Metropolis Zone : le niveau Ă  trois actes de Sonic 2

Metropolis Zone: Sonic 2's three-act level

957 words | Reading time: 5 minutes

LevelSonic 2Mega Drive

The eighth zone of Sonic the Hedgehog 2 (1992), Metropolis is the only one in the game with three acts, hence its reputation as an endless level. This city-factory of green metal, copper piping and molten metal houses the manufacture of the Badniks. The signature gimmick lies in the giant screws and nuts that Sonic turns to get across the vertical shafts, among gears, conveyor belts and presses. The starfish badnik Asteron, hidden in the walls, stays out of reach. The boss only arrives in Act 3: Eggman and his seven silver capsules, eight hits. The third act reuses an abandoned zone.

Summary

A sprawling factory-city, giant screws to climb, and a record length that has tested the patience of generations of players: Metropolis Zone is the most dreaded level in Sonic the Hedgehog 2. A tour of Eggman's industrial heartland.

🥚 The Death Egg, the ultimate goal.

⚡ Chemical Plant Zone.

Sonic 2's 8th Zone

Metropolis Zone is the 8th zone in Sonic the Hedgehog 2 (1992), on West Side Island. It's Eggman's gigantic industrial factory-city: green metal, copper piping, boilers, and molten metal, where the doctor manufactures his Badniks. It's not the final zone: Sky Chase, Wing Fortress, and the Death Egg still follow.

Metropolis Zone in Sonic the Hedgehog 2
Green piping, red bricks and open-air machinery: Metropolis is the densest industrial zone in the game.

🔥 Metropolis is the factory-city where Eggman manufactures his Badniks, between boilers and molten metal. The only thing that runs that hot at your place is the oven, and our Sonic kitchen towels are what you grab before pulling a dish out of it.

The only three-act level

Its unique feature in all of Sonic 2 is that Metropolis is the only zone with three acts (all others have two). Hence its reputation as an endless level—a true test of endurance.

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The second act of Metropolis Zone
The only zone in Sonic 2 with three acts, it stretches its setting well beyond the usual format.

🩲 Metropolis is the only zone in Sonic 2 to line up three acts, an endurance test you take on slumped at home rather than dressed to go out: over a run that long, our Sonic boxers come ahead of your jeans.

Giant screws and traps

The signature gimmick is the giant screws and nuts that Sonic spins around to climb up or descend vertical shafts. Added to this are rotating gears, conveyor belts, and presses which, combined, can quickly trap the player. Note: the starfish Badnik Asteron, hidden in the walls, is practically impossible to destroy.

The giant screws of Metropolis Zone
The moving screws work as lifts and as traps: badly handled, they take the player backwards.

The Act 3 boss

You must reach the end of Act 3 to face the boss (Acts 1 and 2 don't have one). It's Eggman himself, in his Egg Mobile surrounded by a ring of seven silver capsules that turn into bouncing decoys. Eight hits to finish him.

🪧 Around the Egg Mobile, seven silver capsules refuse to stay put: they turn into bouncing decoys and it takes eight hits to finish him. At home, our Sonic metal signs do the exact opposite and never leave the wall you hang them on.

An act born from a cut zone

A delicious development anecdote: Metropolis's third act recycles content from an abandoned zone, with an unseemly internal name ("Genocide City"), which the team had chosen thinking it "sounded dangerous" in English—a language they poorly mastered. This content was eventually merged into Metropolis.

Summary sheet

Element Detail
Level Metropolis Zone
Game Sonic the Hedgehog 2 (1992)
Position 8th zone (out of 11)
Special Feature 3 acts — unique in Sonic 2
Gimmick Giant screws, conveyor belts, presses
Boss Eggman in Act 3 (7 capsules, 8 hits)
Music Masato Nakamura (one theme for all 3 acts)

FAQ

  • Which game features Metropolis Zone?
    In Sonic the Hedgehog 2 (1992), where it is the 8th zone.
  • Why does Metropolis have three acts?
    It's the only zone in Sonic 2 to have three (the others have two), making it a particularly long level.
  • Where is the boss located?
    Only at the end of Act 3: Acts 1 and 2 do not have a boss. It's Eggman himself (8 hits).
  • Can the Badnik Asteron be destroyed?
    No: this starfish is hidden in the walls and is practically impossible to hit in normal gameplay.
  • Is Metropolis the last zone in the game?
    No: it is followed by Sky Chase, Wing Fortress, and the Death Egg Zone.

🔎 To go further: Oil Ocean Zone.

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