Launch Base Zone

Launch Base Zone, Act 1

Launch Base Zone is the sixth zone in Sonic 3 (as well as Sonic 3 & Knuckles).

Launch Base Zone uses a technique for showing/hiding tiles indoors and outdoors. This effect was new for Sonic, and it was only used in this zone and Flying Battery Zone.

Glitches

• If you use debug mode to go above the act 2 boss arena, you can see that the art for the Death Egg was made. This art isn't actually used anywhere in normal play.

Villains

• Flybot767 — Silver bird.
• Orbinaut — A silver orb surrounded by four spiked orbs.
• Corkey — A gray energy cannon.
• Snale Blaster — A snail with protective sheath that covers blaster cannons.
• Ribot — Robotic frog.

Mid-boss

There's a ball with two spikey arms on it. After 3 hits one will drop off. As Knuckles, there's two of them to deal with, but you can climb up the walls to hit them easier.

Bosses

Robotnik's Black Ball Machine (Sonic only)

In this boss you must avoid Robotnik's black balls, shot out from under or over a disappearing ledge on the right-hand side of the screen, while jumping on the ledge to hit him.

Robotnik's Laser Column

This boss is comprised of three sections in addition to the Eggpod: two lasers and a rocket. After four hits one laser breaks off, after another four hits the other breaks off and after the last hit, the rocket breaks off.

Robotnik's Giant Claw, aka "Squeeze Tag" (Knuckles only, unless playing Sonic 3 alone)

Robotnik will swoop across the screen and you must jump between the spiky top and the claw to hit him. After a few swoops, he will start going across the top and the botton of the screen, when you can't hit him.