- For other characters using the name Mecha Sonic, see Mecha Sonic (disambiguation).
Rocket Metal,[1] also known as Mecha Sonic Model No.29, is a character that appears in the Sonic the Hedgehog series. He is a robot that is briefly seen at the start of Sonic the Fighters' intro, where he is hovering in space outside the Death Egg II, before transforming into a rocket and flying off.
Quick Answers
How does Mecha Sonic Model No.29 transform in Sonic the Fighters?
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What are the distinct features of Mecha Sonic Model No.29's design?
Concept and creation[]
During the development of Sonic the Fighters Rocket Metal was designed by Masahiro Sugiyama as a playable character.[1] Rocket Metal Sonic's inclusion had not been planned from the start, rather, the character was spontaneously created by Sugiyama out of his desire to create a character like Metal Sonic.[2]
Sugiyama designed several attack methods for Rocket Metal, such as the robot transforming into a rocket and charging at opponents. While in rocket form, Rocket Metal's arms would also transform into laser beam guns to shoot opponents from a range.[3]
Due to not being a main character, however, design work on Rocket Metal's moveset was postponed, ultimately leading to the robot being non-playable in the final game, and instead being relegated to just a short appearance in the game's opening cutscene.[1][2]
Appearance[]
Rocket Metal has an appearance similar to Metal Sonic, with several noticeable differences. His head is shaped like a rocket ship, with long fin-like spines. The two smaller spines are attached to his head like wings on a rocket, being colored yellow near the attachment areas and red on the tips. The center spine is much larger, being colored yellow on its tip and black on its sides and bottoms, complete with silver text on the left and right sides reading "MECHA SONIC MODEL NO.29". Additionally, his ears are diamond-shaped and colored yellow on the insides. Rocket Metal's forehead and sides extend beyond his face, forming a helmet-like shape.
He has wrench-like hands, blue forearms with red tips, blue forelegs with yellow knees, and red feet with yellow toes. and blocky yellow knees. He has a huge rocket booster on its back and a gray "belly" in the front, with a long slot extending from his neck to the center of his torso and a dark spot on each side.
Overview[]
Selecting the robot via hacking.
Due to being removed during development[1], Rocket Metal is not normally playable in Sonic the Fighters, but he can be accessed through hacking. Like Honey the Cat, he shares fighting moves with other characters, such as Knuckles and Tails. His moves are some of the most powerful in the game. When hacked, his name is registered as "Rocket Metal" in both its title card and fighter name, which is nowhere to be seen otherwise. Unlike Honey the Cat however, he is not playable in the HD re-release.
Powers and abilities[]
Rocket Metal is capable of flying through space, and is also capable of transforming into a rocket.
In other media[]
Books and comics[]
Archie Comics[]
Rocket Metal Sonic, from Sonic the Hedgehog #271.
Rocket Metal Sonic made an appearance in the Off Panel from the Sonic the Hedgehog #271 published by Archie Comics, where it was explained that he did not appear in the "Champion" story line because its heavy head made it impossible for it to move.
Trivia[]
- When hacking it into the game in character select, the robot will appear with his own head and claws, but will have Sonic the Hedgehog's body.
- Like the unused Honey the Cat in the original game, his image before battling is the image of Dr. Robotnik.
- When the hacked fighter performs a Spin Dash, he spins into a ball before proceeding with Sonic's Spin Dash animation.
- The hacked fighter has two sets of eyes, which can be seen by using him in the Arcade version via emulator by using certain moves. It is unknown if this is an intended feature or a graphical error.
- Rocket Metal Sonic borrows a victory pose each from Sonic and Tails.
Gallery[]
Models[]
Screenshots[]
References[]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 KOLSAN on Twitter. Twitter (13 January 2026). Retrieved on 13 January 2026. "Masahiro Sugiyama: Will you be drawing Rocket Metal? I'm really happy! He was originally planned to appear as a playable character in "Sonic the Fighters" but due to various circumstances, he wasn't adopted and only appeared for a few seconds in the opening movie. If you see him transform into a rocket, you'll understand how much love I put into designing him."
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 KOLSAN on Twitter. Twitter (13 January 2026). Retrieved on 13 January 2026. "Masahiro Sugiyama: Regarding Rocket Metal, he wasn't a character that was planned from the beginning of the project; I wanted to include a robot character like Metal Sonic in the game, so I created him spontaneously. He was included in the game, but since he wasn't a main character, creating his moves was postponed, and he ended up only appearing as part of the opening movie."
- ↑ KOLSAN on Twitter. Twitter (13 January 2026). Retrieved on 13 January 2026. "Masahiro Sugiyama: I have some notes from when I was designing "Rocket Metal", and in them I wrote down an idea for an attack method where it would instantly transform into a rocket and charge at the opponent. Also, when in rocket form, the arms transform into laser guns, so I think they were also considering attacks like in shooter games at the time, but the idea may not have been suitable for a fighting game."
| Playable characters | Sonic (Super Sonic) · Tails · Knuckles · Amy · Espio · Bark · Bean · Fang · Dr. Robotnik* · Metal Sonic* · Honey* | |
| Non-playable characters | RoboEgg · Rocket Metal | |
| Arenas | South Island · Flying Carpet · Aurora Icefield · Mushroom Hill · Canyon Cruise · Casino Night · Dynamite Plant · Giant Wing · Death Egg's Eye · Death Egg's Hangar | |
| Moves/Techniques | 16t · Aerial Bomb · Air Espio Spin · Air Hammer · Air Kick · Air Punch · Air Spin · Air Snipe · Airplane Drop · Airplane Throw · Back Hammer · Back High Kick · Back Low Punch · Back Punch · Backhand Chop · Bark Elbow · Bark Elbow Combo · Bark Punch · Bark Strike · Bark Uppercut · Barrier Walk · Beak Dive · Beak Rush · Beak Shot · Beak Slip · Bean Warp · Biff-Baff · Blind Fire · Blind Fire Dash · Body Dive · Bomb Shoot · Bomb Toss · Bonk Kick · Cannon Barrage · Crush Punch · Crush and Wham! · Dash Peck · Dash Spin · Dash Tongue · Dizzy Spin · Double Beak Slip · Dodge Beak · Dodge Beak Dive · Dodge Body Dive · Dodge Bonk Kick · Dodge Dive · Dodge Hammer · Dodge High Kick · Dodge Lunge · Dodge Punch · Dodge Snipe · Dodge Spin · Dodge Spin Dive · Dodge Tongue · Double Beak · Double Beak Slip · Double Cork · Double Feint · Double Hammer · Double Jump Kick · Double Kick · Double Punch · Double Scissor · Double Side Kick · Double Slap · Double Tail Kick · Double Tail Whap · Double Upperslap · Drop Kick · Dual Hyper Upper · Emerald Dive · Espio Chop · Espio Spin · Espio Warp · Fierce Attack · Fire 'Em Up! · Fist Drop · Foot Crush · Giant Swing · Girly Punch · Guard & Attack · Hammer Attack · Hammer Dive · Hammer Spin · Hammer Throw · Hammer Uppercut · Headbutt · Head's Up! · Head Slide · Head Spin · Head Throw · High Kick · Hip Attack · Hip Dive · Holding Punch · Hop Hammer · Hop Kick · Hop Punch · Horse Kick · Hyper Uppercut · Jab · Jab-Reversal · Jab, Straight · Kick · Knuckles Glider · Knuckle Special · Leg Throw · Low Hook · Low Punch · Long-Tongue · Magical Hammer · One-Two Punch · One-Two Reversal · One-Two Throw · One-Two Uppercut · One-Two Wham! · Propeller Dash · Propeller Dash-F · Propeller Dash-L · Propeller Dash-R · Pummel Combo · Pummel Punch · Punch · Punch-Kick · Punch Rush · Punch-Spin · Push Away · Rapid Peck · Rapid Shoot · Rapid Straight · Rising Uppercut · Rocket Missile · Roundhouse Kick · Rush Spin · Scissor Punch · Shadow Followup · Shadow Punch · Skip Kick · Side Kick · Sit Punch · Slap Attack · Slap Kick · Slip-Around · Smackback Kick · Sniper Set! Snipe 1,2,3,4 · Spin Attack · Spin Dive · Spin Double Kick · Spin Hammer · Spin Kick · Spin Punch Bomb Throw Combo · Spin Rocket · Spiral Feint · Spiral Spin · Spinning Uppercut Bomb Throw Combo · Stomp · Stomp Dive · Strike · Submarine Sniper · Super Cork · Super Rush · Swing Uppercut · Tabletop Flip · Tail Attack · Tail Combo · Tail Down Attack · Tail Kick · Tail Spring Kick · Tail Throw · Three-Bomb Toss · Tongue-Down · Tongue Punch · Tongue Throw · Tongue Throw + · Toss & Attack · Triple Beak · Triple Cork · Triple Hammer · Triple Kick · Triple Punch · Triple Scissor · Triple Side Kick · Triple Tail Kick · Turnaround · Twin Hammer Dive · Twin-Dodge Snipe · Twin Punch-Spin · Uppercut · Volley Toss · Wall Beak Dive · Wall Dive · Wall Hammer · Wall Spin · Wall Stamp · Wall Twin Hammer · Weapon Grab · Wheel Dash · Wheel Punch · Wimpy Punch · Windup Kick · Windup Punch | |
| Music | Sonic the Fighters Sound Tracks | |
| Other | Chaos Emerald · Death Egg II · Difficulty* · E-Mech · Health Gauge · Hyper Mode · Lunar Fox · Mirror fighter · Ring · South Island · Tails' Lab · Tornado · Sunset Town | |