Jump Dash

The Jump Dash (ジャンプダッシュ) is an move used by Sonic the Hedgehog and many of his friends and allies later on. It first debuted in Sonic Adventure and is usually performed when a character attempts a Homing Attack when no enemies are in the vicinity. This move sends the character hurling forward in midair.

Description
When performing the Jump Dash, the user launches himself/herself forward in midair with a burst of forward momentum, allowing the user to travel quickly through midair. More modern games shows the user leaving a colored trail behind when performing the Jump Dash.

In gameplay, this allows the player for fast Zone completion. It is also useful for crossing gaps and more accurate platforming.

Main Console Series
The Jump Dash first appeared in Sonic Adventure and has since then appeared in all of the main console games (and the Sonic Storybook Series). On these consoles, the Jump Dash is closely linked to the performance of the Homing Attack. If the user tries to perform the Homing Attack with no targets in the near vicinity, the user will instead perform the Jump Dash. Doing so however, will sometimes make the user curl into a ball.

Sonic Advance Series
In Sonic Advance and Sonic Advance 2 the Jump Dash is performed by quickly tapping the left or right button on the directional pad. Performing the Jump Dash in these games however, leaves the user vulnerable to damage, so it must be used with caution near enemies. In both of these games, the Jump Dash could only be performed by Sonic, but in Sonic Advance 2 it could be performed after the player performed Insta-Shield (which was not possible to do in Sonic Advance.)

If Sonic teamed up with Cream the Rabbit in Sonic Advance 3 he would be able to use the jump dash and as well the Homing Attack. Amy can also perform it as well when she is teamed up with Sonic, but she doesn't have the Homing Attack. Knuckles has a headbutt move similar to the jump dash when he is teamed up with Sonic.

Sonic Rush and Sonic Rush Adventure
In Sonic Rush and Sonic Rush Adventure, the Jump Dash is performed (by Sonic) by pressing during a jump. Its performance and weaknesses are identical to those presented in Sonic Advance and Sonic Advance 2.

Sonic Rivals series
In Sonic Rivals and its sequel Sonic Rivals 2, the Jump Dash can be performed when there are no rivals/eneimes/objects in the vincinty. The move functions identically to how in does in the main series games. All characters can perform Jump Dash.

Fireball Spin Dash
The Fireball Spin Dash (火の玉ダッシュ) is variant of the Jump Dash, that appeared in Sonic the Hedgehog 3 and Sonic & Knuckles. This move can only be performed with Sonic whilst in possession of the Flame Shield. Sonic can then perform the Fireball Spin Dash by pressing the, or  twice, thus sending the user forward with a fiery dash that can destroy breakable objects and damage enemies. It later returned in the console/PC version of Sonic Generations along with the Flame Shield, where Classic Sonic can perform the Fireball Dash.

Homing Attack
The Homing Attack is offensive version of the Jump Dash where the users dashes through midair to attack enemies ahead of them. It first appeared in Sonic Adventure.

Sonic Boost
The Sonic Boost can as well be used as a far more powerful version of the Jump Dash. While it is primarily performed on the ground, it can also be used in midair as well, allowing the user to fly through midair as a destructive projectile as high speed. While it first appeared in Sonic Unleashed it can still be performed in Sonic Generations, However, in Sonic Generations the air boost, or midair boost is weaker than the one in Sonic Unleashed and Sonic Colors.

Trivia

 * Sonic Colors as well as Sonic Unleashed (after obtaining the Air Boost Shoes) are the only games in which Sonic cannot perform the Jump Dash most of the time, because the Jump Dash and Boost are designated to the same button. If there is some energy in the boost gauge, he will boost instead of jump dashing.
 * Jump Dashing in certain areas in the Sonic Rivals series and Sonic Unleashed (Wii/PS2) causes the player to gain height for an unknown reason.
 * The Jump Dash in Sonic Generations eliminates forward momentum, making it useless to gain speed; the same is the case (to a lesser extent) in the Sonic the Hedgehog 2006 and Sonic Unleashed.