Bumper

BumpersMedia:Sonic1 MD US manual.pdf, known as Bobbins (ボビン)Media:Sonic1 MD JP manual.pdf in Japan are objects frequently found in Sonic the Hedgehog titles. Borrowed from pinball, colliding with one usually causes a character to bounce off in the opposite direction, sometimes awarding a small number of points in the process.

Bumpers were first seen in the original Sonic the Hedgehog (both in Spring Yard Zone and Special Stages), and have returned in most mainstream Sonic games to date.

Appearances

Sonic 1 (16-bit)

Found in Spring Yard Zone (and in the Special Stage), the Sonic 1 bumper is a blue circle semi-covered by a yellow five-point star, with a thin red outer ring. When Sonic hits this obstacle, the bumper expands slightly and propels him backwards. These are commonly found in the more open areas of the zone, where Sonic is free to bounce around pinball-style.

Sonic 1 (8-bit)

Found exclusively in Bonus Stages that serve to help or hinder the player in finding the exit of stage or some monitors, in this game bumpers are bigger than Sonic himself.

Sonic 2 (16-bit)

Sonic 2 has a number of different bumpers, all found in Casino Night Zone:

• Hexagonal: This bumper has a blue outer ring, and cycles through many colours on the inside. It is also capable of side-to-side movement; however, it does not give the player a point bonus when hit.
• Star: This bumper is a blue circle with thin yellow and slightly thicker red outer rings. This bumper is similar to that found in Sonic 1; however, this bumper's star is white. This bumper gives a 10-point bonus to the player for each hit.
• Triangle: This bumper is triangular, and has two forms. The first is an isosceles right-angled triangle found in corners; the second has a longer base and a shorter height, found on floors and walls. These differ in colour, too; the first is red and green, with a small white 'crown' insignia in its centre. There are also two "screws" at the end of the green band's hypotenuse. The second, however, is a blue triangle with an orange and a red outer band. Again, there are two "screws" at the ends of the longest side of the orange band. Again, neither of these bumpers gives a point bonus to the player.
• Block: This bumper, which vaguely resembles a burger, stays in its place until it is destroyed after it is hit three times. Its first colour is lime green; after it is hit once, it turns yellow. After it is hit again, it turns red. After it is hit a third time, the bumper disappears. With each hit, the bumper gives the player the standard ten-point bonus - meaning the player gets thirty points for each 'block' bumper destroyed.
• Special bumper: This bumper requires a "CNZ SPECIAL BUMPER" tag to function.

Sonic CD

The bumpers appearing in this game can be found in Collision Chaos Zone. The bumpers returns only in Metallic Madness Zone 3, on the only bottomless pit in game.

In Special Stages there is a special kind of bumper that looks similar to Sonic 1.

Sonic 3 & Knuckles

Found in Carnival Night Zone and the Special Stage, this level's bumper is a simple white orb with a red four-point star in the centre. These appear either alone or in groups, and are capable of movement in any direction. Some groups may rotate in a circle-like fashion, others form lines and spin parallel to a certain point.

A second kind of bumper can be found in the Slot Machine Bonus Stage.

Sonic 3D: Flickies' Island

Spring Stadium had circular bumpers that have red/yellow alternating rings. The zone also has triangle bumpers on the corners of slanted areas in the zone.

Sonic Blast

Found only in Special Stages, the bumpers bounce player backwards as in Sonic 3 & Knuckles or Knuckles Chaotix. In this game, the bumpers look like a sandwich, because of the pseudo 3D vision, with a yellow center and the upper and lower faces with a style based off on the previous games.

Chaotix

Bumper Balls appear in the Special Stage.

Sonic R

Bumpers appear in Radical City's pinball table section of the course.

Sonic Adventure

Found only at pinball tables in Casinopolis, their appearance is similar to that of Sonic 2, but with a design that is closer to real bumpers. The bumpers may float or may be static in certain sections of the pinball table.

Sonic Pocket Adventure

Found in Cosmic Casino Zone, bumpers have a similar function as played in Casino Night Zone from Sonic 2, being a common object in stage.

Sonic Advance

Bumpers appear in Casino Paradise Zone as a common object in the stage similar way to function in Casino Night Zone from Sonic 2, however the look is similar to bumpers from Sonic 1.

Sonic Heroes

Bumpers reappear in Casino Park and Bingo Highway as floating balls of green color with a star symbol on the front and back faces. Can be found both inside the pinball tables or outside. Outside pinball sections it is safer to use homing attack on bumpers to have less chances of falling.

Sonic 4: Episode 1

Found in Casino Street Zone, bumpers perform the same function as in Casino Night Zone from Sonic 2, as a common object in all 3 acts. Due to the physics of the game, bumpers may not throw the player too high and can easily change the direction.

Sonic Generations

Bumpers are found in Crisis City's "Vector: Through the Storm" challenge act, where Classic Sonic is thrown against groups of bumpers by Vector. In addition, they also appear in the Casino Night DLC stage as common objects on the pinball table. The design of the bumpers in this game is a bit more realistic compared to the previous games and has similarities with Sonic 1's bumper style.

Sonic Mania

Found in Studiopolis Zone, they act like bumpers in previous titles. Some new patterns like spinning half circles appear.

Sonic Superstars

Found in Pinball Carnival Zone and Golden Capital Zone, they act similar to bumpers in previous titles. In Golden Capital Zone, they can give rings as well when hit.