Billiard Ball

The Billiard Ball,^[1] formerly known as the sphere^[2] is a recurring gimmick in the Sonic the Hedgehog series. They are large balls that are used in for various actions.

Description

Billiard Balls are massive balls about a couple of meters in diameter. They closely resemble billiard balls with different numbers on them. The purpose of the Billiard Balls differ between games, though the player can make them roll by attacking or hitting them. This is an essential part of their function.

Game appearances

Sonic the Hedgehog (2006)

In Sonic the Hedgehog (2006), this gimmick is referred to as the sphere.^[2] Here, they are all tan with their numbers glowing inside a black circle on them. They appear exclusively in Silver the Hedgehog's version of Dusty Desert.

In gameplay, spheres are used in puzzles which unlock doors blocking the player's path when solved. In these puzzles, the player is given a number of spheres in a closed chamber where the goal is to dump each of them into nearby holes using Psycho Smash. However, the spheres act much like times, as the numbers on the balls count down by one with each hit (they start out at nine and descends to zero), and they all share the same number. If they are hit by iron balls or by Psycho Shock however, their numbers will be lowered by more than by one. If the spheres are hit ten times before they are dumped into the holes, they all explode and the player will have to start over.

Sonic Colors

In the Wii version of Sonic Colors, these gimmicks are slightly smaller and are called Billiard Balls.^[1] They have also been given a redesign so they perfectly resemble real-life billiard balls. They are only found in the Sonic Simulator, where the player can use them to destroy enemies by sending them rolling into them by hitting them with the Homing Attack or Boost.

In some cases, they move around on platforms and can hurt the player should they make contact.

Sonic Lost World

In the Wii U/PC version of Sonic Lost World, the Billiard Balls have the same design they had in Sonic Colors, although they are slightly larger here. In this game, they can be found Frozen Factory Act 2 where the player can knock them into pockets. Each Billiard Balls successfully knocked into a pockets grants the player ten Rings and getting all Billiard Balls in an area into a pocket awards the player a Red Star Ring.

Trivia

• The Billiard Balls cannot be grabbed by the Psychokinesis.

Gallery

Models

The Billiard Ball in Sonic the Hedgehog (2006).

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See also

• Sphere

References

1. ↑ ^{1.0 1.1} BradyGames (16 November 2010). Sonic Colors: BradyGames Official Strategy Guide. BradyGames. p. 237. ISBN 978-0744012583.
2. ↑ ^{2.0 2.1} Black, Fletcher (14 November 2006). "Silver the Hedgehog • Dusty Desert". Sonic the Hedgehog: Official Game Guide. Prima Games. p. 261. ISBN 978-0761555100.