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Rail Canyon is the second major level in Shadow’s side ofSonic X Shadow Generations, and as you’d expect, it’s just a bit more difficult to find keys here than in the ARK. Namely, this big desert has you launching off rails at high speeds and if you don’t go fast enough, you lose your key.
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This guide is here to help, with detailed locations and instructions on each key in the area, for both acts and all of the challenge levels. No matter what level you’re trying to sift through for keys, you’ll find out exactly where each of those funny little gears are.
Despite what conventional wisdom would have you believe, Rail Canyon’s keys aren’t much harder to get than the Ark’s. This is mainly since a ton of them are just plainly out in the open, and just require you to be quick on your feet, or to do a tricky jump to reach.
Memory Key
One of the only main acts to provide a key right off the bat, Rail Canyon’s first collectible is on the right-most rail at the start of the level, and if you fly past it on accident, just restart.
After either progressing through a bunch of fences using Chaos Snap or flying over everything on a Chaos Control route, you’ll hit a checkpoint with 3 rails in front of it. Get on the middle, boost, and attempt to jump off the rail at the last moment to hit the key. If you miss, just die and retry.
After Black Doom takes you to Radical Highway from the hit game Sonic Adventure 2 for the Sega Dreamcast and a short chase sequence, you’ll be launched toward a station containing the Goal Ring. Instead of going inside, try to land on the top, as if you were doing speedrun skips in Heroes, and grab your final key.
Act 2 keeps in line with thislevel’s general philosophy of forcing you to be quick on your feetto earn these keys, while also making sure to factor in a few alternate routes, especially with the first key. None of these are as plainly visible as they are in the first act, but the 2D perspective does make them a bit easier to grab.
This one is about 30 seconds into the level on the top route, which you can get to either by taking a Chaos Control shortcut earlier in the level, or just making sure you hit switches to stay up. As long as you hit every switch you see and keep jumping to the top rail, you should get this one guaranteed.
After grinding for a bit, you’ll start getting chased by a small cart and have a Chaos Control capsule right above you. Use that, and get up to the top of the set of three platforms, and jump through the dash ring for your key. You will miss this one if you’re too slow, though, so go quick.
In astonishingly similar fashion to the previous key, after a short indoors section you’ll start getting chased by a big train, which will destroy the path to a key if you aren’t fast. Just use Chaos Control the second you get it, grab the key, and you’ll be fine.
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Act 1 Challenge 1 (Aim and Fire with Chaos Spear!)
As with most challenge stages in the game, these are versions of the main acts that just takea specific section and throw in a few things to fit a certain goal. These are pretty short, usually have their keys in easier spots, and are very manageable once you know where to find everything.
This one is just about impossible to miss. Just play the level normally, don’t skip anything after hitting a dash ring, and find your key on the floor by taking a pulley up.
Art Key #1
Keeping with the theme of the slower route being rewarded, when the path diverges between walking forward or having enemies on your left, just keep going forward for a key.
Art Key #2
The only somewhat difficult one, after that path split you’ll be sent down three sets of rails. Take the middle one, and don’t go down with it, but instead jump the gap and hit the middle rail going upwards ahead of you for your prize.
Act 1 Challenge 2 (Ring Collector Lv1)
Right near the start of the level, you’ll get thrown onto the same set of three rails you need to boost off to get the second key in Act 1. Jump off the middle rail and onto the roof of the tunnel as usual, then continue on the path that puts you on, finding the key on a set of falling platforms.
Unfortunately, this key requires a second run through the level, and requires not going on the upper path for the previous key. After going through the tunnel, you’ll eventually be sent on a winding path with three rails, and the key will be on the right most one. Just watch out for spike balls.
No matter which route you go on, right before the Goal Ring you’ll have to choose between extra time, extra rings, or a Key by jumping into one of three dash rings. Obviously, we’re going for the key, by jumping into the rightmost ring.
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Act 2 Challenge 1 (Chaos Control Master Lv2)
No matter which route you fall onto at the start, you’ll converge at a section with three platforms, and as long as you’re decently quick at grabbing the Chaos Control capsule, you’ll have this one nailed down.
Almost immediately after the previous one, you’ll be sent down a long stack of platforms, and once again, just use Chaos Control to get to the top in time. This one’s a bit tighter on timing and requires a somewhat precise double jump, so be careful.
Once you get to rail grinding below a bunch of spike balls, simply hit up the leftmost set of dash rings to get your last key.
Act 2 Challenge 2 (Dash Ring Rush! Lv1)
From the very start of the stage, no matter which route you choose, you’ll come upon a little corner where you can use dash rings to progress the challenge. Just take the right set of rings for your free key.
After schmoovin along the rails for a bit, you’ll come to a set of two and switches to move between the top and bottom layer. The key is on the left side of the top rail, and quite easy to nab.
Once you get sent on a large set of breakable platforms, go all the way to the end and jump into the right-most set of dash rings. From there, time your button press with the launcher to get sent into a launcher right below the key, and time your button press once again to claim your prize.
