Playing Sonic CD again, help me out!

[The_Duck 2]

Hey guys! So I'm playing Sonic CD again for the first time in probably 16 years. So naturally, I have a few questions.

I know for each level, to get the "good future" you have to go back in the past and destroy the floaty thing that's 'somewhere' in the level. That much I know. What about the projecter thing that shows an image of Metal Sonic, which you can also blow up? What does that do? I've got the good future without blowing that up, so is it just extra bonus points?

If you have to go to the past to find the thing to blow up, is there any point in going into the future, from the present? Or is it just there to throw you off from getting to the past? Can you do anything important in the future?

Also, I forget the significance of the Time Stones. (That is what you get from the special stages, right? wasn't it something different than chaos emeralds?) I have a feeling I need them to get a "good ending".

I know I could just go read a FAQ or something, but I figured I'd ask here, because well, that's what forums are for, right? Let's get some activity up in here!

[Skye Prower 386]

If I remember correctly....

The metal Sonic holograms don't do anything, just bonus points.

And the time stones, if you get all of them you get the 'good ending', even if you don't destroy the robot machines in the past. But if you don't get all the time stones, the only way is to destroy all the machines.

[Lena Stan Account 60]

You have to keep destroying robot machines until you have all of time stones then the only thing to do is beating the game.

[NegaMetallix 27]

I'd say that there's no real point to going straight from the present to the future, unless you really just want to get an early look at the bad futures.

[The_Duck 2]

So I don't NEED to get the time stones then? that's cool, because I really suck at the special stages. Although I'm sure I'll get good at them if I play them enough.

I didn't think there was any point to going to the future, so that's good to know. It seems like most of the future signs are there to generally screw me over when I'm trying to get to the past, and I accidentally pass one while trying to run fast enough. Or while looking for a place to run fast enough.

[Shadow the Hedgehog 5]

You don't need to get the Time Stones, you can just do the robot machines, yes. And the Special Stages do get harder later on, as do some of the robot machine placements.

[The_Duck 2]

Yeah, I'll be Darned if I can find the robo machines in Wacky Workbench. That place is pretty wack.

[BrayPlays (Formerly CyDra) 23]

(I know i'm very, VERY late here, but just thought i'd throw in my 2 cents) Sonic CD? I'm the guy to talk to in that department, it's my favorite game of all time. The Metal Sonic Projecters do absolutely nothing un regards to the ending. Breaking it makes animals run free in the act you destroyed the projector in. There's also no point in going into the future, unless you want to see the good or bad future, which is also; absolutely pointless, seeing as though the Robotnik encounter takes place in the future. The only point to the Robot Generators and Metal Projecters, destroying them all in one playthrough, gets you a trophy/achievment. The Not Chaos Emeralds... I MEAN... Time Stones... Strictly Good Ending purposes.