Sonic the Hedgehog 2
For the Genesis
FAQ/Walkthrough
By Ryan Harrison
rharrisonfaqs(at)gmail.com
and Derin Spector
dspector88(at)gmail.com
Last Revised: 01 January 2006
Version 1.2
This document is Copyright (c)2004-2006 Ryan Harrison and Derin Spector
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Table of Contents
1. Guide Opening
1.01  -  Version History
1.02  -  Introduction
2. Game Overview
2.01  -  Story
2.02  -  Controls
2.03  -  Characters
2.04  -  Basics
2.05  -  FAQs
3. Walkthrough
3.01  -  Emerald Hill Zone
3.02  -  Chemical Plant Zone
3.03  -  Aquatic Ruin Zone
3.04  -  Casino Night Zone
3.05  -  Hill Top Zone
3.06  -  Mystic Cave Zone
3.07  -  Oil Ocean Zone
3.08  -  Metropolis Zone
3.09  -  Sky Chase Zone
3.10  -  Wing Fortress Zone
3.11  -  Death Egg Zone
4. Enemies
5. Bosses
6. Items
7. Special Stage
8. 2-Player Vs. Mode
8.01  -  Rules
8.02  -  Items
8.03  -  Hints and Tips
9. Secrets
9.01  -  Cheats
9.02  -  Codes
9.03  -  Glitches
10. Guide Closing
10.01 -  Credits
10.02 -  Legal Disclaimer
10.03 -  Contacting Us
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1. Guide Opening
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The opening to our Sonic 2 FAQ.
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1.01  -  Version History
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Version 1.2  -  01 January 2006  -  Ryan here. A new layout and updated
copyright notice for this guide, that's
all. Enjoy!
Version 1.1  -  26 October 2004  -  Ryan here. I present you with a new
reformatted version of our FAQ.
Version 1.0  -  28 June 2004     -  The first version of this FAQ.
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1.02  -  Introduction
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Ryan Intro
----------
Sonic 2 is obviously the sequel to Sonic 1, only it features a new 2-Player Vs.
Mode, more and new levels, a new character Tails to join Sonic by his side, and
the gameplay is still just about the same as it was. This is a true SEGA
classic, that any person with a Genesis should have the experience of playing.
Derin Intro
-----------
Hello everyone and welcome to my and Ryan's second co-project for Sonic the
Hedgehog 2. For those of you who aren't familiar with the Sonic the Hedgehog
series, it revolves around a blue spikey-haired... Hedgehog, with whom you
traverse through a plethora of beautifully animated environments, collecting
rings and destroying baddies. This time around however, Sonic's joined by an
orange two-tailed fox named Tails, which makes the game all the more fun.
Anyways, enjoy, and if you have any questions at all pertaining to this guide
or Sonic 2 in general, please don't hesitate to E-Mail either one of us.
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2. Game Overview
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The basics (stuff you should read) of Sonic 2.
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2.01  -  Story
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(Taken from the instruction manual)
Find the Chaos Emeralds!
Miles "Tails" Prower, the Fox, can't sit still when Sonic's around. Ever since
Miles was a baby fox, he's dreamed of being like Sonic. He loves to run after
Sonic, waving his 2 tails behind him, trying to keep up with his hero!
Mostly, Sonic lets him trail along. But sometimes, just to show off, Sonic
explodes in a burst of super speed and leaves him behind. But Miles doesn't
give up. He whirls his tails like a helicopter rotor and takes off flying until
he catches up!
All the animals call Miles by his nickname, "Tails", because of his 2 special
tails. And one day they saw an astonishing feat...
They were all together in the forest, watching Sonic perform. Sonic would run,
spin and jump in his Super Spin Attack. Then "Tails" would whirl like a turbo
engine and blast off in his Super Dash Attack. What a showoff!
Suddenly, "Tails" just couldn't help himself. He took a running start, curled
up his tails, and - whoosh - he was spinning like Sonic!
But now something frightening is happening. Sonic's friends are disappearing.
In their place, nasty metal robots are popping up all over the island. The mad
scientist Dr. Robotnik is at it again!
This time, Robotnik's planning a global disaster. He needs workers to create a
doomsday machine that can take over the world. So he's trapping all the
animals, turning them into robots, and forcing them to build his ultimate
weapon, the Death Egg!
Robotnik now rules the factories, refineries and cities! He's grabbed control
of everything - except the 7 Chaos Emeralds. These magnificent gems are
believed to hold exceptional powers. With them, Robotnik could have the entire
world in his grasp. And he'd never let go!
The Chaos Emeralds are buried somewhere on the island. Only one tough dude with
spiky hair has the speed to find them first!
Help Sonic stop the devious scheme of the demented scientist! Spin like a
speedball through space. Grab Power Sneakers and loop 'til you're dizzy. Twirl
over twisting speedways and rocket through tunnels. Balance and blast across a
bubbling ocean of oil!
Find the Emeralds, free the animals, and squash Robotnik forever!
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2.02  -  Controls
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D-Pad         -  Move cursor over different options on title and options
screens; move character (Left/Right, hold to speed up); look
up (Up, hold to shift screen up); crouch (Down)
Start Button  -  Confirm options on title/options screens; pause/resume game
A             -  Jump; charge Super Sonic Spin Dash when crouching (release to
dash away at high speed); bounce off flippers/springs in
Casino Night Zone
B             -  Same as A
C             -  Same as A
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2.03  -  Characters
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Sonic
-----
Your true, blue hero returns in a new adventure to crush the demented Dr.
Robotnik! With the same blue spikes, red shoes and super speed, Sonic is back
and better than he ever was before. You can control Sonic alone or with Tails
in the 1-Player mode. Should 2 players be playing the 1-Player mode, Player 1
will be controlling Sonic. In the 2-Player Vs. mode, Player 1 also controls
Sonic.
Miles "Tails" Prower
--------------------
Sonic's sidekick is a cute, two-tailed fox who made his debut in this game.
Tails has all the equivalent moves to Sonic, and you can play through the game
as Tails by himself, or a second player can control him in 1-Player mode if you
are playing in "Sonic and Tails" mode. In 2-Player Vs. mode, Player 2 controls
Tails.
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2.04  -  Basics
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The Title Screen
----------------
When you begin the game, you'll see Sonic and Tails and below them are two
options: 1-Player or 2-Player Vs., and if you press Down twice you'll see
another choice, Options. This list is about what each of them represents:
1-Player: Play through the entire game with Sonic and Tails, Sonic Alone or
Tails Alone.
2-Player Vs.: With a friend, you can play through three stages from the game in
a race and a special stage with Player 1 controlling Sonic and
Player 2 controlling Tails. The 2-Player Vs. Mode section will
cover this in more detail.
Options: Set the stipulations for the game. On the top box you can select the
characters to play through the game with (Sonic and Tails, Sonic Alone
or Tails Alone), the middle box allows you to pick what kind of items
you can find in the 2-Player Vs. Mode (all kinds such as Power-ups,
extra lives, rings, etc., or Teleport items only).
2 Players in 1-Player Mode
--------------------------
Should you be playing the 1-Player Mode game and have 2 controllers, the
controller in Port 2 can be used to control Tails should it be set to Sonic and
Tails from the options menu.
Reach for the Rings
-------------------
There are two different ways you can protect yourself from Badnik attacks:
possessing rings and/or possessing a shield. When you have a shield you can
protect yourself from one Badnik attack but lose your shield. You can only have
one shield on at once. If you get touched by a Badnik while you have rings but
not a shield, you'll lose your rings but you can quickly grab some of them
again. You'll have to hurry though, because they disappear after a temporary
amount of time.
Starposts/Special Stage
-----------------------
Occasionally across the zones you'll come to a starpost. Like the lamppost in
Sonic 1, touching it will record your position, but also, if you touch it while
in possession of 50 or more rings, some stars will appear above it and circle
around. If you jump up into the stars you can have one attempt at beating the
Special Stage, a course in which you run down a track trying to collect a
specified amount of rings. More information on the Special Stage and tips for
beating them all can be found in the Special Stage section of this FAQ.
Self-Propelled Gadgets
----------------------
There are two gadgets you can find in the game you have to utilise in order to
progress through the stages. These are what they are:
Pinball: In Casino Night zone, you can find springs that launch Sonic like a
pinball. When you land on a spring, hold down one of the jump buttons
and the spring presses down. When the spring stops moving, let go of
the button and Sonic will shoot up. Also, there are pinball flippers
you can find that bounce Sonic if you press a jump button when you
land on one.
Nuts & Bolts: In Metropolis Zone there are sets of nuts and bolts you can use
to ascend or descend. When you step on the nut, run left to
descend, or run right to ascend. Simple, eh?
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2.05  -  FAQs
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Q: Is it true that you can play Knuckles in this game? If so, how?
A: Yes, it's true. You need the S&K lock-on cartridge and plug Sonic 2 into it.
Switch on the power and play away as Knuckles!
Q: Can you get "Super Tails"?
A: Nope. If you collect all 7 Chaos Emeralds with Tails, nothing changes,
unfortunately. You'll need Sonic 3 & Knuckles to get Super Tails. There is,
however, a 'glitch' of some sort related to this; check the Cheat Codes &
Secrets page for this game on GameFAQs and it'll tell you.
Q: Hi, I'm from CheatCC...
A: Go away.
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3. Walkthrough
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A step-by-step guide to completing this game.
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3.01  -  Emerald Hill Zone
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Act 1
-----
Welcome to the first zone of the game! Both acts in the Emerald Hill Zone are
fairly straight-forward (as are most introductory acts in Sonic games), but my
and Ryan's job is to make the game a more fun and pleasurable experience for
you, so let's get started shall we?
From the start, proceed right, collecting rings and disposing of enemies along
the way until you reach a hovering platform that's moving back and forth
horizontally. Hop on this and it'll eventually take you to a raised platform
with a shield power-up, a robotic monkey, and a couple of rings. Grab the
power-up, dispose of the monkey, grab the rings, and move on.
Just past the bridge where you'll be greeted by a few blood-thirsty robot fish,
you'll see another floating platform. This time, it's moving vertically (up and
down). Hop on this and ride it down to the bottom level. Hop off to your left
and enter a somewhat secret cave area with some rings. Once you've grabbed the
rings, head back out to the bottom level. Hit the red spring if you wish for
some extra speed (which you should), and shortly after you sprint past a few
waterfalls, you'll hit a small incline which launches you back up to the top
level. You should've landed right in front of a slightly larger incline lined
with rings. At the top of this incline, you'll find a yellow spring. Hop off of
this spring and to the left to reach a checkpoint (and some rings).
Hop down off of the platform with the Starpost (a.k.a. checkpoint) and proceed
right, through the loop and the corkscrew, until you reach yet another
Starpost. Just past this Starpost is another loop. Run through this loop and
the one immediately following it. Now, with speed, hit the incline (ramp)
that's directly in front of you. If you hit the ramp with enough speed, you
should be launched into another secret tunnel that's home to a few rings and an
extra life. Anyways, run across the waterfall and into yet another tunnel. Exit
this tunnel and you should land right in front of a ring box. Grab this then
continue on, grabbing rings and destroying baddies until you reach the end of
Act 1.
Act 2
-----
Head right at the start of the act and hop up onto the raised platform in front
of you. Run to the end of the platform and a yellow spring will launch you up
to a bunch of rings. Grab as much as you can, then continue on. If you let the
spring carry you as far as it could take you, you should've landed right in
front of a speed power-up. If not, just head right a littleways until you reach
the power-up, then tackle the next part of the level at intense speeds.
Sprint across the bridge just past the above area, then hop over the gap just
past the bridge. Keep sprinting along until you reach a yellow spring in the
ground. Hop on it to launch yourself up to the top level, then keep running and
running (don't forget to grab any rings or power-ups you run into along the
way) until you reach a checkpoint. Run forward just a tad bit more and you'll
find yourself preparing for your first boss battle: Robotnik's drill car. This
boss is extremely easy, but if you feel more comfortable receiving tips on how
to defeat him quickly and easily, please refer to the "Boss List" section of
this guide. Once you've defeated the boss, you'll have beaten Act 2 as well as
the first zone.
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3.02  -  Chemical Plant Zone
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Act 1
-----
Before we get started, I must mention that there are a TON of ways to complete
both acts in the Chemical Plant Zone. What I've written are the suggested
routes you should take to get through the zone quickly and easily. With that in
mind, let's get started with Act 1.
At the start, proceed right and up the small incline in front of you. Ignore
the floating platforms and run along the blue path until you reach a downslope
that leads to a large loop. Run through the loop, and at the bottom you should
bump into a red spring. Hit the spring and run LEFT back through the loop and
you should be on another path below the one you started on. Hit the large
incline in front of you and you should be launched in the air and up to another
incline, this time it's inverted and you're greeted by a few enemies below you.
Dispose of the enemies, then break the cover on the tube to your left, hop in,
and go for a ride.
Upon exiting the tube, you should notice two ring boxes to your right and some
rings above you. Grab them, then hop up and to your right. Continue on and you
should reach a shield power-up. Grab it then dispose of the robot in front of
you. This is where it gets tricky. What you have to do here is carefully
manuever yourself through a series of robotic spiders and tubes that shoot out
giant blue chemical worms. Once you've done so, head up the small incline in
front of you and hit the black spring-like object. You should then be launched
through two loops.
Upon exiting the loops, you should be launched very high into the air after
hitting a small incline. Once you've reached the highest point, quickly hop
onto one of the two floating blocks and proceed right and into another black
spring-like thing. Keep going right through a bunch of loops until you reach
another tube at the end of the path. Hop down into this and you should come up
next to a ring box. Grab it then go left down the path until you reach a set of
five blocks in the ground. Step on these to make them descend, then proceed
right to the end of Act 1.
Act 2
-----
At the start of the act, head right and grab the rings directly in front of
you. Continue on and you'll eventually come to a small incline. Run up this,
defeat the enemy awaiting your arrival, then sprint down the steep drop in the
path ahead. At the bottom, you should hit another small incline that will
launch you up to the top level of the complex. Go forward a littleways and hit
the small red spring-like object in front of you to take yourself up to the
platform in front of you. Hit another spring-like object here to get the three
rings if you wish, then spin dash up the rather large incline in front of you.
Once you're at the top of the incline, hop up and onto one of the hovering
platforms above you. Jump off of the platform when it's at its highest point
and go left (into the small passageway). Hop into the tube at the end of this
small passageway, and you should eventually be launched up into a small group
of rings. Grab these and the ring box on your right,  then proceed left and
down another steep drop in the path. At the bottom of the path, you should be
propelled up a huge incline and through a set of two loops. You should then be
launched off of a small incline and into another small group of rings. Grab as
many as you can then continue on.
Hop onto the vertically (up and down) moving platform at the end of the path,
then switch platforms when you're required to do so. At the bottom, JUMP off of
the platform to the right, avoiding the "trap doors" in the path that will
plunge you deep into the chemically-infused waters below. Yuck. Anyways, hop
into the tube just ahead, and when you launch out of it, stay aligned with the
tube and hit the spring that just appeared. At the highest point the spring
takes you, move left and onto an isolated platform that's home to a ring box.
Grab it, then drop down to where you just were. Hit the black spring-like
object in front of you, and when you eventually reach an incline that launches
you high up into the air, DON'T GO TO YOUR RIGHT! You'll miss a checkpoint if
you do. With that in mind, drop down to the bottom level and grab the
checkpoint.
Just past the checkpoint, there will be a black and yellow door that will open
upon approaching it. Proceed past the door and hit the series of springs ahead
to guide yourself down to a set of moving blocks, which will take you down to
the level below. CAREFULLY hop onto the moving platforms to safely transport
yourself over the water, then hit the black spring-like object in front of you
to propel yourself into the hardest part of the entire zone.
Okay, now this next part requires PATIENCE and GOOD TIMING, so keep those two
factors in mind. Alright, now with that in mind, hop onto the rotating set of
blocks in front of you, and, depending on whether or not you started from the
top or bottom path, do the same for the second set of blocks above you. Next,
hop up onto the two single blocks rotating counter-clockwise just above your
head. Once you've done that, hop off of the last block and to your left to
complete the area. The challenge you ask? The water rises as you're climbing to
the top. Anyways, simply manuever your way left until you reach the end of the
pathway. Hop onto the hovering platforms, then proceed right through a loop and
across another chemical pool to the boss area. For strategies on defeating this
boss, please proceed to the "Boss List" section of this guide.
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3.03  -  Aquatic Ruin Zone
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Act 1
-----
What an annoying little zone this is! You'll be greeted by hidden enemies that
pop out of walls, giant lakes, which you can easily drown in, and a rather
annoying/frustrating boss fight that requires skill and patience. Aside from
that well... the music's pretty cool... I guess. Anyways let's get started!
Start Act 1 by heading right, as usual. You first encounter a gray panel on a
pillar in the background with Robotnik's face tatooed on it. Avoid these like
the plague: they are your biggest threat in Aquatic Ruin Zone. When you
approach one, it begins flashing. When you pass it, it shoots out an arrow to
the right. Avoid those arrows, though often they get you anyway somehow. Keep
an eye out for these obstacles. Next comes a large gray pillar in the
foreground; just jump on it to destroy it and continue. Run past two waterfalls
with another arrow panel between them. There's a log spanning the second
waterfall, and a red enemy who resembles an upright tank on top of the log.
This enemy is usually not very dangerous, as he just rolls back and forth.
After this you'll come to a ring box. Take it and take the high road (where
the red enemy is). Hit the spring and go through the loop. Pass the Starpost,
run through the log (some rings are inside) and smash the gray pillar.
Continue right past another red enemy. You come to a red spring but before
hitting it and speeding right, take out two more red enemies, who pop out of
burrows in the wall behind you to attack. Then hit the spring, zoom through the
loop and go down into the lake. As soon as you stop moving, JUMP! The platform
you stop on will immediately drop down carrying you into the depths of the lake
unless you jump off quickly. Go right on dry land, getting a Shield. Climb some
steps. Hit the yellow spring to run up the curved wall. Be careful of the
arrow panel near it, and the red enemy at the top of the wall (who is partially
concealed by the foliage). Go right and wait for the arrow from the arrow panel
to fly by before hitting the spring and zooming through the loop. From then on
just keep going right until you reach the end of Act 1.
Act 2
-----
Probably the toughest part about this act is the beginning. It's very, very
tricky, and if you mess up you'll find yourself submerged in a large pool of
water. Anyways, proceed right at the start past a set of two arrow panels.
Alright, now here's the tough part. When you come to a ledge, you must quickly
and CAREFULLY jump to the swinging platform in front of you. Next, you must
carefully walk onto the next swinging platform when the two connect in mid-air.
When the second platform reaches the other side, hop off and dispose of the
enemy here. Keep in mind that you must make the transition from platform to
platform a quick one, as the platforms will eventually break off and plunge you
into the waters below if you stay on either one of them for too long.
Once you've successfully crossed the gap, go right and hop over another smaller
gap. You see some red springboards leading up but ignore them and take the low
path. About this time you may be attacked by a fly enemy from above. This is a
surprisingly annoying enemy who can pop out of nowhere and get you. Remember
these always come in batches of three: when you take out one, expect more to
come. Their erratic movement makes it tough to hit them. Go right, smash the
gray pillar and take out the red enemy when he emerges from his burrow (which
is easy if you see the burrow but can be a nasty surprise if you don't). Hit
the red spring. You zip up a wall and land on a yellow spring. Don't bounce up
to the highest level, but go right from the yellow spring and hit the Starpost.
It's on the edge of a ledge with a swinging platform to the right. Jump onto
the swinging platform CAREFULLY when it comes into range.
Hop onto the ledge to your right and continue on until you're confronted by a
small swarm of flies. Dispose of them, then proceed right until you come to
two pillars. Be careful upon approaching these pillars, as their bottoms will
break off and try to crush you when you come near them. Once past them, go
right and down, until you see a red enemy pop out from a burrow below you.
Defeat him carefully (the low ceiling makes it awkward). Concealed behind the
pillar is a red spring. Hit it and zoom through the loop. Spin so you don't get
hit by a red enemy who pops out from a burrow just under the surface of the
lake. After you take out the red enemy, jump so you don't slam into another red
spring pointing the other way. There's a springboard on the floor you passed
which has no real point.
Jump over the aforementioned red spring and go right. You see a gray pillar
floating on the surface of the water. Rather than try to deal with it, drop
down into the lake. Beware of blue piranha fish in the lake who charge at you
if they see you. Go right on the lake floor, spin dashing to go quickly and
defeat any fish in the way. You drop down to a lower level. Go right through
the red area and under a gray pillar on the ceiling (beware; this one also
tries to crush you). You come to an air pocket on the floor. Stand by it until
a large bubble appears, then gobble it up to refill your air before continuing.
Spin dash right from here. You'll roll under two more pillars that attempt to
crush you, then at last you come to a springboard.
This springboard is a high-powered one that will propel you out of the lake.
Bounce on it a few times but hold to the left. Beware that the springboard
doesn't bounce you into some flies waiting above to get you. By bouncing up and
left you not only avoid the flies, you also bounce into a completely invisible
passage in the wall to the left above the surface. You can also access this
passage by jumping from the right but the springboard below is easier. Inside
this tunnel go left to a secret room with a 1-UP. Then go right, being careful
of nasty flies. Once you defeat all three, go right. Spin dash past the arrow
panel. Wait for the arrow to go off the screen before hitting the red spring.
Run through a loop, pass a chekpoint, and proceed to the boss arena. For
strategies on defeating this boss, please proceed to the "Boss List" section of
this guide.
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3.04  -  Casino Night Zone
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Ah, yes the Casino Night Zone! Now this zone is truly just mindless bouncing
all over the place, and you're confronted by very few enemies while doing so.
Now even though this is all entirely true, an excruciatingly hard and
frustrating boss makes up for this. That being said, I'm going to leave you on
your own for this zone. Have fun with it, it's a good one. For strategies on
defeating the boss, please proceed to the "Boss List" section of this
guide.
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3.05  -  Hill Top Zone
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Act 1
-----
Begin by heading right, to a platform suspended from a vine. Jump on it and it
slides down the vine to another ledge; jump off before it drops. Beware that
falling down will kill you (though it never does again for the rest of this
zone). Go right further to a red enemy with a large gray spike on his back.
This fellow slowly moves back and forth; move next to him to cause him to
launch his spike into the air, leaving him defenseless. These guys usually walk
on the ceiling. You have to get uncomfortably close (or jump over them, but be
careful of the spike) to cause them to release their spike, so watch out. Cross
the lava pit (lava is a major obstacle in this zone, but it doesn't kill you -
it merely hurts you) via the two vertically moving pillars. Further right is a
small mound of rock; there are many of these in this zone and you can destroy
them by jumping on them, but this has no real point.
You come to a catapult with a flashing red ball enemy on the right side. These
catapults work exactly like the ones in Sonic 1. Jump onto the side without the
enemy and he'll fly into the air. He can fly up one of three different heights,
depending on how much force you land on the catapult with. To fly up really
high, you usually have to use the catapult several times (bounce up and then
land back on it). He always lands on the opposite side from where he started
from, so once you send him up, walk to the other side and wait to be catapulted
up. Avoid touching the red ball enemy, who is unbeatable (this takes practice
but you'll get used to it). Use the catapult to bounce over the short wall,
then continue right. Jump over some spikes, than a small lava pit and go down a
curving tunnel. To get over the spikes on top of the small ramp, it's best to
spin dash rather than jump. Continue right to another catapult; catapult up and
cross the next lava pit by means of the yellow spring pointing up/right or the
moving pillar in the middle of it.
Climb the cliff to the right via two catapults (the second located on a ledge
in the cliff) and a spring. Get the Super Ring at the top and ride the moving
platform over the lava pit. Continue right to a loop; spin dash through it with
sufficient speed and you burrow through some weak ground and enter a tunnel.
Now that you're underground get the Shield to the right and go left, to a lava
pit with two catapults floating in it. I recommend using the catapults as
stepping stones rather than actually springing up on them, although you'll have
to jump quickly (before the red ball enemies come back down). After crossing
this pit cross two more lava lakes by means of moving ledges suspended from
vines. Avoid enemies on the ceiling who drop spikes and purple dragons who spit
fireballs in some lava pits. After this you come to a red spring with two floor
spikes that appear and disappear to its right.
Being very careful of the floor spikes, go right and you'll bounce up high on
an invisible spring at the foot of the wall. There's an obvious passage to the
right, but above it in the wall there's a secret passage (concealed by a false
wall) that leads to an Invincibility. (Below the obvious ledge is another false
wall but it contains nothing but rings). Get that Invincibility and run out of
there. Hook your fall around if you can to land on the ledge below that leads
right without having to bounce on the spring again. Running right, some one-way
doors close behind you and an earthquake occurs. The floor and ceiling begin to
rise. When the path ahead opens enough, run through it. Now make a mad dash to
the right. You'll run across a rising lava lake (if you're still invincible; if
not avoid the lava) and should make it into the next tunnel before the lava
seals it off. The lava will promptly go back down (it constantly rises and
falls) and there's a moving pillar in it to help you cross without
invincibility. After this part go right, down a curving tunnel.
Now that you're outside again, go right to a catapult. Bounce up really high
(by bouncing several times) and fly to the right. You want to try and land on
top of the loop to your right where a Starpost and a Super Ring are. If you
don't make it, try again. You can just spin dash through the ground through the
loop but you'll miss the Starpost. To the right of the loop is the end of
Act 1.
Act 2
-----
Spin dash up the curved wall at the start. Go right, over a small lava pit and
go down the tunnel. Ascend another, taller curved wall by means of a yellow
spring. Go right to find yourself face to face with a purple dragon in a lava
pit. Make a blind jump over him, hoping to land on a small ledge sticking out
of the lava pit behind him. The ledge drops when you land on it so quickly jump
to the other side. Go right, spin dash through the loop and break through the
ground. Spin dash up two curved walls. At the top of the second one is a rare
enemy. He is yet another kind of red ball enemy, surrounded by four flames,
which he launches at you. The flames protect him until he launches them, so the
first time you spin dash up, don't go after him. Instead, avoid hitting a
flame, go back down and wait a few seconds. Spin dash up again and while you
were waiting, he will have released all his flames, so go ahead and defeat him.
Proceed right, get the Shield and ride a moving ledge over a lava pit. Hit the
Starpost and go right. An earthquake starts. This is a tough section, though
not really that hard - you need to climb a long way up by means of moving
platforms, stationary platforms (which drop when landed on) and stable ledges
staying ahead of slowly rising lava below. Near the bottom right corner is a
Shield but it's not worth getting. About halfway up, go right through the wall
to find a secret Invincibility - that helps. Climb slowly if you can, being
very careful not to fall, and hopefully you'll make it. There's a Super Ring
and the exit in the top right corner. After escaping this area go right, back
outside for a time, then back underground. Jump over the two yellow springs
pointing at each other (which have no purpose). Avoid the floor spike that
appears and disappears. Get the Super Ring but don't make a full jump; there's
a spike on the ceiling just out of your view. Look up to see it if necessary.
To your right is a tall wall, but an invisible spring will help you ascend it.
Jump on the ledge that slides down the vine. Cross the lava lake below by means
of three such ledges. But, when you come to the end of the second ledge's vine,
don't automatically jump to the third ledge. Drop down to the far left instead.
This seems crazy since there's lava below, but you'll find a 1-UP in the bottom
right corner and a spring below it to bounce you back up! Grab this secret
prize, then ride the third ledge down. Get the Super Ring and proceed right,
watching out for ceiling enemies who drop their spikes on you. Go back outside,
and bounce up on two springs to a Starpost. Go right to the boss. For
strategies on defeating this boss, please proceed to the "Boss List" section of
this guide.
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3.06  -  Mystic Cave Zone
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Act 1
-----
Begin by going right to two orange wooden ledges. These collapse as soon as you
touch them. You can take the high road or the low road. Take the low road by
dropping down and get that concealed power-up - it's a Shield. Then continue
right. You come to two wooden ledges situated over some spikes, and a green
hanging vine. These vines are common in this zone and usually cause a wooden
walkway to shift positions, allowing you to proceed. Jump onto the bottom of
the vine and wait a second for the walkway to move into place, then jump onto
it and continue. In the ceiling ahead is a blue glow worm. This is a nasty
enemy since he extends out of nowhere and tries to hit you. It is impossible to
tell if one is there until it extends. He also can only be taken out with a hit
to the head. Enemies in Mystic Cave Zone are rather tough, so keep that in
mind.
Keep going, and drop into that gap just ahead to find a Shield if you lost your
first one. The vine that looks different from the earlier one will carry you up
if you grab onto it. Just beware that a wooden block with spike on the end of
it will slide out from the left wall at the bottom of the pit. There's a red
spring which you can use to bounce up to a ledge with some rings and a ring
box. Beware that inside the ledge is a glow worm to defend the rings. You again
can take the high or low road, take the high road this time to miss that moving
pillar that tries to crush you. You come to three crates moving in a circle but
ignore them and drop down. Go down two ramps to a Starpost. Activate it and
grab the vine above. It lowers you down through the wooden bridge (which parts
to let you through). Jump off and get the Super Ring to the left, then go
right. You meet the other enemy of Mystic Cave Zone here: a lightning bug who
floats around from one position to another, and periodically stops and flashes
yellow. He is invincible when he is flashing. Patience (and not hurrying to
avoid bumping into him) is the key to safely taking him out.
Go right to find two horizontally (left and right) moving platforms. Avoiding
spikes, use the platforms to climb up to the next level. To the right is a
short wall. Three blocks with spikes will come out from this wall. Jump onto
the top of the first block, then the second block in succession. Use these
blocks to climb the wall. If you fall, leave the screen and come back after
going far enough away - the blocks will reset. Once atop the wall go right to
encounter a nasty obstacle: a green moving pillar that constantly moves up and
down, trying to crush you. Walk or spin dash under it (being very careful of
the lightning bug) and grab the vine to be lowered down (don't bother with the
path up and left). Rather than tangle with the pillar to the right, drop
straight down to the lowest level. There are two red springs on this level
that serve no purpose. Go right and get the Invincibility.
You now have to get past three orange crates that move in a square formation.
They cannot crush you if you get entangled in them unless you get between one
and the floor. Watch out for that and jump over them. Again you can jump to a
high ledge but keep going on the low road. Ignore two more red springs pointing
at each other. To the right, spin dash up a curved wall. The moving pillar at
the top cannot crush you; it just makes it a little bit harder to get over the
wall. Be sure to jump to the ledge to the left - there's a Starpost there. Then
go right (beware of a glow worm who waits in ambush) until you find the path
right blocked by a wooden walkway. So drop down and get the partially concealed
Invincibility. Go right, get the Super Ring and hit the red spring. You fly up
a curved wall into the air - try to grab the vine hanging from the ceiling.
This will make the wooden walkway to the left extend, opening your path left.
If you don't grab the vine on the first try you can try again, either by
jumping from the collapsing wooden ledge or bouncing up with the red spring
again.
Once on the walkway, proceed left, and when you see another vine above, go left
and get the Shield power-up first. Beware; it's guarded by a glow worm. Then
grab the vine and jump onto the walkway. Grab another vine to by carried up.
Then jump off, onto the ledge. Ahead are two pillars that move up instead of
down, unlike the earlier one these CAN crush you, so be very careful. Carefully
jump over them when they go down, and once past them, drop into the gap to grab
two ring boxes. Bounce up out of the gap and head right to the goal.
Act 2
-----
Begin this act by going right, grabbing the vine to open the way ahead, then
dropping down instead of trying to cross the moving platforms. On the bottom,
go right and grab another vine to open the path. Continue right past a crushing
pillar (be careful) and a lightning bug. Get the Invincibility in the pit below
(watch out for spikes) and continue right (don't use the spring to bounce up to
the higher path). Beware of the glow worm dead ahead. Spin dash up a curved
wall, defeat a glow worm, go up another curved wall, then tangle with a pair of
lightning bugs. Then ride the vine to the right down and go left to three
moving crates. They aren't as hard to handle as they appear. You need to go in
a counterclockwise direction to get by them, so do that, getting the ring box
and Invincibility on the way. Getting out from the Invincibility is a little
tricky - after one crate goes by, run out and hold right hard to get between
the crates without being crushed by the next crate.
Drop down past the crates and go left. Grab the vine to proceed, continue left,
drop down and then go right. Go under some ceiling spikes and a crushing
pillar. Jump over the spikes to the yellow spring, and instead of grabbing the
vine above, head right in the narrow corridor with the pillar. Carefully run
under it, then get past some lightning bugs. Go slowly. When you come to a vine
grab it and wait until the walkway stops moving before you jump on it. Be very
careful since if you fall in the gap, you die since there's no way out.
Continue right and purposefully drop into the next gap (the one with three
wooden ledges on its sides). There's a 1-UP and a spring to bounce you back up
in the bottom right corner! Grab them and continue. The next gap also has a
spring in the bottom right corner, and has a ledge in the middle, to which a
slowly rotating spiked ball on a chain is attached. Jump over carefully and
slowly. Continue right to a yellow spring and a vine.
Use either one to go up, go left, grab a Shield and climb the steps. Again use
the vine or yellow spring to go up to the higher level. You can now go left or
right. Go right and when you come to a high road/ low road fork, take the low
road. Next comes a pillar that is even harder to get under than normal ones; I
recommend spin dashing underneath when no lightning bugs are in the way. Get
the Super Ring and drop down. Go right and drop down to a Starpost. Be wary of
this Starpost. If you hit it and then die at the boss, there's no way to go
back from the Starpost to get some rings, so you'll only have rings during your
first try at the boss. Unless you're confident you can defeat the boss on your
first try, I recommend avoiding this Starpost if you can. Going all the way
through the act again shouldn't be that bad, since there's a 1-UP on the way.
Whatever you do don't use this Starpost to play a Special Stage since that
leaves you with zero rings. Anyway from the Starpost go right a ways to the
boss. For strategies on defeating this boss, please proceed to the "Boss List"
section of this guide.
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3.07  -  Oil Ocean Zone
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Act 1
-----
This zone is all a gigantic oil refinery, with a lake of oil floating on the
bottom of all of it (hence the name Oil Ocean Zone). Falling in this oil will
not kill you but sinking too far in it will. You need to jump continuously to
stay afloat in the oil and try to find a way to jump out. Stay out of the oil
if you can. The music here is a bit slick and eerie. Begin by heading right
over two gold floors. Be aware that these (and all gold floors that look like
them) will collapse. After these you meet a pink enemy who looks like a weird
alien or octopus. He hovers above ground when he sees you and fires a small
energy ball sideways. He isn't much of a threat because unless you jump, the
ball flies over your head. After one of these you come to a depression slippery
with oil, which prevents you from ducking and makes moving tricky. Jump out of
the depression and continue over a small gap with a fan. Fans periodically
turn on and off. When on they make you float above them.
Defeat another pink octopus and you come to a green cover on a vent that
periodically gets blasted up into the air and comes back down again. Obviously
jump on the cover to continue, but beware of the spikes on either side of it
and don't touch the vent when the cap is off, of course. When the cover flies
up, jump to the floating ledge on the left you see to find 20 rings. Then go
right, over the gold floor. Cross a wide gap via two more gold floors (try
really hard not to fall here, as it's very hard to get back up). Then climb the
steps and defeat two octopuses. Jump over the green cover and get the Shield to
the right of it. Then jump onto the cover and fly up, and jump to the gold
ledge to your right. Run right and up a short curved wall. You come to a gap
with a fan below it. To cross this one just run across when the fan is on and
you will make it if you hold right.
Use a green vent cover to ascend a wall. Next you meet the other enemy of Oil
Ocean Zone, and he is much nastier: a flying sea horse (?) who appears out of
nowhere and shoots black bullets down at an angle. Try to avoid his initial
attack and knock him out as fast as you can. Always watch out for these around
corners, especially in awkward positions. Continue right and watch out for
another sea horse. Ride the pink elevator up and go left. Cross the gap by just
running left; two fans that always remain on will airlift you across. Next
comes a fan that's blowing in your face blocking your way; run by after it
turns off. Ride another elevator up and go right. Watch out for a sea horse up
ahead. Cross a gap via a fan, ride another elevator and cross another gap
(beware; this fan turns on and off). You come to an oil slide. When you jump
on one of these there's very little you can do but enjoy the ride. You come
off the oil slide at a checkpoint.
To the right of the checkpoint is a gap with an oil slide below it; jump over
it. Go right to find three green covers that blast up at different intervals,
with rings above them and spikes between them. As long as your jumping skills
are fairly good, you should have no trouble with them. At the third one you'll
have a choice of taking a high road or a low road. Take the high road by
jumping onto the gold ledge above when the cover blasts up. Go right to a gap
with a gold ledge on the other side; jump across and quickly amble to the
right. Spin dash up the curved wall and land on the gold floor above. Go left
jumping up the ledges, to an elevator. Ride it up, and go right but watch out
for two sea horses. To the right is a green object that is not a green vent
cover. Jump on it and you get propelled into a floating green checkered ball.
The ball launches you through a sequence of balls while you have no control
over yourself. You get launched out and land next to a Shield.
Grab it and go right, defeating two octopuses. Go down an oil slide. After
going down the second one turn around and try to climb back up it. This is a
very tricky thing to do but the hard part is not climbing back up the oil slide
- you can do that with some quick jumping. The hard part is getting over the
wall to the right where an octopus is. It's a tough jump and the oil below
prevents you from spin dashing it. Just keep trying until you make it or give
up. If you give up go to the left; you'll rejoin this walkthrough shortly. If
you do make it, defeat the octopus and get the Super Ring, and drop down to the
right. Be careful NOT to touch a ball (that'll take you somewhere else) and get
the 1-UP to the right. Then drop off the ledge to the left, and ride the
elevator down. Go left, but after a ways turn around and go back right. The
elevator should be gone if you walked far enough, and below it is a checkpoint.
Go left on this walkway, jumping over spikes. Descend some steps, defeat three