The Spring Yard Zone

The Spring Yard Zone is the third Zone in the game "Sonic the Hedgehog" (1) for Genesis, and probably about the LEAST popular level. (Or maybe that title would fall to the Labyrinth Zone, I'm not really sure.) At any rate, it's a strange place.
What is it like? Well, it's basically the Sonic universe's first attempt at a "Fun House Zone"; a place with weird gadgets and gizmos a-plenty, whoozits and whatsits galore... You want thingamabobs? They've got twenty--whoops--those are lyrics from "The Little Mermaid"...ANYway...a "happy time" level with lots of "toys" to play on that is supposed to look all pretty and cheerful and fun but, of course, kills you several times in the first minute alone.
Well, the Spring Yard Zone got the deadly part down pat--giant crushing metal boxes, annoying laser-ball-throwing crabs, bouncy things that throw you straight into spikes overhead, and Dr. Robotnik at the end is a MAJOR pain in the spines, as he TAKES AWAY YOUR FLOOR as you fight him, so that you have less and less to stand on as the battle goes on! But as for the "colourful and fun" parts--well, they need work. First of all, the colour. In my not so humble opinion, the colour palette for the Spring Yard Zone, frankly, STINKS. It is so UGLY. All browns and greens--mostly browns--with some orange thrown in. Ick. All right, who woke up the '70s?
It looks like the Scrap Brain or Metropolis Zones, only not as imaginative and fun; and kinda like the Chemical Plant, but with not as good music, and kinda PLAYS like the Casino Night Zone, but it's nowhere near as much fun. You can tell what the designers were TRYING for, but they just didn't get it. Later "Fun Zone" levels, like Casino Night Zone from Sonic 2, Carnival Night Zone from Sonic 3, Carnival Island from Knuckles Chaotix, Casinopolis, and ESPECIALLY the Queen of Them All, Twinkle Park from Sonic Adventure, got it WAYYYY better. You might think that since this was their first attempt and 16-bit video game technology itself was still new at this point, I'd give them a break here, but no, I won't. The GRAPHICS are fine. But there was NO REASON for them to pick such ugly colours other than being colour-blind or stupid! And since the OTHER levels of this game look fine...
At any rate, like I said, one of the least popular levels, and if you play it you'll see why. Ugly colours, ugly music, annoying traps. Your first reaction will probably be: "I fought my way all through that lava and bats and chandeliers and junk in the Marble Zone to see THIS?!"
But hang on, better things are ahead...



Click HERE to return to the Mobius Tour Route.

Click HERE to return to the Freedom Fighters' Fortress.

Click HERE to return to Sandopolis.



curious tourists have been stupid enough to visit the Spring Yard Zone since July 19, 1999. Of course, most of them were killed when Robuttnik yanked the floor out from under their feet with a giant drill, but hey...