The Star Pointer[1] (アイスダス[2] Aisudasu?, lit. "Icedus") is an enemy that appears in Sonic the Hedgehog 3. It is a mass-produced, sea urchin-based Badnik model created by Dr. Robotnik, and a variant of the Orbinaut series.
Appearance
The Star Pointers resemble Orbinauts with a light-grey color scheme and an orange line across their spherical body. Unlike the Orbinauts though, the Star Pointers have four balls made of ice orbiting their body rather than spiked balls.
Overview
The Star Pointers appear only in IceCap Zone, where they slowly move around. When seeing the player however, the Star Pointers will slowly fire their orbiting ice balls one at a time at the playable character. Like the typical Orbinaut, the Star Pointers become vulnerable once all their ice balls are gone.
If the player possesses the Thunder Shield, the Star Pointers' ice balls will disintegrate upon impacting the shield. Alternatively, the player can go through the ice balls to defeat the Star Pointers directly, although they will at greater risk of taking damage. The player can also use the Insta-Shield to defeat the Star Pointers while still surrounded by their ice balls with the right timing.
In other media
Sonic the Comic
Star Pointer in Sonic the Comic. Art by Mike Hadley and John M Burns.
Star Pointers make a short appearance in Fleetway's Sonic the Comic #41, joining up with Penguinators in an assault on the Ice Cap Zone against Sonic the Hedgehog and Knuckles the Echidna. Even as these badniks fired their icy balls to them, Sonic and Knuckles managed to destroy them.
Archie Comics
The Star Pointer in the Archie Comics.
In the Sonic the Hedgehog comic series and its spin-offs published by Archie Comics, the Star Pointers were first featured in Sonic the Hedgehog #276 as a part of the Artika Egg Army's attack force.
Gallery
References
- ↑ Sonic the Hedgehog 3 (Sega Mega Drive) United States instruction booklet, pg. 24.
- ↑ Japanese titled enemies of Sonic the Hedgehog 3 listed on the GHZ.
Template:Sonic 3 & Knuckles info