Item Box

The Item Box (アイテムボックス), also referred to as the Video Monitor (アイテムボックス), Monitor (アイテムボックス), Item Capsule and TV (アイテムボックス), is an object that appears in the Sonic the Hedgehog series. Having been featured frequently in the series since the very beginning, Item Boxes contain various kinds of power-ups or bonuses which can be used by the player. Placed on the ground, in mid-air or even hidden in different places in the various levels, the player can open Item Boxes in order to obtain their power-ups.

Description
The appearance of Item Boxes has changed on several occasions throughout the Sonic series. In the early games of the series, they took the form of gray and rectangular/cubic television monitors with the icon of the power-up contained inside shown on said monitors' black screens. Even though they were replaced in later games, classic monitor Item Boxes have made appearances in recent games, mostly in those that feature 2.5D gameplay, such as Sonic the Hedgehog 4: Episode I, II and Metal, and Classic Sonic's levels in Sonic Generations and Sonic Forces. Otherwise, since Sonic Adventure, modern Item Boxes were designed to look like ellipsoid glass capsules with a red cap on the top and an icon inside them that identifies the power-up they contain. In games such as Sonic Unleashed and Sonic Lost World, the appearance of modern Item Boxes has been simplified so that they resemble round glass capsules with red top and bottom covers.

Item Boxes are usually placed on the ground, but they can also be hidden in a level's environment (i.e. in palm trees). They can also be found suspended in midair, particularly those designed without a base. In some games, when a classic monitor Item Box is hidden in the air (like when hidden in palm trees) or stuck to the ceiling, striking it from below will cause it to fall to the ground.

A classic monitor Item Box can be broken from directly above or from the sides with different attacks. This usually involves the player having to Spin Jump onto them, roll into them with the Spin Attack or Spin Dash, or attack them with similar ground-bound or aerial attacks. The Homing Attack can also target and break Item Boxes the same way it targets and destroys enemies. Certain playable characters can also use weapons to break Item Boxes. In several 3D games and certain 2D games since Sonic Adventure however, the modern glass capsule Item Boxes can be broken by simply touching them. After breaking open an Item Box, the icon that is seen in the Item Box will pop out and the player receives the power-up or item. Once an Item Box is broken, it will remain as such until the player loses a life or starts the level over.

If the player holds the jump button while destroying a classic monitor Item Box from above, the playable character will bounce back as if they hit a Badnik; that is, the longer the distance the player falls onto the classic monitor Item Box, the higher the higher will bounce back up. The player can land normally on the Item Box, if the playable character does not perform a Spin Jump or any other variations of the move.

In the classic Sonic games, there is a brief delay between the moments where the player breaks the Item Box and when the player receives the power-up. For example, if the player gets a Shield or Invincibility item, it is still possible for the player to take damage before the power-up's effect is received.

The usage of Item Boxes has varied considerably through the series, being present in most 2D as well as 3D titles until Sonic Unleashed and its succeeding Boost-style games, in which they were replaced with different methods of getting power-ups, such as floating Super Rings and 1-Ups, which can be obtained by simply touching them. Despite this, Item Boxes continue to appear as a semi-regular feature in the series.

Sonic the Hedgehog (16-bit)
The Item Box first appeared in the original 16-bit version of Sonic the Hedgehog, where it is called the Video Monitor (アイテムボックス). In this game, the Video Monitors are presented as simple, gray cubic televisions with a base below them, a red button on their lower left, and a static screen that displays the icon of the power-up the Video Monitor contains.

In gameplay, the Video Monitors can only be opened by attacking them. The Video Monitor power-ups featured in this game are as follows:

Sonic the Hedgehog (8-bit)
In the 8-bit version of Sonic the Hedgehog, the Item Box is referred to as the video monitor (アイテムボックス). In this game, they look like basic, gray cubic television sets with a base below them and a static screen that displays the icon of the power-up the video monitor contains.

In gameplay, the video monitors can only be opened by attacking them. The video monitor power-ups featured in this game are as follows:

Sonic the Hedgehog 2 (16-bit)
In the 16-bit version of Sonic the Hedgehog 2, the Item Box is referred to as the monitor (アイテムボックス) and is said to contain "Super Items". In the multiplayer mode of the game however, the monitors are referred to as Item Boxes. In this game, they appear as gray cubic television sets with a base below them, a red button on their lower right, and a static screen that displays the icon of the power-up the monitor contains.

In gameplay, the monitors can only be opened by attacking them. As well as that, the player can hit a monitor suspended in the air from below in order to make it drop to the ground, but it can also crush the player. Also, in multiplayer mode, each of the players has a chance to win the round depending on how many monitors they break. Knuckles the Echidna in Sonic the Hedgehog 2 features identical monitor power-ups as well. The Monitor power-ups featured in this game are as follows:

Sonic the Hedgehog 2 (8-bit)
In the 8-bit version of Sonic the Hedgehog 2, the Item Box is referred to as the Monitor (アイテムボックス). In this game, their design is again that of a cubic television with a base below them and a static screen that displays the icon of the power-up the Monitor contains.

In gameplay, Monitors appear more generally and can only be opened by attacking them. The Monitor power-ups featured in this game are as follows:

Sonic the Hedgehog CD
In Sonic the Hedgehog CD, the Item Box is referred to as the monitor (アイテムボックス) again. In this game, they appear as gray cubic television sets with a base below them, a red button on their lower left, and a static screen that displays the icon of the power-up the monitor contains.

In gameplay, monitors appear normally and can only be opened by attacking them. Also, in the game's Special Stages, if the player blows up one of the UFOs, the player will sometimes receive certain monitor power-ups. The monitor power-ups featured in this game are as follows:

Sonic Chaos
In Sonic Chaos, the Item Box is referred to as the video monitor (アイテムボックス). In this game, their design is again that of a cubic television with a base below them and a static screen that displays the icon of the power-up the video monitor contains.

In gameplay, the video monitors can only be opened by attacking them. The video monitor power-ups featured in this game are as follows:

Sonic the Hedgehog Spinball
In the 8-bit version of Sonic the Hedgehog Spinball, Item Boxes are featured as hidden objects in small chambers in the corners of each level. In gameplay, Item Boxes can only be opened by attacking them. The Item Box power-ups featured in this game include extra lives and continues. There are also certain Item Boxes with the Japanese kanji for "look" (見る) on them. These variants contain hints to secret codes that can be used in the game.

Sonic the Hedgehog 3 & Knuckles
In Sonic the Hedgehog 3, Sonic & Knuckles and Sonic the Hedgehog 3 & Knuckles, the Item Box is referred to as the monitor (アイテムボックス) and is said to contain "Sonic Power Ups" in Western instruction booklets, although they do not explicitly name the objects said power-ups come from. In these games, the monitors have a slightly different design. Rather than resembling cubic television sets, they look like light gray Macintosh Color Classics with a red, blue and yellow button on their lower half, right above the disk drive. However, they retain the static screen that displays the icon of the power-up the monitor contains.

In gameplay, the monitors can only be opened when attacked. The monitor power-ups featured in these games are as follows

In addition to the monitors appearing normally in gameplay, the player can make a monitor pop out of the ground if they make the Goal Plate fall down in a certain spot. This monitor will contain either a Super Ring or one of the three elemental shields. Also, when the player enters the first and second Bonus Stages, the power-ups from Single Player mode can be collected from multiple colored floating orbs.

The Competition Mode features different kinds of power-ups, which include Super Shoes, Slow-Down Shoes, Rings, Bananas, Self-Propelled Bombs, Springs and Changes. Competition Mode does not feature monitors, as the power-ups are collected immediately from small bubbles.

Sonic Drift
In Sonic Drift, the Item Boxes resemble cubic television sets with a base below them and a full-colored screen that indicates the type of power-up they contain.

In gameplay, the Item Boxes appear along the racetracks and are obtained once the playable characters make contact with them. The Item Box power-ups featured in this game are as follows:

Sonic Drift 2
In Sonic Drift 2, like in Sonic Drift, the Item Boxes resemble cubic television sets with a base below them and a full-colored screen that indicates the type of power-up they contain.

In gameplay, the Item Boxes appear along the racetracks and are obtained once the playable characters make contact with them. However, to utilize an Item Box's effects in this game, the player has to press up on after obtaining said Item Box power-up. The Item Box power-ups featured in this game featured in this game are as follows:

Sonic the Hedgehog Triple Trouble
In Sonic the Hedgehog Triple Trouble, the Item Box is referred to as the monitor (アイテム). In this game, their design is again that of a cubic television with a base below them and a screen that displays the icon of the power-up the monitor contains.

In gameplay, the monitors can only be opened by attacking them. The monitor power-ups featured in this game are as follows:

Knuckles' Chaotix
In Knuckles' Chaotix, the Item Box is referred to as the Monitor (アイテムボックス) yet again. In this game, they appear as gray cubic television sets with a wide base below them, a red button and two black buttons on their lower edge, and a static screen that displays the icon of the power-up the Monitor contains.

In gameplay, the player can only obtain the power-up inside a Monitor by attacking it. The Monitor power-ups featured in this game are as follows:

Tails Adventure
In Tails Adventure, the Item Box does not appear as a gameplay element in the levels. Instead, one can be seen it in the upper left corner of gameplay HUD, where it shows the amount of Rings that player has.

Sonic 3D Blast
In Sonic 3D Blast, the Item Box is referred to as the TV. In this game, the TVs are featured in an isometric perspective and are presented as gray cubic television sets with a base below them and a static screen that displays the icon of the power-up the TV contains.

In gameplay, the TVs can only be opened by attacking them. The TV power-ups featured in this game are as follows:

Sonic Blast
In Sonic Blast, the Item Box is referred to as the TV (アイテムボックス). In this game, the TVs are once more presented as gray cubic television sets with a base beneath them and a screen that displays the icon of the power-up the TV contains.

In gameplay, the TVs can only be opened by attacking them. The TV power-ups featured in this game are as follows:

Sonic Jam
In Sonic Jam, the Item Box is referred to as the Secret Card in-game. In this game, they use their design from Sonic the Hedgehog 3, Sonic & Knuckles and Sonic the Hedgehog 3 & Knuckles, making them resemble light grey (and flat) rectangular devices with a button on their lower half and a video screen on their upper half.

In gameplay, Secret Cards appear briefly as hidden objects in Sonic World. These Secret Cards included cheat codes and major information from the Sonic games featured in the game's compilation.

Sonic Adventure
In Sonic Adventure and its remake Sonic Adventure DX: Director's Cut, the power-up container is referred to as the Item Box (アイテムボックス). In this game, rather than resembling computer/TV monitors, the Item Boxes were redesigned to resemble glass capsules with a red lid on the top and bottom and the rotating icon of the Item Boxes' power-up floating inside them. This makes them visible from more angles, and would be a design shared with future 3D Sonic titles.

In gameplay, the Item Boxes can be opened when touched by the playable character. Also, if the player is using Sonic, he can target the Item Boxes with his Homing Attack. In addition, when an Item Box is broken, the icon for the power-up it contained will be shown on the bottom of the screen. The Item Box power-ups featured in this game are as follows:

Sonic the Hedgehog Pocket Adventure
In Sonic the Hedgehog Pocket Adventure, the power-up container is referred to as the item box (アイテムボックス). In this game, their design is again that of a cubic television with a base below them and a static screen that displays the icon of the power-up the item box contains.

In gameplay, the item boxes can only be opened by attacking them. The item box power-ups featured in this game are as follows:

Sonic Adventure 2
In Sonic Adventure 2 and its remake Sonic Adventure 2: Battle, the power-up container is referred to as the Item Box (アイテムボックス). In this game, the Item Boxes resemble glass capsules with a red lid on the top and bottom and the icon of the Item Boxes' power-up floating inside them. Sonic Adventure 2 also introduces the Floating Item Boxes, variants of the Item Boxes which resemble red balloons.

In gameplay, the Item Boxes can be opened when touched by the playable character. Also, the player can target the Item Boxes with the Homing Attack. In addition, when an Item Box is broken, the icon for the power-up it contained will be shown on the bottom of the screen. The Item Box power-ups featured in this game are as follows:

Sonic Advance
In Sonic Advance, the Item Box is referred to as the box (アイテムボックス). In this game, they are presented as hexagon-shaped blue capsules with a red cap on the top and bottom and the icon of the power-up the box contains emblazoned on the front.

In gameplay, the boxes can only be opened by attacking them. Additionally, in a VS Race, the boxes rotate between power-ups at a steady pace, while in Chao Hunt, boxes containing set items appear throughout the level, disappearing if nobody breaks them after enough time has passed. The box power-ups featured in this game are as follows:

Sonic Advance 2
In Sonic Advance 2, the Item Box is referred to as the box (アイテムボックス) again, and are said to contain "Special Items'. In this game, they are presented as round and blue capsules with a red cap on the top and bottom and the icon of the power-up the box contains emblazoned on the front.

In gameplay, the boxes can be opened by simply touching them with the playable character. In addition, in Multiplayer (the multiplayer mode of Sonic Advance 2), the boxes rotate between power-ups at a steady pace. The box power-ups featured in this game are as follows:

Sonic Advance 3
In Sonic Advance 3, the Item Box is referred to as the Box (アイテムボックス). In this game, the Boxes are designed as blue and round glass capsules with a red cap on the top and bottom and the icon of the power-up the Box contains emblazoned on the front.

In gameplay, the Boxes can be opened by attacking them with the playable character. In addition, in Multi-Pak VS play (which is the multiplayer mode of Sonic Advance 3), the Boxes rotate between power-ups at a steady pace. Occasionally, however, these Boxes will change into red and black Boxes with back and white upside-down power-up icons. Opening such Boxes will create a negative effect, such as the opponent(s) getting a boost or the player(s) being affected by power-ups meant to hinder the opponent(s). The Box power-ups featured in this game are as follows:

Sonic Heroes
In Sonic Heroes, the power-up container is referred to as the Item Box (アイテムボックス) yet again. In this game, they are designed as rotating triangular prisms with three screens to show the power-up's icon. The prisms themselves each rest on top of an orange and yellow disk.

In gameplay, the player can open Item Boxes by simply touching them with the playable character. Also, the player can target the Item Boxes with the Homing Attack and Thunder Shoot. In addition, when an Item Box is broken, the icon for the power-up it contained will be shown on the bottom of the screen. Some Item Boxes are also found inside Cages that only Power Type characters can break or inside Cases that can only be unlocked with Switches or by clearing out surrounding enemies. The Item Box power-ups featured in this game are as follows:

Shadow the Hedgehog
In Shadow the Hedgehog, the power-up container is referred to as the Item Box (アイテムBOX) yet again. In this game, the Item Boxes resemble round glass capsules with two orange lids on opposite sides of the capsules and the icon of the Item Boxes' power-up floating inside them.

In gameplay, many Item Boxes float indirectly in the air. In addition, the player can open an Item Box simply by touching it or by attacking it with weapons. Also, when an Item Box is broken, the icon for the power-up it contained will be shown on the bottom of the screen. The Item Box power-ups featured in this game are as follows:

Sonic Rush
In Sonic Rush, the power-up container is referred to as the Item Box once more. In this game, they are designed as cubic boxes with a blue coloration and the icon of the power-up the Item Box contains emblazoned on the front. The boxes themselves each rest on top of an orange disk, akin to those in Sonic Heroes.

In gameplay, the player can open Item Boxes by simply touching them with the playable character. Also, in Battle Play (the multiplayer mode of Sonic Rush), the Item Boxes' contents randomly change at a steady pace, with their constantly changing power-up icons indicating which power-up is currently available. Likewise, when an Item Box is broken, the icon for the power-up it contained will be shown on the bottom of the screen that the playable character is on. The Item Box power-ups featured in this game are as follows:

Sonic Rush Adventure
In Sonic Rush Adventure, the power-up container is referred to as the Item Box again. In this game, the typical Item Box resembles a round, blue bauble that sits in an elaborate gray bowl and has the icon of the power-up the Item Box contains emblazoned on the front. In Sea Stages however, the Item Boxes are slightly different in terms of design, being predominantly green instead of blue.

In gameplay, the player can open Item Boxes by simply touching them with the playable character. Also, in Battle mode (the multiplayer mode of Sonic Rush Adventure), the power-up in an Item Box randomly changes at a steady pace, with the constantly changing power-up icon on each Item Box indicating which power-up is currently available. Likewise, when an Item Box is broken, the icon for the power-up it contained will be shown on the bottom of the screen that the playable character is on. The Item Box power-ups featured in this game are as follows:

Sonic Riders
In Sonic Riders, the power-up container is referred to as the Item Box (アイテムBOX) yet again. In this game, the Item Boxes resemble glass capsules with a red lid on the top and bottom, like in Sonic Adventure 2. They all also have a blue icon depicting a yellow question mark floating inside them.

In gameplay, the Item Boxes can be opened by simply touching them with the playable character. There can appear up to more than eight Item Boxes in a row on the tracks and all of them give randomized power-ups, which are indicated by the question mark icon in them. In addition, when an Item Box is broken, the icon for the power-up it contained will be shown on the bottom of the screen. The Item Box power-ups featured in this game are as follows:

Sonic Riders: Zero Gravity
In Sonic Riders: Zero Gravity, the power-up container is referred to as the Item Box once more. In this game, the Item Boxes possess the same design they had in Sonic Riders. As such, they resemble glass capsules with a red lid on the top and bottom and a blue icon depicting a yellow question mark floating inside them.

In gameplay, the player can open the Item Boxes by touching them with the playable character. There can appear up to more than eight Item Boxes in a row on the tracks and all of them give randomized power-ups which are indicated by the question mark icon in them. In addition, when an Item Box is broken, the icon for the power-up it contained will be shown on the screen. The Item Box power-ups featured in this game are as follows:

Sonic Free Riders
In Sonic Free Riders, the power-up container is called the Item Box yet again. In this game, the Item Boxes possess the same design they had in Sonic Riders and Sonic Riders: Zero Gravity. As such, they resemble glass capsules with a red lid on the top and bottom. Most of them also have a blue icon depicting a yellow question mark floating inside them. The exceptions to this are the Air and Ring-related Item Boxes, whose icons show the power-ups they contain.

In gameplay, the player can open the Item Boxes by touching them with the playable character. There can appear up to more than eight Item Boxes in a row on the tracks and all of these give randomized power-ups which are indicated by the question mark icon in them. The exceptions to this are the Air and Ring-related Item Boxes as mentioned earlier, which sit for the player to grab with an outstretched arm or in hard-to-reach places. In addition, when an Item Box is broken, the icon for the power-up it contained will be shown on the bottom of the screen. The Item Box power-ups featured in this game are as follows:

Sonic the Hedgehog (2006)
In Sonic the Hedgehog (2006), the power-up container is again referred to as the Item Box (アイテムBOX). In this game, the Item Boxes resemble ellipsoid glass capsules with a red top lid and a red foot each, and the icon of the Item Boxes' power-up floating inside them. They essentially share their appearance with their Sonic Adventure counterparts, but have more details to them.

In gameplay, the playable character can break an Item Box simply by touching it. The player can also target an Item Box with the Homing Attack. In addition, when an Item Box is broken, the icon for the power-up it contained will be shown on the bottom of the screen. Also, unique to this game, after collecting a power-up from an Item Box, it will be left empty if the player returns to it after losing a life. The Item Box power-ups featured in this game are as follows:

In gameplay, Tails can as well throw Item Boxes as a part of his Dummy Ring-related attacks.

Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Winter Games
In Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Winter Games, Item Boxes are featured in Dream Event. The Power-ups they contain in these games include Bombs, Shields and Speed Shoes. They can also contain extra items from the Mario games such as Super Stars, Mega Mushrooms, Green and Red Shells.

Mario & Sonic at the London 2012 Olympic Games
In Mario & Sonic at the London 2012 Olympic Games, the Dream Events feature Item Boxes. The Power-ups they contain in these games include Bombs, Shields and Speed Shoes. They can also contain extra items from the Mario games such as Super Stars, Mega Mushrooms, Green and Red Shells.

Sega Superstars Tennis
In Sega Superstars Tennis, the Item Boxes can be spotted both in the background of the Green Hill Zone court and during Sonic the Hedgehog-related side missions and mini-games. In this game, the Item Boxes are once more presented as gray cubic television sets with a base beneath them and a yellow-framed screen that displays the icon of the power-up the Item Box contains.

In gameplay, Item Boxes can be opened simply by touching them. During Sonic the Hedgehog-related side missions and mini-games. Item Boxes will randomly drop down from the sky and land on the playing field for the player to pick up. The Item box power-ups featured in this game are as follows:

Sonic & Sega All-Stars Racing
In Sonic & Sega All-Stars Racing, the power-up container is called both the item box and the item capsule. In this game, the Item Boxes resemble glass capsules with a red lid on the top and bottom, like in Sonic Unleashed. They all also have a yellow question mark floating inside them.

In gameplay, the player can open Item Boxes by simply running over them with the playable character. There can appear up to several Item Boxes in a row on the tracks and all of them give randomized power-ups which are indicated by the question mark icon in them. The Item Box power-ups featured in this game are as follows:

Sonic & All-Stars Racing Transformed
In Sonic & All-Stars Racing Transformed, the Item Boxes resemble glass capsules with a red lid on the top and bottom, like in Sonic Unleashed. They all also either have a yellow question mark or a yellow exclamation mark floating inside them.

In gameplay, the player can open Item Boxes by simply running over them with the playable character. There can appear up to several Item Boxes in a row on the tracks and those with question marks inside them give randomized Pickup items which are indicated by the question mark icon in them. The Item Boxes with an exclamation mark inside them on the other hand give Super Pickup items, which are fixed high-power Pickup items that depend on the Item Box's location. The Item Box Pickup items featured in this game are as follows:

Sonic Unleashed
In the Wii/PlayStation 2 version of Sonic Unleashed, Item Boxes are called Item Capsules. In this game, they received a more basic appearance, being rounder capsules with red cups on the top and bottom. Item Capsules in this game also have a certain object inside them that depends on the object they contain.

In gameplay, the player can open an Item Capsule by simply touching it with the playable character. Unlike normal Item Boxes however, these objects are dispersed throughout the stages and puzzles in the Gaia Gates, often in hidden locations or hand-to-reach places. The Item Capsule content featured in this game mostly include collectibles like movies, hints, soundtracks, and artwork. Such Item Capsules have a golden question mark inside them. However, they can also sometimes contain an extra life. Such Item Capsules have blue triangular prisms inside them. In the nighttime stages, many Item Capsules contain Dark Gaia Force which help Sonic the Werehog charge his Unleashed Gauge, restore his Vitality Gauge or contribute to the Orb Result at the end of the stage. These Item Capsules have floating energy orbs inside them.

Episode I
In Sonic the Hedgehog 4: Episode I (and Sonic the Hedgehog 4: Episode Metal by extension), the power-up container is called the item box. In this game, the item boxes resemble gray and cubic, yet modern television sets with a small base underneath them, a red button on the left side and a black screen that displays the icon of the power-up the item box contains.

In gameplay, the item boxes can only be opened by attacking them. Also, with Sonic/Super Sonic, the player can target the item boxes with the Homing Attack. As well as that, the player can hit a item box suspended in the air from below in order to make it drop to the ground. While Sonic cannot get crushed by a fallen Item Box, it will make him sink through the ground and get stuck if it lands on top of him. This is a regular in-game glitch, that is possible to happen often in corner sections. The Item box power-ups featured in this game are as follows:

Episode II
In Sonic the Hedgehog 4: Episode II, Item Boxes are primarily gray and cubic, yet modern television sets with a small base underneath them, a red button on the left side and a black screen that displays the icon of the power-up the Item Box contains. However, there are also Item Boxes that have a golden coloration, although those Item Boxes are only for containing special power-ups.

In gameplay, the Item Boxes can only be opened by attacking them. In addition, the player can target the Item Boxes with Sonic/Super Sonic's Homing Attack. Sometimes, the player will also come across Item Boxes that hover in midair. The Item Box power-ups featured in this game are as follows:

Sonic Colors
In the Nintendo DS version of Sonic Colors, the Item Boxes are designed as blue and round glass capsules with a red cap on the top and bottom and the icon of the power-up the Item Box contains emblazoned on the front.

In gameplay, the Item Boxes can be opened by simply touching them with the playable character. In addition, the player can target them with the Homing Attack. Also, in Versus Mode (the multiplayer mode of Sonic Colors), the Item Boxes rotate between power-ups at a steady pace. Also, whenever the player opens a Item Box in Versus Mode, a new one will soon reappear in the old one's place. The Item Box power-ups featured in this game are as follows:

Sonic Generations
In Sonic Generations, the power-up container is referred to as the Item Box. In both the console/PC and Nintendo 3DS version of the game, they appear as gray cubic television sets with a base below them, three red button and one light blue button on their lower edge, and a black screen that displays the icon of the power-up the Item Box contains.

In the console/PC and Nintendo 3DS version of Sonic Generations, the Item Boxes can only be opened by attacking them on the sides or the top. Jumping straight underneath them will not break them. The player is also unable to target them with a Homing Attack on the console/PC version of the game.

In the console/PC version of Sonic Generations, the typical Item Boxes only appear in Classic Sonic's Acts. Certain Challenge Acts for Classic Sonic also include Item Boxes containing Challenge Act-exclusive power-ups. There are also several Challenge Acts that possess Item Boxes that regenerate after they have been opened. The player can also buy Skills from the Skill Shop that allow the player to activate specific power-ups without opening Item Boxes. The Item Box power-ups featured in the console/PC version of Sonic Generations are as follows:

In the Nintendo 3DS version of Sonic Generations, Item Boxes appear in both Modern and Classic Sonic's Acts. In addition, when opening an Item Box in this version of the game, the Item Box's power-up icon appears on the left side of the screen. As well as that, the player can hit an Item Box suspended in the air from below in order to make it drop to the ground. In case an Item Box lands on top of Sonic, it will simply bounce repeatedly on Sonic's head until he moves out of the way. The Item Box power-ups featured in the Nintendo 3DS version of Sonic Generations are as follows:

Sonic Jump (2012)
In the 2012 remake of Sonic Jump, the Item Box is referred to as the TV. In this game, their design is again that of a cubic television with a base below them and a red and light blue button on their bottom edge. They all also have a static screen that displays a question mark.

In gameplay, the TVs can only be opened when attacked. Also, all of them give randomized power-ups which are indicated by the question mark icon on them. The TV power-ups featured in this game are as follows:

Sonic Jump Fever
In Sonic Jump Fever, the Item Box is called the TV once more. In this game, the TVs are again designed as cubic televisions with a base below each of them and a red and light blue button on their bottom edges. They all also have a static screen that displays a question mark.

In gameplay, the TVs can only be opened when attacked. Also, all of them give randomized power-ups which are indicated by the question mark icon on them. The TV power-ups featured in this game are as follows:

Sonic Dash
In Sonic Dash, the Item Boxes resemble glass capsules with a red lid on the top and bottom, like in Sonic & All-Stars Racing Transformed. The insides of the glass capsules are also colored blue and they all have a blue question mark floating inside them.

In gameplay, the player can open Item Boxes by simply running over them with the playable character. In addition, Item Boxes can be found normally at corners, but also behind walls, Totem Poles or any other obstacles as well. Also, all of them give randomized power-ups which are indicated by the question mark icon in them. The Item Box power-ups featured in this game are as follows:

Sonic Lost World
In Sonic Lost World, the Item Boxes sport their design from Sonic Unleashed, except with brighter red covers. They each also have their power-up's icon floating inside them.

In both the Wii U/PC and Nintendo 3DS version of Sonic Lost World, the Item Boxes can be opened by touching them with the playable character. Also, exclusive to the Nintendo 3DS version, the player is able to lock onto them with the Homing Attack.

On both versions of the game, the Item Boxes found in Zones can contain Wisps, which include Cyan Wisps, Yellow Wisps, Indigo Wisps, Crimson Wisps, Magenta Wisps, Green Wisps and Black Wisps on the Wii U/PC version, and Cyan Wisps, Yellow Wisps, Indigo Wisps, Red Wisps, Ivory Wisps and Gray Wisps on the Nintendo 3DS version. These Item Boxes also usually regenerate after the player opens one.

In the Wii U/PC version of the game, Item Boxes found in-Zones are overall rare. They also mostly contain Wisps, and rarely contain power-ups other that Super Rings. However, there is an Item Box power-up called Warp that appears whenever the player fails to reach the next Star Post too many times, and is there to help the player skip to the next checkpoint or the end-of-level Capsule.

In the Nintendo 3DS version of the game, Item Boxes are featured more general in Zones and grant power-ups like Super Rings, Blue Shields, Thunder Shields, Aqua Shields, Flame Shields, Speed Ups and Invincibility in addition to Wisps. In the Nintendo 3DS version, Item Boxes can be found under rocks, in mid-air and inside other breakable objects and structures.

In the Wii U version, many of the mentioned non-Wisp power-ups are rewarded by completing certain missions in Zones, finding random drops on the World Map of the Lost Hex, or being gifted by other players through Miiverse. These Item Box power-ups can then later be activated while playing through a Zone by accessing the suitcase menu.

Sonic Runners
In Sonic Runners, the Item Boxes resemble round glass capsules with a red lid on the top and bottom, much like in Sonic Lost World. They each also have the icon of their Item Box's power-up floating inside them.

In gameplay, the Item Boxes in the stages can be opened by touching them with the playable character. These Item Boxes are set on the pathways or floating in the mid-air. The Item box power-ups featured during stages in this game include the Invincible, Shield, Magnet, Spring, Combo Bonus, Cyan Laser, Yellow Drill and Indigo Asteroid.

Like in Sonic Lost World, Item Boxes and their power-ups are featured as Equippable Items, which can be brought before a run and then be activated by touching them on the bottom of the screen. Super Ring Item Boxes appear as separated items, but also as Equitable Items, and they can be acquired as reward after getting a high enough score.

Sonic Mania
In Sonic Mania, and its expansion Sonic Mania Plus, the power-up container is referred to as the Item Box (アイテムボックス) yet again. In these games, they borrow their design from their counterparts in the original Sonic the Hedgehog, Sonic the Hedgehog 2, and Knuckles Chaotix. As such, they resemble gray cubic television sets with a wide base below them, blue scribble on their lower edge, a red button on their lower right edge, and a static screen that displays the icon of the power-up the Item Box contains.

In gameplay, the player can only obtain the power-up inside an Item Box by attacking it. The monitor power-ups featured in these games are as follows:

In addition to the Item Boxes appearing normally in gameplay, the player can make an Item Box pop out of the ground if they make the Goal Plate fall down in a certain spot. This Item Box will contain either a Super Ring or one of the three elemental shields.

In the game's Competition Mode, the player can decide the Item Boxes' release patterns during an Act. This includes the options "Fixed" (the chosen Act retains its original power-ups), "Teleporters Only" (every Item Box in the Act is replaced with the Player Swap power-up), and "Random" (every Item Box in the Act is replaced with the Random power-up). Also, in Competition Mode, each of the players has a chance to win the round depending on how many Item Boxes they break.

Sonic Forces: Speed Battle


In Sonic Forces: Speed Battle, the Item Boxes retain the same design they had in Sonic Lost World. As such, they resemble round glass capsules with a red lid on the top and bottom, though their covers’ underside is remniscient to earlier capsule designs. They all also have a yellow question mark floating inside them.

In gameplay, an Item Box can be opened when a playable character makes contact with it. In addition, Item Boxes will regenerate a second after they have been obtained by a player. Every playable character also has their own unique set of power-up Items they can obtain at random from Item Boxes, though all characters can obtain one common power-up. Unlike in previous games, obtaining a power-up from Item Boxes stores it in one of the three slots at the bottom of the screen. As such, the player is able to store up to three Items at a time. These Items can then be used by touching their respective icon.

The Item Box power-ups featured in this game include the Bashosen, Booby Trap, Bubble Bomb, Bunny Boost, Chao Attack, Chao-nado, Chopper Chomp, Drac-O'-Lantern, Dragon Dance, Electro Boost, Explosive Mine, Festive Umbrella Boost, Fire Boost, Fire Whirl, Fireball, Firework Flurry, Flue Shot, Frozen Chopper Chomp, Ice Boost, Ice Mine, Ice Wave, Illusion Boost, Illusion Mine, Invincibility, Lava Bomb, Lightning, Lilytrap, Moto-Bug, Power Sneakers, Pyro-Mine, Shield, Star Trail, Steal, Storm Cloud, Tornado, Umbrella Boost, Whirlwind, Wind Boost, Wrench Rush and Zap Trap.

Sonic Forces
In Sonic Forces, the power-container is called the Item Box once more. In this game, they appear as gray cubic television sets with a base below them, red buttons on their lower edge, a light blue button on their lower right, and a static screen that displays the icon of the power-up the Item Box contains.

In gameplay, the Item Boxes can only be opened by attacking them. Also, Item Boxes in Sonic Forces only appear in Classic Sonic's stages. Item Box power-ups featured in this game include the Super Ring, Shield, Power Sneakers and Invincibility.

Team Sonic Racing
In Team Sonic Racing, the power-up container is called the Item Box again. In this game, they resemble glass capsules with a red lid on the top and bottom, like in Sonic Unleashed, except with three small bolts on each cover. They all also have a yellow question mark floating inside them.

In gameplay, the Item Boxes can be opened by touching them with the playable character. They appear along the tracks and all of them give randomized power-ups which are indicated by the question mark icon in them. The Item Box power-ups featured in this game include the Black Wisp, Blue Wisp, Crimson Wisp, Cyan Wisp, Ivory Wisp, Jade Wisp, Magenta Wisp, Orange Wisp, Pink Wisp, Gray Wisp, Red Wisp, Violet Wisp, White Wisp and Yellow Wisp. Additionally, there is a hidden Item Box in each stage that contains an Invincibility power-up.

Floating Item Boxes
The Floating Item Box, or simply Balloon, is an Item Box variant in the form of a red Balloon with white and blue circles containing a star on it. They function like regular Item Boxes, except that they are always floating in the air. While Floating Item Boxes do not display the power-up they contain, they do give an aerial boost when opening one. They first appeared in Sonic Adventure 2.

Target Switch
The Target Switch is an Item Box variant that appears as a target floating in midair. If the player tries to fly too close to it, the Target Switch will start spinning and cannot be hit. To earn its power-up, the player has to hit the Target Switch with Thunder Shoot from a safe distance. They first appeared in Sonic Heroes.

List of power-ups
The most common power-ups through the series found in Item Boxes are the Super Ring, Shield, Invincibility, Power Sneakers, and 1-Up, although their effects might vary depending on the game they appear.

Power-ups without Item Boxes
In the Competition Mode of Sonic the Hedgehog 3 and Sonic the Hedgehog 3 & Knuckles, power-ups that are not contained in Item Boxes were introduced. Instead, they could be collected simply by touching them. Such power-ups when first introduced were initially held inside small floating bubbles during Competition Mode, allowing faster usage of them during races.

Subsequent games like Sonic Unleashed, Sonic Colors and Sonic Generations would later pick up this concept for more classic and common power-ups, but without anything encapsulating them.

Stay Sonic
In Stay Sonic, Item Boxes, referred to as PCs, are given some sort of a back story. When planning to use his Retro Orbital Chaos Compressor to contain all the negative energy of the planet within six Emeralds, Dr. Ovi Kintobor required a seventh Emerald to stabilize the process, but could not locate one himself. To broaden his search, he set up a network of PCs across the entire planet that served as an interlinked communications system, allowing the people of Mobius to pass along any information to him that they could about the final Emerald's potential whereabouts.

Sonic the Comic
In the Sonic the Comic series published by Fleetway Editions, the Item Boxes make an appearance. In this media, they have the same kind of background from Stay Sonic.

Another one of Dr. Kintobor's creations was an artificial duplicate of Sonic known as an "Extra Life", which was stored within one of Mobius's many Item Boxes. Unfortunately, the Extra Life was never needed and so remained trapped in its Item Box for years, slowly becoming corrupted and bent on revenge, until it duped Tails into freeing it by pretending to be the real Sonic. After besmirching Sonic's name by causing chaos in the Emerald Hill Zone, the Extra Life was sucked back into its Item Box by Tails, and the Item Box was then kicked into space by the real Sonic.

Archie Comics
In the Sonic the Hedgehog comic series and its spin-offs published by Archie Comics, an Item Box with the Flame Shield power-up was in development by GUN. It was created by Hope Kintobor and was originally invented to be a device that would help E-123 Omega during combat battles.

In the Post-Super Genesis Wave timeline, the Item Box appeared once again, this time as a container for miscellaneous objects. In this continuity, it borrows its designs from Sonic the Hedgehog (2006) and Sonic Colors.

Early Sonic canon
As documented in the Sonic the Hedgehog Bible released by Sega of America, the Item Boxes (referred to as PCs in the bible) were installed across the planet Mobius by Dr. Ovi Kintobor. These PCs provided an information network throughout Mobius -- a public bulletin board service. Anyone with information or ideas leading to the discovery of the Gray Emerald was encouraged to post messages on the bulletin board. After the terrible accident that transforned Dr. Kintobor into the evil Dr. Robotnik, the bulletin board's information was wiped out. In its place, inexplicably, "magical objects" ended up being contained in each PC.

Trivia

 * Item Boxes from Sonic the Hedgehog (1991), Sonic the Hedgehog 2 and Sonic the Hedgehog CD are based on the basic CRT monitors, while Item Boxes in Sonic the Hedgehog 3 & Knuckles bear resemblance to Apple's Macintosh from the mid-1980's. Item Boxes in Knuckles Chaotix, Sonic 3D Blast and Sonic Mania seem to have a generic CRT design. Later on, Item Boxes in Sonic the Hedgehog 4 seem to be loosely based on modern flat-panel LCD TVs.
 * Sonic the Hedgehog 2 and Sonic the Hedgehog 3 & Knuckles are the only games where the player is able to get crushed by the fallen Item Box. Normally, in games such as Sonic the Hedgehog (1991) and Sonic CD, Item Boxes are usually seen bouncing on Sonic's head and falling simply to the ground without damaging him or simply being broken open in other games.
 * In games where players are allowed to choose both Sonic and Tails, the latter cannot destroy Item Boxes on his own. However, this was possible in the Simon Wai and Nick Arcade prototypes of Sonic the Hedgehog 2.
 * Although Item Boxes do not appear in the two-player Competition Mode of Sonic the Hedgehog 3 & Knuckles, one Item Box can be seen at the options menu of Competition Mode, as items can be set on and off.
 * City Escape has advertisements of different stuff in Sonic Adventure 2, one of them being Item Boxes with ten Rings and various other power-ups.
 * In Super Smash Bros. Brawl, an extra-life Item Box can be seen at the top of the loop in the Green Hill Zone stage.
 * Item Boxes make several appearances in LEGO Dimensions. Extra-Life and Ring Item Boxes appear in several places, and Item Boxes displaying a picture of a 1x1 Lego brick serve as the Minikit collectable in Sonic's level pack.