Dash Panel

Dash Panels (ダッシュパネル), also known as Dash Zones (ダッシュゾーン), Accelerators, Dash Pads and Boosters, are gimmicks that appears in the Sonic the Hedgehog series. They are flat panels that allow the player to reach top running speed. Dash Panels are usually placed in high-speed sections in the Zones, and are even used to used to change the player's direction immediately.

The Dash Panels made their first appearance in Sonic the Hedgehog 2, but it was not until Sonic Adventure that Dash Panels became a frequently featured gimmick in the Sonic the Hedgehog video game series.

Description
Dash Panels primary function is to send the player's playable character forward with a burst of speed. As soon as the playable character touches a Dash Panel, either from walking, running or jumping onto them, he/she will begin a running dash away from the Dash Panel at the playable character's maximum running speed. However, Dash Panels can only launch the playable characters forward in one direction.

Dash Panels are always placed on solid surfaces and are usually used to help the player move across sections and gimmicks where high-speed momentum is needed. As such, they are most commonly placed on steep uphills, near close to loops, runnable walls and even ceilings, or just straight paths. In some games, however, Dash Panels can be place in locations that makes it impossible for the player to backtrack in the Zones. In some of the 3D games, Dash Panels are placed in their own individual location, but there are also chases where they are lined up so they cover the whole width of the pathway.

While usually used to reach maximum running speed, Dash panels also serve in many automated sections of the levels to guide the playable character down certain pathways. In several games, using the Dash Panel can make the playable character automatically use the Spin Attack´when touching it.

The appearance of the Dash Panels have been changed frequently over the course of the series. In the beginning, the Dash Panels were booster mechanisms with lines of endless running wheels that serve to push the playable character forward when running between them. This design were later featured in games such as Sonic Chaos and Sonic the Hedgehog Triple Trouble. In several early games, their design were also somewhat changed for each Zone to fit their environment and may even function differently.

While a more flat panel design was introduced in Sonic Blast, it was not until in Sonic Adventure that the Dash Panels were redesigned as flat plates with endless moving treadmills on them. This design for the Dash Panel usually feature yellow, red and gray color schemes with arrows on the running treadmill parts. Since Sonic the Hedgehog 4, the booster design from early games has been reused in games such as Sonic Generations and Sonic Lost World.

Sonic the Hedgehog 2
The Dash Panels were first introduced in Sonic the Hedgehog 2, where two types of this object are introduced.

The first and most basic type of the booster Dash Panels appear in Chemical Plant Zone. These boosters are larger than the playable characters and consist of a pair of rapidly spinning black wheels with a glittering arrow on it. When the player touches them, the player is launched forward at maximum speed. here, they are placed in the more fast-paced and linear parts of the Zone.

The second type of booster Dash panels, resembling plane launchers, appear in Wing Fortress Zone. These pads launch the player a far distance into the air while propelling them forward. Pressing down on the D-pad when the playable character is fired away by these pads, however, will minimize the distance the player is thrown by them. When the player is standing on these pads, he/she can also jump off the panel as well. After being used by the player, the pad will hover back to its standard place.

Sonic the Hedgehog CD
In Sonic the Hedgehog CD, Boosters only appear in Stardust Speedway, where they resemble grey protrusions from the ground. When touching these Boosters, they will launch the player in one direction at maximum running speed while creating flames behind the playable character. Boosters in Sonic the Hedgehog CD are a rare type of gimmicks, which allow the player to cross from left and right. They are good to use on linear sections when attempting to use the Time Warp Plates to travel to other timelines.

In the Special Stages, there are two types of plates with flashing arrows called Dash Zones. Regular Dash Zones are medium sized, while Mini Dash Zones (ミニダッシュゾーン) are smaller. Both Dash Zones can send the player running forward at maximum speed when touching them. However, this makes navigating the Special Stages harder.

Sonic Chaos
In Sonic Chaos, the Boosters resembles the type of Booster from the Chemical Plant Zone in Sonic the Hedgehog 2, where they are plates and have light-colored, endless running wheels on them. In this game, the Booster's color scheme differs between each Zone due to palette limitations, and will make the playable character use the Spin Attack once the player runs over it. Here, Boosters appear in the more linear sections of Sleeping Egg Zone, Aqua Planet Zone and Electric Egg Zone.

Sonic the Hedgehog 3 & Knuckles
In Sonic the Hedgehog 3 and the add-on continuation Sonic & Knuckles, the Boosters' appearance and functionality change according to each Zone.

In Hydrocity Zone, the Boosters are revolvers hidden underneath the ground and have attachments in the shape of hands. When the player gets caught by the Boosters' hand attachment, the revolver loads the player and sends him/her forward at high speed. The player can utilize them to spin through and up corkscrew loop pillars easily.

In Carnival Night Zone, there are similar side dash tunnels which magnetically warps the player to the other side at high speed. As a side-effect, however, the player cannot backtrack through tunnels with these panels. In Upright tunnels, these panels make the player fly upwards. More basic boosters also appear in Launch Base Zone, which launch the player forward with a segmented pole that is raised underneath.

In Flying Battery Zone and Death Egg Zone, there are plane launchers similar to the ones in Wing Fortress Zone in Sonic the Hedgehog 2. They function just as those in Wing Fortress Zone, though their appearance slightly varies between each Zone.

Sonic the Hedgehog Triple Trouble
In Sonic the Hedgehog Triple Trouble, the Boosters feature the same design they had in Sonic Chaos. Unlike those in Sonic Chaos', however, these Boosters do not make the playable character use the Spin Attack and only give a small increase in speed. They generally appear in Meta Junglira Zone where they have wooden look, while those in Atomic Destroyer Zone are rarely encountered.

Sonic 3D Blast
In Sonic 3D Blast, the Boosters feature a unique design and function. Here, Boosters are a plate with arrows, but when standing on them, a blue wheel attachment will appear from the ground behind Sonic and rev him up as he uses his Spin Dash, before launching him forward.

In this game, the Boosters are generally used to travel from one section of the individual Zones to another automatically, or to gain more speed to travel uphill. In front of the Booster that leads to another section are there purple gates that prevent the player from passing through them unless the player uses the Boosters.

The player is normally unable to backtrack to the previous section after using the Boosters, but it is possible if the player can find a pathway to the section or another Booster to send the player down the same automated pathway.

Sonic Blast
In the Special Stages of Sonic Blast, the more panel-like Dash Panels are introduced. In this game, they are flat and blue with a panel-like design and have yellow arrows on the running treadmills. Here, they are placed in front of the player, who can use them to collect strings of Rings with the small speed boost they give.

Sonic R
Sonic R features Accelerators (ワープシステム) as the game's counterpart for the Dash Panels. These high-tech panels have floating signs below them. Each race track has one Accelerator set on a certain part of the track. The more Rings the player has, the further distance will the Accelerator send the player forward at high speed. When this happens, the player loses all the Rings he/she was holding.

Sonic Adventure
In Sonic Adventure and its remake, Sonic Adventure DX: Director's Cut, the Dash Panels are for the first time featured as one of the main gimmicks in the games. In these games, the Dash Panels have simple rectangular shapes with grey, endless running treadmill on them, and black and yellow stripes on the front and rear sides. They are usually set individually on narrow routes, though there can be more than two and three Dash Panels set in wider areas as well to help the player get through loops, slopes and other sections. When touches, they will make the playable characters run at their maximum speed, though only Sonic's Spin Dash can make him go faster. The game also introduces to Jump Panels and Dash Rings.

Sonic Adventure 2
In Sonic Adventure 2 and its remake, Sonic Adventure 2: Battle, the Dash Panels have a much more advanced design that in Sonic Adventure. Here, they still have a rectangular shape, but with a wider bottom edge, and have yellow and black stripes on the sides they also have a treadmill with grey arrows on the middle and red edges on the front, and a smaller black one with red arrows on the middle on the rear.

In these games, the Dash Panels are generally featured in Sonic, Shadow, Tails and Dr. Eggman's stages. They function like those in Sonic Adventure, expect that several wider arenas utilize larger lines of Dash Panels. Narrow sections will also still use single Dash Panels to give an extra amount of speed boost for the playable character to go through loops and slopes.

Sonic Pocket Adventure
Sonic the Hedgehog Pocket Adventure features Booster-looking panels which are similar in appearance and function to those that appear in Chemical Plant Zone in Sonic the Hedgehog 2. These kind of Boosters only appear in Secret Plant Zone. Plane launcher-like plates also appear in Aerobase Zone, where they function like those in Wing Fortress Zone in Sonic the Hedgehog 2.

Sonic Advance Series
In all three Sonic Advance titles, Dash Panels feature a new design, which is a fusion of the Booster and Dash Panel designs. In these games, they are small, yellow plates with orange running wheels set on them. They function like in Sonic the Hedgehog 2, but appear more often and can send playable characters running at their maximum running speed.

Occasionally, the Dash Panel's appearance changing to fit a Zone's atmosphere, such as in Techno Base. In Sonic Advance 2 and Sonic Advance 3, Dash Panels can also make the player enter the Boost Mode whenever he/she uses them.

Sonic Heroes
In Sonic Heroes, Dash Panels have another, slightly different design, but they function like they did in Sonic Adventure and Sonic Adventure 2. In this game, Dash Panels are flat plates with gray running treadmills showing the way they launch the player with individual red arrows. They also have orange edges/frames on the side and are colored red on the bottom.

In this game, Dash panels are usually placed in rows of three to guide the player. In Rail Canyon and Bullet Station, there are also rusty-looking Boosters set on the rails that can accelerate characters' speed while grinding. The Special Stages in the game also feature different, flashing panels on rows that give an extra speed boost.

Shadow the Hedgehog
Dash Panels reprise their functionality and appearance from Sonic Heroes in Shadow the Hedgehog, where they are seen to accelerate and help the player through loops and slopes.

Sonic Rush games
In both Sonic Rush and Sonic Rush Adventure, Dash Panels function similarly and have the same appearance from Sonic Advance games. Blue and gray colored Dash Panels are also placed on grind rails. Special Stages of Sonic Rush have also Dash Panels as well, where they can guide the player through the lines of Rings. Their design in Special Stages are closely similar to ones from Sonic Heroes.

Sonic Riders series
In Sonic Riders and Sonic Riders: Zero Gravity, Dash Panels' appearance is closely similar to their designs from Sonic Adventure 2, while later in Sonic Free Riders, their appearance is more close to their design from Sonic Unleashed and Sonic Colors. They are set on long rows to guide the way and gain extra amount of boost for each racer.

Sonic the Hedgehog (2006)
Dash Panels in Sonic the Hedgehog (2006) have the exact same appearance from Sonic Heroes and Shadow the Hedgehog with arrow treadmills. Many Dash Panels are placed more individually and they can guide the player's way from automated pathway.

Sonic Rivals games
Dash Panels in Sonic Rivals and Sonic Rivals 2 have drastically different appearance in regular in-game stages. The gray treadmill panel itself is set between two white high-tech posts, that will regularly give extra amount of boost for the player and his/her rival racer. They are placed on wide pathways, loops and slopes.

Sonic Chronicles: The Dark Brotherhood
In Sonic Chronicles: The Dark Brotherhood, Dash Panels had grey edging and black and yellow arrows, similar to their designs from Sonic Adventure. They are only seen when the player can used them on the flee option during battle (due to the RPG nature of the game) and are not seen in the field.

Sonic Unleashed
Dash Panels in Sonic Unleashed have slightly different appearance, as having now red edges, and dark gray, running treadmills with orange arrows on them. In the game, they are featured only at day stages, where they are usually placed individually on 2D sections of the stage to give extra amount of boost for the player. There are also two or three Dash Panel rows set on 3D sections as well.

The game also features different type of panels, that goes on rails that have the same effect as the Dash Panel, similarly to blue and gray rail panels from Sonic Rush. They look like blue and black triangles kind of hovering on either side of the rail.

Sonic the Hedgehog 4
Dash panels appear in every level in both episodes of Sonic the Hedgehog 4. They have the same appearance as the ones in Chemical Plant Zone, but are orange in color and force the player into a spin attack when used.

Sonic Generations
Dash panels were still the same as Sonic Unleashed in modern stages, but they look different in Classic Stages, appearing like Chemical Plant's boosters from Sonic The Hedgehog 2.

Sonic Lost World
Dash Panels reappear in Sonic Lost World, having a similar look to Chemical Plant's dash panels, but with the modern dash panel's sound effect.

Trivia

 * For Sonic Unleashed (PS2/Wii version) and Sonic Generations, when touching a Dash Panel while boosting, Sonic will do a spindash animation.