Special Stages are accessed by finding giant rings hidden throughout each Act. There are 7 Chaos Emeralds to collect. Entering a giant ring transports you to a 3D sphere-collecting mini-game. The goal is to collect all blue spheres without touching any red spheres. Touching a red sphere will instantly end the Special Stage. Collecting rings within the Special Stage will increase your score and grant extra lives. As you progress, the stages become more complex, introducing green spheres (which turn blue spheres into red spheres if you pass over them twice) and bumper spheres. Mastering the controls and planning your route is crucial for success. Collecting all 7 Chaos Emeralds as Sonic unlocks Super Sonic, and as Knuckles, it unlocks Hyper Knuckles (if playing with Sonic 3 & Knuckles locked-on).
