Fourth wall

The Fourth Wall is a term used to describe the imaginary boundary between the audience and the characters. By breaking the fourth wall, characters either turn to the audience and talk to them directly or acknowledging the fact that their on a game console.

Common Elements

 * Characters tell the player about button commands like "Press the Jump Button to Jump".
 * Even finishing a stage, the character(s) will strike a pose toward the player and comment on the rank they receive.

Sonic 1/Sonic the Hedgehog 2/Sonic the Hedgehog 3/Sonic & Knuckles/Sonic the Hedgehog 4

 * When the character is idle for a while, the character will turn to the player a perform various actions.
 * If Sonic is idle, he'll turn to the player, giving an annoyed look and start tapping his foot.
 * If Knuckles is idle, he'll turn to the camera and start punching.
 * If Tails is idle, he'll look at the player and yawn.
 * When the player hits Dr. Robotnik, he'll look to the camera with a shocked expression. If he hits the player, he'll laugh directly at the player.

Sonic CD

 * If Sonic is idle for three minutes, he'll turn to the player and say "I'm outta here!" and just off the screen with an annoyed look on his face. This results in an instant Game Over.
 * Before the player is able to control Sonic in the Special Stage, Sonic will turn around, as though saying "Hey! Pay attention!"
 * Before Sonic races against Metal Sonic, Metal will do Sonic's finger wave toward the player. If the player loses against Metal, he'll do the same thing.
 * In the good ending, Sonic will glance, then turn to the player and pose before the credits play.

Sonic Adventure

 * If the player moves the camera around alot while playing as Knuckles, he state that he doesn't want to fall.

Sonic Advance/Sonic Advance 2/Sonic Advance 3

 * Much like the 2D games, if the character is idle, they'll perform various actions toward the camera.

Sonic Riders/Sonic Riders: Zero Gravity

 * After starting a race, the character will turn around and look at the player.

Sonic Unleashed

 * After Sonic realizes that Chip lost his memory, he asks the player if he fell on him.
 * After Sonic sulks away because Amy didn't regocnize him as a Werehog, Chip will offer him chocolate, but Sonic will refuse. Chip will then shrug at the player before flying after him.

Sonic Colors

 * When Tails corrects Sonic by telling him that it's pronouced "Wisps", Sonic will turn to the camera and tell the audience that he'll just call them aliens.
 * In the CGI opening, a White Wisp looks at the camera in wonder, as though trying to look at something.