter half of Sonic 2.

[@ice_popzz6623]

Superstars hype!!!!!

[@gooeydude574]

Mania Flying Battery > original Flying Battery

[@Noshadesfunky]

Original flying battery > Mania flying battery

[@gooeydude574]

@@Noshadesfunky respectfully disagree. The Mania version is a lot more fun to play, even if I prefer the originals music