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Diamond Dust Zone

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Sonic Retro emblem.svg Sonic 3D: Flickies' Island
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Diamond Dust Zone
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  • Mega Drive
  • Saturn
DiamontDust.png
Sonic3D Saturn DiamondDustZone.png
Diamond Dust Zone
Fourth Zone, Sonic 3D: Flickies' Island
Number of Acts: 3
Location: Flicky Island
Level theme: winter
Boss: Diamond Dust Zone boss
Maximum rings, Act 1: 88 + 66 + 95
Maximum rings, Act 2: 64 + 69 (MD), 59 (SAT) + 64
Maximum rings, Act 3: 8
Flickies, Act 1: 1 + 0 + 2 1 + 2 + 1 3 + 3 + 2
Flickies, Act 2: 1 + 2 + 1 1 + 2 + 1 3 + 1 + 2
Non-English names:
Spring Stadium Zone | Volcano Valley Zone

Diamond Dust Zone is the fourth Zone of Sonic 3D: Flickies' Island for the Sega Mega Drive and Sega Saturn, coming after Spring Stadium and before Volcano Valley. As with other stages in this game, Diamond Dust consists of two standard Acts followed by a third Act containing only the boss fight. In Acts 1 and 2, Sonic must free captured Flickies from inside Badniks, depositing five of the birds into a Goal Ring to progress between sections of the level (usually three per Act).

Overview

The pause screen for this Zone in the Saturn version.

This Zone seems to be heavily influenced by IceCap Zone from Sonic the Hedgehog 3, and features appropriate wintery music. The level takes place in a winter environment, with slippery ice and snowy gusts everywhere. The boss of this level also seems to be heavily influenced by Sonic 3's IceCap Zone, with Dr. Eggman trying to do nothing but freeze Sonic.

The environment plays a big part in the level. Some areas are covered with ice that is very difficult to get around on, and may also include bumpers that make the slippery ice even more difficult to traverse. Snowblowers blast frost that will freeze Sonic instead of directly attacking him, though unlike in IceCap Zone, the freezing is harmless (though it will make him lose his Shield and Flickies) and is sometimes even required to progress; Sonic can even break free by jumping enough times. Also found at various points are rivers of slush that will carry Sonic towards spiky danger. To overcome these rivers, Sonic must repeatedly jump against the current.

When Sonic defeats the Snowman Badniks, he will find that some of the Flickies inside them are frozen. He will have to open the block of ice before he can free the Flicky. Some snowmen are not Badniks, but are actually bombs that will explode upon close proximity, scattering harmful chunks of snow within their vicinity, however it is possible to destroy these snowmen with any form of Spin Attack before they explode. While the spiky icicles littered on the ground are harmful if run into, Sonic can easily destroy them with Spin Attacks and Spin Dashes, and some snow mounds can be jumped on to reveal hidden springs.

Quotes

Did you bring your Sonic snowboard? The snowy mountains of Flicky Island are filled with icy snowblowers, frozen paths and rivers of slush. The occasional snowfall doesn't even faze Sonic, but watch out for snow-spitting snowmen and uncover snowy Springs to make your way through this Zone.

Sonic 3D US manualMedia:Sonic3D Sat US manual.pdf[3]

Enemies

Diamond Dust includes three different varieties of Badniks, none of which are named in official media, but are named in development tools:

S3dddbadnik1.png
Snowman — A snowman robot. Releases a (frozen) blue Flicky.
S3dddbadnik2.png
Bunny — A rabbit robot on a pogo stick. Releases a purple Flicky.
S3dddbadnik3.png
Pengo — A waddling penguin robot. Releases a green Flicky.

References


Sonic 3D: Flickies' Island
Sonic3D Saturn TitleScreen.png

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