The Spark Beetle[1] (スパークビートル Supāku Bītoru?) is an enemy that appears in the Sonic the Hedgehog series. It is a robot deployed by the Guardian Units of Nations and is a part of the Beetle series.
Appearance
The Spark Beetle itself looks just like a Mono Beetle from its respective game, except that it can be seen equipped with an spherical electromagnetic field.
Game appearances
Sonic Adventure 2
The Spark Beetle first appeared in Sonic Adventure 2, and later in its enhanced port Sonic Adventure 2: Battle. The Spark Beetle does not attack the player directly, but instead waits for the player to come close, then shocks them with its electromagnetic field. Trying to directly attack the robot while the shield is up will result in the player sustaining damage, thus protecting from physical damage. The field itself, however, shifts between being turned on and off in an interval lasting a couple of seconds, leaving itself open and vulnerable when the shield switches off.
The Spark Beetles have some basic movements in both games; they will remain in one place while their shield is activated, and move slowly towards the player when the shield is deactivated.
The Spark Beetle's shield is shown to be somewhat ineffective, as the player can use Tails' Cyclone and Dr. Eggman's Eggwalker to outflank it. Regardless of whether or not the shield is up, simply using Lock-On Missiles and/or firing the Volkan Cannon at a Spark Beetle will destroy it. The shield also proves ineffective against Sonic and Shadow's Light Speed Attacks and Sonic's Magic Hands, both of which will cut right through the shield and destroy the robot inside. It awards the player 100 points when destroyed.
The Spark Beetle appears in the following stages:
| Character | Stage | |
|---|---|---|
| Normal mode | Hard mode | |
| Sonic | City Escape Crazy Gadget |
Crazy Gadget |
| Shadow | Radical Highway White Jungle | |
| Eggman | Cosmic Wall | |
| Rouge | Security Hall | |
Shadow the Hedgehog
The Spark Beetles later returned in Shadow the Hedgehog, where they were deployed by GUN to fight in the war on their side. In this game, a Spark Beetle's shield can protect it from gunfire as well as regular attacks. Additionally, the shields are now electrical rings instead of the spherically shaped shields seen in Sonic Adventure 2.
References
- ↑ Prima Development (20 June 2001). "Enemies". Sonic Adventure 2: Prima's Official Strategy Guide. Prima Games. p. 16. ISBN 978-0761536147.
