The Green Hill Zone Problem

Green Hill Zone, once an iconic level beloved by all, has recently become a talking point in the Sonic Community, discussing whether or not it's constant reuse in the past year has been justified or simple nostalgia pandering, today I'm talkin' about The Green Hill Problem!
Twitter - / _splashdash
Edited by - / npickeryt
Co-Writer - Nolan

[@SplashDash_]

What do you think of the oversaturation of Green Hill 🤔

[@OneAndOnlyDanky]

It’s a great representation of Sega’s insecurities with the series, having to repeat stuff because they’re not confident in the new ideas

[@SooperDeformedBomberman]

Indifferent

[@mcsquid9110]

I find it kinda disappointing when there are so many other classic zones Sega could use but they use green hill

[@Mehtaru]

Give it a rest, its getting tiring.

[@Spongi_124]

You said what is green hill, but never asked HOW is green hill...

[@AizakkuAnalysis]

It's genuinely insane how Green Hill has gone from a pleasant surprise to the most hated sonic stage.

[@Sonicmid]

I wouldn't call it a pleasant surprise but I do understand what you're saying.

[@theirishpotato6588]

@@Sonicmid and I wouldn't call it the most hated either

[@Deltanium2080]

Most hated id say is a bit of a stretch but more so...people are just getting sick of it

[@theirishpotato6588]

@@Deltanium2080 yee though I don't mind green hill coming back on and on

[@AizakkuAnalysis]

@@Deltanium2080 Not really? What stage has come back as much as Green Hill and has been complained about in every iteration. Frontiers isn't even out yet, and the fact green hill is there in any way is concerning to many.

[@kingbash6466]

I remember when stages like Sunset Hill came out, they felt like cute little callbacks to the classic Green Hill Zone while also having their own unique look to them. Nowadays, almost every new game is just them using the exact same Green Hill will minor changes like replacing the water with sand or this one has a glitchy effect in the background.

[@jurassicarkjordanisgreat1778]

I KNOW!!! Forces should have made the stages look like sonic CD bad future but all they did was reuse generation assets with “twists”

[@shroomfruit345]

@@jurassicarkjordanisgreat1778 the worst part is that that’s exactly what the concept art was and it was amazing

[@unknownwill4th549]

@@jurassicarkjordanisgreat1778 Didn't expect to see you here 🗿🗿

[@ayrtonjoga]

@@jurassicarkjordanisgreat1778 "Twists" being sand... and that's it

[@jurassicarkjordanisgreat1778]

@@unknownwill4th549 yooo will nice to see you

[@KingTvlip]

Ah Green Hill Zone, the place that taught me how to spin, roll and run around with its amazing music and level design, now reduced to a cheap nostalgia bait as an inclusion, to pander to nostalgia.

[@johnsonandrew1253]

And the nostalgia effect is getting weaker and weaker Like bruh you cant be nostalgic if it's always present. Aquatic ruins zone feels more nostalgic to me than green hill

[@pyroflare7774]

You couldnt spin dash in the OG sonic 1

[@stza16]

@@pyroflare7774 you could spin

[@pyroflare7774]

@@stza16 no you could not spin DASH

[@pyroflare7774]

@@stza16 and no, the ports of Sonic 1 DO NOT count

[@andrewdowell6474]

There's three certainties in life. Death, taxes, and Green Hill Zone.

[@embani]

It's the funniest thing in the world to me that by the time we've reached Frontiers Green Hill's iconography has been so far removed from the initial context that made it significant that now it just exists in a literal vacuum.

[@demetriusnp49]

Right into Sega’s greedy corporate pockets.

[@YujiUedaFan]

What I hated about Forces' GHZ is what's stopping Sonic from running along the sand dunes? I want to explore those instead of walking in a straight line! At least in Sonic 1, SA2 and partly in Generations, the water in the zone is stopping Sonic from leaving the normal area you travel on. You can also tell that the part of the island GHZ is at has high cliffs all over the place, forcing Sonic into one direction. What Forces did was make the background scenery look so good, I want to explore that instead!

[@retromixel]

@@YujiUedaFan wait frontiers ghz had sand dunes?

[@reapeashooter2]

@@retromixel I think Yuuji meant Forces.

[@YujiUedaFan]

@@retromixel Yes it did. That's why Sonic called it "SAND HILL!" The giant snake that's just there for spectacle came from the sand dunes.

[@HedgeThatDamn]

Y'know what's funny? I vividly remember being really excited back in 2012 after Generations came out. I remember thinking "Aw man, Generations was so good! I can't wait to see what they come up with next! Maybe for the 40th, we'll have a Generations 2 with a bunch of levels that came out in the 20 years since the First." It's been 10 years, and the only stage we've gotten that I'd argue wasn't a rehash was fucking Dessert Ruins from Lost World, and that was a floating pink void with pancakes in the background. It's been 10 years and we haven't had a proper original stage idea since Colours.

[@jurassicarkjordanisgreat1778]

Mania has titanic monarch, mirage saloon, studiopoils and press garden

[@ShockwaveFPSStudios]

Forces had Sunset Heights, that Casino Jungle level, and the Boom games has original levels.

[@gamingnubs7628]

@@ShockwaveFPSStudios the fact that Forces had only like 4 unique locations and the rest was nostalgia bait speaks volumes for the state of this franchise.

[@Substantial-hf1rm]

@@ShockwaveFPSStudios I think casino jungle falls into rehash territory, although to a lesser extent.

[@chimerschang]

There were Mania's four original zones.

[@GamerTheVoidGamingCentre]

My thing about Seaside Hill is that it was mostly used in spin offs or side projects, Green Hill Zone is quite literally in every mainline game.

[@StarkMaximum]

Yeah he tries to use Seaside Hill as an argument, and then he lists a bunch of games I never fucking played (except for the racing games those rule) lmao.

[@Pleinair92]

I loved watching this, but I had to stop at 8:15 because I just can't bear the risk of being hit by a second jump scare.

[@Starpotion]

The way he lowered the volume during the segment to make you raise it too 😩

[@slimyspiral4428]

There isn't another, I kept watching while looking away from the screen lol

[@NitPickerYT]

@@Starpotion That wasn't even on purpose 😂

[@Fluorite-Fox]

I literally jumped out of my chair damn it--

[@giampaolomannucci8281]

same, had to stop, this thing got infantile pretty fast

[@thebiolibrary5572]

Crazy to think that SA2 actively kept Green Hill Zone as a reward after getting all of the emblems considering how much it's used as the first stage nowadays.

[@Sonicmid]

for Sonic forces they should have brought back mecha Green Hill it would have been so cool and fit with the plot

[@jurassicarkjordanisgreat1778]

Honestly they could have made it look like palm tree panic bad future. The whole classic sonic gimmick should have used sonic cds time travel and that would have been so much more cooler.

[@totempoleman7810]

Ikr but that would have mean Iizuka or Kishimoto were aware of those Master System/Game Gear games' existance.

[@YujiUedaFan]

Or brought back Green Hills... basically Green Hill Zone, but backwards.

[@maude7420]

Or make a new environment (Super hard)

[@Sonicmid]

​@@maude7420 forces actually kind of works with old environments as it's Eggman taking over the world so it'd be obviously be revisiting some old locations

[@TheKingHomieRealBromie]

Unfortunately, if Sega stopped including GHZ, some fans would be like 'where's green hill zone?' So they're kind of stuck in between the nostalgia that's now the norm

[@onorebakasama]

I doubt that. I can't imagine that people are excited to go through Green Hill Zone for the 40th time. It's just a filler episode before we get to the new stages.

[@Marc-rw3dd]

Of course people will ask after they included it in every single game. But I assure you, as long as the game is good, no one will care if it is left out. You could remove it entirely from frontiers and no one would care.

[@benmalsky9834]

There’s just no satisfying Sonic fans, and that’s truly scary.

[@Kanada-Duh]

I think my favourite green hill type zone is palmtree panic because the music and the zone feels like such a good welcome to sonic CD with the yay sound effect in the Ben and the sick loop at the beginning of the first act and this feel Carries on to the past and good future (the bad future just sounds sick and futuristic) I also forgot to mention that there are so many paths you can take and explore!

[@Takato]

What pisses me off the most, is that it doesn't even look like a hill in Frontiers. On Generations, and to some extent on Forces too, it looks like a place - a fantasy place, but it seems "real", you can see rock formations, lots of grass and trees, caves, waterfalls... In Frontiers, the stage's looking like those orange hot wheels tracks, but instead of orange it's bright green and dark green. Everything that "wow'd" you in Generations doesn't exist anymore. It's just a floating track that reminds us of Green Hill.

[@Marc-rw3dd]

Tbh, forces green hill felt like that in some places but I'll give it a pass since it's supposed to be destroyed. I believe the cyberspace levels feel lifeless because of story reasons but I'd rather they just didn't exist at this point. Either that or make appropriate new landscapes instead of rehashing the same tired tropes.

[@totempoleman7810]

Green Hill Zone is something I wouldn't mind seeing in merchandise and pop culture, because those are really places where it should belong curently. Seeing it being spewn in multiple mainline games in a row as obvious first level gets so repetive it eventually becomes comical. The franchise should be able to move forward with original level themes while at least attempt being consistant with current modern Sonic aesthetic. That didn't stopped games like Unleashed or Colors for having different level ideas so why not continue that?

[@tyresefinney1985]

I really do hope frontiers is good. It’s the first game in years where the team actually feel confidence for a sonic game.

[@maude7420]

Open world looks empty and lame and Cyberspace is directed by the same dude who made Forces Don't expect anything amazing appart from the story

[@tyresefinney1985]

@@maude7420 I heard the land looks empty but is actually filled with lots of content and enemies.

[@gamercentral2417]

@@maude7420 I’m surprised there’s still people like you after the demo.

[@StopDropDash]

@@gamercentral2417 nah bruh the open worlds looks messy and contrasting as ever and they look really bland, the need to polish it up or delay unless they are done but not showing it yet, which isn’t the case because of the demo, they are showcasing all the cinematic s and cutscenes for a reason, to hype up moments that are just cutscenes and making gameplay shots very fast so you don’t notice how bad the map design is. This game is not worth $60

[@gamercentral2417]

@@StopDropDash that’s literally the tutorial world. Also people who played the game liked it. You didn’t play the game

[@JustAPlayOnWords]

If Sonic Frontiers is good, Mark has to play the game but every time he jumps he says “I’m sorry Iizuka!”

[@hyperentity114]

Personally, it’s never made sense to me for sonic to be back in green hill zone because unlike Mario and Kirby who live in the locale of their first levels, sonic doesn’t live on South Island. He has no reason to return there. He has a plane in he first game so he probably just flew there to stop Robotnik.

[@eSilly11]

I'm ready for Slash Dash's Iizuka apology video

[@Dadwell]

The editor leaving in the directions for the jokes is jarring and ruins the pacing.

[@TheFakeTeo]

:(

[@flamingoodness4923]

I honestly would have been fine with green hill zone if they didn’t just blatantly throw in the same level theme over and over again to cut costs, and instead reused it in clever ways. Like look at Kirby. Wispy woods is a staple, but it isn’t always the same thing. One game, you’re fighting a flowery version of him, shooting flower blades and Gordos from the background, and the next, he’s literally a killer robot chasing you through levels. Same goes for meta knight, king dedede, and kracko. All these fights gets remixed in ways that not only works for the story, but also is just really fun and creative on it’s own. Green hill zone doesn’t have that. What if in forces greenhill zone was being bombed, with forest fires and explosions all over the background? Or in sonic 4 green hill zone could be partially mechanized, showing eggman’s impact on the environment, honoring the original “nature vs industrialism” theme. Forces green hill had a small amount of elements that helped drive its dried up theme forward, like the faded flowers rotating pathetically compared to the healthy ones, but it wasn’t enough, and the gameplay wasn’t any better. Frontiers is kinda getting there, but at this point it’s far too late. We just want something new.

[@Shywhitefox]

I honestly do not mind Green Hill so much. It makes a good tutorial stage with it's simplicity. The only time I do not like where it makes no sense at all. Forces was acceptable, it made sense with Generations, and here in Frontiers it makes sense. I certainly would like it more if they changed stuff up with the appearance, like they tried to do with Forces and how it appeared in that.

[@maude7420]

Mania and Generations were the only games after Colors that did this stage right

[@Shywhitefox]

@sonic 1995 Forces: Globe trotting adventure and tries to add a new element to it. Frontiers: Cyberspace are based on Sonic's memories, so works in the same vain as Generations. As well as that, stages have that alternate, cyber look to it.

[@Shywhitefox]

@sonic 1995 If you say so.

[@Shywhitefox]

@sonic 1995 If you say so.

[@Shywhitefox]

@sonic 1995 Naw, stupid arguments do not deserve a good response. I do not see how I am damage controlling when I could not care one way or the other if Green Hill is used or not.

[@phix_music]

Great video and good points, but the audio mixing of this video has a lot to be desired. Overall it is very quiet so that i had to bump up my volume a lot. But then 7:10 was obnoxiously loud which didn't make this a pleasent experience unfortunately. Edit: and what's up with all those random jumpscares? If they hurt my ears, they are not funny.

[@TelPhi_]

The FNAF jumpscares are funny and not random at all >:( I agree with the initial point tho, that part would have been better executed if he had just put the clip of him saying "it's not a very good one, though" BEFORE the Sunset Hill audio. And of course, making it quieter

[@kabukijr3675]

also the right audio sounds more louder than the left audio

[@randomerinhumour]

Feel like Green hill's reuse is also represented in Smash Ultimate. The only Sonic stages there are Green hill and Green hill with windmills.

[@TheSektorz]

Green Hill Zone means nothing to me beacause I started with Sonic 2. Emerald Hill Zone is where it's at, bruh! #fiteme For real tho, the green scenery contrasts beautifully with Sonic's blue color, which is an aspect of what makes it great I don't think people talk about enough

[@thelastgogeta]

Sonic holding a Green Emerald: 👍 Sonic holding a Blue Emerald: 👎

[@tristantinethegreat]

Green Hill Zone is overused. I miss when the first stage was a VARIATION of Green Hill instead of a copy. Emerald Hill, Angel Island, and Neo Green Hill are perfect examples of this idea. They're similar, but distinct in their design.

[@Hutch2Much]

i personally don’t mind it if it’s utilized well. Sonic Adventure 2? great bonus! Sonic Generations? makes sense Sonic Mania? pushing it, but whatever Sonic Forces? i’d be able to excuse it if it was just a level or two. and also. like. done well. Sonic Frontiers? okay they’re definitely pushing it but if the cyberspace levels are _really_ his memories, whatever. but hey. they’re all fun levels (except in Forces) so, not the biggest deal to me

[@markofthewolvessucks8930]

Good point

[@dialga236]

"Green Hill Zone, AGAIN? Come on guys- L-look I get it, first iconic level and everything, but for f*cks sake do I have to go through this zone EVERYTIME YOU GUYS WANNA MAKE MONEY?"

[@Bitplex]

I had a lot of fun working on green hill zone - I definitely struggled with maintaining depth though, as it's one of few stages in the game with a variable parallax layering. Great video btw, you have to have one of the most subtle irish accents i've ever heard - almost American sounding!

[@slumberyclub]

Italian man cries over blue rat running on green loop de loops.

[@falchionofeternity433]

One of these days I'd like to see Emerald Hill in 3D.

[@misterzygarde6431]

I think that they should’ve brought back Mecha Green Hill from Sonic Chaos for Forces instead of using Green Hill again. Also seeing you talk about Whispy Woods makes me want to see you talk about Kirby

[@usermcskull4713]

An interesting thing about people criticizing Whispy is that you never see people in the Kirby community really do so, he's only criticized as a response to Sonic reusing Green Hill. The reason is that everyone loves Whispy because Whispy almost always changes, literally the only time you could make an argument that Whispy was the same outside of remakes (Spring Breeze in Super Star/Ultra and Nightmare in Dream Land) would be in the second ever Kirby game Adventure. The boss fight in Adventure is basically identical to the one in Dream Land 1 with very minimal changes, the only other Whispy battles you could argue are too similar are maybe some of the ones in spin off games like for example Whispy in the Kirby Clash games is mostly a rehash of Flowery Woods from Triple Deluxe. But I don't really mind there because the boss still feels very different and Kirby Clash reuses plenty of bosses anyway, so why criticize Whispy there specifically when Whispy changes more than other bosses like Pyribbit? I think a better argument to compare Green Hill Zone to would be Green Greens in Kirby. It's the face of the series and it's theme is present in almost all the games, but the actual level isn't really reused for the most part. In Adventure and it's remake Nightmare in Dream Land, it's reused in the final level of the game...but that is the most praised level in the entire game. It's a level that uses GameBoy sprites all over, taking you through a trunkated version of the first game. It was a great way to establish that Kirby would always be about remembering it's history while also always doing something completely new with it. Aside from the remake of Dream Land 1 in the two Super Star games, you'll be hardpressed to find a level similar to Dream Land 1 until Star Allies in 2018. That level being the final extra level of the game and using the GameBoy aesthetic once again, it even has a unique ending. Plus Star Allies is all about Kirby's history, so not including Green Greens would make no sense. If we look at every first level in Kirby games, even counting spin offs than we can see that they all have their own identities.

[@someguylostontheinternet4504]

Well said! Even then, Adventure was originally supposed to be an NES port of Dream Land, so it makes sense that his, Kracko's (mostly the pattern), and Poppy Bros. Sr.'s fights would be really similar.

[@elin111]

Nostalgia as a selling point only works if you use it in small controlled doses. Spam nostalgia over and over it not only loses its charm it becomes a tiresome crutch devoid of any originality.

[@rendumguy7596]

Come to think of it, people complained about the reused Mario level tropes that were in NSMB and the spin-offs so Green Hill isn't unique in that regard. And that's not really a problem anymore because of stuff like Odyssey.

[@supaskiltz9877]

Tbf Mario didn’t really re use level tropes, they re used the same game 4 times 😅 I love the NSMB series but I know that’s because it’s basically like playing 1 big 400 level game rather than like 4 actual unique games

[@Brandon999LFC]

your logo is moving around like it's a person talking to me. can it stop that, please?

[@CarbonRollerCaco]

At least Seaside Hill had the association with the highly-unique-but-still-traditional-ish Sonic Heroes, Ocean Palace and the car part to keep it interesting, plus it was only ever reused in side games outside of Generations. All Green Hill's reuse is for is to be at the center of Sonic's "proper" identity for the people that want the series to be no-frills. Which they obviously don't have to do anymore because of Origins.

[@krisstasko]

I think it's interesting how Mania used Green Hill to celebrate _All_ the starting green levels in its design and background details, really make it feel special y'know? Forces just goes "look, Green Hill!" While having nothing really special about the level either as modern or classic Sonic, but especially as modern Sonic since it becomes a half-shot desert level for no reason.

[@cabecadeprego8772]

I think if SEGA and Sonic Team want to bring classic Sonic stages back they should go all out with them. bring a Spring Yard, a Hill Top, a Lava Reef in 3D instead of just Green Hill and Chemical Plant You will still just use old stuff instead of bringing new stuff but at least it will have more variety

[@Kirbystarallies1]

Green Hill Zone is no longer a problem because Silver turned it into Burning Ashes Zone :)

[@NitPickerYT]

Hi 👋

[@Kirbystarallies1]

@@NitPickerYT Hi

[@Masterge77]

I remember once seeing a meme about Green Hill Zone's overuse with the description under it saying "Obey your checkerboard god!", which literally shows you how tiresome it's become.

[@Starpotion]

I think the issue with GHZ is that before Generations, we had plenty of levels that were able to pay homage and bring their own ideas without directly copying it. Emerald Hill, Seaside Hill, even Splash Hill; the most egregious example, was still able to distinguish itself by adding pulleys and water elements. And It's the lack of self-awareness from Iiuzka when he says things like it's "fan service for older fans", as if fans haven't gotten their fill of seeing it by now in almost every single game since Generations. Honestly I think most people would be fine with GHZ's inclusion in Frontiers if other classic level themes got to make an appearance. But it really just seems like an excuse to bring out those Generations level assets for the third time.

[@benmalsky9834]

Like everything with Frontiers, it will all make sense once we actually play the game ourselves.

[@shadowsnake5133]

I don't mind reused level ideas. This is normally not the problem. Normally it's wholesale. There's the problem. Like great example of this that you referenced, whispy woods, he always has something new in every new game, there's never one where he doesn't use at least 1 new attack. And his appearance changes, and hell, he's a species of bosses at this point, it's like seeing the egg robo and it's millions of other models, like the egg pawn. Sure, it's the same enemy, but there's enough variety to warrent it's inclusion. But that's not what's being done with green hill zone. And when it is, it's for the worse, like forces making it only one pathway, and automating most of it.

[@staticfanatic]

thanks for the jump-scare at 7:12, pure class

[@staticfanatic]

11:20 holy shit please normalise your audio

[@digitalgamer457]

Heh. I remember when I first hated green hill....it was windy hill

[@HectorGarfria]

Green Hill will never die, you're just gonna have to remember you're an adult that can control ur emotions

[@modestMismagius105]

7:10 and 8:10 are very funny and enjoyable parts of the video that make it so much better I love when my background noise throws earrape at me for no reason

[@andysee6996]

Just make Green Hill Zone Sonic's canonical home.

[@Napstalone]

I honestly just smile whenever i see green hill zone pop up, i just love it so much idc if its overused!

[@GOJOpacklmaoo]

they will stop putting it in every game eventually. and when they do I hope you cry.

[@Banana807]

@@GOJOpacklmaoo jeez, no need to be hard

[@megasoniczxx]

I think context matters a lot with this too. If we hadn't already gotten 2 (technically 3 to an extent) games of nostalgia baiting with very little new in the middle of it, Frontiers probably wouldn't be getting anywhere near as much flak for the reusage and (to circle back to the topic at hand) using green hill again as a by product of that. Heck, if this game had come out in place of generations or maybe even just after Generations I don't think i'd even mind the reuse of level design too much and I say that as someone who actually is pretty excited for Frontiers. I'm glad the series seems to be getting some traction again but I desperately hope we get at least one new game that's just completely new since there's only so much you can keep using the same stuff before it get's tiring.

[@angryboi595]

“Enough green hill zone, I want green green hill zone, more green, more cool” - something someone said that was motivational, probably, maybe, possibly, perhaps, unsure, mayhap

[@benmalsky9834]

This video feels very one-sided with no expressions towards those who are casual Sonic players, those who never played the games back in the 90s and only started playing Mania, or those who just don’t mind and accept Green Hill Zone no matter what.

[@konbbuu]

8:34 "I can only imagine that sega figured Seaside Hill was looking a lot more like Sand Hill"

[@LucasHopkins2006]

The level itself is still great, ground zero for the franchise. The problem isn’t Green Hill itself, it’s Sega making it so painfully obvious it could kill you that they’re just using it for nostalgia purposes because it worked with Generations so it’s gotta work if we keep using it over, and over, and over, and over, and say that like a million freaking times even though Green Hill in Generations was the start to a game that was a massive love letter to the franchise that used the nostalgia well and stayed unique from the originals but with the reception the game got, Sega took it the wrong way and just assumed people only like the nostalgia and not making the level fun or unique and because of that, the most iconic level in the franchise has become the thing we all dread when a new game comes out

[@ginge5018]

jumpscare had me laughing

[@waelxmansour]

Shit man that was dark at the end

[@MagpieMemes674]

I have watched / played so much fnaf that jumpscares don’t get me anymore

[@CaptainCat101]

I don't hate the stage, I just wish there was more purple

[@jacktheartist883]

I think because people like green hill Zone, it’s because it’s a instant classic and first level in sonic

[@Dante...]

It's a shame how most of what he said about Green Hill also applies to Chemical Plant

[@idontwantahandlethough]

bro, WHAT EVEN IS THAT ACCENT?! Are you like... Irish, but live/lived in Canada or something? That's my best guess lol. Or maybe Irish + western/midwestern United States? can't figure out wtf is going on but it sounds pretty cool regardless 😂 btw this was a neat video! Definitely subscribing :)

[@darkspike7543]

Green Hill the Orginal Green Hill in Adveture 2 Green Hill in Generations Maybe Mania That's all we need Those are the good ass and spaced apart ones, everything else was too much

[@whipseryname4295]

I wonder how many youtube commentary videos their are called 'The *insert absoloutely anything* problem'

[@Theachivmentsearcher]

"Someday you can't just get rid of a bomb"

[@mido3332]

Interesting though: sonic fans complains about green Hills zone and/or it's aesthetics, yet Mario fans Don't care if the next new super Mario bros has the same level themes for the previous titles, such as grass, desert, ice, lava ECT. Why so?

[@elin111]

News flash Mario fans are some of the most vocal about New Super Mario Bros being tired and overdone. For that matter they've pretty much stopped doing New Super Mario Bros for a long while now.

[@mido3332]

@@elin111 that is true, but geen hills Zone is feels more like that, than Mario idk why

[@NurseValentineSG]

It's not even just green hill. They also love re-using chemical plant. And sky sanctuary. Sonic is just the weirdest franchise, man. Unable to move forward, but also dancing around like crazy and never sticking with ideas that work. And when they return to ideas that once worked, they screw it up.

[@_NormalEditor]

8:12 OH CMON

[@ThePreciseClimber]

11:32 Sounds like the same problem Assassin's Creed has with the Ezio's Family theme. Wasn't supposed to be a tradition but they keep rehashing it anyway.

[@GigaTrope]

It's time to bring back Hill Top Zone baby!

[@markofthewolvessucks8930]

True but only because of the -funny- catchy music.

[@lance2580]

Admittedly, Gamefam's idea of having gring rails in Hill Top Zone like it's Molten Mine from _Sonic and the Black Knight_ is actually a pretty awesome concept that should be used if Hill Top Zone gets revisited in the future!

[@Tortilla_Pizzeria_Pixels]

Personally, I was never, and still am not bothered by the inclusion of Green Hill… as long as something changes. Mania revamped it and gave it the Beta Sonic 1 Screenshot mountains. I thought that was cool. At the end of the day it doesn’t really matter.

[@MatthewPrower]

keep green hill beautiful

[@duoge9139]

Green Hill Zone doesn't send any shivers down my spine because it's over in 6 seconds and I don't remember or go back to it at any point after.

[@SpyroX.I]

Hiw did you not mention the checkered stone the whole video, its the reson why it and seaside are iconic

[@biggdogferocious3947]

"oh it's a nod to green hill zone. I just love green hill zone so nostalgic guys" said no one EVER

[@giornogiovanna8476]

I do agree it's oversaturated, but I'm personally fine with it in Frontiers from what we've seen The idea behind it seems that it's supposed a loose recreation of the zone from Sonics jumbled up memories, and the use of an unfitting soundtrack kinda shows it Plus if it's supposed to be the next evolution of Sonic as a series, then it is fitting to start it off with a jumbled up version of the stage that started it all That being said, I still would have preferred a different level, and that they didn't recycle it for other games like Forces, but I'm fine with it, not happy or angry with the choice, just fine

[@chewybits3662]

I agree! I personally love that green hill is in frontiers. It feels like this will be the last time green hill will be the first stage in the mainline Sonic games, and this is its final hoorah in Sonics most anticipated game. I'm super excited for it

[@TheRealMCExcellent]

Crazy how Emerald hill never gets any love

[@absollnk]

Palmtree panic is crying in the corner rn

[@electricsoul3355]

I kind of never really cared about Green hill being in every sonic game. Isn’t it Sonic’s home? I never really understood why Green hill WOULDNT be there. (Exceptions being Colors, Lost world, and other games that didn’t start in Sonic’s world/Sonic just chilling)

[@RandoomDude]

I mean if there was one Sonic stage I could play forever it would be Green Hill

[@cole_man.exe_2002]

Green Hill is in the same boat as Tatooine from Star Wars and the Kanto region from Pokémon.

[@scarefish6689]

I hate how every horror film is loaded with jump scares these days. Jump scares don’t mean anything. It’s just a pretentious game of peek-a-boo

[@liamwayne6703]

Jumpscares don't work without atmosphere, ya scrubs.

[@NattiNekoMaid]

GREEN HILL'S LOOKIN A LOT MORE LIKE SAND HILL RIGHT NOW AYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY

[@thelastwindwaker7948]

Thanks, Eggman.

[@brianpacheco9606]

Wow first an LS Mark video and one from his friend what a great day

[@tofu7397]

there is no way this isnt him

[@SonkerOfficial]

8:15 you are officially my favorite youtuber

[@kapparill]

good 18th birthday present. cheers mark/splash dash.

[@plasmaxander912]

They can easily find a trillion other zones to re-use that have the same mechanics as Green Hill, if they really wanted to, honestly we haven't EVER seen them bring back any other zones from the first game and it's complete BS, if they're going to constantly re-release Sonic 1 every 2 seconds they should at least pay it equal attention during anniversary titles.

[@YetAnotherLetsPlayer]

Green Hill Zone - Sonic 1 Green Hill - Sonic 1 8-bit Green Hills Zone - Sonic 2 8-bit Emerald Hill Zone - Sonic 2 Turquoise Hill Zone - Sonic Chaos Palmtree Panic - Sonic CD Angel Island Zone - Sonic 3 Mushroom Hill Zone -Sonic & Knuckles Great Turquoise Zone - Sonic Triple Trouble Green Hill Zone - Sonic Blast Green Grove Zone - Sonic 3D Blast Neo South Island Zone - Sonic Pocket Adventure Green Hill Zone - Sonic Adventure 2 Neo Green Hill Zone - Sonic Advance Leaf Forest Zone - Sonic Advance 2 Sea Gate/Seaside Hill - Sonic Heroes Sunset Hill Zone - Sonic Advance 3 Leaf Storm (maybe) - Sonic Rush Forest Falls Zone - Sonic Rivals Plant Kingdom (maybe) Sonic Rush Adventure Green Hill - Sonic Chronicles Green Hill Zone - SEGA Superstars Tennis Seaside Hill - Every All Stars Racing game Seaside Hill - Mario & Sonic at the Winter Olympics Splash Hill Zone - Sonic 4 Ep. 1 Green Hill - Sonic Generations Windy Hill - Sonic Lost World Green Hill Zone - Mario & Sonic at the 2014 Olympics Green Hill Zone - Sonic Mania Green Hill - Sonic Forces Cyber Space - Sonic Frontiers

[@ShurikanBlade]

I think green hill is a gag for the intro stage. Like not that I hate it but it's like I'm just gonna expect it for the memes. Even then mario essentially hs the same world 1-1 in every 2D game but they do try to change some factors. So yeah I think it's all about how sega uses green hill vs the actual use.

[@ThePreciseClimber]

11:14 Hmm... What about the Rooftop Run Day music sting?

[@How_Is_This_A_Name]

Video needs audio balancing work pretty bad, but otherwise great perspective!

[@Sonic12Lexi]

I wish I can live in a real life Green Hill Zone

[@TrueTydin]

do you have a speech impediment? just noticed the strange inflection you have sometimes that just pops up haha, its actually charming

[@ElFelocitaptor]

I still love it.

[@CameronAllOneWord]

At the risk of coming off as a tool who's trying to subtly promote themselves I made a video ranking every Green Hill Zone and before I could even post it Sega literally made another one. Dead serious.

[@doctormodder]

If you ask me, Chemical Plant is a bigger problem for me. At least with Green Hill, It's iconic and recognizable and can submerse newcomers to Sonic easily. Chemical Plant however makes no sense to come back at all, If you ask me Casino Night would have been a better choice for Generations (At least the 3DS Version got it). Like Literally, the only memorable things about Chemical Plant is the Music, and the Pink Water section that you can SKIP in the original game then Sega forces you to complete that task in all of it's appearances after Sonic 2. I swear if Frontiers does the same crap with it's Chemical Plant, I'm gonna have an aneurism.

[@RG31_Official]

2024 Comment - In Sonic Superstars Green Hill is not the first level and nowhere to be seen.

[@ValisFan3]

There are so many other ideas for a green Sonic zone other than Green Hill that they can try. There are so many other plants than palm trees and spiky flowers. Maybe a zone covered in clovers, or ivy, or thorns, or a colorful meadow, fluorescent mushrooms, or bluebells. There are so many other ideas.

[@casualamber]

8:10 no jumpscares.. thank g-gAAAAHH! ... you little...

[@paperjman6449]

To me, I don't care how many times I go through the same locations, as long as it's still fun to play and has it's own spin on it