Sonic Lost World

***Sonic Lost World*** (ソニックロストワールド *Sonikku Rosuto Wārudo*?) is a 3D platforming video game in the *Sonic the Hedgehog* series, developed by Sonic Team and published by Sega in Japan and the Americas, and by Nintendo in Europe and Australia. It was released for the Wii U in October 2013. A Nintendo 3DS version of the game developed by Dimps also came out around the same time. The title features a *Super Mario Galaxy*-like gameplay, with Sonic travelling through spherical worlds and relying on unique parkour stunts to clear stages.

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### Genre

Platforming

In *Sonic Lost World*, Sonic and Tails end up on the Lost Hex, a mysterious planetoid-like continent that floats over the earth and that has been taken over by Dr. Eggman, who has enslaved a local group of "Zeti" known as the Deadly Six with the power to manipulate robots. When Sonic ends up freeing these very hostile creatures from the doctor's control, he and Tails must team up with their long-time nemesis to stop the Deadly Six, who have taken over Eggman's Badnik army and are using his Extractor to siphon all of the planet's life and make themselves invincible with it.

The Game was one of 20 Virtual Console games Released at the Launch of The Pawprint Disc-GO!

## Gameplay

The player controls Sonic the Hedgehog in an action platformer. The levels take place on tube-shaped worlds that shift in perspective, allowing for both 2D and 3D gameplay. Stages change and shift to use various gimmicks and aesthetics, from a candy-themed 2D level in Desert Ruins to a snowball pinball area in Frozen Factory to a stealth-centered area in Silent Forest. The boost-integrated gameplay from the more recent 3D titles has been eschewed in favor of a new control style, more similar to the control style found in the *Sonic Adventure* titles. The game brings back a few moves from Sonic's past, such as the Spin Dash, Bound Jump and Super Peel-Out. Also, an improved version of the Homing Attack that works similarly to the Light Speed Attack was introduced in the form of the Focused Homing Attack. The game introduces the "parkour" system, which allows Sonic to maneuver across obstacles and run on walls. The game also features new and returning Color Powers, a returning element from *Sonic Colors* and *Sonic Generations*, with exclusive Wisps for each version of the game. Similar to past installments in the series, the goal of each level is for the player to reach the end where the capsule is located. Smaller capsules can be found within the stages as well. Red Star Rings from *Sonic Colors* and *Sonic Generations* make a return, which like before can be collected for unlocking collectible content.

In the Wii U version, using the left control stick will move Sonic at a moderate pace, whilst holding down the right trigger button will engage his running speed. Pressing the left trigger allows Sonic to perform a Spin Dash. Sonic can jump with either A or B, but the B button will always double jump while the A button will perform the Homing Attack on any nearby enemies. By pressing the Y button, Sonic can perform a Flying Kick attack that destroys enemies the Homing Attack cannot.

The Wii U version offers both competitive and cooperative multiplayer, When playing in multiplayer mode, one player controls Sonic using the Wii U Gamepad while the other uses a Wii remote to either help (co-op) or race against the other player (versus).

## Plot

The game stars Sonic the Hedgehog, who must defeat the main antagonist Doctor Eggman and stop the Deadly Six. Aiding him in his quest is his best friend Tails, a fox who has the ability to fly. Knuckles the Echidna, Sonic's strong friend, and Amy Rose, his self-proclaimed girlfriend, also make relatively minor appearances.

The main antagonist of the series, Doctor Eggman, is a mad scientist who seemingly turns over a new leaf to help Sonic stop the Deadly Six. Eggman's henchmen Orbot and Cubot make a return appearance. Also serving as the main antagonists and boss characters are the Deadly Six, a group of the world's indigenous Zeti race consisting of the hyperactive Zazz; the obese and dim-witted Zomom; Master Zik, the elderly founder of the tribe and Zavok's teacher; the flirtatious and self-absorbed Zeena; the diminutive and pessimistic Zor; and Zavok, the tribe's leader. The tribe plans to steal the life energy from Sonic's world to increase their own power

Sonic and Tails pursue Doctor Eggman, who has captured several of their animal friends with the intention of using them to power his robot army. While the two attempt to retrieve a falling capsule filled with animals, Eggman shoots down Tails' plane. However, they end up discovering a world in the sky known as the Lost Hex, and crash land there. As they explore the world, the duo discover that Eggman has enlisted the aid of a group of the world's indigenous Zeti race, collectively known as the Deadly Six, using a magical conch to keep them under his command. However, when Sonic rushes in and kicks the conch away, the Deadly Six betray Eggman and take control of his Badnik army. They then start to use one of Eggman's machines to siphon energy from Sonic's world below, planning to drain all of its life force until there is nothing left and use it to power themselves up. Reluctantly, Sonic agrees to work with Eggman, believing that he needs his help to stop the machine, though this seems to cause some distrust between him and Tails.

As Sonic battles his way throughout the Lost Hex, the Deadly Six concoct a plan to capture Sonic and turn him into a robot under their control, but they end up accidentally capturing Tails instead. After Eggman is seemingly killed falling into lava, Sonic comes across the Deadly Six as they prepare to use the roboticized Tails against him. However, prior to the conversion, Tails managed to reprogram the process to retain his free will and instead helps Sonic to defeat them. Upon reaching the machine and finding it already switched off, Eggman reappears, having faked his death and used the energy harvested to power his latest giant mech. Sonic defeats Eggman, sending him falling to the planet's surface, and he and Tails restore the stolen energy to the world below before returning home.

In a post-credits scene, Orbot and Cubot find Eggman, who has survived his fall, and they dig him out of a soft spot of dirt he landed on. Upon realizing that half of his mustache is missing, Eggman throws another tantrum, prompting Orbot and Cubot to run away in fear.

## Trivia

* This is the first 3D mainline *Sonic* game since *Sonic the Hedgehog* (2006) to not utilized the Boost formula.
* This game shares its name with an action stage from *Sonic Adventure*.
* The music used in the debut trailer is an instrumental version of "Cinema" by Benny Benassi. The Nintendo 3DS version's trailer uses an instrumental version of "Game Boy" by *Invigilators x Ceezlin*.
* This is the first 3D *Sonic* game since *Sonic the Hedgehog* (2006) to feature Item Boxes in 3D stages.
	+ It also shares some similarities with *Super Mario Galaxy*, another game that has freely floating, circular level structures, traveling between several planetoids, and has gravity playing a key role. Windy Hill Zone 1's segmented structure resembles the levels from the *Super Mario Galaxy* series of games and *Super Mario 3D Land*.
		- Takashi Iizuka admitted that *Sonic Lost World* had "ended up a bit too close to *Super Mario Galaxy*"
* In the first gameplay footage of the Nintendo 3DS version, the Invincibility and Speed Shoes theme was an instrumental version of "Sonic Heroes", but in the final project the Speed Shoes music was replaced with an instrumental version of "Reach for the Stars." The Wii U version still retains "Sonic Heroes."
* This is the only main series *Sonic* game to be released on the Wii U, and the second main series *Sonic* game to be released exclusively for Nintendo platforms, with the first being *Sonic Colors*.
	+ In addition, it is the first main series *Sonic* game to be released on an eighth generation console.
* The lives counter, timer, animal counter, and Red Ring counter will normally only appear when Sonic is at a completely dead stop, but occasionally show up when Sonic destroys an enemy, gets Rings or an extra life, or collects Red Star Rings..
* This game has more major antagonists than any other game where Sonic and Eggman team up, with six in total.