Sonic and Sega Retro Message Board: Samurai Echidna - Viewing Profile - Sonic and Sega Retro Message Board

I just realized how many different kinds of special jump abilities Sonic has used over the years.

-Insta-Shield (Sonic 3)
-Double Jump (Also known as a Vertical Jump?)
-Rapid Fireball (ala Flame Shield, Sonic 3. Sometimes called Jump Dash, just without flames?)
-Bounce with Rebound (ala Water Shield, Sonic 3; later named Bounce Attack in modern titles)
-Wall Jump (Sonic Heroes)
-Stomp Jump (Sonic Unleashed)
-Homing Attack
-Light Speed Attack (Sonic Adventure 1 and 2)
-Blast Jump (Sonic 3, only available for Hyper Sonic.)

I think that just about covers it, give or take a few. Sonic games sometimes have trouble deciding if Sonic can do these things naturally or if an upgrade/item box is required. Others have not been seen in a long time.

I can't decide which one is best, however, it feels like some would be more fitting for other characters. I could see Knuckles making the most use out of a Stomp Jump. Tails seems like a more likely candidate for the Double Jump, seeing as he is a flying character. Since Hyper Sonic is retired, I would love to see the Blast Jump limited to just Super Sonic.

If I had to chose, I'd say Double Jump and Homing Attack are the best. Seems like Homing Attack is just the next natural step after mastering the Double Jump; though I would like to see that move a lot more than Homing Attack these days. As much as I liked the Insta-Shield, looking back on it now, that ability seemed kind of pointless and redundant.

I don't know if anyone has asked this or not, but...

Would Sonic still be as popular, well known, and loved as he is now if he was never a video game icon? What if he was only a cartoon, or worse, if he was only a comic book character?

I can't help thinking that if you removed the gaming aspect from Sonic, his friends, and his adventures, you'd have something very similar to Sonic X. The self contained stories would be great for a short run, but there would be no meaningful character development or story lore. As a cartoon, it would just linger around, and it would ultimately become a boring show that doesn't know what to do with itself; other than promote toys or something. In fact, I kind of think Sonic would NEED to become more like the Archie comics or something. You'd need to have deeper character development, a deeper story, a deeper lore, and so much more just to keep it interesting. And if they could somehow manage to capture the wondrous magic and charm that made many of the games so memorable, it'd be perfect.

I never was really into the comics myself, so fans of the comics will have to step up their game and answer this question as well. I strongly don't think a comic, or manga, of any kind would last very long without something else to back it up. If not a game, then a cartoon, or a movie, or something. DC and Marvel have kept its heroes alive this long because of things like that. I could be wrong, but I just don't see comics surviving that long without some other medium to bring in more fans. But then again, I guess you never know what will become popular or an overnight sensation. Not to compare, but I don't think anyone could have predicted things like My Little Pony or Adventure Time to become as big and popular as they are. Even books, like Harry Potter and the dreadful Twilight saga had huge amounts of fans and readers.

Since we have a topic asking how we first came to know and love Sonic, I thought I'd ask if anyone ever made any amateur or silly mistakes playing the Sonic games. We can be big about our own mistakes, right?

For example, the biggest mistake I made was getting use to the boost system in Sonic Unleashed. It wasn't until Generations that I learned you can HOLD THE BUTTON DOWN for a longer lasting boost. All this time, I was rapidly pressing the button like a maniac. Oh boy... Well, at least I have a reason to pick up Unleashed and try and finish it.

Speaking of current game play mechanics, I keep forgetting I can boost through lines of enemies. Old habits make me want to keep performing the Homing Attack.

Finally, I think I need to look up hints or watch other people play it, because the game play mechanics in the Sonic Riders series never really clicked with me. Half of the time, I am lucky if I can finish a race in the top 3 position, and if I ever finish first, I feel like it's a fluke. I definitely prefer more platforming and traditional game play over racing games.