Sonic '06 2D: Aquatic Base S Rank

My guide on how to S rank the stage Aquatic Base in Sonic '06 2D, with a time of 4' 27" 53, and a score of a whopping 74,677 (you need 50,000 points for the S rank). This stage is probably the second hardest to S rank behind Flame Core, not because of the sheer amount of enemies this stage throws at you, but because of the many ways to die. Unlike all of the other stages, where it is necessary to keep all of your rings and not get hit to obtain the S rank, you can get hit all you want here (as long as you kill most of the enemies and make good time), and still have enough points for the S rank. However, this stage is the hardest to get a no-hit run on (because of all of the enemies in this stage), but if you do manage to (like I did), you are rewarded with a bunch of points. Go for it if you feel up to the challenge!

Some tips to keep in mind:

-During the downwards sloping laser gate sections, just keep doing the slide kick. It'll keep you momentum going, will protect you from the laser gates, and will kill most of the enemies in your path. There are a few exceptions, though, so be sure to watch the video to figure out where to stop sliding.

-That invisible robot right before the rainbow ring might seem impossible to get, because he hits you before you can homing attack him again. While you are in the middle of homing attacking him, let go of the forward button, and you'll be able to hit him twice. Hold forward again to get that rainbow ring after he is vanquished.

-The ball section where you have to wait for the laser gates is painfully annoying to do, but with enough patience, you can get through. Try not to go too fast, or you'll risk running into a laser gate. Unfortunately, the ball has really slippery momentum, so if you go too fast, hold back to slow yourself down. Just time it right and you should be fine.

-Those blue poles that light up kill all of the surrounding enemies in one hit. Go for those to get the maximum amount of points.

-Do you see the balls that fall down right before the second section starts? Well, there's two sections of these, and they're both painfully annoying. The first one you don't have to worry about as much, because if you fall, just keep holding right and you'll trigger the next section anyway. However, the second one doesn't have this handy fail-safe, so you're going to have to do it the hard way. What you'll want to do is try to homing attack balls near the top, and if you do this right (like I do on the first ball pit), you can get across very fast and with little stress. However, if you homing attack a ball below you (like I do on the second ball pit), it's not going to be so easy getting out. Homing attack from ball to ball, slowly working your way up, then once you get high enough, you can continue with the stage. It's much less nerve-wracking to do it the first way, though.

-When you are facing big enemies in groups, remember to spin dash to the other side of them before they can attack.