

With only one brief act, Hidden palace is hardly a stage at all, but more of a scene to the story, and a very important one. It's an ancient, decorated palace in the same icy cave region as Lava Reef Act 2, and contains the shrine to the Master Emerald. As Sonic, you'll meet Knuckles once again but this time there are no tricks and traps, it's a pure one on one brawl, hedgehog vs echidna. The two are distracted by activity over by the shrine and in a classic scene, Knuckles makes a shocking discovery that finally sets apart the good from the bad, and brings him to his senses at last. But is it too late..?
Game: Sonic & Knuckles
Stage Number: 5
Level Division: None
Boss: One character battle with Knuckles (as Sonic/Tails).
Playable Characters: Sonic, Knuckles. Sonic & Tails, Tails (Sonic 3 + Sonic & Knuckles only).
Difficulty Rating:
Music: The background music is the same track as Lava Reef Act 2. A cold, but mysterious and majestic melody.
Typical Length:
Around 2 minutes as Sonic/Tails.
Around 10 seconds as Knuckles.
Available Items:
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Act 1 | 33 | 1 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
Hidden Palace Zone Downloads:
Level Maps: |
Act 1 map (.png) |
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 Hidden Palace Zone (7)
#1. Comment posted by Anonymous on Thursday, 15th December 2011, 6:41am (UTC)
#2. Comment posted by adam on Thursday, 15th December 2011, 5:56pm (UTC)
#3. Comment posted by Anonymous on Thursday, 5th January 2012, 9:09pm (UTC)
#4. Comment posted by Hyper_Sonic on Friday, 6th January 2012, 5:37am (UTC)
#5. Comment posted by Hyper_Sonic on Friday, 6th January 2012, 5:38am (UTC)
#6. Comment posted by edwardo on Tuesday, 10th January 2012, 3:26am (UTC)
#7. Comment posted by Anonymous on Saturday, 6th July 2013, 1:29pm (UTC)
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Hidden Palace is the very core of Angel Island, and acts as internal resting place of the Master Emerald, the sheer power of which keeps the island afloat in the air. This is safely located deep underground, and it's easy enough to get out of, but a nightmare to get into, as you've just discovered in the previous zone. It's pitch black across the middle area except for rows of darkened rocks, with only their top features visible in a blue light. There are taller, clearer crystal rocks at the bottom of the background, and at the top is the main source of light, from outside. It illuminates the whole rocky opening of the volcano and if you're playing Sonic's story, therein lies the face of the Death Egg, ready to be re-launched into the skies once again. It's a very quiet, sombre atmosphere, so you know something major is about to happen...


The surrounding ground picks up from where Lava Reef Act 2 left off, with the entrances encrusted in purple crystals (though different from before) with the same segmented turquoise pathway, blue rock internal background and thick white pipe along the ceiling. This is dropped as soon as you enter the palace though, and replaced with purely Echidna architecture of the most holy and decorative nature. The pathways are still turquoise colour but now lined in long streams, and the main ground is separated into long vertical blocks made up of tapestry-like turquoise squares, getting lighter as they go towards the centre of each chunk. Thick shiny purple pillars hold the whole place up and underneath the pathways and steps are sometimes various ancient symbols and detailed patterns of yellow, purple and green. Walls in the internal segments are more blue-ish and perhaps best described as a kind of grid pattern, but with large lumps and bumps all along it. There are smaller purple pillars in one brief narrow passageway, both in front of and behind Sonic.
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For Knuckles, there is literally absolutely nothing to do here except walk forward and hop in a transportation device that takes him up to Sky Sanctuary. It takes about twelve seconds and doesn't really have any point to it at all. Sonic, on the other hand, has a brief and very simple course to complete before running into his adversary. Knuckles left Lava Reef at the top of Act 2, so his short path in Hidden Palace is along the top, while Sonic comes in from the bottom, and works his way up to that top floor. All of the paths are straight and fairly long, with some being based on the chunks of ground while others are across a thin bridge road. Like the previous stage, there are large steps, some fairly steep, but most of the time there's a spring embedded in the ground at the bottom that will just throw you right up to the top without hassle. Save for a couple of narrow hallways and rooms, the area is a lot more open now and won't really cause you any hassle whatsoever.


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In the level, there are no hazards or badniks at all except for three lone spike sets that are easily dodged. Springs induce a fair bit of speed though and can be found on the sides of walls, and sneakily placed just underneath the ground so that they spring you up when you walk over them. Use these to go right up past some steps to the next floor up, or grab some high up rings if you wish. The only other objects are the three vertical teleporter machines in the level, which warp you straight up to a higher area, or to complete the stage. They're a small red circle on a stand, which rests on a green platform on the ground, with twirly flashy side decorations included. Hop on the red circle and it'll start to charge up, eventually sending you spinning right up to an identical device located directly above. You cannot use this second device to teleport anywhere else.
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#1. Comment posted by Oobo on Friday, 10th February 2012, 1:42am (UTC)
#2. Comment posted by angelthehedgehog on Tuesday, 27th August 2013, 1:40am (UTC)
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On the way up as Sonic, use this hidden spring in the road to grab some extra rings that hang just below the pillars on the ceiling. There are various groupings above, which can be obtained by hitting the spring from either side, with speed or without.

As detailed above, Knuckles makes incredibly short work of this act. Simply run down the steps and into the transporter to go to the next zone! Sonic players however should keep on reading, as crucial events are about to unfold that you won't want to miss!..
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If you're playing S3&K as Tails, or have him with you as Sonic, one of the hidden areas in Sonic & Knuckles that make use of his ability can be found right here in the palace. On the second floor up, just before the small internal room with the first transportation device, stand to the left of the spikes in front of the entrance to the narrow corridor, at the top of the steps. Jump up nice and high from the top step and take flight, and keep going higher and higher into the large, wide space above you between two purple pillars. Keep ascending and stay as close as you can to the left pillar, and you should just barely be able to make it all the way up to a hidden ledge at the top. Head left from there and you'll find six item boxes; One ten ring, an invincibility, a speed-up and one of each of the three shields. But wait, there's more! Fly over to the slightly higher ledge at the top of the right pillar to find an additional 20 rings and an extra life. It's a power-up jackpot!



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#1. Comment posted by Anonymous on Friday, 23rd December 2011, 7:54am (UTC)
#2. Comment posted by LiQuidShade on Friday, 23rd December 2011, 10:48am (UTC)
#3. Comment posted by Anonymous on Wednesday, 12th November 2014, 9:52pm (UTC)
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Knuckles
To make no effort in avoiding rather tired Sonic dialogue cliches - Playtime is now over. Sonic runs into Knuckles and he's not happy. Every single trap Knuckles has thrown at him has failed to keep the 'hog down, and now that he's so close to the Master Emerald, Knuckles can no longer afford to hold back. He's convinced that's what Sonic is after, but it'll have to be over his dead echidna body. It's come down to this. What we've all been waiting for, in the room just before the shrine to the Master Emerald; Sonic vs Knuckles!...



Unfortunately, that turns out to be a bit of an anti-climax, as this character fight is a pretty darn easy one. Then again, most are, but of course this is the very first of its kind. Knux will stand there with his fists up, occasionally punching air. All you have to do is hit him on the head at every opportunity, of which there are plenty. One advantage the spiny marsupial has up his sleeve is the ability to block Sonic's most prized attack, the spin dash. Avoid using it, as the only effect it has is to knock him backwards a little way, which isn't really that helpful. Instead, go for the standard jumping spin attack and aim for his head, whenever he's just standing there, punching air. Knuckles' main attacks include a spin dash of his own (which does hurt you) across the ground or a jump and glide attack across the air, and he usually goes into one of these just after you hit him, or between long pauses of nothingness. The glide can be tricky because you can hurt him during this attack, by landing a hit just about anywhere on him, but you also need to watch out for his fists, as they'll hurt you too if you jump into them. Oh and Take a look at that mural painting in the background when you get a chance. It may make more sense to you later on in the game...




When you land the eighth blow, Knuckles will be knocked to the ground. Immediately after, some small explosions can be heard coming from the Emerald chamber to the right. Knuckles, recognising that there may be something wrong, gets up and runs over there, forgetting about Sonic for the moment. Follow him through...
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#1. Comment posted by Hyper_Sonic on Friday, 6th January 2012, 5:10am (UTC)
#2. Comment posted by The Sentinel on Monday, 6th February 2012, 7:00pm (UTC)
#3. Comment posted by Anonymous on Wednesday, 19th August 2015, 11:41pm (UTC)
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Sonic enters the shrine, with the Master Emerald sitting at the top among some crystals, and the holders for the seven Chaos Emeralds around it (filled with however many you've managed to obtain in the Special Stages so far). Knuckles is standing in the middle shaking his fist up at something. Sonic looks up to see a robotic arm coming down from the top and grabbing the Master Emerald! It's Dr. Robotnik. That Master Emerald is now the only thing needed to re-power his Death Egg and launch it again for a third time, and he doesn't care what happens to Angel Island in the process. Knuckles has been betrayed by his ally, and now it's clear; Eggman tricked Knuckles into defending the Master Emerald from Sonic, when really, the only threat was from Eggman himself, who could now sneak into the Emerald chamber while Sonic and Knuckles were busy destroying each other, and make his move on the powerful stone.



In the Egg-mobile (with a large robotic grabbing attachment underneath, holding the Master Emerald), Robotnik begins to exit stage right, but not if Knuckles can do anything about it. He desperately tries to stop the doctor by launching from the altar and hitting him, as Sonic follows on the floor below. Over on the far right side of the room, you have complete control over Sonic again and can hit Eggman yourself as much as you please, but it'll do no good. Willing to risk his life for the Master Emerald, Knuckles grabs onto it in an emotional display. Realising he has a nagging problem here, Eggman stops and pulls out two snaking electrical wires. These connect with Knuckles and give him a nasty bolt of electricity, which knocks him off the emerald and down to the floor below. Finally gaining a victory, Robotnik flies away. Sonic goes after him, but then stops and turns to Knuckles, who's laying unconscious on the floor. At that moment, the floor beneath them inconveniently gives way and both characters fall down a long, vertical shaft to some steps at the very bottom. Knuckles is still laid out, but quickly comes to. There's a barrier on the left that you can't break, but Knuckles will get up and do it for you with one punch. Follow him into the next room where there's another teleporter device awaiting. Knuckles is weak from the shock, but now the two are going to have to work together in order to get the Master Emerald back, save Angel Island and destroy the Death Egg once and for all! Knuckles jumps into the teleporter and Sonic follows, which leads them up to the floating ruins of the Sky Sanctuary Zone...



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#1. Comment posted by Anonymous on Tuesday, 3rd January 2012, 7:17am (UTC)
#2. Comment posted by Hyper_Sonic on Friday, 6th January 2012, 5:25am (UTC)
#3. Comment posted by theblackferret on Wednesday, 25th December 2013, 10:16pm (UTC)
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- Famously, Hidden Palace is based on a stage that was supposed to be in Sonic 2, but never made the final cut. It came so close though, that what is commonly believed to be the background music that was going to be used for it can still be found in the game's sound test. Apparently, having seen screenshots of the original Hidden Palace Zone in various magazine previews, people complained to Sega about the fact that it was taken out, so it was placed in Sonic & Knuckles, by popular demand. The original, however, has been the topic of much debate on hardcore Sonic hacking websites, in particular. You can of course find out more about it in the Sonic 2 guide.

- Note that the Emerald shrine/chamber in this game, where the Master Emerald is held, is in a completely different place to where it is in Sonic Adventure, and most following games. There, it's actually outside, on a small grassy plateau among the mountains. Interestingly, when Sonic Adventure goes back in time, to the Echidna race, the Master and Chaos Emeralds are also held in the same shrine outdoors, rather than in Hidden Palace. I guess it made it easier for the game's storyline and accessibility, but it doesn't do much for continuity, does it? The small plateau from Sonic Adventure is often mistaken to actually be Angel Island in its entirety, which would obviously make it impossible to store most of the levels of the Sonic 3 saga. When creating Sonic Chronicles, the 2008 Nintendo DS RPG, developers Bioware appeared to make this very mistake, yet as shown in a brief illustrated scene, they've also been the only ones to put the Master Emerald back into an internal hiding place, as opposed to keeping the shrine outside.
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#1. Comment posted by Hyper_Sonic on Friday, 6th January 2012, 5:36am (UTC)
#2. Comment posted by Anonymous on Monday, 19th November 2012, 5:05am (UTC)
#3. Comment posted by Patrick on Saturday, 8th December 2012, 6:24pm (UTC)
#4. Comment posted by provingapoint on Monday, 27th January 2014, 8:12pm (UTC)
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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 Hidden Palace Zone (7)
#1. Comment posted by Anonymous on Thursday, 15th December 2011, 6:41am (UTC)
#2. Comment posted by adam on Thursday, 15th December 2011, 5:56pm (UTC)
#3. Comment posted by Anonymous on Thursday, 5th January 2012, 9:09pm (UTC)
#4. Comment posted by Hyper_Sonic on Friday, 6th January 2012, 5:37am (UTC)
#5. Comment posted by Hyper_Sonic on Friday, 6th January 2012, 5:38am (UTC)
#6. Comment posted by edwardo on Tuesday, 10th January 2012, 3:26am (UTC)
#7. Comment posted by Anonymous on Saturday, 6th July 2013, 1:29pm (UTC)
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Last Updated
Content for this page last edited:
23rd December 2011
Files last uploaded for this page:
13th December 2011
23rd December 2011
Files last uploaded for this page:
13th December 2011
Recent Notes
Knuckles
Posted by Anonymous on 19th August 2015
Point #1
Posted by Anonymous on 12th November 2014
Miscellaneous Notes
Posted by provingapoint on 27th January 2014
Point #2
Posted by theblackferret on 25th December 2013
Features and Obstacles
Posted by angelthehedgehog on 27th August 2013
22 notes posted on this page in total
Posted by Anonymous on 19th August 2015
Point #1
Posted by Anonymous on 12th November 2014
Miscellaneous Notes
Posted by provingapoint on 27th January 2014
Point #2
Posted by theblackferret on 25th December 2013
Features and Obstacles
Posted by angelthehedgehog on 27th August 2013
22 notes posted on this page in total