Angel Island Zone - Sonic Metropolis

Information about the Zone

First appearance : Sonic the Hedgehog 3 & Knuckles (1994)

Game appearances : Sonic the Hedgehog 3 & Knuckles (1994), Sonic Adventure (1998), Sonic Advance (2001), Sonic Chronicles: The Dark Brotherhood (2008), Sonic Mania (2017).

Different versions : Chaos Angel (Sonic Advance 3 (2004)), Altar Emerald (Sonic Advacne 3 (2004)), Sky Park Zone (Sonic Rivals (2006)).

Type : Action Stage, Hub Zone, Open Zone.

Zone description : Hovering in the sky is a mysterious island, known as one of the most mystical and ancient places on the entire planet. It is here that an ancient artefact, the Master Emerald, is kept. Long before the events of the games, a terrible tragedy unfolded on the lands of the current Angel Island, which resulted in a terrible monster named Chaos practically destroying the whole world. Fortunately, Chaos was sealed into the Master Emerald, but the power released lifted a clump of earth on which the altar of the Master Emerald was located and lifted it into the sky – and so Angel Island was created. Now, it soars thanks to the power of Master Emerald and falls to the ground only in times of terrible catastrophes. Angel Island is a vast location of verdant jungles, scorching deserts and perpetually frozen mountains. However, the Angel Island Zone usually refers to the coast of the island – a tropical green beach.

OSTs used in this Zone

Sonic the Hedgehog 3 & Knuckles (1994) [Act 1]

Sonic the Hedgehog 3 & Knuckles (1994) [Act 2]

Sonic Adventure (1998)

Sonic Advance (2001) [Act 1]

Sonic Advance (2001) [Act 2]

Sonic Chronicles: The Dark Brotherhood (2008)

Events

Sonic the Hedgehog 3 (1994)

After his defeat, Dr. Robotnik lands on Angel Island, where he finds an energy source even more powerful than the Chaos Emeralds, namely the Master Emerald. However, it was protected by the powerful guardian Knuckles the Echidna. Despite his power, Knuckles is rather gullible, so Robotnik convinces the echidna that Sonic and Tails are trying to steal the Master Emerald, thus turning Knuckles against the heroes. Soon, Sonic and Tails arrive on Angel Island and are immediately attacked by Knuckles, who takes the Chaos Emeralds from the heroes and hides them around the island.

Finding themselves on the coast of the island (called the Angel Island Zone) without the Emeralds, Sonic and Tails pursue Knuckles and Robotnik, recovering the Chaos Emeralds along the way. During their passage through the Angel Island Zone, the tropical coastline is brutally burned by hundreds of Fire Breath robots. Sonic and Tails manage to destroy one Fire Breath, after which they catch up with Robotnik in his new machine, the Egg Scorcher Mark III, and defeat the villain in the ensuing battle.

After destroying the Launch Base, the heroes find a portal to the Master Emerald, which they use to enhance the Chaos Emeralds to Super Emeralds. Using their power, Sonic uses the Hyper Sonic form and Tails uses the Super Tails form. Together the heroes defeat Knuckles, but Robotnik takes advantage of this to steal the Master Emerald. Realizing his mistake, Knuckles helps the heroes pursue the doctor. Sonic and Tails, in the process defeating another iteration of Metal Sonic – Neo Metal Sonic, make their way to the Death Egg rebuilt with the help of the Master Emerald. Facing off in the final battle, Sonic and Tails defeat the Great Eggman Robo, but even then Robotnik doesn’t give up and tries to escape in his Death Egg Bot. Sonic, using his Hyper Sonic form, catches up with the villain and defeats him, returning the Master Emerald.

Sonic & Knuckles (1994)

After the defeat of Dr. Robotnik, however, many of the evil doctor’s robots and machines remained on the island. One robot, called Egg Robo, had enough intelligence to replace Dr. Robotnik and rebuild an army of robots and weapons itself. After dropping bombs on Knuckles, Egg Robo steals the Master Emerald, forcing the echidna to go in pursuit. Because of Egg Robo’s actions, Fire Breath robots are burning down Angel Island Zone again.

On the way, Knuckles finds seven Chaos Emeralds and absorbs them, activating the form of Super Knuckles. After destroying Launch Base, Knuckles enhances the Chaos Emeralds on the Master Emerald altar, turning them into Super Emeralds. Using their power, Knuckles transforms into his Hyper Knuckles form. Eventually, Knuckles catches up with Egg Robo at Sky Sanctuary, but is trapped by the robot. Suddenly, Neo Metal Sonic appears and attacks Knuckles. The echidna manages to escape at the last second and Neo Metal Sonic destroys Egg Robo instead of Knuckles. The echidna defeats Neo Metal Sonic in combat, but the robot doesn’t give up and absorbs the energy of the Master Emerald, taking some kind of Super Form. Absorbing the artifact’s power destabilizes Angel Island and it begins to fall. With difficulty, Knuckles defeats Neo Metal Sonic and the Sky Sanctuary begins to collapse. It is only by using Hyper Knuckles form that the echidna manages to save the Master Emerald from falling into the ocean. After his victory, Knuckles returns Master Emerald to its altar and restores peace to Angel Island.

Sonic Adventure (1998)

The much-grown Sonic faces a new threat: the mighty Chaos monster. Dr. Robotnik frees this monster from Master Emerald by destroying it (which causes the fall of the Angel Island) with the hope that Chaos will help him build his empire. Chaos can absorb Chaos Emeralds and become stronger, so Sonic teams up with Tails and after giving Robotnik the nickname Eggman, sets out in search of Emeralds. In the process, the heroes are contacted by a mysterious red spirit, apparently trying to help in the fight against Chaos.

In the end, Chaos manages to absorb all the Chaos Emeralds and becomes Perfect Chaos, flooding all of Station Square. The red spirit that has been with the heroes all along materializes next to Sonic, turning out to be a girl who lived many years ago named Tikal. Tikal was a friend of Chaos, but she saw no other way than to re-seal Chaos into Master Emerald forever. Sonic flatly refuses this option and believes that this approach won’t solve the problem because Chaos’s hatred won’t go anywhere. By using the positive power of the Chaos Emeralds Sonic becomes Super Sonic and defeats Perfect Chaos in battle. The weakened Chaos speaks to Tikal, and she manages to extinguish the pain and rage of the distraught monster. After thanking the heroes, Tikal and Chaos return to Master Emerald and Sonic doesn’t stop on his adventure. Angel Island, on its part, returns to the sky again.

Sonic Advance (2001)

Dr. Eggman once again begins searching for the Chaos Emeralds and capturing animals to power his robots. Sonic, Tails, Knuckles and Amy Rose embark on an adventure to free the animals, find the Chaos Emeralds and defeat Eggman.

While traveling, the heroes visit Angel Island, where they encounter a strange copy of Knuckles, which at first confuses them, but after a while it becomes apparent that it is a mechanical copy built by Eggman – Mecha Knuckles. After defeating the fake, the heroes continue their pursuit of Eggman. Using the power of the Chaos Emeralds, the heroes defeat the evil doctor and restore peace again.

Sonic Advance 3 (2004)

Using the power of the Chaos Emerald, Dr. Eggman splits the planet. Angel Island is one of the locations residing on the planet. Sonic, Tails, Knuckles, Amy, and Cream the Rabbit go in search of the Chaos Emeralds, as well as the Master Emerald to protect them from Dr. Eggman and his powerful new robot, Gemerl.

The heroes catch up with the villains on Angel Island, which has become a dark, dangerous and unstable place, the Chaos Angel, due to the instability of Chaos energy. In the final battle on the Master Emerald altar, after losing against the heroes, Eggman and Gemerl began to retreat, but suddenly Gemerl disobeyed the doctor, attacked Sonic, grabbed 7 Chaos Emeralds and took his final form, Ultimate G-merl, wreaking havoc everywhere. Sonic uses the power of the Chaos Emeralds to obtain his Super form and joins forces with Eggman, who wishes to stop the machine that betrayed him, defeating the Ultimate G-merl.

Sonic Chronicles: The Dark Brotherhood (2008)

After defeating Eggman in a fierce battle which, as everyone thought, the Doctor didn’t survive, Sonic goes on a journey around the world and no one knows where he is for a long time. One day, however, a new threat appears in the form of high-tech criminals, nicknamed Marauders, who hunt the Chaos Emeralds. After Knuckles is defeated in battle with the Marauders and captured along with the Chaos Emeralds, Tails is forced to call Sonic for help and the hedgehog does not refuse his friend.

The villains’ plan was to take over Angel Island – by sneaking in, the Marauders move the island into the sky above Metropolis, where their main base was located. Sonic and the team sneak into Metropolis and successfully infiltrate Angel Island, but Master Emerald and the Chaos Emeralds are stolen and brought to the Marauders home world, the Twilight Cage. The heroes pursue the thieves and recover the artefacts, but upon the heroes’ return, they were met with a fully restored Metropolis and guns pointed in their direction. Taking advantage of the absence of the heroes, Eggman (who appeared to be alive) rebuilt his empire and rejoined the battle with Sonic and his friends.