Sonic the Hedgehog/Special Stage

If you have collected 50 rings by Acts 1 or 2 of any zone, a giant, gold ring will appear at the end of the stage. Jump into the ring and you will warp to a rotating maze known as the Special Stage, where you will be given the opportunity to collect a Chaos Emerald.

There are six Chaos Emeralds to collect, each one lying in a different maze. If you collect all six before the game ends, you will be able to view an alternate ending to the game.

The only way out of this stage is to grab the Chaos Emerald or to touch the goal. If you collect 50 rings here, you will earn a continue. That means, if you lose all of your lives, you will re-start at the place where you lost your last life; however, your score will return to 0.