Zone: 0 > Sonic 1 > Spring Yard Zone

Sonic the Hedgehog - 1991 - Sega Mega Drive/Genesis - Primary Platformer

Background Info Gameplay Stages and Story Other Modes Miscellaneous Downloads

Welcome to the first ever, what is technically known as, pinball or "bouncy" stage. Seemingly set just on the outskirts of a city, this slightly bizarre and loosely casino-themed arena will throw Sonic around, and introduce him to the bumpers and moving blocks that will make this type of level one of the most common in the series. "COPE"!

Appearance Level Structure Features and Obstacles Act 1 Act 2 Act 3 Miscellaneous Notes

Game: Sonic the Hedgehog

Stage Number: 3

Level Division: 3 Acts

Boss: End of Act 3

Playable Characters: Sonic

Difficulty Rating:

Music: ..contributed by guest writer Flint
This one's got some grooove. And there's something very... casino-y in this one, isn't there? Brings images of the neon glitter of Vegas into your mind. Maybe it's just association with the level itself... Anyway, this particularly groovy track has got the beat to make your feet tap rhythm while you enjoy those gorgeous synth "horns". On the chorus the song turns lighter, all twinkly and jingly whilst still retaining the funky bass line. Splendid stuff. Same music for all 3 acts.

Typical Length:

Act 1: 1 minute, 30 seconds - 2 minutes
Act 2: 1 minute, 30 seconds - 2 minutes
Act 3: 2 minutes, 30 seconds - 3 minutes

Available Items:


Act 1	167	2	2	1	1	1	1
Act 2	221	1	0	1	1	0	1
Act 3	164	2	3	3	3	1	1

Spring Yard Zone Downloads:

Level Maps:	Act 1 map (.png) Act 2 map (.png) Act 3 map (.png)
Art:	Official badnik art (.jpg) Unofficial level artwork for Zone: 0 (.jpg) By artist Ricky Earl

Top Tips

- Be careful when using the series of large blocks that move up and down the long pits. It can be really easy to get crushed between their edges, so make sure you make you move when they're moving away from, and not towards each other. Stand in the middle of them and take your time, ensuring you have plenty of space to jump or step into before you do so.

Artwork by Ricky Earl, for Zone: 0.

Each section of this page allows users to add their own notes to fill in any missing details or supply additional research etc.

View general notes for Spring Yard Zone (10)

#1. Comment posted by Muzozavr on Sunday, 26th October 2008, 7:36am (GMT)

Your maps are a heaven when Ring Attacking. I wouldn't find all of Spring Yard's hidden rings otherwise.

Off to do Star Light, I guess. Damn those fans...

#2. Comment posted by Anonymous on Friday, 22nd May 2009, 12:05am (BST)

this is probably stupid but maybe cope was originally dope but got got changed for obvious reasons

#3. Comment posted by Super Volcano on Saturday, 29th January 2011, 8:34am (GMT)

For the Act 1 ring count, there's actually 157 rings and 2 ring boxes. You made me waste ages looking for 10 more...

#4. Comment posted by Super Volcano on Saturday, 29th January 2011, 8:46am (GMT)

And for act 2, there's 222 rings, not 221.

#5. Comment posted by Super Volcano on Saturday, 29th January 2011, 8:51am (GMT)

AND in Act 3 there's 193 rings, not 194

#6. Comment posted by Philip on Monday, 14th February 2011, 6:09am (GMT)

I think there are more spiked traps and badniks than pinball elements. Not a bad zone, with plenty of walk-through walls leading to obstacles and bonuses. Cool.

#7. Comment posted by Anonymous on Sunday, 25th September 2011, 10:35pm (BST)

The boss for this is hard. Period.
(I'm gonna kick his ass someday.)

#8. Comment posted by relickord on Friday, 7th June 2013, 5:09pm (BST)

In Act 1, if you use the speed box at the beginning of the level and you are fast enough, by using the second red spring you can actually jump through the wall protecting the higher zone marked as "2" in the map.

#9. Comment posted by Anto.G86 on Saturday, 8th June 2013, 2:14pm (BST)

@ relickord: Yeah, that's what I do too. Means I can do the level, get the extra life, and over 100 rings in under two minutes. Lifesaver.

#10. Comment posted by Da RoMan!!!! on Sunday, 23rd June 2013, 12:11pm (BST)

I just love the music to this zone and Star Light Zone. In fact I think Sonic 1 has the best music of the classic sonic games.

Hide Notes

The typical "weird" stage in the Sonic legacy has its origins here, in the bizarrely designed Spring Yard Zone. Set at late evening/dusk, the zone seems to take place in a kind of park, in or very close to the city. The background is illuminated by the purple glow of the urban environment, of which the silhouettes of building tops, complete with water towers and air vents on top, are visible. Looking over the city are tall, rocky mountains, and thick green bushes and grass are located beneath the buildings, indicating the park aspects of the level. The sky is purple with sunset-yellow clouds dotted around.

Spring Yard loves its random, illuminated words.

Though a city can be seen in the background, the immediate location for this zone is difficult to ascertain - looks like some sort of inner city park.

The immediate surroundings are far more arena-based though, and the ground below you is a big mix of a variety of structures and surfaces, including 3D-ish orange blocks in different shapes, and decorated in a pattern of tiny circles, plus pillars and transparent green meshing. Internal corridors around the bottom of the stage feature a background pattern of circles carved into the maroon wall, and the plain pathways of the same colour are decorated with abstract-looking pillars on top. Some purple, some blue, and their sizes vary. Angled chunks of ground near the tops of the acts are supported by brown pillars, and appear almost casino, more specifically, "Caesar's Palace" inspired. Rows of flashing neon lights are laid above straight areas of the ground, and usually in pinball bumper areas, you'll see completely random illuminated words. Look out for such words as "COPE", "ON", "UP" and "CPU" just sitting in the air, sparkling away in bold capital letters. Why in the hell are they there? As for many things in the series, no one really has a damn clue, but it's a wacky trait that hasn't really been used enough since, in my view. There are also basic lines of flashing neon lighting and glass blocks with a bright light rotating inside them.

Note the slightly 'Caesars Palace' style pillars and structures, giving the level a certain casino vibe, though it's not really a proper Casino level, as later zones of this type will be.

Internal corridors have a carved spherical pattern in the background walls.

View Notes(3)

#1. Comment posted by SmokiestJoe on Friday, 23rd December 2011, 1:41pm (GMT)

The writing spells COPE UP ON CPU.
Its to show off how the Mega Drive\Genesis is coping upon its CPU to generate the lights and the backgrounds all at once...
Well, that's ALWAYS been my interpretation

#2. Comment posted by Michael on Tuesday, 14th August 2012, 3:55pm (BST)

TVTropes reveals: "'COPE' ... is the acronym for one of the graphics processing routines used by the developers"

#3. Comment posted by SonicTails on Friday, 16th November 2012, 12:49pm (GMT)

I haven't got a damn clue why random words are there either.

Hide Notes

There are numerous long drops in the level, many with curved corners at the bottom that Sonic can use to roll back up one side, after dropping down the other.

Spring Yard is a lot more open than the maze-like structure of the previous Marble Zone, with huge, wide areas along the top of the stage, often sprinkled with platforms and moving blocks to jump across. The ground below this is quite unique in its layout, and tends to be separated into thin chunks, leaving long, wide gaps between them. This means that you'll find yourself going up and down alot as you drop or run down the sides of these sometimes very deep pits, formed between the areas of stable ground. Some have rounded bottoms, and contain bouncy pinball bumpers and platforms in the middle. Running speedily down one of the walls and hitting the rolling spin attack at just the right time, the rounded base of these pits allow Sonic to zip straight back up the other wall when he reaches the bottom. The right wall will usually contain a couple of different exits along it, and so which one you take depends on your speed. On the other hand, some of these long pits are instead filled with a series of large blocks that move in a certain pattern, to allow you to slowly make your way up or down the long shaft, by carefully stepping from one block to another. Usually below all this you can also access much narrower internal passages that feature several spiky traps and steep slopes on the entrances and exits.

Steep slopes are largely one way by nature.

Internal corridors operate at a slower, more careful pace thanks to dangerous spiky objects.

In the open areas, pathways on the stable ground are smooth, with a number of straight patches, but it also contains a few very long, steep slopes that are fun to run down, but very tricky to climb back up. There are plenty of curves too, including shallow curved pits on the roads that usually have a platform in the middle and spikeballs circling round them. The great variety in level structure means that brief multiple routes can be taken, where for example you can take the lower road through the internal passageway, or the higher, open path involving a lot more platform hopping. There aren't usually more than two possible routes at a time though, and all roads lead to the right. There are a fair number of hidden bonuses, found either on high up platforms or inside small internal rooms, with secret entrances in the walls. The collections of bumpers make this a fun pinball zone, and it's not too difficult either, with only one section at the end where you can fall off the bottom of the level.

View Notes(0)

No notes have been posted in response to this section.

Hide Notes

Obviously springs, both horizontal and vertical, are common in this zone. Red ones are more powerful than yellow, and the bottoms of some of the aforementioned deep pits are lined with them, sometimes introducing you to the standard Sonic bumpers. These circular plates, decorated with a yellow star will send Sonic bouncing off of them upon forceful contact and clusters of them can equal some serious back and forth bouncing. Each one also gives out 10 bonus points every time you hit it, for up to ten times per bumper. Moving platforms are also a feature that Spring Yard holds dear, and they come in all shapes and sizes. There are typical long ones, sometimes only moving when you step on a nearby button, plus groups of smaller square platforms which take certain formations. One being a vertical line, moving back and forth appropriately to create alternating diagonal formations, the safest place to stand being on the top block. They can also be aligned horizontally, moving towards and away from the central block to make it appear as though the line is compressing and expanding.

Bounce off the floating bumpers for 10 points a pop. You can do this up to ten times for each bumper.

These blocks will move left and right to create alternating diagonal directions. Contrary to what's shown here, stay on the top blocks of each formation, and you can't go far wrong.

In some of the long pits described in the Level Structure section, groups of large squares move up and down in rows of three, with the middle one and the two on the outside moving in opposing directions. You have to wait for a big enough space between them to squeeze through and make your way down or up. There can be several rows of them and it's easy to get crushed between their edges as they grind together, so take your time. Another recurring feature you need to be careful with are the more shallow curved pits, with a platform in the middle and spikeballs swinging around it. If there's only one, it'll be moving fast, so run down the curve after it's gone past you. If there's two, they'll be moving slower, so use the platform to get across instead.

A classic. Proceed carefully between these large blocks as the outer ones move in the opposite direction to the middles. It's often too easy to get caught just between the edges. Nasty.

Two spikeballs will orbit the central platform slowly, but if there's only one, it'll be moving a lot quicker. Either way, it's easy to get caught by them.

In the internal passageways of the level, you can encounter large spikeballs moving slowly either up and down or sideways. Slopes leading into the sections feature two of them on either end, moving up and down oppositely, so jump over/run underneath these accordingly. Also expect to find lines of small spikeballs swinging clockwise around a central point in the ground, with small patches of low ceilings on either side. Stand under the first low ceiling, wait for the spikes to swing across, then quickly move forward before they come round again, jumping over the step in the middle.

Slopes that lead in to the corridors frequently feature a spikeball at either end. When one is up the other is down, so get in sync.

This line of smaller spikes swings clockwise around the central point. The low ceilings either side force you to pass at the right time, rather than just leap over.

Badniks Yadorin and Roller, found only in this zone.

Badniks include Crabmeats and Buzz Bombers, and also a heavily spiked purple snail-like robot (who may or may not have an English name, but Japanese fans should call him "Yadorin"). Don't attack him from above, roll into him, or hit him from below when he's on the edge of a platform. The armadillo-esque Roller is a very unique enemy that is not to be mistaken for a robotic Sonic. He literally curls in a ball, and rolls down one of the steep slopes of this zone. You can only kill him when he briefly stops and opens up, and ring loss is almost inevitable unless you know exactly where each one tends to strike.

View Notes(1)

#1. Comment posted by theblackferret on Saturday, 28th December 2013, 9:33pm (GMT)

I love the way some of the Buzzbombers turn into PIGS!

Anatomically impossible, but a great pun on pigs might fly!!!

Hide Notes

Spring Yard Zone Act 1 Map (PNG format)

Crabmeats can frequently be found in small groups throughout the level.

If you drop into the last pit before the end, you can press the button, then use the spring to head straight through to the end for a small shortcut.

View Notes(2)

#1. Comment posted by Oddity on Sunday, 16th October 2011, 9:43pm (BST)

If you're quick enough, you can skip the first set of moving square blocks. Grab the super sneakers above the start point, then run to the COPE area. Roll into the right-facing red spring in the bottom row while holding right on the D-pad, and you'll be sent flying upwards, past the bumper and over the wall (and the screen!) to the other side. If you slow up a bit after crossing the wall, you can land in the upper area with the ring box and shield that you'd otherwise get to using the switch and platform at point 1.

#2. Comment posted by WunUnknownPlayer on Sunday, 27th January 2013, 12:34am (GMT)

I can confirm #1. Saves a good amount of time and sets you up for a much easier path through SYZ1.

Hide Notes

Approach this from the right, not the left. Hit the button, then jump straight to the platform before it rises.

After the first sloping corridor, you'll find this platform suspended in the air, which will take you up to the higher route. It'll only move though when you stand on that button next to it, and you've got to be pretty quick, because the thing will rise very soon after pressing the button, and it won't wait for you or come back down afterwards. Do not approach the button from the left, jump over it, take a small run up coming from the right, and leap from the button to the platform nice and fluidly.

View Notes(2)

#1. Comment posted by Miles on Friday, 16th November 2012, 12:55pm (GMT)

Aren't you forgetting the extra life right at the beginning?

#2. Comment posted by WunUnknownPlayer on Sunday, 27th January 2013, 12:36am (GMT)

Indeed. Pass the red spring at the start of the stage, then let yourself run back toward it and press down to spin. When you spring back up, hold left on the D-pad. There is a moving platform you can land on which makes for easy access to a speed up and a 1UP!

Hide Notes

Spring Yard Zone Act 2 Map (PNG format)

These lines of blocks expand and contract out from the central one.

Spring Yard Zone Act 2, shortly before the end.

View Notes(0)

No notes have been posted in response to this section.

Hide Notes

There's only one set of these moving blocks down a long pit in Act 2, at about a third of the way through, but they lead up, not down. There's an arrow made out of rings that's pointing upwards at the bottom of the pit, in order to indicate this, so if you're approaching from the top route, ignore it, and carry on to the right ledge across the other side. This is only to be used by players coming up from the bottom route, otherwise you'll be wasting your time.

When you arrive at the one and only set of these blocks in Act 2, and you're at the top, do not use them to go down, just carry on across to the other side.

An arrow of rings at the bottom will show you the correct way.

There's a secret route through the walls, starting just next to the ring arrow, but beware of crushers through this narrow, slow moving passage..

..At the end, your reward is a well-earned 1-up.

While we're on the subject of this lower route, it actually carries on into a top secret passage into the wall on the right, as an alternative to progressing upwards with the ring arrow. Use the red spring on the floor and keep your thumb on the right D-pad button to squeeze into the invisible entrance. Along this route in the wall, you'll find plenty of extra rings and an extra life at the end, but it's a bit slow moving as there are a few crushing blocks on the way that you'll have to slip past carefully. At the end, a spring brings you back up to the small area filled with bumpers on the main route.

View Notes(0)

No notes have been posted in response to this section.

Hide Notes

Strangely, Spring Yard Act 2 has two possible endings, and they depend on how you exit this slope here. The traditional ending is achieved simply by dropping off the side and continuing to the right, but the second one is positioned above it, and is accessible by launching off of this curve to a hidden ledge on the upper right, as the position of the rings indicate. You can do this by running down it speedily, but rather than hit the rolling spin attack as you might think, you just need to jump off to the right at the very tip of the curve. It's quite hard, but if you do it with enough momentum behind you, you should reach the higher ledge. Through here, the act's ending looks exactly the same as the lower one, but it contains a load of extra rings.

This curve occurs just before the end of Act 2. Leap off the edge with enough height and momentum..

..And you should make it to a hidden ledge that leads to another, alternate end-of-act signpost. The key difference is there's a lot more rings this way, so it's useful if you want to get to the Special Stage.

View Notes(5)

#1. Comment posted by Monty Eggman on Saturday, 14th March 2009, 3:07am (GMT)

This act, along with Collision Chaos Zone 2 in Sonic CD, are the only Sonic stages with more than one exit.

#2. Comment posted by Anonymous on Wednesday, 1st April 2009, 9:10pm (BST)

Unless if you count Star Light Zone act 2, but it doesn't have an end post.

#3. Comment posted by Cruizer on Sunday, 25th October 2009, 2:32pm (GMT)

Actually if you take that little route you will almost definitely be allowed into the special stage (as there are 50+ rings in that area)

#4. Comment posted by qbj on Wednesday, 16th December 2009, 10:59am (GMT)

As you said, you shouldn't enter a spin attack at this point. But the key thing is not to hit the D-pad at all, as pressing it in the right direction actually slows you down. Basically once you touch the floor you shouldn't touch anything, except for jump at the last moment

#5. Comment posted by Smiley225 on Sunday, 28th November 2010, 5:03pm (GMT)

I think the purpose of the second goal actually is that you can get to the special stage, as it was originally meant to be the last act, where you could get an emerald (in the "old" zone order...)
This would also explain the 5 ring monitors at the end of Star Light Act 2: Maybe they were added after the zone order had been changed, so you have there the last chance to get to the special stage...

Hide Notes

Spring Yard Zone Act 3 Map (PNG format)

Head down the long slopes at the start with speed, to avoid the wrath of the Buzz Bombers.

Spring Yard Zone Act 3.

View Notes(0)

No notes have been posted in response to this section.

Hide Notes

In Act 3, you'll see that in a couple of instances, the moving series of blocks in the long pits actually reach up to a ceiling at the top now. If you get up to the very top, on the middle block close to the ceiling, you'll see that when they move down, the two blocks either side of you only leave you a tiny space in which to walk over and drop down to the left side. There's a high risk of getting crushed into the ceiling here when that left block moves up, so if I were you, I'd stay on the left block that's directly below it, where Sonic is in the screenshot on the right. You can see that when the upper left block has moved up, there's ample room to jump up to the next ledge from there, thus avoiding any of that nastiness.

When you come to situations like this, follow the arrow shown here, and don't go to the top layer of blocks.

The top layer only gives you a tiny gap to fit through as it meets the ceiling. It's by no means impossible, but it is rather risky.

View Notes(1)

#1. Comment posted by qbj on Sunday, 10th January 2010, 5:17pm (GMT)

Just after this point, instead of heading right past some crabs and ultimately some crushers, you can go up for a shortcut (shown on the map). However it involves a jump which is incredibly difficult because the ramp you're jumping off of is sloping upwards, so it is hard to build up speed. Here is my technique for it (it still takes a few goes even following this). Remember to take out the nearby bee before you start.

You can't build up speed by running up the ramp, so you need to build up speed by jumping, and building speed in mid air. You will need to do a total of three jumps; for all three you must hold the jump button down for a while to do a higher jump (rather than just tap it quickly, which does a shorter jump).
1. Jump from the left edge of the ramp, and the slope of the ramp sends you naturally leftward. Hold the right button so that you end up roughly where you started (but with some momentum).
2. Jump immediately again, continuing to hold right, so that you leap over most of the ramp. Remember to hold down the jump button for a moment here... you'll feel like releasing quickly so that you don't go over the edge of the ramp, but hold your nerve.
3. When you get to the very edge of the ramp (you might need to run a very short way from where jump 2 landed) jump again, all the while holding right.

Good luck!

Hide Notes

Press the button to make this unusual block move along to the right, and out of your way. What this one does though is carry on moving to the right, until it reaches another tight gap like this on the other side, which it'll plug up. If you want a quick shortcut, what you have to do is get through that other tight gap before it does, by navigating past the spike traps in the passage and ignoring the spring, which leads up to the normal route. If you make it there in time, you'll also be rewarded with a shield and 20 rings, plus you will have avoided a more enduring section above.

Pressing the button will make the block move to the right. You can then race past it before it plugs up another corridor further on, to take a shortcut.

View Notes(2)

#1. Comment posted by Anonymous on Saturday, 11th April 2009, 5:27pm (BST)

An important note about this point. The large U-shaped ramp structure has a hidden tunnel with an invincibility and a speed-up item boxes. I suggest getting these because they we're made to make this section incredibly easy.

#2. Comment posted by Anonymous on Thursday, 23rd August 2012, 8:11pm (BST)

The shield and 20 rings can easily be got from the right-hand side, if you have a shield already so you can take a hit from the line of small spikeballs.

Hide Notes

Stay on the top blocks on these final, diagonal moving platforms as you cross them, as instant death awaits below. Look out for the foreground pillar at the end to know when you can safely drop down.

This section follows the final checkpoint of Act 3, and leads to the boss. Tread carefully, because if you slip on these moving blocks, sliding in a series of vertical formations, you'll fall to your instant death. Stay on the top blocks, and progress along them until you see the top of a pillar at the bottom of the screen, where it's safe to drop down. Just before the checkpoint, there's an invincibility at the bottom of the nearby pit, and above the bumper area, some platforms will take you up to a shield and an extra life. Make sure you come back down safely.

View Notes(1)

#1. Comment posted by Anonymous on Friday, 4th January 2013, 4:43pm (GMT)

There are two platforms to catch you if you fall, but they're on the left and right sides.

Hide Notes

Boss

This is when you can hit him - while he's busy pulling one of the blocks out of the floor. Go for as many hits as you can.

The block will break in the air, creating a gaping hole in the floor. Do not let this happen too many times.

You'll find yourself standing on a row of ten orange blocks. The doctor enters from the right and starts flying around the top of the screen. You can hit him from this position, but if you stay directly underneath him long enough, a long, single spike will appear from the bottom of his machine and he'll make his descent. This is where you can land more hits, but watch out.. Robotnik's spike will latch onto one of the blocks and pull it right up and break it in the air, opening a hole in the floor. Fall into it, and it's back to the checkpoint for you, my friend. 8 hits to complete, as usual, so make sure you get them all in before you run out of places to stand. If you die, there are no rings between the last checkpoint and this boss, so you'll have to head left a little bit to get some.

View Notes(2)

#1. Comment posted by theblackferret on Saturday, 28th December 2013, 9:37pm (GMT)

Just go straight to the furthest left block after the Doc appears.

And once you've been attacked & hit him there, go straight on to the next door block, which is now the furthest left.

DON'T chase him around & he'll come down to the furthest left block without fail & thus leave you a complete exit path of at least two adjoining blocks.

#2. Comment posted by Anonymous on Saturday, 30th May 2015, 1:02pm (BST)

The extra life block just above the checkpoint allows you essentially infinite lives whilst battling the boss here.

Hide Notes

- In screenshots of early beta versions of Sonic 1, the Spring Yard Zone's appearance is different, and it seemed to originally be known simply as the "Sparkling Zone".

View Notes(4)

#1. Comment posted by Chris on Saturday, 12th July 2008, 12:26am (BST)

Spring Yard Zone BETA was called "Sparkling Zone". THe Background was filled with Skyscrapers with flashing horizontal bars and a sky with pink stars at the top, hence the name.

#2. Comment posted by Monty Eggman on Saturday, 14th March 2009, 3:08am (GMT)

According to the creators, Spring Yard Zone was the first zone that was drawn up and finalized.

#3. Comment posted by toshe on Sunday, 1st November 2015, 1:49pm (GMT)

There are actually 157 rings + 2 TV sets in Act 1.

#4. Comment posted by toshe on Sunday, 1st November 2015, 2:04pm (GMT)

And on Act 2 the rings are actually 222.