Ring (Sonic Boom)

The Ring, also referred to as Gold Ring, is a recurring object in the Sonic Boom video games. Throughout the series, Rings serve as a unique health system in gameplay; as long as the players hold a Ring, it will protect them from defeat when taking damage. Instead, the players lose only a portion of their Rings. Aside from that, they have also served other purposes.

Appearance and background
The Rings' design is based on either the basic and round-edged wedding rings or solid brass round rings. The size of Rings varies between situations; in some cases, in-game models show them being as about half the size of the playable characters, while others models and cutscenes depict them at about the size of Sonic's head. On their own, they spin around in one spot and either lie close to the ground or float in midair.

While appearing nothing out of the ordinary, Ring can protect their wielders from harm at the cost of themselves. When he received a rough pat on the back, Sonic lost a Ring while showing no sign of discomfort. Rings' unique properties also let their users absorb them, allowing large amounts of them to carried at once.

It is not known where Rings come from and no backstory has been given for them, except that they are spread all over the earth.

Functionality
Often the most common item in the games, Rings can be found everywhere in the primary playable levels. Generally, they are arranged in large clusters or in strings along pathways, above Bounce Pads, around loops, along rails, or simply in midair. In gameplay, the player can collect Rings by simply touching them. When this happens, they disappear, only leaving behind a small sparkle effect while a chime can be heard.

As their primary function, Rings prevent their holder from being defeated. Possessing even a single Ring prevents a character from starting over from the last Checkpoint/beginning of the level upon taking damage from things such as impacts with enemies, enemy attacks or damage-inducing obstacles. If an (unshielded) character takes damage while holding Rings, they will drop their Rings which are then scattered in a circular pattern and bounce around the environment, while the playable character gives a small jerk. However, there are certain dangers Rings cannot protect against, such as being crushed or falling into bottomless pits. Taking damage without a Ring will result in the character's aforementioned defeat.

During the brief period where the player drop their Rings after taking damage, there is a chance to collect the scattered Rings, but they will eventually all disappear after a while. The amount of Rings the player drop when taking damage varies between games. In some cases, the player only drops a portion of their Rings when taking damage, while in other games the player will drop all of them. However, the player does not lose Rings if the playable character possesses a Shield. Also, fewer "recoverable" Rings are in general displayed on-screen when they are dropped than the number actually lost.

Rings are normally earned by picking them up from the levels, but they can also be earned in other ways, depending on the game. Some games has Super Rings which grant multiple Rings, enemies in Sonic Boom: Rise of Lyric release Rings upon defeat, and objects in certain games give Rings when destroyed. Aside from their aforementioned purposes, the Rings have also have been used as currency in Sonic Dash 2: Sonic Boom to purchase items.

Sonic Boom: Rise of Lyric
In Sonic Boom: Rise of Lyric, Rings can be found in every level, hub world and sub-level. In this game, the player only loses a sizable portion of their Rings when taking damage. When attacked by enemies, the amount of Rings dropped is proportionate to how tough the enemy is; the stronger the enemy, the more Rings can its attacks take away. Also, when falling into a bottomless pit or getting crushed, the player always respawns with thirty Rings in their possession.

In addition to collecting Rings from the environment, the majority of the game's enemies and breakable objects will release Rings upon their destruction which the player then automatically picks up. There are as well certain game mechanics that grant extra Rings for the player. Completing some puzzles will release a steady steam of Rings in the near vicinity and in the speed level sections are signs that will create additional Ring strings on the paths when hit. Also, in Lyric's Tomb, there will be Rings that pop out of nowhere when approaching pathways as a way to guide the player.

At the beginning of the game, they player can only carry 100 Rings at a time. However, this limit can be increased up to 200 Rings by purchasing special upgrades that each increase the player's Ring limit by twenty-five. There are also Power Glyphs that work in conjunction with the player's Ring count. "Risk Taker" will increase the damage of the player's attacks when the Ring count is low, and "Bubble Shield" creates a Shield when the Ring count is at zero.

Sonic Boom: Shattered Crystal
In Sonic Boom: Shattered Crystal, Rings can only be found in the adventure levels and Worm Tunnels. In this game, the player will lose all their Rings when taking damage, regardless of where the damage stems from. There are also Super Rings which grant multiple Rings and breakable objects that grant three Rings each when destroyed.

When receiving damage that drops Rings, the player gets stunned and pushed backwards. In addition, the player is given a momentary period of invulnerability (represented by the playable character rapidly flashing between visible and invisible) just after losing their Rings.

Some of the requirements for earning a Token from an adventure level or Worm Tunnel requires that the player completes a level with a certain amount of Rings. There are as well the game's fourth Blueprint that can highlight Super Rings' locations on the Adventure Map when activated. In addition, the twenty-fourth toy the player purchases from Q-N-C's Toy Shop will be a Ring figurine.

Sonic Dash 2: Sonic Boom
In Sonic Dash 2: Sonic Boom, Rings retain their standard functions from earlier installments. When taking damage, the player will drop all their Rings. However, the player cannot recover dropped Rings due to the fast-paced gameplay. Also, in addition to Super Ring power-ups, Sonic Dash 2: Sonic Boom also reintroduces the Magnet power-up which can pull in nearby Rings.

In gameplay, the player can collect Rings during each run and then bank them when passing through Junctions. Banked Rings will thus not be lost when the player takes damage. Banked rings can be used to level up playable characters and Forever Sprites for future runs. Additionally, there are certain Prizes that will award the player with Rings.

Sonic Boom: Fire & Ice
The Rings are set to make a reappearance in Sonic Boom: Fire & Ice.

Trivia

 * The Ring is based on the iconic item from the Sonic the Hedgehog series.