Super Tails

Super Tails is the super transformation of Miles "Tails" Prower, obtained by using the power of the seven Super Emeralds. This originally occurred in Sonic 3 & Knuckles and has not appeared since then. This is so far the only known super transformation Tails has displayed in the Sonic game series.

Appearance
Unlike most other super transformations, Tails himself does not display any physical changes. Instead his fur pulses in a golden yellow color and he becomes surrounded by four golden pulsing Flickies.

It should be noted that in the 0517 prototype of Sonic 3 & Knuckles, Tails also has a Super form achieved by collecting all the Chaos Emeralds. This Super form is similar to Super Tails in the final, but lacks the Flickies. Similarly, the Super Tails in the final is exactly the same Hyper Tails in the prototype.

Powers and abilities
Following the traditional super transformation, Super Tails is invincible, and as shown so far, to any attack, since he hasn't encountered any foe that can actually damage him. He has increased strength and can therefore break through obstacles by simply walking into them, and has increased speed as well. The four flicky birds that surrounds him can instantly and automatically attack any nearby mechanical enemy that comes in the near vicinity of Super Tails, be they normal badniks or even bosses, and can even destroy ghosts that cannot be destroyed any other way. This mechanic is similar to Cream and Cheese's Chao Attack, except it happens automatically.

Like most other super transformations, Super Tails requires rings to maintain this transformation and will change back to his normal form, once he runs out of rings.

In Sonic 2
A simplistic form of Super Tails can be achieved in Sonic the Hedgehog 2 with use of the debug mode. Whilst Sonic is in super form, placing a monitor and breaking it will cause Tails to be surrounded Invincibility stars (yellow while Sonic is Super, blue otherwise), have increased speed (on par, if not faster, than Sonic) and invincibility. This happens due to the fact that the default monitor in Sonic 2 -- the 2-player Vs. Mode "Switch" monitor -- not only switches players' positions, but players' statuses as well. (Shield, Speed-Up, Invincible, etc.) Another peculiarity with "Super" Tails is that even if Sonic loses all his rings or Tails has to catch up to Sonic for some reason, Tails continues to be invincible and super fast.

This can also be done without the debug mode. First, the player must collect all of the Chaos Emeralds in 1-Player Mode. After doing this, the player will have to find someway to lose their lives, and enter the 'Options' menu. After that, if the player highlights 'VS Mode items' and presses the START button, then they will enter the 2-P level select with all of the collected Emeralds. If Sonic collects fifty rings and jumps, he will transform into Super Sonic, but with his sprite jumbled (the game's attempt to match regular Sonic's sprite size since he can't transform in 2-P normally). If Super Sonic smashes a teleport box whilst in transformation, Tails will turn into Super Tails. Sonic still appears Super (but isn't), and, due to the game's engine, he won't be able to get invincibility or gain his Super form abilities again until he loses all of his rings (and, to get Super, collects 50 rings again). The reason Super Sonic is attainable in the VS mode is because Chaos Emerald data (as well as the amount of Continues) is carried when accessed through the Options menu.

It should be noted that while Sonic will appear to still be in his Super form and will still lose rings, he won't have speed or invincibility and therefore will lose rings when damaged. Oddly enough, he does retain his high-jumping ability.

In Sonic 3
Tails can also enter the transformation in Sonic 3 (without Knuckles) via the debug code. If Tails smashes the "Super" monitor, he gains invincibility, the ability to crush non-Knuckles Spin Dash-only breakaway objects by walking through them (like Super Sonic). As well as a sparkle affect when hitting beyond his normal top speed, but gains no glow, no palette changes, no enhanced jumping ability and no super speed.

At a guess, Tails' Super Form wasn't finished (or possibly even started) by the time Sonic 3 was released. His sprite will also be jumbled in the game's attempt to match Super Sonic's sprite size (since Tails can't get Super normally) unless you press the Debug Mode button after hitting the S-Monitor, but before he transforms. If Tails clears Launch Base Zone after hitting an S-Monitor at any time during the game, his ending sprite gains Sonic's palette, giving him a golden glow. (See left.) His Ring counter never drains and clearing an Act won't make him lose his invincibility or stop the Super Sonic music from playing, but going into a Special Zone or Bonus Stage will. Entering a new zone also removes the invincibility and restores the music if a musical silence is called, but he still has the ability to destroy breakaway objects by walking into them.

A representatice from Sega was recorded saying that in the Sonic Universe, Tails was unable to transform with the Chaos Emeralds, and needed the greater power of the Super Emeralds, due to his young age at the time.

In Sonic 3 and Knuckles, if the player enters the Doomsday Zone with Tails or Knuckles (with debug), their sprites will be jumbled the same way and also can be fixed the same way.

Trivia

 * In Sonic 2's VS Mode, if "Super" Tails clears an Act and Sonic happens to be using his Super palette, the normally blue background of the signpost will be affected by the palette and will glow yellow. This also applies to Sonic 3 since, whilst Tails remains unaffected by the palette change, items that normally are will be.
 * The legitimately obtained Super Tails in Sonic 3 & Knuckles cannot destroy non-Knuckles barriers automatically, not even in the Sonic 3 - Limited Edition prototypes where this form would be considered his "Hyper" form.
 * Acording to Yuji Naka, the reason Tails needs the Super Emeralds to use this form is because of his young age.