Cars are objects that appears in the Sonic the Hedgehog series. They are bypassing vehicles whose designs and purposes have varied thorough the series, usually serving as either obstacles or objects needed by the player.

Description[]

The cars bear great resemblance to real-life passenger cars. They come in a variety of different designs with motif of real-life cars in the period from 1980-2010.

The precise purpose of cars in gameplay are rather ambiguous, as they differ between games. Sometimes, they serve as obstacles to the player, other times they are objects the player can use for their own abilities and other times they are needed to be destroyed to complete certain missions.

Game appearances[]

Sonic Adventure[]

In Sonic Adventure and its enhanced port Sonic Adventure DX: Director's Cut, cars appear in both the Action Stages and Adventure Fields. In the Action Stages like Speed Highway, the cars are obstacles that passes by on road sections which will damage the player if touched. In the Station Square Adventure Field, cars drive around on the open roads where they will stop moving when the playable character is in front of them, but they will not cause damage when touched.

Sonic Adventure 2[]

In Sonic Adventure 2 and its enhanced port Sonic Adventure 2: Battle, cars return as obstacles, though they do not cause damage to the player when touched and are knocked away when hit. They appear in City Escape where the player will slow down when hitting them, and in Route 101 and Route 280 as simple stage props. Cars play a particular role in the third mission of Route 280, where the player has to avoid hitting them or it will restart the mission.

Sonic Heroes[]

In Sonic Heroes, cars only appear in Grand Metropolis. Instead of driving on the road, these cars fly through the sky of the stage.

In Team Sonic's version of the stage, several grounded cars can be found on the path to the Goal Ring. They can be ran into and pushed out of the way, or they will eventually fall down on their own.

Shadow the Hedgehog[]

In Shadow the Hedgehog, cars serve multiple gameplay purposes. Some cars are part of the enviroment, able to be destroyed by the player, in turn granting them points and filling up their Dark Gauge. These type of cars predominatley appear in the city-based levels, such as Westopolis or Lethal Highway.

The player also has access to cars that can be ridden, such as the GUN Vehicle and the Convertible. These vehicles protect the player from obstacles such as the toxic marsh. Weapons can still be used while driving these vehicles.

Sonic the Hedgehog (2006)[]

In Sonic the Hedgehog (2006), cars are present in Action Stages and Town Missions, though their roles differ greatly between these areas.

In the Action Stages, cars are just harmless objects which the player can use as projectiles against enemies for Silver by using Psychokinesis and Psycho Smash. However, in Crisis City's Super-Speed Stage, cars that are thrown during this section can damage the player. In Town Missions, they drive along roads where the player either has to protect them, race against them, or destroy them by attacking them until the red gauge above them are depleted, to complete the Mission. In Sonic's case, the player can damage them with Sliding Attack, but, in Shadow's case, the player has to use his vehicle's weapons.

Sonic Riders series[]

Sonic Riders[]

In Sonic Riders, cars appears in Metal City and Night Chase. Some cars in these courses are stationary, while others are mobile and move around. In both courses, bumping into the cars will damage and slow down the racer. However, Power Type characters are immune to this and instead will destroy the cars, in turn also increasing their Air Tank.

Sonic Riders: Zero Gravity[]

In Sonic Riders: Zero Gravity, cars appear more rectangular and cramped. Also, they do not have wheels, being designed entirely around hovercrafts. They are only encountered in Megalo Station.

In gameplay, cars can damage the player or make the characters lose balance on their Extreme Gear and slow down if the characters collide with a car, unless the characters are riding a Bike or Wheel type Gear, in which case the player will punch the car away, gaining Gravity Points in doing so. By using Gravity Control, all cars will be flipped over and blown away from the screen.

Sonic Free Riders[]

In Sonic Free Riders, cars appear as a background element in some stages, such as Metal City, but don't affect the gameplay.

Sonic Generations[]

In the console/PC version of Sonic Generations, cars echoed their roles from past games, which depend on the stage. In both Acts of Speed Highway, they are again obstacles that drive along roads and can damage the player upon contact. In City Escape and the rival battle against Silver, they are objects that are knocked away when touched, though they will slow Sonic down when not boosting, while at the same time filling up a part of the Boost Gauge. Also, during the battle against him, Silver will throw cars at Sonic, though they can be knocked away with the Boost or Homing Attack.

It should also be noted that when Classic Sonic is in front of a car, the car will stop, just like Sonic Adventure.

Sonic Frontiers[]

In Sonic Frontiers, cars appear exclusively in Eternal Highway themed Cyber Space stages, specifically 1-7, 4-2, 4-7, 4-9, 4-G, and 4-I. In this game, they appear as obstacles which can be destroyed by jumping near or above them, by entering into them using a Skateboard (which can result into losing Rings), stomping or boosting into them, although by doing the latter will stop the boost, slowing down the player if they accidentally enter into them. After being destroyed, they will spawn Cyber-like particles. Cars are also used as platforming elements elements in 4-G and especially 4-I, where an excessive number of cars create long, winding paths and structures.

Unlike in some previous games, the cars cannot move at all.

Trivia[]

• In Sonic the Hedgehog (2006), by using Shadow's wall glitch before entering Dusty Desert's Mirror of Soleanna, the player can see a large number of cars that it seems to be in an early development of Soleanna New City. However, the AI for the cars does not function properly in the New City, causing them to crash into objects and buildings, either due to the AI for the cars being changed, the New City containing too many objects for them to go around, and/or the layout of the New City being changed in development.^[1]

Gallery[]

Sprites[]

Demolition Derby achievement, from Sonic Generations (console/PC)

Models[]

Gallery
Sports car, from Sonic the Hedgehog (2006) Minivan, from Sonic the Hedgehog (2006) Taxi, from Sonic the Hedgehog (2006) Beetle, from Sonic Generations (console/PC) Sonic Generations (console/PC) VW Van, from Sonic Generations (console/PC) Sonic Generations (console/PC)

Screenshots[]

Gallery
A car in Station Square, from Sonic Adventure DX: Director's Cut. Station Square, from the 2010 remaster of Sonic Adventure Sonic Adventure 2 Sonic Adventure 2 Sonic Adventure 2 Sonic Adventure 2: Battle Sonic Adventure 2: Battle Sonic Adventure 2: Battle Sonic Adventure 2: Battle Shadow the Hedgehog Sonic Frontiers Sonic X Shadow Generations

References[]