Palmtree Panic - Bad Future

In the bad future, Palmtree Panic has become completely mechanized and polluted. It is full of dark gray tubes that have chemicals running through them, some of which dump it into a gray river full of oil. The mountains are eroded and darker, with their waterfalls replaced with small facilities. The sky is also pink, all vegetation is dead and colored orange, and the soil is gray. The palm trees are mechanical, with damaged gray trunks with machinery in them; the leaves are now a rusty orange color with a lavender liquid dripping from them, and have an ominous, glowing red light in the center.

Gameplay: Palmtree Panic is a rather speedy level, taking numerous cues from Green Hill Zone from the original Sonic the Hedgehog, while also adding some new features. One of its most iconic level set pieces is a giant loop present at the start of the present of Zone 1, in which the playable character runs through in a pseudo-3d perspective before being launched into the actual level. Tunnels also return, but now feature many different formations that snake around and even loop in on themselves. There is one instance in Zone 1 where there is a gimmick that sends the player zooming through an unseen tunnel inside the foreground, before bursting out of a wall and leaving behind a hole in the shape of the playable character.

In terms of level design, Palmtree Panic is relatively fast and straightforward, though it often features multiple routes. The Round features very tall hills of varying height that Sonic can climb up from the main path, often using small hidden platforms to ascend, and are occasionally connected via crumbling platforms. The Road also features Spring Poles, as well as spinning turntables that rotate the player around when stood on, with an increased quantity of them when on the past or either of the futures.

Set pieces of note are the hidden platforms that are not only present in the exact same spots across all time zones, but also feature different properties depending on the time as well. Arguably the most iconic "obstacle" present in the level, however, is Amy Rose, who appears at the very end of Zone 1 and will follow Sonic around, trying to latch onto him. If she manages to catch Sonic, the player will be unable to move, though they can jump to escape.

Overview: Zone 1 Palmtree Panic Zone 1 is the first Zone in the game, and as such is the easiest. There are several speedy sections here that make use of Springs and tunnels, as well as several secrets that can only be accessed by entering the Time Warps.

In the present timeline, the Zone is notable for starting with a giant loop,[1] in which the playable character runs upwards in a pseudo-3D perspective. A massive ramp that behaves similarly is seen near the end of the Zone.

In the present, right before the Goal Plate, the player can find Amy Rose, trying to hug Sonic. However, Amy is not seen when playing as Tails in the 2011 remaster of the game.

Zone 2 Palmtree Panic Zone 2 is similar to the first Zone, except that it has more alternate pathways to take. The top pathways are the shortest and safest to take, though they lack Rings and secrets. The bottom pathways are more maze-like and feature more enemies, normally having more secrets than other pathways. Sometimes, they feature Springs that will take the player directly to the topmost pathways.

Zone 3 Palmtree Panic Zone 3 is the shortest Zone of the three, as it is where the player fights against Dr. Eggman in his EGG-HVC-001. As with other third Zones in Sonic the Hedgehog CD, this one takes place in the future. Before the fight against Eggman, the player can collect many power-ups found in Item Boxes, such as Power Sneakers and Invincibility.