Spring


 * For the gimmick in Shadow the Hedgehog, see Jump Panel (Shadow the Hedgehog).

Springs (スプリング), also known as Jump Springs (ジャンプバネ) and Springboards, are some of the most common gimmicks in Sonic the Hedgehog series. Springs are used to launch the playable characters in different directions, both on the ground and through midair, to reach otherwise unreachable places or built up huge amount of running speed in short time. Springs made the debut appearance in Sonic the Hedgehog (1991) where they were originally simple red and yellow platforms, but have since taken on a more distinct design over the course of the series.

Description
In earlier game appearances, Springs are illustrated as red or yellow panels with a gray-colored spring underneath them. When Springs made debut in 3D games such as Sonic Jam and Sonic Adventure, Springs featured detailed panels of red edges with a gold star in the middle of a blue circle and gray/red springs underneath them. As 3D installments goes on, panels of Springs have also become more rounder in shape with blue/yellow edge lines. Only few games such as Sonic Adventure 2 and Sonic Generations reveals that Springs have pointy ends underneath panels. They can be floating in mid-air with propellers (such as Propeller Springs) or without them. During the series, there are several other gimmicks that appear once or even few more times.

In earlier installments, red Springs propel the player to a higher elevation, while yellow ones only send the playable character a medium to low distance. Some Springs are hidden underground and will appear when the character moves over them. Springs are usually set on horizontal, vertical or diagonal directions. As the player gets launched to mid-air from vertical and diagonal Springs, horizontal types bounces the player backwards and give extra amount of running speed. Certain sections of the Zone can have pits of Springs or corridors with diagonal pointing Springs. Some Springs can also have floating strings of Rings along the path they send the player.

The player usually has to jump on the Spring to be launched, although they can bounce off Springs by simply touching them in later games. Later, in 3D games, the Springs can also be targeted with a Homing Attack. There are Zones like Spring Yard Zone and Spring Stadium Zone featuring Springs as main gimmicks. Some enemies throughout the series also use Springs to defend themselves.

Sonic the Hedgehog (1991)
Springs first appear in both the 16-bit and 8-bit versions of Sonic the Hedgehog. The game introduced two basic variations of springs: Yellow springs bounce the player short height while red springs grant more height. Throughout the game's different Zones, the Spring has special roles; in Green Hill Zone some of the Springs are hidden on the top of palm-trees, while in the Spring Yard Zone they are a part of pseudo-pinball sections. In the Labyrinth Zone, Springs can send the player even higher if they bounces on them from the water. Star Light Zone also has Seesaws, which works similarly like spring.

The 8-bit version of Sonic the Hedgehog features both types of springs like the 16-bit counterpart. There are also many colorful springs set everywhere in the game's Special Stages.

Sonic the Hedgehog 2
In the 16-bit version of Sonic the Hedgehog 2, Springs are placed both horizontal and vertical. Additionally, the game features for the first time diagonal Springs set on the walls which bounces the player in the upper side direction, and Springs hidden in the ground.

When the playable characters exists a transport tube in Chemical Plant Zone, the tube's cover shuts down protrudes and a small red Spring. The game also introduces Catapults, pinball shooters in Casino Night Zone and steam pipes in Metropolis Zone, all of which function similarly to the Spring by sending the player flying through the air. Metropolis Zone also features small yellow triangular springs in pits which are to help the player get out of said pits.

Due to the palette limitations of the 8-bit version of Sonic the Hedgehog 2, the game only has regular Springs which come in multiple colors, such as yellow, green, pink and gray.

SegaSonic the Hedgehog
In SegaSonic the Hedgehog, Icy Isle has section with pathways whose walls are lined with horizontal orange Springs. The playable character will be bounced back a small distance if he touches them.

Sonic the Hedgehog CD
In Sonic the Hedgehog CD, red and yellow Springs appear in both horizontal, vertical and diagonal directions. In this game, Sonic also spins in air when he bounces on a vertical Spring. Horizontal Springs can be useful for time travelling, especially if there are two springs pointing towards each other. Palmtree Panic and Metallic Madness also feature unique red Springs attached on small wheels which move back and forth, usually on sections with holes in the roofs.

Collision Chaos has arenas of full of vertical Springs and certain horizontal Springs will pop up from behind to give an extra boost of speed on taller ramps. There are even floors in Wacky Workbench that can bounce the player high into the air, and in Metallic Madness, crusher pillars can also bounce the player to the higher levels if they are standing on it. Red Springs also appear in several Special Stages.

Sonic Chaos
In Sonic Chaos, vertical yellow and red Springs are usually hidden underground. Only the red springs are placed horizontal, though vertical and diagonal formations also appear in the Special Stages. The game also features Pogo Spring power-up that lets the player jump higher with a Spring and move around with it at same time. Enemies like the Bane Motora, Frogger or the Turquoise Hill Zone boss Great Bane Motora Gold also have Springs equipped for their use.

Sonic Drift series
Yellow Springs (called Jump Springs) appear on the racing courses in Sonic Drift which send the player forward while spinning through the air for few seconds, while nullifying any power-up the user may have in effect at the moment. In Sonic Drift 2, these Springs are colored red and are renamed Jump Bane (ジャンプバネ), but they functions are basically the same as in the previous title. In Sonic Drift 2, there is also the Jump power-up which lets the playable characters launch themselves through the air like the Springs.

Sonic the Hedgehog 3 & Knuckles
In Sonic the Hedgehog 3, Sonic & Knuckles and Sonic the Hedgehog 3 & Knuckles, yellow and red Springs come in horizontal, vertical and diagonal directions, whereas vertical Springs can be hidden underground or inside breakable obstacles. The Special Stages of Sonic & Knuckles also have yellow spheres which bounces player forward. Red Springs also appear in Competition mode where they appear in floating bubbles along the course. Tagging this item and a Spring drops onto the course to catapult careless runners off their course. Also, some of the pipe hole sections have red Springs that let the player maintain speed when passing through them by bouncing off them.

In terms of the game's alternate uses for Springs, Marble Garden Zone has the Spiker whose spikes are confusingly capable of bouncing the player like a Spring. Additionally, Mushroom Hill Zone's regular mushrooms work like Springs as well, Flying Battery Zone has some capsules that can the player can bounce on by touching their switch, Sandopolis Zone has strange-looking stretchy rack between the ground and walls that the player can bounce on as if they were side wall Springs, and Sky Sanctuary Zone have bouncing clouds which height of the bounce depends on how fast the player fall on them. Also, one section of Sky Sanctuary Zone has side springs that come out of the ground to bounce back the player; these same springs later appear in Death Egg Zone.

Sonic the Hedgehog Triple Trouble
In Sonic the Hedgehog Triple Trouble, vertical yellow and red Springs are almost always hidden underground, while horizontal and diagonal Springs appear normally along with the Pogo Spring power-up. Springs also appear in the game's take on the Special Stages as well. The Sea turtle Badniks in Great Turquoise Zone also have Springs on their backs like in Sonic Chaos. Additionally, there is the Flying Spin Attack whic both Sonic and Tails can perform once they get bounced into midair by Springs.

Knuckles' Chaotix
In Knuckles Chaotix, horizontal, vertical and diagonal Springs are featured regularly. In addition to the red and yellow Springs, this game also uses blue Springs which are more powerful than the red ones. Using Springs in this game can be difficult due the Ring Power, but it is possible to carry the Combi partner to make the usage of the Spring easier.

In the game's Bonus Stages, red and yellow Springs are set on cubic blocks. When the player falls and bounces on these blocks three times, the block becomes broken. The game's Special Stages also feature two different kind of Spring Balls called Yellow Spring Ball (イエロースプリングボール), which sends the player forward, and Green Spring Ball (グリーンスプリングボール), which sends the player upward.

Tails Adventure
In Tails Adventure, Poloy's Forest features blue Springs, which the player can use to backtrack in the stage. Tails can also push these Springs along the ground in any direction to determine the location of the bounce.

Sonic 3D Blast
In Sonic 3D Blast, red Springs usually come in two types. The single types are placed under floating Sonic Medals (collecting 10 of them earn a Continue). Sometimes the player must have Flickies to reach some of these medals. The other type of Springs are hidden underground and appear most commonly in Spring Stadium Zone. Also, Diamond Dust Zone contains rare, horizontal blue Springs on the walls that send Sonic into a roll backwards. Red Springs in Diamond Dust Zone also are covered in snow drifts which have to be broken to reveal them.

In the Sega Saturn version of Sonic 3D Blast, there are pair of red Springs set on half-pipe routes of the Special Stages. Red Springs let the player bounce into the midair to catch Rings or reach higher platform routes.

Sonic Blast
In Sonic Blast, red Springs are notably smaller and appear in both the regular Zones and the Special Stages.

Sonic Jam
In Sonic Jam, Sonic World has two red Springs that sent the player into midair. This is the first game to feature Springs designed with red edges and a gold star in the middle of a blue circle.

Sonic R
In Sonic R, red Springs are located in Regal Ruin and Reactive Factory to help the player reach the other side of the local pit or climbing the hills.

Sonic Adventure
In Sonic Adventure and its later iteration Sonic Adventure DX: Director's Cut, the newly redesigned Springs appeared as common gimmicks in the Action Stages. In this game, the Springs only have one design and can shoot the player in any direction, but the player cannot control their movements in midair when sent flying by the Springs as the manually guide the player to another section.

Sonic Adventure also introduces the uncommon Wide Spring which is three Springs aligned with each other, and the Jump Panels which the player can use to sequentially jump from plate to plate.

Sonic Pocket Adventure
Traditional yellow and red Springs made reappearance in Sonic the Hedgehog Pocket Adventure, as they are placed in all horizontal, vertical and diagonal formations. Some Spring-type gimmicks from Sonic the Hedgehog 2 appear, including Catapults, pinball shooters and triangular springs.

Sonic Adventure 2
In Sonic Adventure 2, Springs look and function similarly to how they did in Sonic Adventure, their design here include a blue line on the spring's edges. In addition to the Wide Springs, the game also introduces the Propeller Springs in Sky Rail. Also, the there are the Spring Beetle enemies with Springs attached to them which make them virtually invulnerable.

In the unlockable Green Hill, Springs have their original sound effect from the original Sonic the Hedgehog when the player bounces on them.

Sonic Advance series
The appearance of Springs varies slightly in Sonic Advance games, where all of them are placed on horizontal, vertical or diagonal formations. Sonic Advance only features yellow type of Spring. Like in earlier games, it only launches less higher than regular red Spring. In Sonic Advance 2 and Sonic Advance 3 only red type of Springs are featured and notably allowed to the player being launched by simply running on them. Hitting a Spring with Amy's Piko Piko Hammer causes her to be catapulted higher than regularly intended. Some games also features Special Springs, which are for player to enter Special Stages.

Sonic Advance 2 features dark blue Springs, that bounces high if the player press the button down and release it in right time to give additional height. Music Plant has Hi-hats replacing Springs as objects, while Techno Base has own white design of Springs. Sonic Advance 3 features a red switches to activate flatter Springs for certain time until it will be closed.

In mini-game of Chao Garden in Sonic Advance 2 and Sonic Advance 3, Cream the Rabbit uses Spring on wheels to bounce Cheese for getting enough of Rings from the mid-air while the player is controlling.

Sonic Heroes
Springs make another appearance in Sonic Heroes and because of having three playable characters at same time, single springs becomes more rare in the game, as the most common type of springs are three-setter ones which by touching all three springs gives ten rings or Power Core. Some springs are locked to the boxes that can be opened after defeating some amount of enemies around it.

Shadow the Hedgehog
Springs appear in Shadow the Hedgehog as for these objects are given a slight, dark remodel. The springs are tinted with a darker shade of red and have a green glowing circle in the middle. The springs also look a little rusted, although the surface of it is made of rubber. After this game, they go back to their original design.

Sonic Rush series
Springs appear in both Sonic Rush and Sonic Rush Adventure as common objects. Oddly, spring's design in these games are slightly rounder shaped. Some of these springs are mostly even set up to the roof corners. As being bounced to the air, the player can do air combos to get points. Night Carnival in Sonic Rush features springs that can be loaded by pressing down and release it in right time, as launches to the air with enough power. Some springs can suddenly lead to the grinding sections in Sonic Rush Adventure.

Sonic the Hedgehog (2006)
Springs in Sonic the Hedgehog (2006) have been given a slightly detailed appearance. Normally basic, side wall and three-setter springs are featured in the game. Like in Sonic Heroes, some springs are locked to the boxes that can be opened after defeating one or few enemies around it. There are certain moments that Sonic doesn't even need spring to reach the other side of the destination by jumping. These sections are usually just automatic.

Sonic Rivals series
Springs are redesigned in both Sonic Rivals and Sonic Rivals 2, however they work identically like in previous games. Springs are flat white plates, as it is similar to the Check Points. Its top is colored red with a yellow in the middle and has a blue star at the center.

Sonic Storybook series
Springs are featured usually at end of rail sections and walls in Sonic and the Secret Rings, where they have somehow fitting look to World of the Arabian Nights. The game also features round-shaped springs that spins around in the air, as the player must schedule a jump at it. Springs also appear at few occasional cases in Sonic and the Black Knight, particularly the Legacy missions.

Sonic Unleashed
Springs (called as Springboards) make appearance in Sonic Unleashed. Spring's normal, three-setter and side wall types appears generally in the game. The game also introduces to the springs with Eggman logo on them to annoy player, thorn Springs that floats middle of the air and jump plates from Sonic Adventure. The game also introduces another blue variations of springs, that eventually launch Sonic into Action Pads, where the player has to occur quick time event in order to jump from action pad to another. Two of Eggman's Egg Fighter varieties in the game, the Egg Fighter: Knight and Egg Fighter: Shield wield shields which are equipped with a spring.

Sonic the Hedgehog 4
Springs appear in both episodes of Sonic the Hedgehog 4. The game only has red type springs which has Sonic Adventure design. Usually these spring are sometimes located near close of Bubbles line. Sylvania Castle Zone features platforms that float over the water, while the player perform the homing attack on it, it turns out the lower side out the water which is star-figure platform that can be used as a spring. In second act of White Park Zone appears several springs, that bounces the player front or further back to the route that run in parallel.

Sonic Colors
Springs appear in both Wii and Nintendo DS versions of Sonic Colors. Normal, three-setter and side wall springs with many other spring types return from Sonic Unleashed in the Wii version. Although yellow types of three-setter springs are only introduced in the Wii version.

Sonic Generations
Springs also appear in both console/PC and Nintendo 3DS versions of Sonic Generations. Classic Sonic acts have original yellow, red types of springs and catapults from Sonic the Hedgehog 2. Springs in classic acts can also seen floating in the air while having pointed head on the bottom. In modern Sonic acts, every type of Springs return from Sonic Unleashed. It should noted that classic springs have sharp lower end, which is able to see in certain levels, but mostly hidden at underground.

Sonic Dash
Springs are featured in Sonic Dash, as the player runs towards three different types of springs that are only located at the edge end of the routes. There are different features on each spring, that can be recognized of floating icons above the spring. Springs that have rings in it, leads them to the next route while giving rings at same time. If the player bounces to springs with Shuttle loop icons, the player has to complete small quick time event in the air to progress through. whale statue icon, the player is bounces to the grass route to the stoned bridge route of Seaside Hill, but if the player chooses springs with totem pole icon, the player is bought back to the grassy route.

Sonic Lost World
Springs also appear in Sonic Lost World. The game features three different spring types: the regular spring from previous games, a much larger spring used to move from the section to another, and yellow springs from earlier games that are hidden under the ground or in walls and bounce the player less high than a regular spring.

Other game appearances
In Sonic R, several racing terrains have put springs for certain places where the racer bounces to the other side or to climb higher place. Springs in Sonic Labyrinth are there for bouncing over some bottomless pits to get other side or to get higher sections.

In Sonic Jam, springs can be found at Sonic's World. It is actually first appearance of spring design which proceeds to appear since Sonic Adventure. Springs are featured at boards and several minigames in Sonic Shuffle. Spring is also featured at Sonic's moveset in Super Smash Bros. Brawl and will reappear in Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS and Wii U. As Sonic uses a spring as his Up+Special move. It acts like a personalized spring, which immediately appears underneath him and shoots Sonic up a great vertical distance. It can also be used by other characters before it disappears. Springs are featured as common elements in Sonic Jump games for mobile phones.

Catapult
Catapult is one variation of springs, which first appears in 16-bit version of Sonic the Hedgehog 2. While running towards the catapult, the player flies straight ahead without having to stop. It is featured at Chemical Plant Zone, Aquatic Ruin Zone and Mystic Cave Zone. After many years, it reappears in Sonic Generations as it is featured in classic Sonic acts.

Pinball Shooter
Pinball Shooters first appear in Casino Night Zone in Sonic the Hedgehog 2, as the player has to hold down press A, B or C button to load the pinball shooter to launch the player to the pinball sections. Pinball shooters are seen later in the series such as Sonic the Hedgehog 4, Sonic Generations, and Sonic Lost World.

Pogo Spring
Pogo Spring is item which has been appeared in Sonic Chaos and Sonic the Hedgehog Triple Trouble. It allows the player to move with it and use it to reach higher levels. Once bouncing higher and jumping off the Pogo Spring, the player will lose it. In Sonic Chaos, Pogo Springs can be found at mechanical boxes in Sleeping Egg Zone, Mecha Green Hill Zone and second Special Stage. In Sonic Triple Trouble, Pogo Springs can be found at item boxes in Meta Junglira Zone.

Wide Spring
Wide Springs (３連バネ), also known as Long Springs (ロングスプリング), debuted in Sonic Adventure 2 and have been featured in almost every 3D games since then. As the name says, it features three bumbers side by side on the same platform. These type of springs are easier to connect during the fast sections and bounce to straight upward. In Sonic Heroes, if the player bounces off of one of the springs in a three-setter, it lights up. If the player were to make all three light up, their team would get bonus rings, or in some cases, a Power Core to use the team's special move.

As the three-setter Springs are usually red, Sonic Colors later features yellow types of three-setter Springs. Like yellow springs in first games, yellow three-setter Springs bounces the player less higher than red ones. After touching it, it starts to auto-scrolling to the right and usually the player has to balance on it.

Bounce Spinners
The Propeller Springs debuted in Sonic Adventure 2 and have been later featured in a few current games. These spring can propel themselves higher off a three-setter spring by using the homing attack and holding the jump button still after they bounce off of the spring. They also appear in Sonic Generations.

Special Spring
Special Springs have appeared in Sonic Advance and Sonic Advance 3. These springs are slightly bigger and used to get to Special Stage. In Sonic Advance they are hidden in one act of each Zone except for Ice Mountain Zone which have special spring hidden in both acts. In Sonic Advance 3, the player needs to find ten hidden Chao per zone. After that, the player also has to collect key to activate Special Spring and entering to Special Stage.

Data Spring
Data Spring is type of spring that makes only appearance in two zones in Shadow the Hedgehog. The data spring is a similar to the normal spring that only appears in worlds made of data such as Digital Circuit, and Mad Matrix

Blue spring
Blue springs are another variants of springs that have only appeared in Sonic Unleashed. They look mostly the same as regular springs, although only colored blue instead of red. Comparing to normal springs, they execute a different method of sending the player through the air: when the player gets bounced of one of these springs, the player flies to the one of action pads where the player has to perform the quick time event as soon as possible.

Trap Spring


Trap Springs are type of springs, that debuted in Sonic Unleashed and later appeared in Sonic Colors and Sonic Generations. These square springs with the Eggman Empire symbol have been used in certain places, where hitting them would send the character back towards a trap or to slow them down. It plays a short, high-pitched laugh after hitting it.

Thorn Spring
Thorn Springs appeared in Sonic Unleashed and Sonic Colors. These springs simply float around in the air and have spikes beneath it and will flip upside down to the spike side after a short time interval, harming Sonic should he dare to use a Homing Attack on it. Thorn Springs make a more frequent appearance on most of Sonic Unleasheds DLC day stages rather than in regular stages to increase the stages' difficulty.

Adventures of Sonic the Hedgehog
In the episode Tails Prevails of Adventures of Sonic the Hedgehog, a grey spring can be seen activated by Doctor Robotnik, who used it to Scratch and Grounder after telling him about Tails having knowledge of machinery. The spring bounces them to the roof where they get trapped because of the magnet.

Sonic the Hedgehog the Movie
The single spring appears briefly in Sonic the Hedgehog: The Movie. As Sonic and Tails travel towards the Robotropolis, Sonic at one moment jumps to the green spring and gets bounce higher.

Sonic X
In the first episode "Chaos Control Freaks" of the anime series Sonic X, Sonic triggers one of Eggman's traps which actually is a huge grey spring with his face on it. As the Sonic gets bounced by the spring, he then gets punched by Eggman's mecha and flies miles away. He still manages to get into Eggman's fortress by a ring from Tails.

In "Fast Friends", a grey spring is seen attached to Sam Speed's Rocket Car. During the race, in response to Sonic jumping onto the hood of the car, Sam asks Sonic to move to the back (where the spring is located) so Sam could see where he is driving. When Sonic finally moved to the back, Sam activates the spring sending Sonic flying away from the race.

Trivia

 * In the world of Sonic the Hedgehog, Springs are not mentioned in the storylines, but they are featured as devices created by humans and has advertising. As an example in City Escape of Sonic Adventure 2, there's a posters which advertise an event, "Spring Festival".
 * In Sonic Adventure 2, if Metal Sonic is used in multiplayer mode and bounces off a three-setter spring while pressing the button to do a somersault, he will be propelled in his standing animation.
 * In Sonic the Hedgehog (2006), sometimes when using the spring, the character will bounce but the spring won't move, or an even stranger one where almost the complete opposite happens.
 * Sonic Adventure introduced the red springs with star patterns. Since then, only two games have reverted back to the Genesis' plain designs: Sonic Pocket Adventure and Sonic Generations.
 * In the data of Sonic Adventure, there is a different model of spring which seems to come from Sonic Jam.
 * From Sonic Adventure onwards, merely touching or running into a spring is enough to activate it. Since then, only 3 games have broken from that tradition, namely Sonic Pocket Adventure, Sonic Advance, and Sonic Generations (3DS). Unlike the console version, the 3DS version of Generations forces Classic Sonic to jump onto a spring instead of running into it, like in the Genesis games. The console version uses the same designs as the Genesis games, but Sonic can just run into the springs.
 * In the Adventure mode of Mario and Sonic at the Olympic Winter Games, Sonic has the ability to use springs, although Mario cannot.
 * Springs appear in Samba De Amigo on the Wii, but are redesigned. The top is made of two parts which are held together by a metal clasp.
 * In episode 23 of the Digimon Adventure series, the sound effect for the classic spring can be heard when Digitamamon raises one eyebrow.