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Spin Dash

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Spin Dash
First seen: Sonic the Hedgehog 2 (1992)
Users: Sonic the Hedgehog, Miles "Tails" Prower, Knuckles the Echidna, Amy Rose, Mighty the Armadillo, Ray the Flying Squirrel, Espio the Chameleon, Vector the Crocodile, Shadow the Hedgehog, Cream the Rabbit
Type: Movement, attack

The Spin Dash or Super Spin Dash, which debuted in Sonic the Hedgehog 2 and in Sonic the Hedgehog CD (and is called a Turbo in Sonic the Comic), is the ability of Sonic the Hedgehog and various other playable characters to dash off from a standstill. Its animation is meant to symbolize the wheel of a car during a burnout. The character crouches, curls into a ball, spins to rev up and gain potential energy, and finally takes off at great speed. As at any other time the character is in a ball, if they hit an enemy (e.g. a Badnik or Dr. Eggman) they deal damage to them. The Spin Dash is faster and can be more useful than the spin roll.

In 2D side-scrolling games, the move is performed by holding Down and pressing a jump button. Most 3D titles have the Spin Dash assigned to a single button.

In Sonic 2 and subsequent 2D games

Knuckles the Echidna about to demonstrate the technique on a helpless Sparkle in Sonic 3's Carnival Night Zone.

The most famous form of the Spin Dash debuted in Sonic the Hedgehog 2, and is usable in all subsequent 2D games. Holding Down and pressing Jump (A, B or C) will charge up a Spin Dash; releasing Down will send the character zooming forwards at high speed. By repeatedly tapping the button, the launch speed increases.

In Tails Adventures, Tails can perform this move if he finds the Sonic item in Caron Forest and brings it with him on adventures.

In Sonic Rush and Sonic Rush Adventure, Blaze the Cat can perform her own version of the move, which is referred to as the Burst DashMedia:SonicRush DS US manual.pdf[1] (バーストダッシュ)Media:SonicRush DS JP manual.pdf[2]. Blaze uses her pyrokinesis to charge the move and bursts ahead with the same function as the Spin Dash.

Back-porting to Sonic 1

The Sonic 2 version of the Spin Dash has been retroactively added to the original Sonic the Hedgehog game five times officially (and many times by fans through ROM hacking; see below).

In Sonic Jam: When Sonic the Hedgehog was ported to the Sega Saturn as part of the Sonic games compilation Sonic Jam, the move was added as an optional feature. The move can allow the player to finish levels much more quickly, but creates a potential problem in Green Hill Zone by slightly increasing the chance of triggering the S-tunnel scrolling bug, in which the screen does not scroll quickly enough to keep up with Sonic and he dies on hitting its bottom (as if it were a pit).

In Sonic the Hedgehog Genesis: The Spin Dash is also present in the "anniversary mode" of Sonic the Hedgehog Genesis, a recreation of the original game on the Game Boy Advance. It works much as it usually does, with the exception that while charging speed, Sonic remains vulnerable to damage.

In Sonic the Hedgehog (2013): The Spin Dash is also present in Sonic the Hedgehog (2013), a remaster of the original game on iOS and Android devices. It works much as it usually does, however it may not always be useful as the stages are not built for it.

In 3D Sonic the Hedgehog: The Spin Dash is present in 3D Sonic the Hedgehog.[3] It can be toggled off and on (which requires a game reset), and is on by default. For some reason, Sonic can still be damaged by collision with a moving Badnik while charging the move in this version, much like Sonic the Hedgehog Genesis.

In Sega Ages Sonic the Hedgehog: The Spin Dash is present in Sega Ages Sonic the Hedgehog where it can be toggled off and on alongside the Drop Dash (which requires a game reset), and is on by default. Its coding is the same as in 3D Sonic the Hedgehog, so Sonic can still be damaged by collision while charging the move. In both Challenge modes, the Spin Dash is always enabled.

In Sonic CD

Sonic the Hedgehog CD was released after Sonic 2, and so technically marks the move's second appearance, but here it functions differently to the version in the latter game and subsequent 2D titles. Revving up does not confer invulnerability to attack, and must be completed by holding Jump for a sufficient time, otherwise Sonic will just stand up instead of dashing off--which, in any case, he always does at the same speed, because the launch speed is not scalable.

In the 2011 remaster, the player is given the option to choose between this type of Spin Dash and the Sonic 2 version.

In 3D games

In 3D Sonic games, the first of which was Sonic 3D Blast, the Spin Dash is performed by pressing a single dedicated button (usually from a standstill as in the 2D games) rather than using Down and Jump, because the directional controls are used to move Sonic around the floor.

In Sonic Adventure:

In Sonic Adventure 2:

In Shadow the Hedgehog: Shadow can Spin Dash just like Sonic normally does. Alternatively, Shadow can use the Dark Spin Dash when standing in a pool of Red Slime, allowing Shadow to move much faster on certain pathways.Media:Shadow GC US manual.pdf[4]

In Sonic the Hedgehog (2006):

In Sonic Lost World: it is possible for Sonic to dash forward continuously from a Spin Dash by pressing and holding the ZL button immediately after releasing the move. He can also perform the Spin Dash while running on walls or ceilings for an extra boost.

In Sonic Frontiers:

In the Super Smash Bros. series

In Super Smash Bros. Brawl, Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS / Wii U and Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, Sonic performs a Spin Dash for his side special move. The move is charged by holding Right+Special Move, then launched by releasing the buttons, causing Sonic to make a short hop as he dashes. The Spin Dash is also his down special move, but this variation is called the Spin Charge, and is charged by holding Down and repeatedly pressing the Special Move Button, much like in traditional Sonic games, and does not make Sonic do a small hop.

The 3DS and Wii U instalments also feature additional variations of the Spin Dash that the player can customize Sonic with:

  • Custom Side Special 1: Hammer Spin Dash. Has a larger hop at the beginning, with the descending part of the arc having burying capabilities.
  • Custom Side Special 2: Burning Spin Dash. The hop is non-existent, but Sonic is on fire. Has shorter hops out of the move. Similar to Sonic's Fire Somersault move in Sonic Adventure 2.
  • Custom Down Special 1: Auto-Spin Charge. Similar to Sonic CD's Spin Dash, instead of repeatedly pressing Special Move Button, you have to hold it down.
  • Custom Down Special 2: Gravitational Charge. Pulls opponents in front of Sonic towards him, and pushes opponents behind Sonic away from him.

In ROM hacks

Originally, adding the Spin Dash to a hack of Sonic 1 was considered technically impressive. In chronological order:

Nowadays, due to widespread assembly language usage and the existence of a Spin Dash porting guide, most recent Sonic 1 hacks feature a Spin Dash, usually Sonic 2-style.

In other media

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References