Cannon's Core

Cannon's Core is the final stage--actually five separate stages played in sequence using Tails, Dr. Eggman, Rouge, Knuckles, and Sonic--which, combined with the final two boss fights, comprises the entirety of the Last story in Sonic Adventure 2.

Level layout

Appearance

The major gimmicks of this level are being divided into five sections each with specific character and time switches scattered in each part. The charactes are as follows: Tails, then Eggman, both sent to destroy doors, Rouge and then Knuckles, both sent to hunt for switches (but with no radar) and finally Sonic, who runs trough the level. About the time switches, touching or shooting one will freeze the timer as well as all non-player objects for a few (real-time) seconds. The stage provides many different challenges where the ability to stop time comes in handy, from landing safely amid fast-moving platforms, to bringing a torrential flow of liquid under control, to safe passage through laser barriers (which disappear entirely during a time stop). Although in the pre-level cinema, Gerald Robotnik warns of impending doom when ARK crashes into Earth in the next 27:53; nonetheless, Cannon's Core doesn't have a time limit and you can play for as long as you like.

Walkthrough

Sonic

Sonic first starts going down a rail inside a tunnel, and being dropped close to a time switch. Hitting the switch will make the lasers disappear of the hallway entrance beyond, and from here there’s two doors, one to the left and one to the right, unlocked by destroying the Artificial Chaos P-100. At the end of this right hallway there’s another Artificial Chaos, that destroyed opens the left door. Here there’s a hallway with lasers and a second time switch that will deactivate them and past this there’s a large room with cogs rotating on the ceiling. The water here won’t allow Sonic to move properly, but hitting a third time switch in an upper ledge at the end will make it stop and allow Sonic to summersault past the fence below. Past this there’s another tunnel with a ceiling rail, which will end at a larger room with a two-way waterfall. The way to the back will lead to an endless pit, but it also has two time switches, which will stop the water flow and will make Sonic’s way up the waterfall easier, and the forward path will take Sonic to the room beyond. It’s worth noticing that if every previous Mystic Melody was activated, a trail of rings exists on top of the waterfall, which leads to an upwards room. Past the waterfall room there’s another large room where the water is being dropped onto, a long tunnel beyond and at the end there’s the Goal.

Locations

Animals

Cannon's Core is divided into two animal counters, one for the four first characters and the other for Sonic only.

Animal	Number	Location
<iimg>Condor!</iimg>	1	Rouge: Circling above the giant switch, accessible after opening the structure holding it.
<iimg>Gorilla!</iimg>	1	Tails: Circling the rotating spikes.
<iimg>Parrot!</iimg>	2	Sonic: Circling above the second time switch. Sonic: Circling above the entrance to the long water tunnel.
<iimg>Sea Otter!</iimg>	1	Knuckles: In Rouge's hallway room, in the switch's place.
<iimg>Seal!</iimg>	2	Tails: Below the pair of crushers, to the left. Knuckles: Over the two vertical cages stacked together, at the hallway with a time switch in the middle.
Random	5	Tails: In a pipe close to a platform, located halfway down the south wall of the outside section. Tails: In a pipe, below the crusher to the right on the final room. Eggman: In a steel container to the right after the shaft. In a pipe close to a cube hole, located at the two time switch room. Rouge: In a pipe in the second section of the tallest pillar. Knuckles: In the northwest steel container, after the lasers in the upper room. Sonic: In a steel container, to the back of the platform where Sonic first starts. Sonic: In a pipe on the cube hole to the right, in the hallway with the second time switch.
Total	10 (11) + ?

Big the Cat

Because Cannon's Core is actually five stages, it makes sense that there are five locations for Big.

• In Tails' section, after the platform ride down, Big is hanging onto the wall to the right of (and below) the door up ahead.
• In Eggman's section, go down the long drop with lasers. At the bottom there will be some time switches on the wall, and Big is sitting above the switch on the left.
• In Rouge's section, Big is found close to where Knuckles starts, by climbing up to the top of the accessible level and looking further up.
• In Knuckles' section, descend through the laser-filled room. Look ahead at the next tunnel, then turn right. Big can be seen behind the right wall, close to floor level.
• In Sonic's section, play to the start of the long slide. Go backwards and hit the last time switch on the left, then look forward and left. Big will be sitting on a pillar out in the open.

Chao containers

• Eggman: In a room directly on front of the Point Marker.
• Rouge: In the left corner of the switch room.
• Sonic: At the back of the platform Sonic starts in after the tunnel.

Gold Beetle

The Gold Beetle can be found in the room with the cogs rotating on the ceiling, close to the fence.