How the spin dash ruined Sonic

When Sega of America took over Sonic 2, they kept Yu Suzuki and his programming excellence but lost all Japan.

What this meant was, the game needed to be easier and move focus away from gameplay and towards crowd pleasing graphics where the controls are taken away from you.

In Sonic 1 the controls are never taken away from more than 2 seconds tops. You can always control Sonic even at the crest of loops.

Sonic 2 gave you switches to hang onto, ropes to swing and boring flying around sequences to watch until you can start moving again.

The reason Sonic 1 is one of the best platformers ever is not it’s polish but in its unique core mechanic of maintaining inertia and ability to spin and roll for extra speed.

The platforming tropes of Sonic 2 such as rope swinging is a reversion to more standard platforming and has its roots in European game design of the 80’s and not the fast paced Japanese design which sees fewer puzzles and greater emphasis on speed and control like Strider or Flicky.

So when Sega US designed the subsequent Sonic games they needed to remove the effort of achieving the core game mechanic which is to gain a fast momentum speed and maintain it without getting hit, with the spin dash.

The spin dash is however, game breaking and a gimmick. When you remove the punishment of taking a hit, your brain devalues that consequence just as a way to seek optimal performance as the punishment is less severe so getting hit is now more desirable. Where’s the reward in holding down and hammering any button?

This de-emphasis on maintaining speed for extra points made for a game design which is at odds with the core gameplay mechanic of momentum and avoiding being hit.

This is missing the point that this is a momentum game and this oversight continues into the 3d era with Sonic Adventure, moving too quickly from side to side, making it more akin to Mario 64 than a game where building up speed and collecting rings is not that hard - but jerky controls made it almost impossible.

Add to all that, that level design then ignores that a level should take anything from 25 seconds to 5 minutes to complete given how you choose to approach it.

These were the factors which were unique to Sonic the Hedgehog and why it remains the only true Sonic the Hedgehog game.

Aside:

There are two opposing mindsets or game design philosophies between Sonic 1 and two.

In Sonic 1 reward is based on player performance and as such, you are punished for not playing well and therefore your reward is proof you played well.

Modern western game design philosophy is less strict however and regards games as something which are more to be consumed and experienced than actively fought with and as such, tend to be easier. The reward is getting to enjoy their wonderful game they made (as I watch this, Sonic 3 snowboards down perfectly horizontal and 45 degree slopes (only 3 animation frames) in Super Sayan (paid Funimation for that yet Sega?) mode with no threat at all), wow!

US: “Consume this, monkeys!”

Japan: “You must be better! You play! You play harder!”

EDIT: a low point in 2d Sonic games came with Chris Whitehead’s Sonic Mania which saw more convoluted platform mechanics and a more traditional and slower platforming style with controls regularly taken away to demonstrate the programmers ability to move a screen as you watch in awe.

As Sonic taps his foot impatiently, waiting for the boss to eventually arrive, I find myself feeling the same way.

Then here’s the story for every following game.

Everyone wanted the gems. The end.

Watch that for hours of your life. Storytelling by an obsessive compulsive hoarder.

Some of this I agree with, S2 and S3 are poorly designed from a level design point of view due to focus on the spin dash gimmick (fun coop helps overlook this). Being more a roller coaster than a Platformer is unappealing. Bosses are better than the original overall though_

S&K I think does a pretty decent job namely because they had to compensate for Knuckles being a slower character. As such has better level design. Mania also at times suffers from the spin dash focus but believe it's a well made game in its own right.

(paid Funimation for that yet Sega?)

I get the joke but you mean Shōnen, they own Dragon Ball.

Nope. The water levels ruin Sonic.

Spin dashing keeps the flow going and makes speed running in general more fun, so I disagree. Sonic 1 is more challenging for keeping momentum, but if you're good, you're good, as all the games provide a satisfying arcade like experience the more you play. Just because the spin dash can be a crutch for casual players, that doesn't mean it diminishes the "Sonic experience," rather I think it enhances it - e.g., spin dash jumping.

I also prefer the sequels' level designs more, because they provide a superior mix of platforming, speed, and spectacle, as Sonic 1's is more akin to a traditional platformer with a lot more stop and go segments, and that in combination with Sonic's slower capped max speed, makes the experience stand out less. With that said, I still love the game for what it does, and it, along with the rest of the classics and Mania, are my favorite platformers to play.

@Renegade_Fury: how can spin dash keep the ‘flow’ going if you have to be stationary to do it?

Only in Sonic 1 can you hold down right through almost the entire game if you’re reactions are quick enough.

Also Sonic 1 remains a more modern platformer than the sequel’s, due to it’s focus on continuous movement and use of inertial physics.

Sonic 2 and 3 tone down the difficulty so much, a lot of the game is just waiting. Waiting for platforms, waiting for rubbish animations and shit ‘story’.

Then if you have fireball or super sayan you can just fireball attack through the whole game, no problem.

Not a proper platform game. Too easy, too slow, not challenging puzzle aspect = filler. Sonic 1 is way more original and innovative than any Sonic or platform game that came after it.

I noticed, you even increase your grip whilst walking on difficult moving platforms in Sonic 3 which I find a bit disorientating.

@jackamomo: Easy. Ever try beating Emerald Hill in 20 seconds or less, for example? You use the spin dash to build up momentum in order to do that. As I wrote before, spin dash jumping is an integral part of speed running, and since you mentioned it, that includes Adventure. The games without it, such as Sonic 1 and the MS versions of Sonic 1 and 2, are the ones that play more like Mario and platformers of that ilk, not the other way around.

All the games offer opportunities to use the momentum to your advantage, but it depends on the player's ingenuity and skill. Sonic 1 is just more in your face about it, but it's complete hyperbole to say that it's so much harder and more rewarding than the others when every game in the series is easy. If you know what you're doing, the spin dash will allow for plenty of experimentation in order to gain height and speed, and even if you have to stop for a second, it's better than in Sonic 1 where there's no way to rebuild your momentum quickly. Imagine having the spin dash in Marble and Labyrinth zone, and how much faster they could be completed.

Your complaint against the story and Super Sonic is neither here nor there, and just comes off as complaining for the sake of it, but regardless, I couldn't disagree more with your main assertion, because I firmly believe that the spin dash, as well as the drop dash and boosting, have all been great additions to the series. If anything, you should be loving Christian Whitehead for inventing the drop dash since all momentum is preserved without stopping at all.

@Renegade_Fury: you simply don’t understand. By having something handed to you, you have been deprived of something not given something.

@jackamomo: Nothing is handed to you. If you suck, the spin dash won't prevent you from getting hit and earning lousy times and scores. The momentum based gameplay is all there in the sequels, and on top of it, skilled players can take advantage of the new additions to perform even more impressive runs. It's the same deal as in NiGHTS and Rodea, other Yuji Naka games, where better players will get far more out of the movesets than novice players will.

@Renegade_Fury: yeah sure if you say so.

I say the last good Sonic game was Sonic CD despite it having a dash, as it gave you branching paths to complete the level in various different ways and different spreads without silly gimmicks which are just animations that teleport you around. No zip wires or see-saw catapults that don’t really work.

You keep running all the time which is how Sonic is meant to be. In 2, 3 and S&K there is little on the ways of branching paths and stops and starts are constant.

The level design just isn’t there and doesn’t facilitate a long smooth run with precision jumping but rather you are continually hitting speed bumps.

In short, they removed the fast lane after Sonic 1. They lowered the bar if entry as well as the skill ceiling. If you can find a glitch free speed run of the later 2d sonic games you will see the speed dash and fireball attack used constantly to avoid any slow run up starts but the time saved is actually minimal and again, if you’re playing well it shouldn’t be be neccassary unless the level leaves you with no other option as a smooth continuous run is not possible.

In the level design after 1, they completely threw the ball-physics out the window and no-where are you thrown up into the air in a way which retains your control of the character, whilst also progressing the stage, allowing you, with skill, to collect extra rings etc.

Sega US did not understand how to make a game about a rolling ball which was also a platform game. Only a platform game which included a rolling ball.

Without the aspect of momentum and speed + skill = bonus smug points you are left with a character who doesn’t live up to his claims of wanting to go fast, or level designers who are determined to stop him.

PS. Knights pissed me off so much. I thought it was the game of my dreams! Then I realised it was 2d and just 3d visuals. What is the point of that?!

Mario 64 had a flying stage with rings of coins to fly through. That’s all you needed to do, Knights!!!

PPS. Marble and Labrynth Zones would not benefit from the spin dash as it is not a safe move and you will just hit some lava or spikes or bat as as someone mentioned earlier, the levels in 2+ were designed around the spin dash, which negate the need for a continuous period of build up without getting hit. Sure it takes 2 seconds but that is your punishment. Without punishment, there is almost no reward.

Why do people continually shit on popular classic games (or just good games in general)? I don't get it, guess I never will. Sonic 1 was great, Sonic 2 was way better, end of discussion.

@jackamomo: I say so, because I know so. :)

I play these games all the time, and I think what you're implying is very hyperbolic. The floor was never high to begin with, and while I'll agree that it's lower in the sequels, the ceiling is far higher. Personally, I feel that all of the classics are brilliant, but if I were to rank them, it's: 3&K>Mania>2>1>CD. CD being last, because its levels lack direction, and if you don't attempt to achieve good futures, they're all over in 30 seconds and without speed running.

As for the other stuff, I adore NiGHTS because it's all about flow and precision, and to an even higher degree than Sonic. The Mario 64 flying levels are clunky junk in comparison, and especially seem so when put up against Rodea, which is essentially 3D NiGHTS. I also totally disagree about Marble and Labyrinth Zone, because, again, with spin dash jumping, a skilled player can fly past all of those obstacles. You don't need it, but the spin dash adds a risk and reward element, and it's one of the positives of the Christian Whitehead remake, as well as the drop dash in the M2 SEGA Ages remaster.

@Renegade_Fury: I’m sorry. But stopping, holding ‘down’, then bashing the button up to six times is not my idea of flow or fun. Then in the next instance you fly off at full speed, probably into some lava.

Just because a move might improve speed runner’s performance I really couldn’t care less, it’s not improving the skill level. It is a tedious persuit for super nerds anyway.

Spin dash doesn’t add a risk and reward element. Only risk. If your desire is to go through the level faster, it’s no use at all.

As for NiGHTS or whatever it’s called. I saw visuals of a 3d game where you fly!

That’s all I wanted but Sega couldn’t figure out a flying game so you got a Sonic game, which does look quite nice but didn’t offer the freedom 3d graphics promised.

@jackamomo: Again, that's complete hyperbole. Who's stopping and revving for six times and flying into lava? I don't know what you're doing, but that's certainly not me. When I use the spin dash, it's to skip segments and to bounce off multiple enemies and carry that momentum to go even higher. To me, that sounds awfully pinball like, which is what you're praising Sonic 1 so much for. Going through the level as fast as you can while not getting hit is the only thing that Sonic's ever been about, and the spin dash doesn't at all go against that design philosophy. With that said, if it truly bothers you so much, I again will mention the drop dash, which addresses the main issue you have.

Oh, and your whole argument is something only a "super nerd" would attempt to make, so yeah...

@Renegade_Fury: Again, that's complete hyperbole. Who's stopping and revving for six times and flying into lava?

Speed runners. Apparently that's how many you need to get to full speed. You obviously don't need to do six. It's as many as you want with 1 being the least speed.

You can't bounce off multiple enemies from a spin dash as you travel in a straight line - you need to attack from above to bounce. I'm not sure which bits of level you are skipping. Why would you want to skip parts of the level? Is it because they are boring?

There are no point you 'go even higher' in Sonic games after the first one.

To me, that sounds awfully pinball like, which is what you're praising Sonic 1 so much for.

The pinball stage was the most popular from the first game because it understands best that at it's core Sonic is a game about a bouncing ball and well you can maneuver it around a course, with dips and ramps. The pinball stages understood the original design concept better than Sega US, thus you get a stage which is about controlling a ball around a pinball world. It's kind of genius and why Sonic is the most unique and modern platform game ever made.

I may be a super nerd but one that cares about game design and the legacy of stupid developers continuously diluting strong game design elements to fit in their own philosophies even if they are at odds with the main thrust of the original game.

I don't know what a drop dash is but what I'm saying is a continuous fluid motion through a level is what the game was supposed to be so adding another spontaneous boost is unlikely to fix my issue of gimmicky attacks breaking the flow of action to give you the impression they have improved the game when they have actually broken it more and missed the whole point entirely.

Welcome to Games Discussions, the place some Gamers make an opinion (uncommon one or not), and you are free to debate in agreement, against, or a mix of both. Stating the discussion "end"s with no context isn't contributing. If you believe Sonic the Hedgehog 2 is better let us know why_

With that stated I don't know how @jackamomo came to the conclusion Sonic CD is anything special, it's poorly designed with odd pace breaking cutscenes, and stupid gimmicks.

The actual platforms remind me of the Game Gear games (that's not a complement), the stages always seemed larger than the character sprites should work with for a Platformer. CD also has some of the worst designed boss encounters. I don't think CD is garbage or anything, but it's certainly below 2 and 3. And most certainly favors speed over platforming. And yet lacks the coop from 2 and 3 that makes it a little easier to tolerate.

S&K>S>SM>S2>S3>SCD>S4

@jackamomo: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sDUNoeTfkP4

Just a small example, but you get the idea. SEGA Technical Institute understood Sonic perfectly, and it was comprised of both American and Japanese developers.

The drop dash is the spin dash that you rev up while in the air from Sonic Mania, and it conserves momentum without stopping. Did you not play it, because you shat on it in the OP?

@RSM-HQ: I don't think CD is garbage or anything, but it's certainly below 2 and 3. And most certainly favors speed over platforming.

You got me. I will be honest and say I don't particularly rate Sonic CD as it is a bit clunky and it has the spin dash anyway minus the animation, rather shitilly. But it recognised Sonic is a game about speed which was lost after the first game.

Sonic is a b*tch of a game though. It entices you with rings then gives you sh*t for taking to long about getting them despite him maneuvering like a boat on ice.

So the faster you finish, the more bonus points (points do mean lives here) and you also need 50 rings to get the bonus level needed to finish the game fully (dilemma decision making) so you need to be considering weather or not it's worth the 2 full seconds it will take to grab those two rings 3 feet away from you or just get on with the level and go for points.

It's this design making which is only strongly relied on in the first episode - how far do you deviate from the level path to collect rings or power up's? This is a constant process played out over the level.

When you create dead ends in the level, you break the flow. This does happen in 1 a bit and those parts are annoying to me. A well designed level will offer a faster route or more power ups if you can control Sonic skillfully enough to bound over multiple moving platforms say, without falling into the bottomless pits. Or, you can wait and just hop over them when they come near like the baby you are.

Sonic was an original platformer because of it's level design and how alot of speed was possible if you didn't bump into anything, hence, the excitement is increased when you do achieve mastery of a level.

I don't feel clever having jumped onto a hanging bar which then cranks me up into another platform taking ages in some kind of silly made up contraption which only serves to move Sonic around a bit.

@Renegade_Fury: Just a small example, but you get the idea. SEGA Technical Institute understood Sonic perfectly, and it was comprised of both American and Japanese developers.

Sonic 2 was a compromise of Japanese action game philosophy and Western. Pinball physics and a focus on finishing levels quickly were sidelined for a more story driven game with additional 'features'. Now I'm not against progress and trying new things but Sonic 2 was a disappointment. Tails played the exact same as Sonic. You couldn't even glide and he has a helicopter tail ffs. That was such an obvious design choice I'm astonished they didn't think of it.

The split screen mode is a true Sonic game though because you are literally racing you're opponent to the end of the level, and maybe there is co-op. It's racing through levels which is the point of Sonic, not waiting on platforms with extra grip and sliding around on zip wires or boosting instantly in any direction.

That is all taking the skill and therefore fun out of controlling Sonic as a momentum game. If you are considering the bumps and undulations in the ground during movement, you are playing a proper Sonic game. The Master System and Game Gear could not handle this element, which needs at least 16 different animated sprite angles so Sonic can move in 360 degrees in a loop or the angle of the land, which accounts for speed and angle when leaving a platform, introducing the possibility of extra high jumps.

This is all dependant on level design though and if you are sliding down a zip wire at a constant velocity, there's little sense of going fast and more a sense riding a cable car. Adding new abilities is fine but what does the bubble do, bounce down? How is that different to just landing on things and bouncing neatly onto the next one, like the original game laid down very nicely for you and borrowed from Mario. The there's the fireball which is obviously overpowered and an electric one I forget what it does.

I can appreciate hating underwater stages as they do seem designed to frustrate you but they aren't too numerous.

Yeah Sonic is a mean game to play. You never know if you went too fast or dawdled too long but never felt like your hand was being held or the game was forcing you to watch it's crappy cut scenes.

The irony of course, is that if you consider that if Sonic is running at full speed, isn't that faster than standing still, crouching hammering the button then jettisoning off. If the level was a proper Sonic level, you would not be stopped in the first place. Otherwise you were a noob and need to try harder, no give him boosty training wheels.

@jackamomo:

Sonic is a game about speed which was lost after the first game.

For the most part, very true. S&K and Mania have quite a lot of what made original special in my view but even at the other games; as 2D Platformers go, could be worse. Bubsy exists after all, and Zool. These are two of the worst Platformers I've had the pleasure of playing.

When you create dead ends in the level, you break the flow. This does happen in 1 a bit and those parts are annoying to me.

Depends how the level is intended to function, I enjoy some that involve more climbing a ladder, or for fulfilling a goal, over the left to right objective. Problem is Sonic isn't really designed for zig-zag platforming, as noted above is a momentum game, so comes across as clunky. Mania fixes this somewhat with the drop dash @Renegade_Fury mentioned.

Everyone seems to have a different favorite Sonic the Hedgehog and for different reasons, I personally have no love for the character itself so focus what the game offers. Which makes me believe it's for more than Platforming fans, that's why it took off so well all those decades ago.

@jackamomo: Hyperbole again. You seem to think Sonic 1 is Metal Slug while Sonic 2 and beyond are Metal Gear Solid and filled with nothing but cutscenes and waiting, lol. It's funny how you give Sonic 1 a pass for being full of those moments like in Marble, Labyrinth, and let's not forget the biggest culprit, Scrap Brain Zone. Literally half the game consists of stages where you have to stop and wait for platforms to show up or for enemies to stop shooting. The sequels on the other hand, have a lot less of those segments, but then you go ahead and say that they're too easy. So which is it, because Sonic 1 isn't a game that you're in constant movement even if you're good. The sequels do a better job of that, and I even linked you an example.

As for the elemental shields, they have multiple abilities: protect you from the elements they're based on (duh), bounce projectiles, attract rings (lightning only), and provide a secondary action for Sonic. Not only do those perks make level traversing more fun, they're especially useful in boss fights if you're good enough to still have them by that point. They're neat and much better than the non-creative standard shield from Sonic 1 & 2, but of course you're claiming that they ruin the experience "for reasons" lol.

So yeah, I really don't know what to tell you, because it's as if you're being purposely dense as well as creating a false narrative of how the Americans compromised the original design philosophy. You know Yuji Naka went to STI too right? He was there, and if you play his later games, this was the direction that he wanted Sonic to take. It was never about playing like a pinball (which you still can do in the later games), but going fast and looking cool while doing it. That's it. I don't know why you think shorts segments like Sonic using a zip-line are cardinal sins, so your argument just comes off as making a mountain out of a molehill. Since you never gave a response about the drop dash, I'm going to assume that you actually haven't played Mania. Try it, you might like it over the spin dash. I certainly do, and I consider it a significant game changer for speed running.

@Renegade_Fury: I don't think Sonic 1 is like Metal Slug, that's what I'm accusing the later versions of erring towards, it's not a momentum based platform game at all, it's a run and gun!

I'm not talking so much about American's specifically, but the Western platformer, as opposed to the Japanese more fast, points based action based platformer. But I think they were just trying to broaden it's appeal. Not unsuccessfully I might add.

I'm not against new things but I just didn't think the new power ups were all that good. I like that lightning attracts rings because that's aiding your core mission of getting rings quickly. But the fireball, whilst cool, maybe made platforming a bit easier? Then the bubble just stops you in your tracks and bounces you on the ground. Does the lightning give you double jump? If so that is a cool feature.

It's about momentum. That is when the game is fun, because you maneuvered something skillfully which took foresight, planning and accurate timing. You just pulled off a skill moment. When you add a power up that objectively makes the game easier without facilitating your core goal of traversing a level quickly and whilst still utilising the mechanic of momentum for movement, not boosts, you dilute the game because you haven't considered how the new thing will affect the key principles that initially made it fun. Ie, pretending to be a ball.

That is why Chris Whitehead does not get it. Super Sonic is the ultimate example of not getting a game. You are now invincible. You can now do extra damage, go speedy boot speed, stars are quite literally flying out of your ass.

This is spectacle pure and simple and your just watching the screen and mashing buttons like morons because those game are not hard. Invincibility was already in the first game, although not original it made for some interesting moments as you dash over spikes to cheese through the level.

You can't just keep adding things and call that progress. You need to refine a thing based on what the best version of the original version could be. Rockstar accomplished this. DiD with their umpteen flying sims simply refined their formula. Need for Speed too. But Sega threw the baby out with the bathwater when Sega US didn't get their way and Sega said f*ck it make Sonic then. So they did and they were all big hit's but none of them are as pure a vision of a game as Sonic 1.

But more importantly, the DNA had been changed at an early stage, making levels about novelty over challenge.

The problem with giving Sonic a dash is screen space. The camera literally cannot catch up due to it's own momentum limitations. It is not a safe move to spin dash in a 2d Sonic game because you might fly off a ledge or into a baddy. Simply because you can't see where you're going. A homing attack is safe and can be chained so is akin to a flow, providing the camera is showing you where you're going, but a direct attack up or down into unknown screen space in a 2d Sonic, which always has a specific sprite size in relation to the background, much bigger than Mario, leaving only about 8 Sonics on each side, could spell disaster.

Sonic 1 (Genesis) then Sonic Mania (PC)

PS. One of my favourite ever Sonic games was an old mobile game on my Sony-Walkman-branded w580i slider style 2008 phone where you simply continuously bounced on springs going up. It was a good Sonic game because there was seamless continual progression. Also, the best phone I ever had, I upgraded to a W910i but it had slower performance. It actually smashed the iPhone for games due to it's dpad.

I don't like the bonus stages in Sonic 3. Turning the red balls blue is so easy and boring and the levels are basically 2 colours and a quasi 3d grid you are stuck to, moving only in straight lines and can turn at right angles. Exciting!

This is that game in ASCII...

[ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ]

[ ] [S] [b] [b] [ ]

[ ] [r] [ ] [b] [ ]

[ ] [r] [b] [b] [ ]

[ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ]

Move S over b to turn into r until you move over 4 then all b's and r's become rings. Collect rings. Don't hit the red's or you're out.

Sonic 1 bonus stage was very difficult but it looked cool. Sonic 2 is an excellent bonus stage as it is fast and hard, which you all know. Is just how I like it. *wink and finger-gun* 'pour vous'.

@jackamomo: Here's the thing though, that momentum you keep mentioning is STILL all there in the sequels. New additions like the elemental shields build off it too. The bubble shield, for example, will carry your momentum - try jumping from a large height in Hydro City and the bounce will send you flying. That literally is Newtonian Physics 101.

Christian Whitehead ABSOLUTELY gets it, because he created the drop dash, which is a move that CONSERVES momentum without stopping. Then there are all the accolades Mania received for being the best Sonic game ever, but there's no need to go there. As for the Super transformations, I don't understand why you think they're bad and that they prove a lack of understanding of the design philosophy. They're just rewards for completing the special zones, not mandatory gameplay features. There's no need to analyze them beyond that.

From reading more and more of your posts, it seems that you haven't played any of the games recently. I urge you to do so, because you're complaining as if the flashier characteristics of the sequels are somehow diluting the core gameplay experience, which isn't true at all. The same goes for your latest criticism against the spin dash too, because even though Sonic benefits from widescreen, the spin dash was not a super dangerous move to pull off like you're implying. The reality is that all of the games will reward skilled players that understand how to use momentum, as it's not something solely found in Sonic 1.

@Renegade_Fury: when you get Super Sonic you can’t be killed. You also get speedy boots and possibly another dash.

This is you’re reward for getting all the things. But to get all the things took backtracking. Because the levels are convoluted to encourage exploring. So then you get Super Sonic what is your reward? It’s the removal of all threat and the opportunity to go faster. That is, providing there is a clear path without obstruction.

So now you can collect more things without threat and take out all the enemies of you want. But you already have the ultimate reward so what is the point of collecting? May as well just bomb through the level to the end without really paying any attention to the baddies at all. So that’s fun I suppose because you get to skip the level and feel cool. But if you really think about it, Super Sonic has just deprived you of the fun of being skilful for a bit. So you are simply in a kind of creative mode until you can get hit again...

Cool I suppose but maybe he shouldn’t be invincible. You still want to feel cool as you’re quite good at this point and you want to flex your muscles - but the Sonic 3 power ups just put the training wheels back on.

They aren’t that creative. The fireball is just another dash and removal from the inertia game. The lighting I like because it improves on your existing skills. But the bubble should let you swim and maybe move faster under water.

This is my idea for what Super Sonic should be: speed increase and multiple double-jumps that grant momentary invincibility and kill enemies. Then you can chain jumps and increase your height if you want but you can still be killed.