Minecart

Minecarts, also called as Railcarts and Trucks (トロッコ), are useful or harmful obstacles in Sonic the Hedgehog series. First appearing in 8-bit version of Sonic the Hedgehog 2, the minecarts' roles in the games follows many of the same principles as those that appear in the real world, and can as such serve as both assists or obstacles to the player.

Minecarts have varied with their designs and purposes thorough the series. Mostly they have seen to be used as possible vehicles by numerous different characters, while sometimes they can be even dangerous due their placement and the situation where the player is usually seen during the game.

Sonic the Hedgehog 2
The minecarts are first used in the 8-bit version of Sonic the Hedgehog 2, where Sonic eventually is able to ride through the Under Ground Zone and Gimmick Mt. Zone. These minecarts only seen to have one rolling metallic wheel below the cart itself, which is seen to be made half of metal and wood. They are seen standing alone in rail sections of the zone until Sonic will jump on them. The player will move medium fast speed on the minecart while small spikes can be seen falling down, while still managing to miss the minecart completely.

After the player hops in, the minecart starts moving to the right direction. In the minecart, the player is able to press down on the D-pad, which makes Sonic look down (while it doesn't serve purpose in the game). However many cart sections end to the lava pits or crashing to falls, as the player has to jump off the minecarts to avoid falling the lava pool or crashing to falls. In Act 3 of Under Ground Zone, the player will be seen yet riding minecart before the boss fight against Arijigoku Mecha.

Sonic Spinball
Minecarts have made another appearance in Sonic the Hedgehog Spinball, where they are seen Toxic Caves. There are only two railways to choose for minecart in the Toxic Caves, which both of them can lead to one of three Chaos Emeralds in the whole arena. Both of them are seen in different side of the open-plan hole. When the player reach to one of them, Sonic will start pull the handle, which makes the minecart go down on the rails.

The player has to switch the right railway by using Flippers to swing the minecart alternative railway, that leads to one of Chaos Emeralds, because the railway can lead to the different section instead of to the right referred way. If the player collects both Emeralds from both sides, Sonic will down to the open-plan hole and gets the third, last Chaos Emerald of the arena.

Tails' Skypatrol
In spin-off title Tails' Skypatrol, Minecarts are one of the most generally used obstacles in the game, this time titled as "Trucks" according the original japanese translation. In the game's storyline, Tails notices that island has numerous mine cart tracks that are weaving around the landscape. The game's antagonist, Witchcart is seen using the minecart as his main transportation vehicle.

Minecarts in Tails' Skypatrol are all standing on railway sections on each stage of the game. They are round-shaped metallic carts with small details and two wheels below the cart. When the player throws the ring to the minecart, the player gets a ride as being latched on the cart itself. If the player wants to let go off the minecart, press 1 or 2 button again to move off.

Sonic Adventure
Minecarts are seen as minor transportation vehicles in Sonic Adventure, which can only be found at one of three game's Adventure Fields, Mystic Ruins. When the player jumps in the minecart, he/she gets automatically moved to the other section on the Mystic Ruins, which there two major railways to lead different sections. The first railway is right left side of the lake and leads to the another section of Mystic Ruins, where ancient echidna town was originally located and where the house of Big the Cat and Eggman's Final Egg base can be found. The second railway can be found near of Tails' Lab from cave, which leads the Chao Garden of the Mystic Ruins.

Sonic Advance 3
Minecarts are also seen in Sonic Advance 3, where they are minor, useful obstacles at Twinkle Snow. There are small railway sections in the stage, which the player can go through by using wooden minecarts. They move slight medium speed, but are able to pass through a steep uphills. The railway ends to the small wall, which destroys the wooden minecart, while the player is fine about the crash and able to progress in the stage.

Sonic the Hedgehog (2006)
In Sonic the Hedgehog (2006), there are numerous, rusty and realistic looking minecarts, lying around Radical Train. Silver the Hedgehog is able to utilize minecarts to throw them on numerous enemy groups by using Psychokinesis.

Sonic and the Black Knight
In Sonic and the Black Knight, minecarts are shown to look almost identical as to the real world counterparts. They appear in the Molten Mine stage, typically only on a grinding segment of the stage.

In this game, minecarts are obstacles that will be heading towards the player while grinding on rails. Only jumping or moving to a nearby rail will the minecart be avoided. If not avoided, the player will either fall off the rail and/or lose a live or stop grinding if hit.

Sonic the Hedgehog 4: Episode I
Minecarts also made an appearance in Sonic the Hedgehog 4: Episode I, where they are featured only in the second act of Lost Labyrinth Zone. Because the second act of the zone is different in console and mobile phone versions, Minecart is the main gimmick in mobile phone versions of the game, while in console versions, the minecart is not that much big role in the whole zone and moves automatically straight forward, while there are moments when the player has to jump with minecart. The player crashes with minecart to the railway's ending with Eggman Empire sign on it and the player is able to move normally.

In mobile phone versions of the second act, the player is seen having Sonic with lighting stick on the minecart. The player is able to jump with minecart, while the jump height is very short enough to get over small step. The player has also used the screen identification feature to balance the minecart's direction.

Sonic Free Riders
Minecarts appeared in Sonic Free Riders only in one course: Rocky Ridge (both Standard and Expert). In one major section of the course, it features a minecart section. They are controlled by the player's body motions to steer to accelerate or switch railtracks.

Sonic Lost World
Minecarts reappear in the Silent Forest stage from the upcoming video game, Sonic Lost World. Like the Sonic and the Black Knight counterpart, they appear on grinding segments, but minecarts have more of a simpler tone to it instead of the real world-esque version from Sonic and the Black Knight. Clucker badniks actually ride of minecarts to shoot at Sonic while the hedgehog is grinding.

Spin Coaster
Spin Coasters are different functioning variants of normal minecarts, which are only seen in Sonic Triple Trouble. They are seen usually being used by Moto Bug-looking badniks at Sunset Park Zone and move on freely without using any railways below on it's way. The player is able to use them by performing Spin Dash on it, that makes it to move forward.

Bobsled


Bobsleds are another different types of transportation during a stage, that are first seen in Sonic Heroes and later in Sonic Generations as totally different go-kart vehicle. Bobsleds do not move on railways all the time, but in Bullet Station they are mostly seen in one-lined railway and later at Mystic Mansion, they repeating the same pattern on railways of large caves.

Trivia

 * After first episode of Sonic the Hedgehog 4 gets leaked in the internet during it's time, the functionality of the minecart caused a minor indignation by major cast on the fanbase due it's clunky gameplay. After the leak of the first episode Dimps, the developer team of the game modified the second act of the zone, while the leaked version of the act has put on use in mobile phone versions.

Gallery
And suddenly the player gets nervous.png|Sonic the Hedgehog 2 (8-bit) augh augh I guess.png|Sonic the Hedgehog 2 (8-bit) Sensing deep trouble.png|Sonic the Hedgehog 2 (8-bit) Minecarting at the speed of sound.png|Sonic Spinball Hang On Tails!.png|Tails' Skypatrol Minecart SA.png|Sonic Adventure Minecart Sonic Advance 3.png|Sonic Advance 3 Minecart Sonic the Hedgehog 2006.png|Sonic the Hedgehog (2006) SatBK Minecart.png|Sonic and the Black Knight Lost Labyrinth Zone - Screenshot - (3).png|Sonic the Hedgehog 4: Episode I Lost Labyrinth Zone - Screenshot - (4).png|Sonic the Hedgehog 4: Episode I Splash Hill Zone - Screenshot - (07).jpg|Sonic the Hedgehog 4: Episode I Minecarts and rails.jpg|