Icicle

Icicles^[1] are recurring gimmicks or obstacles in the Sonic the Hedgehog series. They are large spikes of ice in cold regions which are used to cross gaps.

Description

Icicles are objects that appear in winter themed Stages, where they hang above gaps or even bottomless pits. In gameplay, the playable characters can sometimes grab onto them. From there, it is possible to move the characters around the icicle. The player can also jump off from one icicle to the next, allowing them to traverse the Stage; However, these icicles can not be held onto for long due to their slippery and fragile nature, causing the playable characters to automatically fall off eventually.

In varying appearances, icicles also function as obstacles which can fall down on the player. Often, small variants in large groups can also damage the player like Spikes.

Game appearances

SegaSonic the Hedgehog

First appearing in SegaSonic the Hedgehog, large falling icicles are one of the main obstacles featured in Icy Isle. The player can only avoid them due to the terrain and touching them damages the playable character.

Sonic the Hedgehog 3 & Knuckles

In Sonic the Hedgehog 3 and its add-on expansion, Sonic the Hedgehog 3 & Knuckles, there are large icicles that hang from the ceilings in the IceCap Zone. When the player comes close to them, they will fall down to the ground. Generally, when this happens, the player can use the top of them as platforms to cross floors with spikes afterwards. However, touching the icicle's pointy end damages the player.

Sonic Adventure

In Sonic Adventure and its advanced port, icicles appear in Sonic's version of Icecap. When the player jumps towards them, Sonic will instantly grab onto them. The player can then circle around them manually. If the player holds on for too long, however, Sonic will fall off due to the icicle being slippery.

The icicle in this game is tricky, as the player needs to face a certain angle in order to jump from one icicle to another. If the player circles to the left portion of an icicle and jump, he will jump up to the left. If the player circles to the right portion of an icicle and jump from on, they may jump up toward the front of the icicle.

Sonic Rush Adventure

In Sonic Rush Adventure, icicles appear in Blizzard Peaks. This time around, when the playable characters grab a hold of them, they automatically circle around the icicles while sliding down at a fast rate until they reach the end and fall. It is, however, possible to jump off the icicle before reaching the bottom.

Sonic Unleashed

In the Xbox 360/PlayStation 3 version of Sonic Unleashed, icicles appear in the daytime and nighttime versions of Cool Edge for Sonic the Hedgehog and Sonic the Werehog. Icicles usually falls from the ceiling of large, iceberg tunnels that may stop the players momentum when running towards it. Unlike in previous appearances where icicles are climbable, the icicles must be grabbed manually. While the Werehog holds onto it, the player can move around it like in Sonic Adventure. If the player stays on the icicle too long, it will break off and fall down with the Werehog into a bottomless pit.

Gallery

Sketch from Sonic the Hedgehog 3 showing Sonic escaping large icicles. Illustrated by Hirokazu Yasuhara.

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References