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- Angel Island Zone
Sonic the Hedgehog 3

- Angel Island Zone

Master Angel Island Zone in Sonic the Hedgehog 3! Learn how to beat the Bomber Ship mini-boss and navigate the tricky terrain with this expert walkthrough.

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Master Angel Island Zone in Sonic the Hedgehog 3! Learn how to beat the Bomber Ship mini-boss and navigate the tricky terrain with this expert walkthrough.

Alright, so you've booted up Sonic the Hedgehog 3 and you're ready to dive in! Angel Island Zone is where it all begins, and honestly, it's a pretty sweet spot to get the hang of Sonic and Tails' moves. The game kicks off with a cinematic: Sonic and Tails are flying towards this Floating Island, and right as they get close, Sonic leaps out, goes Super Sonic, and surfs his way onto the island. Things get a little spicy when Knuckles pops out of a tunnel, smacks into Sonic, and makes him drop all his Chaos Emeralds before snatching them and bailing. If you're playing as Tails, you'll just skip all that intro drama and get straight to the action.

Walkthrough
  1. 1
    You'll start off running right. Just cruise past that first enemy, the Monkeydude.
  2. 2
    Next up is a RhinoBot and a couple of spikes. Don't sweat 'em.
  3. 3
    After that, you'll see a spot to drop down. Do it, and then immediately Spin Dash to the left to blast through some boulders.
  4. 4
    You'll see a Giant Ring ahead – jump into it to head to the Special Stage.
  5. 5
    When you pop back into the level, just run through the loop-de-loop.
  6. 6
    You'll hit some water. See that spring? Jump on it, and it'll fling you way over to the right.
  7. 7
    Now, you'll need to push a small boulder to the left. Once it's moved, break through the passageway it was blocking.
  8. 8
    Grab the Invincibility power-up inside. Then, use the hidden spring nearby to get back up to the main path.
  9. 9
    Head through the loop-de-loop again, and then go up the tunnel.
  10. 10
    You'll hear a distinct Mini-Boss theme music start up. Uh oh. An armada of Bomber Ships shows up and starts setting the island on fire! If you're playing as Sonic and Tails (meaning a second player is controlling Tails), you can team up to take down the main Bomber Ship. You need to hit it a total of eight times. If you're solo as Sonic, you can't actually destroy it in this part.
  11. 11
    After that fiery encounter, run past the Starpost checkpoint.
  12. 12
    You'll come to a hill – just run down it.
  13. 13
    Keep an eye out for some ledges to jump across. Grab onto the gravelling hook you find.
  14. 14
    Run through another loop-de-loop.
  15. 15
    Use the spring you find right after to launch yourself upwards.
  16. 16
    As you're climbing up these ledges, be super careful of the Bloominator enemy. It's a plant-like boss that spits projectiles.
  17. 17
    Keep heading right, and you'll come face-to-face with the Mini-Boss.
Tips
  • Angel Island Zone is a great place to practice your Spin Dash and general momentum. Get a feel for how fast you can go!
  • Don't miss the Invincibility power-up in Act 1; it makes dealing with the Bloominator and the Bomber Ships much easier.
  • If you're playing with a friend as Tails, coordinating attacks on the Bomber Ship is key to taking it down quickly.
  • Progress to Act 2 of Angel Island Zone.
  • If playing as Sonic & Tails, you can destroy the Bomber Ship for a slightly different outcome in the cutscene.

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