Experience has taught me to investigate anything that glows. 
— Sonic the Hedgehog, Sonic Colors (Wii)
The tractor beam generators,[1] or just generators, are five devices that appear in Sonic Colors. Created by Dr. Eggman, these generators held Planet Wisp, Sweet Mountain, Asteroid Coaster, Aquarium Park and Starlight Carnival suspended over the Earth while the doctor enslaved the Wisps. They were all eventually deactivated by Sonic the Hedgehog.
Description
The tractor beam generators are large devices in their own right. Their junction boxes look like isosceles trapezoid cubes, with a one-eyed skull on the front and two antennas on the top, which have purple energy between them. They can be found on the top of much larger platforms with an antenna shaped likespheres stacked on top of one another.
Much further away from the junction boxes are large domes that generate the generators' tractor beams, which are shaped liked chains. These domes shoot the tractor beams from their centers into the sky and connect to the "bottom" of the Tropical Resort, effectively keeping the planet the generate is on permanently close to Eggman's operations.
Each generator is guarded by one of Dr. Eggman's more powerful robots (Captain Jelly on Sweet Mountain, Frigate Orcan on Starlight Carnival, Refreshinator/Drillinator on Planet Wisp, Admiral Jelly on Aquarium Park and Frigate Skullian on Asteroid Coaster). These robots are critical components in their respective generators' operations; should they be destroyed, their generator will shut down and their tractor beam will be weakened, though not dispersing. It is only when all five generators are shut down that the tractor beams will cease functioning.
History
Seeking the Wisp' Hyper-go-on to power his Mind Control Ray for universal domination, Dr. Eggman made the tractor beam generators to both harvest Hyper-go-on and conceal this task from the public. Placing the generators on Planet Wisp, Sweet Mountain, Asteroid Coaster, Aquarium Park and Starlight Carnival which held Wisps, Eggman use them to move the planets into orbit above Earth, while using the Tropical Resort and the planets to cover up his operations by disguising them as an amusement park.
When Sonic and Tails investigated the amusement park, Sonic disabled two of the generators without knowing. At that point, the duo were filled in on the generators' role by Yacker. Understanding that shutting down all the generators and freeing the planets would cut Eggman off from his Hyper-go-on, Sonic headed out and destroyed the remaining three, thus freeing all the planets.
Other game appearances
Sonic Generations
In the console/PC version of Sonic Generations, the complex for Planet Wisps' tractor beam generator can be seen in the background of the Planet Wisp Stage.
Trivia
- The generators' chain-like tractor beams may allude to how Dr. Eggman kept Little Planet from leaving Earth in Sonic the Hedgehog CD by chaining it to a mountain with a massive metal chain.
- The images of the Tractor Beam Generators were used in Sonic Runners as presentations for Eggman's energy collection devices for the Chaos Emeralds.
Gallery
| Gallery |
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 The tractor beam generator on Sweet Mountain.  The tractor beam generator on Starlight Carnival.  The tractor beam generator on Planet Wisp.  The tractor beam generator on Aquarium Park.  The tractor beam generator on Asteroid Coaster. |
Add a photo to this galleryReferences
- ↑ Sonic Team (November 16, 2010). Sonic Colors. Nintendo Wii. Sega. Area/Level: Sweet Mountain. "Tails: So basically, Eggman is using five tractor beam generators to hold their planet in orbit while he scoops the aliens all up."
