Seesaw

The Seesaws^[1] are gimmicks in the Sonic the Hedgehog series. It is a metallic board with a damaging object on the other send, which is used to give the player an aerial boost to reach higher pathways.

Description

In their numerous games appearances, the seesaws are usually depicted as gray metallic boards balancing on the middle on a differently colored cylinder base. On one side of the seesaw, serving as the counterweight, is placed either a bomb, a smaller iron ball, or an enemy that can damage the playable character upon touch. Seesaws are usually set on the ground, but can also be placed in mid-air.

When the player hops onto the open end of the seesaw, the object/enemy on the other end is flung into the air and falls back down, sometimes on the opposite end of the seesaw. In the latter case, the player must therefore move over to the other end. When the object/enemy lands on the seesaw again while the playable character stands on the opposite end, the playable character is thrown into the air. Sometimes, the player can reach higher elevations by consecutively repeating the process of bouncing the object/enemy off the seesaw.

Game appearances

Sonic the Hedgehog (1991)

Seesaws were first seen in Star Light Zone in the 16-bit version of Sonic the Hedgehog, where a gray iron ball sat on one end. While usually set on the ground, some seesaws were positioned in the air. During the boss fight with the Egg Mobile, Robotnik drops mines onto the seesaws, which the player can launch back at the Egg Mobile or use to launch Sonic into the Egg Mobile.

A different looking seesaw also appears in the Bridge Zone in the 8-bit version of the game. The object on these seesaws are light blue libra weights. The seesaw itself is set on a long pole with a brown orb on top of said pole.

Sonic the Hedgehog 2

In Sonic the Hedgehog 2, Seesaws appear in Hill Top Zone. In this game, the seesaws have light blue boards, a green bottom base standing on small pole beneath them, and a red Gohla without fire projectiles as a counterweight. These seesaws are usually set on the ground, but sometimes float dangerously above lava pools.

SegaSonic the Hedgehog

In SegaSonic the Hedgehog, when the playable characters get chased by a large magma ball in Volcanic Vault, they will fall down on a Seesaw. Right after that, the magma ball will fall down on the opposite side of the Seesaw and launch the playable characters up through a steel plate on the edge of an upper pathway.

Sonic the Hedgehog CD

In Sonic the Hedgehog CD, a different type of seesaw appears in Metallic Madness. In this game, the player is only able to stand on the front end, as the other end is behind it with a spike ball on it. If the player jumps to the front end, it will launch the iron ball in the air and down on the front end. As such, the player must move before the spike ball lands.

Sonic & Knuckles

In Sonic & Knuckles, mushroom-based seesaws appear in Mushroom Hill Zone. These types of seesaws consist of two mushrooms with a small metallic libra weight on one of them. In this game, the libra weight falls down on the end of the seesaw it was launched from when the playable character jumps on it. These seesaws also do not increase the height with each successive bounce.

Sonic Advance 3

In Sonic Advance 3, red and white seesaws with black iron balls as counterweights are featured in Route 99 and Chaos Angel. Some of these seesaws float in the air, which the player has to reach by jumping.

Sonic Generations

In the console/PC version of Sonic Generations, seesaws appear in a few Challenge Acts, such as Rouge: The Bombardier and Rescue the Animals 2!. In this game, the seesaws have gray panels with a red base in the middle and back iron balls as counterweights, similar to the ones in the Star Light Zone. Seesaws there function like in the earlier games, where the player has use them to reach higher areas.

Sonic Lost World

In the Wii U version of Sonic Lost World, seesaws appear in the Circus tents for Tropical Coast and Sky Road. Seesaws in this game have light-blue plates and wooden wheel in the middle. In gameplay, the player is required to use Wii U GamePad to move the seesaw left and right. As Sonic and Tails (or Orbot and Cubot) jump on the seesaw, the player has to balance this gimmick around and make each of them land on the right side of the seesaw's plate to launch the other character up from other the end.

When bounced enough, the player can collect Rings or pop balloons to free Animals. The player has three attempts to use the seesaw in these Circus mini-games, where the player loses a try if the characters do not land safely on the seesaw, or until time runs up.

Sonic Mania

In Sonic Mania, and its expansion Sonic Mania Plus, the seesaw appears in Knuckles' version of Mirage Saloon Zone Act 1 in Mania Mode. It also appears in everyone's version of Mirage Saloon Zone Act 1 in the Sonic Mania Plus-exclusive Encore Mode.

In this game, the seesaws bear resemblance to their design in Sonic the Hedgehog 2, with the fireless Gohla being used as counterweight. However, the Gohla now has a green color scheme and has spikes around its body.

In other media

Sonic the Hedgehog Story Comic

In the story Clash!! South Island of Sonic the Hedgehog Story Comic Volume 2, as Sonic, Ricky and Cucky try to reach a Capsule at the Star Land Zone, Sonic notices a seesaw with spike on its other side, as he knows it is hard to reach to the capsule. Sonic thus used seesaw to bounce straight up to capsule, but an Orbinaut gets in the way. Despite that, Sonic defeats the Orbinaut with the Spin Attack and lands near the capsule.

Sonic the Hedgehog Yearbook 1992

A single seesaw make a brief appearance in Sonic the Hedgehog Yearbook 1992' story "Space-Hedgehog", where Sonic escapes from a space rocket which Robotnik had locked him inside. However, Robotnik gets tied up with a rope from the launched space which only snaps shortly after taking the doctor into the air. Sonic soon after lands on an empty seesaw in Hill Top Zone, while Robotnik lands on the seesaw's other end, thus bouncing Sonic into the air while Robotnik is left unconscious on the seesaw.

Archie Comics

The Seesaw briefly appears in Archie Comics' Sonic the Hedgehog comic series, where it was used by Sonic the Hedgehog, Sally Acorn and Rotor Walrus, when they were passing through the Star Light Zone.^[2]

Trivia

• In Simon Wai's prototype of Sonic the Hedgehog 2, seesaws are seen to have a generic orb on the other side of it, instead of Gohla without fireballs from the final version.
• In Sonic Generations, iron ball can hit Rouge, if the player launches it to the mid-air on right time.

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References