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Sonic the Hedgehog[edit]
Sonic is the primary hero of the game, having been pursuing Eggman longer than anyone else. Sonic is the fastest of all playable characters, and is thus best at maintaining that speed. He is aided by his new ability, the Drop Dash, a kind of mid-air Spin Dash that gives him a boost after returning to the ground from a Spin Jump. It can be performed by holding an action button (
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) while in mid-air; Sonic's ensuing speed will be so impressive that he leaves behind a dust cloud. Collecting enough medallions in the Bonus Stages unlocks other abilities for Sonic in place of the Drop Dash, both available in No Save mode: the Super Peel-Out from Sonic CD and the Insta-Shield from Sonic 3 & Knuckles. Additionally, just as in Sonic 3 & Knuckles, different types of shields give him unique abilities: the Fire Shield gives him the ability to perform an air dash, the Lightning Shield grants a double jump, and the Water Shield gives a bounce ability, alongside unlimited air underwater.
Collecting all Chaos Emeralds through Special Stages unlocks a secret zone exclusive to Sonic at the end of the game. Defeating the final boss in this zone will allow you to view the true ending of the game.
Miles "Tails" Prower[edit]
Tails is a two-tailed fox who made his first appearance in Sonic the Hedgehog 2 as Sonic's first ally in his quest to put a stop to Eggman's evil plans. Tails is technologically proficient, able to operate his own biplane, the "Tornado", if the conflict takes to the skies. However even more impressive is his ability to fly without any sort of plane; Tails utilizes his two-tail mutation to his benefit, spinning them like propellers and giving him access to areas that no one else can reach.
If playing co-op with Sonic and Tails, Tails can carry Sonic when in-flight as the hedgehog can simply jump into his arms and be taken to new areas. However, Tails' flight has a limit as staying in the air too long will eventually tire him.
Knuckles the Echidna[edit]
Knuckles first made his appearance in Sonic the Hedgehog 3 as an antagonist. As the guardian of the Master Emerald and all of Angel Island, Knuckles has considerable strength. However he is also quite gullible, having believed Eggman when he blamed the theft of the Master Emerald on Sonic and Tails. Ever since he has realized the error of his ways and in Sonic & Knuckles took on the role of deuteragonist. Knuckles has a similar role in Sonic Mania, pursuing Eggman in order to put a stop to whatever he has planned.
Knuckles long locks allow him to glide across long distances: though he can't ascend at will like Tails, this ability may come in handy when combined with Knuckles' ability to climb. Knuckles' namesake knuckles allow him to scale walls and his strength allows him to break through breakable walls simply by walking through them, whereas Sonic or Tails would have to perform a Spin Dash.
Mighty the Armadillo[edit]
Mighty the Armadillo is one of two characters introduced in Sonic Mania Plus, though his first appearance was in the 1993 arcade game SegaSonic the Hedgehog as an ally of Sonic. His only other appearance between his debut and Sonic Mania was in Knuckles' Chaotix as an ally of Knuckles. In Mania Mighty plays in a manner similar to Sonic, though he has some different abilities up his sleeve that aid him in both offense and defense. Firstly, pressing an action button twice will cause Mighty to perform a ground pound, hurting all nearby enemies. Secondly, Mighty's shell acts as a shield, making him immune to spikes when in ball form. Mighty can also crash through breakable objects due to his strength.
While Mighty has some advantages that make him strong and durable, they don't give him an edge when it comes to speedrunning (such as Knuckles' climbing and gliding, Tails' flying, or Sonic's Drop Dash and shield abilities). Thus, he's best played if you're looking for someone on the safer side.
Ray the Flying Squirrel[edit]
Ray, like Mighty, is introduced in Sonic Mania Plus, having previously made his only appearance in the 1993 arcade game SegaSonic the Hedgehog as an ally of Sonic. Ray is similar in appearance and gameplay to Tails, with a smaller size and flying capabilities. While his form of flight is more like gliding it doesn't have the properties of Knuckles' glide, most notably the slow descent. Ray's ability to float on the air without losing altitude gives him similar control to Tails' brand of flight; while he can't ascend, he can decide when to dive, and his glide can carry him across distances perhaps even greater than Tails' flight and Knuckles' glide can if controlled properly.
Ray's technical style of play is more complex than other characters, even though it is more suitable for speedruns than Mighty's. Controlling Ray in flight requires a level of precision and accuracy that comes with practice, but considering he doesn't tire like Tails or lose altitude like Knuckles, the reward is great. If enough momentum is gained and it's angled properly, his glide is also the fastest mode of travel. With enough momentum it's speed can match a spin dash and it can cross very large distances, even further than with tails' flight. If used properly, Ray's fly/glide ability can cover most of Green Hill act one.