Giant Ring

Giant Rings, also called Special Ring (スペシャルリング) in Japan, Warp Rings, Dimension Rings and Factory Rings in Sonic Advance 3, are larger variants of gold rings that appeared in many early games of Sonic the Hedgehog series. These variants of rings have made first appearance in the original 16-bit version of Sonic the Hedgehog.

Unlike regular rings, which are usually collected by the players, giant rings instead serve as transportation device, taking the player to other locations such as the Special Stage. Like regular rings, there's no known origin for these mysterious large rings. These rings are also somewhat rare objects, which appear, if the player has 50 normal rings on the hand, or are seen hidden on numerous places. There are also different variants of giant rings appeared throughout the series.

Sonic the Hedgehog (1991)
Giant rings are first seen in the original Sonic the Hedgehog, where these objects appear if the player has at least 50 rings on reaching the end of the first two Acts of the first five zones. The Giant Ring will appear right above and behind the signpost. If the player jumps into the giant ring, he will be transported to one of six Special Stages, where he will have the opportunity to collect one of the Chaos Emeralds. The second act of Scrap Brain Zone doesn't feature giant ring at all due the game progressing the small cutscene with Robotnik dropping the player to the third act of the zone.

Sonic CD
Giant Rings are used the same way at every timeline of each round's first and second zones in Sonic the Hedgehog CD. By collecting 50 rings and jumping into Giant Ring at the end of zone (which similarly floats on right above the signpost), transports to the different looking Special Stage, where also the player has to destroy all UFOs from the stage for getting reward with one Time Stone.

Sonic Chaos
Giant rings make another appearance in Sonic Chaos, only being featured in first and second Special Stages of the game. Unlike in previous games, giant rings here are now seen mostly on large groups. Instead of transporting, if the player flies through one of giant rings with Rocket Shoes, it gives 10 extra rings and makes it disappear after that. First Special Stage's groups of giant rings actually form words such as "SHIMA", "RAY" and "5OO". The last group of giant rings featured Chaos Emerald in the middle, which the player has to get in time.

Sonic the Hedgehog 3 & Knuckles
Giant rings (named Special Rings) return in Sonic the Hedgehog 3 and its add-on continuation Sonic & Knuckles. Unlike in original Sonic the Hedgehog and Sonic CD, giant rings are now hidden throughout the zones of both games and they do not require any number of rings to enter. Giant Rings can be found be going through the walls that has some hidden routes to lead to one of the giant rings. It transports the player to Blue Sphere type of Special Stages, where the player has to collect blue spheres in able in order to get seven Chaos Emeralds. The player is also able to recognize hidden giant rings by looking the gameplay hud, if it starts changing its color to the brighter.

By locking-on two games to one, when the player starts entering the Mushroom Hill Zone, the player will find the giant ring, that flashes multicolored instead of remain gold (named Super Rings), and they will transport the player to the Emerald Shrine (in the Hidden Palace Zone), where players can enter new Blue Sphere levels in an attempt to "upgrade" their Chaos Emeralds to Super Emeralds. If the player doesn't have all Chaos Emeralds, the most of Emeralds that player has during that time will upgrade certain Super Emeralds, while the player has to collect the rest of Chaos Emeralds from normal giant rings. Like with normal giant rings, gameplay hud starts flashing multicolors, when the giant ring of Super Emeralds is located nearby. If all of the Emeralds are collected, the player can access a Hyper Form rather than a Super State if playing as Sonic or Knuckles, or simply a Super State as Tails.

After getting all Chaos Emeralds and Super Emeralds, the giant rings will no longer transport the player anywhere, but instead grants the player 50 rings (which is enough to transform).

Knuckles' Chaotix
In Knuckles' Chaotix, there are two different types of special rings, which have same look but transports to different places. First types are hidden around at all five acts of each zone. These giant rings transports to the Bonus Stage, where the player can earn rings, points and power-ups. The second types are featured normally at the end of each act, like in previous titles. If the player doesn't jump to the giant ring before the results pop in, it will disappear. After getting 50 rings and jumping into giant ring, it leads to the Special Stage, where the player has to collect certain amount of blue spheres while running at the same time. After completing Special Stage, the player got one of six Chaos Rings.

Sonic 3D
Giant rings (called Dimension Rings in US manual) are featured generally in Sonic 3D Blast (known as Sonic 3D: Flickies' Island in Europe). In the game's storyline, it is told that Flickies are able travel between dimensions by using giant rings. As Doctor Robotnik soon notices this, he imminently creates "Dimension Ring Generator" to capture Flickies from their dimension and turn them into robots. As Sonic arrives to Flicky Island, he starts operation to rescue all Flickies from the island.

In Sonic 3D, the gameplay mechanic requires Sonic to collect Flickies from throughout the levels and then deliver them through a giant ring, which has red ribbon to grab to spin around the giant ring. Once all five Flickies at the one section are collected, Sonic himself can then pass through the giant ring and move on to the next section of the game. Giant rings can be found two or three places in each first and second acts of most of zones. The first and second giant rings opens new section, while the last giant ring works as goal and transports the player to the next act. The first act of Panic Puppet Zone only has one giant ring and second act does contain none at all, as the player only has to reach to the entrance of Robotnik's giant statue.

In the good ending, Sonic is seen transporting back to Flicky Island from the giant ring after defeating Robotnik once again, while bad ending in Saturn version of the game shows giant ring appearing nearby Sonic, showing Robotnik finding at least four Chaos Emeralds.

Sonic Blast
Giant rings also make another appearance in Sonic Blast, where these giant rings are apparently smaller than the playable character itself. Like from previous games, these giant rings are hidden, although in this game there is only one giant ring per act of each zone. Also the giant rings at first act include Special Stage, where the player only earn extra life, while second act's special ring transports to Special Stage with Chaos Emeralds being collected.

Sonic Jam
In compilation game Sonic Jam, after completing all the challenges at the Sonic World, a single giant ring can be seen floating above the river at the front of waterfall. The player is able to get there by jumping on the spinning totem pole and there to the moving platform and being enough of high, the player can jump to the giant ring, which transports the player to somewhere unknown. The game progresses to the end credits of the compilation game after that and then returns to the title screen.

Sonic Pocket Adventure
The giant ring made another appearance in Sonic the Hedgehog Pocket Adventure, as repeating its role from original Sonic the Hedgehog. The player must have once again 50 rings in order to make giant ring visible at the end of first act of each zone. The player has to jump immediately to it, when signpost falls down to the ground. The player enters to the Special Stage, which is similar to one from Sonic the Hedgehog 2.

Sonic Advance 3
Giants rings make appearance in Sonic Advance 3, this time renamed as Factory Rings. It contains the portals to each zone, the Chao Playground, and the Character Selection Screen. To access the Factory Ring, simply jump into it. There, the player can access what has been already said: The Zone Portals, Chao Playground and Character Selection Screen.

The Factory Rings are seen on the zones' hub world; the area where the player can enter one of the three Acts in that Zone. It is larger than all of the rings, and it is like the ring portals shown in the very first games. Hub worlds generally also feature smaller giant rings, which are still bigger than normal rings. These ones also transport the player to certain acts of each zone and after completing it, the ring has a rotating golden crown above it. The hub world for Chaos Angel also features a large metallic ring with a red digital Eggman Empire decal on it, that transports to Altar Emerald and the final boss of the game.

Sonic the Hedgehog 4
Giant rings make another reappearance in both episodes of Sonic the Hedgehog 4, where it has similar role from its earlier appearances. As having 50 rings on the hand during that time, it can be found at the end of first and second acts for each zone, where it can be found right above the signpost, similar to the original Sonic the Hedgehog and Sonic CD. Two episodes featured different Special Stages, where the player transports. Sonic 4: Episode Metal doesn't feature giant rings at all.

Chaos Rings
Chaos Rings are six powerful multi-colored rings, that actually are larger variants of normal rings in Knuckles' Chaotix. In the game's Japanese storyline, they were accidentally created when Doctor Robotnik contacted a Special Ring, an artifact once used by Knuckles' people which Robotnik and Metal Sonic seemingly use to form a monstrous robot. Chaos Rings can be collected by completing Special Stages of the game.

Dark Rings
There exist larger variants of Dark Rings in Knuckles' Chaotix. As normal, synthesized rings are featured to being powering up badniks, larger variants of Dark Rings are seen being powering Eggman's vehicles at the end of fifth act for each zone in the game. After defeating the boss, it pops out the destroyed vehicle and being evaporated into the air as ash. At the near end of the game, Robotnik uses one to used to power up Metal Sonic and transforming to the monstrous robot.

Goal Rings
Goal Ring is another variant of Giant Ring, that is first introduced in Sonic Adventure 2. It has then become the recurring object that is located at the end of each level for completing it on the most of recent games.

Goal Rings do act similarly to normal Giants Rings in Sonic Heroes, where if you were Team Dark, Team Rose, or Team Chaotix and you got to the end of the level on a side mission and you had not completed the required objective you could touch the Goal Ring and it would act like a Warp Ring and send you back to the start of the level to complete the objective.

Sonic the Comic
In Sonic the Comic, several items appear that are based on the Giant Rings from the games. Sonic uses a Sonic 1-style giant ring as a short cut to instantly travel from the Green Hill Zone to the Marble Zone, but accidentally collects too many rings and finds himself sent to the Special Zone. The use of Giant Rings (and rings in general) was quickly phased out of the series. The Giant Rings' role of providing instantaneous travel between Zones was taken over by Star Posts.

Following an attack on the Floating Island by the Death Egg, Knuckles uncovers a large ring covered in ancient Echidna writing. He accidentally activates the ring and is sucked inside, transporting himself to the Special Zone.

Another type of Giant Ring, called the Mobius Ring, was created by the Drakon Empire, and allowed travel between Mobius and the Drakon homeworld.

Much later, Amy and Tekno uncovered a sentient Giant Ring called the Ring of Eternity, which transported them across time and space to help other worlds in danger.

Archie Comics
The Archie's Sonic the Hedgehog comics also feature Giant Rings, which are known as Warp Rings. The Warp Rings were created by Doctor Finitevus and when charged up with Chaos Energy allow instantaneous transport for anyone who uses them. They can seemingly penetrate any security measures and allow travel to any location, regardless of distance. There is also the Super Warp Ring used by Silver the Hedgehog and Rob'O the Hedge to get to Moebius. When Silver followed a Prelate into the Fractured Mirror Zone, the portal it travelled through looked similar to a corrupted Warp Ring.

Sonic Adventures
In the French comic Sonic Adventures volume 1, "Dans les griffes de Robotnik", a Sonic 3-styled Giant Ring is depicted hovering over the boiling magma in a volcano in the hidden city of the Echidnas. Sonic, Amy Rose and Princess Alucion fall through the giant ring when Doctor Robotnik tries to throw them into the volcano. They are transported to the Blue Sphere Special Stage, where Sonic gets the highest score, wins the Seven Magical Emeralds and the Golden Armor.

Trivia

 * Formations of giant rings in Sonic Chaos refer to designers of the game, M.Shima, Ray and 5OOZO, who are also listed in the game's end credits.
 * As classic act of Mushroom Hill Zone in Sonic Generations recycles its level layout from the first act of original game, hidden Giant Rings are replaced with 8 normal rings on large ring formation.
 * Although Sonic appears to pose with the giant ring in both artworks of Sonic Jump and Sonic Dash, (see the image at the infobox), none of games actually featured giant rings at all.