__________      __  __     ___        _________      _______   ______     _____
_____
/   ______/     / / / /    / _ \      |   ____  \    /  ___  \  \     \   /     \   /
/
\   \____      / /_/ /    / / \ \     |   |   \  \  |  |   | |   \     \_/       \_/
/
\______ \    /  _  /    / /___\ \    |   |    | |  |  |   | |    \         ___
/
_______\ \  /  // /    / ______  \   |   |____/ /  |  |___| |     \       /   \
/
\________/ /__//_/    /_/      \__\  |_________/   \________/      \_____/     \____/
_____ __  __   ____  __  __   ____ _____   _____   _____ __  __   ____   _____
|_ _| | |_| | /   /  | | | | / __/ | __ \ /  __/  /  __/ | | | | /  _ \ / ___/
||  |  _  | |(===  | |_| | | |_  | | || |  | __ |  |_  | |_| | | | || | | __
||  |_| |_| \___\  |  _  | |  _| | |_|| |  \_|| |   _| |  _  | | | || | \_||
| | | | | |_  |    | \     / |  |_  | | | | | |_|| \    /
|_| | | \___| |___/   \___/  \____| |_| |_| \____/  \__/
Expert Mode Walkthrough
copyright 1/3/06 by Pete Da Sonic Master
v1.0 done on 1/3/06 (American) 3/1/06 everywhere else
v1.1 done on 9/27/06 (American) 27/9/06 everywhere else
Updates: Spelling checked.
Improved strats from eggman615 :-D to help you further.
Permission
I only give the following site to use my walkthrough
www.neoseeker.com
Contents to this walkthrough
Section:
A- About Expert mode
B General Tips
C The Stages. You'll see that there are differences between expert versions and normal
versions
This includes the one from last story i.e The Last Way
Here I've listed all the stages and their names below.
Stage 1  Westopolis
Stage 2  Digital Circuit
Stage 3  Glyphic Canyon
Stage 4  Lethal Highway
Stage 5  Cryptic Castle
Stage 6  Prison Island
Stage 7  Circus Park
Stage 8  Central City
Stage 9  The Doom
Stage 10  Sky Troops
Stage 11  Mad Matrix
Stage 12  Death Ruins
Stage 13  The Ark
Stage 14  Air Fleet
Stage 15  Iron Jungle
Stage 16  Space Gadget
Stage 17  Lost Impact
Stage 18  G.U.N Fortress
Stage 19  Black Comet
Stage 20  Lava Shelter
Stage 21  Cosmic Fall
Stage 22  Final Haunt
Stage 23  The Last Way
D F.A.Q's
E Credits.
Section A: About Expert Mode
To unlock this you have to get all 71 A-Rankings which at first seems pretty difficult but
it isn't. There are a
few missions which can really tick you off but the secret is to know a route through in
the quickest times.
Expert Mode is EXACTLY what it says.
The main thing that makes it so hard is you CAN'T continue!! Meaning
if you lose all your lives you have to start all over again from stage 1.
It gets harder especially around stage 21 in the middle.
Section B: General tips
A few and here they are:
Lives. Get LOADS of them. Do this by collecting 100 rings and touching checkpoints to gain
1 life. Try not to get hit that way you
know you are safe with lives. If you so happen to lose lives until you reach 1 pause the
game and quit then go to resume
Then do the strategy that gains loads of lives. I once had around 24 lives but I lost 10
of them due to insane platform jumps.
Try to get Chaos Control as much as possible. Strategically time it so you miss difficult
sections. E.g Circus Park when there are 2
flame rings and moving platforms in mid-air.
As your weapon use the Shadow Rifle. Has Shadow style hair on the back of it.
Use it sparingly because it can kill an enemy in 1 shot. Heal cannon works well for Chaos
Control
This is all about making it to the end. There are a few exceptions though
A combo move that makes you jump further. Hold the button that makes Shadow spin dash and
release and then jump in a split second
you'll go flyin'.
Special Keys: Get them and your chances of finishing the levels much easier.
Section C: The Stages and their differences.
I rate difficulty out of 10.
Stage 1: Westopolis.
4/10
It's all pretty much the same as before except one thing there is a section where you'll
have to triangle jump and make it on a platform
above mid-air. Then light dash to make it. Another difference is that the stage ends where
the hero and dark mission should end. Further than the other chaos emerald.
Stage 2: Digital Circuit
7/10
After checkpoint 1 you come across a moving cube. Time it so that you jump on it when it
comes to you. Then light dash adjust slightly
forward so that you land on the next cube. Proceed as normal. After checkpoint 4 you'll
notice the light bar on the left is missing. Jump
on a moving cube then jump to the platform next to the missing bar elevator.
After the last checkpoint and after you defeat the G.U.N beetles you have to homing attack
to reach the beam of light then kind of land
on a TINY platform after. You can lose lives here. You have to time it so you homing
attack it and skim over to the other side.
If anyone has got a clearer idea how to do this tell me.
Stage 3: Glyphic Canyon. 2/10
Not much difference except after checkpoint 2 you have to light dash after the second
loop.
Stage 4: Lethal Highway 4/10
A bit more different compared to the previous stage. Like after checkpoint 3 you need to
jump and the light dash. In my opinion
the most difficult part of this stage is to jump to the pulley above the floor that falls
beneath you. After this you'll be fine. You smash
through gates by homing attacking them. Also there's a grind bar near the end. Apart from
that it's all straight forward.
Stage 5: Cryptic Castle 5.5/10
TONS different. Most of the difficulty is actually FINDING hidden items. For example,
about 55 seconds in you have to touch the rings to reveal
the balloon. Then about 1:15 in you need to find the torch (psst in the tree on the
right). The balloon that goes round in circles is a bit faster. Try to
land in the middle tower. Go backwards and find a torch. Proceed as normal. I always hit
the box soon after for some reason. It always comes up
blank. Meet Cream and the cage will open. The flying sections a bit different. The course
is a bit tighter that's why you should take your time.
Near the end of the flight veer slightly right. Adjust the flight pattern so that you land
perfectly. If you are on the right of the platform you should
land on homing attack quickly left. Touch the checkpoint. After this one the grind bar has
enemies on it also fire. Jump the fire and the enemies.
You could homing attack them but that leaves you vunerable to dying. Proceed as normal to
checkpoint 4. After you go through the red slime you
need to take your time. You have to jump the platforms and then homing attack a flying
enemy then light dash. Time it so you are perfectly aligned
to the ring trail to light dash.
After all this go on as normal until you touch the grind bar. Go backwards then find the
torch and light the lanterns past the grindbar. Don't use up
your torch. Spin dash to the cracked walls. Go left past the first one then break opre the
next one and then the one on the left after. Kill the robot
with the lance first then swap the torch for the lance. Then kill the next on with it.
Pick up the torch you swapped for the lance and head back until you
are in the corridor before you cracked the wall. The wall on your left moves away from
you. Go to it and make sure you deal with the tiny enemies.
Then light the lantern. A new way will open. Go in the new way on your left and light the
lantern there. Then go back to the place where you killed
those two robots and drop the torch. Touch all the chao and the fans will activate.
Proceed as normal to the end. The mission ends where the normal
mission of this stage ends.
Stage 6: Prison Island 3.5/10
Proceed as normal until about 1:40:00 on the clock. By then you have to extinguish all the
fires by striking all of them with the green stick thing.
If you made it this far without dying you should have enough of your hero gauge to use
Chaos Control. It should stop near aliens between a triangle
jump section. Kill all aliens here to go on further. Just after this you have to homing
attack the G.U.N beetles. After the last one you have to light
dash it over to the other side. Then spin dash it under the gap. Kill all G.U.N mechs to
go on. Pick up their weapons they'll come in handy later.
Kill the G.U.N beetle at the top and the door will open. Now you have to perform a series
of homing attacks. The first beetle will have electricity.
Once the electricity is gone you can start homing attacking them all. The hover disc to
make it across is near where you land. Continue as normal
until you come across a triangle jump wall. Grab a weapon and kill all the spawn on it.
About 6:05:00 in you need to transport through the red slime. The disc is there. Proceed
as normal. You might have enough of your hero gauge
to use Chaos Control. This takes you to the end. Touch the checkpoint if you didn't die
and collected 100 rings. A life is yours.
Stage 7: Circus Park 9/10 if without Chaos Control.  3/10 with Chaos Control.
IMPORTANT!!: Kill as many robots as possible until your Hero gauge is almost full.
About 1:15 in homing attack the G.U.N beetles to make this stage easier.
After checkpoint 2 open the Shadow faced box and collect the Shadow Rifle.
If you paid attention to the important notice and didn't die by checkpoint 5 kill another
robot and then your hero gauge will be full. As soon as
it is use Chaos Control to cross the 2nd hardest section of the entire game!! After this
carry on as normal to the end.
If anyone has managed to do this level without Chaos Control tell me how to do it.
Stage 8. Central City 1.5/10
Exactly the same as the dark mission on this level. However the bomb on the left is sealed
off. This level literally leads you to the bombs.
Once you set the first bomb off light dash it to the other side. Then use triangle jump.
Use the dynamite or mini bomb after to reveal the
pathway to go forward. Near bomb 2 there are more enemies to kill get there by going
forward then right then jump left then jump left again.
Proceed as normal. After checkpoint 5 use the car to cross the green slime. at the end of
it hop out but stay on top of it. The G.U.N mech near you
might shoot you don't worry. Kill it and take the weapon and shoot the burnt down car to
reveal the spring. Kill the other G.U.N mech there then
set off the bomb. Then look south-west of you. Jump to where the rings are and go down
that path. After checkpoint 6 keep going straight and blow
up the wall. A sort of platform stairway will be revealed. Go up it. If you held on to the
weapon it'll come in handy here. Kill all enemies to drop the
spring cage. Use the spring then use the next one you see. After this kill all the enemies
to set off the last bomb. Mission complete.
Stage 9: The Doom 1/10
This stage is the easiest one. Why call it "the doom" there is no doom about this stage.
It is way easy.
Proceed as normal. After checkpoint 5 homing attack across the G.U.N beetles. Then
proceed. After checkpoint 6 go up the elevators.
All of the researchers are at the top of the elevators throught the door. Deliver heal
units to them until they're all healed.
This stage I'd say is disappointingly easy. They could have hidden the reasearchers in
different places like before. I'd of placed them on platforms
which are well hard to get to, however it would be possible to heal them, just to make it
seem more like expert mode.
Stage 10 Sky Troops 4/10
About 35 seconds in you'll come across a trail of rings by now you know what to do.
Proceed as normal. Around 1:55-2:05 in you'll come
across another trail of rings again you know what to do.
About 3:20 in you should come across a G.U.N vehicle. You MUST have the Shadow Rifle at
this point. It kills the giant aliens in one shot.
Then just keep going. About 4:00 in you need to trigger the switch to reveal a trail of
rings. You know what to do. About 4:30 in you should have
filled your hero gauge. Use Chaos Control it is useful here. You'll reach near the end.
Keep going as normal to the end.
Stage 11: Mad Matrix 8/10 because of the tricky platforming involved.
You can go through the terminals in any order. Anyway, you go as normal and then you
attacky any robot to get their weapon. then shoot any of the
panels to make them match in colour. Then cubes will come down. Jump from the right or
left of the middle panel and then steer your way onto the
cubes. Proceed as normal.
As I said earlier, you can do these terminals in any order.
Strat from Eggman615: The bit where you normally meat up with Doom's Eye is a Shadow
crate.
Pick up the Heal Cannon and heal the robots to fill up your Hero Gauge,
once you get to the checkpoint inside the green tower,
heal the robots and Chaos Control through the worst bit of the realm instead of worrying
about the dam platforms.
The other towers shouldn't be a problem.
Green Tower:
After the checkpoint find some panels. Make them match in colour. Then proceed. Then you
come across a place where you need to time your jumps
perfectly to land on platforms. Make the panels green. Past the checkpoint inside the
green teminal you'll come across another set of panels make
them green. Before you do so though take the a weapon from a robot. Shoot the blue panel
twice. Then you'll come across another set of panels make
the two yellow ones green. Aim for the green one since it is the odd one out. Quickly move
to the very left or right of the platform you are on and then
make it back to the middle. Shoot the yellow one to make it green. Then head back to the
middle again. Jump on the next platform when the one you
are on covers the two front squares then jump. Make the panels you are on now green. When
you reach the top make sure you cross the green
platforms. Make the next lot of panels yellow. Then make your way to the terminal.
Red Tower:
Make the middle panel red. Light dash along the rings that appear. make all the panels
after red. Proceed to the next lot of panels and make them
red. Once at the top carefully jump across the cube. Then jump then while in the air
homing attack to the next. Then proceed as normal. Head for
the upward beams of white light. Then move forward when a cube comes near you then wait
until another cube comes to you. Then as soon as you
jump on it you'll be near where you need to jump to next. Jump on the centre platform then
activate the terminal spot. Then jump in the teleport
ring. After make the other panel red. Light dash along the rings as soon as you reach the
top of your height after the rings pull back a bit to land
properly.
Yellow Tower:
This is why I rated this stage 8/10. Touch the checkpoint here. Jump across the cubes then
make all the panels yellow. Carry on as normal to the
boost ring. After this you'll land on a TINY set of platforms. Make these panels yellow.
I'd keep jumping back to the middle one to minimise
possibilities of falling. Keep going and then as soon as you make it to the top you'll
come across another tricky platform section. Make the panels
yellow. Jump carefully as you are doing this. Once the platforms takes you to the top jump
to the middle. Spin dash jump combo it to the other
platform. Continue as normal. Then activate the terminal. Then it should take you back to
where the checkpoint outside the tower is.
I don't know if this is true though because I normally do this tower last.
Stage 12: Death Ruins 4/10
Keep going onward to the rubber band like plants. Which actually take you to checkpoint 2.
Keep going and the same will happen. Don't try
moving at all. It'll take you to a grind rail. Keep going as normal.
Overturn the block after and then kill the other alien. Grab the weapons that are left
behind. Kill every alien in sight after.
About 1:42 in jump on the spring then keep going. About 2:10 in take the red slime route.
Triangle jump to the next bit. Then after you go down the
pole. Take out all the aliens. By now if you didn't die at all and have been kiling aliens
as you go you can use Chaos Control. Keep going to the end
and you'll reach the goal ring.
Stage 13: The Ark 1/10
Stay on the bird all the time and carefully evade and shoot. Make sure to shoot health
boxes.
Stage 14: Air Fleet 4/10 (using Eggman615's strat 3/10)
Shoot all the aliens only, pick up their weapons and then take the blue path. Even though
the hero gauge is fully charged up. Keep shooting
until you reach the last giant alien. Shoot it down then use Chaos Control. This cuts out
a whole grinding section. After checkpoint 3 you jump
on a platform that goes in and out. Then spin dash combo it to the next one. Continue as
normal then you have to take the pink path. Shoot the
G.U.N mechs from a distance to stop yourself dying.
About 4:45 in this part gets slightly tricky, you have tho jump from platform to platform.
Ignore the shadow. Jump on the up and down going
platform. Then light dash. Then when the platforms after are fully out jump across them.
Carry on as normal to make it to the end.
Strat from Eggman615 (this is what he said) The final outside section is where I kept
dying alot. I know 3 other ways:
1. Obtain the 5 keys and go for the Air Saucer to safely grind the blue rails.
2. No air saucer and risk yourself making sure you have heaps of rings.
3. CHAOS.... COOOONTROOOOL!!!
Stage 15: Iron Jungle 2/10
Straight after checkpoint 1 hop in the G.U.N vehicle and keep jumping up the platforms.
Proceed as normal. After checkpoint 2 pick up the Shadow
Rifle. Then keep going as normal. Then negotiate the platforms and then light dash it over
to the other side.
Destroy all of Eggmans robots to Chaos control it to the other side missing out the light
dash bit. It should take you to a battle arena with Shadow
androids. Grab another Shadow Rifle here. Proceed as normal. You are forced to grind on a
rail. Then kill the Shadow androids past the door. After
you do this jump up the bars to the pulley. Then light dash it. Keep on going after to the
goal ring.
Stage 16: Space Gadget 3/10
Try and go the hero mission route. About 3:10 in homing attack it to make it easier.
Stage 17: Lost Impact. 3.5/10
Proceed as normal, then you have to do some platforming. Head to the rocket and move
forward when the parachute opens. Then head to the ramp,
then as soon as you hit a ring box start homing attacking it across to the other side.
Keep going as normal. At checkpoint 2 pick up some Shadow
Rifle ammo. Then carry on as normal. The goal ring is in the right hand door this time.
Stage 18: G.U.N Fortress 2/10
After checkpoint 1 you have to jump across one platform to the next. Carry on as normal.
About 7:05 in ignore all the G.U.N lot and jump across to
the goal ring.
Stage 19: Black Comet 4.5/10
Use the Shadow Rifle here.
Keep on moving as normal. About 2:50 in you need to jump across platforms and if you
aren't on one already a hover disc is on the right after.
Keep going on as normal, killing aliens as you go and you'll have enough hero gauge to use
Chaos Control. You'll reach to where you go left via
hover disc. Proceed as normal shooting aliens as you go and you'll pull off another Chaos
Control. You might make it to the finish. If not get on a
hover disc and go round the platform where the goal ring is to the right until you find
springs. Then head for the goal ring.
Stage 20 Lava Shelter. 5.5/10
You're pretty much following the dark mission route. All defence devices are activated
meaning you can't afford to land in magma. You have to make
both triangle jumps this time.
Stage 21: Cosmic Fall 9.9/10 (using Eggman615's strat 8/10)
By a mile the most difficult of stages. I mean I lost 10 lives when I first tried this
stage. By the time I did it a second time I did it first time.
The difficult bits are after checkpoints 4 and 6. You are following the hero mission
route.
It's the same. 2:10 in approximately you have to go through a boost ring. Then light dash
it after.
After Checkpoint 4: All about timing. After you've cleared all 3 rotating platforms wait
for around 5:05 to appear on the clock. Or simply when
the platforms are closest. Spin dash jump combo it to the rotating platform on the right.
Then jump along the rest quickly to the special key.
The platform you are on now will fall quickly. As soon as you see the next available
platform jump to it. Then this difficult bit is cleared.
After this you can either triangle jump it along the boards saying "emergency" or if you
fall early on you can simply jump on the platform on the right
when it comes to you. Proceed as normal.
After Checkpoint 6: The mother of all insane platform jumps. Jump to the pulley and wait
for the next platform to come to you then jump. As soon
as you land on this platform wait for the platform to come directly beneath you then jump.
The rest should be easy.After you jump at the artificial
Chaos you must quickly go in the red slime. Then jump to the next platform. Now things get
so hard like me you can lose 10 lives here.
Wait for the platform to be directly beneath you and then jump. It's a big drop so be
careful. Once you land successfully wait for the next one to come
to you and as soon as the one you are on is about to turn away homing attack it to the
next one. Then wait for the one after to go in and out once.
Once it goes in the second time jump. You should land on the next one. Wait for the
platform to jump on next to go in and out twice, then jump when it
goes in the third time jump. You'll land on the next one. Wait for the platform you are on
now to go near the next platform. Thankfully this on ain't
going anywhere. Jump as soon as you are near it. Then spin dash jump combo it across to
the next bit. Then proceed to the end.
Eggman615's strat: Instead of worrying about the mother of all insane platform jumps after
checkpoint 6, you have to find the 5 keys to unlock the ring trails switch and off you go
to victory!!!
Stage 22: Final Haunt. 4/10
#1 rule kill as many aliens as you can to get Chaos Control a lot.
You're following the hero route. About 1:40 in kill the alien with the vaccuum gun and
nick it. Suck the wall out. Then keep going as normal.
About 2:45 in you have to homing attack it across it along the enemies to reach the other
side.
After that kill the aliens. Get the vaccuum gun and suck the wall out and jump on top of
it then jump to the red slime an get in it. More
vaccuum work. Suck all the walls out and jump on them as you go. Take out the aliens where
there is a cage. Once you have defeated them
vaccuum out the wall on the left and use the spring after you have done so. Jump across
the gap then suck the wall out. There is another wall on the right. Cross the gaps and
suck that one out.
Then jump on the platform in the middle of the two walls and then keep going. Guess what.
More vaccuum work to do (groan) :-(
Suck the wall out and then proceed as normal. In between checkpoint 5 and 6 you have to
light dash then grind along the rail. Proceed as normal to
make it to the end.
Stage 23: The Last Way 5/10
Finally the last stage. However not hard enough in my opinion.
Pretty much the same. Keep using Chaos Control to make it through.
There is one key difference though. At around 6:00 in you have to homing attack it across
and around 6:30 in the same again and at around 6:45 also.
Past checkpoint 6 you must have a gun. Shoot everything in the triangle jump wall. Then
triangle jump across it. Proceed as normal. Gaining Chaos
Control along the way to make it to the goal ring.
After all your efforts grab a Pepsi and enjoy the credits. Although you don't unlock
anything more :-(, you'll have bragging rights to call yourself an
expert at this game.
I had 15 (including 0) lives left. Can you top that?
Section D: F.A.Q's
Send 'em in. I want ways to improve this walkthough.
Section E: Credits
My mum for buying me this game for my 16th :-D.
Myself for putting this all together and spending my time to complete it.
Sonic Team for making this game.
Eggman615 for the strats.
This guide was completed by 3rd January 2006
Updated 27th September 2006
by Pete Da Sonic Master
e-mail peter_g5@hotmail.co.uk