Oil Ocean Zone

Sonic the Hedgehog 2 (16-bit)

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Oil Ocean Zone

For the Sonic Mania version of this stage, see Oil Ocean Zone (Sonic Mania).

Oil Ocean Zone
Seventh Zone, Sonic the Hedgehog 2 (16-bit)
Number of Acts: 2
Location: West Side Island
Level themes: industrial, ocean
Boss: Submarine Eggman II
Maximum rings, Act 1: 207 + 50
Maximum rings, Act 2: 183 + 80
Non-English names: JP: オイルオーシャン Oiru ŌshanMedia:Sonic2 MD JP manual.pdf DE: ÖlozeanzoneMedia:Sonic2 MD EU manual.pdf FR: Zone de L'ocean de PetroleMedia:Sonic2 MD EU manual.pdf ES: Zona del Océano de PetróleoMedia:Sonic2 MD EU manual.pdf PT: Zona Oceano de ÓleoMedia:Sonic2 MD PT manual.pdf IT: Zona Oceano D'olioMedia:Sonic2 MD EU manual.pdf SE: OljehavszonenMedia:Sonic2 MD EU manual.pdf NL: Olie Zee ZoneMedia:Sonic2 MD EU manual.pdf FI: ÖljymerivyöhykeMedia:Sonic2 MD EU manual.pdf KR: 오일 오션 지역Media:SonicClassics MD KR manual.pdf
← Mystic Cave Zone | Metropolis Zone →

Oil Ocean Zone is the seventh Zone of Sonic the Hedgehog 2. Sonic and Tails are led to this refinery after making it through the underground tunnels of Mystic Cave Zone (or Hidden Palace Zone if visited in the 2013 version).

Overview

The entirety of this Zone takes place across a massive sea of oil dumped by Dr. Eggman's refineries off the coast of West Side Island in a typical fashion of the Doctor's environmental ethos. This oil is found lining the bottom of the Zone which the player will sink into and die if they stand in it for more than a couple of seconds, though it's possible to jump to remain afloat in it and escape. Due to the oil, there is no life to find apart from robotic ones littered throughout the Zone. The main structure of the Zone is made up of purple walkways, tall towers and green oil tankers under an orange sky.

Other features include slippery oil slides like the water slides featured in the Labyrinth Zone, fans that block the player from certain paths like in Star Light Zone but can also lift them into the air, networks of balloon-like launchers that take the player somewhere, and bursting steam vents that can give them a lift to high places. Elevators will also carry the player up and down the Zone's towers, and large spiky objects rebound off each other on long, green pipes. At the end of the Zone is a fight against Submarine Eggman II.

In the Simon Wai, alpha and pre-beta prototypes of Sonic 2, Oil Ocean Zone uses the Casino Night Zone 2-player music (albeit at a slightly slower tempo in the case of the Simon Wai prototype). The current music for OOZ was in the prototypes, but it was unused (and in the case of the Simon Wai prototype had a much slower tempo). Earlier versions of this Zone also featured a smaller version of the rolling ball that was cut out of Green Hill Zone but operated by a button, and while it's nowhere to be found in the final release of Sonic 2 it can be placed via debug mode.

Quotes

“	Dr. Eggman has spilled oil into the sea. You can’t use your favoured dash on slippery oil! Advance by making full use of slides, fans and gas cylinders!	„
— Sonic the Hedgehog 2 JP manualMedia:Sonic2 MD JP manual.pdf (translation by Vertekins)

“	Robotnik's refineries are pumping at full steam. Crude oil has turned the ocean black! Can Sonic keep his footing on the slippery catwalks and bursting steam vents?	„
— Sonic the Hedgehog 2 US manualMedia:Sonic2 MD US manual.pdf

“	This stage was made by Tom on the SOA staff, it was amazing what could be made with the Mega Drive at the time. But if the Sonicness of it wasn't coming through, sometimes the artist had a taste for darker color schemes, we would fix up certain pieces of it.	„
— Yuji Naka, Sonic Jam Official Guide

Enemies

	Octus — Octopus Badnik that levitates and fires a bullet when the player approaches.
	Aquis — Seahorse Badnik which floats around quickly, firing globules of oil at the player.

Animals

	Pecky
	Rocky

Technical information

Offset	Description
0A	Oil Ocean Zone level value
$2CE2	OOZ Palette (0E)
$CC66	OOZ layer deformation info
$400C8	OOZ animated pattern load cue (4)
$405B6	OOZ misc sprite mappings (empty)
$420E8	HPZ/OOZ object debug list
$45100	OOZ primary 16x16 collision index
$47404	OOZ Act 1 level layout
$47784	OOZ Act 2 level layout
$A3364	OOZ 16x16 block mappings
$A4204	OOZ main level patterns
$A6384	OOZ 128x128 block mappings
$E5260	OOZ Act 1 ring locations
$E5422	OOZ Act 2 ring locations
$E8DA0	OOZ Act 1 sprite locations
$E9214	OOZ Act 2 sprite locations

Technical notes

Oil Ocean's "sinking pool" mechanic was reused in Marble Garden Zone, though it's not nearly as expansive there.

In this zone, the ground is supported by numerous small pillars that extend down to the oil, but not all the way. Because of this, the player can Spin Dash in the oil while standing against one of these pillars to go under it. In this way, it's possible to travel at the very bottom across the whole stage.

In other media

Sonic the Comic

In the Sonic the Comic series, Oil Ocean Zone was an oil derrick located somewhere on Mobius which Sonic visited twice. In the first instance being in Issue #7, Sonic would quench a nigh-uncontrollable fire before it could spread and proceed to disarm the Zone's traps, only to be ambushed by an Aquis which would cause the first of his many transformations into Super Sonic.

Later, in Sonic the Poster Mag #5, Robotnik recaptured the Zone and installed a device to increase the oil production, only for it to be a trap designed to lure Sonic to the Zone so he would set off a bomb that will destroy the Zone and the hedgehog, thus causing even more pollution to Mobius. Facing great pressure, Sonic accidentally fell off a ledge and transformed into Super Sonic again, containing the bomb blast within a cocoon of speed.