History NightmareFuel / SonicTheHedgehog

* Black Doom is implied to be an EldritchAbomination messing with your mind. Particularly notable in how, on the Dark routes, Shadow unquestioningly obeyed Black Doom's orders, with said orders being about terroristic attacks. One Troper likens Shadow's demeanor to a zombie...

* Robotnik's classic western design. Once an [[http://eggmanempire.sonicworld.net/downloads/images/official/classic/poses2.gif adorable]] [[http://eggmanempire.sonicworld.net/downloads/images/official/classic/poses.gif spherical humanoid]] with traits of [[TheBeatles both eggs and walruses]], his cutesy appearance was changed [[AmericanKirbyIsHardcore when he hit American and European shores]], and he was molded into this a[[http://eggmanempire.sonicworld.net/downloads/images/official/soa/chaosartwork.png much more]] [[http://eggmanempire.sonicworld.net/downloads/images/official/soa/Spinball_eggman.png menacing creature.]] It was kinda for the better, though, since even the original Japanese Robotnik set up huge polluting factories that ruined the environment, which was in direct contrast with his playful and cute appearance.

* The real nightmare music is in the American soundtrack--Namely, [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HcwyDL3-Qqo the boss music]] and [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P3uUhIDkKM0 the Game]] [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YM8qx-HdY5c Over music]]. The boss music is simply creepy, but the Game Over music is outright scary. This is in sharp contrast with the sountrack's JP/EU counterpart, as there those two tracks aren't are scary: the JP Boss music has an AffablyEvil feel to it, and the JP Game Over music is more like SarcasmMode in musical form.

** However, while the main tune of the Japanese Metallic Madness Bad Future music sounds catchy, the laughing men in in the Japanese boss music are in this song and sound evil, this time.

* The GameOver music is [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mqPy9GR4Ekw pretty]] JumpScare-inducing.

** Its even worse when you're playing as Knuckles in that part of the act: given his story happens after Sonic's one, the ghosts are in the red zone already, and ambush you as soon as the act starts, without rings. [[http://gregthecatofgordawn.deviantart.com/art/The-Guest-of-Sandopolis-160255539 Fanart fuel, nightmare fuel.]]

* The Lost World has creepy music, a spooky underground city and dark areas. Kinda unsettling.

* Arguably, the ghosts in Hang Castle/Mystic Mansion. They appear out of nowhere, have a creepy laugh, simply fade when hit and even the characters admit that they make absolutely no sense. And as if that wasn't bad enough, imagine dropping into a room swarming with them, with walls that appear to be made of TV static. Oh, and in case you were going to get vindictive and try to Chaos Inferno all of them...they're immune to Team Blasts. Have fun.

* The game as a whole, also thanks to its MultipleEndings. In one, Shadow killed Eggman and threatened to finish off Sonic. Then Black Doom's [[ToServeMan revealed his master plan]] involving paralytic gas.
* Black Doom is implied to be an EldritchAbomination messing with your mind. Particularly notable is how, on the Dark routes, Shadow unquestioningly obeyed Black Doom's orders, with said orders being about terroristic attacks.

* The appearance of [[EldritchAbomination Time Eater]]. We find out that [[spoiler: it's actually an [[EldritchAbomination Eldritch]] [[TimeMachine Time-Destroying Mecha]] found and utilized by Dr. Eggman of the future right after his recent defeat from Sonic Colors.]] Even worse, when Eggman explains how he found Time Eater,[[spoiler: the player is shown gray scale images that show the rotound scientist discovering said monster in deep space with Orbot and Cubot, as his is their fate at the end of Sonic Colors.]] However, once Eggman sees Time Eater, he goes after it on his own, [[spoiler: leaving Orbot and Cubot in deep space forever.]]

* The newly-designed [[VideoGame/SonicAdventure2 GUN truck.]] After exploring the high-def redesign of City Escape, a player who hasn't seen previews would expect the truck to simply drive down a hill at reasonable speed like the original, [[spoiler: but now it's much bigger, it's even faster, and it's been equipped with three gigantic saw blades and rocket boosters, with the worst regard to human safety, as it proceeds to smash through a building quickly. About all those cars that were just knocked about, they explode upon touch.]]

* ''SonicX'' actually has a scene in Eggman's labs showing how he places the little animals into his badnik. They are placed in little ball prisons and then scooped up and jammed inside the robotic shells, while they are still conscious and frantically trying to escape. The giant bots' lifeless eyes then light up as they activate and begin an immediate test run blasting Sonic targets.

* Messing with savestates on this game and [[{{ROMHack}} Sonic 2 Retro Remix]] with an emulator [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tKD1303YiJI&feature=related can result in a messy outcome.]]
* Failing to reach OneHundredPercentCompletion has a rather unsettling implication: [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HCQZOh2faww&feature=related Tails probably dies.]]

* [[spoiler:Metal Sonic's]] [[TheStinger appearance]] in VideoGame/SonicTheHedgehog4[='=]s [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WbSsMppR1A8&feature=related alternate ending]] is a bit unnerving, when [[{{JumpScare}} unexpected.]]

** [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kI-FxbJ8g1k&feature=related Speaking of SatAm, Robotnik delivers this little gem:]]

* Arguanly, the ghosts in Hang Castle/Mystic Mansion. The appear out of nowhere, have a creepy laugh, simply fade when hit and even the characters admit that they make absolutely no sense. And if that's bad enough, imagine dropping into a room '''swarming with them, with walls that appear to be made of TV static.''' Oh, and in case you were going to get vindictive and try to Chaos Inferno all of them...they're immune to Team Blasts. Have fun.

** A certain Youtuber's comment on that [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IZ19n421nBc first]] link made the implications even worse for this Troper. "Egg man is sick in the head for killing tails. You can clearly see he did because the star on tails' head is pretty much a bullet hole."

* [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Yw5jkAHgME The infamous Sonic drowning music]] frequently reduced players to tears while playing through Labyrinth Zone in {{VideoGame/SonicTheHedgehog}}, if only because of how [[JumpScare louder-in-comparison and unexpected]] it was. The VideoGame/SonicAdventure [[VideoGame/SonicAdventure2 games]] [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IBpWn0j8A-0 feature an orchestrated version of it,]] [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Eeub2_fm_Qc complete with realistic drowning;]] and, last but not least, VideoGame/SonicColors has an even more ominous-sounding, better orchestrated version of the track, [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HMUOMZNEzXw as heard here.]] What makes drowning in Colours even scarier is [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=COPybKtOceQ Sonic's body language]] during it, depicting an even more realistic drowning. However, [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fg0t9eK3jg4 arguably the worst]] version is the ''VideoGame/SonicGenerations'' one, which combines the fast tone of the regular version with incoherent drumming.

* The [[AndIMustScream And I Must Screamness]] of the games, concerning the woodland animals' UnwillingRoboticization.

* [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Yw5jkAHgME The infamous Sonic drowning music]] frequently reduced players to tears while playing through Labyrinth Zone in {{VideoGame/SonicTheHedgehog}}, if only because of how [[JumpScare louder-in-comparison and unexpected]] it was. The VideoGame/SonicAdventure [[VideoGame/SonicAdventure2 games]] [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IBpWn0j8A-0 feature an orchestrated version of it,]] [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Eeub2_fm_Qc complete with realistic drowning;]] and, last but not least, SonicColors has an even more ominous-sounding, better orchestrated version of the track, [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HMUOMZNEzXw as heard here.]] What makes drowning in Colours even scarier is [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=COPybKtOceQ Sonic's body language]] during it, depicting an even more realistic drowning. However, [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fg0t9eK3jg4 arguably the worst]] version is the ''VideoGame/SonicGenerations'' one, which combines the fast tone of the regular version with incoherent drumming.

* [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Yw5jkAHgME The infamous Sonic drowning music]] frequently reduced players to tears while playing through Labyrinth Zone in {{VideoGame/SonicTheHedgehog}}, if only because of how [[JumpScare louder-in-comparison and unexpected]] it was. The SonicAdventureSeries games [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IBpWn0j8A-0 feature an orchestrated version of it,]] [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Eeub2_fm_Qc complete with realistic drowning;]] and, last but not least, SonicColors has an even more ominous-sounding, better orchestrated version of the track, [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HMUOMZNEzXw as heard here.]] What makes drowning in Colours even scarier is [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=COPybKtOceQ Sonic's body language]] during it, depicting an even more realistic drowning. However, [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fg0t9eK3jg4 arguably the worst]] version is the ''VideoGame/SonicGenerations'' one, which combines the fast tone of the regular version with incoherent drumming.

* The games has a DegradedBoss, story-wise at least: Artificial Chaos from SonicAdventure. A mook-ish-ly weak version of the same Chaos seen in said game.

* The newly-designed [[SonicAdventure2 GUN truck.]] After exploring the high-def redesign of City Escape, a player who hasn't seen previews would expect the truck to simply drive down a hill at reasonable speed like the original, [[spoiler: but now it's much bigger, it's even faster, and it's been equipped with three gigantic saw blades and rocket boosters, with the worst regard to human safety, as it proceeds to smash through a building quickly. About all those cars that were just knocked about, they explode upon touch.]]

[[AC: In order for NightmareFuel tabs to survive, a new writing style is going to be used, nicknamed '''Example Lobotomy'''. Basic rules: just list facts as they are, don't just say "character X" or "the X scene" (such {{zero context example}}s will be {{zapped}}), spoiler policy to be determined on a case-by-case basis, italics to be applied to works' names only and not to give emphasis on what tropers say. "X scared me" is already implied by the mere addition of that example by the troper.]]

** And Sonic hitting Dark Gaia's eye, [[{{Squick causing it to ooze green liquid}}]].

* [[spoiler:Metal Sonic's]] [[TheStinger appearance]] in SonicTheHedgehog4's [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WbSsMppR1A8&feature=related alternate ending]] is a bit unnerving, when [[{{JumpScare}} unexpected.]]

** Tails lampshades this in ''SonicGenerations'' by saying the water in Chemical Plant Zone makes him really nervous.

* The Chemical Plant Zone is mostly remembered because of the quickly rising purple water, making any comeback to the surface more and more difficult as time went by, eventually culminating in an inevitable instance of the drowning countdown. In SonicGenerations, Tails' remark about how [[FandomNod "I don't know why, but that purple water really makes me nervous"]] drives home how even {{Sega}} is aware of the level's infamy.

* In the 2-player vs. mode of Sonic 2, when one player finishes a level, it starts a 60-second countdown for the other player to try and finish. The drowning music is once again involved (see folder above).

* The teleportation boxes in Sonic 2 freaked out some people as well, what with the music and the whole screen turning white [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sNi78G9IigU#t=1m10s as seen here.]]

* There's a DummiedOut level in the beta of Sonic 2 called the Genocide City Zone. That's because the developers wanted an English word with a "strong" meaning; once they found out [[OhCrap what it meant]], they changed it to "Cyber City Zone" before scrapping it.
* The inescapable spike pit in Sonic 2's Mystic Cave Zone, able to trap even Super Sonic.

* Failing to reach OneHundredPercentCompletion in Sonic 2 has a rather unsettling implication: [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HCQZOh2faww&feature=related Tails probably dies.]]

* The real nightmare music is in the American soundtrack of SonicCD -- Namely, [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HcwyDL3-Qqo the boss music]] and [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P3uUhIDkKM0 the Game]] [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YM8qx-HdY5c Over music]]. The boss music is simply creepy, but the Game Over music is outright scary. This is in sharp contrast with the sountrack's JP/EU counterpart, as there those two tracks aren't are scary: the JP Boss music has an AffablyEvil feel to it, and the JP Game Over music is more like SarcasmMode in musical form.
** On the other hand, the Sonic CD boss music is used to nightmarish effects in the game's [[DebugRoom hidden sound test]], resulting in [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UuRbrscizjE this scary]] EasterEgg.

* [[SonicSpinball "Pinball Fortress"]] may sound cheesy. [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7rs3xC6Cxmk&#t=0m20s It isn't.]]

* ''Sonic & Knuckles'', as well as ''Sonic 3'' when it's locked on to said game, has Sandopolis Zone's Act 2, set inside a huge pyramid with a scarier version of Act 1's theme playing in the background. About a quarter of the way through, you'll land on a capsule that dispenses a crowd of ever-growing ghosts.

* ''[[VideoGame/Sonic3AndKnuckles Sonic The Hedgehog 3]]''[='=]s Ice Cap Zone has a (normally) Knuckles-only section where you must glide from wall to wall while avoiding icy spiked balls. Hacking confirms said spike balls can hurt Super Sonic as well.

* [[VideoGame/SonicAdventure Red Mountain]], a [[{{Metroid}} Norfair]]-like U-rated hell, with the addition of walls with cells containing ghosts dressed in prison uniforms and scary spiders.

* The Lost World, from ''VideoGame/SonicAdventure'', has creepy music, a spooky underground city and dark areas. Kinda unsettling.

* In ''Sonic Adventure 2'', at the beginning of the last story, [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w7JD7pOorV4 listening to Gerald's pre-execution speech and his taped diary]] is rather unnerving and ridiculously out of place in a - previously - kid-friendly game. The SuperlativeDubbing doesn't help.

* VideoGame/SonicAdventure2 had some levels where these sinister-looking ghosts with yellow eyes jumped out at you unexpectedly, namely Pumpkin Hill and Pyramid Cave among a few others.

* [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YB25ZDKsaVg Final Fortress]] at the end of ''VideoGame/SonicHeroes'' is perhaps Eggman's most massive AirborneAircraftCarrier to date, and when you're in the level, you're surrounded on both sides by dark mechanical corridors, flashing lights (that actually do nothing to light up the place), metal conduits, and caution markings. All of this happens thousands of feet in the air, in the middle of a massive lightning storm. [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tB1Z338gcsU The music]] is quite possibly the most mournful, ominous, and heavy piece of music [[WhatDoYouMeanItsNotForKids ever made for a kids' game]].

[[folder: Sonic Advance]]
* [[SonicAdvance The Advance series]] had its scary bits:
** Sonic Advance 2's ThatOneBoss is the Egg Saucer, that can deliver [[OneHitKill One Hit Kills]] at will, and is (initially) piloted by a brainwashed Knuckles, although the special battle theme [[WastedSong used only for Knuckles]] may be either more Nightmare Fuel or [[CrowningMusicOfAwesome just plain awesome.]]
** The first Sonic Advance uses a fairly pleasant -- and unused anywhere else in the game -- sprite depicting Eggman's "pointing" artwork as an after-credits message, as a [[TheStinger stinger]], telling the player "Hey, go collect all the Chaos Emeralds!"... with a pitch black background. For the same message the second ([=SA2=]) has, on the other hand, a slightly modified of the Eggman "menacing-and-greedy" sprite from the Sonic Advance 1 intro, still with a black background, telling the player to collect the Chaos Emeralds, but this time in all caps with a ScareChord thrown in for good measure. The image itself can be [[http://www.vgmuseum.com/end/gba/b/son2son.htm seen at the bottom of this page.]]
*** It doesn't help that collecting any of the Chaos Emeralds, especially the last two, is absurdly difficult. The Special Stages in this game are thoroughly NintendoHard.

* ShadowTheHedgehog as a whole, also thanks to its MultipleEndings. In one, Shadow killed Eggman and threatened to finish off Sonic. Then Black Doom's [[ToServeMan revealed his master plan]] involving paralytic gas.

* ''Sonic Riders'' has the Digital Dimension track, the first half of which is a hellish landscape with creepy gargoyle statues and skeleton hands that try to drag you into a pit. InUniverse, Storm the Albatross states to be scared of it.
* In the game, all characters can attack each other. These attacks change as the racers collect rings and level up. Sonic's Level 3 attack happens to be spinning into another racer and repeatedly and brutally smashing them into the ground as Sonic spins, while the sound of bones cracking is heard.

* Mephiles the Dark's introduction from Sonic the Hedgehog 2006: he slouches over and walks as though a puppet on strings with his creepy staring eyes, able to talk without moving his mouth, all with [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qfhz5yz1U9o this music]] playing.

* Dark Gaia from ''SonicUnleashed'', when he goes OneWingedAngel, he transforms [[TransformationTrauma in a really disturbing manner]], and the final product is somewhere between StarfishAlien and EldritchAbomination. His head is a Venus flytrap filled with eyes, the whole thing enclosed in tongues with two huge ones hanging down.

* The closest Eggman has gotten to a true MoralEventHorizon in the games: he tried to capture an entire alien species, the Wisps, just so he can use their life energy to power his machines, which could've brought the Wisps to extinction if Sonic and Tails failed to stop him. Eggman's master plan was to use them to power a mind-control weapon that's powerful enough to enslave the entire universe. This is first time in the games where Eggman truly borderlines the CompleteMonster territory, which is not surprising considering the writers for this game are the same ones behind MadWorld and HappyTreeFriends.

** It actually makes sense as it's actually an 8 bit version of Eggman's theme from Sonic 06. So it's a bad guy theme and a very [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h7QHG3YmC3s menacing sounding one at that]].

* The appearance of [[EldritchAbomination Time Eater]]. It possibly could be HighOctaneNightmareFuel, as we find out that [[spoiler: it's actually an [[EldritchAbomination Eldritch]] [[TimeMachine Time-Destroying Mecha]] found and utilized by Dr. Eggman of the future right after his recent defeat from Sonic Colors.]] Even worse, when Eggman explains how he found Time Eater,[[spoiler: the player is shown gray scale images that show the rotound scientist discovering said monster in deep space with Orbot and Cubot, as his is their fate at the end of Sonic Colors.]] However, once Eggman sees Time Eater, he goes after it on his own, [[spoiler: leaving Orbot and Cubot in deep space forever.]]
* The implications that Sonic's friends may actually be self aware while petrified: according to Tails, when he was petrified, [[AndIMustScream he felt like he was helplessly floating in a limbo without a body.]]

* Sat AM Sonic The Hedgehog features Robotnik's Roboticizer: [[UnwillingRoboticization living things go in, robot slaves come out.]] Who are completely aware of everything that happens to them and that they're forced to do.

* [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=110xB73v71Y Sonic Adventure Continue music.]] It's like you're in a between-life-and-death limbo.

* ''Sonic Riders'' is a game you'd think has absolutely no potential for nightmare fuel whatsoever... until you race in the Digital Dimension track, the first half of which is a hellish landscape with creepy gargoyle statues and skeleton hands that try to drag you into a pit. The hands can be avoided if you're good with tricks, however. Its potential for inducing nightmares is lampshaded in mission briefings, as Storm says he's scared of the place.
** It gets stranger when a quarter of the stage is in a heavenly place after coming out of a door that led to a ''light''.
*** A harp can be heard when you enter that area.
*** And don't forget that the entrance to said place looks like the actual Gates of Hell.
** In the game, all characters can attack each other. These attacks change as the racers collect rings and level up. Sonic's Level 3 attack just so happens to be spinning into another racer and repeatedly and brutally smashing them into the ground as Sonic spins, while the sound of bones cracking is heard. Yes, even with the robots. This really made this Troper wonder what the hell SEGA was thinking when they put in the attacks...
*** All this in a G-rated game, no less.
**** Well the game apparently almost got rated E10+, possibly because of Digital Dimension, though it might have been because of displaying heaven and hell instead of it being scary. [[FridgeLogic Why is there something resembling heaven and hell in a place made by Babylonians anyway?]]

* This troper found Mephiles the Dark's introduction from Sonic the Hedgehog 2006 extremely creepy. The way he kinda slouches over and walks as though a puppet on strings with his creepy staring eyes and ability to talk without moving his mouth freaked her out. The disturbing/creepy background music did not help either.
** You mean [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qfhz5yz1U9o this music?]] +1 dead puppies.
** This troper wasn't afraid of Mephiles the Dark throughout Sonic, Shadow, or Silver's stories. He seemed like a standard evil villain. And then, at the start of the last story, he appears out of nowhere and ''[[WhamEpisode instantly kills Sonic]]''. Even though Sonic comes back to life, the trauma of seeing one of my childhood heroes impaled by this monstrosity was only off set by the fact that this meant that Silver would get more time in the spotlight. Still had to pause the game for 5 minutes before I started.
** This troper loves Mephiles the Dark '''BECAUSE''' of his intro and mannerisms. She can't get enough of him. Now, the fact that Mephiles's ultimate goal was to basically kill himself from existence in favor of merging which his other half as one big supermind bent on devouring time like it was frosted sugar cookies with sprinkles was enough to spark something on that Nightmare Fuel right there...
** This troper didn't even get far enough in Sonic '06 to see Mephiles (she got too pissed off by the constant glitches), so what creeped her out was the realistic-looking Eggman, and the whole Sonic/Elise pairing.
** Not to mention the Mephiles boss fight involves him summoning an [[MesACrowd entire swarm of mini-Mephiles]] which will dogpile Shadow while making creepy, high-pitched noises. It can definitely catch you off guard if you were expecting the usual kind of hedgehog boss fight.
** This troper thought Mephiles was creepy also, it's the reason she likes him so much. But watching a let's play (because she doesn't own an xbox or ps3) of Shadow's battle with him and seeing him dance around as shadow's shadow was really creepy. Almost makes her want to buy an xbox and go though the torture of the entire game just to see that herself.

* Dark Gaia from ''SonicUnleashed'' is scary enough, but when he goes OneWingedAngel on you, he transforms [[TransformationTrauma in a really disturbing manner]], and the final product is somewhere between StarfishAlien and EldritchAbomination. For his head, think a Venus flytrap filled with eyes, the whole thing enclosed in ''tongues'' with two huge ones hanging down. Its death is pretty [[FamilyUnfriendlyDeath family unfriendly]], too.
** The transformation becomes NightmareRetardant once you watch [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8TtsqxtdQ-g this]]. [[ShoutOut Resi]][[ResidentEvil dent]] [[CrowningMomentOfFunny Evil!]]
** The opening: [[spoiler:Eggman tears the Earth apart!]] He has really done it this time.

* The underlying FridgeHorror from ''VideoGame/SonicColors'' leads this troper to believe that this is the closest Eggman has gotten to a true MoralEventHorizon in the games: What he does to the Wisps. Think about it. He tried to capture an ''entire'' alien species just so he can use their life energy to power his machines, which could've brought the Wisps to ''extinction'' if Sonic and Tails failed to stop him. Then, in the first cutscene in the Wii version, you can clearly see that Yacker and the Cyan Wisp were ''terrified'' and trying to avoid the same fate as their friends. Later, while it comes off light and silly, you can see Yacker is desperately begging Sonic and Tails to save his friends from Eggman, hinting that ''he may have seen first hand what Eggman has done to them.'' On Planet Wisp, the Wisps are ''terrified'' because Eggman is ''destroying their planet and converting it into a factory of death.'' Then there's the... disturbing scene where the Wisps are being [[AndIMustScream shipped into a factory in Asteroid Coaster, being forced to transform into the Nega-Wisps]]; Sonic was enraged and Tails was horrified by that sight. Then there's the implications that ''Yacker has been captured as well in the same scene.'' The DS version makes things worse, by showing that the transformation into Nega-Wisps have caused the Wisps to become ''violent and insane''. And what was Eggman's master plan? To use them to power a mind-control weapon that's powerful enough to ''enslave the entire universe.'' This is first time in the games where Eggman truly borderlines the CompleteMonster territory.
** And that's not even counting what he did to the Wisp's [[spoiler:Mother]] in the DS version's exclusive Super Sonic bonus boss.
* From the Wii version, am I the only one who finds [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_U-kliMM3lg this music]] slightly unsettling at best?
** The DS version of the song ''[[ItGotWorse is orchestrated.]]''

* The appearance of [[EldritchAbomination Time Eater]]. It possibly could be ''[[HighOctaneNightmareFuel High-Octane]]'' [[HighOctaneNightmareFuel Nightmare Fuel]]. Then we find out that [[spoiler:it's actually an [[EldritchAbomination Eldritch]] [[TimeMachine Time-Destroying Mecha]] found and utilized by Dr. Eggman of the future after his recent defeat from Sonic Colors.]]
** Even worse: When Eggman explains how he found Time Eater,[[spoiler: the player is shown gray scale images that show the rotound scientist discovering said monster in deep space with Orbot and Cubot, as his is their fate at the end of Sonic Colors.]] However, once Eggman sees Time Eater, he goes after it on his own, [[spoiler:leaving Orbot and Cubot in deep space forever.]] Notice those two don't make an appearance in this one...
* The implications that Sonic's friends may actually be ''self aware'' while petrified. Eep.
* According to Tails, when he was petrified, he felt like he was helplessly floating in a limbo without a body.
** That not only creeped [[Tropers.ReikoKazama this troper]] out ''immensely'', it also made her ''really'' want to give Tails a hug.
* The newly-designed [[SonicAdventure2 GUN truck.]] After exploring the high-def redesign of City Escape, A player who hasn't seen previews would expect the truck to simply drive down a hill at reasonable speed like the original, right? [[spoiler:Wrong. It's much bigger, it's even faster, and it's been equipped with three gigantic saw blades and rocket boosters, with even the worst regard to human safety, as it even smashes through a building quickly. And all those cars that were just knocked about? They EXPLODE upon touch.]]

* ''[[SegaSuperstars Sonic & Sega All-Stars Racing]]'': That '''cock-mongler-[[TheFaceOfTheSun faced sun]]''' in the ''Samba De Amigo'' tracks. [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2q824uKNvPQ#t=1m00s Look and weep.]]
** [[HighOctaneNightmareFuel OH GOD IT WANTS TO EAT MY SOUL!]]
** The sun? The sun's not scary, just silly! No, the real horror are those fraking haunted mansion racetracks.
* When this troper was a wee lad, the GameOver screen for ''Sonic 3D Blast'' unsettled him: instead of the words "Game Over" simply flashing on screen after the last life is lost, the screen turns a pale blue as the letters for "Game Over" appear, set to the Game Over theme from ''Sonic 3 & Knuckles'', then at the very end, the screen just fucking explodes! [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7q236FqlgP4 Holy shit.]]
* [[spoiler:Metal Sonic's]] [[TheStinger appearance]] in SonicTheHedgehog4's [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WbSsMppR1A8&feature=related alternate ending]] is a bit [[{{JumpScare}} unnerving.]]
** [[YourMileageMayVary It depends.]] A true, honest-to-God JumpScare should have had [[spoiler:Metal Sonic]] jumping at the player out of nowhere, but instead we see the character in question distant from the screen, standing in front of a pitch black background, so there's nothing scary about it ''by itself'', as it comes off more as merely surprising than anything else. That aside, however, [[spoiler:the sudden [[RedEyesTakeWarning (red)]] EyeOpeningClosing, the flash, [[HellIsThatNoise the noise Metal Sonic makes]], and the [[NothingIsScarier complete lack of BGM]]]] bring back the scariness ''immediately''.

* By this troper, one of the most creepy moments was the open interpretation of the [[MultipleEndings incomplete ending]] of the Game Gear version of Sonic 2, in which Tails gets kidnapped by Dr. Robotnik. If you don't collect all the [[PlotCoupon Chaos Emeralds]] throughout the game, then you do not gain access to Crystal Egg Zone and have the [[DownerEnding bad ending]] [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IZ19n421nBc credits]], at the end of which Sonic looks up and sees [[spoiler:a constellation of Tails in the sky]], which could very well pertain to [[spoiler:the fox's death]].
** "'''Oh. My. God.''' [[spoiler:[[FridgeHorror Tails... is dead...]] [[WhatDoYouMeanItsForKids Suddenly, I no longer viewed Sonic the Hedgehog as a family-friendly video game series.]] [I didn't expect the [[TheBadGuyWins bad ending]] [[DiabolusExMachina to be so cruel]] in a game like this]... [[MoralEventHorizon Robotnik is no longer even a slightly comical, egg-shaped villain.]] ''[[CompleteMonster This man truly has the heart of a cold-blooded killer.]]'']]" ([=whoisthisgit=], "[[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HCQZOh2faww Creepy Bad Endings #3]]" on YouTube)
** This troper was like 5 when he borrowed and completed this game several times, but I'll never forget how sad that ending made me feel. It practically left me in tears. Now let me explain some stuff. Having played only the first Sonic game before this one and not having the actual manual to read, I had no idea the Chaos Emeralds were in this game at all because they were quite well hidden. So I assumed that in the end, even though I stopped Robotnik, [[spoiler:Tails will die,]] ''[[FailureIsTheOnlyOption and there's nothing I can do to to stop it.]]'' Wasn't until a decade later I discovered otherwise.
* How about the bad ending to KnucklesChaotix? Should you fail to collect all the Chaos Rings, you don't get a simple "try again" animation with Eggman taunting you. Oh, no. You get to see Metal Sonic Kai '''[[TheBadGuyWins destroying a whole city]]''', making it go up in flames. Now imagine how many innocents lived in that city; surely, there were millions of casualties. Really, when you think about it, it really makes you feel bad about failing, and knowing the consequences of said failure are, it's really much worse than the simple "Eggman taunts you, try again" messages.
** ''VideoGame/SonicAdventure'' has a similar ending, it ends with Sonic chasing after Eggman in Station Square, which is in ruins, and hundreds of civilians are likely dead...and this is supposed to be a ''happy'' ending?! What the hell?
*** [[Funny/HellfireCommentaries The city's been fucking DESTROYED!!!]]
* The Game Gear game ''Tails Adventure'' has a boss where you're trapped in a room and must use Tails's mini-robot to defeat a crazy old bearded duck scientist. To do this, you have to navigate the robot through a tiny maze to reach a rock you must push onto the boss's head. He looks startled momentarily, then falls on his back ''and stays that way''. You may only have to look at his body for a few seconds more while you hit a switch, but this troper had a serious, awful feeling of MyGodWhatHaveIDone the first time and has to look away at that point in all subsequent playthroughs.
* If you think about it, the arcade game ''[=SegaSonic=] the Hedgehog'' can be a little frightening. The story of the game is that Dr. Eggman/Robotnik has captured Sonic, Mighty, and Ray and puts them on his island that contains various {{death trap}}s. The object of the game is to run from the beginning to the end in each level in one piece. The catch is the aforementioned traps such as giant tornadoes, gigantic stalactites, spike walls, and circular blades (which Eggman can activate with a push of a button). There are more in the game; the point is that it shows how freaking determined Eggman is and how far he will go to destroy Sonic and friends and (granted, there could be worse, but still). You can hear in his voice during the course of the game that he really loves torturing them.
** He really loves [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z0Qr0kSXGEg torturing Sonic]]. That scream he lets loose at 1:14 proves this. "HEYAAAAAAAAAA" indeed....
** And if that's not enough, some stuff was found in the game that implies the game might have been planned for a release in the arcades in the west, only rather than have it be the Japanese Eggman putting Sonic, Ray, and Mighty through total hell to risk their lives, it turns out they intended to use the [=SatAM=] Robotnik for the possible Western release; you can just imagine how much more disturbing the game would have become had the plan to localize the game gone through with that kind of change to it.

* Sat AM Sonic The Hedgehog features Robotnik's Roboticizer: Living things go in, robot slaves come out. Who are completely aware of everything that happens to them and that they're forced to do. 'Nuff said.
** We do know. [[AndIMustScream They are fully aware what is going on]], but unable to do anything. [[HighOctaneNightmareFuel It doesn't make it any better]].
** Speaking of [=SatAm=], Robotnik delivers this little gem:

* In one episode, Sonic had a nightmare about about Princess Sally being put in that machine, and all he could do was watch. I'm freaked out by the fact that I remember it, considering I only saw that episode once; heck, it was like the only episode of that series that I ever watched.
** In the comic, a group of aliens cure everyone except Bunnie and Jules, according to them. But what about Valdez? And Universalmander? And Fly Fly Freddy? And Carl Condor? This implies that they are still under Eggman's control, doomed to serve forever.
*** Valdez, at the very least, was blown to pieces after being defeated by Espio via electrocution. Thinking about it, though, if he had been deroboticized like that... it borders going straight into ''HighOctaneNightmareFuel''.
**** Furthermore, Fly Fly Freddy was drowned, Carl Condor was smashed against the trash, and Universalmander was shrunk.
**** [[WordOfGod Ian Flynn confirmed during a [=Q&A=] session that]] Fly Fly Freddy, Carl Condor, and Valdez were KilledOffForReal, specifically noting that attempts to reassemble Fly Fly Freddy were made and failed.
* [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=110xB73v71Y Sonic Adventure Continue music.]] It's like you're in a between-life-and-death limbo and you WILL pick the wrong choice, whether you choose to go on or not.
* "Sonic's dad [[WasOnceAMan isn't really a Mobian anymore.]] [[SelfMadeOrphan My dad simply isn't]]."
** Oh Christ... Scourge is just plain CREEPY. He '''GOUGED OUT''' Patch's eye (off screen, thank God, but that just makes it worse in a way). And why? Because Patch always used to wear an eye patch because he thought it made him look roguish and bad ass. Scourge just decided, hey, I'm going to give you a reason to wear one. He's basically the Joker with Sonic-Speed and a [[SpoiledBrat spoilt-brat]]-like sense of [[EntitledBastard self-entitlement]].
*** And by arc's end, he decides to try and destroy two whole worlds. Just... [[ForTheEvulz because]]. He also murdered his universe's Knuckles, and oh yeah, he beat up his universe's Bunnie... because she was terminally ill and no longer useful to him. Ugh, he's just a big ball of NightmareFuel wrapped in {{Squick}} with a side order of AlwaysChaoticEvil.
**** Anti-Knuckles may not in fact be dead. Given Scourge's [[AxCrazy track record]], though...
* Although it lacked a mentioning, Sonia's nightmare in SonicUnderground when Sonia is searching for her mother in her dream and just when she found her, she transforms to Robotnik, laughing evilly as it would seem she is doomed. That even scared this troper, no matter what age.
** A Chaos Emerald-fueled Dingo was poised to ''destroy Mobius''.
* Eggman's descent into crazy in both the American comics and the UK ones is just... unsettling. He's this guy who's always been a mostly comedic sort of villain, bumbling through crazy schemes and throwing hissy fits like a spoilt brat when things don't go his way. Then... yeah. In the American comics, he goes from homicidal, to genocidal, losing his marbles more and more, finally collapsing on the ground screaming as he tears his hair out and winds up a drooling wreck. Afterwards, he's got no idea where he is, what's going on, or even what year it is... he's just a mess. And in the UK comics, it's worse. He goes from genocidal to OMNICIDAL... and finally suicidal as well. He decides to kill himself and take everyone with him, and when his normally loyal Smithers-like lackey Grimer finally states what everyone's been thinking ("You're... you're mad"), the only response Robotnik has is "So what?". In the online continuation, he goes on to become a mute sociopath.
** Heck, Eggman's [[IncrediblyLamePun cracking-up]] scene, at least in the American comics, was so disturbing that even Sonic himself didn't feel good about it, and that he'd gone too far that time. Fortunately, [[spoiler:when Eggman escapes from his confines later on]], he says [[http://i54.photobucket.com/albums/g116/Orengefox/SnoopingAsUsual-1.png some]] [[http://img838.imageshack.us/img838/3887/itsfromtheshow.jpg things]] that just tell you the writer is OneOfUs.
** And then when he starts regaining his composure, it turns out he... [[http://images3.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20100311220202/archiesonic/images/thumb/9/94/Th_DrIvoRobotnik-1-2-.jpg/642px-Th_DrIvoRobotnik-1-2-.jpg kept afew features from his original body.]]
* For this troper, there was the end of the Archie Sonic Comic, issue 168, where Tails and Shadow are pretty much zapped to the point of pain. Being used to seeing Tails in trouble, it wasn't so bad until she saw Shadow's reaction, after being pretty much knocked out the panel previous. Seeing Shadow, the tough guy, [[http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b389/Rae_Logan/scaryshadowmoment.png screaming mutely and twisting in pain was somewhat disturbing.]]
* Super Sonic in ''SonicTheComic''. Unlike in the games where Super Sonic is merely a [[SuperMode super-powered form of Sonic's]], he is Sonic as a [[SuperpoweredEvilSide super powered sociopath]] who wants nothing more than to [[CompleteMonster kill and torture anything in his path, preferably slowly]]. In theory, he could murder his friends easily, when not in his right mind. In fact, that was the plot of an issue or two; he thought he killed his friends and sent himself into an exile.
* ''SonicX'' actually has a scene in Eggman's labs showing how he places the little animals into his badnik. They are placed in little ball prisons and then scooped up and jammed inside the robotic shells, while they are ''still conscious and frantically trying to escape''. The giant bots' lifeless eyes then light up as they activate and begin an immediate test run blasting Sonic targets. Granted this gets toyed with further on. You really would expect such a robot feeding off these poor creatures' life force to be the [[TheWoobie embodiment]] [[MinionWithAnFInEvil of]] [[HeroicSacrifice evil]] at first...

* [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W-dKTdGxHfs The music on Carnival Night zone.]]

** King Boom Boo is the [[ThatOneBoss That One]] KingMook reigning on said ghosts.

* What about the [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YB25ZDKsaVg Final Fortress]] at the end of ''VideoGame/SonicHeroes'', perhaps Eggman's most massive AirborneAircraftCarrier to date. The damned thing is huge, and when you're in the level, you're surrounded on both sides by dark mechanical corridors, flashing lights (that actually do nothing to light up the place), metal conduits, and caution markings, all the while taking place thousands of feet in the air in the middle of a massive lightning storm!
** [[@/XxGuardianKnightxX This Troper]] was already a bit of a technophobe, but this level took on a whole new meaning! He can literally feel the high levels of pollution and radiation in the air when he plays this level.
** And the whole level is arguably ''made'' NightmareFuel by [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tB1Z338gcsU the music alone]], which is quite possibly the most mournful, ominous, and heavy piece of music [[WhatDoYouMeanItsNotForKids ever made for a kids' game]].
*** Emphasis on ''arguably''. Perhaps it's due to having never played the game, but this troper finds that music to be pretty freakin' sweet.
*** This troper agrees with the above troper, and owning the game, finds Final Fortress to be [[BestLevelEver freaking awesome]], especially as you near the level's end with any non-Rose team; [[BigFreakingGun Giant]] [[FrickinLaserBeams Laser]] [[BeamSpam Cannons abound!]]
* Ok some actual nightmare fuel in Heroes could possibly be [[spoiler:Metal Sonic's transformation into his OneWingedAngel form in the starting cutscene before the fight against Metal Madness in Last Story and maybe his scene in the cutscene before Sonic goes Super Sonic]]; this may not be scary if you're an older fan of Sonic but it doesn't stop it from being frightening to younger Sonic fans who are still small young children.
** Perhaps as a form of AudienceSurrogate to that, the six year old Cream is shown during the scene being hugged by Big due to how terrifying it is to her (probably doubles as a mini CrowningMomentOfHeartwarming).

** [[@/KatanaCat This Troper]] wasn't too bothered by most of it. ''Most'' of it. The ''eyes''... I swear it's that sound that it makes when it gets the weird one-over-the-other eyes. Apart from that, Last Story jumps back and forth between being really awesome and pure {{Narm}}.
* Egg Emperor. Eggman shouting "TAKE THIS! TAKE THIS! TAKE THIS!" over and over again is definitely Narm, but when you get too far behind him (or, more frighteningly because you can't see him, too far ahead of him) he shouts "CHARGE!" out of absolutely nowhere and attacks you. Note that being too far ahead/behind still applies...to when you're FALLING DOWN A BOTTOMLESS PIT. You're halfway to your death already and Eggman comes out of absolutely nowhere screaming "CHARGE!" and goes down with you.

* [[SonicAdvance The Advance series]] had its scary bits, really. Sonic Advance 2, in particular, has one hell of a ThatOneBoss, that can deliver [[OneHitKill One Hit Kills]] at will. That, united to the fact it's [[spoiler:piloted by a brainwashed Knuckles]], makes everything worse, although the special battle theme [[spoiler:[[WastedSong used only for Knuckles]]]] may be either more Nightmare Fuel or [[CrowningMusicOfAwesome just plain awesome.]] However, there's one thing that's even worse. The first Sonic Advance uses a fairly pleasant -- and unused anywhere else in the game -- sprite depicting Eggman's "pointing" artwork as an after-credits message, as a [[TheStinger stinger]], telling the player "Hey, go collect all the Chaos Emeralds!"... with a pitch black background. That, however, is still okay. The second ([=SA2=]) is, like, ten thousand times worse. Still a stinger of the same kind, but this time, it shows a slightly modified of the Eggman "menacing-and-greedy" sprite from the Sonic Advance 1 intro, still with a black background, telling the player to collect the Chaos Emeralds, but this time in '''ALL CAPS!''' However, there's still the worst thing: they added a ScareChord. While this troper was playing it [[WhatAnIdiot in his bed, right before sleeping,]] he ''had'' to turn off the music and make the screen face elsewhere. [[TakeOurWordForIt It's that effective.]]
** [[http://www.vgmuseum.com/end/gba/b/son2son.htm See it at the bottom of this page.]]
** It doesn't help that collecting ''any'' of the Chaos Emeralds, ''especially'' the last two, is absurdly difficult. The Special Stages in this game are thoroughly NintendoHard.
** Actually, Knuckles was only tricked by Eggman into helping him... again. Hope that helps.

* ShadowTheHedgehog as a whole, anyone? [[@/{{jketchum31}} This Troper]] is a hardened horror fan and actually screamed when Shadow killed Eggman and wept when Shadow [[spoiler:threatened to finish off Sonic.]] Then Black Doom's [[spoiler:[[ToServeMan revelation of his master plan]] and the paralytic gas]] made this troper's [[spoiler:occasional sleep paralysis]] much more distressing. Oddly enough, the idea that [[spoiler:all those man-eating baby slugs died when Shadow destroyed the comet]] disturbed her more. Then there's the "gruesome image" of Maria's death. Yeah, Nightmare Fuel.
** This troper is creeped out by Black Doom as a whole.
** To add to Black Doom's creepiness (or at least how it is to me): The entire time I played the game, I couldn't help but get this suspicion that Black Doom wasn't real, but the Eye was. And since the game neither confirms nor denies the possibility of Black Doom being an apparition to screw with your mind, it still creeps me out to this day.
** Or all the terrorist-like activities Black Doom was instructing Shadow to do while he, on the Dark routes, ''unquestioningly obeyed''.
*** This Troper managed to justify this in fanfiction.
*** [[ItGotWorse It gets worse.]] Whilst looking over the cutscenes for the dark side, me and my older sister laughed a little at Shadow's voice and dialogue during some of the scenes. Before the FridgeHorror set in, we found it amusing. "He sounds like a zombie!" I laughed. Then I froze when I remembered the Last story, where it's revealed that Black Doom can actually control Shadow due to him being made out of his blood. [[FridgeHorror He was unquestionably obeying and sounding like a zombie because he was being mind controlled.]] That realisation freaked the shit out of me.
** During the final fight with Black Doom in the Last Story, if you take long enough, you get to hear [[spoiler:Sonic, Tails, Knuckles, and Dr. Eggman choking to death, cheering you on in battle until their last breath.]]
*** That's one of the reasons he's a {{Woobie}} and why Maria was so important to him: She wasn't intimidated by the fact that he could destroy her. She knew that Shadow just wanted a friend deep down inside, and cared for him despite his evil looking apperance. And that's why G.U.N raided the ark, too. Because he was black and red and was the ultimate lifeform. Keep that in mind, that's what helped me get through ShadowTheHedgehog without being scared; his Woobieness.

* [[VideoGame/SonicAdventure Red Mountain]], anyone? [[{{Metroid}} Norfair]]-like U-rated hell, except for lining the walls with cells containing ghosts dressed in prison uniforms. And the only way to progress is to flood the volcano. Amy's worth ''that''?
** Speaking of Red Mountain, the spiders in that level immensely creeped this troper out. Especially because one time, a spider got ''right the fuck in front of the camera.''
* Why hasn't Chaos from Sonic Adventure been mentioned? Specifically, his final form. See for yourself [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_efv7ZGAdjo here in the intro to the game]]: At 0:59 he finally materializes himself. Gigantic lizard head made of water materializing out of a building? Not this troper's idea of fun.
** That horrifying cutscene of [[OneWingedAngel Perfect Chaos]] when he first spawns out of the skyscraper -- IN REALISTIC 3D -- and just roars at you. It's worse in the DX version, arguably, because this is a part of the cinematic that starts every time you play; complete with flashes of lava flows, close-ups of Perfect Chaos, inverted-colour images, and lightning strikes. Needless to say, I was terrified as a kid. It still unsettles me now.
** The first time this troper played Sonic Adventure DX at her dad's house, her little sister was alone in the room while everyone else was in the kitchen. The opening video with Perfect Chaos scared her so badly, she ran screaming out of the bedroom.
** This troper also has recurring nightmares about Perfect Chaos. Imagine it from the city peoples point of view. Your whole city flooded with water and a giant water lizard-monster emerges from it, roaring loudly and destroying everything. The people were about ant sized to him.
** When I was a kid, I found Chaos 6 ''terrifying'', even more than Perfect Chaos. It just looks so... [[EldritchAbomination alien]], even Sonic is taken aback by its appearance! Also, on a rare occasion, Chaos will use an attack that sprouts spikes all around and tries slashing you with a scythe-like tail! Sure, it's very easy to dodge, but it's so... creepy! And then there is the music that plays when you fight it... Nowadays, Chaos is my favorite character, but that form is still a bit unsettling.
* For [[{{Etheru}} this Troper]], The Lost World, from ''VideoGame/SonicAdventure''; the music's enough, but the underground city and dark areas... It's kinda unsettling.
* [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ACbOLM17LlU "You fool. Away, before I make mincemeat out of you..."]]
** Really? That's more a case of grade-A {{Narm}}.
** No, {{Narm}} would be "All systems! FULL powerr!" or "No way! I can't beLIEVE this!" That moment above is one of the few times (if not the only time) Eggman sounds genuinely menacing, making it severe MoodDissonance compared to his constant [[ChewingtheScenery chewing of the scenery]] in all other scenes.
** He DOES sound menacing, yes... but the fact that he goes back to yelling [[ChewingTheScenery "GET A LOAD OF THIS!!!"]] during the battle kind of undermines it a little.
* The Mirror House segment in Twinkle Park, with Amy. It has [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RP6Yg1fCEik that music.]] At first, really soothing and innocent-sounding... then you hear a ''very'' faint baby's chuckle, and the song takes a total [[MoodWhiplash Mood Whiplash]] becoming dark as hell. And then, it comes back to its soothing atmosphere like at the beginning. Now think for a second. You're in a Mirror House, a place where kids get amused by weird looks at the deforming mirrors. Here the mirror house is an enormous castle. Full of spiked balls, and trap doors, and unfriendly robots. It was supposed to be a kid's place, but feels like a torture chamber. And then, the baby laughing. Considering the entire scenario, it's not hard to think of [[FridgeHorror a creepy explanation to that out-of-place chuckle in the middle of the music....]]

* How about the music for the Limestone cave level?[[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ypTdjSrZB6Y Still scares this troper shitless]]

* In ''Sonic Adventure 2'', at the beginning of the last story, [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w7JD7pOorV4 when you're listening to Gerald's pre-execution speech and his taped diary]]... that was rather unnerving. It was a ridiculously dark moment in an otherwise kid-friendly game, and it helps that the voice acting there was probably some of the best in the series. The way he cries "I WENT INSANE!" will haunt me forever.
** "You're too slow! Sonic, if you don't come here, '''she will die!'''" Normally, I found Amy to be annoying, but hearing Eggman actually threaten someone's life really lit a fire under my ass and got me to finish Crazy Gadget that much quicker.
** When this troper [[ScrappyLevel finally completed the level Crazy Gadget]] with Sonic, and completed the game, she was a very excited 10 year-old, and got a bowl of whipped cream to celebrate ''finally'' finishing Hero Mode. Enjoying her snack and exited about what was going to happen next, she was watching the cut-scenes, and suddenly, in all of the excitement, came a very disturbing Prof. Gerald, tied up and crazy, with UncannyValley factors and screaming erratically about his loss of reality from his granddaughter dying. She practically threw up her whipped cream. And that's not even close to [[EldritchAbomination the Biolizard]] yet... Or [[TearJerker Shadow dying...]]
** Honestly, the final level with Sonic was creepy... To be specific, the very last part where there's a big waterfall, the music turns completely ominous, there's a large chance of falling down the wrong waterway, and... It's just creepy.
*** That frikken orange goop in Knuckles's final stage was what got me...
** The Last Story (on the heels of beating the Light and Dark Stories) has nothing on its own trailer. Seriously, to the right mindset, that --[[AC:End of the world]]-- is scary.
** Not to mention Final Rush, where if you fall, Sonic BURNS UP IN THE ATMOSPHERE.
** You know what freaks me out the most of Prof. Gerald's diary? The way his voice keeps fluctuating as he talks about how he became scared at how he could no longer control his thoughts, and he wanted it all to end. Following this, he starts calmly talking about how he finished the Shadow Project to avenge Maria, but he still says that it was created to be a pure and perfect mind. The man has completely lost his grasp on reality and isn't even aware of how bat-squeak insane he's become.
*** If anything, that speech is even ''worse'' in Japanese.
** Two words: Artificial Chaos.
*** Especially if the first time you see them is in Dark Story, when you play as Rouge, and you see them far away and the TV tells you to "stay away from the blue thing." And if you do go over there? Silly-long arms come out and hit you before you get a good look at them.
** If you play through the Dark Side story before the Hero Side, the prelude to the second fight with Tails is even more disturbing. It's not the part where Eggman [[spoiler:threatens to blow Amy's brains out with MoreDakka than could possibly be necessary,]] it's that [[spoiler:they don't even ''hint'' that Sonic might have somehow avoided dying cold and alone in the empty void of space, and in a particularly gruesome and spectacular fashion at that.]] Worse still is that if you start the game again from the boss round, [[spoiler:Eggman gloats in the opening crawl about having subjected him to the ChunkySalsaRule.]] He spent most of that game tightroping on the MoralEventHorizon.
* VideoGame/SonicAdventure2 had some levels where these sinister-looking ghosts with yellow eyes jumped out at you unexpectedly, scaring the shit out of me.
** This troper took F-ING TWO HOURS to complete Pumpkin Hill because of them. He's traumatized by that stage, just to find out that the following two Knuckles stages had those stupid ghosts in a even worse fashion (since you still could see them in Pumpkin Hill in miniature form before they jump out and scare the crap out of you, but in Aquatic Mine, the miniatures are pretty well hidden).
*** This troper only dared continue the stage because of the music.
* Rouge's Egg Chamber level was scary, if only because of the LOUD, FLYING, INVINCIBLE BUG ROBOT THAT FIRED A LASER AT YOU IF IT SAW YOU.
** This troper took several YEARS to beat Rouge's Egg Chamber level. Even today, she shuns that beetle robot and wishes there were SOME way to kill it. When it enters the room, I will hide in a dark shadowy corner and not move an inch until I no longer hear its whirring sound.
*** This troper NEVER completed it, it was THAT bad.
* Three words. King Boom Boo. This troper was so freaked out the first time she fought him, she turned off the console, and didn't play the Hero story again for half a year.
** [[YourMileageMayVary YMMV]] -- for this troper, that dude was grade-A {{Narm}}. HE HAD A RAINBOW TONGUE, FOR GOD'S SAKE.
* This troper was irreversibly disturbed by the fact that you practically have to let Knuckles drown... to get ''the breathing collar.'' What?
** Not sure if this lessens it any; but this troper finds it easier to obtain the breathing collar if the water level's at 3, for me and plenty of others it lessens his chance of drowning by quite a bit. Mainly because you can pretty much walk to the area close to it, and save some air before you start swimming. You still have that chance of drowning, but it isn't as frequent on water levels one or two. Just saying.
** Not really scary or disturbing for this troper, it was more aggravating. I kept trying for it, and cursing at the screen til I got it.
* This Troper used to be afraid of the giant invincible Beetle robot in [[VideoGame/SonicAdventure Sonic Adventure 2]], in the level Egg Quarters.
* Biolizard. Biolizard. Biolizard. Biolizard. Finalhazard is NightmareRetardant, due to how easy it is.
** Picture the scene: A sweet 11 year old girl, who was (and still is) a bit of a wimp, braves the final level, excited at possibly being able to complete the game. She views Sonic and Knuckles running into the creepy-looking core place, just ''knowing'' that there'd be a boss, but not having any clue what it could be. Then she gets OminousMultipleScreens flying towards the camera, all showing the segment of Professor Gerald's speech all playing slightly out of time, and a light starts gathering, which creeps her out and makes it known to her that something very bad is about to happen... then [[GiantSpaceFleaFromNowhere a giant lizard beast THING suddenly just explodes onto the scene and ROARS into the camera.]] As Shadow suddenly [[BigDamnHeroes turns up to fight the baddie,]] said 11 year old is desperately thinking "I don't WANT to take care of this!". [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zah19RJJ2EQ The music did not help.]] [[ThatOneBoss Nor did the fact that it took her MONTHS to kill.]] It still creeps her out nearly six years later.
*** This troper had a ton of lives saved up, due to being too scared to pass the robot in Rouge's Egg Quarter's level and playing other stages, and when she fought the Biolizard for the first time, it cost her 24 lives to beat the darned thing. Although this troper is no longer scared of him, because she learned if you jump over his head and follow it, he will try and attack you ''while facing the wrong direction''! Talk about stupid.
** The fact it has a superweapon rammed up its jacksy could be either NightmareFuel or NightmareRetardant.
** The song during the fight against Biolizard could count as well. Especially since it can sound like a DarkReprise of Live and Learn.
*** The music is YMMV. Personally, I love that song.
** Basically, the Biolizard is the sole living thing on the ARK (if you don't count the Artificial Chaos, but they're out in the open). It sits there at the center of the space colony, waiting for Sonic, Eggman, and the others to arrive to attempt to finish them off. It has no other purpose. So essentially, the second half of the game has every playable character trying to get to the middle of the ARK, totally unaware that in this abandoned space station is something alive with destructive power waiting for them at that location.
* Anyone else find Sonic Adventure 2's Lost Colony stage to be mega creepy? This Troper thinks it is! It's so dark throughout that entire stage, with those eerie red lines within the walls that glow on and off rhythmically. Did I mention that this place was the very site of a government conspiracy that led to the unjustified mass murder of innocent researchers and a terminally ill 12 year old girl? That, in my opinion, just adds onto how insanely creepy Lost Colony is.

* ''Sonic & Knuckles'', as well as ''Sonic 3'' when it's locked on to said game, has Sandopolis Zone's Act 2, set inside a huge pyramid with a scarier version of Act 1's theme playing in the background. About a quarter of the way through, you'll land on a capsule that dispenses a crowd of ghosts, which start off small and cute, but get larger and more demonic-looking as the lights dim. By the time the lights have gone out completely, the ghosts are huge, have big devil horns, and are dive-bombing you.
** So is this troper the only one that thought they looked like evil bunny rabbits then?
** Personally, I was mortally frightened by them as a kid, but when I was older, I was only slightly scared of them but enough to want to find the switch to make them disappear.
** Its even worse when you're playing as Knuckles in that part of the act. Considering that his story happens after Sonic's one, the ghosts are in the red zone already, and ambush you first thing when the act starts - '''with no rings'''. Even though this guest doesn't fear them, it's understandable why anyone who plays it their first time as Knuckles would be startled if they weren't expecting it and with no rings. It certainly doesn't help that the story made it sound like Sonic's story and Knuckles's story happened at the same time, which could also be a big offender in not expecting the ambush by them.
*** This Troper is a Sonic artist. Back when I was 6 years old playing the Sonic and Knuckles collection on PC, I was frightened when I first caught glimpse of the bunny demons... However, I was on chat with someone on Sonic Retro, and someone brought up the arms with the right looking like a witch nose. Someone else then said that the arms looked like fangs..... And, unfortunately for you, [[http://gregthecatofgordawn.deviantart.com/art/The-Guest-of-Sandopolis-160255539 that got my imagination running..]] Sweet dreams!
* ''[[VideoGame/Sonic3AndKnuckles Sonic The Hedgehog 3]]''[='=]s Ice Cap Zone has a (normally) Knuckles-only section where you must glide from wall to wall while avoiding icy spiked balls. This troper, some ages ago, used debug mode to hack his way in there as Super Sonic. Now, here's the [[SarcasmMode fun]] part: the spiked balls will '''actually hurt Super Sonic.''' [[FridgeHorror Think about it]]: something that's hazardous to Super Sonic, which we know as Sonic's NighInvulnerable SuperMode in ''Sonic 2'' and ''3'', that ''isn't'' a BottomlessPit, the [[StalkedByTheBell time limit]], or getting crushed!
* Am I the only one who is scared of the Glowball bonus? It's the one with [[DepartmentOfRedundancyDepartment the glowing balls]] and you have to go up, trying not to fall to that thing chasing you. [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZQ5PB14moPs The song]] scared me too.
* [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W-dKTdGxHfs The music on Carnival Night zone]] gave this troper nightmares when he was a kid.

* [[SonicSpinball Pinball Fortress]], huh? Sounds like a laugh. It'll be cheery and whimsical and [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7rs3xC6Cxmk&#t=0m20s SWEET JESUS WHAT THE HELL IS THAT]]?!?
** You know how badniks are always trying to puncture, bite, or ram into Sonic? Well, [[http://info.sonicretro.org/Rexxon Rexxon tries to eat Sonic whole...]]
** SonicSpinball in general is... Odd. But especially [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SqR23N_2AQA#t=1m25s this fucking thing]]. The music is disturbing enough, but the pain sound for the boss is... Well, hear for yourself. And enjoy the horrifying, empty eyes.
** And if that isn't fun enough, the next one is [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Paq4kdpZumY&#t=2m00s four disembodied Robotnik heads that vomit blood every time they're hit]]. You know, for kids.
*** Fall down the drain during that boss battle? Sonic falls to an area where he is hanging mere feet from a lava cauldron by a chain. The chain gives out in 5 seconds. SWING FOR YOUR LIFE, [[GuideDangIt DAMMIT!]]
** And if ''that'' hasn't traumatised you fully, there's always [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i8nDfAW4EKg&#t=4m32s the fully-functional Roboticiser with eyes]].
** SonicSpinball may very well be the NightmareFuelStationAttendant of the whole franchise. If you screw up, the GameOver music is like [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mqPy9GR4Ekw this]], and, if you sing along with me, [[JumpScare "OH MY GOD OH MY GOD OH MY GOD OH MY GOD NO NO NO NO NO NO NO"]]...

* [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_UgKvtPL0OQ The US Sonic CD Game Over music in G Major.]] Bricks will be shat.
* The real nightmare music is in the American soundtrack of SonicCD -- Namely, [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HcwyDL3-Qqo the boss music]] and [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P3uUhIDkKM0 the Game]] [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YM8qx-HdY5c Over music]]. Now, the boss music is creepy just right to make Robotnik sound evil, but the Game Over is '''UNBEARABLE'''. And by "unbearable", we mean "bordering on Satanic". Talk about justification to not to screw up while playing! Incidentally, not only does the 2011 remake have both the Japanese and American soundtracks, it defaults to the upbeat Japanese one, in which the boss music is good NightmareRetardant to the American one and is upbeat and has the opposite tone, with the laughter at the beginning sounding like a younger man and an older man joking around instead of evil Santa, even having a deep-voiced man singing to encourage the player to "work that sucker to death" and another man describing Robotnik and saying "he doesn't stand a chance." This is to the point that the Japanese boss music sounds good to excercise to instead of good for hiding under one's covers to.
** Oh my god, the Game Over music is ''[[HighOctaneNightmareFuel horrifying!]]'' It doesn't help that it is one of the few instances where Eggman seems truly like a MadScientist, in contrast to his normally AffablyEvil self!
*** At least the Japanese Game Over music isn't as bad. Its tone seems to sarcastically imply "Great job there, Sonic" and just sounds like a record player dying with the usual slow-paced voices playing as the record ceases to spin on the "record" as if to imply that Sonic's adventure came to a halt like a dying record player. The American one is more like "You lost and won a free trip to hell!" and has voices of its own, but instead of sounding like Sonic's journey on the Little Planet just came to a halt, it's more like it's implying Sonic's gone for good and there's nothing you can do about it.
** On the other hand, the Sonic CD boss music is used to nightmarish effects in the game's [[DebugRoom hidden sound test]], as [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UuRbrscizjE two combinations of sound test codes created abominations]] that caused this troper to turn off the game for a while. The first in that video is a Japanese message (presumably the text reads "Fun from Sega Enterprises") with a creepy face on Sonic patterned in the background, Giygas-style. The second is a picture of a muscled "realistic" {{Batman}}-esque Sonic with his facial details obscured in shadow, standing in a cloudy pattern. These screens on the Japanese version are not too bad (the Japanese message screen even has some peppy sounding music), but with that US boss song playing they turn evil.
*** It doesn't help matters that the message is signed by "Majin," a.k.a. the devil.
** Oh my god, that's fucking terrifying. Those super-creepy {{uncanny valley}}ish faces from hell, that even MORE {{uncanny valley}}ish demonic titan-hedgie, and THE MUSIC. Oh god, THE MUSIC. Thank GOD I never saw that when I was six...
*** He looks more like Sonic's [[TheHeartless Heart]][[KingdomHearts less]].
**** Hedgehogman?
**** Blackheart cosplaying as Sonic?
**** Herculesonic?
** What? You thought the Japanese soundtrack was immune to this? WRONG! The main tune of the Japanese Metallic Madness Bad Future music sounds catchy... however, the laughing men in in the Japanese boss music are in this song and sound evil this time instead of like two guys playing around, and the robotic voice in the soundtrack is kind of creepy, not because of its voice (which sounds generically robotic, like a computer text-to-speech program), but because of what it says. The first thing it says seems to be telling Sonic he stands no chance at this point and says, "You can't do anything, so don't even try it." Later on it also indicates that Robotnik, waiting at the end of Zone 3 of Metallic Madness, is dead serious at this point and says, "Sonic, dead or alive... is mine."

* In the 2-player vs. mode of Sonic 2, when one player finishes a level, it starts a 60-second countdown for the other player to try and finish. Take a wild guess what plays as soon as it hit 10.
** I was more freaked out in the Chemical Plant Zone when I drowned in all that purple toxic waste or whatever it was. Also that part in Act Two where you have to go up, I got stuck on that for so long.
** [[@/{{MaddogGirl}} This troper]] was too scared to even play Aquatic Ruin Zone, due to the combination of potential drowning and those flying arrows, which, despite being pretty slow and regular, terrified her by their unexpected entrance screen right.
*** Oh my god, same here. "la la lala... Waiting by a cliff for a stupid swing -- '''OMGWTFBBQ AN ARROW!''' Where the hell did ''that'' come from?!"
**** Speaking of arrows, Sonic 3 gives us an [[UncannyValley uncanny valleyish stone face]] with red eyes that shoots arrows at you... Yeah, I got a little scared... ''*whimper*''
** What about the teleportation boxes in Sonic 2? Am I the only one freaked out at the music and the whole screen turning white and, well, [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sNi78G9IigU#t=1m10s just see for yourself.]]
* In the Genesis games 2 and 3/Knuckles, there are the few enemies that go kamikaze on you, and explode (the starfish in Metropolis and the shark missiles in Hydrocity). Now... look closely. When/if you hit these enemies normally, a little bird or something pops out and flies away (Free Bird!). If they explode on their own (starfish) or collide with you (shark), the thing just goes in a puff of smoke... WITH NO BIRD OR ANIMAL APPEARING. The implications of this can be very very... unsettling... to observant youngsters (or even older gamers).
** [[SarcasmMode Thanks a lot]] [[TearJerker for that.]]
* There's a lost level in the beta of Sonic 2 called the Genocide City Zone. '''''GENOCIDE CITY ZONE!?'''''
** [[CompletelyMissingThePoint That was actually the fault of the developers not knowing that much about English]]. Once they found out [[OhCrap what it meant]], they changed it to "Cyber City Zone" before scrapping it.
* This troper is surprised that nobody has mentioned the inescapable spike pit in Sonic 2's Mystic Cave Zone. I fell in as Super Sonic and had no choice but to wait for my ring count to reach zero, knowing full well that my doom was inevitable.
** That's more annoying than terrifying...
* Messing with savestates on this game and [[{{ROMHack}} Sonic 2 Retro Remix]] with an emulator creates, well, [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tKD1303YiJI&feature=related this]].
* What about the Sega Master System Sonic the Hedgehog 2? If you don't get all the Chaos Emeralds [[spoiler: Tails dies]]. Imagine getting the bad ending when you're 6 years old. Whoisthisgit [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HCQZOh2faww&feature=related made a great video about that]]

* Three words: Sonic drowning music.
** You mean [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Yw5jkAHgME this]] music? Yes. [[CardCarryingVillain I'm evil]].
** De...de...de...de...''de...de...de...de''...de...de...de...de...''de...de...de...de''...de-de-de-de-''de-de-de-de''-de-de-de-de-''de-de-de-de''-dededede''dededede''dedede''dededede'' '''dededede''dededede''dededede''dededede''DEDEDEDE''DEDEDEDE''DEDEDEDE''DEDEDEDE''''' BWOP.
*** [[@/{{Psyonif}} This Troper]], playing Labyrinth Zone on Sonic 1 at 6 years old, was frequently reduced to tears by that.
*** Guess what? It's even worse in the Sonic Adventure games! [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IBpWn0j8A-0 Check it]].
*** Have you actually [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Eeub2_fm_Qc had a good look at a drowning character]] in that game?
** Guess what? Sonic Colors was actually able to take that music [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HMUOMZNEzXw TO THE NEXT LEVEL.]]
*** What makes drowning in Colours even scarier is [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=COPybKtOceQ Sonic's body language]] during it. He clutches at his chest and throat, eyes half open, clearly trying to fight the desire to take a breath. He looks like he's coughing or someone is throttling him. And then when the countdown reaches zero, the poor little guy stretches his arm out in a vague expression of desperation before he finally runs out of oxygen and drowns. It's very creepy and makes you feel like you should avoid doing it...
** [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fg0t9eK3jg4 Arguably the worst]] version is the ''VideoGame/SonicGenerations'' one. Combine the fast tone of the regular version with incoherent drumming as you get closer to dying...
*** [[Tropers.ReikoKazama This troper]] recently got Generations, and was playing through Modern Sonic's Chemical Plant. At one point in the level, if you don't move fast enough, the pink water rises up and submerges you... and that's exactly what happened to her. Needless to say, she panicked, and quit immediately for fear of hearing that DAMN DROWNING MUSIC.
*** Years of playing Sonic the Hedgehog 2 and never getting past the second level because of drowning have made that drowning song nearly unlistenable for this troper.
*** It's not just the music, but the short pause between the music stopping and Sonic drowning- ohgodohgodthemusicstoppedcanireachthatbubblehowlongdoihavele--- *drown*
*** This troper attended a game show panel at an anime convention, and one of the backdrops to one of the [[NintendoHard hard]] questions was a [[CrowningMusicOfAwesome "Labyrinth Zone]] [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H7ibpUL7Qv8 Dance Party"]]. Take a wild guess as to what happens if you miss the question. [[hottip:*:"And suddenly... Labyrinth Zone Water filled up. There are no air bubbles." (CUE MUSIC AND COUNTDOWN)]]
**** SO THAT HORRIFYING SKULL WITH "HARD QUESTION" IN HORRIFYING FONT WASN'T ENOUGH?!
*** [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZlxsUgpS3nU Oh hell sorry, should've told you, Sonic kinda needs oxygen...]]
*** [[FridgeBrilliance It's no wonder Sonic's afraid of water.]] Defeating Eggman is a piece of cake, but being trapped underwater, sometimes in caves with no surface in sight, sometimes with walls chasing after him, and robbed of his speed, knowing that no matter how awesome he is, no amount of skill will save him if he can't find an air bubble. If it gave players nightmares, imagine what it must have been like for Sonic to actually live through that.
*** It's frightening enough in the series itself, but when you're playing a round of ''VideoGame/TeamFortress2'' only to find that, somehow, in some freaky way, the server you're playing on has managed to implement this music when you start to drown? That's just [[PrecisionFStrike fucking]] [[KickTheDog cruel]].
* The [[AndIMustScream And I Must Screamness]] of the games. Don't get what I'm saying? Those robots shooting at you are ''your woodland buddies''. And the only way to free them is to forcibly ''smash'' the metal and electronic casing around them, potentially frying them. And what about the ones you ''didn't'' free?
** And then you have the ones in zones like Sky Chase, where it's theoretically ''worse'' to save them, because doing so sends them plummeting some 20,000 feet, presumably to their deaths.
*** Except there's no falling damage in this game.
*** But Sonic dies if he falls. Think about that.
*** ZetaPlays managed to make it even worse in terms of FridgeHorror. During the boss stage on top of an airship in Sonic & Knuckles, he defeated the boss and as usual, all the little woodland buddies come flying out. And they fall off the platform off the screen. Zeta says "So wait a minute, we just saved them and they just died? That's perfect."
** The risks to the animals are averted in Adventure and Adventure 2, where the animals are surrounded by a green personal shield when they pop free of the badnik wreckage.
** A very subtle FridgeHorror becomes noticeable when you realise that there were several badniks rigged to [[ActionBomb self-destruct]], including a Shark Missile in Hydrocity and a Starfish-shaped one in Metropolis. When you destroy the badnik, the animal pops free as per normal. However, if the badnik explodes on you, nothing comes out. Meditate on that for a moment.
* Robotnik's classic western design. Once an [[http://eggmanempire.sonicworld.net/downloads/images/official/classic/poses2.gif adorable]] [[http://eggmanempire.sonicworld.net/downloads/images/official/classic/poses.gif spherical humanoid]] with traits of [[TheBeatles both eggs and walruses]], his cutesy appearance was changed [[AmericanKirbyIsHardcore when he hit American and European shores]], and he was molded into this...[[http://eggmanempire.sonicworld.net/downloads/images/official/soa/chaosartwork.png demonic]] [[http://eggmanempire.sonicworld.net/downloads/images/official/soa/Spinball_eggman.png creature.]] It was kinda for the better, though, since even the original Japanese Robotnik set up huge polluting factories that ruined the environment, which was in direct contrast with his playful and cute appearance.
** [[AmericanKirbyIsHardcore American Sonic is Hardcore?]]
** For the better? This troper always found the fact that Western Robotnik has black, pupil-less eyes (as opposed to simply wearing shades like the [[http://info.sonicretro.org/images/3/3f/Eggman01_32.png Japanese version]]) to be [[{{Narm}} too excessive]]. [[NightmareRetardant He's a mad (human) scientist, not a demon!]]
*** I don't get why the evil enslaver of many worlds would be labelled a cutesy name like Eggman. He is Dr. Ivo Robotnik of genius IQ and engineering skill; renowned scholar, feminist, and all round gentleman; amassing and organising a large empire, and can run faster than Sonic for short periods of time between vehicles. This is a man to be scared of; so you blew up his ship, he can build another one. Nothing stopping him re-robotising the ones you've freed. We are scared in awe and admiration of the villain, calling him an egg doesn't make him less dangerous.
**** Probably because he's no "enslaver of many worlds" or "renowned scholar, feminist, and all round gentleman" like you say (the later description is merely what he CLAIMS to be). He's a egg-shapped mad scientist with a childish personality (even his official bios state that his childishness is his weakness) and an obsession with building goofy and colorful robots shaped after animals. And clearly he's fond of the name (why else would he coin the term "Eggmanland"?), despite what a cutscene in the English localization of Sonic Adventure would have you believe, as he has been using it for most of the franchise's existence, in addition to including the word "Egg" in the name of many of his creations (Death Egg, Crystal Egg, Eggrobo, Egg Hornet, Egg Carrier, Egg Pawn, Egg Gunner, Egg Cerberus... must I go on?). That doesn't mean that he isn't a real threat or that he should be considered a joke character, but if you think that he's supposed to be a totally serious villain who shouldn't be made fun of, then you don't get him.
* Are Sonic's eyes... one giant eyeball with two pupils?

No, not even [[SonicTheHedgehog the Blue Blur]] can be trusted not to [[AccidentalNightmareFuel give kids nightmares]].

*** This troper attended a game show panel at an anime convention, and one of the backdrops to one of the [[NintendoHard hard]] questions was a [[CrowningMusicOfAwesome "Labyrinth Zone]] [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H7ibpUL7Qv8 Dance Party"]]. Take a wild guess as to what happens if you miss the question. [[hottip:*:"And suddenly... Labyrinth Zone Water filled up. There are no air bubbles." (CUE MUSIC AND COUNTDOWN)]]
**** SO THAT HORRIFYING SKULL WITH "HARD QUESTION" IN HORRIFYING FONT WASN'T ENOUGH?!

*** ZetaPlays managed to make it even worse in terms of FridgeHorror. During the boss stage on top of an airship in Sonic & Knuckles, he defeated the boss and as usual, all the little woodland buddies come flying out. And they fall off the platform off the screen. Zeta says "So wait a minute, we just saved them and they just died? That's perfect."

**** Probably because he's no "enslaver of many worlds" or "renowned scholar, feminist, and all round gentleman" like you say (the later description is merely what he CLAIMS to be). He's a egg-shapped mad scientist with a childish personality (even his official bios state that his childishness is his weakness) and an obsession with building goofy and colorful robots shaped after animals. And clearly he's fond of the name (why else would he coin the term "Eggmanland"?), despite what a cutscene in the English localization of Sonic Adventure would have you believe, as he has been using it for most of the franchise's existence, in addition to including the word "Egg" in the name of many of his creations (Death Egg, Crystal Egg, Eggrobo, Egg Hornet, Egg Carrier, Egg Pawn, Egg Gunner, Egg Cerberus... must I go on?). That doesn't mean that he isn't a real threat or that he should be considered a joke character, but if you think that he's supposed to be a totally serious villain who shouldn't be made fun of, then you don't get him.

*** Oh my god, same here. "la la lala... Waiting by a cliff for a stupid swing -- '''OMGWTFBBQ AN ARROW!''' Where the hell did ''that'' come from?!"

** [[CompletelyMissingThePoint That was actually the fault of the developers not knowing that much about English]]. Once they found out [[OhCrap what it meant]], they changed it to "Cyber City Zone" before scrapping it.

* Messing with savestates on this game and [[{{ROMHack}} Sonic 2 Retro Remix]] with an emulator creates, well, [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tKD1303YiJI&feature=related this]].
* What about the Sega Master System Sonic the Hedgehog 2? If you don't get all the Chaos Emeralds [[spoiler: Tails dies]]. Imagine getting the bad ending when you're 6 years old. Whoisthisgit [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HCQZOh2faww&feature=related made a great video about that]]

* The real nightmare music is in the American soundtrack of SonicCD -- Namely, [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HcwyDL3-Qqo the boss music]] and [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P3uUhIDkKM0 the Game]] [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YM8qx-HdY5c Over music]]. Now, the boss music is creepy just right to make Robotnik sound evil, but the Game Over is '''UNBEARABLE'''. And by "unbearable", we mean "bordering on Satanic". Talk about justification to not to screw up while playing! Incidentally, not only does the 2011 remake have both the Japanese and American soundtracks, it defaults to the upbeat Japanese one, in which the boss music is good NightmareRetardant to the American one and is upbeat and has the opposite tone, with the laughter at the beginning sounding like a younger man and an older man joking around instead of evil Santa, even having a deep-voiced man singing to encourage the player to "work that sucker to death" and another man describing Robotnik and saying "he doesn't stand a chance." This is to the point that the Japanese boss music sounds good to excercise to instead of good for hiding under one's covers to.

*** At least the Japanese Game Over music isn't as bad. Its tone seems to sarcastically imply "Great job there, Sonic" and just sounds like a record player dying with the usual slow-paced voices playing as the record ceases to spin on the "record" as if to imply that Sonic's adventure came to a halt like a dying record player. The American one is more like "You lost and won a free trip to hell!" and has voices of its own, but instead of sounding like Sonic's journey on the Little Planet just came to a halt, it's more like it's implying Sonic's gone for good and there's nothing you can do about it.
** On the other hand, the Sonic CD boss music is used to nightmarish effects in the game's [[DebugRoom hidden sound test]], as [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UuRbrscizjE two combinations of sound test codes created abominations]] that caused this troper to turn off the game for a while. The first in that video is a Japanese message (presumably the text reads "Fun from Sega Enterprises") with a creepy face on Sonic patterned in the background, Giygas-style. The second is a picture of a muscled "realistic" {{Batman}}-esque Sonic with his facial details obscured in shadow, standing in a cloudy pattern. These screens on the Japanese version are not too bad (the Japanese message screen even has some peppy sounding music), but with that US boss song playing they turn evil.
*** It doesn't help matters that the message is signed by "Majin," a.k.a. the devil.

** What? You thought the Japanese soundtrack was immune to this? WRONG! The main tune of the Japanese Metallic Madness Bad Future music sounds catchy... however, the laughing men in in the Japanese boss music are in this song and sound evil this time instead of like two guys playing around, and the robotic voice in the soundtrack is kind of creepy, not because of its voice (which sounds generically robotic, like a computer text-to-speech program), but because of what it says. The first thing it says seems to be telling Sonic he stands no chance at this point and says, "You can't do anything, so don't even try it." Later on it also indicates that Robotnik, waiting at the end of Zone 3 of Metallic Madness, is dead serious at this point and says, "Sonic, dead or alive... is mine."

* [[SonicSpinball Pinball Fortress]], huh? Sounds like a laugh. It'll be cheery and whimsical and [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7rs3xC6Cxmk&#t=0m20s SWEET JESUS WHAT THE HELL IS THAT]]?!?

** And if that isn't fun enough, the next one is [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Paq4kdpZumY&#t=2m00s four disembodied Robotnik heads that vomit blood every time they're hit]]. You know, for kids.

** And if ''that'' hasn't traumatised you fully, there's always [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i8nDfAW4EKg&#t=4m32s the fully-functional Roboticiser with eyes]].
** SonicSpinball may very well be the NightmareFuelStationAttendant of the whole franchise. If you screw up, the GameOver music is like [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mqPy9GR4Ekw this]], and, if you sing along with me, [[JumpScare "OH MY GOD OH MY GOD OH MY GOD OH MY GOD NO NO NO NO NO NO NO"]]...

[[folder: Sonic The Hedgehog 3 & Knuckles]]
* ''Sonic & Knuckles'', as well as ''Sonic 3'' when it's locked on to said game, has Sandopolis Zone's Act 2, set inside a huge pyramid with a scarier version of Act 1's theme playing in the background. About a quarter of the way through, you'll land on a capsule that dispenses a crowd of ghosts, which start off small and cute, but get larger and more demonic-looking as the lights dim. By the time the lights have gone out completely, the ghosts are huge, have big devil horns, and are dive-bombing you.

* [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ACbOLM17LlU "You fool. Away, before I make mincemeat out of you..."]]

** No, {{Narm}} would be "All systems! FULL powerr!" or "No way! I can't beLIEVE this!" That moment above is one of the few times (if not the only time) Eggman sounds genuinely menacing, making it severe MoodDissonance compared to his constant [[ChewingtheScenery chewing of the scenery]] in all other scenes.
** He DOES sound menacing, yes... but the fact that he goes back to yelling [[ChewingTheScenery "GET A LOAD OF THIS!!!"]] during the battle kind of undermines it a little.

* In ''Sonic Adventure 2'', at the beginning of the last story, [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w7JD7pOorV4 when you're listening to Gerald's pre-execution speech and his taped diary]]... that was rather unnerving. It was a ridiculously dark moment in an otherwise kid-friendly game, and it helps that the voice acting there was probably some of the best in the series. The way he cries "I WENT INSANE!" will haunt me forever.
** "You're too slow! Sonic, if you don't come here, '''she will die!'''" Normally, I found Amy to be annoying, but hearing Eggman actually threaten someone's life really lit a fire under my ass and got me to finish Crazy Gadget that much quicker.

*** Especially if the first time you see them is in Dark Story, when you play as Rouge, and you see them far away and the TV tells you to "stay away from the blue thing." And if you do go over there? Silly-long arms come out and hit you before you get a good look at them.

** Picture the scene: A sweet 11 year old girl, who was (and still is) a bit of a wimp, braves the final level, excited at possibly being able to complete the game. She views Sonic and Knuckles running into the creepy-looking core place, just ''knowing'' that there'd be a boss, but not having any clue what it could be. Then she gets OminousMultipleScreens flying towards the camera, all showing the segment of Professor Gerald's speech all playing slightly out of time, and a light starts gathering, which creeps her out and makes it known to her that something very bad is about to happen... then [[GiantSpaceFleaFromNowhere a giant lizard beast THING suddenly just explodes onto the scene and ROARS into the camera.]] As Shadow suddenly [[BigDamnHeroes turns up to fight the baddie,]] said 11 year old is desperately thinking "I don't WANT to take care of this!". [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zah19RJJ2EQ The music did not help.]] [[ThatOneBoss Nor did the fact that it took her MONTHS to kill.]] It still creeps her out nearly six years later.

** [[WhamLine "All life form data...]] [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UycPI4jEhvY successfully copied."]]

* Egg Emperor. Eggman shouting "TAKE THIS! TAKE THIS! TAKE THIS!" over and over again is definitely Narm, but when you get too far behind him (or, more frighteningly because you can't see him, too far ahead of him) he shouts "CHARGE!" out of absolutely nowhere and attacks you. Note that being too far ahead/behind still applies...to when you're FALLING DOWN A BOTTOMLESS PIT. You're halfway to your death already and Eggman comes out of absolutely nowhere screaming "CHARGE!" and goes down with you.

* [[SonicAdvance The Advance series]] had its scary bits, really. Sonic Advance 2, in particular, has one hell of a ThatOneBoss, that can deliver [[OneHitKill One Hit Kills]] at will. That, united to the fact it's [[spoiler:piloted by a brainwashed Knuckles]], makes everything worse, although the special battle theme [[spoiler:[[WastedSong used only for Knuckles]]]] may be either more Nightmare Fuel or [[CrowningMusicOfAwesome just plain awesome.]] However, there's one thing that's even worse. The first Sonic Advance uses a fairly pleasant -- and unused anywhere else in the game -- sprite depicting Eggman's "pointing" artwork as an after-credits message, as a [[TheStinger stinger]], telling the player "Hey, go collect all the Chaos Emeralds!"... with a pitch black background. That, however, is still okay. The second ([=SA2=]) is, like, ten thousand times worse. Still a stinger of the same kind, but this time, it shows a slightly modified of the Eggman "menacing-and-greedy" sprite from the Sonic Advance 1 intro, still with a black background, telling the player to collect the Chaos Emeralds, but this time in '''ALL CAPS!''' However, there's still the worst thing: they added a ScareChord. While this troper was playing it [[WhatAnIdiot in his bed, right before sleeping,]] he ''had'' to turn off the music and make the screen face elsewhere. [[TakeOurWordForIt It's that effective.]]

* ShadowTheHedgehog as a whole, anyone? [[@/{{jketchum31}} This Troper]] is a hardened horror fan and actually screamed when Shadow killed Eggman and wept when Shadow [[spoiler:threatened to finish off Sonic.]] Then Black Doom's [[spoiler:[[ToServeMan revelation of his master plan]] and the paralytic gas]] made this troper's [[spoiler:occasional sleep paralysis]] much more distressing. Oddly enough, the idea that [[spoiler:all those man-eating baby slugs died when Shadow destroyed the comet]] disturbed her more. Then there's the "gruesome image" of Maria's death. Yeah, Nightmare Fuel.

*** [[ItGotWorse It gets worse.]] Whilst looking over the cutscenes for the dark side, me and my older sister laughed a little at Shadow's voice and dialogue during some of the scenes. Before the FridgeHorror set in, we found it amusing. "He sounds like a zombie!" I laughed. Then I froze when I remembered the Last story, where it's revealed that Black Doom can actually control Shadow due to him being made out of his blood. [[FridgeHorror He was unquestionably obeying and sounding like a zombie because he was being mind controlled.]] That realisation freaked the shit out of me.

* ''[[SegaSuperstars Sonic & Sega All-Stars Racing]]'': That '''cock-mongler-[[TheFaceOfTheSun faced sun]]''' in the ''Samba De Amigo'' tracks. [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2q824uKNvPQ#t=1m00s Look and weep.]]

* When this troper was a wee lad, the GameOver screen for ''Sonic 3D Blast'' unsettled him: instead of the words "Game Over" simply flashing on screen after the last life is lost, the screen turns a pale blue as the letters for "Game Over" appear, set to the Game Over theme from ''Sonic 3 & Knuckles'', then at the very end, the screen just fucking explodes! [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7q236FqlgP4 Holy shit.]]
* [[spoiler:Metal Sonic's]] [[TheStinger appearance]] in SonicTheHedgehog4's [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WbSsMppR1A8&feature=related alternate ending]] is a bit [[{{JumpScare}} unnerving.]]

** "'''Oh. My. God.''' [[spoiler:[[FridgeHorror Tails... is dead...]] [[WhatDoYouMeanItsForKids Suddenly, I no longer viewed Sonic the Hedgehog as a family-friendly video game series.]] [I didn't expect the [[TheBadGuyWins bad ending]] [[DiabolusExMachina to be so cruel]] in a game like this]... [[MoralEventHorizon Robotnik is no longer even a slightly comical, egg-shaped villain.]] ''[[CompleteMonster This man truly has the heart of a cold-blooded killer.]]'']]" ([=whoisthisgit=], "[[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HCQZOh2faww Creepy Bad Endings #3]]" on YouTube)

* How about the bad ending to KnucklesChaotix? Should you fail to collect all the Chaos Rings, you don't get a simple "try again" animation with Eggman taunting you. Oh, no. You get to see Metal Sonic Kai '''[[TheBadGuyWins destroying a whole city]]''', making it go up in flames. Now imagine how many innocents lived in that city; surely, there were millions of casualties. Really, when you think about it, it really makes you feel bad about failing, and knowing the consequences of said failure are, it's really much worse than the simple "Eggman taunts you, try again" messages.

** He really loves [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z0Qr0kSXGEg torturing Sonic]]. That scream he lets loose at 1:14 proves this. "HEYAAAAAAAAAA" indeed....

-->'''Robotnik:''' Snively, what color is my heart? (Thrusts Snively into a GrossUpCloseUp of his mouth)
-->'''Snively:''' I-I don't see a heart, sir...
-->'''Robotnik:''' Exactly.

**** [[WordOfGod Ian Flynn confirmed during a [=Q&A=] session that]] Fly Fly Freddy, Carl Condor, and Valdez were KilledOffForReal, specifically noting that attempts to reassemble Fly Fly Freddy were made and failed.

* "Sonic's dad [[WasOnceAMan isn't really a Mobian anymore.]] [[SelfMadeOrphan My dad simply isn't]]."

* Eggman's descent into crazy in both the American comics and the UK ones is just... unsettling. He's this guy who's always been a mostly comedic sort of villain, bumbling through crazy schemes and throwing hissy fits like a spoilt brat when things don't go his way. Then... yeah. In the American comics, he goes from homicidal, to genocidal, losing his marbles more and more, finally collapsing on the ground screaming as he tears his hair out and winds up a drooling wreck. Afterwards, he's got no idea where he is, what's going on, or even what year it is... he's just a mess. And in the UK comics, it's worse. He goes from genocidal to OMNICIDAL... and finally suicidal as well. He decides to kill himself and take everyone with him, and when his normally loyal Smithers-like lackey Grimer finally states what everyone's been thinking ("You're... you're mad"), the only response Robotnik has is "So what?". In the online continuation, he goes on to become a mute sociopath.