You could argue it lacks distinct segmented stages, but that just means it is one giant multi hour stage, and with stats like that it beats out even eggmanland as the clear number 1
@@Ivan210bluboi As J seems to like being able to skip things in stages with cool tech, the whole first half of Boom is obviously a perfect score as you completely skip it. The later stages are a bit slower. I personally rank the sky ruins area high because I liked drawing sky ruins as a kid.
@@darxoonwasser 1 reach the first hub area 2 shenanigans in this famously stable and bug-free game? Preposterous! 3 you're at the plane and can reach the second hub area because the game assumes you must have cleared previous areas to reach the plane. (Short answer, watch a speed run do it)
@@archshade7891 it wasn't ignored... nobody played it. that what happens when you take a game people want & make it an apple arcade exclusive. nobody will play it.
@archshade7891 it wasn't ignored... nobody played it. that what happens when you take a game people want & make it an apple arcade exclusive. nobody will play it.
I didn’t even know the outer layers of the loops even had collision, but I guess that only adds credence to the Adventure games being more like skate parks than actual linear levels.
Ngl I think rooftop run is a little overrated, like the last minute is very automated and makes it less interesting to replay. Glad to see arid sands so high, that’s my favorite level ever it’s pure adrenaline
@t-bone2145 understandable. Counterpoint, it's still a really long stage to the point where I don't mind how the last part is more "automated." Although in my case, it's Jungle Joyride that's my favorite level.
@@t-bone2145 Yeah I agree the last section kind of ruins it for me. Levels like Mazuri and Abadapt I found to be the best two levels in the game for me.
I love how this is sort of a ranking of the 3d games aswell, just taking in account the highest highs and lowest lows. It's always neat when a game that is by all means mediocre has those few great levels that have you wonder what could have been.
I wish I could say I was surprised that the bottom 4 levels were from Lost World 3DS but I’m not. I literally predicted 3 of them. Honestly fuck that game.
I can’t even lie. Sonic Unleashed is hands down the best game in the series, and I’m not exaggerating. The polish, the graphics, the levels, the werehog stages (+ all those cool combos), the scenery, the cohesiveness, the npcs, the final level, the final boss, and the music? 🔥. They really aced it w that one. Plus Jason griffith does a phenomenal job with the voice acting (I lowkey miss him)
Maybe it’s just my age but as much as I love Unleashed and Generations, their stages don’t come close to the enjoyment I get from SA1 and especially SA2. But thats just me. I’d certainly put all four of them in my top 4 too, just not in that order. Great video! Very much enjoyed watching. Would love to see your ranking on the 2D Sonic stages.
It really helps that Final Horizon's Cyberspace levels use Sonic's Open Zone physics and not the vanilla Cyberspace physics. ( The Action Style setting with halved speed and stiffiness of Forces turning. )
Unleashed is my favorite Sonic game hands down. The music is great, the levels are a rush, and I really liked the werehog stages. So happy that it made number 1 :3
I'm happy Sonic Colors' zones got placed so high. I feel like how the Sonic community (and gaming journalists) turned their backs on Sonic Adventure and its surrounding games for a time, the Sonic community has gotten way too harsh on Colors. Colors has now become the new punching bag, seemingly-with certain sects of fans even putting it on a similar level to Forces. The game certainly isn't perfect, but I definitely think it's still a pretty darn good game. I know you've gone on record saying how you feel bad that your past video on it led to people lambasting it, so I'm happy to hear positivity on it from you! The game has an incredible art direction, as you said, and the game probably has one of my favorite Sonic soundtracks.
I actually despise Colors with a passion (and always have, tbh), but saying it’s as bad as Forces is a joke… Plus this video did remind me that Asteroid Coaster was actually pretty decent at least. I especially loved feeding and growing my precious little frenzy monster~
I just felt betrayed by colors as a kid, I was told that it’s just the daytime stages of sonic unleashed and it wasn’t. It has too much 2D for my liking. It's way better than forces by a country mile. Colors at least knew what it wanted to be and had a consistent vision throughout. It just wasn't my cup of tea.
@@___________0Z0Xgenerations is more deserving of the title "daystages withot werehog" its boost gameplay plays much more like unleashes than colors does
Terminal Velocity was actually one of my favorite stages, just because the control is taken away from you doesn't mean your not still still dodging obstacles etc imo. I'd even say I felt tense during it. the music helping with that feeling. Given the endgame context I thought it fit in quite well and didn't break the pace to me.
The existence of this video itself is an extremely feat, but I was surprised by how heartfelt it become at the end. This was more than just a checklist, I sensed an earnest passion behind it and an earnest love of Sonic. That love showed through and it has to be why you made this video.
Emerald Coast will forever be the greatest Sonic level to me. Its a perfection. The soundtrack, the level design, the controls and the sheer joy of playing that level over and over again will never get old to me.
Very well edited and made video. A lot of effort into the title cards and crossing out the games when they were done, definitely the best Sonic ranking video I’ve seen.
I really like how the text for the rankings change depending on what game you're talking about. It's a nice attention to detail that adds that little extra spice to the video
Things I love: 1. 3D Sonic 2. Rankings 3. Long videos to download and listen to while I drive Thank you J. If you really want to feed my OCD, rank the level soundtracks next.
Good video. You should do a ranking video on 2D Sonic levels. 0/9 stages start at 1:53 1/9 stages start at 15:25 2/9 stages start at 23:01 3/9 stages start at 35:46 4/9 stages start at 50:30 5/9 stages start at 1:09:41 6/9 stages start at 1:20:57 7/9 stages start at 1:26:17 8/9 stages start at 1:30:56 9/9 stages start at 1:38:30
So ive watched this video 3 times now. 1.For Entertainment 2.Collect some Data 3.Check Data The Way Games Were Ranked off the List was by their highest ranking level so i wanted to see what the average scores per game were with the rankings most didn't change but i thought it was some nice info to see the Quality difference per game by how you ranked them. I took the Placements for each game and divided by the amount of levels ( i did not count extra missions just like the video but i did double up on the Heroes number for combined Levels, like Rail Canyon counted as 108 and Bullet Station as 108). Here is the List Game - Score - Placement Change 1. Sonic Unleashed- 16.77 (No Change) 2.Sonic Generations- 20 (No Change) 3.Sonic Adventure 2- 41.83 (No Change) 4.Sonic Unleashed Wii- 49 (+3) 5.Sonic Heroes- 54.5 (No Change) (Heroes gets a 49.6 with only counting the combined levels once) 6.Sonic Colors- 55 (No Change) 7.Sonic Adventure- 57.36 (-3) 8.Sonic Frontiers- 90.63 (No Change) 9.Sonic & The Secret Rings- 94.43 (+2) 10.Shadow The Hedgehog- 98.56 ( -1) 11.Sonic & The Black Knight- 105.81 (-1) 12.Sonic Lost World- 112.14 (+1) 13.Sonic The Hedgehog 2006- 120.6 (-1) 14.Sonic Forces- 128.8 (No Change) 15.Sonic Lost World 3DS- 156.83 (No Change)
This video is amazing. You did so well putting this together. I have a feeling it might not “do well,” but I hope it does well enough, and just know that this was an incredible watch. Split it into two sittings.
I loooove the graphics made for the rankings. I would also love to see this done for every 2D Sonic level so the classics, handheld classics, mania, superstars, advance trilogy, rush trilogy (yes Colors DS counts), Generations 3DS, even the Rivals duology. I'm surprised that Dream Team wasn't included because I think those levels are on par with Colors best stages and sometimes even better.
This is a great and interesting list. I have some disagreements of course but I liked hearing all of your takes. Rooftop Run in Unleashed is honestly one of the greatest platforming levels in history in my honest opinion. It is a showcase for everything that makes Sonic, Sonic. Incredible level design, an overwhelming sense of speed, incredible music, stunning presentation, thrill, diversity, and most of all- FUN. What’s insane about Unleashed is that I personally think Jungle Joyride still manages to top Rooftop run, but from an objective standpoint, I think it makes sense as the greatest level in Sonic history. Truly an outstanding piece of art 47:41 4-4!?!? That stage is SOOOOOOOOOO much fun to speedrun. I am genuinely shocked to see this stage that low. You should really try speedrunning it. I know it’s full of automation in places, but seriously speedrunning it makes it so good with the spin dash
I mean, J said himself that he doesn’t really like Frontiers (which I find cringe, but I digress), so that’s naturally gonna color his perception of the stages. Imo the only bad level in Frontiers is the drifting one, so I’d say he underrated a fair amount of them, but considering his opinion on the game, it’s not that surprising.
Really like this format of ranking stages / games in general! I think this is a good way for showing that some of the lesser games still have some good points in them
I love that there’s the giant 8 ball and cut escape in the thumbnail, also like the fact that Sonics Head is big in the thumbnail, kinda reminiscent of how it would look in that sonic TV show back in the day.
great video! i have some thoughts: honestly i heavily disagree on your 3-3 placement, id argue frontiers makes sky sanctuary act 2 feel way more open and leaves a lot more room for experimentation, it ended up being one of the most standout levels to me, and spindashing will help you outrun the falling platforms at the end just like OG gens i also disagree on how you explained 4-4 and its placement, id argue its one of the most coherent OG cyberspace levels and it houses most of the reaction based platforming in cyberspace, id hope you'd maybe give it another try and maybe try to get the best time, it's regarded as one of the best for a reason also as a lost world wii U fan i dont fuck with 3DS at all, it strips away everything i enjoy about the wii u version times 10 also on a final note, love how the ranking placement pop-ups recreate the level title cards flawlessly, they look great!
What an undertaking you went under. Bravo to you sir. This should be a fun watch as always. I also greatly appreciate the unique presentation you gave each ranking with that game's aesthetic, fonts, and sound effects. Well done
I really love your points about unleashed levels looking like actual places that just so happen to be perfectly fit for Sonic to rip through. Like, I really want to see either a fixed camera of the whole stage or a view from inside the buildings so we can see what it looks like to be a civilian as Sonic blazes past your little family run café
Surprised to see you think of Colors so highly. I replayed it recently and had a lot of fun, but your analysis of the levels make me appreciate it more. I'll have to revisit this once I play/replay more 3D Sonic but overall great analysis.
I wonder if we'll get a community post update about the Shadow Generations stages and how they handle. I can't imagine they'll ever beat the absolute highs that are the Top 10 on this list, but it would be interesting to see those stages in this criteria.
Took me until Emd Of The World to realize that the stage names weren't from the game footage and also had the statistics of how well it did on your criteria Jesus dear lord I am DENSE
I actually completed the 3DS Lost World last week for the first time! I feel your pain. A game I have no intention of ever revisiting either. Sky Road Act 3 on Hard Mode is the most outrageous S-Rank I've ever attempted in any Sonic game.
First off, absolutely amazing video, you put so much work and effort into this, I love that you gave each game its own unique style of grading design to match the games UI, BUT ALSO can I just say as a huge lifetime Sonic fan that I can’t believe how many alternate paths and secret routes that’re in this video that I’ve NEVER seen before, very cool stuff
I think the only stage that I'd personally rank higher is Casino Park just because that stage was so magical to me as a child and the music is one of my favorites in the entire franchise. I would always try to get to the golden bingo table. Otherwise, I completely agree with this list and I'm very happy to know other people love all forms of Rooftop Run.
I do have some personal gripes with the list (personally, any level longer than 5-6 minutes loses points on length alone, sorry Heroes), but with some minor shuffling around (personally I prefer Speed Highway to City Escape in both their original and Generations counterparts) I find the conclusion of this list to be perfect. I grew up with Generations, and learned to love Unleashed when I got that game. I'm glad they got what they deserved on this list.
I apprciate that you made the ranking cards for each level look like the title cards of the respective game they appear in. now THAT'S dedication. Also, hope you can get to rank every 2D Sonic Level in the far future, and considering how many 2D Sonic games there are i think the video will be far, far longer than this one (but probably not as interesting since... they're 2D levels). And also, I just realized during my 2nd watch of your video you forgot to add "Imperial Tower" to the list (which is the last Avatar level from Sonic Forces, and is also the level right before Mortar Canyon), but then again, it's a Forces stage, so it wouldn't have ranked high to begin with (it's probably below Aqua Road tbh). I only remember it was all 2D, you can skip HUGE sections of the level with the Lightning Wispon (and to an absurd degree), and the insta-kill lasers that appear both halfway and near the end of the stage. Yeah, it's just another low-tier level, which is the "standard" of Sonic Forces. You didn't miss out on much yet i feel like this was a somewhat big omission to point out since you ranked all the other Avatar levels from Forces.
Good catch. Both Imperial Tower and Guardian Rock aren’t in the video. The reason is that they have no 3D content at all. Guardian Rock does have the quick step section, but it wasn’t enough to merit an inclusion imo. But thanks for the appreciation of the score cards!
lol i completely forgot about Guardian Rock also, but that's a good point. They'll probably get mentioned if you ever plan to do a "Every 2D Sonic Level Ranked" video in the far future.
@@JsReviews I would love to see an Ifrit boss and nega Mother Wisp bosses in Sonic x Shadow generations. Both are connected to lore that sega refuses to use. Ifrit (sonic rivals 2) can destroy an intirer dimension bathing it in fire (the game comfirms its whole universe, not just a planet). Sonic and Shadow only defeat a heavily weakened ifrit as it isn't fully revived yet (it did eat a bunch of chao and become invincible, though. Plus, he has mind control powers and is just as sentient as chaos even though it wasn't at full power). But they still beat it in base, which is still incredibly impressive. I bring him up because Gerald has notes on ifrit implying Gerald Robotnik somehow got into the dimension that chaosic inferno takes place in. Plus, ifrit seems connected to the chao somehow, and Gerald knows of him, so i hope he is at least in the journal. As for the nega mother wisp, I loved her boss fight. She is a part of the wisps lore (yes, the wisps have lore actually lore, such as the mother wisp creating the wisps and the planets that eggman captured, the ds version of colors going into detail on how negative wisps are made and how it affects their minds, actually giving each wisps their own personalities like Lazer trying to fight the robots and void straight up destroying shit and causing chaos. The mother wisp is kind and motherly but can have a temper. eggman is lucky he got caught in the black hole before she got free. Plus, the wisps actually flow with level design in colors wii and ds. Similar to how the doom powers seem to. Unlike in the lost world or forces. The ds has a better story than the wii version. It has interesting lore, the wisps are fun and the stages are fun. Not to mention, multiple characters have sonic do missions to help free wisps or extra information on what is going on. I have both versions. The wisps are neat and do have lore. I wish sega would actually utilize their lore more). Ifrit and the mother wisp are very interesting and think you should cover them. Plus, the fact that Sonic and Shadow, among other characters, defeated Ifrit in base shows how powerful they are. Also, I think marine the raccoon should return due to her unexplained power, and the complaints about her are already addressed in her character arc and development from sonic rush adventure. Also, phantom king creates the egg revery, which is infinite in space-time, and space and time (yes, there is a difference) in Sonic Mania, and that's just classic super sonic. Also, Chaos drives, artificial chaos, the ark, and G.U.N. are all interesting. I wish sega would use them more, too. Oh, and Emerl and Gemerl should be explored a bit again. Sonic rush, rush adventure, rivals 2, the advance games, sonic battle, and Sonic colors ds deserve more attention. Oh, and sega sonic the hedgehog arcade is awesome. oh, and Sage definitely should return as she is a neat character with cool lore. And the dark arms and black doom are neat lore wise.
Great video, J! This was really fun to watch and hear your thoughts. Happy that my favorite Sonic level of All time made it at number 1. SA2, Unleashed and Generations will always be the three Kings of 3D Sonic as far as I know.
It’s really interesting seeing the final stages of each game on the list, since it’s possible for certain games to be carried exclusively through that section by their greatest level. It’s fun to see what happens when a game gets something right even when other parts aren’t all right.
Honestly shocked that Lava Shelter was your highest ranked ShtH stage & not Sky Troops. I’m glad you agree that Shadow actually has some really solid levels among the junk, but Lava Shelter as #1 over Sky Troops, Final Haunt, Lethal Highway & GUN Fortress was a surprise. Maybe it’s because the shadow androids can trigger the rising lava, killing you AND your hero run… But yeah, Lost Impact & Mad Matrix are absolutely bottom 10. The Doom DOES have a hilarious sub-minute neutral speed run strat tho that bumps it up for me
I genuinely believe that Seaside Hill Modern is the Best 3D Sonic Stage Hands down. Its not my absolute favorite to run through. But to me the design philosophy behind it is awesome, and it should be basis that stages are designed after in the future. Because everywhere you look theres an alternate path somewhere. like a bunch of dueling rollercoasters, that meet back up at some points and allow you to swap rides if you chose to. You just *always* have the choice on how you experience the level. and I absolutely love that
Honestly, the ARK's music is the only saving grace of that level. Definitely one of the best tracks from Shadow. Also, Central City got a lot easier once I realized that each mission has an intended linear path but the game sucks at communicating that.
Great list! I had a lot of fun watching this. I haven't played every game, but have at least watched most of them. It was cool learning about their shortcuts and replayability. I am glad the 06 stages got their due, it is sad the game itself holds back the stages so much. I am so happy Heroes got as high as it did. It 100% deserved it, the stages in that game are so fun and amazing. Sadly the slippery gameplay does drag them down a bit, but I am so happy Generations' Seaside Hill was that high. Generations in general was the peak of Boost Sonic and hopefully Sonic x Shadow can capture some of that magic, I'm not sold on the gameplay we've seen from Shadow(it looks too automated...) Maybe one day I'll actually played Unleashed. My Used Ps2 copy was broken so I never finished either version of it.
Really good list, I agreed with a lot of the placements! But I just have to point this out because so many people are unaware of this and spread misinformation and it annoys me everytime. The rail balancing mechanic IS still in Sonic Heroes. Mashing the button only brings you to a soft speed cap and you have to balance to go past that cap. I think the reason most people think it's gone is just because the game doesn't slow you down as much as SA2 did for not balancing properly.
Sonic Boom: Rise of Lyric, was so good that it didn't make the list.
You could argue it lacks distinct segmented stages, but that just means it is one giant multi hour stage, and with stats like that it beats out even eggmanland as the clear number 1
Were do you think that game's stages whould be ranked?
Obviusly they whould be on top of all the other ones
@@Ivan210bluboi As J seems to like being able to skip things in stages with cool tech, the whole first half of Boom is obviously a perfect score as you completely skip it. The later stages are a bit slower.
I personally rank the sky ruins area high because I liked drawing sky ruins as a kid.
@@dominicjannazo7144wait you can skip the entire first half of sonic boom? how?
@@darxoonwasser 1 reach the first hub area
2 shenanigans in this famously stable and bug-free game? Preposterous!
3 you're at the plane and can reach the second hub area because the game assumes you must have cleared previous areas to reach the plane.
(Short answer, watch a speed run do it)
The game-specific sound effects for each level is such a small detail but soo satisfying
Sonic Unleashed Roof Top Run is going to take 1st place
**2 hours later**
Yup
I’m saying this but the intro cards for each game is Peak.
Stylised to each game I love seeing them each time
And he has the right sound for them too!
Crossing out the games
as he reviews it's last stage is nicee
@@Matt_M_again Right? I love all sorts of details like this!
That’s an incredible detail I noticed too.
The editing in general was super slick for this video, props to J for how seamless this felt
Movie night.
no Sonic Dream Team levels
Real
What about sonic heroes levels i didnt see any of thosee@@archshade7891
@@liveandlearn97x19 is egg fleet
Snacks and drinks ready
I can’t believe you put Mad Space at #1. I am shaking and crying right now.
Thanks for spoiling it :)
Isnt mad space a rouge level in sa2?
@@Oofers98yea it was a joke (but there was no way for me to know before getting to the end)
Bad Space >:(((
@@CatWarior22no offense but did you seriously think that one of the worst stages in the franchise would be No.1?
Every Sonic Music Track & Vocal Track ranked needs to be a video
that would be impossible to do. there's thousands of tracks & they're all good.
Thousands, but some a bit better than others. Its tough, but it can happen @asdfxcvbn746
Sonic Dream Team was just ignored
@@archshade7891 it wasn't ignored... nobody played it. that what happens when you take a game people want & make it an apple arcade exclusive. nobody will play it.
@archshade7891 it wasn't ignored... nobody played it. that what happens when you take a game people want & make it an apple arcade exclusive. nobody will play it.
1:40:43 Wait, what? I didn't know you could do that in Radical Highway. Thanks for the tip, J.
I learned a lot of shortcuts and different pathways from this video lol
I didn’t even know the outer layers of the loops even had collision, but I guess that only adds credence to the Adventure games being more like skate parks than actual linear levels.
@@skeetermania3202I can't tell if you meant that as a compliment.
@@sambridgers9543 Depends on how you want to view it.
me neither, mind blown.
Hot damn! That's a hefty ass list!
My two favorite levels in 3D Sonic are City Escape from SA2 and Rooftop Run from Unleashed. I've played them so many times and it's always fun.
Good news for you
Ngl I think rooftop run is a little overrated, like the last minute is very automated and makes it less interesting to replay. Glad to see arid sands so high, that’s my favorite level ever it’s pure adrenaline
@t-bone2145 understandable.
Counterpoint, it's still a really long stage to the point where I don't mind how the last part is more "automated."
Although in my case, it's Jungle Joyride that's my favorite level.
@@t-bone2145 Yeah I agree the last section kind of ruins it for me. Levels like Mazuri and Abadapt I found to be the best two levels in the game for me.
My favourite levels are: Emerald Coast because I love the Orca set piece, Windmill Isle, & Starligjt Carnival.
Man, I can't believe that every sonic 3D blast stage made it into the top 10!
Sonic fans, J in particular, in this instance...
...you guys impress me.
That is all.
I love how this is sort of a ranking of the 3d games aswell, just taking in account the highest highs and lowest lows. It's always neat when a game that is by all means mediocre has those few great levels that have you wonder what could have been.
I wish I could say I was surprised that the bottom 4 levels were from Lost World 3DS but I’m not. I literally predicted 3 of them. Honestly fuck that game.
I still can't understand how people says SLW3DS is better than the other one, like bro, the design is so ass
This vid was peak. Love the stylized rankings and all the takes in here are fire mans got taste
I can’t even lie. Sonic Unleashed is hands down the best game in the series, and I’m not exaggerating. The polish, the graphics, the levels, the werehog stages (+ all those cool combos), the scenery, the cohesiveness, the npcs, the final level, the final boss, and the music? 🔥.
They really aced it w that one. Plus Jason griffith does a phenomenal job with the voice acting (I lowkey miss him)
the werehog stages make me drop the game everytime i try to will myself to complete it.
I respect you for being able to enjoy the werehog stages
people who hate the werehog are infantile
Yeah, I also enjoy the Werehog stages.
Unleashed was always my favorite since I was a kid, something about that game just has the sauce that no other game has fully
Honey grab the popcorn a js review movie is on
Maybe it’s just my age but as much as I love Unleashed and Generations, their stages don’t come close to the enjoyment I get from SA1 and especially SA2. But thats just me. I’d certainly put all four of them in my top 4 too, just not in that order.
Great video! Very much enjoyed watching. Would love to see your ranking on the 2D Sonic stages.
I was about to go to sleep... Now I must know J's opinions on every Sonic level (even though I haven't played most of them)
Same ! I haven't played lost world 3ds , lost world , forces , black knight , secret rings and adventure 2 .
It's a bummer he excluded the Last Horizon Cyberspace stages, as I personally felt they were the best stages in that entire game, remixed or not.
It really helps that Final Horizon's Cyberspace levels use Sonic's Open Zone physics and not the vanilla Cyberspace physics. ( The Action Style setting with halved speed and stiffiness of Forces turning. )
Looks like I’m not getting any sleep tonight
It’s 2 hours not 8 lmao
@@Nickbronlinehe might live in a place where it’s nighttime
I blame J's Reviews for delaying me tonight on my paper.
😮😮nnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnn
I’m late😊
Dude Sky Sanctuary from Sonic Generations gives me *SO MUCH* nostalgia!
Plus, it's a great level!
Unleashed is my favorite Sonic game hands down. The music is great, the levels are a rush, and I really liked the werehog stages. So happy that it made number 1 :3
I'm happy Sonic Colors' zones got placed so high. I feel like how the Sonic community (and gaming journalists) turned their backs on Sonic Adventure and its surrounding games for a time, the Sonic community has gotten way too harsh on Colors. Colors has now become the new punching bag, seemingly-with certain sects of fans even putting it on a similar level to Forces.
The game certainly isn't perfect, but I definitely think it's still a pretty darn good game. I know you've gone on record saying how you feel bad that your past video on it led to people lambasting it, so I'm happy to hear positivity on it from you! The game has an incredible art direction, as you said, and the game probably has one of my favorite Sonic soundtracks.
Wait, what? People put it on a similar level as Forces?? Uuhm.. why?
It's not my favourite, but Colors is by FAR a much better game than Forces
I actually despise Colors with a passion (and always have, tbh), but saying it’s as bad as Forces is a joke…
Plus this video did remind me that Asteroid Coaster was actually pretty decent at least. I especially loved feeding and growing my precious little frenzy monster~
I just felt betrayed by colors as a kid, I was told that it’s just the daytime stages of sonic unleashed and it wasn’t.
It has too much 2D for my liking.
It's way better than forces by a country mile. Colors at least knew what it wanted to be and had a consistent vision throughout. It just wasn't my cup of tea.
@@___________0Z0Xgenerations is more deserving of the title "daystages withot werehog" its boost gameplay plays much more like unleashes than colors does
@@___________0Z0Xsame
Colors levels shouldn't be anywhere near masterpieces like city escape and speed highway
Terminal Velocity was actually one of my favorite stages, just because the control is taken away from you doesn't mean your not still still dodging obstacles etc imo. I'd even say I felt tense during it. the music helping with that feeling. Given the endgame context I thought it fit in quite well and didn't break the pace to me.
Glad you included Shadow 05. To me it's strange ppl don't consider it mainline
To be fair, he added Secret Rings and Black Knight, which were spin-offs.
Frozen Factory was the point where I stopped playing the 3DS version of Lost World and I've never picked it up since. Which is fine.
i think i got to some snake guy that you need to use a unique weapon on but i never got it and didnt care to do so
The existence of this video itself is an extremely feat, but I was surprised by how heartfelt it become at the end. This was more than just a checklist, I sensed an earnest passion behind it and an earnest love of Sonic. That love showed through and it has to be why you made this video.
Emerald Coast will forever be the greatest Sonic level to me. Its a perfection. The soundtrack, the level design, the controls and the sheer joy of playing that level over and over again will never get old to me.
Very well edited and made video. A lot of effort into the title cards and crossing out the games when they were done, definitely the best Sonic ranking video I’ve seen.
I really like how the text for the rankings change depending on what game you're talking about. It's a nice attention to detail that adds that little extra spice to the video
Things I love:
1. 3D Sonic
2. Rankings
3. Long videos to download and listen to while I drive
Thank you J. If you really want to feed my OCD, rank the level soundtracks next.
i don't know if you'd be as passionate about it as the levels, but i'd love to see you do this kinda thing with the 3D Sonic bosses. gr8 video!
Correct me if I'm wrong, but in Prison Island, you are able to walk on the acid if either of your Chaos meters are active.
Yup.
Yeah, both chaos meters give invincibility (to everything that isn't an instakill) and unlimited ammo, as well as their own individual power
Good video. You should do a ranking video on 2D Sonic levels.
0/9 stages start at 1:53
1/9 stages start at 15:25
2/9 stages start at 23:01
3/9 stages start at 35:46
4/9 stages start at 50:30
5/9 stages start at 1:09:41
6/9 stages start at 1:20:57
7/9 stages start at 1:26:17
8/9 stages start at 1:30:56
9/9 stages start at 1:38:30
This was great! I can't believe I learned about skips/glitches on levels I've played pretty much my whole life, if not half. Great vid man
Kingdom Valley, crisis city(06), eggmanland and seaside hill( heroes), you did them durty man, definitely top 20 at the least!
I really like how the text that presents the score is stylized to represent the level's game, it give the video a lot of personality
the editing here is crazy good dude, amazing job there
Fantastic video! I loved how you used each game's Level title card and any sound effect! Nice job on the presentation!
I was looking for a video to watch while cleaning my room, thanks J
Great comment,dude🗣💯
So ive watched this video 3 times now.
1.For Entertainment
2.Collect some Data
3.Check Data
The Way Games Were Ranked off the List was by their highest ranking level so i wanted to see what the average scores per game were with the rankings most didn't change but i thought it was some nice info to see the Quality difference per game by how you ranked them.
I took the Placements for each game and divided by the amount of levels ( i did not count extra missions just like the video but i did double up on the Heroes number for combined Levels, like Rail Canyon counted as 108 and Bullet Station as 108).
Here is the List
Game - Score - Placement Change
1. Sonic Unleashed- 16.77 (No Change)
2.Sonic Generations- 20 (No Change)
3.Sonic Adventure 2- 41.83 (No Change)
4.Sonic Unleashed Wii- 49 (+3)
5.Sonic Heroes- 54.5 (No Change) (Heroes gets a 49.6 with only counting the combined levels once)
6.Sonic Colors- 55 (No Change)
7.Sonic Adventure- 57.36 (-3)
8.Sonic Frontiers- 90.63 (No Change)
9.Sonic & The Secret Rings- 94.43 (+2)
10.Shadow The Hedgehog- 98.56 ( -1)
11.Sonic & The Black Knight- 105.81 (-1)
12.Sonic Lost World- 112.14 (+1)
13.Sonic The Hedgehog 2006- 120.6 (-1)
14.Sonic Forces- 128.8 (No Change)
15.Sonic Lost World 3DS- 156.83 (No Change)
This video is amazing.
You did so well putting this together.
I have a feeling it might not “do well,” but I hope it does well enough, and just know that this was an incredible watch.
Split it into two sittings.
I loooove the graphics made for the rankings. I would also love to see this done for every 2D Sonic level so the classics, handheld classics, mania, superstars, advance trilogy, rush trilogy (yes Colors DS counts), Generations 3DS, even the Rivals duology. I'm surprised that Dream Team wasn't included because I think those levels are on par with Colors best stages and sometimes even better.
1:54:52
Speed highway from generation is just a masterpiece and my favorite by far
Spoiler time - complete list with timestamps
163: Frozen Factory (Lost World 3DS) 1:53
162: Silent Forest (Lost World 3DS) 3:00
161: Tropical Coast (Lost World 3DS) 4:01
160: Sky Road (Lost World 3DS) 5:12
159: End of the World (Sonic 06) 6:16
158: The Doom (Shadow the Hedgehog) 7:50
157: Lost Impact (Shadow the Hedgehog) 8:54
156: Luminous Forest (Forces) 9:33
155: Mortar Canyon (Forces) 10:34
154: Lost Valley (Forces) 11:21
153: Central City (Shadow the Hedgehog) 11:56
152: The Ark (Shadow the Hedgehog) 12:44
151: Final Judgement (Forces) 13:22
150: 4-8 (Frontiers) 14:06
149: 3-5 (Frontiers) 14:41
148: Desert Ruins (Lost World 3DS) 15:20
147: Windy Hill (Lost World 3DS) 16:14
~ Lost World 3DS eliminated ~
146: Mad Matrix (Shadow the Hedgehog) 17:11
145: Aquatic Base (Sonic 06) 18:03
144: The Last Way (Shadow the Hedgehog) 18:59
143: Tropical Jungle (Sonic 06) 19:52
142: Aqua Road (Forces) 20:51
141: Arsenal Pyramid (Forces) 21:25
140: Terminal Velocity (Colors) 22:09
139: Sunset Heights (Forces) 22:59
138: Park Avenue (Forces) 23:43
137: Dusty Desert (Sonic 06) 24:02
136: Hot Shelter (Adventure) 25:13
135: Misty Lake (Black Knight) 26:08
134: Deep Woods (Black Knight) 27:15
133: Lava Mountain (Lost World) 27:47
132: Frozen Factory (Lost World) 28:39
131: Tropical Coast (Lost World) 29:31
130: Sand Oasis (Secret Rings) 30:23
129: Metropolitan Highway (Forces) 31:28
128: Black Comet (Shadow the Hedgehog) 32:19
127: 3-3 (Frontiers) 32:57
126: 4-3 (Frontiers) 33:54
125: 4-5 (Frontiers) 34:32
124: Final Chase (Adventure 2) 35:05
123: White Acropolis (Sonic 06) 35:44
122: Flame Core (Sonic 06) 36:28
121: Radical Train (Sonic 06) 37:02
120: The Cauldron (Black Knight) 37:38
119: Titanic Plain (Black Knight) 38:11
118: Crystal Cave (Black Knight) 38:43
117: Skeleton Dome (Secret Rings) 39:14
116: Dinosaur Jungle (Secret Rings) 39:51
115: Network Terminal (Forces) 40:33
114: Egg Gate (Forces) 41:06
113: Camelot Castle (Black Knight) 41:46
112: Cosmic Fall (Shadow the Hedgehog) 42:26
111: Cryptic Castle (Shadow the Hedgehog) 43:01
110: Sky Road (Lost World) 43:39
109: Planet Wisp (Generations) 44:23
108: Rail Canyon/Bullet Station (Heroes) 45:38
107: 4-1 (Frontiers) 46:57
106: 1-1 (Frontiers) 47:22
105: 4-4 (Frontiers) 47:47
104: Westopolis (Shadow the Hedgehog) 48:14
103: Prison Island (Shadow the Hedgehog) 49:00
102: Starlight Carnival (Colors) 49:43
101: Space Port (Forces) 50:28
100: Prison Hall (Forces) 50:59
99: Null Space (Forces) 51:16
98: Capital City (Forces) 51:38
~ Forces eliminated ~
97: Shrouded Forest (Black Knight) 52:31
96: Great Megalith (Black Knight) 53:00
95: Wave Ocean (Sonic 06) 53:23
94: Silent Forest (Lost World) 53:54
93: Desert Ruins (Lost World) 54:33
92: Windy Hill (Lost World) 55:11
~ Lost World eliminated ~
91: Casino Park/Bingo Highway (Heroes) 55:54
90: G.U.N. Fortress (Shadow the Hedgehog) 56:36
89: Air Fleet (Shadow the Hedgehog) 57:10
88: Dragon’s Lair (Black Knight) 57:39
87: Molten Mine (Black Knight) 58:05
86: Pirate Storm (Secret Rings) 58:31
85: Evil Foundry (Secret Rings) 59:02
84: Eggmanland (Unleashed Wii) 59:28
83: Sky Deck (Adventure) 1:00:20
82: Cannon’s Core (Adventure 2) 1:00:50
81: Crisis City (Sonic 06) 1:01:36
80: Kingdom Valley (Sonic 06) 1:02:07
~ Sonic 06 eliminated ~
79: Lethal Highway (Shadow the Hedgehog) 1:03:10
78: Circus Park (Shadow the Hedgehog) 1:03:37
77: Digital Circuit (Shadow the Hedgehog) 1:04:05
76: Casinopolis (Adventure) 1:04:36
75: 1-4 (Frontiers) 1:05:17
74: 1-5 (Frontiers) 1:05:35
73: 2-2 (Frontiers) 1:05:52
72: 2-4 (Frontiers) 1:06:15
71: 2-6 (Frontiers) 1:06:34
70: 3-1 (Frontiers) 1:06:57
69: 4-7 (Frontiers) 1:07:33
68: 4-9 (Frontiers) 1:07:58
67: Windy Valley (Adventure) 1:08:20
66: Twinkle Park (Adventure) 1:08:58
65: Glyphic Canyon (Shadow the Hedgehog) 1:09:39
64: Levitated Ruin (Secret Rings) 1:10:01
63: Night Palace (Secret Rings) 1:10:31
~ Secret Rings eliminated ~
62: Iron Jungle (Shadow the Hedgehog) 1:11:18
61: 1-7 (Frontiers) 1:11:52
60: Crazy Gadget (Adventure 2) 1:12:20
59: Arid Sands (Unleashed Wii) 1:12:58
58: Lost World (Adventure) 1:13:38
57: Knight’s Passage (Black Knight) 1:14:24
~ Black Knight eliminated ~
56: Death Ruins (Shadow the Hedgehog) 1:15:24
55: Sky Troops (Shadow the Hedgehog) 1:15:47
54: Final Fortress (Heroes) 1:16:17
53: Final Haunt (Shadow the Hedgehog) 1:16:54
52: Final Egg (Adventure) 1:17:30
51: 1-2 (Frontiers) 1:18:05
50: Eggmanland (Unleashed) 1:19:02
49: Power Plant (Heroes) 1:20:56
48: Space Gadget (Shadow the Hedgehog) 1:21:27
47: Lava Shelter (Shadow the Hedgehog) 1:22:01
~ Shadow the Hedgehog eliminated ~
46: Green Hill (Adventure 2) 1:22:47
45: Pyramid Cave (Adventure 2) 1:23:26
44: Windmill Isle (Unleashed Wii) 1:24:01
43: 4-2 (Frontiers) 1:24:33
~ Frontiers eliminated ~
42: Seaside Hill (Heroes) 1:25:37
41: Cool Edge (Unleashed Wii) 1:26:16
40: Dragon Road (Unleashed Wii) 1:26:46
39: Frog Forest/Lost Jungle (Heroes) 1:27:19
38: Jungle Joyride (Unleashed Wii) 1:28:14
37: Rooftop Run (Unleashed Wii) 1:28:44
~ Unleashed Wii eliminated ~
36: Ice Cap (Adventure) 1:29:47
35: Grand Metropolis (Heroes) 1:30:23
34: White Jungle (Adventure 2) 1:30:53
33: Tropical Resort (Colors) 1:31:19
32: Planet Wisp (Colors) 1:32:11
31: Sweet Mountain (Colors) 1:32:48
30: Hang Castle/Mystic Mansion (Heroes) 1:33:38
29: Ocean Palace (Heroes) 1:34:20
28: Emerald Coast (Adventure) 1:34:57
27: Asteroid Coaster (Colors) 1:35:40
26: Sky Rail (Adventure 2) 1:36:24
25: Crisis City (Generations) 1:36:58
24: Windmill Isle (Unleashed) 1:37:41
23: Green Forest (Adventure 2) 1:38:29
22: Dragon Road (Unleashed) 1:39:12
21: Radical Highway (Adventure 2) 1:40:06
20: Aquarium Park (Colors) 1:40:56
~ Colors eliminated ~
19: Egg Fleet (Heroes) 1:42:22
~ Heroes eliminated ~
18: Metal Harbor (Adventure 2) 1:43:25
17: Savannah Citadel (Unleashed) 1:44:24
16: Red Mountain (Adventure) 1:45:11
15: Green Hill (Generations) 1:46:14
14: Final Rush (Adventure 2) 1:47:04
13: Speed Highway (Adventure) 1:47:52
~ Adventure eliminated ~
12: Cool Edge (Unleashed) 1:48:55
11: Arid Sands (Unleashed) 1:49:38
10: Chemical Plant (Generations) 1:50:21
9: City Escape (Adventure 2) 1:51:04
~ Adventure 2 eliminated ~
8: Skyscraper Scamper (Unleashed) 1:52:19
7: Rooftop Run (Generations) 1:53:02
6: Jungle Joyride (Unleashed) 1:53:50
5: Speed Highway (Generations) 1:54:50
4: Sky Sanctuary (Generations) 1:55:48
3: Seaside Hill (Generations) 1:56:41
2: City Escape (Generations) 1:57:45
~ Generations eliminated ~
1: Rooftop Run (Unleashed) 1:58:53
~ Unleashed eliminated ~
Sonic Generations and Unleashed being one of the best 3D Action Sonic games easily deserved Top 10! 🔥
Makes me so happy to see Sonic Unleashed at the top of the ranks!
I personally did not agree with a whole myriad of these but this was an amazing video. Loved your explanations and ranking system.
This is such a fun video! You make some great videos to have on for background noise AND for actually watching!
This is a great and interesting list. I have some disagreements of course but I liked hearing all of your takes. Rooftop Run in Unleashed is honestly one of the greatest platforming levels in history in my honest opinion. It is a showcase for everything that makes Sonic, Sonic. Incredible level design, an overwhelming sense of speed, incredible music, stunning presentation, thrill, diversity, and most of all- FUN. What’s insane about Unleashed is that I personally think Jungle Joyride still manages to top Rooftop run, but from an objective standpoint, I think it makes sense as the greatest level in Sonic history. Truly an outstanding piece of art
47:41 4-4!?!? That stage is SOOOOOOOOOO much fun to speedrun. I am genuinely shocked to see this stage that low. You should really try speedrunning it. I know it’s full of automation in places, but seriously speedrunning it makes it so good with the spin dash
I mean, J said himself that he doesn’t really like Frontiers (which I find cringe, but I digress), so that’s naturally gonna color his perception of the stages.
Imo the only bad level in Frontiers is the drifting one, so I’d say he underrated a fair amount of them, but considering his opinion on the game, it’s not that surprising.
1:53 Lost World 3DS Tier
15:21 F Tier
23:01 E Tier
35:46 D Tier
50:30 C Tier
1:09:40 B Tier
1:20:57 A- Tier
1:26:17 A Tier
1:30:54 A+ Tier
1:38:30 S Tier
3:04 as someone who actually likes sonic lost world and likes the level you ranked last, I also have a personal vendetta against silent forest zone
That was great. Those 2 hours were definitely worth my time.
My ranking of the ones I’ve played:
Adventure 1:
1. Emerald Coast
2. Speed Highway
3. Red Mountain
4. Ice Cap
5. Windy Valley
6. Twinkle Park
7. Lost World
8. Final Egg
9. Casinopolis
10. Sky Deck
11. Hot Shelter
Adventure 2:
1. Metal Harbour
2. City Escape
3. Final arusha
4. Green Forest
5. Sky Rail
6. Radical Highway
7. Pyramid Cave
8. White Jungle
9. Green Hill
10. Cannon’s Core
11. Crazy Gadget
12. Final Chase
Heroes:
1. Egg Fleet
2. Power Plant
3. Frog Forest
4. Seaside Hill
5. Ocean Palace
6. Grand Metropolis
7. Final Fortress
8. Lost Jungle
9. Mystic Mansion
10. Hang Castle
11. Bingo Highway
12. Casino Park
13. Bullet Station
14. Rail Canyon
06:
1. Flame Core
2. Crisis City
3. Kingdom Valley
4. Wave Ocean
5. Radical Train
6. Tropical Jungle
7. White Acropolis
8. Dusty Desert
9. End of the World
10. Aquatic Base
Unleashed:
1. Rooftop Run
2. Jungle Joyride
3. Skyscraper Scamper
4. Cool Edge
5. Savannah Citadel
6. Dragon Road
7. Arid Sands
8. Windmill Isle
9. Eggmanland
Colours:
1. Planet Wisp
2. Asteroid Coaster
3. Sweet Mountain
4. Aquarium Park
5. Tropical Resort
6. Starlight Carnival
7. Terminal Velocity
Generations:
1. City Escape
2. Seaside Hill
3. Speed Highway
4. Sky Sanctuary
5. Green Hill
6. Rooftop Run
7. Chemical Plant
8. Crisis City
9. Planet Wisp
Lost World:
1. Windy Hill
2. Silent Forest
3. Desert Ruins
4. Tropical Coast
5. Sky Road
6. Frozen Factory
7. Lava Mountain
Forces:
1. Egg Gate
2. Space Port
3. Null Space
4. Capital City
5. Metropolitan Highway
6. Network Terminal
7. Prison Hall
8. Aqua Road
9. Sunset Heights
10. Park Avenue
11. Lost Valley
12. Mortar Canyon
13. Arsenal Pyramid
14. Final Judgement
15. Luminous Forest
Frontiers:
1. 4-2
2. 1-2
3. 4-7
4. 4-4
5. 4-9
6. 4-5
7. 1-1
8. 1-7
9. 2-2
10. 3-1
11. 2-4
12. 1-4
13. 3-3
14. 2-4
15. 1-5
16. 4-1
17. 4-3
18. 4-8
19. 3-5
Thanks for making this video. A random comment, but thanks for taking the time to make a 2 hour video.
I’m curious where the 3D Levels in Shadow Generations would’ve been ranked in this.
Really like this format of ranking stages / games in general! I think this is a good way for showing that some of the lesser games still have some good points in them
I love that there’s the giant 8 ball and cut escape in the thumbnail, also like the fact that Sonics Head is big in the thumbnail, kinda reminiscent of how it would look in that sonic TV show back in the day.
Wow you did an amazing job with this list man! A++, BRAVO👏👍👍
I’ve been watching this piecemeal over the last few nights, it’s been a great video to come back to after work.
Well done, I’ve loved watching it!
Such a glorious watch. Bravo. You made me appreciate some of these stages more
Aquarium park will always be my favourite stage for the music and atmosphere
great video! i have some thoughts:
honestly i heavily disagree on your 3-3 placement, id argue frontiers makes sky sanctuary act 2 feel way more open and leaves a lot more room for experimentation, it ended up being one of the most standout levels to me, and spindashing will help you outrun the falling platforms at the end just like OG gens
i also disagree on how you explained 4-4 and its placement, id argue its one of the most coherent OG cyberspace levels and it houses most of the reaction based platforming in cyberspace, id hope you'd maybe give it another try and maybe try to get the best time, it's regarded as one of the best for a reason
also as a lost world wii U fan i dont fuck with 3DS at all, it strips away everything i enjoy about the wii u version times 10
also on a final note, love how the ranking placement pop-ups recreate the level title cards flawlessly, they look great!
Awesome list dude! ❤🎉 Rooftop run definitely deserves that number 1 spot as it encompasses everything that made sonic well enjoyable for all.
What an undertaking you went under. Bravo to you sir. This should be a fun watch as always. I also greatly appreciate the unique presentation you gave each ranking with that game's aesthetic, fonts, and sound effects. Well done
I really love your points about unleashed levels looking like actual places that just so happen to be perfectly fit for Sonic to rip through. Like, I really want to see either a fixed camera of the whole stage or a view from inside the buildings so we can see what it looks like to be a civilian as Sonic blazes past your little family run café
Surprised to see you think of Colors so highly. I replayed it recently and had a lot of fun, but your analysis of the levels make me appreciate it more. I'll have to revisit this once I play/replay more 3D Sonic but overall great analysis.
I wonder if we'll get a community post update about the Shadow Generations stages and how they handle. I can't imagine they'll ever beat the absolute highs that are the Top 10 on this list, but it would be interesting to see those stages in this criteria.
Took me until Emd Of The World to realize that the stage names weren't from the game footage and also had the statistics of how well it did on your criteria
Jesus dear lord I am DENSE
You should do this type of tier list for P-06 when End of the world comes out, it would be so fun to watch.
My ranking:
175: Iron Jungle (Generations)
174: City Escape (Generations)
173: End of the World (06)
172: Dark Hollow (Black Knight)
171: Terminal Velocity (Colours)
170: Panic Puppet (Flickies Island)
169: Seaside Hill (Generations)
168: 90 Boulevard (Zero Gravity)
167: 80 Boulevard (Zero Gravity)
166: Digital Dimension (Riders)
165: Cannon's Core (SA2)
164: Speed Highway (Generations)
163: Green Hill (Generations)
162: Chemical Plant (Generations)
161: Rooftop Run (Generations)
160: Crisis City (Generations)
159: Sky Sanctuary (Generations)
158: Security Hall (SA2)
157: Iron Gate (SA2)
156: Route 280 (SA2)
155: Night Palace (Secret Rings)
154: Final Egg (SA1)
153: Twinkle Park (SA1)
152: Spring Stadium (Flickies Island)
151: White Acropolis (06)
150: Route 101 (SA2)
149: Tropical Resort (Colours)
148: Westopolis (Shadow)
147: Speed Highway (SA1)
146: Digital Circus (Shadow)
145: Resort Island (R)
144: Radical City (R)
143: Green Grove (Flickies Island)
142: Route 101 (SA2)
141: Mission Street (SA2)
140: GUN Fortress (Shadow)
139: Casino Park (Heroes)
138: Night Chase (Riders)
137: Metal City (Riders)
136: Power Plant (Heroes)
135: Grand Metropolis (Heroes)
134: Nightside Rush (Zero Gravity)
133: Aquarium Park (Colours)
132: Weapons Bed (SA2)
131: Bingo Highway (Heroes)
130: Casinopolis (SA1)
129: Sweet Mountain (Colours)
128: Dry Lagoon (SA2)
127: Botanical Kingdom (Zero Gravity)
126: Misty Lake (Black Knight)
125: Starlight Carnival (Colours)
124: Ice Factory (Riders)
123: Egg Quarters (SA2)
122: The Last Way (Shadow)
121: Circus Park (Shadow)
120: Ocean Palace (Heroes)
119: City Escape (SA2)
118: Dark Desert (Riders)
117: Knight's Passage (Black Knight)
116: Snowy Kingdom (Zero Gravity)
115: Security Corridor (Zero Gravity)
114: Central City (Shadow)
113: Radiant Emerald (R)
112: Seaside Hill (Heroes)
111: Prison Lane (SA2)
110: Radical Highway (SA2)
109: Meteor Tech Premises (Zero Gravity)
108: Emerald Coast (SA1)
107: Aquatic Base (06)
106: Metal Harbour (SA2)
105: Wave Ocean (06)
104: Savanna Citadel (Unleashed)
103: Crisis City (06)
102: Regal Ruin (R)
101: Reactive Factory (R)
100: Iron Jungle (Colours)
99: Lost Jungle (Heroes)
98: Tropical Jungle (06)
97: Bullet Station (Heroes)
96: Egg Fleet (Heroes)
95: Ice Cap (SA1)
94: Sand Oasis (Secret Rings)
93: Prison Island (Shadow)
92: Death Ruins (Shadow)
91: Frog Forest (Heroes)
90: Sand Ocean (SA2)
89: Sand Ruins (Riders)
88: Babylonian Garden (Riders)
87: Mad Space (SA2)
86: Final Fortress (Heroes)
85: The ARK (Shadow)
84: Eggmanland (Unleashed)
83: Egg Factory (Riders)
82: Hot Shelter (SA1)
81: Death Chamber (SA2)
80: Lethal Highway (Shadow)
79: Glyphic Canyon (Shadow)
78: White Cave (Riders)
77: Green Cave (Riders)
76: Dinosaur Jungle (Secret Rings)
75: Mad Matrix (Shadow)
74: Megalo Station (Zero Gravity)
73: Morbius Strip (Zero Gravity)
72: Crystal Cave (Black Knight)
71: Shrouded Forest (Black Knight)
70: Mystic Mansion (Heroes)
69: Rail Canyon (Heroes)
68: Cryptic Castle (Shadow)
67: The Doom (Shadow)
66: Faraway Avalon (Black Knight)
65: Titanic Plain (Black Knight)
64: Tempest Waterway (Zero Gravity)
63: Gigan Rock (Zero Gravity)
62: Aquatic Capital (Zero Gravity)
61: Radical Train (06)
60: Deep Woods (Black Knight)
59: Evil Foundry (Black Knight)
58: Lost Colony (SA2)
57: Wild Canyon (SA2)
56: Diamond Dust (Flickies Island)
55: Gene Gadget (Flickies Island)
54: Rusty Ruin (Flickies Island)
53: Hidden Base (SA2)
52: Windmill Isle (Unleashed)
51: Splash Canyon (Riders)
50: Red Canyon (Riders)
49: Iron Jungle (Shadow)
48: Cosmic Wall (SA2)
47: Green Forest (SA2)
46: White Jungle (SA2)
45: Pumpkin Hill (SA2)
44: Skeleton Dome (Secret Rings)
43: Great Megalith (Black Knight)
42: Dusty Desert (06)
41: Hang Castle (Heroes)
40: Lost World (SA1)
39: Astral Babylon (Zero Gravity)
38: Meteor Tech Sparkworks (Zero Gravity)
37: Sky Road (Riders)
36: Sky Deck (SA1)
35: Windy Valley (SA1)
34: Eternal Engine (SA2)
33: Black Comet (Shadow)
32: Final Haunt (Shadow)
31: Sky Troops (Shadow)
30: Air Fleet (Shadow)
29: Lost Impact (Shadow)
28: Red Mountain (SA1)
27: Aquatic Mine (SA2)
26: Pyramid Cave (SA2)
25: Final Chase (SA2)
24: Gigan Device (Zero Gravity)
23: Crimson Crater (Zero Gravity)
22: Asteroid Coaster (Colours)
21: Rooftop Run (Unleashed)
20: Pirate Storm (Secret Rings)
19: Volcano Valley (Flickies Island)
18: Levitated Ruin (Secret Rings)
17: Cosmic Fall (Shadow)
16: Lava Shelter (Shadow)
15: Space Gadget (Shadow)
14: Meteor Herd (SA2)
13: Flame Core (06)
12: Dragon's Lair (Black Knight)
11: Arid Sand (Unleashed)
10: Sky Rail (SA2)
9: The Cauldron (Black Knight)
8: Camelot Castle (Black Knight)
7: Cool Edge (Unleashed)
6: Dragon Road (Unleashed)
5: Kingdom Valley (06)
4: Final Rush (SA2)
3: Crazy Gadget (SA2)
2: Molten Mine (Black Knight)
1: Jungle Joyride (Unleashed)
I actually completed the 3DS Lost World last week for the first time! I feel your pain. A game I have no intention of ever revisiting either. Sky Road Act 3 on Hard Mode is the most outrageous S-Rank I've ever attempted in any Sonic game.
Loved the Larry David impersonation, BTW.
Dude your vids are awesome can't wait till you get to 1 mil subs
First off, absolutely amazing video, you put so much work and effort into this, I love that you gave each game its own unique style of grading design to match the games UI, BUT ALSO can I just say as a huge lifetime Sonic fan that I can’t believe how many alternate paths and secret routes that’re in this video that I’ve NEVER seen before, very cool stuff
probably one of the best top 10 lists ever you even had 153 honorable mentions instead of making 15 more lists
I didnt realize how many fucking shadow levels there were holy.
23 to be exact.
I think the only stage that I'd personally rank higher is Casino Park just because that stage was so magical to me as a child and the music is one of my favorites in the entire franchise. I would always try to get to the golden bingo table.
Otherwise, I completely agree with this list and I'm very happy to know other people love all forms of Rooftop Run.
I remember not being able to find the switch to turn off the laser gate once and I forced sonic to clip through it with rocket Excel lol.
I REALLY enjoyed this video and its format and I would ADORE similar videos for the bonus acts and 2d levels! Keep up the great work!!❤
I do have some personal gripes with the list (personally, any level longer than 5-6 minutes loses points on length alone, sorry Heroes), but with some minor shuffling around (personally I prefer Speed Highway to City Escape in both their original and Generations counterparts) I find the conclusion of this list to be perfect. I grew up with Generations, and learned to love Unleashed when I got that game. I'm glad they got what they deserved on this list.
Wow, the title card for each stage being based on the font of each game is really cool.
I apprciate that you made the ranking cards for each level look like the title cards of the respective game they appear in. now THAT'S dedication. Also, hope you can get to rank every 2D Sonic Level in the far future, and considering how many 2D Sonic games there are i think the video will be far, far longer than this one (but probably not as interesting since... they're 2D levels).
And also, I just realized during my 2nd watch of your video you forgot to add "Imperial Tower" to the list (which is the last Avatar level from Sonic Forces, and is also the level right before Mortar Canyon), but then again, it's a Forces stage, so it wouldn't have ranked high to begin with (it's probably below Aqua Road tbh). I only remember it was all 2D, you can skip HUGE sections of the level with the Lightning Wispon (and to an absurd degree), and the insta-kill lasers that appear both halfway and near the end of the stage. Yeah, it's just another low-tier level, which is the "standard" of Sonic Forces. You didn't miss out on much yet i feel like this was a somewhat big omission to point out since you ranked all the other Avatar levels from Forces.
Good catch. Both Imperial Tower and Guardian Rock aren’t in the video. The reason is that they have no 3D content at all. Guardian Rock does have the quick step section, but it wasn’t enough to merit an inclusion imo. But thanks for the appreciation of the score cards!
lol i completely forgot about Guardian Rock also, but that's a good point. They'll probably get mentioned if you ever plan to do a "Every 2D Sonic Level Ranked" video in the far future.
@@JsReviews I would love to see an Ifrit boss and nega Mother Wisp bosses in Sonic x Shadow generations. Both are connected to lore that sega refuses to use. Ifrit (sonic rivals 2) can destroy an intirer dimension bathing it in fire (the game comfirms its whole universe, not just a planet). Sonic and Shadow only defeat a heavily weakened ifrit as it isn't fully revived yet (it did eat a bunch of chao and become invincible, though. Plus, he has mind control powers and is just as sentient as chaos even though it wasn't at full power). But they still beat it in base, which is still incredibly impressive. I bring him up because Gerald has notes on ifrit implying Gerald Robotnik somehow got into the dimension that chaosic inferno takes place in. Plus, ifrit seems connected to the chao somehow, and Gerald knows of him, so i hope he is at least in the journal. As for the nega mother wisp, I loved her boss fight. She is a part of the wisps lore (yes, the wisps have lore actually lore, such as the mother wisp creating the wisps and the planets that eggman captured, the ds version of colors going into detail on how negative wisps are made and how it affects their minds, actually giving each wisps their own personalities like Lazer trying to fight the robots and void straight up destroying shit and causing chaos. The mother wisp is kind and motherly but can have a temper. eggman is lucky he got caught in the black hole before she got free. Plus, the wisps actually flow with level design in colors wii and ds. Similar to how the doom powers seem to. Unlike in the lost world or forces. The ds has a better story than the wii version. It has interesting lore, the wisps are fun and the stages are fun. Not to mention, multiple characters have sonic do missions to help free wisps or extra information on what is going on. I have both versions. The wisps are neat and do have lore. I wish sega would actually utilize their lore more). Ifrit and the mother wisp are very interesting and think you should cover them. Plus, the fact that Sonic and Shadow, among other characters, defeated Ifrit in base shows how powerful they are. Also, I think marine the raccoon should return due to her unexplained power, and the complaints about her are already addressed in her character arc and development from sonic rush adventure. Also, phantom king creates the egg revery, which is infinite in space-time, and space and time (yes, there is a difference) in Sonic Mania, and that's just classic super sonic. Also, Chaos drives, artificial chaos, the ark, and G.U.N. are all interesting. I wish sega would use them more, too. Oh, and Emerl and Gemerl should be explored a bit again. Sonic rush, rush adventure, rivals 2, the advance games, sonic battle, and Sonic colors ds deserve more attention. Oh, and sega sonic the hedgehog arcade is awesome. oh, and Sage definitely should return as she is a neat character with cool lore. And the dark arms and black doom are neat lore wise.
Great video, J!
This was really fun to watch and hear your thoughts. Happy that my favorite Sonic level of All time made it at number 1.
SA2, Unleashed and Generations will always be the three Kings of 3D Sonic as far as I know.
My favorite video ever made of yours! it was so fun guessing what rankings you were gonna do :)
You earned my respect. You already had it, ofc, it's more like, respect²
(Please do a video on Sonic Chronicles)
These really long J videos have cured my short attention span
It’s really interesting seeing the final stages of each game on the list, since it’s possible for certain games to be carried exclusively through that section by their greatest level. It’s fun to see what happens when a game gets something right even when other parts aren’t all right.
Honestly shocked that Lava Shelter was your highest ranked ShtH stage & not Sky Troops.
I’m glad you agree that Shadow actually has some really solid levels among the junk, but Lava Shelter as #1 over Sky Troops, Final Haunt, Lethal Highway & GUN Fortress was a surprise. Maybe it’s because the shadow androids can trigger the rising lava, killing you AND your hero run…
But yeah, Lost Impact & Mad Matrix are absolutely bottom 10. The Doom DOES have a hilarious sub-minute neutral speed run strat tho that bumps it up for me
While I think SA1 and SA2 levels were underrated a bit on this list, great ranking and video overall
55:45 I love that voice about lost world being hated. It’s so cool.
Godlike project J. I enjoyed every second of it.
I genuinely believe that Seaside Hill Modern is the Best 3D Sonic Stage Hands down. Its not my absolute favorite to run through. But to me the design philosophy behind it is awesome, and it should be basis that stages are designed after in the future. Because everywhere you look theres an alternate path somewhere. like a bunch of dueling rollercoasters, that meet back up at some points and allow you to swap rides if you chose to.
You just *always* have the choice on how you experience the level. and I absolutely love that
Amazing video. Thank you for taking the time to put this huge list together.
Honestly, the ARK's music is the only saving grace of that level. Definitely one of the best tracks from Shadow. Also, Central City got a lot easier once I realized that each mission has an intended linear path but the game sucks at communicating that.
This is one of the best videos of your channel and I agree that it would be cool see more of ranking like these from you
Great list! I had a lot of fun watching this. I haven't played every game, but have at least watched most of them. It was cool learning about their shortcuts and replayability. I am glad the 06 stages got their due, it is sad the game itself holds back the stages so much.
I am so happy Heroes got as high as it did. It 100% deserved it, the stages in that game are so fun and amazing. Sadly the slippery gameplay does drag them down a bit, but I am so happy Generations' Seaside Hill was that high.
Generations in general was the peak of Boost Sonic and hopefully Sonic x Shadow can capture some of that magic, I'm not sold on the gameplay we've seen from Shadow(it looks too automated...)
Maybe one day I'll actually played Unleashed. My Used Ps2 copy was broken so I never finished either version of it.
1:21:58 That was falling with style
Really good list, I agreed with a lot of the placements!
But I just have to point this out because so many people are unaware of this and spread misinformation and it annoys me everytime. The rail balancing mechanic IS still in Sonic Heroes. Mashing the button only brings you to a soft speed cap and you have to balance to go past that cap. I think the reason most people think it's gone is just because the game doesn't slow you down as much as SA2 did for not balancing properly.
Hey J! I recently discovered your Sonic stuff and I've been on an absolute bingefest for the last month or two. Loved the vid, keep it up!
City escape will always be #1 for me. First stage of a sonic game I ever played. Was one hell of an intro to the series