Flipper

Flippers (フリッパー), also refereed as Pinball Flippers, are pinball gimmicks in the Sonic the Hedgehog series. Flippers are neon colored levers, which are usually hovering in the mid-air or set on pinball tables along with other pinball objects and gimmicks. They act similarly like real-life pinball flippers, but instead of pinball balls, the player can use them to reach higher sections in pinball sections or the regular Zone. The playable character turns into curling ball mode once he/she lands to the flipper. The player has to press jump button once to being launched into the air, while in some pinball-themed spin-off titles, the player can control two flippers with two different buttons. The player can launch the player to different heights and directions depending how low or far the playable character is located on the flipper.

Flippers are first introduced in 8-bit version of Sonic the Hedgehog and since then they are most of the time featured at Casino-themed Zones or Bonus Stages in each game, where they are seen. They are usually pointing to the left or right direction, while only few times, they are seen functioning differently.