Sonic the Hedgehog 2 (8-bit)/Under Ground Zone

Select controller:

Master System/Game Gear, Wii

Act One

You traverse much of this Zone in a minecart.

The Under Ground Zone is the first Zone you come to, a relatively easy Zone to begin with. Start by running to the right. After a short distance, you'll come to an abyss. You can jump over it, or drop down, offering two ways through the level.

1. If you choose to jump over, run right for a long distance. Be careful of the spikes you meet on the roof, since some may fall off. Keep running right, and you'll find a spring, surrounded by several spikes above you. Jump on the spring, and hold . You'll find a hidden area. Go left, but be careful, because a New Motora Badnik is walking around here. Jump on it to defeat it. You'll also find a Sonic Monitor, which gives you an extra life. Go back out to the right, but be careful dropping down, so that you don't land on the spring, and get bounced into the spikes. Keep going right. If you roll down the steep hill, you'll come out in the lower section, at the second minecart. If not, jump up. Defeat the crab-like Taraban Badnik by jumping on it. Dropping down here comes out in the lower section, just before the third minecart. If you go right, you can walk into the spring, to be forced into a ball. Press to roll through a section of the wall, and come out just before the third minecart in the lower area. Otherwise, jump up and defeat the Taraban. Roll down the hill to the right. You'll come off and land on a spring. Hold . Where you land, run right to find a Sonic Monitor. Go left slowly, and drop down. As you fall, hold . You'll land on a spring. Keep held, and you'll find the finish panel.
2. If you drop down, go right for a short distance, then run left and press to curl into a ball. You'll break through some of the wall, and find a Super Ring Monitor, containing ten Rings, on the other side. Go back out, to the right. Defeat the Badnik, the Taraban, by jumping on it. Continue right to find a minecart. This form of transport can bring you safely through spikes or lava on the floor. Jump into it, and stay in it as it travels right, until it crashes harmlessly into a wall. Go right, jumping carefully over the lava pits. If you fall in, or are hit by one of the fireballs, you'll lose all your Rings, but can reclaim a small fraction of them, one for every ten Rings held when you lost them. You'll eventually find another minecart. Jump in. At the end of its path, it'll run off the track, at which point you need to jump off, into another minecart. After a while, it'll run off its track. Jump off, and you'll land on a set of three springs. Jump right to find two more springs, but be careful, as you can overshoot them. Jump right off these, and run right to finish the level.

Act Two

The first Chaos Emerald is hidden in this level.

Run right carefully, as there is a Taraban nearby. There are a few ways through the level from here, but only one route if you want to find the Chaos Emerald. Run right, and jump over the set of springs, being wary of the Meleon, which appears, attacks, and then disappears. Keep going right, and jump up. Break the Super Ring Monitor, and continue right. Jump in the minecart, and stay in it as it rolls downhill. When it comes off the track, don't jump out immediately. Instead, stay in for about half a second, then jump out. Run right up the hill you land on, defeating the New Motora along the way. At the top is a Super Ring Monitor. Go right, and roll down the steep hill (press ). Keep held as you fly. Once you land, jump and run left into the minecart. Again, when it comes off the track, jump out after about half a second. Jump up the steps and run right to find the Chaos Emerald. Run down the steps, and drop down, holding . Run right to find the finish.

Act Three

Robotnik stops you from falling into the lava, but...

Act Three of every Zone is the Boss Mecha level, consisting of a short platforming section, before the battle. These Acts have no Rings, so you must battle the Boss Mecha without being hit, or you will instantly lose a life. Here, go right into the minecart. Roll downhill in it, and jump out about a second after it runs off the track. Jump up on the springs. At the top is a section of minecart track. Run right, and roll down. At the end, you'll jump off a ramp. But you don't land anywhere, and fall towards the lava. Just as it seems all is lost, Dr. Robotnik appears, Sonic's unlikely saviour. He grabs Sonic, and drops him... into a battle with one of his creations, the Doodlebug Mecha, the pair of pincers in the bottom-right of the screen. You cannot defeat this by jumping on it. Instead, wait until some cannonballs start bouncing down the slope to the left. You need to jump over about six of these. Be careful, as if you push as you land, you'll start sliding down the slope towards the Doodlebug Mecha. To prevent this, jump up while holding , but let go before you land. After about six cannonballs, Robotnik will throw himself at you as a last resort. Jump over him, and he will crash into the Mecha, destroying it. Wait for him to fly away, then run right. At the end of this path, a capsule will come down from the sky. Jump into it to release some of the animals Robotnik kidnapped, and complete the first Zone.

He leaves you in the middle of a battle against one of his robots.