


The final level of a zone is always a boss fight against Robotnik. Sonic can pick up golden rings for protection (when hit, he simply loses all of his rings instead of a life) and bonuses: 100 rings gain Sonic an extra life, and 50 remaining rings at the end of a level allow access to pinball-themed special stages full of bumpers and springs. Most of the enemies (mechanized animals, defeated by Sonic's spikes when jumping or rolling) and power-ups (speed-ups, shields, extra lives) are the same as in the Genesis version as well. Other unique differences are one level that scrolls automatically and one that is aligned vertically instead of horizontally. Most of the zones are based on those in the original game, but some are entirely new, including a jungle environment and a huge airship. Robotnik, Sonic must traverse six zones consisting of three levels each. SEGA's mascot Sonic the Hedgehog made his debut in a famous Genesis title, but Sega's 8-bit systems got their own version of the platformer, featuring the same story and gameplay style, but different levels.
