Classic Sonic performing Spin Jump into Egg Fighter in Sonic Generations.
Spin Jump (回転ジャンプ Kaiten Janpu?), also called as Super Sonic Spin Attack or Jump, is simple move, that functions at almost every game in the Sonic the Hedgehog series. It is mid-air variation of regular Spin Attack, that simply can be performed by pressing the jump button on the control. When this happens, the playable character turns himself into rolling ball in the air and with it, the player is able to jump into enemies, bosses or even some breakable objects in Zones to damage them. Almost every playable character in the series is able to perform the Spin Jump. Like Spin Attack, Spin Jump is introduced in the original 16-bit version of Sonic the Hedgehog.
Overview
Tails' Spin Jump from Sonic the Hedgehog 2.
In earlier games for Sega Genesis, the player is able to perform the Spin Jump simply by pressing A-, B-, or C-button in the control. Simply moving the D-pad, the player can move in the mid-air while doing Spin Jump. Unlike other playable video game characters during that time, Sonic, Tails or Knuckles turn themselves into rolling ball when they jump into the air. Certain characters have different Spin Jumps, as Tails' tails and Cream's ears can be seen hanging behind curling ball or Espio in Knuckles' Chaotix and Blaze can make swing in the air instead turning into curling ball, when they jump. can be seen This can give ability to hit enemies and damage bosses, while also able to break certain breakable objects or floors in the Zone. When the player press the jump button twice, the player can perform another move for example Insta-Shield/Homing Attack, or give an ability to fly or glide with the certain character. The Spin Jump doesn't affect to certain enemies with armory or harmful weapons, that either damage the player itself instead of destroying enemy.
The player earns more points depending how many enemies gets destroyed after doing Spin Jump.
In first main games for Sega Genesis, depending how much the player destroys enemies while doing Spin Jump increases the score more. While defeating one enemy is worth of 100 points, destroying two enemies in chain while doing Spin Jump once increases points into 200 and destroying third enemy in the chain gives 500 points in total. After destroying four to fifteen enemies gives 1000 points for each and after that the player earns 10000 points from each enemy. The most less known technique of Spin Jump is increase the jump weight by jumping into the enemy/object from higher place and then getting bounced higher than it is normally able to. The player is able to do this by pressing the jump button down until the player hits to the ground and enemy. Depending how long the player keeps the jump button down, more higher the playable character will bounce. Outside Genesis games, this technique is functional in Sonic Adventure titles, Sonic Advance games and Nintendo 3DS version of Sonic Generations, while only for Classic Sonic.
Later in 3D games, the player is able to do Spin Jump as well like in earlier main games. Since Sonic Unleashed, Sonic has also given blueish aura around him, when he's doing Spin Jump in the mid-air. Certain characters in the series are unable to do Spin Jump, such as Amy Rose (varies in few games), Silver the Hedgehog (Sonic the Hedgehog (2006)), Charmy Bee (Knuckles' Chaotix) and E-123 Omega (Sonic the Hedgehog (2006)).
Trivia
- Earlier US manuals for Sonic games in Sega Genesis have few name variations for Spin Jump. Originally both Spin Jump and Spin Attack are refered as Super Sonic Spin Attack in the original Sonic the Hedgehog. US manual of Sonic CD refers Spin Jump as Spin Attack, while the Spin Attack itself is called as Super Spin Attack. Sonic the Hedgehog 2 is the first game to refer the jumping move as Spin Jump in US manual, while the name has been the same in Japan since from the beginning.
- Sonic the Hedgehog (2006) is the only main game in the series, where Spin Jump doesn't destroy enemies at all, but instead makes the playable character go through the enemy and get damaged by it.