| << Previous action stage | — | Sonic the Hedgehog (2006) Dusty Desert (Sonic) |
— | Next action stage >> |
| << Previous action stage | — | Sonic the Hedgehog (2006) Dusty Desert (Shadow) |
| << Previous action stage | — | Sonic the Hedgehog (2006) Dusty Desert (Silver) |
— | Next action stage >> |
Dusty Desert is an action stage in Sonic the Hedgehog. It is a desert near Soleanna filled with quicksand, moving pillars and ancient ruins.
Gameplay
Sonic
Sonic the Hedgehog may have saved Princess Elise from Dr. Eggman’s clutches by defeating Egg Cerberus, but now he must carry her through the treacherous Dusty Desert. A glacial progression of sand dunes slowly swallows the ancient ruins where Sonic starts, leaving the hedgehog precious little safe footing. Getting caught out in the sand is an invitation for disaster Sonic can’t run over the dunes if he can’t get solid footing. Fortunately, he and Princess Elise can combine their strengths, defy the pull of the sand for a few moments, and buy enough breathing room to get through the ruins and put some distance between them and Dr. Eggman.
As Sonic, you escort Princess Elise through the desert away from Eggman's robots. This is the second stage in Sonic's story and the first stage where you have to run through while carrying Princess Elise. Sonic is able to do his Homing Attack on all the robots regularly despite holding Elise. He's also able to run across the quick sand while carrying Elise and uses her unknown power to create a shield that keeps them from sinking. The level is a relatively short one. The level is filled by Egg Guardian, Egg flyer, Egg bomber, Egg commander, Egg Rounder, Egg Stinger and of course, Egg Gunner.
Shadow
Shadow the Hedgehog and Omega approach the end of their mission by heading out to the arid wastelands of the Dusty Desert. The pair must infiltrate some ancient ruins buried deep beneath the sand, pressing hard against Iblis’s rampaging minions. The beasts born of fi re put up a major defense against the hedgehog and his robot companion. The labyrinthine ruins offer the monsters ample hiding spots, but with Shadow’s mastery over his chaos powers and Omega’s powerful laser cannon, Iblis has reason to be worried that the future could be rewritten by the one hedgehog who has no reason to help humanity.
As Shadow, you start off riding a G.U.N. Hovercraft and must locate the Chaos Emerald and find your way to the ancient ruins where Mephiles the Dark is dead set on finishing him off once and for all. On the hover vehicle, you must pass through sets of pillars that rise out of the sand each time you go through the set of pillars before it. You must do this every time otherwise the door to the temple ruins will not open. Once you're in the temple you must avoid obstacles at high speeds and destroy Iblis and Mephiles enemies as they try to stop you. Once you reach a new room you then play as E-123 Omega to locate a switch to proceed. Eventually you reach the center and the goal ring where you'll have a final battle with Mephiles the Dark.
Omega
E-123 Omega isn't playable until Shadow reaches the inside of the temple. He runs through large platforming sections and fires his blasters at the robots when needed. His objective has him attempting to reach and activate switches in order for the player to continue on as Shadow the Hedgehog.
Silver
The desert knows how to keep secrets, such as a buried temple swallowed beneath the sand. Silver enters the ruins in his continuing quest to hunt the Iblis Trigger, but while exploring the temple complex, he meets an unlikely ally: Amy Rose. The girl, smitten with Silver’s sworn enemy (Sonic), helps the psychic hedgehog get through a few tight spots that require the use of a Double Jump and a smashing Hammer. However, some of the temple’s most puzzling chambers require a little PK to figure out, so it’s back to Silver when it’s time to navigate this ancient tomb’s brain-teasing rooms.
As Silver, you start off in the ancient ruins searching for Sonic. Silver uses his psychokinesis to capture stunned robots and throw them at enemies. At a later point you play as Amy Rose to locate a switch to proceed. At the end of the stage you play as Silver again and do a series of large stone ball puzzle in an attempt to get the ball in their intended holes. This is necessary for the doors of the temple to open up and take you where you need to go. Silver later returns to the desert, this time in the exterior regions, when looking for the white Emerald in the End of the World. The level is filled by Egg Stinger, Egg Guardian, Egg Bomber, Egg Searcher, Egg Armor, Egg Sweeper and of course Egg Gunner.
Amy
Amy has the ability to (somehow) turn invisible and whack the robots she comes across with her hammer. She has no jump attack so her attacks are limited to what she can do on foot.
Overview
Sonic Episode
Sonic and Elise in Dusty Desert.
In Sonic Episode, Sonic has just defeated the Egg-Cerberus and rescued Elise. However, Eggman attempts to make due on his claim to not allow Sonic and the others to get away. He sends a squadron of robots after them in order to finish Sonic off and recapture the princess. Tails buys them some time and manages to distract a good amount of the robots away from them. Sonic and Elise run through the desert and take out the amount of Eggman's robots that manage to catch up to them. They escape and head back toward the city through a grassy plain.
Shadow Episode
Shadow exploring the caves of Dusty Desert.
Dusty Desert is the final stage in Shadow Episode. After Omega's confession at Wave Ocean, Team Dark headed off to Dusty Desert where they were positive Mephiles was along with his own Chaos Emerald. They manage to make it through the desert and into the temple. When they reach the center they manage to locate Mephiles and take him on for a final battle.
Silver Episode
Silver meets up with Amy Rose the night he spots Sonic chasing after Eggman's Egg Carrier. However, she stopped him thinking he was Sonic and now she has agreed to help locate who he is looking for as a result of feeling at fault. Once they reach the desert Silver is transfixed by the beauty around the area. When he marvels at the sight Amy is confused by his fascination with a mere desert. Silver suddenly agrees to help Amy find who she is looking for and they manage to make their way through the temple in the Dusty Desert.
Silver Medals locations
Sonic
- The very first Silver Medal in Dusty Desert is on the ledge behind where Sonic and Elise start their travels.
- Go the normal way after the first ramp instead of crossing the rising platforms. As soon as you hit the first checkpoint, turn to the left, the Silver Medal is there.
- After the player passes through the second Point Marker, avoid the spiked bar and use the Springs to reach a set of stairs in the middle of the sand. Bash the two robots. Then grab another silver medal just off the beaten path.
- After the third checkpoint, continue the way until the player faces the Dash Panels after the said Marker. Jump out to the ledge on the left. The Silver Medal is on the archway over to the right, next to the spike trap. Avoid the spikes, swipe the Silver Medal, and then continue moving through the stage.
- If the player turns to his left at the first robot guarded cage, there is a Silver Medal on a platform with two winged statues, turn on the Energy field and walk over there, then go to the back of this platform and there will be a couple of enemies the player can use to Homing Attack up there.
- Afterward, do not hit the spring that the robots are guarding. Instead, jump up on two ledges to the left and then turn left and the player will see two flyer robots to Homing Attack. You will end up running on the side of a wall, the Silver Medal is on this wall in the middle, use the Energy field to knock Egg Bombers out of the way.
- As soon as the player goes around the next loop, jump to catch a Rainbow Ring. Now look to the right for a Silver Medal on that ledge. Do not hit the spring up there, drop down to the lower part of the level instead.
- After the fourth checkpoint and some spiky balls, look for Egg Bombers on the side of the wall to the right. The player must Homing Attack up them and an Item Box, then move up to the platforms that are moving in and out of the wall, a plenty of Homing Attacks more then you get the Silver Medal.
- As the player falls down to complete the previous path, another Silver medal floats over the last gap in the path. If the player uses the Dash Panels, he misses it, so just get a running start and use a regular jump to clear the gap and grab the prize.
- Before closing in on the Goal Ring, pick up the Silver Medal tucked behind the statues on the left side of the temple entrance.
Shadow
- On the way across the first point maker, look for the Silver medal in the dark cavern; it is hanging right above the stone tube.
- After the second point marker, go to a platform on the left side of the chamber which has a Silver Medal.
- On the same section, to the left of the exit door, in the wavy sand under a platform.
- After switching with E-123 Omega, knock down the statues in the chamber to reveal the fourth Silver medal.
- Inside the room after the fourth checkpoint, it is located at the end of the highest ledge in the room.
- Inside the same room, destroy four boxes on the end of the ledge that has the spring to the exit door.
- In the hallway after the door the player must open with a switch, break the boxes on the right hand side to collect a Silver medal.
- After changing to Shadow, jump to the platform to the left, a Silver Medal is inside a vase on this platform.
- When spinning on a Swinging Bar, there is a Silver medal on the right side of the chamber, on the narrow ledge. Use a Homing Attack to jump from a fire bird to the ledge, then grab the medal.
- After the cave section, the player will hit the sixth checkpoint. Follow the hallway to the bars, then swing around them to launch over the gap in the floor. The player lands right next to a pack of fire monsters and a pair of titans. Smash all of the wooden crates in here to discover the last Silver Medal.
Silver
- After the player finished knocking all of the spheres into the holes, jump up into the side passage where the spheres came out of and pick up a medal.
- On the waving sands room, there is a Silver Medal inside the statue on the right side of the room. Throw a crate or jar at the statue to knock it over and reveal the medal.
- As the player changes to Amy Rose, after the first point marker look to the left of the room to see the third one.
- After finding the first switch in Amy's section, it is on the switch's right.
- In the next room of Amy's section (second point marker), fall down to the right and smash the Wooden Containers next to the spring.
- Upon changing to Silver in the first room, it is seen on the left side inside a statue.
- There is a Silver medal on the right side of the waving sands room, next to a narrow ledge. To reach the ledge, the player must levitate to the Chaos Drive Capsule to recharge Psychokinesis in mid-flight. This gives a plenty of PK to complete the flight to the ledge and then jump out to get the medal.
- In the next room, it is in a vase to the left.
- The ninth Silver medal is located to the right of the fourth Point Marker, next to the door.
- Before going into the Goal Ring, lift the jars on the left side of the room to reveal the last medal.
Trivia
Silver's ball puzzle.
- Silver's ball puzzle in the game has a glitch that allows Silver to jump through the top of the door at the end of the long hall where he is supposed to push a large stone ball into a hole in order to reach the goal.
- In Sonic's Very Hard version of the stage, more traps are present, but the most dramatic change is that Sonic goes through the stage by himself. Without the shield that Sonic normally uses when carrying Elise, the terrain is more dangerous since he cannot walk across the quicksand.
- Omega Hover's glitch is useful in this stage to transport through the level without descent and to finish Omega's part faster.
Music
| Name | Artist | Length | Music Track |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dusty Desert ~Quicksand~ | Tomoya Ohtani, Mariko Nanba | 3:45 | |
| Dusty Desert ~The Ruins~ | Tomoya Ohtani, Mariko Nanba | 2:52 |
Video
Sources
- Silver Medal Location Guide by Agnix
- Sonic the Hedgehog Prima official guide