Special Stage Key

The Special Stage Key(スペシャルステージキー Supesharusutējikī?) or simply Special Key, is a sparkling golden key able to grant the player access to the Special Stage in Sonic Heroes and Sonic Advance 3. In Sonic Heroes, these keys can be found and collected similarly as the Chao Key from Sonic Adventure 2. But instead of being in a box, it is usually contained in a metallic cage which can be broken with one attack from the power formation character. In Sonic Advance 3, it will appear when the player collects ten(10) Chao from each zone. If the player passes or fails to complete the Special Stage, he or she has to go back to one of the zone's acts to obtain another Special Key. The player can collect the key, clear the act or exit the stage and act from the pause menu then go to the locked Special Spring in the hub world enter the Special Stage.