Guide to Launch Base Zone in Sonic & Knuckles. Learn about obstacles like flamethrower machines and lasers, and how to defeat the mini-bosses in Act 1.
Launch Base Zone is the final level of Sonic The Hedgehog 3. Although there are many dangerous obstacles, such as flamethrower machines and lasers, this Zone isn't too difficult to complete in comparison to Sonic 1's Scrap Brain Zone and Sonic 2's Metropolis Zone. This is probably due to the fact that Sonic & Knuckles was originally supposed to be part of Sonic 3, so Launch Base isn't too tough, as Sonic Team had planned to release the "Sonic 3 Complete version" (AKA Sonic 3 & Knuckles), but they decided to release Sonic the Hedgehog 3 and Sonic & Knuckles separately instead.
Obstacles in the Launch Base include laser walls, overhead lasers, rotating gold cups, red sirens, rotating magnetic drums, and flame blasters. Watch out for the Orbinauts that are above or underneath the magnetic drums. When laser walls block your progress, wait for a moment to see an opening. If you run through it quickly, you'll pass through the opening and avoid the lasers.
- 1After emerging from the ground, head right and go past the alarms. You'll set them off, causing a group of Flybot767s to fly towards you. If you destroy them one after another and keep setting off the alarms, the score counter will increase, so it's a good way to improve your score.
- 2The Death Egg can't be seen in the background. It seems Robotnik was repairing the space station in this level and was preparing to launch it, but Sonic/Tails blasted it to smithereens. Anyway, go right and use the gravelling hook to come across an elevator. Take the elevator and jump into the rotating gold cup. After riding it, destroy the switch and jump into another cup. At the top, go right and down the slope.
- 3Go left and head past the Starpost. Ride the cup and go right. Destroy the switch and drop down. When you reach an elevator, take it and the next one. Go left and drop down. Destroy the switch and drop down.
- 4Go past the Starpost and Spin Dash through the pipes. When you come across a tall wall, climb up it. As you enter a passageway, you'll drop down. Ignore the switch nearby and go left. When you have passed the Starpost, head back to the switch and destroy it. Drop down to fight the Mini-Bosses. Yes, unlike Sonic/Tails, you have to battle two of them at once!
Mini-Boss Battle: Spiked Rotating Machines - 12 Hits
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