High-speed warp tube

High-speed warp tubes are recurring gimmicks in the Sonic the Hedgehog series. They are long factory pipes set around industrial-themed Zones that can take the playable characters to different sections.

Description
High-speed warp tubes can appear as manufactured devices or natural environmental phenomena, depending on the nature of the stage they appear in. As their name would imply, high-speed warp tubes forcefully speed up the player's speed and automatically take the playable characters through them to new locations otherwise unreachable.

When using them, the character will roll into a ball and roll through the tube. In most games, if the player enters the tube at a slow speed, the tube will automatically increase the character's speed, although in certain games, such as Sonic Adventure 2, the character will travel through the warp tube no matter at what speed they enter.

Sonic the Hedgehog 2
High-speed warp tubes in Sonic the Hedgehog 2 appear in Chemical Plant Zone, where they are covered by lids that must be broken before one can enter them. These transparent tubes are straight, only bending at their joints, and maintain the player's speed. High-speed warp tubes can also launch the player upwards after exiting them, before sealing themselves with a Spring, preventing the player from re-entering them.

In the 8-bit version of the game, Aqua Lake Zone Act 2, Gimmick Mountain Zone Act 3 and Scrambled Egg Zone feature twisting tunnels and transparent pipes similar to high-speed warp tubes which can split in two directions at intersections. At these points, the player must choose which pipe to enter by pressing in the direction they want to go. In Scrambled Egg Zone, depending on the course, the player can travel both backward and forward through the same passage. Also, the final boss in Crystal Egg Zone has the player use the transparent tubes around the arena to avoid electrocutions of the arena.

Sonic the Hedgehog CD
In Sonic the Hedgehog CD, Wacky Workbench features large transportation tubes around the Round. The player can either use one of them by entering opening tubes that go through the ground or to be sent straight down to the area below by using corridor crushers, which do not function the same way like regular crushers. The usual way, how the player exits transportation tubes is to be ejected through an opening hatch on a wall, while dashing through the mid-air at high speed. Using transportation tubes is one of ways to travel into different time period in Wacky Workbench.

In Metallic Madness Zone 2, traditional high-speed warp tubes are present. Hatches on each ending point of the high-speed warp tube can be opened by pressing Switch near close to it and hop in it. Many of them have intersection points, in which the player has to choose one of four directions by pressing up, right, down or left on. If the player exits the high-speed warp tube in the room, that has another Switch on it, the player can go back into that same warp tube to choose another pathway in the intersection point.

Sonic Chaos
In Sonic Chaos, high-speed warp tubes function closely the same like in the 8-bit version of Sonic the Hedgehog 2. They are found in Electric Egg Zone, as well in the third and fifth Special Stages, where high-speed warp tubes are used to navigate through pipe mazes to obtain Chaos Emerald under a strict time limit. Like in Sonic the Hedgehog 2 (8-bit), the player can press one of four directions on to turn at the intersection point of each high-speed warp tube.

Sonic the Hedgehog Spinball
In Sonic the Hedgehog Spinball, high-speed warp tubes are commonly present. Toxic Caves/Toxic Pools features metallic tubes, as Toxic Caves can have locked tubes, that can be opened by hitting targets or the player has to blow up group of steel barrels inside of them. Lava Powerhouse features steam-powered tubes, that send upwards, while The Machine has pieces of transparent tubes on tunnel mazes.

Sonic the Hedgehog 3 & Knuckles
In Sonic the Hedgehog 3, Sonic & Knuckles and the lock-on Sonic the Hedgehog 3 & Knuckles, the high-speed warp tube' appearance and functionality change according to each Zone.

Launch Base Zone Act 2 features breakable barricades as part of water pipes standing in the player's way. Destroying barricades by using Spin Dash will make water pipes leak. The player can then enter in, as the playable character will be traveling inside the water pipe system and sent to another section of the Zone at great speed.

Lava Reef Zone Act 2 features long, orange high-speed warp tubes, which are usually blocked by breakable, crystal blocks. Using Spin Attack will break blocks away and send the player travel through the high-speed warp tube and sent out of the tube at high speed. The player can usually use the previous high-speed warp tube to backtrack on the pathway.

Sonic the Hedgehog Triple Trouble
High-speed warp tubes in Sonic the Hedgehog Triple Trouble function much like ones in Sonic Chaos. They are featured in Tidal Plant Zone and Atomic Destroyer Zone, where they are automatically sending the playable character from section to another. Much like in Sonic Chaos, the player can turn at the upcoming intersection point of each high-speed warp tube by pressing one of four directions on. Atomic Destroyer Zone also features pieces of high-speed warp tubes with intersection points, which send only forward, when the player passes through one in the mid-air.

Knuckles' Chaotix
Knuckles' Chaotix features high-speed warp tubes in Amazing Arena, where they are forcefully sucking playable characters in at its entrance point. Using them usually transports the player further right sections of the stage.

Sonic 3D Blast
In Sonic 3D Blast, high-speed warp tubes, generally referred to as pipes/tubes, appear in the Gene Gadget Zone and Panic Puppet Zone, where they are mainly used take the player to to the various separated locations of the Zone.

Sonic Adventure 2
A few High-Speed Warp Tubes appear in Sonic's Crazy Gadget stage in Sonic Adventure 2. Like in Sonic the Hedgehog 2, the player must first break a lid in order to enter the Warp Tube, at which point the tube will suck Sonic in and take him to the next section of the stage.

Sonic Advance
In Sonic Advance, warp tubes appear Egg Rocket Zone among others, and act identically to their other appearances.

Sonic Rush Adventure
In Sonic Rush Adventure, Warp Tubes appear in multiple stages, with a different appearance based on the level they appear in. For example, Warp Tubes in Plant Kingdom resemble plants, while Warp Tubes found in Machine Labyrinth are machinery.

Sonic Rivals 2
In Sonic Rivals 2, Warp Tubes appear in zones such as Blue Coast Zone. Here, the are rectangular, blue tubes with metal framing that have a red lid at their exit. They are akin to their previous appearances, with them blasting the player through them at high speeds.

Sonic Generations
In Sonic Generations, Warp Tubes return alongside the returning stage of Chemical Plant from Sonic the Hedgehog 2.