- This article is about the overall location. For the Zone in Sonic & Knuckles, see Sandopolis Zone. For other uses, see Sandopolis Zone (disambiguation).
Sandopolis (サンドポリス Sandoporisu?) is a location that appears in the Sonic the Hedgehog series. It is a desertic region on Angel Island with ancient pyramids known for its treacherous terrain and for being inhabited by several breeds of ghosts.
Description[]
Sandopolis is a barren desert located on Angel Island, not too far away from the Mystic Ruins' jungle area. Its treacherous terrain makes it difficult to navigate this area without getting caught into one of the very frequent pools of quicksand. Additionally, there are many ancient mechanisms like moving platforms and elevators, as well as cascades of sand and hidden temples.
Boo's House, the inside of a pyramid in Sandopolis, from Team Sonic Racing.
What characterize Sandopolis are the many Ancient Egyptian-themed pyramids dispersed all over the region. At least one of these pyramids is known to be guarded by ancient robots called Guardians. They not only have enormous murals with hieroglyphs, but also echidna imagery and hidden treasure. However, these pyramids are easily best known for being home to various types of ghosts, like the aggressive Hyudoros and the more playful Boos. Deep inside those pyramids are routes that lead to Lava Reef, which houses the shrine of the Master Emerald and the Super Emeralds at the Hidden Palace. Apart from these ancient pyramids, high-tech pyramid facilities are also known to be located in Sandopolis, presumably under the control of Dr. Eggman.
History[]
Sonic 3 & Knuckles[]
In Sonic & Knuckles, and the lock-on game Sonic 3 & Knuckles, Sandopolis was one of the many regions on Angel Island that received an unwelcome visit from the notorious Dr. Eggman, who infested the ruins with his Badniks and took control of the pyramids in the area as part of his operations to relaunch the Death Egg and take over the world. It is documented that he trapped all of the Hyudoros inside Capsules, which is said to have been difficult for him to accomplish.[1]
Sonic in Sandopolis, from Sonic & Knuckles.
At a later point, when Eggman's Flying Battery was flying over Sandopolis, Sonic and Tails jumped out of the battleship and landed in the middle of the desert, from where they made their way through the treacherous terrain and the doctor's Badniks in order to destroy the Death Egg once and for all. Eventually, a massive pyramid rose in front of them, which they infiltrated after disposing of its Guardian. Eventually, however, they accidentally freed the caught Hyudoros, which quickly proved to be a burden to their quest. Despite this setback, the heroes made their way to the core of the pyramid, in which they confronted Eggman in his Egg Golem mech. After defeating the villain, however, the duo fell into a trap which sent them to the caves of Lava Reef, from where they continued with their journey.
Much later, Knuckles would land in Sandopolis after leaving the Flying Battery, as part of an adventure of his to destroy an Eggrobo that had attacked him. This would lead him to the same pyramid Sonic and Tails went through. After taking care of its Guardian, the echidna made his way through the pyramid with the Hyudoros hot on his heels. Eventually, he encountered the aforementioned Eggrobo in a rebuilt Egg Golem. Knuckles would emerge victorious from the fight that ensued, allowing him passage to a hidden route that led him to Lava Reef.
Sonic Adventure[]
Tails in Sand Hill, from Sonic Adventure DX: Director's Cut.
In Sonic Adventure, a subregion of Sandopolis called Sand Hill[note 1] would be visited by Tails in order to catch Froggy, Big the Cat's best friend, who had swallowed a Chaos Emerald. After chasing after the frog through the desert, the fox eventually managed to get him and take the Emerald.
Team Sonic Racing[]
In Team Sonic Racing, Sandopolis served as the site of many races between different racing teams, which were sponsored by Dodon Pa. This location in particular was where Dodon Pa was captured by Dr. Eggman in order to gain control of the tanuki's Ultimate Energy Engine and conquer the world.
Other game appearances[]
Sonic Racing[]
In Sonic Racing, Sandopolis is where three separate stages are set.
Sonic Frontiers[]
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Points of interest[]
Clockwork Pyramid, a location in Sandopolis, from Team Sonic Racing.
- Ancient Ruins
- Boo's House
- Clockwork Pyramid
- Desert Canyon
- Pyramid Paths
- Sand Hill[note 1]/Sand Road
In other media[]
Books and comics[]
IDW Publishing[]
In the Sonic the Hedgehog comic series and its spin-offs published by IDW Publishing, Bean and Bark was captured by Knuckles to get them off Angel Island, which Fang would later rescue them.
Archie Comics[]
In the Sonic the Hedgehog comic series and its spin-offs published by Archie Comics, Sandopolis Zone originally appeared in the form of the Sandopolis Desert on Angel Island.
After the Super Genesis Wave re-wrote history, the Sandopolis Zone's past became virtually identical to that of its game counterpart. Eclipse the Darkling passed through here while in possession of the Master Emerald, being pursued by Shadow and Knuckles.
Sonic the Comic[]
The Sandopolis Zone, from Sonic the Comic #47. Art by Richard Elson.
In the Sonic the Comic series published by Fleetway Editions, the Sandopolis Zone is a desert Zone found only on the Floating Island. In this media, the Sandopolis Zone is filled with many ancient ruins, most noticeably the Lost Pyramid of Sandopolis, making it an ideal target for treasure hunters.
Trivia[]
- The Sandopolis racecourses in Team Sonic Racing are Rouge the Bat's personal favorite tracks because of her speculation that there might be a secret treasure in the local pyramids.[2]
- According to Silver, Sandopolis brings him "bad memories".[3]
Gallery[]
Artwork[]
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 Sonic & Knuckles (JP manual). Art by Hirokazu Yasuhara.        Artwork by Gigi Dutreix, posted on the official Sonic Twitter account. |
Screenshots[]
Sonic 3 & Knuckles[]
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Sonic Adventure[]
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Team Sonic Racing[]
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Notes[]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 While not explicitely stated to located in Sandopolis in Sonic Adventure and related material, Sand Hill's reappearance in Team Sonic Racing as Sand Road confirmed that it was a part of the region.
References[]
- ↑ (in Japanese) ソニックジャム オフィシャルガイド. SoftBank. October 2, 1997. p. 85. ISBN 978-4797303377. ""From Sonic Team: ここは今までのシリーズにはない砂面ということで、比較的自由に作りました。 後半に出てくるオバケは、敵としては初めてエッグマンが作り出したものではないんですよね。 彼がピラミッドに侵入するときに、一生懸命ボックスにオバケを集めておいたという設定です｡ [This is a sand stage, which has not been seen in the series previously, so we made it relatively freely. The ghost that appears in the second half is the first enemy not created by Eggman. When he invaded the pyramid, he worked hard to put the ghosts in the box.]"
- ↑ 【特別企画】『チームソニックレーシング』レーサー直撃インタビュー！ その3「チーム ダーク」 (Japanese). Sega. Archived from the original on May 18, 2019. Retrieved on March 15, 2023. "Q: 好きなコースはどこですか？ [What is your favorite course?] / Rouge: 好きなコースねぇ…アタシは「サンドロード」や「ブーズハウス」のある砂漠エリアが好きかな。怪しげなピラミッドに、数々の古代遺跡が残るあの場所には、きっと隠されたお宝が眠っているはず…トレジャーハンターの血がうずくのよねぇ。[What's my favorite course? I think I like the desert area with 'Sand Road' and 'Boo's House'. There must be a hidden treasure in that place where many ancient ruins remain in a dubious pyramid... The blood of a treasure hunter is tingling, isn't it?]"
- ↑ Sumo Digital (21 May 2019). Team Sonic Racing. PlayStation 4. Sega. Area/level: Sand Hill. "Silver: This wasteland brings me bad memories."