Aquatic Mine
From Sonic Retro
Aquatic Mine is the eighth stage in the Hero storyline of Sonic Adventure 2 and the third stage playable with Knuckles. It represents Knuckles attempt to find Master Emerald pieces that were scattered after he smashed it.
Contents
Plot
Appearance
Aquatic Mine is an abandoned coal mine that has been flooded, accessible through the sewer system of the Capital City, with a system of tight hallways connecting different heights and mine shafts leading to dead-ends and pits. The level follows a theme similar to that established in Labyrinth Zone.
The major gimmick of this level is the Water-Powered Lift, a structure which vertical position will vary on the water level. Different areas are accessible depending on the water heights that can be changed by throwing one of the three switches, which makes this level more puzzle and labyrinth like then the rest. Switch No.1 and Switch No.2 are exactly behind Knuckles when he starts the level. The first switch is the one set by default and it will raise the water to the highest level. The second switch will set the water to medium level. Switch No.3 is located in the room above where Knuckles first starts and will set the water to the lowest level.
Other level specific objects are watermills, wooden crosspieces in piles, skulls that breathe fire similar to the ones found in Sonic Adventure, overturned mine carts and metal cylindrical containers that can be destroyed and pails and skulls that can be picked. Ghosts will also patrol the corners and hallways, along with haunting one of the rooms.
Level Division
Vertical Height
Aquatic Mine is divided into four sections by vertical height.
The first is a room above the Water-Powered Lift hall, where switch No.3 is.
The Water-Powered Lift hall is divided into three sub-levels, the first and highest being the one where Knuckles starts and from where is possible to access the pit with switch No1 and No.2, the room above with switch No.3 and a shaft that will lead to a chamber called the “Ghost room”. The second and medium one will access a shaft that will lead to Knuckles’ Air Necklace upgrade and the medium height entrance for the network of tight passageways. The third and lowest one will access the lowest height entrance for the network of tight passageways.
Water level
Aquatic Mine is divided into three major sections by water level.
The first section is with switch No.1 pressed. The room above the Water-Powered Lift hall, and consequently switch No.3, becomes available since the Water-Powered Lift system will be at its highest. From here, it’s possible to access by means of Mystic Melody a tight hallway that leads to the Ghost room, which in turn leads to another tight hallway through a further opening in the ceiling, where the Lost Chao in third mission and one of the Master Emerald in Hard Mode is. The only way to go back is by the way Knuckles came in, since a buoyancy platform is barring the way up the shaft from the Ghost room. The passageway network in the Water-Powered Lift hall will connect the middle height hallway to the bottom height hallway and accessible both the “Bottomless Shaft” and a small pit with smashed mine carts.
The second section is with switch No.2 pressed. The passageway network in the Water-Powered Lift hall won’t connect the middle height hallway to the lowest height hallway because of a buoyancy platform barring the way, yet the full network will be available, except the “Bottomless Shaft”. The Ghost room will also be accessible, with a thin sheet of water at the ground.
The third section is with switch No.3 pressed. The passegeway network in the Water-Powered Lift hall will connect the middle height hallway to the lowest height hallway, but neither the “Bottomless Shaft” or the small pit with smashed mine carts will be available, both barred by buoyancy platforms. The Air Neklace shaft and the Ghost room will be available however.
Enemies
Locations
Animals
| Animal | Number | Location |
|---|---|---|
<iimg>Condor! </iimg>
|
1 | Switch No.3 room: Over a lamp near the Omochao. |
<iimg>Dragon! </iimg>
|
1 | Air Necklace shaft: Close to the ceiling, in the room where the Air Necklace was. |
<iimg>Penguin! </iimg>
|
2 | Water-Powered Lift hall, medium level: From where Knuckles first starts, southwest, close to a spring. Network passageways: By two boxes next to each other, in the hallway between the lowest and medium hallways, which leads to the "Bottomless Shaft". |
<iimg>Seal! </iimg>
|
1 | Water-Powered Lift hall, lowest level: Near a switch No.3 sign. |
<iimg>Skunk! </iimg>
|
1 | Water-Powered Lift hall, upper level: From where Knuckles first starts, west. |
| Random | 4 | Switch No.3 room: In a pipe, at the left of a beam in the same wall as switch No.3. Switch No.3 room: In a pail that Knuckles can pick up, beyond the Mystic Melody room and before the mine cart. Water-Powered Lift hall, medium level: In a pipe, through the medium height hallway and between the mine carts. Water-Powered Lift hall, lower level: In a pipe, through the lowest height hallway and before the Rhino Spike. |
| Total | 10 |
The level specific animal (third Chao box) is a Dragon.
Big the Cat Location
From the start, go to the back left corner and dive down to the lowest level of the main room. Big will appear among the submerged rubble on the other side of the shaft's fence.
Emerald shards - Hard Mode
| Emerald shard | Requirements | Hints |
|---|---|---|
| #1 | Air Necklace?, Mystic Melody | Skull dead end. Behind the mysterious door. Open the door with that melody. |
| #2/* | Air Necklace?, Mystic Melody | The deep end of the ghost tunnel. Switch No.1. The bottom of the hole to the abyss. |
| #3 | Sunglasses | Almost reaching the ceiling. "Water-Powered Lift" hall. Put them on the pulley. |
Upgrade
Knuckles' Air Necklace upgrade can be found in this level. It’s down a shaft accessible in medium vertical height and with switch No.1 thrown.
Trivia
- Aquatic Mine is the only treasure hunting stage that doesn't surround the level with a forced U-turn barrier, and the only level in all of SA2 that doesn't have a "kill plane" polygon no matter how far the player travels in any direction, perhaps owing to its design as a small, completely enclosed stage.
- Also interestingly, it's the only level that doesn't limit the camera's draw distance.