Sonic the Hedgehog/Gameplay

Playing Sonic the Hedgehog is relatively simple. This is a short walkthrough on how the game mechanics work.

Controls

Control	Action
	Press left or right on the D-pad to have Sonic begin moving in that direction. As Sonic continues moving he will gain speed until he reaches his maximum running speed. Press the opposite direction to his motion to make him perform an emergency skid stop.
( or ) +	Press down on the D-pad while moving to have Sonic execute his Spin Attack, where he curls into a ball. In this state, he can defeat enemies by ramming into them, but traps such as spikes will still hurt him.
	Press this button to have Sonic crouch. After a few seconds of crouching the camera will pan down, allowing you to view what's underneath Sonic.
	Press this button to have Sonic look up. After a few seconds of looking up the camera will pan up, allowing you to view what's above Sonic.
, , or	Press these buttons to have Sonic perform the Spin Jump, where Sonic jumps and performs the Spin Attack through the air.
	Use this button to pause the game.

Characters

Sonic the Hedgehog

Sonic the Hedgehog is the game's speedy, spiky-haired hero. It's up to him to race through all of the levels of the game, grab all of the Chaos Emeralds, and defeat Robotnik!

Dr. Robotnik / Eggman

Sonic the Hedgehog's nemesis is named Dr. Robotnik in the West, and Dr. Eggman in Japan. Whatever the name, his goal is the same - to conquer the world using the power of the Chaos Emeralds... but not if Sonic can do anything about it!

The Animals

These little animals come in several different species. They serve as the 'damsels-in-distress' of the game, being imprisoned inside Robotnik's badniks, as well as the animal capsule at the end of every third act.

Badniks

These are Robotnik's robot soldiers and the main opposition to your quest. They come in many different types, each with their own offensive and defensive mechanisms, so be careful in your encounters with them.

Items and Objects

Items and objects are found in the world and have several different effects depending on the type of item or object. Do not be afraid to interact with them and see what happens!

Picture	Item	Description
	Ring	These golden rings control Sonic's health in a rather innovative manner. If Sonic gets hurt (whether by a badnik or a level hazard) whilst he has at least one ring, he will not die - instead, he will lose all of his rings, which will scatter around the area where he took damage, and Sonic will be given temporary invulnerability. However, if Sonic gets hurt without any rings, he will lose a life. Also, collecting 100 rings will grant you an extra life, and collecting 200 rings will grant you another extra life!
	Signpost	This signpost with Robotnik's ugly mug on it appears at the end of the first and second act of every zone. Touch it to get it spinning - it will eventually land on an image of Sonic's face, which will complete the act and begin the end-of-act procedure.
	Checkpoint	When you touch this, the blue ball at the top will spin around and turn red to indicate it has been triggered, and the checkpoint will record your score and time. If you subsequently lose a life and have lives remaining to continue, you'll respawn at the checkpoint, rather than at the beginning of the level.
	Spring	This object serves to push (i.e. 'spring') you in a certain direction. Springs in two colours - yellow and red. Red springs are more powerful than yellow ones.
	Spikes	Spikes are usually found in sets of three, but many can be grouped together at once. Sometimes they're just lying out in the open, and sometimes they pop in and out of the ground (or the ceiling, or the walls). Sonic will be hurt if he touches the pointed side, but the non-pointed sides are safe to touch. Do note that a bug present in two of the game's three revisions means that Sonic's temporary invulnerability after he is hit will not protect him from spikes, so be careful near large groups of them.
	Button	A simple object to operate - you jump on it, causing a change in something nearby.
	Animal Capsule	These are found at the end of every third act (except for Scrap Brain) after defeating the zone's boss. Jump on the switch at the top and the capsule will explode and open, allowing the animals trapped inside to escape and completing the zone.
	Giant Ring	If you have managed to collect and maintain 50 rings by the end of Acts 1 or 2 of a zone, this giant ring will appear at the end of the act just after the signpost. Jumping in will warp you to a Special Stage, where you'll be given the chance to obtain a Chaos Emerald - see the Special Stage section for details.

Powerups

Powerups are found in monitors, which can be found either lying on the ground or hidden in scenery. Roll or jump into one to break it and obtain the powerup.

Picture	Item	Description
	Super Ring	This powerup will immediately add 10 rings to your ring count.
	Shield	This powerup will grant you a shield, which appears as a blue transparent sphere around Sonic. If you get hurt with a shield, the shield will be lost, rather than your rings or a life. Be careful - the shield will not protect you against drowning, getting crushed, bottomless pits or the timer.
	Power Sneakers	Obtaining this powerup will boost Sonic's speed for 15 seconds, and the tempo of the music will speed up during that time.
	Extra Life	Obtaining this powerup will grant Sonic an extra life.
	Invincibility	This powerup will surround Sonic with a circle of stars for 15 seconds, and will make him invincible during that time - he will be able to destroy badniks by walking into them and be impervious to spikes and other hazards. However, like with a shield, invincibility will not protect you against drowning, getting crushed, bottomless pits or the timer.