Wild Canyon

Wild Canyon is the second stage in the Hero storyline of Sonic Adventure 2 and the first stage playable with Knuckles. It represents attempt to find Master Emerald pieces that were scattered after he smashed it.

Appearance

Wild Canyon is a desert and wind themed level, with sand ground, Egyptian references, wind currents and windmills.

The major gimmick of this level is the "Altar of Wind," a giant air tunnel with a strong wind to blow Knuckles upwards.

Other level-specific objects are stone apartments that hold various items, giant statues holding boxes that can be dug into, stone blocks that can pushed along tracks and old purple treasure chests that can be smashed.

Level divisions

Wild Canyon is divided into two major sections.

The first section is called "Chamber of Wind"; it’s where Knuckles first starts. It’s located inside some ancient ruins and is composed of two major levels, the bottom floor and a second one closer to the ceiling. Riding the wind current will allow Knuckles to reach the section above, which is unreachable otherwise.

The second section is a dry and reddish canyon setting, which is called "Stone Dance Hall". It branches into two hallways opposite each other, the "Lonely Statue" area and the "Sphinx Head" area. To get back to the lower level, there are holes in the ground level of "Stone Dance Hall".

Enemies

• Beetle Series: Gold Beetle
• Rhino Series: Rhino Jet (Normal Mode), Rhino Spike (Hard Mode)
• Hawk Series: Gun Hawk

Locations

Animals

Animal	Number	Location
<iimg>Cheetah!</iimg>	1	Chamber of Wind: By the foot of the statue, northwest.
<iimg>Condor!</iimg>	2	Lonely Statue area: Above the middle wall horizontal stuck pillar. Lonely Statue hallway: In the southeast pillar of the X platform.
<iimg>Dragon!</iimg>	1	Lonely Statue area: In the southwest wall of a room reachable by digging through the painting above the head of the Lonely Statue.
<iimg>Peacock!</iimg>	1	Sphinx Head area: Behind the statue's head.
<iimg>Ram!</iimg>	2	Chamber of Wind: Behind the stone block at the right corner, from where Knuckles first starts. Chamber of Wind: Inside a treasure chest located in the eastern wall ledge.
Random	3	Chamber of Wind: In a pipe located in the south wall ledge. Stone Dance Hall: In a pipe, southwest from how Knuckles is first blown upwards. Lonely Statue area: In a pipe by the last pillar before the pit with the two Rhino Jet.
Total	10

The level specific animal (third Chao box) is a Dragon.

Big the Cat

At the beginning, ride the wind up to the top, then turn around 180° and glide to the wall. When Knuckles hits the wall, climb up and right next to the windmill, where Big can be seen sitting and facing away from Knuckles.

Chao Boxes

• Chamber of Wind: On the northwest highest pillar.
• Sphinx Head area: To the left of the statue's head.
• Lonely Statue area: By the statue's foot.

Master Emerald shards - Hard Mode

Emerald shard	Requirements	Hints
#1		"X" marks the spot. Behind something. Right below the suspended ceiling in front of a lonely statue.
#2	Shovel Claw Sunglasses*	A secret room. The other side of a wall painting. If you dig into a wall painting, there is a new path to...
#3	Sunglasses	A very windy area. You can't use your technique to get it! Try wearing your sunglasses on a pillar somewhere.

* This Emerald Shard can be obtained without the Sunglasses upgrade, but having it will make it easier.

• Lonely Statue area: Under the X shaped raised platform. Jumping and gliding from the closest stone apartment will make it easier to grab.
• Stone Dance Hall: Behind from where Knuckles is blown by the wind from Chamber of Wind, there's a painting under the platform. Dig through it and use the Sunglasses to see the trail of rings that leads to the correct painting (or go throught the middle painting on the right), which will in turn lead to a new room.
• Chamber of Wind: Inside the bottomless pit of the Altar of Wind. Use the Sunglasses while standing on the lowest pillar to the right and hit the closest spring that becomes visible.

Lost Chao

• Upgrades: Shovel Claw, Mystic Melody

From where Knuckles first starts, climb the south wall and in the southeast corner, there will be some metal boxes that broken will reveal a painting. Dig through it, activate the two Mystic Melodies and jump into the warp hole.

Upgrades

Knuckles' Mystic Melody upgrade can be found here, though it requires the Shovel Claw to access. It's in a room accessed by digging through the painting above the head of the Lonely Statue in it's respective area.