It’s time to look back in wonder at a stone-cold classic zone in the Sonic game franchise. This is a zone that is famed for its golden color scheme and incredible pinball action. It’s a zone that has inspired countless other games and once played is never forgotten. Yes, that’s right, we’re talking about Casino Night Zone in Sonic the Hedgehog 2. So, let’s switch on our consoles and take another look at this genre-defining gambling section.
Inspired by the Slot Machines of Vegas
"las-vegas-2012-20" by Mathieu Lebreton (CC BY 2.0)
Casino Night Zone is inspired by the real-world casino environments of Las Vegas. The fabulous city of gambling and glamour is known for its glittering surroundings and ever-popular slot machine games. And just how popular are the city’s slot games? Well, tourists from all over the world visit Las Vegas to play them. And millions more regularly play similar slot machine games in the comfort of their own homes via the internet. Currently, Starburst is the world’s most popular online slot game - whether that's due to the eye-catching graphics, the available bonuses or wide-ranging compatibility is not clear. But what is clear, is that there are plenty of others to choose from, too, and they all have one thing in common - they’re incredibly enjoyable. Knowing all this, it’s easy to see why the creators of Sonic the Hedgehog decided that our favourite character also deserved a little bit of slot game fun.
Infused with Pinball Fun
"Count-Down" by Chris Ainsworth (CC BY-SA 2.0)
The other inspiration for Casino Night Zone is pinball. Many readers may be too young to remember when pinball machines could be found in every town, but they were the original arcade machines. Taking just one look at the history of pinball, we can see that these machines were hugely popular and also great fun to play. So, it makes sense that the makers of Sonic 2 decided to combine pinball action with slot machine fun to make the ultimate zone.
An Overview of the Zone
If you want to know more about Casino Night Zone, it’s best to play it yourself. To enter, you have to play through the game until after the Aquatic Ruin Zone. You will be confronted with neon colors and gaming elements including pinball flaps, bumpers and slot machines. Also, look out for the spring catapults. At the end of each of the two acts, you will have to confront a pinball bumper intent on stopping Sonic. But can he be stopped? Never! Sonic springs around the zone at his usual speed, bouncing from section to section with glee.Playing the Slot Machines
Perhaps the most exciting part of Casino Night Zone is playing the slot machines and you can do this by entering a hatch at the top or bottom of a machine. You can then activate the machine and find different combinations of the three elements to get a reward. And what’s the best reward? Rings, of course! But there is also the risk that you can lose rings, giving gameplay an additional element of excitement. Another option is that you can simply win nothing, which adds realism to the game because part of the joy of playing slots is that you never know what’s going to happen.Get Gaming
If you need any further inspiration, you can read our full article about Casino Night Zone. But you’re probably itching to get gaming. So, enjoy Casino Night Zone and the rest of Sonic 2.
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