Metal Harbor

Metal Harbor
Fourth hero storyline stage, Sonic Adventure 2
Level themes: industrial, urban
Mission 1: Escape from the military base! 20,000 points Finish the mission (total rings: 154 + 3 Point Markers)
Mission 2: Collect 100 rings! 1:10 Finish the mission
Mission 3: Find the lost Chao! 0:50 Finish the mission
Mission 4: Reach the goal within 5 minutes! 18,000 points Finish the mission
Mission 5: Clear Hard Mode! 18,000 points Finish the mission (total rings: 155 + 3 Point Markers; 252 + 3 Point Markers)

Metal Harbor is the fourth stage in the Hero storyline of Sonic Adventure 2 and is the second playable by Sonic. It represents Sonic's escape from GUN's military facility and his search for Shadow.

Plot

Sonic is pacing back and forth on his prison cell, obviously bored and anxious to get out, tapping his foot as he usually does. Suddenly Amy drops from a shaft above and does some random behaviour typical of her. Sonic is surprised to see her and asks how she got in. Amy explains that she caught a ride with Tails and asks him how he ended up there as well. Sonic says he’s framed, now seemingly more relaxed and flexing his legs around. Amy wonders aloud if Shadow was involved and Sonic is interested and asks her where she saw him. Amy tries to blackmail Sonic into telling him if he marries her and Sonic turns his backs on her, more interested in staying in prison than marrying her. Amy gives up too easily and sets him free anyway, complaining a bit, but tells Sonic where she found Shadow as well. Amy notices some doodles on the cell walls and asks Sonic if he did that but then notices he’s far gone to find Shadow. She leaves as well, complaining.

Level layout

Appearance

Metal Harbour as it's name hints, is harbour themed, with the ocean as a bottomless pit, large iron platforms where vessels await, seagulls flying past and giant fuel tanks and towers.

The major gimmick of this level are the large quantity of loops and ramps, along with the countdown missile launch pad towards the end of the level.

Other level specific objects include fuel tanks, red indestructible GUN containers, small platforms that move across the ground, yellow rails that can be grinded on and yellow caps that Sonic can pick up.

Walkthrough

Sonic first starts a quick succession of platforms and loops and after a jump plate, the way divides into two: one by the lower level and the other above the ceilings. The two ways meet just to branch out again: by using a trail of rings to reach a square platform or continuing forward to the first Point Marker.

After some springs there’s the platform that the trail of rings lead to, and after a trail of Mono Beetles there’s yet another square platform. Here and taking the upreel will take Sonic to a level above, where the Light Shoes upgrade is. Past a trail of rings there’s a vessel and on top of one of the garages at the end there’s a Mystic Melody ruin, which will generate a set of platforms that lead to a faraway platform. Back at the vessel, at the end there’s a trail of rings but there’s also small ledge below with a rocket, and both will take Sonic to the platform with the second Point Marker.

Here there’s a loop, two gaps to somersault and each with an upreel, then another loop and a path. After the third somersault there’s a trail of Beetles leading to a platform where the third Point Marker is.

Taking the rocket will lead to a missile launch site, and the countdown (15 seconds) before it takes off begins, and naturally Sonic has to take the large missile to reach another section. It’s relatively easy to go up the path and catch the first handle (400 points at best), but it should be noted there’s another one above that awards more points (1500 points), by using the Beetles next to this handrail, then up the structure and finally a row of springs to the second handle.

Either way, Sonic catches a ride with the missile and drops from above to a road surf section along a downwards tunnel filled with item boxes, then there’s a loop, launching Sonic to the Goal platform.

Hard Mode

At the first vessel, there are rotating spikes in the way.

After the third Point Marker, the way to the missile launch site isn't done by a rocket anymore, but by a string of Mono Beetles.

Other versions

Metal Harbor shares its theme level objects with Eggman’s Weapons Bed, which makes since they are both set in GUN’s base harbour area.

Enemies

Type	Series	Models
		Normal Mode	Hard Mode
	Beetle series	Mono Beetle, Gold Beetle	Mono Beetle, Bomb Beetle, Spring Beetle, Gold Beetle
	Hornet series		Gun Hawk, Gum Hawk
	Fighter series	Blue Eagle

Locations

Animals

Animal	Quantity	Location
	4	Beginning: over the second ceiling after the second jump plate. Second Point Marker: After the springs, circling the light. Second Point Marker: To the left after taking the second upreel. Second Point Marker: On top of a fuel tank, after the loop and on the same platform as the yellow rails.
	3	Beginning: After the second jump plate. First Point Marker: On the vessel, to the left and past the fuel tanks by the extra-life. Second Point Marker: Past the third somersault.
	3	Beginning: By the right after the dash panels and before the first jump plate. First Point Marker: On the platform before the trail of Beetles. First Point Marker: On the vessel, to the right and the back of the airplane runaway.
	2	Second Point Marker: After the loop and close to the dash panels. Third Point Marker: On the launch site bottom level, close to the springs.
Random	6	Beginning: In a pipe, below the second ceiling after the second jump plate. First Point Marker: In one of the caps Sonic can pick up on the platform after the trail of Beetles. First Point Marker: In one of the caps Sonic can pick up on the vessel, to the end of it and to the right near the fuel tanks. First Point Marker: In the cap Sonic can pick on the platform with the first somersault. First Point Marker: In the cap Sonic can pick before the second somersault. Third Point Marker: On a cap Sonic can pick up, close to the Point Marker.
	4	Level specific animal First Point Marker: In one of the caps Sonic can pick up on the vessel, to the left and past the fuel tanks by the extra-life. (x2) First Point Marker: In one of the caps Sonic can pick up on the vessel, near the control tower.* Third Point Marker: At the top of the missle launch structure, close of the handle.

*Absent in Hard Mode.

Big the Cat

Big can be seen close to the last Point Marker before taking the rocket to the launch pad. He is on the fuel tank past the Chao Box, fishing.

Chao containers

• First Point Marker: A bit to the back, there’s a beetle to the right leading to a fuel tank.
• First Point Marker: On the middle garage at the end of the vessel.
• Third Point Marker: On the same platform as the Point Marker, close by.

Gold Beetle

The Gold Beetle can be found at the left of the Beetle string before the upgrade platform.

Lost Chao

After the first Point Marker, there's vessel and at the end of it, there are tree garages to the left. Above the middle there's a Mystic Melody and activating it will generate a path of platforms leading to a faraway platform.

Upgrade

Sonic's Light Shoes are in a platform accessible by taking the upreel that is located after the trail of Mono Neetles after the first Point Marker.

Trivia

• At least in the Dreamcast version, since this is a running level, the animal counter is 20, even though, as listed above, there are 21. After the twentieth animal, the game will give an extra life and the number will blink red like usual; when the twenty-first is subsequently collected, an additional life is awarded and the number twenty will blink red again as well. The problem is solved in Hard Mode however, with one of the animals being absent.