It's often considered to be the most difficult level in the game due to the many glitches that occur very frequently, as well as a gap that is very difficult to cross (To cross it, you have bounce off a Buzz Bomber). The fourth level takes place in a desert and is likely based on Sandopolis Zone Act 1 or Desert Palace Zone. The third level looks some-what similar to Spring Yard Zone, although as the other levels are based on Sonic 3 & Knuckles, it's could be based on Carnival Night Zone. The second level is based on Flying Battery Zone from Sonic & Knuckles and includes the robotic mice from that zone. The first level is similar in appearance to that of most Sonic games a tropical setting that seems to be based on Green Hill Zone. There’s a map before each level, explosion is from Sonic 3D Blast.
The game has a total of 5 levels that appear to be based on both levels of the Mega Drive Sonic The Hedgehog games. Unlike the official Sonic games, there are no boss fights. Getting hit leaves you temporarily invulnerable (except against spikes) like other Sonic games, but you can't collect any rings that you lose. It simply protects you from enemies for a certain amount of time, with the lack of a musical cue making it difficult to tell when the effects wear off. The invincibility powerup does not change the music, nor does it kill enemies when you run into them. There are numerous enemies ripped from the first Sonic The Hedgehog and Sonic The Hedgehog 3 on the SEGA Genesis/Mega Drive, although they're reduced to moving back and forth in this game, compared to the unique patterns from the SEGA's official counterparts. In turn, this makes the Spin Dash in the game rather useless.
Rather, the player has to jump on an enemy in order to defeat it. However, his famous Spin Dash does not work as an attack. Sonic's controls work similarly as they do in Sonic The Hedgehog 2.