History NightmareFuel / SonicTheHedgehogCD

* The secret ''Franchise/Batman'' parody image can also be this with the American soundtrack, much like the "Fun is infinite" image. This image appears with an uncanny-looking muscular Sonic under a dark cloudy background. Additionally, the final boss theme is playing here. While it's not bad in the Japanese/European soundtrack which has a choral suspenseful song that sounds more akin to Batman, the American soundtrack is just a remix of the boss theme, which itself puts a much scarier tone to the screen.

* TheStinger for [[https://youtu.be/abMKqgNO-nM?si=NxjjRLAmVRGPlZZQ the Japanese/European bad ending]] -- shown if you beat the game without collecting all the Time Stones and/or Good Futures -- is [[ItsAWonderfulFailure quite the unpleasant surprise]]. It shows Never Lake as the Little Planet begins to swirl over it, only for it to suddenly reappear as its mechanized form; once again chained up to an Eggman-shaped rock formation, and accompanied with a [[https://youtu.be/RyAYuGsSLJY short but daunting tune]] that has [[JumpScare four loud, sudden drum notes]] and [[EvilLaugh a distorted version of Eggman's creepy, mocking laughter]] at the end of it.[[note]]It also reappeared in [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3RLIBxHuOTw the bad ending]] for ''[[VideoGame/SonicMania Sonic Mania Plus]]''.[[/note]]

** [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2qBScpdwoqg Tidal Tempest]] is probably the worst of them all: a very sad and depressing tune that is, once again, not at all similar to it's Present, Past and Good Future counterparts. The theme gives off a feeling that the zone is starting to dry out from the tainted water. To make matters worse, there is female chanting playing throughout the second half of the tune, which may sound like [[ItMakesSenseInContext the vocalists from the Present and Good Future tunes are being assaulted]] to some.

* On the subject of Metal Sonic, the race with him: if you fall too far behind, Eggman will hit you with a massive laser. Those who simply expect the usual "fly back and drop all your Rings" routine are in for a shock when they discover that the laser is, in fact, an unconditional OneHitKill.
* TheStinger for [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xS3yARL0inE&t=3m25s the Japanese/European bad ending]] -- shown if you beat the game without collecting all the Time Stones and/or Good Futures -- is [[ItsAWonderfulFailure quite the unpleasant surprise]]. It shows Never Lake as the Little Planet begins to swirl over it, only for it to suddenly reappear as its mechanized form; once again chained up to an Eggman-shaped rock formation, and accompanied with a [[https://youtu.be/RyAYuGsSLJY short but daunting tune]] that has [[JumpScare four loud, sudden drum notes]] and [[EvilLaugh a distorted version of Eggman's creepy, mocking laughter]] at the end of it.[[note]]It also reappeared in [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3RLIBxHuOTw the bad ending]] for ''[[VideoGame/SonicMania Sonic Mania Plus]]''.[[/note]]

The notorious "Fun is infinite" screen, with the boss battle music and the repeating creepy Sonics making [[NightmareFace disturbing expressions]] in the background. The screen is [[NightmareRetardant noticeably less intimidating]] in [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a-JLyysn_Ps the Japanese and European versions]], due to [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hKNeX1ok3uo the boss theme]] in those versions [[SoundtrackDissonance being funky and upbeat rather than disturbing]].

* The Metal Sonic projectors scattered about the past versions of the stages, which shows a hologram recording of Metal Sonic ''[[KickTheDog beating up helpless animals.]]'' All of this while a bird desperately flies around Metal Sonic, unable to do anything. Thankfully, you can destroy them and watch as all the animals flourish across the stage.
* On the subject of Metal Sonic, the race with him: if you fall too far behind, Eggman will hit you with a massive laser. Those who simply expect a loss of Rings are in for a shock when they discover that the laser is an unconditional OneHitKill.
* TheStinger itself for [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xS3yARL0inE&t=3m25s the Japanese bad ending]] is quite unsettling. It shows Never Lake as the Little Planet swirls over it, only for it to suddenly reappear as its mechanized form, once again chained up to a rock formation with Eggman's face on it (which was previously destroyed), accompanied with a [[https://youtu.be/RyAYuGsSLJY short but daunting tune]] that has [[JumpScare four loud, sudden drum notes]] and [[EvilLaugh a distorted version of his creepy, mocking laughter]] at the end of it.[[note]]It also reappeared in [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3RLIBxHuOTw the bad ending]] for ''[[VideoGame/SonicMania Sonic Mania Plus]]''.[[/note]]

* The worst offender, no matter the version you're playing, is [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YM8qx-HdY5c the American Game Over music]]. On top of being played by [[OminousPipeOrgan disturbing pipe organs]] which are extremely effective {{Jump Scare}}s, hearing the mad doctor himself [[LaughingMad laughing maniacally]], a woman laughing alongside them [[NothingIsScarier who's never seen in-game]] (some commenters in the video above think it could be a [[UnwillingRoboticization roboticized]] and/or [[BrainwashedAndCrazy brainwashed Amy]]), and [[AudibleSharpness metallic scratching sounds]] (presumably from Metal Sonic himself) being played on top of it only makes it more unnerving to hear Sonic's defeat, even if it plays only for a few seconds. No wonder ''VideoGame/SonicExe'' decided to reuse it...

** [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G73ROcQFWAo Quartz Quadrant's Bad Future]] isn't very nightmarish at all - until you hear a female voice yelling something like, "Forget this place! ''Go!''", followed by some ''extremely'' frantic drumming. If you reach it during Zones 1 or 2, then it sends a clear message: the Future is already beyond saving, and you need to get back to the Present (and then preferably to the Past) ''right now''.
** [[https://youtu.be/z0eIndDM3PU Wacky Workbench’s Bad Future]] is a DarkReprise of the already tense Present theme, and turns the song from intimidating to ''malevolent.'' Harsher instruments, alarms, and other elements make it sound like the factory could collapse from its own decay at any minute.
** [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qVXeWfFTFGo Stardust Speedway's Bad Future]] mirrors all the broken instruments with its tinny and underpowered arrangement of the Present and Good Future theme, accompanied by a distorted and chaotic version of the Present and Good Future's vocal track, topped off with sirens.

* While it's tame in comparison to its American counterpart, [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ovwwkSZH3lQ the Japanese Game Over theme]] still has an eerie atmosphere as it is essentially a DarkReprise of "You can do anything" with a heavily deep and distorted "Toot-toot Sonic Warrior..." which now sounds like a distorted MockingSingSong, an industrial hip-hop music sounding like the game is collapsing, and a weird high-pitched noise similar to a scream [[LastNoteNightmare at the end]].

** [[https://youtu.be/z0eIndDM3PU Wacky Workbench’s Bad Future]] is a DarkReprise of the already tense Present theme, and turns the song from intimidating to ''malevolent.'' Harsher instruments, alarms, and other elements make it sound like the factory could collapse at any minute, or even ''explode.''