Bridge Zone

For the Zone in Sonic Superstars, see Bridge Island Zone.

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Sonic the Hedgehog Bridge Zone

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Bridge Zone (ブリッジ^[1], Burijji^?, lit. "Bridge") is the second Zone in the 8-bit version of Sonic the Hedgehog (1991). It is a lake archipelago on South Island with many small islets that are interconnected through wooden bridges. As with other Zones in Sonic the Hedgehog, Bridge Zone is composed on three Acts, with the third one featuring the boss of the Zone.

Description

Bridge Zone is a deep lake^[1] set underneath a clean, light blue sky with white clouds. Forests and mountains can be seen in the background. The Zone is filled with tall, squareish grassy islets with a few light-green rocks on them. The soil of those islands is orange-colored and features a diagonal checkerboard pattern, and it is covered by light green grass. The islets are interconnected to each other through damaged suspension bridges,^[1] hence the Zone's name.

Story

As part of his mission to find and collect the six Chaos Emeralds, Dr. Ivo Robotnik would invade most of South Island, including Bridge Zone. He kidnapped the local Animals and filled the Zone with Badniks to do his evil bidding.^[2]

Bridge Zone would later become the second Zone that Sonic the Hedgehog would visit to free South Island and foil Dr. Robotnik's plans. While braving this Zone, Sonic would find the second Chaos Emerald hidden in Bridge Zone. Later, Sonic is attacked by Robotnik in a modified Egg Mobile. After defeating the doctor, Sonic frees some Animals from a nearby metal cage and continues his adventure.

Gameplay

The upstream river itself below the ground and bridges is a dangerous bottomless pit, which the player can fall straight into, and many Badniks and their projectiles can easily knock the player back into the river. Bridge Zone features seesaws on pole structures as general gimmicks.

Overview

Act 1

Act 1 features a linear route to the Bonus Panel. Occasionally, there are laterally-placed yellow Springs, which can easily bounce the player backwards. and generally into the river abyss. Platforms from Green Hill Zone are also found here, which swing in different patterns.

Act 2

Act 2 is an unusual autoscrolling level, as the game controls the rate at which the player moves through the Act. The layout of this Act is similar to Act 1, except the player is emerging from the upstream river. The player has to keep an eye on the right side of the screen and prepare to face Badniks or seesaws. Act 2 is impossible to finish in less than two minutes due the autoscrolling mechanic.

Act 3

Act 3 is a straight line to the boss. There is a 1-Up monitor to the left.

Boss

Main article: Bridge Zone boss

In Bridge Zone Act 3, the player will be facing the boss Dr. Robotnik in a submarine-based Egg Mobile. During this boss battle, Robotnik will pop up in his submarine from the waves, pausing just long enough to fire a trio of flashing projectiles at Sonic. Ducking on the middle platform will keep Sonic out of harm's way. One must land a total of eight hits on Robotnik's submarine in order to destroy it.

The level layout of Bridge Zone Act 3 is very different in the Game Gear version of the game. Aside of crossing long crumbling bridges, the boss arena includes two sloping bridges due the screen resolution of the Game Gear. In the Master System version, there are two gaps instead, making it more difficult.

Chaos Emerald location

A Chaos Emerald can be found at the end point of Bridge Zone Act 1. before crossing the last crumbling bridge. The Chaos Emerald itself is found below the island. The player can get it by using the small crumbling bridge parts and then using a well-timed Spin Jump to the left to catch the Chaos Emerald and jump back to the upper part of the island.

Trivia

• After passing the only Arrow Monitor in Bridge Zone Act 2, the first pit will contain an extra life Monitor floating below on the river. The player can break the Monitor to get an extra life, while bouncing back from the pit.
  • Another extra life Monitor can be found behind the player right after the start in the Bridge Zone Act 3.
• Bridge Zone is the Zone featured on the North American and European box artwork for the Sega Game Gear version of Sonic the Hedgehog (8-bit).
• The Sonic Adventure version of "Believe In Myself" sounds, at times, quite similar to Bridge Zone's background music.

Gallery

Gallery

Music

Video

References

External links

• Sonic the Hedgehog (8-bit) page at The GHZ has in-depth data regarding all the Sonic the Hedgehog (8-bit) Zones.