Tag Action
From Sonic Retro
| Tag Action |
|---|
| First seen: Sonic Advance 3 (2004) |
| Users: Sonic the Hedgehog, Miles "Tails" Prower, Knuckles the Echidna, Amy Rose, Cream the Rabbit |
| Type: Movement, attack |
Tag Actions[1] (タッグアクション)[2] are special moves that can be performed by various characters in certain Sonic the Hedgehog games. As their name implies, these moves are performed by two characters together to perform a unique action.
Game appearances
Sonic Advance 3
The first game to feature Tag Actions is Sonic Advance 3. In this game, a player can press and hold the 
button to bring their partner to them. Once the Tag Action is ready, the player's character will be carrying his/her partner in ball form in his/her arms. At that point, once is released, the characters will perform a move together. Each character in the game has two kinds of Tag Action: one that is activated on the ground, and one that is activated while in the air. They are, as follows:
| Character | Ground Tag Action | Mid-Air Tag Action |
|---|---|---|
| Sonic | Sonic will immediately propel his partner forward at high speeds, activating Boost Mode in the process. | Same as ground Tag Action. |
| Tails | The player will leapfrog off of Tails, jumping incredibly high into the air. | Tails will begin flying, carrying his partner like in classic Sonic titles. The player must land in order to let go of Tails. |
| Knuckles | The player will lob Knuckles in the direction they are facing, destroying Badniks and breaking down walls that only Power Type teams can break. | Knuckles will begin gliding with the player riding on his back. When he clings to a wall, the player will fall off. |
| Cream | Cheese will temporarily transform to resemble the player's character, allowing them to use the Chao Attack for a limited time. | Same as ground Tag Action, with the addition of the move doubling the player's upward momentum, gaining extra height with their jump. |
| Amy | Amy whacks her partner with her Piko Piko Hammer to catapult them straight upwards into the air. | Same as ground Tag Action, except the player enters a Spin Attack state and isn't launched as high. |
| Dr. Eggman | During the final battle in Nonaggression, Super Sonic will charge up energy with Eggman, then fire him as a massive fireball to attack Gemerl. Doing this is necessary in exposing Gemerl's weak spot so Super Sonic can hit it. The longer the button is held down, the greater the move's power, and the longer Gemerl's weak spot is exposed.
| |
Tag Action preparation can be interrupted by a number of factors, such as taking damage, running up a wall or a loop, grinding rails, or interacting with certain objects such as pulleys, so it is up to the player's judgement on when to charge a Tag Action. Due to being mapped to the same button, the player cannot charge a Tag Action while performing a Trick Action.
Sonic the Hedgehog 4: Episode II
Tag Actions return in Sonic the Hedgehog 4: Episode II for Sonic and Tails to use throughout the game, both sharing the same actions. In this game, Tag Actions are immediately initiated by simply pressing 
/ 
, and once pressed the action is performed immediately. There are three kinds of Tag Actions that can be used depending on where the button is pressed:
- Copter Combo — Used in the air to fly for a short while, like in classic Sonic titles.
- Submarine Combo — Used underwater to move about through the water.
- Rolling Combo — Used on the ground to roll forward at high speed, plowing through obstacles.
Tag Actions are not immediately available to the player(s) when starting a new game; they must each be unlocked by using them at specific points throughout Sylvania Castle Zone. Additionally, using a Tag Action will force Super Sonic to revert to normal, though he may transform again if the player(s) has enough Rings.