Jump Dash

The Jump Dash (ジャンプダッシュ) is an move used by Sonic the Hedgehog and many of his friends and allies later on. It first debuted in Sonic the Hedgehog 3, where it could only be used when having the Fire Shield activated, but has since then become a standard move for many of the characters in the series, usually associated with the Homing Attack. This move sends the character hurling forward in midair.

Usage
In order to perform the Jump Dash, the user be positioned in midair, usually from ajump, and as such, the Jump Dash can only be used in midair. Once in midair, the user launches himself/herself forward with a burst of forward momentum, allowing the user to travel quickly through midair. More modern games shows the user leaving a colored trail behind when perfroming the Jump Dash. In gameplay this allows the player for fast zone completion. It is also useful for crossing gaps and more accurate platforming.

Performance in Games
In Sonic the Hedgehog 3 and Sonic and Knuckles the Jump Dash could only be performed when the user had a Fire Shield activated which is obtained from a Item Box. The player can then perform the Jump Dash by pressing the jump button twice, thus sending the user forward with a fiery dash that can damage opponents.

In Sonic Advance, the Jump Dash could only be performed by Sonic, by quickly pressing the left or right button on the control pad. In Sonic Advance 2 however it could be performed by all playable characters and could use it to directly higher into the air as well. In Sonic Rush and Sonic Rush Adventure, the Jump Dash is performed by pressing the R button during a jump. In all of the games mentioned above, performing the Jump Dash leaves the user vulnerable to damage, so it must be used with caution near enemies.

From Sonic Adventure and onward in all the main games (and in the Sonic Storybook Series) the Jump Dash is closely linked to the performance of the Homing Attack. If the user tries to perform the Homing Attack with no targets in the near vicinity, the user will instead perform the Jump Dash. Doing so however, will sometimes make the user curl into a ball.

Variants

 * The Homing Attack
 * Sonic Boost
 * Burst Hover