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Buzzer flies in from Emerald Hill Zone ready to blast Sonic with his stinger cannon.


— Description, Sonic the Hedgehog 4: Episode I[1]

The Buzzer[2] (スティンガー[3] Sutingā?, lit. "Stinger"), also known as the Stinger[4] (スティンガー[5] Sutingā?), is an enemy that appears in the Sonic the Hedgehog series. It is a mass-produced, wasp-based Badnik model created by Dr. Eggman, and the successors of Buzz Bombers. Similar to its predecessor, the Buzzer flies around while shooting thermal energy bursts at its target.

Appearance[]

Although the stingers of Buzz Bomber and Buzzer Badniks models work in a similar fashion, Buzzers have much more efficient thermal energy guns in their stingers, which fire faster than the Buzz Bomber's rail detonator gun. Also, Buzzer resembles mostly in color a Japanese hornet. The jet that propelled the Buzz Bomber, stored on its undercarriage, is attached to the top of the Buzzer. Also, whereas the Buzz Bomber was connected solidly throughout its design, the Buzzer's body basically consisted of a head and abdomen connected to its rear end by a thin metallic pole, giving it an appearance physiologically similar to a mud dauber wasp. The Buzzer's standard colors were a red faceplate, black torso, and a typical yellow and black striped design for the back end where the stinger was located.

Certain Buzzers in Sonic Advance and its sequel have propellers attached on the top of their backs instead of jet engines. These jet engines are slightly different Sonic the Hedgehog 4, looking more like rocket engines and are much larger. In Sonic Colors, the Buzzers are given yet another redesign, with their rocket engines being smaller and set on each side of their bodies. They also have four wings set on their backs.

Game appearances[]

Sonic the Hedgehog 2 (16-bit)[]

Buzzer-1

A Buzzer, from Sonic the Hedgehog 2.

Bee

In the 16-bit version of Sonic the Hedgehog 2, this Badnik made its first appearance in the Sonic the Hedgehog series, where it served as an enemy. In this game, the player encounters them in Emerald Hill Zone.

In gameplay, there can be single or two of Buzzers flying around at same time, back and forth, similar to Buzz Bombers. Unlike Buzz Bombers however, Buzzers hover much slower through the air. As the player gets close enough to a Buzzer, it stops moving and start firing its thermal projectiles in a 35 degree downward angle. While the speed of the projectile is medium, it can easily be avoided. The player can defeat Buzzers by Spin Jumping on them. Upon their destruction, they release an Animal.

Sonic Blast[]

Buzzer Blast

In Sonic Blast, Buzzers return as an enemy. They can be encountered in Green Hill Zone.[6] In gameplay, they possess an attack pattern similar to the one in their previous game appearance. The projectiles that these Buzzers shoot are incredibly small and can be hard to recognize.

Upon defeat in this game, Buzzers will reward the player with 100 points, but like in every Sega Game Gear/Master System Sonic game, they will not drop an Animal when they are defeated.

Sonic Advance series[]

Sonic Advance[]

Stinger-spr

Buzzers return in Sonic Advance, where they are featured at Neo Green Hill Zone and Angel Island Zone. These models use a propeller pack to hover. Buzzers in this game fly above the player and try to fire an energy projectile when the player is close enough. The player has to avoid the bullets and can destroy this Badnik easily.

Sonic Advance 2[]

Stinger2-spr

The Buzzer makes another appearance Sonic Advance 2, where it appears in Leaf Forest, Sky Canyon and Egg Utopia. In the game, Buzzers prepares to sting the player above when he approaches. However, bullet-firing Buzzers also appear in Sky Canyon, but these versions use the original jet engine rather than the propeller.

Sonic Advance 3[]

Sadv3shbadnik3

In Sonic Advance 3, Buzzers make an appearance in Sunset Hill and Chaos Angel. Buzzers in this game are solely the bullet-firing type from the previous game. Unlike other appearances, Buzzers are powered with Rings, that can be collected after defeating it.

Sonic Rivals[]

In Sonic Rivals, the Buzzer is featured as a collectible card.

Sonic the Hedgehog 4[]

S4 Buzzer Sprite

A Buzzer, from Sonic the Hedgehog 4: Episode I.

In Sonic the Hedgehog 4: Episode I and Sonic the Hedgehog 4: Episode Metal, the Buzzers appear as new models of Badniks created by Dr. Eggman to get rid of Sonic.

In these games, Buzzers can be found in Splash Hill Zone. In gameplay, they shoot projectiles as in previous games, but now they have bigger stingers and are slower compared to their previous appearances.

Sonic Colors[]

Coloursds buzzer

In the Wii version and Nintendo DS version of Sonic Colors, and the remaster Sonic Colors: Ultimate, the Buzzers appear as enemies. In this game, they are featured in the 2D sections of Sweet Mountain, Starlight Carnival and several Game Land acts. This time, they have received a general redesign, now with four wings on their back.

In gameplay, the Buzzers retain their attack pattern from previous games, but they now hover faster than before and their energy projectiles are slower. Some Buzzers are even just hovering in one position so the player can skip across them with the Homing Attack to get to higher levels or even across bottomless pits.

Sonic Generations[]

In the console/PC version of Sonic Generations, Buzzers from somewhere across spacetime appear as enemies in Green Hill Act 2 and Planet Wisp.[7] In gameplay, they appear more frequently than Buzz Bombers. Also, much like in Sonic Colors, they attack by shooting small orange energy bullets. In Planet Wisp Act 1 however, Buzzers take more time to charge their shots than shooting them. Also, a sound effect can be heard when they are about to shoot. Furthermore, Buzzers in Act 1 have more mobility, allowing them to change position for different firing angles. Buzzers in Act 2, however, remain stationary and will spin around before shooting at Sonic after spotting him.

In the Nintendo 3DS version of Sonic Generations, Buzzers from somewhere across spacetime replace the Buzz Bombers as enemies in Green Hill Act 2. Much like in Sonic Colors, they attack by shooting small orange energy bullets.

Team Sonic Racing[]

In Team Sonic Racing, Buzzers appear in Mother's Canyon. On this track, the Buzzers can be seen flying through the air on the final stretch before the finish line.

Sonic Frontiers[]

Buzzers-Cyber-Space-Sonic-Frontiers

Buzzers in 2-1, from Sonic Frontiers

In Sonic Frontiers, Buzzers appear as one of the common enemies found exclusively in Cyber Space stages. Retaining their design from Sonic Colors and console/PC version of Sonic Generations, Buzzers as one of two bee-type Badniks compared to Buzz Bombers, are present more frequently in stages 1-4, 1-6, 2-1, 2-4, 2-6, 3-1, 4-1 and 4-8. Their attack pattern is closely the same as in previous mainline games and they can be taken down by using Spin Jump or Homing Attack. In multiple sections, Homing Attack is required to be used in lines of Buzzers to reach different sections. Being digital replicas of the Badniks in Cyber Space, Buzzers do not contain Animals, and after being defeated, they are disintegrated into the air in tiny digital pieces.

Other game appearances[]

Sonic Jam[]

In Sonic Jam for the Game.com, Buzzers reappear as enemies in Emerald Hill Zone, functioning exactly as they did in their debut.

Sonic the Hedgehog Pocket Adventure[]

Buzzer Pocket Adventure

In Sonic the Hedgehog Pocket Adventure, the Buzzers make appearance as enemies. Like other Badniks from Emerald Hill Zone, these Badniks are featured at Neo South Island Zone. Buzzers here have a more yellow look in their in-game sprites, but their attack patterns are no different from their first appearance.

Sonic Pinball Party[]

In Sonic Pinball Party, propeller-type Buzzers make a small appearance. In this game, two Buzzers appear on the Sonic pinball board that is based on the Angel Island Zone from Sonic Advance. Defeating one grants 100 points.

Sonic Jump series[]

Sonic Jump[]

In Sonic Jump, the Buzzers appear as enemies. In this game, they only appear in Green Hill Zone. In gameplay, the Buzzers only fly left and right. In order to destroy a Buzzer, the player must jump into it from below; touching a Buzzer while falling will cause Sonic to take damage.

Sonic Jump 2[]

In Sonic Jump 2, which serves as a remaster of its prequel, the Buzzers appear as enemies in the same location and behave in the same way as in their previous appearance.

Sonic the Hedgehog (Didj)[]

Powers and abilities[]

Thanks to their wings/jetpacks/propellers, the Buzzers are capable of flight. They are also equipped with stingers that can fire a rail detonator blast, which appears as a concentrated orb of laser energy, at their target.

In other media[]

Books and comics[]

Sonic the Comic[]

Buzzer the Comic

A Buzzer, from Sonic the Comic #17. Art by Ed Hillyer.

In the Sonic the Comic series published by Fleetway Editions, the Buzzers were a part of Dr. Robotnik's Badniks army during his dictatorship time over Mobius. However, the comic artists sometimes mixed the Buzzer with the Buzz Bomber due their similarities.

Archie Comics[]

Main article: Buzzer (Archie)
Buzzer Archie

A Buzzer, from Sonic the Hedgehog #277.

In the Sonic the Hedgehog comic series and its spin-offs published by Archie Comics, the Buzzers are robots in Dr. Eggman's Badnik Horde. A swarm of them of them made their appearance when they attacked the Freedom Fighters and the Wolf Pack, only to be defeated.

IDW Publishing[]

StH50-Buzzer

A Buzzer, from Sonic the Hedgehog #50.

In the Sonic the Hedgehog comic series and its spin-offs published by IDW Publishing, a singular Buzzer model and a horde of other assorted Badniks would be used by Dr. Starline to test Surge the Tenrec during one of her tests at Starline Base Sigma.[8] Later, when Dr. Starline took over the Eggman Empire, he sent out an override code that brought Badniks all over the world under his control, including the Buzzers. The Buzzers would then make their way towards Eggperial City upon Starline's command, eventually arriving in said city.[9]

In Eggperial City, a few Buzzers under Dr. Starline's control would find Belle and a deactivated Metal Sonic in the city. However, Belle managed to escape them and the other Badniks with Metal Sonic before they could attack them. When Dr. Eggman later regained control over his Badniks, the doctor had the Buzzers and other Badniks in Eggperial City surround Sonic, Tails, and Belle.[10]

Trivia[]

  • In concept art for Sonic the Hedgehog 2, it is revealed that the Buzzer would have also burned the bridges in Emerald Hill Zone, but it was scrapped early in development. It's likely that this was a secondary unimplemented behavior rather than a separate enemy variation, as both design documents and the Nick Arcade prototype's source code identify them as "Wasp."
  • There are differences between the sprite for the Buzzer in the Simon Wai prototype and final version of Sonic the Hedgehog 2. Some of the more noticeable differences include the eyes, rocket pack, and shading on stripes. These were improvements done by Yasushi Yamaguchi, art director for the project. Extra animation frames for Buzzer, which show a bulge produced when fireballs are shot and larger fireballs being shot, were found in a digitizer disk, which contained art of several prototype enemies
  • In the beginning of the first trailer for Sonic Superstars, a Buzzer can be briefly seen while Sonic is running through Emerald Hill Zone, with their design being near identical to their sprite from Sonic the Hedgehog 2. Despite this, Buzzers themselves never appear in the actual game.

References[]

  1. Sega . Sonic the Hedgehog 4: Episode I. Badniks: Buzzer. Sega. Archived from the original on 27 May 2013. Retrieved on 27 October 2017.
  2. Sonic the Hedgehog 2 (Sega Genesis) United States instruction booklet, pg. 12.
  3. Sonic the Hedgehog 2 (Sega Mega Drive) Japanese instruction booklet, pg. 46.
  4. Flynn, Ian; Sega (8 December 2021). Sonic the Hedgehog Encyclo-speed-ia. Dark Horse Books. p. 122. ISBN 978-1506719276. "Stinger: A wasp bot that snipes from on high."
  5. (in Japanese) ソニックアドバンス必勝パーフェクトガイド. Aspect. 8 February 2002. p. 29. ISBN 978-4757209480.
  6. Flynn, Ian; Sega (8 December 2021). Sonic the Hedgehog Encyclo-speed-ia. Dark Horse Books. p. 91. ISBN 978-1506719276. "Enemy appearances in Zones - Buzzer"
  7. BradyGames (1 November 2011). "Main stages". Sonic Generations Official Strategy Guide. BradyGames. p. 28. ISBN 978-0744013429.
  8. Sonic the Hedgehog: Imposter Syndrome #3, story one
  9. Sonic the Hedgehog: Imposter Syndrome #4, story one
  10. Sonic the Hedgehog #50, "Battle for the Empire"
Navigation templates to Buzzer


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