Spring

Springs (スプリング) are one of common objects in Sonic the Hedgehog series. Spring launches playable characters to help them get to otherwise unreachable places. In its first appearances, Mostly springs are colored as red and yellow platforms, but as the series goes on to 3D era, springs are colored red with a gold star in the middle of a blue circle. They can be easily reached with a Homing Attack, although the player can bounce off springs by simply jumping on them, or running into them.

Springs were just red or yellow panels with a gray-colored spring underneath them. These springs are common, and they often have a circular base. Red ones propel the player to a higher elevation, while yellow ones only send Sonic a medium to low distance. Some Springs are hidden underground and will appear when the character walks over them. In more recent games, they come as one Spring. There have been few Zones featuring Spring as main gimmick such as Spring Yard Zone and Spring Stadium Zone.

Sonic the Hedgehog (1991)
Springs first appear in both 16-bit and 8-bit versions of Sonic the Hedgehog. The game introduced two basic variations of springs. Yellow spring appears to bounce the player short height. Red springs send more higher. Some of springs are hidden in top of palm-trees in Green Hill Zone. Springs are also part of pseudo pinball sections at Spring Yard Zone. In the Labyrinth Zone, springs can send even higher if the player bounces from the water. Star Light Zone also has Seesaws, which works similarly like spring.

The 8-bit version of the game has both types of springs like the 16-bit counterpart. Seesaws are also featured in Bridge Zone.

Sonic the Hedgehog 2
Springs makes appearance in both versions of Sonic the Hedgehog 2. 16-bit version updates the spring model little bit wider than earlier. 16-bit version also has different versions of springs, introducing springs that set to side walls which bounces to the upper side direction, Catapults which are introduced at Chemical Plant Zone, narrower triggers in pinball sections of Casino Night Zone and steam powered ones at Metropolis Zone, that can hurt the player near close next to it. Springs can also be hidden in the ground.

However due the palette limitations of the game, 8-bit version has numerous colored versions of springs which mostly are colored as yellow, green, pink and gray. Because of this, the game only has "yellow type" of springs.

Sonic CD
Springs appear in Sonic CD as both yellow and red type of springs are featured and normally working like in Sonic the Hedgehog 2. Sonic also spins in air as he is bounces the spring. Springs are also featured as part of layout of Special Stage.

Sonic Chaos
Both types of springs are featured in Sonic Chaos, which also has side wall springs and ones that are hidden under the ground. Springs are also featured in Special Stages The game introduced Pogo Springs that makes player jump higher and move with them at same time. Certain enemies or even actual boss have spring on their use.

Sonic the Hedgehog 3 & Knuckles
Springs appear in both Sonic the Hedgehog 3 and Sonic & Knuckles. As both yellow and red types are in the games, there are several others too. Marble Garden Zone has Badnik Spiker which unlike real spikes, can bounce the player to air. Special Stages of Sonic & Knuckles have yellow spheres that bounces player forward in the air. Red springs also appear in zones of Competition mode, but the mode has specific Spring item to collect which works similar way.

Balloon lines at Carnival Night Zone can bounce the player. At Mushroom Hill Zone, medium sized mushrooms can also bounce to player to higher crosses, Flying Battery Zone has some capsules, that can bounce by touching to switch to high as yellow springs. Also some of pipe hole sections have spring settings, that appear as the player needs more speed to keep going up through the pipe. Sandopolis Zone has strange looking stretchy rack between the ground and wall as by stretching and letting go, it bounces the same direction as side wall spring.

Small clouds in Sky Sanctuary Zone can bounce the player higher and higher depending how fast you fall on them. Also at one section of same zone is side springs that come out of the ground to bounce back player. These same springs later appears in Death Egg Zone, which only placed to the walls and bounce to player up or down (depending of gravity in act 2).

Sonic Triple Trouble
Springs appear normally in Sonic Triple Trouble with having normal and side wall springs or having them at Badniks backs like in Sonic Chaos. Springs are featured in normal zones and even some Special Stages. The pogo spring also reappears in one zone.

Knuckles' Chaotix
Knuckles Chaotix features both red and yellow types and also introduces blue springs, which appears only time in the series. In the game, blue springs are even more powerful than the red ones. Yellow and red springs appear in Bonus Stages. Special Stages feature two different kind of spring balls as the yellow spring ball sends the player to forward and green spring ball to upward.

Sonic 3D
Red springs appear in Sonic 3D as usually springs have Sonic Medals (collecting 10 of them earn a Continue) above them. Sometimes the player must have Flickies to reach some of medals. Springs appear the most commonly in Spring Stadium Zone.

Sonic Adventure
After Sonic Jam, newly designed springs are introduced as common objects in Sonic Adventure at action stages. Also the game only has one type of springs, although some of them are side wall springs. Springs also has different sound effect since this game.

The game also features jump plates which the player can use to to press the jump button sequentially as the Sonic jumps from plate to plate.

Sonic Pocket Adventure
Springs return to its original design in Sonic Pocket Adventure, as yellow and red types, normal and side wall springs appear generally. Some other types from Sonic the Hedgehog 2 appear in several zones which despite the name and level design are directly from Sonic the Hedgehog 2.

Sonic Adventure 2
Springs are featured in Sonic Adventure 2. Sonic Adventure 2 also introduces a set of three springs, enemies with springs and Bounce spinners. In unlockable Green Hill, springs has original sound effect while bouncing.

Sonic Advance games
Springs are regularly featured in Sonic Advance games. Sonic Advance only features yellow type of spring. In Sonic Advance 2 and Sonic Advance 3 only red type of springs are featured. In the Sonic Advance games, hitting a spring with Amy Rose's Hammer causes her to be catapulted higher than regularly intended. Some games also features Special Springs, which are for player to enter Special Stages.

Cream the Rabbit uses spring which is carried on wheels at mini-game of Chao Garden in Sonic Advance 3. She uses it to bounce Cheese to get enough of rings in the air while the player is controlling.

Sonic Heroes
Springs make another appearance in Sonic Heroes and because of having three playable characters at same time, single springs becomes more rare in the game, as the most common type of springs are three-setter ones which by touching all three springs gives 10 rings or Power Core.

Shadow the Hedgehog
Springs appear in Shadow the Hedgehog as for these objects are given a slight, dark remodel. The springs are tinted with a darker shade of red and have a green glowing circle in the middle. The springs also look a little rusted, although the surface of it is made of rubber. After this game, they go back to their original design.

Sonic Rush games
Springs appear in both Sonic Rush and Sonic Rush Adventure as common objects. Oddly, spring's design in these games are slightly rounder shaped. Some of these springs are mostly even set up to the roof corners.

Sonic the Hedgehog (2006)
Springs in Sonic the Hedgehog (2006) are have given slightly detailed looking appearance. Normally basic, side wall and three-setter springs are featured in the game. There are certain moments that Sonic doesn't even need spring to reach the other side of the destination by jumping. These sections are usually just automatic.

Sonic Unleashed
Springs make appearance in Sonic Unleashed. Spring's normal, three-setter and side wall types appears generally in the game. The game also introduces to the springs with Eggman logo on them to annoy player, thorn Springs that floats middle of the air and jump plates from Sonic Adventure. There's also a blue variation of springs that launch Sonic into Action Pads.

Sonic the Hedgehog 4
Springs appear in both episodes of Sonic the Hedgehog 4. The game only has red type springs which has Sonic Adventure design. Usually these spring are sometimes located near close of Bubbles line. In second act of White Park Zone appears several springs, that bounces the player front or further back to the route that run in parallel.

Sonic Colors
Springs appear in both Wii and Nintendo DS versions of Sonic Colors. Normal, three-setter and side wall springs with many other spring types return from Sonic Unleashed in the Wii version. Although yellow types of three-setter springs are only introduced in the Wii version.

Sonic Generations
Springs also appear in both console and Nintendo 3DS versions of Sonic Generations. Classic Sonic acts have original yellow, red types of springs and catapults from Sonic the Hedgehog 2. In modern Sonic acts, every type of Springs return from Sonic Unleashed.

Other Appearances
One section at Icy Isle of SegaSonic the Hedgehog arcade had set of orange springs in the wall which bounces the spinning player to back of distance. Yellow springs are featured at racing areas of Sonic Drift which bounces and makes driver spin in the air for few seconds, while in Sonic Drift 2, red springs appears in racing arenas instead yellow ones. In Sonic R, several racing terrains have put springs for certain places where the racer bounces to the other side or to climb higher place. Springs in Sonic Labyrinth are there for bouncing over some bottomless pits to get other side or to get higher sections. Red springs are featured in Sonic Blast. Springs in the game are small for odd reason. These type of springs also appears in Special Stages.

In Sonic Jam, springs can be found at Sonic's World. It is actually first appearance of spring design which proceeds to appear since Sonic Adventure. Springs are featured at boards and several minigames in Sonic Shuffle. Springs are featured usually at end of rail sections and walls in Sonic and the Secret Rings, where they have somehow fitting look to World of the Arabian Nights. Spring is also featured at Sonic's moveset in Super Smash Bros. Brawl, as Sonic uses a spring as his Up+Special move. It acts like a personalized spring, which immediately appears underneath him and shoots Sonic up a great vertical distance. It can also be used by other characters before it disappears. Springs are featured as common elements in Sonic Jump games for mobile phones.

Side wall Spring
Side Wall Springs debuted in both 8-bit and 16-bit versions of Sonic the Hedgehog 2 and have been appeared generally in series. These springs looked and acts like normal Springs, but are placed on side walls and bounce the player to the 35 degree towards. In later games such Sonic Advance and Sonic Rush, side wall springs are also set to rooftop corners.

Catapult
Catapult is one variation of springs, which first appears in 16-bit version of Sonic the Hedgehog 2. While running towards the catapult, he flies straight ahead without having to stop. It is featured at Chemical Plant Zone, Aquatic Ruin Zone, Mystic Cave Zone and Metropolis Zone. After many years, it reappears in Sonic Generations as it is featured in classic Sonic acts, especially at Chemical Plant Zone.

Pogo Spring
Pogo Spring is item which has been appeared in Sonic Chaos and Sonic Triple Trouble. It allows the player to move with it and use it to reach higher levels. Once bouncing higher and jumping off the Pogo Spring, the player will lose it. In Sonic Chaos, Pogo Springs can be found at mechanical boxes in Sleeping Egg Zone, Mecha Green Hill Zone and second Special Stage. In Sonic Triple Trouble, Pogo Springs can be found at item boxes in Meta Junglira Zone and platform type of Special Stages.

Before Sonic Chaos, some of the Sonic the Hedgehog 2 prototypes unused sprites includes monitor icon of Pogo Spring. It is possible that at some point in game development has been the idea to use the similar kind of gimmick.

Three-setter Spring
Three-setter Springs or Wide Springs are debuted in Sonic Adventure 2 and have been featured in almost every 3D games since then. As the name says, it features three bumbers side by side on the same platform. These type of springs are easier to connect during the fast sections and bounce to straight upward. In Sonic Heroes, if the player bounces off of one of the springs in a three-setter, it lights up. If the player were to make all three light up, their team would get bonus rings, or in some cases, a Power Cores to use the team's special move.

As the three-setter Springs are usually red, Sonic Colors later features yellow types of three-setter Springs. Like yellow springs in first games, yellow three-setter Springs bounces the player less higher than red ones. After touching it, it starts to auto-scrolling to the right and usually the player has to balance on it.

Bounce spinners
Bounce spinners or Fan Springs are debuted in Sonic Adventure 2 and have been later featured in few current games. The gimmick of this spring is that it can be able to propel themselves higher off a three-setter spring by using the homing attack and holding the jump button still after they bounce off of the spring.

Special Spring
Special Springs have appeared in Sonic Advance and Sonic Advance 3. These springs are slightly bigger and used to get to Special Stage. In Sonic Advance they are hidden in one act of each Zone except for Ice Mountain Zone which have special spring hidden in both acts. In Sonic Advance 3, the player needs to find 10 hidden Chao per zone. After that, the player also has to collect key to activate Special Spring and entering to Special Stage.

Data Spring
Data Spring is type of spring that makes only appearance in two zones in Shadow the Hedgehog. The data spring is a similiar to the normal spring that only appears in worlds made of data such as Digital Circuit.

Trap Spring
Trap Springs are type of springs, that debuted in Sonic Unleashed and later have been appeared in Sonic Colors and Sonic Generations. These square springs with the Eggman Empire symbol have been used in certain places, where hitting them would send the character back towards a trap or to slow them down. It have short, high-pitched laugh after hitting it.

Thorn Spring
Thorn Springs appeared in Sonic Unleashed and Sonic Colors. These springs simply floats around and has spikes beneath it.

Adventures of Sonic the Hedgehog
In the episode Tails Prevails of Adventures of Sonic the Hedgehog, a grey spring can be seen activated by Doctor Robotnik, who used it to Scratch and Grounder after telling him about Tails having knowledge of machinery. The spring bounces them to the roof where they get trapped because of the magnet.

Sonic the Hedgehog the Movie
The single spring appears briefly in Sonic the Hedgehog: The Movie. As Sonic and Tails travel towards the Robotropolis, Sonic at one moment jumps to the green spring and gets bounce higher.

Sonic X
In the first episode "Chaos Control Freaks" of Sonic X anime, Sonic steps one of Eggman's traps which actually is huge grey spring with his face on it. As the Sonic gets bounced by the spring, he then gets punched by Eggman's mecha and flies to the miles away. He still manages to get into Eggman's fortress by ring from Tails.

Trivia

 * One of Eggman's Egg Fighter varieties in Sonic Unleashed has a shield which is equipped with a spring.
 * In the Adventure mode of Mario and Sonic at the Olympic Winter Games, Sonic has the ability to use springs, although Mario cannot.
 * In Sonic Adventure 2, if Metal Sonic is used in multiplayer mode and bounces off a three-setter spring while pressing the button to do a somersault, he will be propelled in his standing animation.
 * Sonic Adventure introduced the red springs with star patterns. Since then, only two games have reverted back to the Genesis' plain designs: Sonic Pocket Adventure and Sonic Generations.
 * In the data of Sonic Adventure, there is a different model of spring which seems to come from Sonic Jam.
 * In City Escape in Sonic Adventure 2, there's a poster which advertises an event, "Spring Festival".
 * From Sonic Adventure onwards, merely touching or running into a spring is enough to activate it. Since then, only 3 games have broken from that tradition, namely Sonic Pocket Adventure, Sonic Advance, and Sonic Generations (3DS). Unlike the console version, the 3DS version of Generations forces Classic Sonic to jump onto a spring instead of running into it, like in the Genesis games. The console version uses the same designs as the Genesis games, but Sonic can just run into the springs.
 * Springs appear in Samba De Amigo on the Wii, but are redesigned. The top is made of two parts which are held together by a metal clasp.
 * In episode 23 of the Digimon Adventure series, the sound effect for the classic spring can be heard when Digitamamon raises one eyebrow.