Little Planet

The Little Planet (sometimes referred to as the Miracle Planet) is a satellite in the Sonic the Hedgehog series, and the setting of the game Sonic CD. According to legend, the Little Planet appears over Never Lake one month out of every year, and vanishes completely for the remaining eleven months. It is unclear where precisely it vanishes to, although its appearance above Sonic the Hedgehog's homeworld Mobius would suggest that it is in geostationary orbit. The Little Planet could be a part of the Lylat system. In fact, some think that it must be moved around the Lylat system.
Also notable is that the Little Planet is home of the so-called Time Stones. These gems replaced the Chaos Emeralds as collectable objects during Sonic CD. They cause various temporal anomalies on the Little Planet, and may be largely responsible for the planet's annual disappearance. Through the use of special signposts (similar in design to Star Posts), it is possible to travel to three distinct time periods - the present, the distant past, and an unspecified point in the future - although in the adaptation of Sonic CD in Sonic the Comic, this sort of time travel was only possible if in possession of one of the Time Stones itself.
==Sonic CD==
During Sonic CD, Doctor Robotnik attempts to conquer the Little Planet, using Metal Sonic as his primary minion. In fact, it is one occasion when Robotnik actually succeeds in creating his "Eggmanland utopia", by using the Little Planet's bizarre chronology to invade the planet in the Past so that it would be under his control in the Future. He connects the Little Planet to a rock formation carved with his face by means of a massive chain.
The grim future of the Little Planet ruled by Robotnik is bleak and mostly in ruins, though, with the Badniks around the levels broken down and deteriorating. Through destroying Robotnik's machines in the past and/or collecting the Time Stones (finding all 7 of which automatically gives a good ending for all levels), it is possible to liberate the planet from Robotnik, and institute a truly utopian "Good Future".
At the end of the game, Sonic rescues Amy Rose (who had been kidnapped and taken to the Little Planet) and lands back on Mobius as Robotnik's fortress falls apart around him. As he does so, the chain linking the Little Planet to Sonic's world will shatter, and the Little Planet will rise away from the planet's surface. In the bad ending, it will disappear and later reappear still covered in Eggman's machinery. In the good ending, however, it will be a grassy utopia. It will disappear in a flash resembling Sonic's head, and sparkles will drop down onto the surface of Sonic's world, causing flowers to immediately grow (these flowers resemble the ones created when Sonic destroys a badnik in the game). In the good ending, the Little Planet does not reappear.
==Knuckles' Chaotix==
Before events of Sonic CD, Newtrogic High Zone was the part of the Little Planet in Knuckles' Chaotix. After it rose from the ocean, Dr. Robotnik discovered the Chaos Rings and the Chaotix arrived of their own accord. Vector the Crocodile travels to the island to investigate (in the Japanese version, he travels to the island, which he believes is a miracle of God), Espio the Chameleon also goes to investigate (though he didn't know Vector at the time), Charmy Bee, travels to the island to do what bees do best, Mighty the Armadillo happened to come across the island while adventuring, and Knuckles the Echidna patrols the island. Heavy and Bomb defected from Robotnik and decided to help the Chaotix.
After the Chaotix (except Knuckles) arrive on the island, they are captured in Robotnik's Combi Confiner. After Knuckles starts to explore the island, he came across Espio, who was trapped in one of the machines. Using the power of his ring, he freed Espio and tried to obtain the Chaos Rings and stop Robotnik. After completing all the "attractions", Metal Sonic comes out and fights the Chaotix. After being defeated, he flees to Robotnik just as he was finishing changing a Chaos Ring into a Dark Ring and mitions Metal into the Ring. With the power of the Dark Ring, Metal Sonic transforms into Metal Sonic Kai. But despite his great size and power, he is defeated. In the bad ending, Metal Sonic Kai will appear, overlooking a burning area (possibly Newtrogic High Zone). In the good ending, if the player manages to collect all the Chaos Rings, the rings will disappear, along with Newtronic High Zone.
==Sonic Colors==
"Next Stop, the Little Planet. Legend says that the Little Planet appears over Never Lake one month out of every year, and vanishes completely for the remaining eleven months." — Dr. Eggman
The Little Planet reappears in Sonic Colors as the fourth, fifth, sixth, or seventh stage (depending which stage the player chooses). The planet has been occupied by Eggman for use in his Interstellar Amusement Park, like Sweet Mountain, Planet Wisp, Aquarium Park and Asteroid Coaster (unlike Starlight Carnival which was built by Dr. Eggman). 
The boss is Refreshinator (a.k.a. Big Boy 2), an upgraded version of Tropical Resort's boss Rotatatron, or called by Dr. Eggman, Big Boy.
==Sonic the Hedgehog 4==
The Little Planet reappears in Sonic the Hedgehog 4, where the Gizoids habitable it. The Little Planet was threatened by the Black Hole, under Doctor Eggman's control. Eggman mechanized the Egg Moon in the same size of the Little Planet to make a new version of the Death Egg larger than the Little Planet. The Little Planet can be seen in boss act of E.G.G. Station Zone. The new Death Egg is a hollow sphere built above and around the Egg Moon (in full mechanical) similar to a dyson sphere, the hypothetical dyson sphere is designed to absorb energy from a star; this, presumably, is also the method which Eggman uses to power the Final Egg Blaster attached to his latest space station.
Before events of second episode, it is shown that Metal Sonic has been re-awakened at Stardust Speedway and guided back from the Little Planet to Eggman's base in Episode Metal.
==Star Fox 64 3D==
The Little Planet reappears in Star Fox 64 3D. In Episode II, the Little Planet features as the fifth level in medium path, after Solar and before Macbeth. In this stage, the Star Fox team flies through Stardust Speedway. At the end of the stage, Fox fights the Killer Bee in his Arwing II.
==Areas of Little Planet==
*Palmtree Panic, a lakeside palmtree resort with invisible standing blocks and vertical ramps.
**Present, a nice grassy plain with some hills and palmtrees.
**Bad Future, the lake and air are polluted, pipes are scattered all over and the trees are robotic.
**Good Future, almost exactly like the Present, but there are pink stars and is benevolently robotic towards the nature of the area.
**Past, very much like the Present, but with distinctive primitive vegetation and overall landscape.
*Collision Chaos, a pinball-themed stage with bumpers and spikes at every turn.
**Present, like Palmtree Panic at dawn, but with some mechanical objects such as pipes and a golden concealed sky.
**Bad Future, contains a dark sky, and several mechanical "enhancements."
**Good Future, much like the Present, but all mechanical objects are gone, the sky is visible, and there is more plantlife.
**Past, a large forest.
*Tidal Tempest, a subterranean underwater labyrinth filled with vacuum pipes.
**Present, old ruins in a watery cave.
**Bad Future, a rusty, broken sewage system.
**Good Future, a bio-mechanical greenhouse and aquatic ecosystem with various flora.
**Past, a prehistoric volcano. Strangely, it does not have any magma or lava.
*Quartz Quadrant, a mine-like cave with conveyor belts.
**Present, a gem-filled cave.
**Bad Future, an industrial city inside a gigantic cave.
**Good Future, a city with tall skyscrapers and the quartz intact.
**Past, set inside the cave (which has less gems), and next to a large peaceful lake.
*Wacky Workbench, a large mechanized factory featuring electrical conduits and an electrified floor.
**Present, a factory filled with strange-looking machinery and pipes.
**Bad Future, a dark, rusted, overworked and neglected factory.
**Good Future, a brightly designed factory, with safer technology and less hazards.
**Past, a construction site near a mountain.
*Stardust Speedway, an area containing a complex network of highways.
**Present, a city with golden highways, a glimmering skyline, and a giant Robotnik statue under construction.
**Bad Future, an industrialized, neglected city with polluted air, bleak storming crimson skyline, blue highways, and a finished Robotnik statue.
**Good Future, a carnival-like city with purple highways, ocean skyline, and a grand purple mansion in the distance.
**Past, a jungle filled with large vines and what appears to be some ancient buildings (along with a cathedral sealed with a dome).
*Metallic Madness, Robotnik's personal base, filled with mechanical contraptions.
**Present, a typical Robotnik Zone. Fully metallic and with tons of traps and robots.
**Bad Future, the base is rusty and falling apart.
**Good Future, a peaceful city with lots of plant life.
**Past, the base still under construction.
===Newtrogic High Zone===
*Isolated Island/Practice Stage: A special isolated area played before the main game to get players acquainted with the special unique maneuvers introduced into the game.
*Botanic Base: The island's most natural attraction is this giant greenhouse, filled with oddly geometric trees, and a jungle of hostile flora.
*Speed Slider: A roller coaster reminiscent of Casino Night and Carnival Night Zone, Speed Slider is the fastest attraction in Knuckles' Chaotix. The level moves all the way to a confrontation with Dr. Robotnik on his carousel.
*Amazing Arena: At the start of this stage, the player is in the dark, but once the light switch is hit, Amazing Arena turns bright and colorful. If the player fails to locate it, the stage starts all over again.
*Techno Tower: A futuristic-styled tower that the player must climb. In Level 5, the player can hop on a drill machine that burrows through solid walls.
*Marina Madness: A cruise-themed attraction with, curiously, no water. The player must jump from ship to ship to complete this level while dodging flying fish and sailing stingrays.
*World Entrance: Between each stage the player visits the World Entrance. Here, one can choose to end the game, select a new partner, and/or choose a new stage.
*Eggbase: It is Eggman's main base of said game and the area on Newtrogic High that Eggman creates Dark Rings. It is located underneath the area where the player chooses there partner and is the location of the final battle against Metal Sonic.
==Sonic the Comic==
[[File:STC27-MiraclePlanet.jpg|thumb|200px|Tails and the Miracle Planet from Sonic the Comic #27. Art by Richard Elson.]]
In Sonic the Comic, the Miracle Planet appeared in the adaptation of Sonic CD, and then made recurring appearances throughout the series. It was consistently referred to as the Miracle Planet, save for a single mention in the backup Sonic's World story of Sonic the Comic #25 ("Prologue: Once Upon a Planet...") that some people know it as the Little Planet.
In its first appearance, Robotnik cyber-formed the entire Miracle Planet to be used as a power source for Metallix, the Metal Sonic. Sonic managed to defeat Metallix and restore the planet to normal by using a Time Stone.Sonic the Comic #24 to #28, "The Sonic Terminator"
Some time later, the Miracle Planet was taken over by the Brotherhood of Metallix. Sonic the Comic #59 to #62, "The Brotherhood of Metallix". It was again covered in machinery, this time making it appear like a giant Metallix head, and used as a staging ground for the Metallix's attempts to conquer Mobius. Their plans were thwarted by Sonic and Chaotix, Sonic the Comic #67 to #72, "The Return of Chaotix" and the Miracle Planet was subsequently returned to normal yet again. Sonic the Comic #79, "Return to the Miracle Planet"
In this continuity, the Miracle Planet appears in the sky over Mobius for three days out of every month, rather than for one month a year as in Sonic CD. Sonic the Comic #61, "The Brotherhood of Metallix, Part 3"
Category:Planets of the Lylat System
Category:Planets