Why exactly can't Sonic swim?

I think the term we're looking for is "Aquaphobic", the fear of water.
Hydrophobic, means something that repels water, E.g. this glass is Hydrophobic, so water droplets can't form on the surface.

But thats neither here nor there.

I really have a hard time understanding (in terms of game logic) how can can breathe in space, where there is NO oxygen, or any other type of gas, but he can't breathe in water, where there is a small amount of oxygen dissolved. Odd, I just think he's a little wimp and...well....that Sonic X video can explain it better than I can.

 

If you mean breathing in space as in Death Egg Zone, in S3K it probably all happened before they were able to leave the atmosphere, and in S2 it was just a short while. For Doomsday Zone in S3K he already needed to use the emeralds.

 

He's an anthropomorphic hedgehog that runs at superspeed. Plausibility went out the window a looooong time ago. :v:

 

Because his spikes will be too wet to damage enemies.

 

For those saying how can he breathe in space, maybe he's never actually IN space. Maybe there's something giving oxygen and an atmosphere, like a biodome. Heck, Eggman's in space with no dome, so there must be SOME reason. Also, about breathing around the Ark, it's Gerald. He made some creepy lizard thing and articicial Chaos. Surely he can make an artificial atmosphere.

 

Or Super Sonic gives him the ability to survive in a vacuum. He covers a large area in the opening of Unleashed, which is highly unlikely to all be surrounded by an atmosphere. And of course, Doomsday Zone.

Water still seems to affect Super Sonic though :P

 

I was under he impression he just had really bad negative buoyancy

Although I was never quite sure why he didnt just adapt his running into a more kicky swimmy motion, it would certainly counteract it, unless he weighs a couple of tonnes

 

I love that video. Makes me wish there were giant hedgehogs that could be used as boats. Soft, fuzzy boats.

 

The spikes of a real hedgehog are hollow, so that's why they float.

 

Look at those wire-thin limbs of his! With that sort of surface area, Sonic has nothing with which to propel himself against water. Ergo, he can't swim.

I thought the real life reason why Sonic can't swim is that Sonic Team wanted to give him a weakness of some sort, and sluggishness in water fit the bill pretty well.

 

Because a swimming mechanic would be utterly useless in a Sonic game.

 

Tails says hi, I'd say his swimming was pretty useful. :v:

 

Answer A: Swimming in video games more often than not becomes a boring, failed, chore of a gimmick.

Answer B: So Sonic isn't a complete Mary Sue.

 

Because water killed his mother! And raped his sister!

I think the water is just an excuse to insert that badass drowning music. Besides, every hero needs a weakness, right?

 

Dude, don't give the Rule 34 crowd any more ideas on how to abuse Chaos, alright?

 

Tails, yeah, when you were the 2nd player and the first player was actually patient enough to wait for you to swim your slow ass around...

...but this is about Sonic and why he can't swim, not Tails.

 

Wow, I didn't even consider that. Thanks Solaris, thinking about that is going to prevent me from sleeping. Bad images! Bad images!

 

Best answer ever. :v:

 

I'll find highly perverse pleasure in letting you all know that Sonic can in fact swim in Super Smash Bros. Brawl.

Play as Sonic on the LoZ:Windwaker level (the one on the boat) and jump into the water. You will shit bricks.

(Ok, so Brawl was a Nintendo game, and not Sega's doing, but they've colaborated on Sonic/Mario before so I'm sure they had some say in what Sonic can/can't do in the game)