Here's a basic run of GHZ recorded off my iPhone. Follow along with the map below!
Now that you have a basic understanding of the level layout, let's look at the first few moments..
I am showing you both the first screen for GHZ and SMB as GHZ was designed based on the level design principles in SMB. So, what's similar here? They both place the player character on the bottom left side of the screen facing right to make the player want to move right. However, GHZ places some spinning rings and flowers that lead offscreen while the left side of the screen has a flower asset that is placed so that it kinda 'blocks' the left side of the screen. This requires that you learn how to MOVE. Even if you go left, you stop when you hit the left side of the screen to you will eventually learn that you must go right.
Now, if you didn't start pressing the jump button right away to try to grab the rings, there is a ground enemy that behaves just like the first goomba in SMB: If you do not jump, you WILL die.
Once you sucessfully jump on the enemy, you are rewarded with a small boost upward, a "poof!" sound effect, and accompanying smoke effect and an animation of a randomly generated woodland creature popping out and hopping away! Hm, maybe I can use enemies to maintain my momentum?
Also, notice how you can hit enemies only when Sonic is in a ball. Lets you know where your strength lies.
Remember the first row of blocks in SMB? Well, here it is again! Now that you know how to jump, maybe you can reach that blinking monitor up there?
Why yes you can! Same rewards as the enemy only changed slightly to show what item you have obtained.
This is how I landed. See, what made Sonic as a character stand out was he was one of the the first video game characters to have a personality. To see the n'th degree of this in 2D sidescrolling, check out the Metal Slug series.
Moving on, you can use your momentum that you gain to completely jump over enemies altogether!
After this, you are given a downward slope and a straight line to run on to get your speed as high as you can go! You see the results of your efforts when the level curves up and Sonic launches into the air. People can go back and see how high they can get Sonic especially after taking out the enemy fish that pops up on the last bridge.
Eventually, you will be hit. Usually this happens to people first with the enemies that pop up from below the bridges. But something unexpected happens: you don't die! Instead, rings fly out of Sonic and he just goes back to standing. Usually at least one ring will land on Sonic and the ring count indicates that Sonic has collected it again. Here you learn one of the most important aspects of Sonic: The One Ring Rule; as long as Sonic is carrying at least one ring, he is immortal.
Eventually, you will come across a new device placed directly in Sonic's path. Touching it clearly doesn't hurt you, so what do you know how to do so far? Jump on it of course! Jumping on it plays a "Boing!" sound and Sonic is rocketed into the air. Congratulations, you have encountered Springs! Now this spring is important as your skill in landing determines if you advance quicker in the level or fall and have to take the low path. For the sake of learning, we're gonna go the long way.
Now there are spikes between Sonic and the spring. Since you weren't skilled enough to land on the high platform earlier, you get more training in that skill down here. With this test, you must jump on the spring and land properly on the other side. You get as many tries as your ability to collect that ring that keeps flying out of you will allow. Then ya die and get to try to reach the upper path again.
Now it's time for straight spike training! Ya must hop over each group of spikes to advance. Thankfully, if you need some more practice, there's a handy group of ring hovering directly in the path of your attempts.
Well look at that! A reward for your expertise! Three ring boxes and.. well now, what's this?
A music change and a sea of sparkles surround Sonic. What does it mean!? If you panic, keep running straight here and don't jump, you run right into a sea of spikes where you learn that you have discovered invincibility! If you panic and jump up however..
Bam! Right into the signature loop! It is impossible to advance on the middle or lower paths in this level without going through this loop. The higher path is for those players who actively choose to explore it so the vast majority of players are guaranteed to experience it. Hilariously, the loop is fake: Sonic's sprite is just being rotated. When the invincibility song ends, so does the powerup and you learn that it's effects are limited. Watch out where you are when you hear it's about to end!
The majority of players will also go through the S-curves. These show off the true speed of the game as Sonic is propelled faster and faster until..
Zing! Sonic is shot straight into wherever into a sea of rings! This is the peak feeling of euphoria in the level. If your skilled enough, you can actually bounce on all the flying enemies. Really satisfying.
Did ya see how they took the straight line and curve from the beginning of the level and took it to the n'th degree? This shows that going super fast can be super rewarding. (This is not necessarily true in Sonic 1, but is quickly remedied in Sonic 2)
After that, you are free to just run to your hearts content as the level basically slopes down like giant stairs. This allows that feeling of euphoria and absolute freedom and speed to literally continue until you hit the goal post.
Now, you've learned that you can go fast, but exactly how fast? Remember that the intent of this level was for it to be able to be accomplished very quickly. But this begs the question, how quickly can you complete Green Hill Zone Act.1? Well..
Welp, there you have it! A play-by-play breakdown of one of the most iconic levels in video game history. Do you think the eight month Sonic Team took to develop this level and zone were worth it? Let me know!
See ya next week! ;D
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