The robot transporter[3] (コメカロボ[2] Ko Meka Robo?, lit. "Litta Mecha Robot"), also known as the robot teleporter[4] or simply the transporter,[5] is an object that appears in the Sonic the Hedgehog series. It is a device that teleports Badniks into different areas.
Description[]
Appearance[]
The robot transporter is a large machine with two silver "shells", which have yellow, black and red stripes, and are divided by three columns of electricity. In the present timeline, however, it is inactive and heavily damaged, with the colors having been replaced by shades of blue.
Features and abilities[]
The robot transporter can teleport Badniks across timelines.[2]
Game appearances[]
Sonic the Hedgehog CD[]
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In Sonic the Hedgehog CD, the Windows 95 version and the 2011 remaster, following a series of unspecified events, the robot transporters were put down in the past timeline of Little Planet, even though there are sources that claim Dr. Robotnik could not have invaded that time frame.[2] When Sonic arrived on the planet however, he destroyed the robot transporters, leading to a series of changes[2] that reversed Robotnik's actions in the future, destroying all nearby Badniks and changing the future of the areas around each robot transporter.
A robot transporter in Palmtree Panic, from Sonic the Hedgehog CD.
In gameplay, the robot transporters are placed in the past of the first and second Zones in every Round. They exist in the present timeline as well, but are inactive and indestructible, merely giving a clue for where they were placed. Destroying a robot transporter in one Zone will grant a good future for it and will destroy all Badniks there as well. Destroying all the robot transporters in the game will earn the player the good ending for Sonic the Hedgehog CD. Alternatively, they can also collect all the Time Stones to destroy the robot teleporters automatically, removing the need of going to the past and find them manually for the rest of the game.
Sonic Mania[]
A robot transporter, from Sonic Mania.
In Sonic Mania and its expansion Sonic Mania Plus, a robot transporter makes a cameo at the end of Stardust Speedway Zone Act 1, where it is destroyed by Sonic, Tails and Knuckles before they use a "Future" Time Warp sign to travel to the Present version of the Zone. Later, in Sonic Mania Plus' Encore Mode, the group, along with Mighty and Ray, would destroy another robot transporter in Stardust Speedway Zone Act 1.
In other media[]
Books and comics[]
Archie Comics[]
A Badnik Factory, from Sonic the Hedgehog #290.
In the Sonic the Hedgehog comic series and its spin-offs published by Archie Comics, robot transporters appear under the name of Badnik Factory. In this continuity, Dr. Eggman would install many Badnik Factories around Little Planet to rewrite its history, although they were later destroyed by Sonic the Hedgehog.
Trivia[]
- Robot transporters, known as robot generators, appear in LEGO Dimensions in the mission "Tale of Tails". In this game, they have to be disarmed using characters that can handle technology.
- The robot transporter that appears in Sonic Mania has an unique sprite when broken down. However, it cannot be seen in normal gameplay without Debug Mode due to the movement of the camera and the playable characters.
- In Sonic Runners Adventure, Tails mentions a teleporter that can send robots everywhere, similar to the robot transporter. Whether it actually refers to the transporters seen in Sonic the Hedgehog CD is uncertain.
References[]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Flynn, Ian; Sega (8 December 2021). "Sonic CD". Sonic the Hedgehog Encyclo-speed-ia. Dark Horse Books. p. 30. ISBN 978-1506719276. "If you can't hunt down Dr. Eggman's installations, you can jump through the Giant Ring at the end of each act, if you're carrying fifty Rings, and enter the Special Stage."
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 Sonic the Hedgehog CD (Mega-CD) Japanese instruction booklet, pg. 33.
- ↑ Whitehead, Christian (14 December 2011). Sonic the Hedgehog CD. iOS. Sega. Area/level: Instruction manual. "To ensure a good future for a Zone, you must either collect all the Time Stones, or destroy Eggman's robot transporter contained within the Past."
- ↑ Whitehead, Christian (14 December 2011). Sonic the Hedgehog CD. iOS. Sega. "Savior of the Planet Achievement: Destroy all the robot teleporters and Metal Sonic holograms in the past."
- ↑ Sega, Headcannon (23 June 2022). Sonic Origins. Nintendo Switch. Sega. Area/level: Sounds. "Palmtree Panic 'G' Mix: BGM for the good future in Palmtree Panic. Destroy the transporter in the past to get there."