Bumper wall

Bumper walls^[1] are reoccurring gimmicks in the Sonic the Hedgehog series. They are a loose variation of the Spring used to bounce through narrow passages.

Description

The bumper walls are bouncy plates aligned in rows along the surfaces of narrow routes and gaps. The plates are shaped like isosceles triangles with their left/right side pointing downwards. They are most commonly featured in amusement and factory-themed Zones.

In gameplay, the bumper walls make the player bounce in the direction they face when touching them. They are thus used for traversing narrow paths. When the player enters a narrow route or gap covered in bumper walls, the playable character moves down it by being bounced from one plate to another on the opposing surfaces of the route. This way, the player can move upwards, downwards or forward at high speed, depending on which direction the plates are pointing. Certain games enables the playable character to bounce faster by holding down a button.

Game appearances

Sonic the Hedgehog 2

Bumper walls were first featured in Metropolis Zone in Sonic the Hedgehog 2. In this game, they are yellow and align the walls of long horizontal pits. There are large amount of Rings found in these pits and Badniks usually wait at the top of these pits' edges to attack the player.

If the player jumps into the bumper wall and presses //, the playable character will bounces up along the bumper wall-covered corridor much faster and without a problem.

Sonic the Hedgehog 3

In Sonic the Hedgehog 3, bumper walls covers the ceiling and ground of vertical hall sections in Carnival Night Zone. In this game, the are colored yellow and either bounce the player left or right (depending on the pathway).

In the Gumball Machine-type of the Bonus Stages there are bumper walls with yellow plates, which will disappear after touching them once, to help the player reach the gumball machine above the corridor. Bumper walls with yellow plates are also featured in the Competition Mode's Chrome Gadget Zone where they e used to bounce the player forward at high speed.

Sonic the Hedgehog Pocket Adventure

In Sonic the Hedgehog Pocket Adventure, yellow bumper walls are featured in Gigantic Angel Zone. They function just like in Sonic the Hedgehog 2.

Sonic Advance series

Two Sonic Advance titles features different types of bumper walls in many of the Zones. Casino Paradise Zone in Sonic Advance has vertically-aligned bumper walls which cover the ground and ceiling of vertical passages and flash in neo colors, and Egg Rocket Zone has dark green bumper walls, shaped like regular right triangles, set in long corridor sections.

In Sonic Advance 2, Music Plant has rows of vertically-aligned bumper walls, designed as black and white piano keys that play a shot piano jingle when touched, covering long tunnel sections, and Techno Base features neo-colored triangle plates in corridor sections that bounce the player upwards.

Sonic Heroes

In Sonic Heroes, the upper corner sections on the pinball tables of Casino Park have neon green- and white bumper walls covering the sides of the passages. These bumper walls bounce the player upwards and is usually essential to get out of the pinball section.

Sonic the Hedgehog 4

In Sonic the Hedgehog 4: Episode I and Episode Metal, the bumper walls are featured in Mad Gear Zone. In this game, they are colored brown and are usually set in horizontal corridor sections to bounce the player upwards like in previous games. However like in Sonic Advance 2, the shape of the bumper walls' plates is a regular triangle.

Sonic Mania

In Sonic Mania, and its expansion Sonic Mania Plus, the bumper walls are featured in Titanic Monarch Zone. They are vital when passing through the numerous shafts and passages in this Zone or getting past obstacles or gimmicks, although they take a bit of puzzle-solving to use properly.

Trivia

• Certain Badniks like Slicers in Sonic the Hedgehog 2 are usually lurking at the top edge of bumper wall corridors. Normally the player would get hit by Badniks after reaching to the top and fall down. Pressing the jumping button down and choose the second plate above the first one will end up bouncing the player other direction and thus avoiding Badnik's attack. [1]

Gallery

Gallery
Japanese illustration of bumper walls from manual of Sonic the Hedgehog 2. Sonic the Hedgehog 2 Sonic the Hedgehog 2 Sonic the Hedgehog 3 Sonic the Hedgehog 3 Sonic the Hedgehog 3 Add a photo to this gallery

References