--------- ---------- -- -- -- ------- ------- ---- / | | | | \ | | | | | | | | | \ / ------- | -- | | \ | | | | | ---- | ---- | |\ | \ \ | | | | | \ | | | | | | | | | | | | \ ------ | | | | | |\ \ | | | | | | | | | | | | \ \ | | | | | | \ \| | | | | | | | | | | | ----- \ | | | | | | \ | | | | | | | | | | | / / | | | | | | \ | | | | | | | | | | | ----- / | -- | | | \ | | | | ---- | ---- | |/ | / / | | | | \ | | | | | | | | / -------- ---------- -- -- -- ------- ------- ---- FAQ/Walkthrough Written by gamersince93 This FAQ was written using the PC version of the game. As far as I know, the level design in each version is the exact same, but if the newest release of game isn't identical to the PC version, I'll make a note of it. The alphabet should be triplicated below. If it is all on one line and you can see the period at the end, you can view this FAQ. If not, adjust your browser settings. abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyzabcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyzabcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz. Also, make sure that the game's title is visible at the top of the page, as it is also 79 characters long. Table of Contents ================= -------------------- | 1: Version History | This FAQ/Walkthrough can be used easily | 2: Story | with your browser's Find function. Type | 3: Badniks | the first letter of each word in a level's | 4: Your Moves | name, then the act number. | 5: Rings & Lives | Now type either W for a walkthrough or | 6: Time Warp | T for time attack tips. For example, if | 7: Items | I wanted to get tips for a speed run | 8: Scoring | through act 1 of Goofy Gadget (this isn't | 9: Special Stage | a real level), then I'd type GG1T into the |10: Walkthrough | find tool. |11: Time Attack | |12: Fact & Fiction | |13: Other Stuff | |14: Challenges | |15: Cheats | |16: Contact Info | |17: Legal Info | -------------------- Version History =============== This FAQ was started on 6/10/05 to prepare for the game's re-release on Sonic Gems Collection, but can be used with all versions of the game. Version 2.0: There's a few differences between the Gems Collection version and the other versions, so I placed them in the FAQ. The Time Attack section has every level done now and times. I looked at the walkthrough for Stardust Speedway 2 and found quite a few typos for such a short walkthrough, so they're now fixed. The Scoring section now correctly says that bumpers give 100 points and not 10 (guess I've been playing too much Sonic 2), and the Your Moves section now tells you how to scroll the screen. Version 2.1: I spell-checked the FAQ and fixed some spelling mistakes, and correctly called the FAQ Version 2.0 in the Version History section. There's a few minor updates throughout the FAQ, one having been sent to me via e-mail. I found a glitch in Gems Collection, so I posted it in the Cheats section. There's also a miscellany section, aptly named "Other Stuff". Take a look! Wherever you see the word "Update", there's something new. Version 2.11: I removed the comments from beside my high scores because the scores speak for themselves. A small revision in the Quartz Quadrant 2 Time Attack section was made. But the biggest change was the removal of my e-mail address because I found five messages that were obviously spyware and one hate mail. Thanks to the few people who e-mailed me who actually gave some advice or asked an intelligent question. If anyone else has any problems that aren't answered here, please ask over on the GameFAQs' Sonic Gems Collection board for Gamecube. The people there are usually glad to help assuming they haven't already answered the same question a million times. You can use a search engine to find the PC patch if you need it. This could very well be the last update (it's really sad, I know...). Version 2.12: Another minor update. Even if there was more to add, there aren't many people talking about Sonic CD anymore, so who would read a guide? Thanks to everyone who helped this guide reach ten thousand hits before the end of 2005; as of the Last Updated date on the FAQ Listing page I've gotten an additional 2500. A "Challenges" section was added, as well as a statement of the fact that my routes aren't necessarily the best for time attacking (I have to pick relatively easy routes that most people can do, so speed is sometimes sacrificed). I realized that I wrote something REALLY cheesy in the Metallic Madness 2 walkthrough -- maybe I wasn't awake when I wrote it -- so I changed it a bit, for the better or otherwise. Story (remember, Eggman and Robotnik are the same person) ===== "Sonic, where are you going now?" Sonic the Hedgehog looked over his shoulder at Amy, the young hedgehog who was racing hot on his heels. "To Never Lake," he called back. "Why Never Lake?" Sonic slowed down a little so he could explain. "Ever heard of the Little Planet?" "Isn't that the tiny world that orbits around Mobius?" Amy asked. "The one with the special stones that alter time and change everything around them? I heard that the planet's full of places that are completely ignored by the passage of time!" "Yeah. On the last month of every year, the Little Planet appears over Never Lake. It's that time now, and I'm going to check it out. I bet space travel will be exciting!" "With all those Time Stones, I bet you'll try to outrun time itself!" Amy sighed. Sonic didn't reply. He just smiled, eyes gleaming. When they arrived at Never Lake, the Little Planet was there as expected. But something was wrong. Where there should have been tall trees and bright flowers, there was nothing but dry sand and jagged rocks. The Little Planet was tethered to a rock with a huge chain, and its surface was covered with twisted, gleaming metal. "What happened?" Amy wondered. Before Sonic could reply, something whooshed over them. Amy shrieked as she was snatched up, and she and her captor vanished in a blue streak of light! "What the -- AMY!" It didn't take long for Sonic to realize what had happened. "This has to be one of Dr. Robotnik's tricks!" Indeed it was! Upon discovering the location of the Little Planet, the evil Dr. Robotnik and his robot cronies had immediately set about converting it to a giant fortress. When Robotnik saw Sonic approaching, he had dispatched his prize creation, the Metal Sonic, to grab Amy and lure his archenemy into danger. "How convenient!" Robotnik crowed, bouncing about like a malicious rubber ball. "This time my scientific expertise will crush you! Once all the Time Stones are in my hands, I'll be able to manipulate time and conquer the world! HO, HO, HO, HO!" Sonic stood on a rock and thought. Robotnik had control of the Little Planet. He had Amy, and soon he would have the Time Stones ... but not if Sonic got to them first! His adventure on the Little Planet was going to be more exciting and dangerous than he'd planned. It was time to get a move on! ----- The storyline was taken from the Help file for the PC version of the game. Badniks ======= Ant: Wanders around on one wheel. Easy to destroy. Bees: Some shoot you, some swing a ball and chain. Just try to get by them, it's useless to stop and fight. Beetle: Attacks with a saw. Hit from above or behind. Bomb: Technically not a badnik, since there isn't anything inside of it. Can't be damaged and blows up when you approach. Stand right next to the explosion (yes, I'm serious) to avoid flying shrapnel. Butterfly: Has no means of attack. Caterkiller: Returning from Sonic 1. Roll into the head to destroy. Grasshopper: Bounces up and down on a spring, but cannot attack. Lightning Bug: Appear in pairs and create an electrical current between themselves. Destroy one and the other is helpless. Mantis: Throws metal boomerangs to attack. Jump over the boomerangs, then strike from behind. Mosquito: Slowly flies through the air, then dives vertically to attack. Keep moving, and it will miss every time. Scorpion: Shoots a cannon to attack. It takes time to fire, so run at it and strike. Snail: Has a spiky backside. Roll into to destroy. Spider: Cannot attack, but fires webs that slow you down to a walk. Water Beetle: Jumps in and out of the water to attack. There are many other enemies throughout the game, but they are relatively weak. Your Moves ========== You're going to have a hard time getting through the levels if you just try to run and jump everywhere. Take full advantage of Sonic's moves to clear each level as fast as possible. Spin Attack ----------- While running, tap down to start rolling. You are nearly invincible while spin attacking. Spin Dash --------- While standing still, hold down and press the jump button to start spin attacking in place. Release down to dash forward quickly. Peel Out -------- While standing still, hold up and press the jump button to run in place. Release up to dash forward quickly. Unlike the spin dash, you'll be running, meaning you'll be vulnerable, but you'll have an easier time climbing hills. Try spin attacking after doing a peel out up a hill. Screen Scrolling ---------------- It's not an attack, but it's still important. While standing, tap up or down twice quickly to scroll the screen before you make a blind leap. This is different than how most 2D Sonic games allow you to scroll. Rings & Lives ============= Rings keep Sonic alive. It's that simple. Take a hit without rings, and you die. However, if you are holding rings, you drop them when you are hit. Grab 100 or 200 rings to get an extra life. You can also get lives by finding item boxes with pictures of Sonic on them. You can lose a life by: -taking a hit without rings -getting sandwiched between obstacles or floors -falling off the bottom of the stage (this can only happen in Stardust Speedway 1 and Metallic Madness 3) -getting zapped by the laser in Stardust Speedway 3 -staying underwater without sucking in air or surfacing -spending ten minutes in a level Time Warp ========= As you race through the acts of Sonic CD, you're sure to notice posts with the word "Past" or "Future" on them. Touch one and the word will appear near your life count. Now sparks appear behind Sonic when he runs. If you run for about six seconds, you'll ward through time in the said direction. Be careful, as a sudden drop in speed could cancel the warp (whether you did this on purpose or by accident). Approaching the goal also cancels the warp. The Past -------- The past of each level tends to be very complex, but sometimes it's the only place to access some passages before they cave in or erode away. The past contains the Enemy Robot Transporter, which keeps badniks operating in all time periods. Destroy it, and the Badniks in the act disappear, creating a "good future" (discussed under "The Future"). Also in the past is a projection of Metal Sonic; when this is destroyed, animals return to the area (optional). The Present ----------- This is the starting point of acts 1 and 2 of every level. If you don't intend to destroy the Enemy Robot Transporter, try to stay here. It's the most straightforward of the time periods (heh... like you didn't know that!). The Future ---------- Act 3 of every level takes place here. If you destroyed the Enemy Robot Transporter in an act, the future is bright and free of badniks. If you destroyed the Enemy Robot Transporter in acts 1 and 2, then act 3 is always a good future. Otherwise, you'll find yourself in a dark world where badniks run rampant. Items ===== Items come in TV monitors ############## such as the one to the right. # ________ # (This is the last ASCII art # | __ | # you'll see in this entire FAQ.) # | |__|_ | # When broken, the items become # | |____\ | # yours. They can only help you, # |________| # so be sure to pick them up # # whenever you see them. ############## {__________} /____________\ Super Ring -Gives you 10 rings Extra Life -Speaks for itself Shield -You lose no rings the next time you are hit Invincibility-Become temporarily untouchable Power Sneaker-Increases you acceleration and max speed for a while Combine Ring -Can only be seen with the debug cheat. It might be related to the Combine Ring item in Chaotix (for 32X), but in this game, nothing happens. "S" Monitor -Another debug-only item, except this one works. It works as if Sonic had opened an Invincibility and Power Sneaker monitor at the same time. Time Freeze -Also only viewable in debug, this may have been intended to stop time, but it does not work correctly. When hit, the water in Palmtree Panic stops moving, but everything else is unchanged. Scoring ======= Scoring in Sonic CD is simple. Each enemy destroyed counts for 100 points. Destroy several enemies with one attack for more points. Bosses net 1000 points when destroyed, as does the Enemy Robot Transporter. Some levels have pinball bumpers that give 100 points when hit. At the end of each level, you win 100 points for each ring and a bonus for how fast you beat the level. <30 sec.=50000 pts. <45 sec.=10000 pts. <60 sec.= 5000 pts. <90 sec.= 4000 pts. < 2 min.= 3000 pts. < 3 min.= 2000 pts. < 4 min.= 1000 pts. Many people think points are useless, but remember that for every 50000 points you acquire, you get one extra life. Special Stage ============= Reach the end of act 1 or 2 with 50 rings to see a large ring. Grab it to enter a special stage. Your mission is to destroy the six purple UFOs. Each UFO drops lots of rings or a Power Sneaker when hit. Make sure to stick to the paths, because falling in the water costs you 10 seconds for each second you spend in it. If time dwindles down to 20 seconds or less, a blue UFO appears in the center of the course and adds 30 seconds to the timer when hit. You win a Time Stone if you destroy all six purple UFOs before time runs out. Besides the water, there are other reasons to watch your feet. Arrows send you in the direction they point. Fans send you sailing on a horizontal path through the air, great for hitting UFOs. Springs send you on a vertical path (these tend to cost you time). Chopper blocks grab your feet and cause you to fall flat on your face, costing you rings. Be sure to grab all of the Time Stones! If you get them all, almost every enemy in the game disappears! Not only that, but you need not even look at this walkthrough because you are guaranteed a good future in every level. Walkthrough =========== Palmtree Panic 1 [PP1W] ---------------- Odds are nobody is reading this. After all, not many people get stuck on the first level of a Sonic game. But I guess I could type up a walkthrough anyway. Run forward from the start, up the vertical ramp. You'll land right in front of a checkpoint. Tag it, then jump to the ledge above with a yellow spring. Use it to propel you over a jump to the next ledge. You should see two time warp posts. Tag the past one and back up to the edge. Charge up a peel out and dash back to the right. Hold the right button and you should warp to the past. Keep holding right and you should land on a high ledge. Don't jump to get the four rings; instead, walk through the little opening in the wall below them. Whoa! You'll be sucked behind the level and end up in a lower area, right next to a hologram of Metal Sonic. Continue to the right, without jumping up or down to a higher route or using a spring, until you reach a rock with springs on either side. Don't hit either of them, but keep going to the right. Grab the shield atop the loop and stand still. A platform should arrive; ride it to arrive at a sort of natural tower. Jump to the right for a Super Ring, them jump back to the left, etc... until you reach the top. At the top you'll find the Enemy Robot Transporter. Destroy it, then go to the right to find the goal. If you have 50 rings or more, you'll see a large ring. Take it, and read the Special Stage portion of this guide. If you didn't have enough rings, try again in another level. IMPORTANT: Part of the fun in Sonic CD is in taking your own route. Therefore, the walkthrough only states how to find the Enemy Robot Transporter. After destroying it, find the goal for yourself. Warp between time zones as you please, and go to the good future if you want. Palmtree Panic 2 [PP2W] ---------------- Take the lowest route through the level from the start to find a past post. Easy, right? Now move to the right, hitting one yellow spring, then the next. Land on the ledge above the second spring, and then jump to the left to see a rock with a spring attached. Go to the left edge of the ledge that it's on and face to the right. Charge up a peel out, release the buttons and PRESS NOTHING so that you hit the spring, clear the pit, air off of the jump, and warp before you hit the ground. If all went well, you should be in the past, back where you started the level. Take any route you want, and you should eventually reach a loop that dumps you into a tunnel and onto a spring. Land, then head to the right and jump to the route with the future post. Jump over the spring to see a swing going back and forth. Jump on it and get off the left side. The next yellow spring you see leads to the Enemy Robot Transporter. Destroy it and head for the goal. Palmtree Panic 3 [PP3W] ---------------- If you destroyed the Enemy Robot Transporters in acts 1 and 2, you'll have a good future at the start of act 3. Otherwise, you'll play through a bad future. Either way, explore the level. There are no enemies, and there are exactly 100 rings in the level, not to mention a slightly hidden extra life above the loop (use a peel out to jump from the level's highest point to the life). When you reach the end of the level, you'll be confronted by your first boss. This is really easy. Stand against the left edge of the screen as he walks towards you and then backs up. He'll then lower his shields, so jump at the cockpit. Rinse and repeat until he's defeated, then head for the goal. Collision Chaos 1 [CC1W] ----------------- Move to the right, and make sure you get the shield hidden behind the blue sculptures. Eventually you'll reach a tunnel blocked off by spikes, and Amy will follow you. Wait a few seconds, and Metal Sonic will appear in the tunnel, tear through the spikes, and kidnap Amy. Race through the tunnel, and they're long gone. Drop to the ledge below the Power Sneaker and walk through the wall to the right to find a hidden passage. Work your way through, and you'll go up another chute like the one Metal Sonic came through. Reach the spring at the top and roll down the hillside and through the chute, being sure not to land on the ledge with the future post on it. Run down the path below it, jumping over the springs along the way. You'll hit a future post, but you shouldn't use it. After jumping a red spring, you'll see another yellow spring. Jump on to find a past post. Take it and use the springs in the room to warp. In the past, there's a hole in the ceiling of the room you were just in. Use the spring to soar out of the hole and land on the ledge above (with the gray machine on it). Jump off of the left side and hug the wall. You should land, then skid into a spring that pushes you back up the wall. Halfway up the wall, jump to the left. You should catch a glimpse of the Enemy Robot Transporter during your jump. Destroy it and head for the goal. Collision Chaos 2 [CC2W] ----------------- Drop down the first chute that you see to land in a room littered with springs. Use the spring on the far right to make it to the top of the room, landing on the route with a spring pointing to the left. Hit the spring while spin attacking so that you plow through two badniks. You'll crash into a wall and roll into another spring. Halfway up the wall, jump to the left to see a past post. Take it and go back to the spring at the bottom of the wall to time warp to the past. Once in the past, go to the right. Use the platforms to cross the pit, and you should reach the Emery Robot Transporter shortly after. You know the drill: destroy it and head for the goal. Actually, this course has two goals, but they both lead to the same place. Collision Chaos 3 [CC3W] ----------------- You can catch a glimpse of the boss if you follow the rings on the highest route, but you can't reach him. Double back and go down the chute. You'll end up in a pinball game. Work your way to the top (this can take five seconds or five minutes) to find the goal. Tidal Tempest 1 [TT1W] --------------- Ugh... nobody likes "water levels". Anyway, run down the hill and jump before the hill goes vertical to avoid falling to the water. Run to the right and the floor collapses. You hit the water anyway, but you avoided falling into the tube on your left. Follow the passage and hit the Super Ring along the way. When you reach a swing, jump on the side with the switch so that the door opens at the top. Move on and dive into the water again. Run to the right and hit the spring. Climb the ledges and run to the right, jumping the pits. You'll pass two checkpoints. Drop into the pit to the right of the second checkpoint. You'll land next to a past post. Go to the left until you reach the bottom of the level, then go back to the right. Jump into the tube before the checkpoint and when you pop out, use the springs on your right to warp. Go back to the left of the tube, but jump instead of going down the hill. The Enemy Robot Transporter is right in front of you. Destroy it, and head for the goal. Tidal Tempest 2 [TT2W] --------------- The level starts, and the wall slides out from behind you, pushing you over the edge! Don't move and let it happen (you can jump for the rings), so that you slide down the left side of the waterfall onto a ledge. Jump to the right and go down the hill (watch out for the swinging hazard). When the air vent pushes you to the right, try to fall between the platforms, into the pit. Go to the right, and when the path splits, take the route with the checkpoint. Hit the springs to go up. Go to the left to find 20 rings in a cave hidden in the wall, then go to the right. Hit the first red spring you see to find an area designed for time warping. But we don't have a post! Jump into the wall to the right of the springs to find a past post, then go back and time warp. As you warp, note which direction you're going, because you need to screech to a halt after the warp. If you stopped before flying off of the left side, drop off. If you didn't, you probably went sailing to the left, so work your way back. Either way, don't use the nearby future post and springs, because that would be pointless. Follow the path to the right and into the water. As you walk along the sea floor, a hidden spring will attempt to force you onto a higher passage. Let it do just that. Follow the path and go to the right at the top, jumping all of the pits, to find the Enemy Robot Transporter. Destroy it and head for the goal (it's not far). Tidal Tempest 3 [TT3W] --------------- Walk down the hill and come to a complete stop behind the blue post to drop into a hidden room with a shield. Get back on track and follow the path. You should fall down a pit and land next to a red spring. Use it to land on top of the ledge to your left. Jump at the left wall to find 30 rings in a cave. There's another hidden cave below it, but it has another shield, so you don't need it. Go to the right to find the boss. He's defenseless, so keep hitting him as he runs away (just like Sonic 1's Labyrinth Zone boss). Pick up any bonuses along the way. When he goes down, he opens up a passage in the right wall. Follow him. Does this seem TOO easy? I hope not, because the rest of the level is just as easy. When you next see the boss, you'll be underwater. Air bubbles will surround the boss, so jump at them to breathe. When you use most of the bubbles, you need only hit the boss once to win. Just head for the end afterwards. Update: I forgot to mention something very obvious. Near the start, jump over the pit that you're supposed to drop down. You'll go through the wall into a room with an Extra Life. Quartz Quadrant 1 [QQ1W] ----------------- This level is just plain fun. Not only that, but it has great background music in BOTH versions of the game. Whenever you get stressed playing the game, go to Time Attack and play this level. You'll be enjoying yourself again. Opinions aside, make sure you don't touch the spring behind you at the start. Stand to the left of the future post, and a platform arrives. Ride it to the top and quickly run across the bridge before it gives way. When you hit the arrow switch, the conveyors switch direction. It makes running harder, but you need to do it to warp. Run to the right, jump the next arrow switch, and get the past post. Double back, and jump in the chute next to the second arrow switch you saw. If the switch points left, the conveyors will cause you to time warp. In the past, follow the route to the right. Drop down the first pit you see, then go to the right. Follow this route, jumping the pits, and you'll eventually reach a large room. Use the springs to work your way to the top, where the Enemy Robot Transporter is. Destroy it and head for the goal. Quartz Quadrant 2 [QQ2W] ----------------- IMPORTANT: If you've gotten into and beaten every Special Stage up to this point, then you have all seven Time Stones! This means that you start every level with a good future, so you don't need to read this walkthrough any more! You should warp to the good future ASAP in each level, since it's your reward. Of course, I also have cheats and tips for bosses and time attack, so look around before you leave. If you haven't gotten (or won't get) all of the time stones, then you should keep reading if you want to clear the game 100%. With that out of the way, onto the walkthrough! When the level starts, move to the right and... (drum roll please) ...there's a past post in front of you! Go down the path slowly so that you don't start a warp and then cancel it. You'll fall onto a conveyor, and then a spring hidden in the floor will push you onto a ledge with a shield. Jump on the shield and another hidden spring pushes you onto a high ledge with a conveyor. Immediately peel out to the right and hold the down button. You'll roll down a hill, hit a spring, go back up the hill, and warp. Now you're in the past. Take ANY route. They all merge eventually. As you run through the level, keep an eye out for the bottom of a conveyor-powered chute just like the one you used in act 1 to time warp. (the chute is at the bottom of the level, has four rings leading up into it, and is to the right of an arrow switch). When you find it, make the switch point to the left and jump in. The game will throw you into the Enemy Robot Transporter, then into a small room with a shield. Jump on the shield to be hit by another spring. Now just run to the goal. Quartz Quadrant 3 [QQ3W] ----------------- This is another straightforward act 3. Explore the level (try to get 100 rings and an Extra Life item), then go to the boss. He'll be suspended above a conveyor belt that isn't moving. Hit him, and the belt starts moving. He falls to the ground, and spikes appear on the left side of the room. To top it off, mines drop from the ceiling. Run at the boss, and the belt speeds up, causing the platform that the boss is standing on to erode. Keep running, only falling back when a mine drops, and the boss will give up before the platform collapses. Wacky Workbench 1 [WW1W] ----------------- This level could have an entire strategy guide written on it and all of its strange gadgets. Exhaust vents spew out air so cold that Sonic freezes in place if he touches it; jump repeatedly to break free without being hurt. Live wires are strung throughout the level that can electrocute Sonic. Mazes of pipes and catwalks make FAQ-writing a nightmare. Worst of all, the floor is usually lined with a material that conducts electricity, causing anything that touches it, even Sonic, to fly into the air. Run to the right from the start (as if you don't know that by now). Run at the checkerboard-patterned floor to go sailing into the air. Go as far to the right as you can and try to land on a high ledge to the right (the one with the future post on it). Move to the right to see two gray pistons moving up and down. Stand on one, and when it looks like it's about to crush you, you'll drop behind them, into a hidden room with a past post. Grab it and walk SLOWLY to the right (go too far, and you can't go back). Stop under the rings, peel out to the left, and hold the down button to time warp. If you followed my instructions exactly, you'll hit a spring and appear back where the pistons were. Move to the right and roll down the chute. You'll land on a ledge with two rings on the right side. Get a running start, and jump to a higher ledge to the right of that. Stand on the left side of that ledge, and a platform comes down from above. Jump on it (make sure the wires aren't charged with electricity, or you're in for a shock), and take it to another platform. Follow the platforms up and to the right until you see a gray exhaust vent on the ceiling. When it's not spewing cold air, drop down the pit below it. The path splits; take the upper path, without the air vent. You'll go down another chute. Head to the right and use the bars to avoid the electricity. Make a blind leap to the right, and use the stair-shaped platform to reach more bars. Go across these and make another blind leap to the right. You'll see another piston like the one you saw before you time warped. Drop through it to find the Enemy Robot Transporter and an Extra Life. Now go to the goal. It's in the lower-right corner of the level, but the electrified floor threatens to force you onto the high routes. Jump on the platforms to avoid touching it. Update: I was toying around with Debug mode one day, and I stumbled across a hidden room in two of the time zones. Try this: take the lowest route through the level (you've got to use the moving platforms) until there's a vertical drop below you. Drop down a little bit away from the edge since the floor rounds off and causes you to roll onto the electrified floor. Now try to jump through the wall. If you're in the past or bad future, you'll go right through the wall, into the hidden room. Jump around and see what happens! Wacky Workbench 2 [WW2W] ----------------- Jump on the gray device near the start, and it will force you into a free fall. You'll see a past post on the way down, but even the electrified floor can't push you up high enough to reach it. Instead, go to the lower left corner of the room, where a moving platform is. Try to land on it. When you do (it's tough), you can jump through the wall on the left. Lightly tap the jump button because the hidden passage is almost touching the electrified floor. In the new room, try to work your way to the upper-left. When you go up the chute, hold the left button so that you screech to a halt, otherwise you'll have another free fall. Grab the past post and jump to the ledge above you on the left. Peel out to the left, hit the gray device again, and you'll time warp. You'll free fall again, and you'll go right over the Enemy Robot Transporter. You can repeat the process you used in the present to get back to the Transporter, or you can use the electrified floor to bounce back up (there are sections of floor in the past suspended higher up, so you can bounce up to the Transporter). Now just look for the goal. Update: I received an e-mail from "fishmech" that reads as follows: "In Wacky Workbench Zone 2, you can jump over the sled that makes sonic skip the Enemy Robot Transporter and Past sign and instead just run down the short track. Then, you hit the sign, run back up the track and let the sled take you for a warp. The past level's floor is raised a lot around the Enemy Robot Transporter area, so you can easily bounce up and destroy the Enemy Robot Transporter. It's actually very easy to do this and makes the level take a lot less time." It works! It takes a well-timed jump to land on the track without being thrown over the edge, but if you can manage it you'll save a lot of time. Wacky Workbench 3 [WW3W] ----------------- Getting to the boss should be no problem. Beating the boss is a little tough. The first time you see him, just hit him. He'll fly away and drill through the ceiling, causing pieces to fall to the ground. Be careful not to get crushed, then stand on them when they land. The floor will electrify, and the pieces will fly into the air. The piece you're standing on won't go as high since you're weighing it down, so jump to another piece and then up to the next floor. Hit him again, and repeat the process, only this time half of the floor is gone. After you hit him again, he'll fly away and drop spikes at you. Try not to get hit, then repeat the process again, but DON'T SWITCH PIECES IN MID-AIR. Stand on a piece near the middle, and you can deliver the final blow. Stardust Speedway 1 [SS3W] ------------------- This level is fast! If you don't have a hard time controlling yourself, you're sure to have a hard time knowing whether to stay in the foreground or background, because this level actually has two parallel tracks, one behind the other. If you still need to destroy Enemy Robot Transporters, then go slow. Otherwise, just have fun. Drop down the first pit you see, then fall off of the little ledge. Run around the loop on your right, then drop down the next pit to find a past post. Move to the right, and you'll be sucked into a tunnel. Try to come to a halt, and jump to the other track that's weaving over and under the one you were just on. If your past post disappears, don't worry. Move to the left and pass the spiky obstacles. You'll see a past post on top of a double loop. Grab it, then jump at the left wall and hold the down button to warp. Immediately after warping, you'll touch a future post, so you need to go slow from now on. Move to the right, and you'll see a sign with a blue circle on it. Hit it, and you'll drop into the background, behind the ivy. Now you can run on the dark track. Touch the gray speed booster to your right, and try to land in the opening above, where the Enemy Robot Transporter is. Destroy it and head for the goal. Stardust Speedway 2 [SS2W] ------------------- Grab the rings below you at the start, and the spring will push you onto a lower route. Drop down the first pit and hold the left button to find a past post (If you miss it, peel out up the wall to your left and try to get it). Drop down to your right to get a shield, but don't use the spring hidden behind it. Drop off of the left side of this ledge, then peel out to the right to time warp. The Enemy Robot Transporter is above you after you warp, so go up and get it. Now head for the goal (short walkthrough, huh?). Stardust Speedway 3 [SS3W] ------------------- The Extra Life item in this level is right above you from the start; use the small slope to your right as a launch ramp to peel out and jump at it. Now run along the course until you reach the boss. Metal Sonic will be standing still, and Dr. Robotnik (Eggman) will fly over you. Stand on the far right side of the screen, and a laser is fired at you. THIS WILL KILL YOU IN ONE HIT, EVEN WITH RINGS AND A SHIELD. Now the wall on the right disappears, and the creepy music stops. Now head for the goal. Okay, so it's not that simple. The entire time you're being chased by that laser, and Metal Sonic is launching attacks at you. The biggest mistake you could possibly make is thinking that it's a race. If you charge up a peel out, you could be attacked. Simply run the smoothest line possible down the track. When you need to jump, lightly tap the jump button so that you don't slow down. As soon as you reach a long, flat area of track, you're near the end. Make sure you're ahead of Metal Sonic, because at the end a motion sensor locks the room with the goal as soon as someone enters. Metal Sonic should either crash head-on into the locked door or be hit by the laser. Either way, you've won. The screen scrolls, and you see Amy tied to a pole. Jump at her, and she falls to the ground. Face her and she'll give you a hug and a kiss. Update: Before the door to the track opens, the laser won't kill you in one hit. I still don't think you should get hit by it, though... Metallic Madness 1 [MM1W] ------------------ IMPORTANT: I will give a complete start-to-finish walkthrough for the last three acts, as they are insanely complex, particularly in the past. Jump over the pit in front of you, avoid the badnik (that saw hurts!), and jump on the red spring. Get the shield, then jump the next pit. Jump on the yellow spring, then jump over the spring that threaten to send you back to the beginning of the level. Here's a past post! Jump another badnik, then carefully run past the pole when the spikes on it aren't out. Now it gets hard. Get a running start and jump at the spring on a wheel so that you land on the ledge to the upper right, to the right of the hanging spikes. Carefully pass the saw to find a past post... again. Pass by another saw to see two springs facing each other; this is the perfect spot to time warp. Drop down the pit to your right as soon as you enter the past. Drop off of either side of the ledge you land on to fall to the bottom of the level. Head to the right, under the saws, over the spikes and the pit. Use the seesaw to cross the spikes, but be quick, or you'll get shafted by the obstacle that gets thrown from the other end. Jump another pit, pass under the two gray pistons, and avoid another spiky pole. Jump OVER the red spring on a wheel and follow the lower path. When it seems to dead-end, wait a second so that platforms appear. Work your way up the platforms, then hit the red spring to find the Enemy Robot Transporter. Backtrack to the springs on wheels and spring up to a higher path. You'll see blue platforms attached to a conveyor belt. Hop up the platforms to see two red springs on wheels. Use the left one to spring through an opening in the ceiling, then work your way to the right. Drop past the saws, pass over the piston, and head to the goal. Metallic Madness 2 [MM2W] ------------------ Head to the right and stand on top of the second gray piston you see so that you can jump to the ledge above. Hit the red spring and land on top of the piston in the air, then jump to the conveyor belt on the left to find an Invincible. Jump on the rotating wheel to the right, and you'll get stuck to it. Jump at the top, then jump to the next wheel, jump at the top, then go to the right. You'll see a past post, and there's two springs built for warping mere inches to the right. Warp to the past. You'll appear next to a lit bomb. Stand as close to it as possible without touching it (I'm dead serious about this, even though it sounds stupid) so that the shrapnel from the explosion goes right over your head. Hit the switch to your right to open the pipe, then jump in. Press left when the pipe splits in three. Once out, walk to the right and jump as far as you can. Grab the Super Rings, then jump on the piston. Jump to the spring to find the last Enemy Robot Transporter. Many people think that the past is a dead-end and that you can't finish the level without warping to the present. I'm going to disprove that rumor. Fall back down onto the piston and head to the left. Drop down the pit and follow the path. Use the spring to reach a higher route. Run to the right and step on the gray cylinder to be placed into the background, just like in Stardust Speedway. Run to the right, behind the curtain, and just when you think you're about to run head-first into a wall... Whoa! The floor collapses, dispelling the rumor. Run into another cylinder to come back to the foreground, then run to the right. Jump the next cylinder to stay in front of the curtain. Use the yellow spring, then jump over the pit, then jump over the spikes. You'll see a huge gray piston. Stand on it, and it will throw you into the air. Move to the right slightly to land on a ledge with a spring. Jump on it to fly into the air, where there's another spring hanging onto the wall. Hit this spring to land on another ledge. Jump to yet another spring, which leads to another spring (this one's yellow, for a change of scenery). After using the yellow spring, drop into the first pit you see. Run to the right, avoiding the bomb and the springs, then drop down the pit. Run to the left, grabbing the Power Sneaker if you want, then drop down another pit. Eventually you'll see a two blue and silver objects that look like dumbbells. Jump on the left one, and it moves to the right. Repeat until you run them into a wall. There's a bomb atop the wall, so deal with it as usual, then head to the right. You'll see a bright red laser, which you have no choice but to run into. Touch it, and you'll be knocked backwards. Suddenly you're half of your original size, and you're probably thinking "Typical video game... now I jump lower, weigh less, and run slow due to my tiny steps." Okay, maybe you're not thinking that. But unless this is one of your first video games, you've seen something like this before, perhaps from a plumber? Just like with that pipe- cleaning midget, your size won't alter your physics. This was most likely made just to freak you out. Go to the right and drop down the pit. Use the spring to get to the platform, them jump to the upper-right. Use the next spring to reach a conveyor belt. Jump onto another belt, then jump to a bunch of platforms. Use the spring at the top and follow the route to the left. Drop down a pit and start running to the right, making sure not to be crushed by the piston (your small stature gives you more time to react before you become a tiny pancake; it actually seems advantegeous to remain small for the rest of the game). Use the spring to reach more conveyor belts. When the next piston sinks, drop to another conveyor belt, and when it rises, run into the pit underneath it. Run to the left and drop below the floating platforms. Keep going left (if you go right, you repeat some of the level) to find a bomb that towers over you, but it's no different than before. When it's out of the way, head over to the white laser to return to normal size, whether you want to or not. Hit the switch and enter the pipe. You'll appear next to another white laser that is completely useless. Head to the right and use the spring to reach a higher ledge. In this room, platforms with spikes attached to the bottom drop down on you, but each one has a gap you can pass through. Once at the top, go to the right (the left path has a white laser and leads to the beginning) to find the goal. Just a thought... if this kind of size-altering technology exists in the past, why hasn't Dr. Robotnik (Eggman) ever used it against you? Not saying he will, but it's certainly food for thought. Metallic Madness 3 [MM3W] ------------------ This is it... the final trial of Sonic CD. Go to the right, using a peel out to grab the rings over the spikes. Jump at the spring on wheels when it's at the exact center of the ledge to fly through an opening in the ceiling. Now that you're on the high path, head to the left to find an Extra Life, which you can grab each time you die. Head back to the right. Stand on the left side of the collapsing bridge to land on a small ledge with a Super Ring. Jump to the ledge on the right and follow the path, avoiding the saws. Now you'll have to cross one of the only bottomless pits in the game. There's no set way to do this, but you can try using the spring attached to the wall below the path you came here on. When you reach the right side, a large gray piston will block the way, but you can stand on the corner of the area it's guarding until it rises. Grab the shield ahead, then run to the cylinder to head into the background. A bar lined with spikes will slide across the room. When it passes, go back into the foreground and continue on. You'll enter a small room and be locked in. Destroy the enemies in the room to unlock the doors. Move on to face the final boss. The curtains clear, and the boss appears, spinning four saw blades. Stand against the edge of the screen, and the boss will miss you when he comes down. He will the shoot the blades at you as if they were missiles. Then he'll expose himself (moron), so hit him. He'll repeat the cycle, but the edge of the screen is no longer safe. After hitting him the second time, he'll turn the blades sideways before he launches them at you, so that they appear larger. Deliver three hits, and he'll fire the blade off the side of the screen, so that you have less room to dodge when it hit the ground. He'll then bounce on the blade as if it were a pogo stick. Time a jump as he pogos to take him down once and for all. If you do this, you've beaten Sonic CD! Play Time Attack mode to improve your skills. Update: I forgot to mention that if you haven't gotten the good ending and you want to, you can choose "Continue" from the main menu to reappear in Metallic Madness 1, then get all of the Time Stones (two per try) for the good ending. Remember to watch the ending movie each time, or the game won't save. Time Attack =========== Update: I was looking through my top scores one day, and I realized that the scores don't add up correctly in the game. My times for each level ended in 6, 0, 5, 1, 6, 1, and 5, but my total time ended in 6. Weird... Since the last version of my FAQ, I have learned some new routes and cleared some levels much faster. Unfortunately, I will not detail those routes, as it is not fair to those who found them. Don't worry, though: the suggested routes below are more than good enough to unlock Visual Mode. Stage Developer's Times My Best ----- ----------------- ------- Palmtree Panic 1 24"10 24"58 2 21"55 19"58 3 21"08 20"70 Collision Chaos 1 49"60 35"15 2 47"50 43"28 3 14"85 19"40 Tidal Tempest 1 41"20 29"78 2 54"75 52"93 3 1'01"33 1'07"53 Quartz Quadrant 1 28"85 25"28 2 36"25 30"91 3 59"60 57"26 Wacky Workbench 1 50"10 45"95 2 48"83 44"80 3 1'10"50 1'15"43 Stardust Speedway 1 33"65 23"46 2 27"96 25"71 3 1'09"75 1'09"03 Metallic Madness 1 32"78 27"60 2 2'08"41 1'04"96 3 1'30"75 1'33"55 Total (Zone) 16'53"39 14'56"87 Special Stage 1 17"00 20"65 2 14"85 24"15 3 16"00 27"35 4 20"65 23"35 5 22"35 40"40 6 16'95 43"95 7 19"20 40"25 Total (Special) 2'07"00 3'40"10 I made all of my times with the PC version of the game. This means that I have a little bit of lag when I press the jump key, but I can switch between left and right in an instant. Using a console version is exactly the opposite. There's no advantage either way. Below are tips for getting the fastest times. On some of the levels I give start-to-finish walkthroughs, but on others I only point out some difficult spots or the way to find a Power Sneaker. Part of playing Sonic CD is taking a route that you feel confident about, and that's going to be important to remember in the mechanical levels because one wrong step can put you in a world of hurt! Palmtree Panic 1 [PP1T] ---------------- Route time: Under 30 sec. You really shouldn't have problems with this stage. Just remember to run to the left after flying off of the large ramp at the start to find a Power Sneaker. Stick to the middle routes throughout the level to avoid springs and enemies, but go to the top of the level to go over the tunnel shaped like a mirrored "S". Palmtree Panic 2 [PP2T] ---------------- Route time: Under 30 sec. Use the spring to run to the end of the starting straight and jump at the end. Keep running, and hold the jump button after you run over the hump. You should land on a Power Sneaker. Drop to the lowest passage and run until springs force you to go up. Hold right until you land, then make a small jump over the yellow spring. Just before the course goes downhill, make a long jump to the right, landing on the loop. Another long jump puts you on the highest passage in the level. Stay on the top passage, remembering to jump over the tunnels near the end, and you should blast through the end sign without the Power Sneaker wearing off. Palmtree Panic 3 [PP3T] ---------------- Route time: Under 25 sec. Just remember that there is a spring tucked behind the Shield monitor on the lowest route; hitting it will send you flying to the boss. Don't be afraid to take a hit, because to beat the boss quickly, you need to go under him or behind him. Be sure to release the flowers at the end of the stage, or you'll waste a few seconds backtracking. Collision Chaos 1 [CC1T] ----------------- Route time: Under 55 sec. This level is a matter of finding a route to take that you're comfortable with. You need to take the Power Sneaker placed after the first tunnel to get to the end in record time, but after that you're on your own. Collision Chaos 2 [CC2T] ----------------- Route time: Under 55 sec. Peel out from the start and drop into the chute. When you drop into the next room, try to get to the chute in the lower-right corner. Keep following this route and walk through the wall on the right when the path appears to dead-end. Get to the top of this room and roll down the slope. Fly into the air and head right. You'll pass over/through several columns with bumpers attached to the top and bottom. There's a Power Sneaker if you pass between the columns or go over them and then drop down. Now dash to the right. Follow the route until you see a yellow spring at the bottom of a chute. Don't go down the chute; instead, drop down the pit to the left and use a flipper to get onto the level's ceiling. Run across the ceiling, jumping whenever the ceiling ends. You'll go far if your Power Sneaker hasn't worn off. Once you have to fall, run to the goal (either goal) any way you can. Collision Chaos 3 [CC3T] ----------------- Route time: ??? You're looking for a walkthrough of this level? You're out of your mind. It's too random for a walkthrough. All I can say is that when I scored 20"56, I went straight up the right side of the pinball table and stopped once to aim better. Going up the middle works too, but the left side is too congested. Tidal Tempest 1 [TT1T] --------------- Route time: Under 1 minute As usual, don't fall down the tube from the start, but since you can retry as many times as you want you might want to try rolling down the first hill, dropping down the pit, and landing on the tube's rim, then falling off and taking the passage in the walkthrough. The trick to this level is simply to take the highest route you possibly can. After you leave the water for the second time, go to the left after scaling the stair-shaped platforms to find a red spring that'll send you flying. There's no Power Sneaker to find, so there is no reason to go out of your way for anything. Tidal Tempest 2 [TT2T] --------------- Route time: Under 1 minute, 15 sec. Take the route in the walkthrough, but don't go out of your way to time warp (duh!). Once again, there's no Power Sneaker to find. If you're trying to get out of the water, remember to hit the switches to unlock the doors. On the highest route there's a bunch of blue fireballs in a current that pushes you to the right. They're harmless, but you can't run through them, so keep jumping. Tidal Tempest 3 [TT3T] --------------- Route time: Under 1 minute, 30 sec. Don't stop for the shield this time through. As you're chasing Robotnik, be sure to roll every time you go over an edge so that you don't land on him and take damage. Getting a good time requires some luck in jumping between the air bubbles surrounding the boss. There's not much else to say except that practice (and a little luck) makes perfect. Quartz Quadrant 1 [QQ1T] ----------------- Route time: Under 30 sec. Hit the spring behind you and race down the hill. When you reach the end of the conveyor belt, jump over to another conveyor on your right. On this route, run across the bridge, jump the pit, and make sure to jump the tubes in the floor or else you'll be sucked in. At the end of the next conveyor is a spring that sends you onto a route with an invincible, but you shouldn't slow down for it in the middle of a Time Attack. Charge up a peel out next to the checkpoint to run down the path. You should eventually reach a Power Sneaker. Grab it and race to the finish (try not to use the higher routes because they're much slower). Quartz Quadrant 2 [QQ2T] ----------------- Route time: Under 40 sec. Peel out from the start. When you drop down to the lower route, be sure to hop over the spring hidden in the floor. Roll down the hill and hit the yellow spring. It'll push you into an S-shaped chute. Exit the chute slowly so you don't waste time flying into the air. There's a Power Sneaker below you and to your right once you leave the chute. Grab it and use the spring right next to it to reach a higher route. Pass through the zigzags and you'll drop down onto a conveyor that goes over a series of hills. Watch the floor as you run, and jump when you see the tubes in the floor. Drop down the next pit to go to the bottom route. Follow it to it's end and you'll hit some red springs that'll push you to the top of the level. Jump the next pit and go down the chute. As you exit the chute, lightly tap the jump button to gracefully jump over a pair of springs floating over a pit and land at the entrance to another chute. (If your Power Sneaker didn't end yet, you're on a roll! You're near the end!) Once you exit this one, peel out to the right so that you run over the pits and right to the goal. Update: After the Power Sneaker, you can take the bottom route through the level instead of hitting the spring next to it. If you choose not to hit the spring you can score a better time, but there's lots of enemies and small zigzags in the floor that may bring you to a halt if you roll over them. Quartz Quadrant 3 [QQ3T] ----------------- Route time: Under 1 minute, 15 sec. This level is very easy to clear quickly because there's nothing to stop you. If you don't get hit at the boss, then you probably don't need to come back to this level because you can't really improve your time. Wacky Workbench 1 [WW1T] ----------------- Route time: ??? There is no "correct" way to go through this level. What's important to know is that the electrified floor tends to push you into dead-ends. When you try to fall back on track, the trick is to fall straight down, NOT to hold right. Falling straight down usually puts you on a moving platform, so you can do a running jump and bypass the dead-end. Wacky Workbench 2 [WW2T] ----------------- Route time: Under 1 minute Most people start the course by following the lines of rings to the floor, but these are the people that are missing out on two semi-hidden passages, one of which leads to a Power Sneaker. They're above the area where you first hit the electrified floor. Hold left when you get on the launcher at the start and release when you get 14 rings, then hold left again when you hit the floor. This should release you in front of a pipe in the wall. Enter it and navigate the zig-zag section at the end. When you enter the turbine that spins you in a figure-eight, jump out to the upper-left for a Power Sneaker. Now race to the finish along the lowest route, using the same strategy as in Act 1. Wacky Workbench 3 [WW3T] ----------------- Route time: Under 1 minute, 30 sec. The Power Sneaker is so far out of the way in this level that it's not worth getting. Just focus on not getting stuck somewhere and you'll be fine. Stardust Speedway 1 [SS1T] ------------------- Route time: Under 35 sec. Peel out from the start and clear the small gap in the path. When the path goes uphill, jump so that you stay on the high path. Once you land, follow the path you're on and don't go up or down. Eventually the track will end with a vertical drop. Jump down a few feet away from the wall so that you hit a panel and get pushed into the background. On this new route, you'll have to use a spring to clear a pit; get a small running start, and jump on the spring to land in a very narrow passage to the upper-right. Follow this route to find the Power Sneaker. Now get to the goal any way you can. It takes some practice to get to the Power Sneaker quickly, so you might want to take it slow a few times until you can remember exactly when to jump and how to fall into the background after the drop. Stardust Speedway 2 [SS2T] ------------------- Route time: Under 35 sec. The road splits into three shortly after the start. Use the middle path, and try not to slide backwards when you land on the road below. Dash to the right, and you should go fast enough to clear a pit; jump off of the small slope to the right of the pit to find a Power Sneaker. Go back to the pit and drop in. Now race along the bottom passage until you reach the goal, but be sure not to get caught up in the springs as you pass by the enormous Eggman-shaped statue. Update: By holding the Up button while passing through a four-way intersection in the mazes, you can stick to the ceiling and roll into the upper passage. If you're using the lowest entrance to the maze before the goal, you can shave two seconds off of your time by doing this. Stardust Speedway 3 [SS3T] ------------------- Route time: Under 1 minute, 30 sec. The walkthrough says it all: run the smoothest line you can. You don't need the Power Sneaker in this level because it will continue to wear off during the small scene with Metal Sonic and the laser. Metallic Madness 1 [MM1T] ------------------ Route time: Under 45 sec. Run the smoothest line you can along the upper route, until you see the spring on wheels. Then... %%%%%%%%%%%%%% %%%%%%%% Hard, fast way Easy way %%%%%%%%%%%%%% %%%%%%%% Get a running start and jump Jump over the spring on on the spring on wheels. Try wheels and continue down to land in an alcove to the the path. When you see upper-right (if you miss, you'll your third spring on wheels hit some spikes hanging from the (it's next to an enemy holding ceiling). Watch for the saw an item box), jump on it to coming out of the ceiling, and spring up to the next route. follow this route until you find Now follow this path to find the Power Sneaker. the Power Sneaker. Metallic Madness 2 [MM2T] ------------------ Route time: Under 2 minutes, 30 sec. There's not much that can be said about this level. The beginning splits into three or four paths, but as long as you don't run into dead-ends they all take about the same amount of time. Shortly after all of the paths merge you have to drop from the top of the level to the bottom via a series of runs to the right, then to the left, etc... so be sure to hold the correct direction as you fall to lower areas. Once you reach the bottom, don't use the strange dumbbell-looking device; instead, wipe out the enemies on the path and peel out to a jump on the small uphill slope. Remember that the shrink ray doesn't affect Sonic's physics at all for some reason, so play as you normally would. You'll spot a Power Sneaker shortly before you return to normal, but it doesn't help much, so feel free to get it but don't double back if you miss it. When you're in the room where spike-studded platforms drop from above, try to jump out using the second or third one. That's about all of the help I can give you in this level, so just follow the path, don't get hit too much, and don't get freaked out by the shrink ray. Metallic Madness 3 [MM3T] ------------------ Route time: Under 2 minutes The route listed in the walkthrough is the fastest, so check there. Just don't go out of your way for that extra life because it's not there. Fact & Fiction ============== Facts:-There are two soundtracks to Sonic CD -Sonic CD was planned to be released in Sonic Mega Collection but wasn't -Sonic CD has been released on the PC, Sega CD, Gamecube, and PS2 -Some item boxes were removed from the final version of the game. Strangely enough, if you use debug mode to go straight down after beating the boss of Palmtree Panic 3, there is a sealed-off room with the items! -Gems Collection has perfectly clear water in Tidal Tempest, but the other versions of the game change color depending on the time period Myths:-The Japanese soundtrack is superior (that's a matter of opinion) -After destroying the Enemy Robot Transporter in Metallic Madness 2, you must return to the present to finish the level (see the walkthrough to learn how to get through the level in the past) -The level designs in Sonic CD aren't very fluid (people who say this are simply bad at the game or haven't found a route they like). I know this sounds opinionated, but no matter how many times I compare this to the Genesis/MegaDrive games, I don't see a difference in fluidity. Other Stuff =========== This section tells of random things in the game's levels. Some of it is worth knowing, but most of it is just thoughts that struck me as I played the game. -Palmtree Panic 1 starts off with a large wall that Sonic runs straight up. As you run, watch the background: it loops! Perhaps you're on the underside of the Little Planet in every level. That would mean that the upside-down part of the background is Mobius (or Earth, if you think this game is canon to the current-gen Sonic storyline). -Also in Palmtree Panic 1, look for hidden passages in the walls along the lowest route. One of the passages has two extra lives! -You can run along the level's ceiling in some areas of Collision Chaos 2. But you can't stand on the ceiling in Quartz Quadrant's Bad Future: you fall right through. There's a few other areas in the game where you can run on the ceiling, as I noticed when watching others time attack the game. It wouldn't be fair for them if I detailed their methods, though. -The Special Stages run faster than normal if you are playing Gems Collection. Don't let anyone tell you "That's how they were meant to be," because if you time attack the special stages, the timer will display seconds and split seconds so that you can see exactly how fast it's moving. More soon (maybe)... Challenges (just for fun) ========================= By now, there's not much left to see in the FAQ. For those of you who are still reading at this point, try doing the challenges below (although they're not really that challenging: it's just to keep you occupied for a bit longer). -Go to Palmtree Panic 1 Present. Head through the S-tunnel, and land right where you pop out. Stand on the ledge to your right with an enemy on it. WITHOUT pressing left or right, open an invincibility monitor.(Easy) -Finish Metallic Madness 2 Present within two minutes.(Hard) -Touch all 77 rings in Collision Chaos 3.(Medium) -Earn a total time of less than 16 minutes in the time attack mode.(Very Hard) Cheats ====== Developer's Best Times: > > ^ ^ v C (Spacebar in the PC game) Stage Select: ^ v v < > B (Spacebar in the PC game) A is Present B is Past C is Good Future D is Bad Future Zones are numbered incorrectly since level 2 was cut from the game Sound Test: v v v < > A (Spacebar in the PC game) Hidden Artwork in Sound Test: Enter any of the following (you may not have the numbers in parentheses): (FM42) PCM03 DA01 (FM46) PCM12 DA25 (FM42) PCM04 DA21 (FM44) PCM11 DA09 Hidden Special Stage: Go to the Sound Test and enter 07 in every entry Debug Mode: Go to the Sound Test and enter (FM40) PCM12 DA11. While playing the game: PC Game Sega CD Gems ------- ------- ---- Turn Debug On/Off Esc B Jump Change Object Space A Jump (alt) Place Object C C N/A (sorry!) Easy Game Over: Press nothing for three minutes (unpaused) Unlock Play Music a.k.a. D.A. Garden: Perform well in Time Attack mode (total under 37'27"57) Special Time Attack: Perform well in Time Attack mode (under 30'21"05), then press left at the Time Attack Stage Select Unlock Visual Mode: Perform well in Time Attack mode (under 25'46"12) Debug Menus (PC Game): Find the file "sonic.ini". Open it, scroll to the bottom, and type: [Secret] User=Debugger Save and play the game. There are other debugging commands, but by having the Windows XP patch, they should already be there, so just scroll through sonic.ini and check for "User=". PC Version with Japanese soundtrack: Not really a cheat, but cool nevertheless. Credit goes to superyoshi of GameFAQs for showing me this. Below is what he posted (***** represents website names that I can't post without permission, but any search engine should bring you a working result): "Here's something I came up with a few months ago when I was bored and yes, it does work. Hopefully this hasn't been posted anywhere before. You WILL need a CD Burner for this to work 1. Buy the PC version 2. Install it fully on your computer (so you don't need the CD to play the game, not to mention go to ***** and download the XP patch, you'll need that) 3. Download the soundtrack to the Japanese Sonic CD (It can be found on *****) 4. Put the Sonic CD CD in either a CD player or play it in a media player on your PC. 5. Go into a CD Burning program and match the tracks on Sonic CD US to the Japanese soundtrack (You'll notice some tracks have that weird sound effect. I just ripped that from the CD and put it on there, just in case) 6. Now that the tracks are matched, burn it 7. After burning, put the CD in the drive 8. Run Sonic CD 9. Enjoy :P Hopefully that covered everything" I myself have done this, so here is the order I arranged the tracks in (X2 means put the track in twice): Stage Clear (X2), [Present-Good Future-Bad Future for the levels in order], Boss, Final Boss, Title (X2), Stage Clear, Super Shoes, Invincible, Game Over, Special Stage, Time Attack, Opening Movie, Ending Movie, [Past for the levels in order] Some of the tracks are filler, others are there just to make the CD seem authentic (the movies will always run with the American soundtrack), but this method works if followed correctly. Thanks superyoshi! Music Doesn't Change in Gems Collection: If you repeatedly pause and unpause as the music track changes in a level (boss appears, open an item box), the music will remain the same. Update: Since Gems Collection is a port of the PC game, Gems users can press either Start or Jump when A, B, or C is called for in a cheat. Gems seems to be very strict about the cheats, though: you only get about two seconds to flawlessly enter the cheat. Contact Info ============ Unfortunately, this section has been removed due to the fear of spyware and one hate mail that came from someone who misunderstood what I wrote and got frustrated. If anyone else has any problems that aren't answered here, please ask over on the GameFAQs' Sonic Gems Collection board for Gamecube. The people there are usually glad to help assuming they haven't already answered the same question a million times. You can use a search engine to find the PC patch if you need it. Legal Info ========== Copyright 2006 Michael Nichols. All trademarks and copyrights contained in this document are owned by their respective trademark and copyright holders. This FAQ is only to be viewed on GameFAQs (www.gamefaqs.com) and GameSpot (www.gamespot.com). These sites tend to share information with each other, and they are the only respectable sites that I visit, so my FAQ may not appear anywhere else. That means no re-creating parts of the walkthrough and changing the words around, either.