Sonic Tricks (gifs!)

[G.Silver]

I posted a bunch of my favorite Sonic 1 show-off tricks to twitter but I thought I'd share them here, too. Feel free to post your own!

Hit by Caterkiller even though rolling (I hate this guy so much)


Killed even though I picked up rings.


Skidding Forever (I don't think you can do this in the mobile versions because of the different skid animation)


Death by scrolling screen:


Skipping lava sequences. There's only one block-ride sequence that can't be skipped.


I like this one in particular. You can still go back for the items.


And of running back on the screen at the end of a non-boss level. You can do this in Sonic 2, too. But not in the mobile versions. I kind of assumed everyone knew about it but I guess maybe they didn't!


I made these with a cool free program called GifCam.

[Malchik]

I don't understand the Caterkiller gif.

[G.Silver]

I rolled into it so fast that Sonic was probably inside both the head and the segment behind it in the same frame, causing the d head to take damage at the same time the body hit Sonic.

[Jingles]

The thing about the Mega Drive games is that monitor power-ups take a second to "kick in". (I've lost many a ring this way.) Silv's second .gif isn't a bug, it's just weird game logic.

[big_smile]

Excellent gifs!

When I was young, I remember that you could press down during the floating block sections of Marble Zone and Sonic would actually go behind the big blocks (rather than being hit by them). Although it didn't work everywhere (I think just Act 2. It was an easy way to get to the room with the life). It was fixed in the mobile version.

[G.Silver]

Oh, interesting. I tried it out, and yeah, you go right through them. I was reminded of this one, which was the first method I found for getting back up to the hidden moving platform in Labyrinth Act 1:


(I guess I had trouble jumping off the other platform, or didn't think of using it)

[big_smile]

I wish I had thought of ducking in that part, as I used to die quite a lot in that area as a kid (Although the spikes make it even more counterintuitive than the Marble Zone area).

[Malchik]

The thing about the Mega Drive games is that monitor power-ups take a second to "kick in". (I've lost many a ring this way.) Silv's second .gif isn't a bug, it's just weird game logic.

I think that was technically a crush, right? Even if rolling the spike ball can still crush Sonic at that position.

[Dr. BUGMAN]

Hit by Caterkiller even though rolling (I hate this guy so much)

Maybe he's related to that Yadorin from Bridge Zone? You know the one.

[G.Silver]

The thing about the Mega Drive games is that monitor power-ups take a second to "kick in". (I've lost many a ring this way.) Silv's second .gif isn't a bug, it's just weird game logic.

I think that was technically a crush, right? Even if rolling the spike ball can still crush Sonic at that position.

Jingles has it right. If I had rings and stood directly under one, I'd just get hit out of the way. They don't have any solidity, you can jump right through them if invincible.

[G.Silver]

Maybe he's related to that Yadorin from Bridge Zone? You know the one.

I actually don't. What's his deal?

[Dr. BUGMAN]

I think his hit box is on backwards, so when you roll into his head you take damage (and potentially get knocked back into the nearest pit). Rolling into his backside is safe, if I remember correctly.

[Malchik]

The thing about the Mega Drive games is that monitor power-ups take a second to "kick in". (I've lost many a ring this way.) Silv's second .gif isn't a bug, it's just weird game logic.

I think that was technically a crush, right? Even if rolling the spike ball can still crush Sonic at that position.

Jingles has it right. If I had rings and stood directly under one, I'd just get hit out of the way. They don't have any solidity, you can jump right through them if invincible.

I didn't notice the ring box. I thought the spiked ball was the focal point of the image. but I thought being crushed by an object would kill you regardless of rings.

[Dr. BUGMAN]

I went to verify and found out this bug(?) isn't exclusive to one particular Yadorin; it's just the placement of a particular one (the second in act 2 if you're inclined to care) that caused me to roll into it a just the right wrong time. It damages any Yadorin, too, if you roll into it at the last moment.

Dunno if any of this is true of the Master System version.

[Jingles]

Those .gifs makes me realize how weird it that Sonic has a push action. You only use it, like, twice in Marble Zone, right? Why even bother?

Maybe, before they nixed it as an item, you would be able to push the checker-balls in GHZ down hills and stuff. I always thought it would be neat if the game incorporated more objects that were affected by the physics engine.

[Wombatwarlord777]

Those .gifs makes me realize how weird it that Sonic has a push action. You only use it, like, twice in Marble Zone, right? Why even bother?

It also affects those timed switches in Sandopolis Act 2 A.K.A. I Never Ever Wanna Leave This Place Zone. It's only slightly better in that the gimmick actually does incorporate speed after you push it. Plus, if I recall correctly, you can also push the switches with a Spin Dash.

I was trying to think of push gimmicks in Sonic 2, but the only one I can think of are those weird horizontal springs in Oil Ocean that I never quite worked out.

[Dr. BUGMAN]

There're pushable stones in Angle Island and Sandopolis (making for one of the more involved puzzle elements of the clasic era) and pushable spikes in Flying Battery. Also, quite a few pushable rocks and springs in Tails Adventures, which can also be picked up with the Mega Glove equipped. Pushable springs are another one of those good ideas I wanted to see explored further in a "proper" Sonic game, and one better arguments against automated springs.

I kept thinking of Yoshi's Island when looking for examples, especially the Chomp Rocks with their momentum-based physics. The more I think of it, the more YI becomes the most* Sonic-like of all the Marioverse games. Makes me wonder if Takashi Tezuka was inspired by prerelease material as well. Small wonder it's one of my all-time favorites.

*even with all the more blatant curbing done in Donkey Kong Country

[Jingles]

If you really want to get into redundant pushing territory, Sonic Advance has an animation for it but no pushable objects at all. I think this is also true of the sequels.

Makes me wonder if Takashi Tezuka was inspired by prerelease material as well.

Yes, I know it's a redesigned Mario USA enemy.

[Wombatwarlord777]

The Sonic Advance series is kind of odd in what actions and situations they sprite for.

Sonic Advance 2, in particular, has no "looking up" animation. Instead, pressing up has Sonic and Co. doing unique animations (Sonic stretches, Tails nods off, Knuckles punches the air which weirdly also generates a punching sound effect, unique for what could be considered an idle animation, and Cream wolfs down some ice cream while Cheese worries about her snaking habits). Pressing up or down also doesn't pan the screen up or down, which I guess is okay in a game that's so focused on speed and less on platforming. Sonic Advance 2 also has no animations for the characters trying to keep their balance if they're placed right near a ledge, which honestly might've been an oversight, as those animations are in Sonic Advance 1 and 3.



Not really gameplay related, but Sonic Advance 2 also seems to be one of the only Sonic games that has given itself an abbreviation, with "SA2" repeating itself on the character select. This always kind of confused me. Back when they were more relevant, I think the common abbreviation for Sonic Advance 2 was "SAdv2", while Sonic Adventure 2 got "SA2".

[G.Silver]

I always liked the push animation at the time, even if it didn't do anything, it was just cool that Sonic responded to being "pushed" against a wall or whatever. Vectorman was another game that had a specific "wall" action, but it was more like a cute idle animation that didn't always seem reflective of my input the way Sonic's push did. Along with the idle and edge-standing animations, it contributed a lot to the game's sense of detail and personality.

[Dr. BUGMAN]