Zone: 0 > Sonic 2 > Emerald Hill Zone

Sonic the Hedgehog 2 - 1992 - Sega Mega Drive/Genesis - Primary Platformer

Background Info Gameplay Stages and Story Other Modes Miscellaneous Downloads

Similar to the Green Hill Zone, this is another standard tropical introduction stage, this time set a little further away from the sea than normal, surrounded by fields and hills. Lots of loop-de-loops, sloping hills and twisting pathways, but also some narrow, spiked tunnels below and plenty of badniks around. Notable as one of the shortest, simplest Sonic levels in existence. You should have very few problems here.

Appearance Level Structure Features and Obstacles Act 1 Act 2 Miscellaneous Notes

Game: Sonic the Hedgehog 2

Stage Number: 1

Level Division: 2 Acts

Boss: End of Act 2

Playable Characters: Sonic & Tails, Sonic, Tails. Knuckles is playable when connecting Sonic 2 to Sonic & Knuckles.

Difficulty Rating:

Music: Same music for both acts. Light and cheerful - Just what you want for a first level.. I really can't think of anything else to say.

Typical Length:

Act 1: Around 40 seconds
Act 2: 1 minute - 1 minute, 30 seconds

Available Items:


Act 1	226	3	7	2	2	1	1
Act 2	222	5	6	2	1	1	2

Emerald Hill Zone Downloads:

Level Maps:	Act 1 map (.png) Act 2 map (.png)
Art:	Official badnik art (.jpg) Unofficial level artwork for Zone: 0 (.jpg) By artist Ricky Earl

Top Tips

- This is a nice, easy level that most people should have very few problems with. The only real annoyances are the badniks, and the slotting spikes in the lower tunnels, so be aware of them, but not overly concerned. Use this level to gain some extra lives and continues for the rest of the game.

- If you're after checkpoints for the Special Stages, you can find a total of eight in Emerald Hill, making it possible to gain all seven emeralds by the end of this first level of the game. Look for them on small, high up isolated platforms above and around the upper route of the stage, using springs to get up to them. A few can just be found along a regular path, while you can spot others on the tops of loop-de-loops. Plenty of rings for them can be earned on the speedy paths throughout, and after you've come out of a Special Stage, all the rings you tried to collect here will re-spawn, so you can go back and grab them again.

Several checkpoints can be found on isolated platforms above the upper route, accessible via springs and moving platforms.

Artwork by Ricky Earl, for Zone: 0.

Each section of this page allows users to add their own notes to fill in any missing details or supply additional research etc.

View general notes for Emerald Hill Zone (12)

#1. Comment posted by Joshua on Friday, 7th December 2007, 11:39pm (GMT)

In the Sonic 2 BETA, Emerald Hill Zone is the only Zone with a boss fight. The ALPHA contains a much different design to the theme of Star Light Zone.

#2. Comment posted by tradbarton on Monday, 5th October 2009, 1:42am (BST)

regarding the appearance of the level, you may not know this, but you know that island in the horizon with the ridges? Believe it or not, that is Hill Top Zone in the background. If you didn't know, well now you do.

#3. Comment posted by DigitalDuck on Sunday, 19th September 2010, 2:21pm (BST)

There are 226 loose rings and 7 ring boxes available in EHZ1, not 217 and 6. All loose rings are shown on the map, so maybe you missed a few when counting, but there's a ring box that isn't on the map; it's in a secret passage just to the right of the four mashers in a row.

Also, Hill Top Zone is NOT the island in the background. All of the zones in the game take place on West Side Island (bar SCZ, WFZ, and DEZ, because they're not even on land), and it stands to reason that any island you can see in the distance while standing on West Side Island is not West Side Island.

#4. Comment posted by Anonymous on Friday, 24th September 2010, 5:20pm (BST)

I think it's plausible, if you watch closely,you will it's connected on the righthandside to other land, even at the end of both EHZ acts.

Chemical plant + it's city is on the right of EHZ, 'above' it is Aquatic ruins(lying in the ocean in this theory, and Casino night zone heading left from that point (you can also see Chemical plant's city in the background of CNZ.)

then if you think further:
Hill top zone's chape is circular.(that's why you see ACT2 in it's background)
Mystic Cave zone lyes under the mountain that you see in the background of Aquatic Ruins, Oil Ocean is squezed in that corner and Metropolis is hidden in the green buildings of the city near ChemicalPlant.

#5. Comment posted by mrspell23 on Sunday, 12th June 2011, 7:20pm (BST)

I think that the island in the background of this zone is the floating island because it in the ocean,just like in sonic 3(see the sonic 3 section for more details on floating island).

#6. Comment posted by mrspell23 on Sunday, 12th June 2011, 7:20pm (BST)

I think that the island in the background of this zone is the floating island because it in the ocean,just like in sonic 3(see the sonic 3 section for more details on floating island).

#7. Comment posted by shadownnico on Tuesday, 8th November 2011, 12:50am (GMT)

I guess the island on the background is just South Island.

#8. Comment posted by Anonymous on Sunday, 1st July 2012, 8:35am (BST)

There is no way that is Floating Island. It would still be in the air.

#9. Comment posted by yasin smaidy on Thursday, 9th August 2012, 9:41am (BST)

this place is just green hill zone except a lot more colorful.

#10. Comment posted by Michael on Friday, 17th August 2012, 11:27pm (BST)

In reply to DigitalDuck's comment:

Only 220 loose rings are shown on the map (but DD is correct, 226 is the number in the Act). There are two behind the wall at the start of the secret passage containing the extra life; two together on top of the extra life; and in the triangle of 10 to the left of the rightmost checkpoint, each of the three in the second row is actually two together.

#11. Comment posted by Michael on Saturday, 18th August 2012, 12:51am (BST)

Also, if you enter a special zone, when you return, there are only 295 rings available, and since I didn't notice any absent, my strong guess is that one of the "paired" rings is removed, and that this explains why they exist -- they are the game's way of remembering how many special zones you've entered. (You still get the "perfect" bonus for collecting all 295, by the way.)

#12. Comment posted by Anonymous on Friday, 22nd January 2016, 8:37pm (GMT)

An easy way to get past this level (or any other) with Tails is to fly up to the ceiling and keep flying until the end of the act. Use this if you are just in a hurry to finish.

Hide Notes

A quiet, peaceful region set just off the coast of the island. The bright blue sea glitters in the distance as it reflects the clouds above it, and as you progress, another small island becomes visible on the horizon. Green, rolling hills are next to the sea and a large field adorned with rows of yellow flowers can be found in front.

Emerald Hill is set around a peaceful field by the sea.

The foreground walls are slightly more complicated than the typical checkers, utilising various 3D-looking blocks.

The surfaces are mostly grass (a series of thin vertical strips of dark and light green), and like Green Hill Zone, all the ground below it is orange, but with more complex patterns this time around. It's made up of a number of 3D blocks arranged tightly together, most of which are plain orange, but some sport the classic orange and brown checkered pattern, such as the long narrow pieces on the edges, though much smaller this time. There are also internal tunnels, featuring a darker checkered pattern on the background wall, with glowing circles scattered across it too. Purple and red flowers, small transparent hedges and thin palmtrees with coconuts aplenty decorate the hilly paths, and there are loads of long waterfalls of varying sizes and features, plus wooden rope-bridges to cross them. A rather charming place.

Waterfalls tip down into the caves below.

Log bridges and waterfalls continue the Green Hill tradition.

View Notes(1)

#1. Comment posted by Anonymous on Sunday, 10th May 2009, 4:43am (BST)

The small island that you acknowledge is actually Hill Top Zone. If you compare the hill formation with the ones prominent in Hill Top's background, they're exactly the same. Epic foreshadowing....

Hide Notes

Emerald Hill's top priority is simplicity, with a very straightforward, almost exclusively rightward based structure amid the open layout, which encourages a nice, flowing and speedy, albeit brief playing experience. The paths are noticeably hilly and quite uneven, and they're full of slopes, more leading downwards to the right than the left, in order to churn more speed out of you, and there are sudden upward curves to take you up to a higher plain when hit with speed. More often than not, there are two main routes running at any one point in either act, the top one allowing you to drop down to the lower at a number of points. The upper road follows across long stretches of chunky platforms, some floating freely in the air, while others are connected to the bottom via tall ground reaching up from behind the lower route, ala Green Hill. There are also additional, smaller floating platforms above and around this route, containing extra rings or the occasional hidden checkpoint. You'll also find a number of loop-de-loops, sometimes two in succession, going down a steep slope and for a new 'twist', find thin twirling orange and brown checkered pathways on the higher route, which connect two opposite ledges. They require speed to make it through them, or you'll fall through to the area below.

Enter loop-de-loops with speed, or you won't be able to make it through them.

Hidden passages in the walls are numerous, and noticeable by their windows, although these don't always appear near the entrance.

The lower route, amongst the tall ground and wide waterfalls from above, tends to be a bit flatter, but also holds some narrow, enclosed caves, containing numerous spike traps. Thinner waterfalls commonly flow down into these caves from above, where there are narrow chunks of ground between them at the top. If you slip through the waterfalls, you'll fall down into the caves. Also be on the lookout for many hidden passageways cut into the walls throughout the zone. You can't always see their entrances, but they do have little windows along them, and to get inside, you usually have to jump in from the nearby paths, rather than using the spring that's often in front of the wall. There are two small death drops in Act 2, where small waterfalls will drop you rather suddenly to your doom, but they're quite well hidden and you're unlikely to even come across them at all in regular play, let alone fall into them. In general, this is probably the quickest, simplest level of any primary or secondary Sonic game, and is just designed to get you used to the system. There's very little to worry about for even the least skilled of players here.

Internal caves on the bottom route are more enclosed, and filled with deadly spikes.

Like loops, you need to enter the new twisting pathways with sufficient speed, or you'll just fall right through to the area below.

View Notes(0)

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Hide Notes

There are basic, medium sized moving platforms in the air, sliding from left to right or up and down, while others can fall when you land on them. Springs can be found in horizontal, vertical and now diagonal positions. Use them to speed along the ground, get up to a higher ledge or just plain hurtle through the air, respectively. In the low caves, you'll find vertical red springs hidden under the ground in the bottom corner before a high wall, sending you straight up there as soon as you touch that part of the floor. Static spikes can be found hanging from the ceiling in the internal cave passages, plus regular ones on the floor, out in the open. On the floor of those caves, watch out for smaller sets of spikes slotting in and out aswell, proving to be one of the bigger nuisances in this easy-peasy level. Essentially, you'll find only the most basic of traps and features here.

As per usual, small platforms will move back and forth across set distances, or fall downwards as soon as you step on them.

Watch out for these small, but nasty sets of spikes that slot in and out of the cave floors. There are larger slotting ones on the ceilings too.

Springs are sometimes hidden in the ground, bouncing you up when you step over them. This frequently occurs in front of tall cave walls, providing you with an exit.

Badniks, however, are very generously distributed everywhere, ruining everyone's fun. As easy as the level is, it's not uncommon to lose rings and be momentarily halted now and then because of the large supply of them. Wasp-like Buzzers behave very much like the Buzzbombers in Sonic 1, with their occasional blasts of projectiles from their stingers, only they're not nearly as fast as their predecessors, and are more inclined to hang out in pairs. Mashers, the fish badniks, are exactly like Choppers from the first game, and leap up and down at you from the tops of the waterfalls and through the log bridges. Monkey badniks appropriately named Coconuts begin a common design for future Eggman machines. These hang out in the palmtrees, moving up and down them and throwing actual coconuts at you. This is an annoying badnik if you go to hit it while it's holding one.

View Notes(0)

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Hide Notes

Emerald Hill Zone Act 1 Map (PNG format)

The new diagonal springs are everywhere, catapulting you across sometimes vast distances.

Dropping through the waterfalls here will bring you down to cave sections on the lower route.

Your reward for taking the highest route in Point #2.

This spring at the end of a twisting path can be a bit of a pain, as it'll send you flying back and down through the path. Use your quick reactions to leap over.

View Notes(2)

#1. Comment posted by Michael on Tuesday, 14th August 2012, 11:04pm (BST)

To complete Act 1 in under 30 seconds: Go to the speed power-up as normal (should take around 12 seconds). Run right, and a curve sends you flying up. Move *slightly* right, and you'll land on the left side of a ledge that has an invincibility power-up. Do a running jump over the power-up, and you'll reach a slope that throws you over a Coconuts. On the ledge beyond, jump. You land on top of a loop-the-loop. Jump from its right-hand edge (this is tricky to get right) and you reach the area mentioned in point 2, above the tunnel with the extra life. Then it's just a matter of running right, and jumping over the spring in the bottom-right screenshot above.

I haven't yet worked out whether it's possible to get the extra life AND complete in under 30 seconds; my best so far is a frustrating 31 seconds.

#2. Comment posted by Michael on Tuesday, 14th August 2012, 11:36pm (BST)

It's possible. But only just. Move slightly further right, and you land next to the invincibility power-up. Now your jump is not a running jump, and you take the lower path and go through the loop-the-loops leading to the extra life. You need to have *exactly* the right amount of speed to get into the tunnel with the speed power-up active! On the other side, hold down right, jump *just* after you land and you can clear the small slope and the badniks. Now for the really hard part. A large slope flings you straight up, wasting a precious second. If you press "jump" at a precise point going up the slope, you can roll over the top and go straight to the signpost.

Hide Notes

Hit this spring to help you run up the wall on the right, and up to the bridge above, but if you just touch it or run into it, you may not be able to get up there on that alone. Try out your new Spin Dash move by staying still and facing the spring to the left, then hold the down button and press A B or C to start charging it up. Release the down button to perform a rolling dash into it, which should get you going up the wall with enough speed.

..and you'll be able to climb this wall no problem.

View Notes(0)

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Hide Notes

After coming off a pair of loops along a slope, you should have enough momentum to sail up into the air upon hitting this curve..

At the right angle, you can squeeze into a hidden passage in the wall above that contains an extra life.

After the 1-up, keep going through the passage and you'll pop out the other side.

Go along two loops-de-loops and at this ramp at the end, you'll be thrown high up into a hidden tunnel in the rock above, where possibly the most famous extra life in Sonic history lies. You knew that already though, surely?

If you use the springs around the tunnel entrance, you can get to another slightly hidden area above. There's a checkpoint and alot of rings up there, on top of a loop-de-loop on the far right side. Use a spring on the far left of it and then some moving platforms to get up there.

An alternative is to use the surrounding springs to try and meander your way up to the top area.

View Notes(0)

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Hide Notes

Emerald Hill Zone Act 2 Map (PNG format)

Believe it or not, Act 2 holds two different death drops like this, but you're only likely to find them when in an explorational mood, as both occur on the other side of two separate hidden tunnels, accessible when you leap into the tall walls that lead out of the caves.

He's positioned at your vertical level, so careful not to run into him, especially if you've just died and reappeared at that checkpoint, as you will be lacking in the rings department.

View Notes(4)

#1. Comment posted by Reckoner on Wednesday, 16th July 2008, 11:25pm (BST)

The two secret tunnels on the lower route in act 2 really deserve to have their own points in the article due to the difficulty of accessing them.

The first one, located in the cave below point #4, seems to only be accessible after exiting the tunnel mentioned in point #4 (either on the left or right, but not from the upper tunnel you get to as you fall down the waterfall). It seems that after leaving that tunnel in the waterfall, with or without getting the extra life, the tunnel above the spring becomes accessible (just a simple run and jump up to it). However, the tunnel seems to become inaccessible after hitting the spring below it. So the entrance to the tunnel seems to be on some kind of toggle: go through point #4 to open it; bounce on the spring to close it. This seems to be a rather contrived setup, but from my testing it seems to be the case (but I could certainly be wrong).

The second tunnel (in the second cave, between the two markings for point #5) is easily accessed by just jumping up to it, but the article should note that the player needs to get a running start to get the right height.

Also, on the map for act 2, there is a hidden horizontal red spring behind the secret 10-ring item box in the third waterfall (just before point #3), but it isn't noted on the map (I assume the maps are supposed to include a complete picture of the features and obstacles in the level; in any case, the spring is still worth pointing out since it can bounce you into the spikes if you don't know it's there).

#2. Comment posted by Reckoner on Wednesday, 16th July 2008, 11:25pm (BST)

About what I said concerning that first tunnel (near point #4), I wasn't entirely correct. It seems that you can always access the secret path as long as you don't touch the spring. Once you hit the spring, you'll have to leave the area (from the left side) and come back to be able to get back in there.

I'm not too knowledgeable on Sonic editing, but from what I can tell, it seems that hitting that spring makes the game switch to the second solidity map, which blocks the entrance. But coming into the cave from the left side, the first solidity map should be set, so the tunnel is accessible up until you hit the spring. Once hitting the spring, the tunnel is no longer accessible until you run left up to the right side of the second loop-de-loop (you need to pass under the diagonal yellow spring), where the solidity path will be changed back. It's all rather easy to see if you look at it in an editor.

I suppose the article could just say that you can only enter the secret tunnel before you hit the spring to leave the cave (and once you hit the spring you will need to run back to the loop-de-loop if you want a second try).

#3. Comment posted by Ajavalo on Wednesday, 30th July 2008, 10:02am (BST)

The second hidden tunnel in act 2,mentioned by Reckoner,can be reached by using the two falling platforms above it:stand on the right side of the lower platform with Sonic/Tails crouched.The platform will fall and Sonic/Tails will enter the tunnel by passing the floor.

#4. Comment posted by A grateful fan of Sonic. on Monday, 27th July 2009, 6:15am (BST)

Thanks for those tips, guys! I had NO idea how to get those two tvs! I got them before, but never knew how. I very silly bug in the game, I guess. :P

Hide Notes

If you get to this yellow spring on top of a loop-de-loop, not far along the higher road of Act 2, you'll be near two checkpoints, of particular interest if you're emerald hunting. The first is positioned on a much higher platform directly above. Use the spring to get to a vertically moving platform just to the right, and to the top right of that is a stationary ledge with some rings and a spring. The checkpoint is on another platform way over to the top left, so try and use that spring to get up there, ideally by approaching it from the right hand side. The other checkpoint nearby is just on top of the next loop-de-loop to the right from the original spring you used.

Take the spring up to a vertically moving platform up quite high on the right..

..The platform will deliver you to this ledge with another spring..

Use the spring to head far left and you'll finally arrive at this well hidden checkpoint.

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Hide Notes

Bet you didn't know about this one. After Point #3, stay on the upper route by crossing the tops of the loop-de-loops, and a yellow horizontal spring will deliver you to this platform that sits on a small waterfall in the ground. It's obvious to see that it'll likely fall if you stand on it and therefore should be avoided. It does fall, but it actually drops you down to a well hidden extra life mid-way down the waterfall. From there, you can walk through either the left or right wall to come out down to the low route. As you fall down the waterfall in the first place, you could also drop in on the entrance to another hidden tunnel containing rings, on the right. This also carries on out into the low route.

On the high route, ignore your instincts that tell you to stay away from this falling platform in the ground..

..as it actually leads you down to a hidden extra life. You can walk through either wall here to get out.

View Notes(2)

#1. Comment posted by Super Volcano on Friday, 22nd October 2010, 4:43am (BST)

Sorry, but I knew about that ;)

#2. Comment posted by Dave on Friday, 16th November 2012, 1:40pm (GMT)

Yep. I knew too. That's one of the easiest to find in the game.

Hide Notes

At the start of the larger of the two twisting paths, drop through onto this red spring..

..If you leave the d-pad alone while hurtling through the air, you'll land at another spring..

..This takes you to an area containing a secret extra life, though watch out for the badniks.

While you're there, you can drop off just to the right to find an equally secret checkpoint.

Near the end of Act 2, there are two floating chunks of ground, one large piece holding an extra life that's guarded by Coconuts badniks, and a smaller piece to the lower right of it that holds a checkpoint. You cannot get to them by using anything in the surrounding area, the secret is actually to use an extremely powerful red diagonal spring, positioned quite far back, at the start of the long twisting corkscrew path earlier on (not the short one directly below the platform, it's further back than that), along the highest route. To use it properly, drop down through the corkscrew to the spring just below it on the wall, by walking off the edge and not running. You'd think that holding right would allow you the extra momentum to catapult yourself far enough, but it actually has the opposite effect. What you want to do is just leave the D-pad alone and let your character be flung across by the mighty power of the spring alone, without any interference from yourself. He'll land on top of a loop-de-loop, which in turn has another, yellow diagonal spring which will deliver you to your hidden destination.

View Notes(2)

#1. Comment posted by Anonymous on Tuesday, 14th August 2012, 2:09pm (BST)

Yes, avoid touching the D-pad when operating the red spring, but tap left a couple of times after hitting the yellow spring; otherwise it will throw you directly into the Coconuts!

This life can also be reached via the middle route. There's a slope you can spin-dash up that brings you to a ledge just to the right of this red spring. It has an invincibility box. Take it, and then you can (just) make the jump over onto the red spring.

#2. Comment posted by Dave on Sunday, 25th November 2012, 8:10pm (GMT)

OK, now THAT one I didn't know about.

Hide Notes

Boss

Like the level, this boss is one of the easiest aswell. Eggman, with helicopter blades on his egg-mobile this time, will come down from the top right, with a red, drilling vehicle on wheels driving along automatically below him. He'll land in it, and then proceed to simply drive back and forth along the area, feebly attempting to mow you down. Give him 8 hits to the head, and obviously avoid the big drill at the front. When he reaches the edge, he'll go off it and then come back in the opposite direction. When he does this after he's received 7 hits, the drill bit will fire off in a last shot in the dark at success.

View Notes(3)

#1. Comment posted by Katana on Friday, 13th August 2010, 12:54am (BST)

This is one of the first Sonic bosses I ever beat. In fact, it's probably THE first. I still remember the first time I beat this one (which is surprising - I've played through that so many times you'd think I'd forget)...

#2. Comment posted by giancarlo on Saturday, 17th September 2011, 7:11am (BST)

did you know if you play the sonic 2 beta ( the one with hidden palace beta ) when you go to the checkpoint in emerald hill zone act 2, theres usally a checkpoint before the boss, but where you go where the checkpoint usually was, eggman starts at that point,

#3. Comment posted by Sonic 2 know-it-all. on Saturday, 18th March 2017, 6:34pm (GMT)

Note: if you are Lucky enough to hit the boss the 7th time before eggman goes off screen, Eggman will be too dumb to fire his drill.

Hide Notes

- According to notes made by Sonic Team in the Japanese Sonic Jam strategy guide, this level was originally named after a town south of San Francisco (where Sonic 2 was being developed) called "Emerald Hill".

View Notes(3)

#1. Comment posted by Sonicfan32 on Saturday, 7th August 2010, 7:04pm (BST)

i watched a video on youtube where a Japanese developer of Sonic two beat the entire thing in under fifteen minutes! in Emerald Hill, he leapt bouncing from enemy to enemy,and didn't even touch the ground!

#2. Comment posted by Katana on Friday, 13th August 2010, 12:56am (BST)

To Sonicfan32: Cool! Link, please (if you still have it)?

#3. Comment posted by 3ach on Thursday, 24th February 2011, 4:18am (GMT)

Here's a video where a guy beat the game in 19:55
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PtDl-0B5U-g