Spring Catapult

Pinball Shooter (also known simply as Spring) is gimmick that can usually be found at casino-themed zones. As the playable character on pinball shooter, it starts loading itself and launches the player to forward or upward at high speed. Pinball Shooters make first appearance in Sonic the Hedgehog 2 and are also variants of springs.

Description
Pinball Shooters work similarly to the real-life's shooters on pinball tables. Pinball Shooters are usually located at sharp turn or the other end of in the tunnel. As the character enters to the tunnel, it starts rotating on tunnel and ends up to the pinball shooter and ends up being stuck here. However as the player starts holding down the jump button, pinball shooter starts loading itself aback. As the shooter is loaded fully, the player can release the jump button and launch the playable character to the forward or upward where tunnel's second route leads.

If the pinball shooter is not loaded fully enough, it only shoots the player for a short distance and thus, curls back to the pinball shooter. In few games, the player doesn't need to load the shooter as it launches the player itself.

Sonic the Hedgehog 2
Pinball shooters are first seen in 16-bit version of Sonic the Hedgehog 2. These objects are only featured in Casino Night Zone. As the player has Sonic or Tails (or both of them), playable character enters to the tunnel and ends up being stuck on the pinball shooter. If the player press A, B, or C button down to load the pinball shooter and then release it. The player after that leaves the tunnel and usually goes through the shuttle loop or enters to one of pinball sections of the zone.

Sonic Adventure
Pinball shooter can be seen at right side of pinball tables at Casinopolis in Sonic Adventure, that can only be accessed as Sonic. However it automatically sends Sonic to the pinball table, as player doesn't need to load it himself.

Sonic Pocket Adventure
Pinball shooters are similarly featured at Cosmic Casino Zone of Sonic the Hedgehog Pocket Adventure, which looks closely to the Casino Night Zone. Pinball shooters work almost identically in the game as in Sonic the Hedgehog 2, as the player has to hold the jump button down enough to load shooter fully and then release it.

Sonic Pinball Party
Single pinball shooter is featured in on right side of all pinball tables of Sonic Pinball Party. However like in Sonic Adventure, player doesn't need to load it as the shooter is full already. In the game, pinball shooter actually shoots real pinball balls instead of playable character himself.

Sonic the Hedgehog 4
Pinball shooters are seen as gimmick once again, being featured at Casino Street Zone of Sonic the Hedgehog 4. It works similarly like it did in Sonic the Hedgehog 2 as the player holds the jump button down while the shooter being loads and then releashing it, the character burst out of tunnel to the pinball sections or upward to the higher sections of the zone.

Sonic Generations
Pinball shooters return to Nintendo 3DS version of Sonic Generations as it is featured at both classic and modern acts of Casino Night Zone. These objects work like in Sonic the Hedgehog 2, as the player has to press B button down and then release it as the shooter is loaded fully. It can be seen that the plate of shooter has now red background, blue center with yellow star in it.

A single pinball shooter also appear at Casino Night of console / PC versions which only is DLC pinball stage. It is located at right down corner of pinball table, where the player will start. It can be loaded by pressing jump button down and then release it. If player tilt the game, it can processed by activating pinball shooter.

Adventures of Sonic the Hedgehog
A single pinball shooter is seen in episode Robotnikland of Adventures of Sonic the Hedgehog, where it is part of large pinball table called "Pin-Ball Blizzard" at park that Robotnik has taken over. Pinball shooter has seen first bursting Sonic to the pinball table. After an while, Robotnik sends the large pinball ball with pinball shooter to the game while Robotnik controls the game itself. After Sonic starts to rule in the pinball game, Robotnik then as maniac sending Scratch and Grounder to the pinball shooter which launches them to the pinball table, who only gets bounced back and forth while Sonic gets away from "Pin-Ball Blizzard".