Sonic the Hedgehog (8-bit)/Bugs

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General bugs

Ramps

Hold ...

... for very fast times.

You went too fast.

This can even glitch up Jungle Zone's logs.

In Green Hill Zone and Jungle Zone, there are sections of the game where a steep hill drop leads to a ramp. If Sonic is rolled into a ball, he will be fired high into the air (complete with sound effect).

By holding while travelling in the air, Sonic will pick up speed and fly off the right hand side of the screen. The game then struggles to catch up - Sonic is unable to collide with objects rendered off-screen, and is able to fly over scenery. If performed correctly, Sonic can bypass the majority of Green Hill Zone Acts 1 and 2, can end up in areas outside the boundaries of the level, and can cause all sorts of graphical errors (such as the logs in Jungle Zone not having their graphics loaded fast enough).

The faster Sonic goes down the slope, the higher and further he will travel.

Partially fixed in the Game Gear version. The player can still outrun the camera, but they cannot go out of bounds or cause graphical errors.

Invincibility music error

If the player reaches the Bonus Panel while Invincibility is active, and the Invincibility runs out after the Bonus Panel lands, the regular level music will override the clear jingle and play until the results tally is displayed.

Fixed in the Game Gear version.

Bonus Panel graphical oddity

Sonic gets a Ring on the Bonus Panel.

The panel has changed after getting the Rings.

In the Master System version, when finishing an Act with exactly 30 Rings and getting a Ring to appear on the Bonus Panel, the Bonus Panel will suddenly change to Dr. Eggman after awarding its bonus.

Fixed in the Game Gear version, as Bonus Panels do not hand out Ring bonuses at 30 Rings.

Eggman's hurt animation

Rev 00

Rev 01

In Revision 01 of the Game Gear version, the duration of Eggman's hurt animation during all of his boss fights is inexplicably reduced to one frame. As a result, it is barely visible to the player if at all.

Introduced in Revision 01 of the Game Gear version.
Not fixed in any further version.

Level-specific bugs

Green Hill Zone

Horizontal spring forces Sonic into a wall

With a roll and a jump, this horizontal spring in the Master System's Act 2 can wedge Sonic into a wall. Press a button to rise to the top.

Fixed in the Game Gear version.

Bridge Zone

Prevent Eggman from shooting

Roll across the collapsing bridge...

...and Eggman won't be able to shoot.

In the Game Gear version, if the player rolls across the collapsing bridge to quickly reach the boss, Eggman will be unable to shoot even though the shooting sound effect will still play, making the fight much easier. This bug cannot occur in the Master System version due to not having a collapsing bridge and the player not being able to get enough speed before the boss.

Introduced in the Game Gear version.
Not fixed in any further version.

Labyrinth Zone

Skip vertical platforms

Parts of Labyrinth Zone depend on the player ascending via slow moving platforms underwater. If Sonic is standing on the very left edge of one of these platforms as it ascends, he can be wedged in a wall. Again, pressing a button will eject Sonic upwards, except he'll move much faster than the platform and is therefore less likely to drown.

Not fixed in any version.

Scrap Brain Zone

Dodgy doorway collision

The collision with the doorways in Act 2 is slightly buggy, allowing Sonic to intersect the wall above.

Not fixed in any version.

Clip through the escape platform

At the end of Act 3, if the player tries to stand on the tip of Eggman's escape platform after it comes back down, they will fall through it and stand underneath it. By pressing , they will clip on top of it and use it as normal.

Fixed in the Game Gear version.

Sky Base Zone

Skip a big chunk of Act 2

Get a good run here and jump.

Then roll to the right...

Easy peasy.

After getting past the turrets at the beginning of Act 2, the player can take a massive shortcut by running to the right and jumping on top of the walls, skipping a huge portion of the Act and going straight to the doorway leading to the goal.

Not fixed in any version.

Get behind Eggman's protective glass

A well-timed jump can get Sonic into the protective glass where Eggman is standing during the final boss, allowing for some easy hits. The glitch can also be performed by getting hit midair facing left with a shield next to Eggman's protective glass.

Not fixed in any version.

Quick teleportation

When the player chases Eggman to the escape teleporter, their controls are locked once Eggman jumps onto it. However, it is possible for the player to jump onto the teleporter at the same time as Eggman and transition to the ending sequence faster. This bug is ideal for ending speedruns a little sooner.

Not fixed in any version.