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The Bumper[1] (ボビン[2] Bobin?, lit. "Bobbin"), also known as the Bumper Ball (バンパーボール[3] Banpā Bōru?), is a pinball obstacle that appears in the Sonic the Hedgehog series. They function similarly to real-life pinball bumpers. Bumpers can be a nuisance, as the user can get stuck bouncing between them; however, they can also be used to the user's advantage by propelling them further distances.

Description[]

In the Sonic the Hedgehog series, Bumpers are featured in basically every casino-themed Zone, Bonus Stage and Special Stage. When the playable character touches one, they will ricochet off it in the backwards direction. Bumpers usually flash after getting hit, and bouncing off them is usually worth a certain amount of points. In some games, a Bumper will stop awarding points if the player hits it too many times however. Because of this, a Bumper can typically only grant a limited number of points. Bumpers floating in the mid-air are known to be stationary in the majority of of their appearances, but sometimes they will also move around horizontally or vertically in a linear pattern.

The appearance of the Bumper has changed many times throughout the series, but it is usually depicted as round and red with a blue inner area and a bright-colored five-pointed star in the center. This circular symbol is used in other objects. The shape of Bumpers has also been changed few times in the series: In the first Sonic games for the Sega Mega Drive, Master System and Game Gear, it has been depicted as a floating round object. After Sonic 3D Blast, Sonic Adventure and few later games, bumpers have appeared as flat, real-life pinball bumpers. However, it has occasionally returned to its floating round object since Sonic Heroes. Even to this day, the object's shape varies.

Bumpers have a unique sound effect, which has been used in many games throughout the series where the Bumper has appeared. According to Naoto Ohshima, when Spring Yard Zone in the original Sonic the Hedgehog was finished being developed, everyone in Sonic Team started calling the bumpers "bobbins" due its sound, which it makes when the player bounces on them.[4]

Game appearances[]

Sonic the Hedgehog (1991)[]

Bobbin

In the 16-bit version of Sonic the Hedgehog (1991), Bumpers are featured in Spring Yard Zone. These orb-shaped objects are blue circles semi-covered by a yellow five-point star, with a thin red outer ring. When Sonic hits this gimmick, the Bumper expands slightly. In gameplay, the player earns 10 points every time the playable character bounces on it. However, each Bumper stops dispensing points after the tenth hit. In the Spring Yard Zone, these objects usually appear in groups in the more open areas, where Sonic is free to bounce around pinball-style. Bumpers also appear as common obstacles in the Special Stages.

In the 8-bit version of Sonic the Hedgehog (1991), the Bumpers make an appearance in the Special Stages. In gameplay, they serve to help or hinder the player in finding the Special Stages' exit or Monitors. In this game, Bumpers have the same appearance as their 16-bit counterpart, although these objects are slightly larger than Sonic himself.

Sonic the Hedgehog 2[]

Bumpers Sonic 2
Oh my head..

Bumpers in Casino Night Zone, from Sonic the Hedgehog 2.

In Sonic the Hedgehog 2, the Bumpers are featured in Casino Night Zone. In this game, the classic Bumpers look similar to how they appeared in the original Sonic the Hedgehog, having a red outline with a blue center. However, the five-pointed star is now colored white. Also, between the red outline and blue centering there is an extra line, which flashes green and yellow.

By bouncing once on the Bumper, the player is rewarded with 10 points. However, each Bumper stops giving points after bouncing on it ten times. In several sections of Casino Night Zone, the player can also use the Bumpers as platforms to reach other side of gaps.

Sonic the Hedgehog CD[]

Bumpers Sonic CD
Bouncing and flashing

Sonic bouncing on Bumpers, from Sonic the Hedgehog CD.

In Sonic the Hedgehog CD, Bumpers are featured in Collision Chaos, the Special Stages, and above the last bottomless pit of Metallic Madness Zone 3. In the game's Rounds, Bumpers are more detailed looking, their outer rim having cubic ornaments in red and white colors that moves around. The center of these Bumpers on the other hand is colored blue and has a yellow five-pointed star in the middle. In Special Stages, normal Bumpers are shown to be flatter. They also look similar to how they appeared in the original Sonic the Hedgehog.

Like in the first game, the Bumpers in the Rounds are floating in groups, although some of them move back and forth in the air in certain directions. Instead of granting ten points, they grant 100 points after bouncing on them once. After the fifth bounce, the individual Bumper stops giving points, meaning each Bumper can grant up to 500 points. There are also smaller Bumpers that do not grant points, but keep the player in the air while having better control than normal ones. Collision Chaos also features large clusters of different bumpers that break after bouncing on them once while awarding 100 points.

The EGG-HVC-001 comes equipped with two bumpers on its arms in attempt to deflect Sonic from attacking Robotnik, although these fall off each time the mechanism is hit.

Sonic Spinball[]

Some swearing bumpers

Bumpers, from the 16-bit version of Sonic Spinball.

In the 16-bit version of Sonic Spinball, there are blue and gray-colored Bumpers set in the narrow pathways of Lava Powerhouse, which give different amount of points depending on how much the player bounces on them. Animal prisons in The Machine's center arena function similarly to Bumpers but will free Animals and release one blue Chaos Emerald inside of them.

In the 8-bit version of Sonic Spinball, the Bumpers appear often in Toxic Pools and Lava Powerhouse. They are also featured in the Bonus Stages, where the Bumpers are larger than Sonic himself, much like in Sonic the Hedgehog (8-bit).

Sonic 3 & Knuckles[]

Bumpers Sonic 3
If you thought that floating in the air doesn't make you ill

Bumpers floating around, from Sonic the Hedgehog 3.

In Sonic the Hedgehog 3 and the lock-on game, Sonic 3 & Knuckles, standard Bumpers are featured in Carnival Night Zone. These Bumpers are white orbs with a red four-pointed star in the middle, but they work the same as they did in previous Sonic games. Like in Sonic the Hedgehog 2, each Bumper gives 10 points when the player bounces on them, although they will cease with that after the player has bounced on them several times. In Carnival Night Zone, these Bumpers appear either alone or in groups, and are capable of movement in any direction. Some groups may rotate in a circle-like fashion, others form lines and spin parallel to a certain point. Also, in Competition Mode, four bumpers are featured in Balloon Park, which are colored red with a light yellow star symbol on it. In the 2022 remastered version of the game in Sonic Origins, the appearance of the Bumpers in Balloon Park is slightly altered with red outlines and a blue base with a white star on it.

Bumper Special Stage

In the Special Stages, there are Sphere-based Bumpers. These Bumpers are similar to those in Carnival Night Zone, except they have a red five-pointed start on them. When the player touches these spheres, they will bounce them backwards. However, the player is able to run forward again by pressing up on Controlpadds.

Bumpers Sonic & Knuckles

Sonic & Knuckles has two different-looking Bumpers in two different Bonus Stages, although they work like the typical Bumper. The first variation exists in the Slot Machine Bonus Stage (twenty Rings is required to enter it). These Bumpers are smaller, with a big red rim, a yellow line between the rim and the center, and a white five-pointed star inside the blue center. The second variation can be found rarely in the Magnetic Orbs Bonus Stage (fifty Rings is required to enter it). The shape of these Bumpers is similar to the ones in Sonic the Hedgehog 2, except they possess a green outer rim, with a pink center, a red line between the rim and the center, and a white five-pointed star inside the pink center.

Sonic Drift 2[]

In Sonic Drift 2, Bumpers are referred to as Bobbins[5] and appear all around the Casino Night race course. In this game, Bumpers look more like red and orange-colored Springs with a star on top of them. In gameplay, they serve to bounce the player off the track.

Knuckles' Chaotix[]

Star-Bumper-Knuckles-Chaotix
Bumper Special Stage II

Bumpers in a Special Stage, from Knuckles' Chaotix.

In Knuckles' Chaotix, the Bumper gimmick is called the Bumper Ball (バンパーボール[3] Banpā Bōru?) and is mainly included in the Special Stages. In this game, the Bumpers have a blue outer rim with a red center and a yellow star inside their center.

Inside the Special Stages, Bumpers are either moving around or rotating in one direction. In gameplay, hitting a Bumper will send the playable character walking backwards for a moment until they start walking forward again. Some of the Bumpers also have iron balls connected to them by chains that sweeps the area around them, which the player has to avoid while running. Some Bumpers are also set in rows on the edges of the Special Stages' roads, which may help the player not fall off the Special Stages.

Bumpers also appear a few times in normal stages. The Badnik Dribbler, for example, will be dribbling two Bumpers in each hand. Also, during the boss fight of Botanic Base, a single Bumper can be seen floating around the arena, which the player has to used to move around while dangling from the Ring Power in midair.

Sonic 3D Blast[]

Sonic3DSpringStadium

Bumpers in Spring Stadium Zone, from Sonic 3D Blast.

In Sonic 3D Blast, the Bumpers' design is slightly different in every Zone. They appear as more flat, green glowing balls in Rusty Ruin Zone, as red and yellow colored balls in Spring Stadium Zone, and as light-blue glowing balls in Diamond Dust Zone. In the game, Bumpers do not give points when touching them, nor do they bounce Sonic very far unless the player is in full speed.

Spring Stadium Zone also has triangle Bumpers on the corners of slanted areas in the Zone.

Sonic Blast[]

In Sonic Blast, Bumpers are only featured in the Special Stages, where they will bounce the player backwards like in Sonic the Hedgehog 3 & Knuckles or Knuckles' Chaotix. In this game, the Bumpers look like a sandwich, because of the game's pseudo 3D vision, with a yellow center and the upper and lower faces with a style based off on their design from previous Sonic games.

Sonic R[]

BumperR

Bumpers, from Sonic R.

In Sonic R, the Bumpers appear in the section of the Radical City track that feature a large-scale pinball table. In this game, the Bumpers look more like actual pinball bumpers, being giant gray knobs with a yellow or red light on top each.

Sonic Adventure[]

CASSONIC6

Bumpers, from Sonic Adventure.

In Sonic Adventure and its remake Sonic Adventure DX: Director's Cut, Bumpers are featured on the 777 Slots Pinball and Card & Pinball tables in Casinopolis. In gameplay, the player earns one Ring per collision with the Bumpers. In this game, they are similar to how they looked in Sonic the Hedgehog 2, but with a design that is closer to real pinball bumpers.

Bumpers also float in the air in the upper side sections of the pinball table. The player has to balance on these Bumpers to get to the other side, or the player will fall down to the pinball table below.

Sonic the Hedgehog Pocket Adventure[]

Bumpers Pocket Adventure

In Sonic the Hedgehog Pocket Adventure, the Bumpers appear as common objects in Cosmic Casino Zone. In this game, both their functionality and design are retained from Sonic the Hedgehog 2. When bouncing on a Bumper in this game, it flashes yellow for a second.

Sonic Advance[]

Bumpers Sonic Advance

In Sonic Advance, Bumpers are commonly featured in Casino Paradise Zone. Their design looks like one from the original Sonic the Hedgehog game and they act much like they did originally. In gameplay, the Bumpers normally grant 10 points whenever a playable character bounces on them.

Sonic Pinball Party[]

In Sonic Pinball Party, Bumpers appear on almost every Sonic board. In the game, Bumpers give points and have the exact same appearance they had did in Sonic Advance.

Sonic Heroes[]

Casino Park

Floating Bumpers in Casino Park, from Sonic Heroes.

In Sonic Heroes, Bumpers appear either as floating green balls with a light green, five-pointed star symbol on the front and back faces, or as similar-looking knobs embedded in the ground. These gimmicks are featured in Casino Park and BINGO Highway, where they can be found both on the pinball tables and outside of them. Outside of pinball sections, the characters can bounce upwards on them and they can be targeted by the Homing Attack. Bouncing on them grants the player no points, however.

Mario & Sonic series[]

Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games[]

In Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games, two Bumpers are seen in the background during one of the mini games. However, they do not have any influence on the mini game.

Mario & Sonic at the London 2012 Olympic Games[]

Bumpers in the Wii version of Mario & Sonic at the London 2012 Olympic Games are featured as obstacles in BINGO Highway track during the Dream Sprint event. Here, their appearance is based on ones from Sonic Heroes as neon green and black knobs embedded on the track. Along with Triangle Bumpers, Bumpers are scattered around the track to bounce the playable character inside a ball backwards once touching it.

Mario & Sonic at the Sochi 2014 Olympic Winter Games[]

In Mario & Sonic at the Sochi 2014 Olympic Winter Games, the Bumper's appearance is based on ones in the console/PC version of Sonic Generations, as they look like stubby gray barrels with two red rings around them and a red cap on top of them. Their caps in particular have a blue circle inside them. These circle have a red and yellow ring on their outer edge and a yellow five-pointed star inside them.

In gameplay, the Bumpers appear in the Hole-In-One Curling Dream Event. Here, they serve obstacles and/or gimmicks along the way to the event's goal.

Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020[]

SpringIronBallBumperM&S6

A Bumper in the "Tower Climb" mini-game, from Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020.

In Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020, the Bumpers appear in the Nintendo Switch version of the game. In this game, the Bumpers have red outer rims with a blue. yellow, and red circle closing in on the center. The centers of these Bumpers are also colored blue with a yellow five-pointed star inside them.

In gameplay on the Nintendo Switch version, the Bumpers appear as gimmicks in the "Tower Climb" mini-game. Here, they can be used to take shortcuts along the climbing wall in the mini-game by bouncing on them. Red-rimmed blue Bumpers with a yellow five-pointed star on them are also used as shields by certain enemies in the "Tokyo Sky Flight" mini-game. These Bumpers can block the Tornado's gunfire, but can be removed with its shockwave attack. In addition, removing a Bumper shield will grant the player fifty points. There is also the "Bullet Train Blast" mini-game, which features Bumpers identical to those from the original Sonic the Hedgehog. Here, the Bumpers serve as gimmicks, their purpose being to set Sonic slightly back if he makes contact with them from the wrong angle. Alternatively, the player can use them to get over obstacles.

Sonic the Hedgehog 4: Episode I[]

Casino Night Zone - Screenshot - (6)

Bumpers, from Sonic the Hedgehog 4: Episode I.

In Sonic the Hedgehog 4: Episode I, the Bumpers reappear as common gimmicks in Casino Street Zone Act 1-3 and the Special Stages. In this game, the Bumpers have a red outer rim with a blue center, a yellow line just behind the center's edge, and a white five-pointed star in the center.

In gameplay, the Bumpers in Casino Street Zone perform the same function they had in Casino Night Zone from Sonic the Hedgehog 2 by granting 10 points per bounce on them. The Bumpers in the Special Stages behave similarly, except they do not grant points when bouncing on them. Due to the different rotations on this game's physics, Bumpers do not bounce the player very far and it is easy to maintain Sonic's direction while bouncing.

Sonic Generations[]

TTS3

Bumpers in Vector: Through the Storm, from the console/PC version of Sonic Generations.

In the console/PC version of Sonic Generations, the Bumpers' designs are similar to the ones they had in the original Sonic the Hedgehog. In this version of the game, they appear as common gimmicks on the DLC pinball mini-game of Casino Night (where the Bumpers take on a more realistic appearance) and in Crisis City's Vector: Through the Storm Challenge Act, where Classic Sonic is thrown against Bumpers by Vector. In the latter case, the bumpers are flat and float in groups.

In the Nintendo 3DS version of Sonic Generations, the Bumpers are featured in Casino Night. On this version of the game, they are designed and act much like they did in Sonic the Hedgehog 2, except the player earns one Ring, rather than points whenever they bounce on one of them.

Sonic Lost World[]

In both the Wii U version and PC version of Sonic Lost World, the Bumpers have simple designs that are similar to those they had in Sonic Generations. In this game, Bumpers are set around the numerous pinball tables in the casino-themed areas of Frozen Factory Zone 3. In gameplay, hitting a Bumper awards 100 points. Bumpers also appear in the normal platforming sections of the Zone, but unlike in previous games, these Bumpers bear more of a resemblance to real-life Bumpers instead of the floating Bumpers the Sonic games are renowned for. The player is able to balance on these types of Bumpers by jumping on them.

Bobbin Enemy

An Antlion with a Bumper tail, from the Wii U version of Sonic Lost World.

In Desert Ruins Zone 4, there are also Antlions growling beneath the sand pools, which apparently carry a trail of Bumpers behind them, like a tail. This only occurs in the Wii U/PC version of the game.

In the Nintendo 3DS version of Sonic Lost World, Bumpers are only seen at the beginning of the casino-themed areas in Sky Road Zone 2. Here, they are set around the planetoid-arena. Unlike the Wii U/PC version's Bumpers, they are smaller and more round-shaped.

Sonic Mania[]

Bumper Mania

In Sonic Mania, and its expansion Sonic Mania Plus, Bumpers are featured in Studiopolis Zone. In this game, the classic Bumpers look similar to how they appeared in the original Sonic the Hedgehog, Like in Sonic the Hedgehog 2, each Bumper gives 10 points when the player bounces on them, although they will cease with that after the player has bounced on them five times. These Bumpers appear either alone or in groups, and are capable of movement in any direction. Some groups may rotate in a circle-like fashion, while others form lines and spin parallel to a certain point. Sometimes, there can also be Mic Drops handing from them.

SMBumper

In the Bonus Stages, there are Sphere-based Bumpers. These Bumpers are identical to the same kind of Sphere-based Bumpers introduced in Sonic the Hedgehog 3. When the player touches these spheres, they will bounce them backwards. However, the player is able to run forward again by pressing Controlpadds up.

Sonic Forces[]

SonicForces ClassicSonic Casino 02 1506396628

Bumpers, from Sonic Forces.

In Sonic Forces, the standard Bumpers only found in Casino Forest, where they normally appear in groups. In this game, they have a design very different from the usual one, resembling floating gray cylinders. Also, the front of these Bumpers are covered in a purple, yellow and blue ripple pattern that flicker when they are hit. They also lack the standard star symbol.

In gameplay, Bumpers grant 500 points when the playable characters hit them. There are also many other types of Bumpers in Casino Forest similar to those introduced in Sonic the Hedgehog 2, like Triangle Bumpers, hexagonal Bumpers, and Drop Targets. Most of these Bumper gimmicks grant 500 points when the playable character hits them, except from the Drop Targets, which grant 5,000 points per hit.

The Bumpers also appear as one of the Upper Head Costume pieces for the Avatar.

Sonic Frontiers[]

In Sonic Frontiers, five Bumpers are present as gimmicks in Island Mystery Pinball of Chaos Island. In this game, they have a new purple and blue design, similarily to the other gimmicks in the Open-Zone.

Frontiers Pinball

Multiple bumpers in the Pinball mini game, from Sonic Frontiers

In gameplay, they are used in order to get points for this Island Mystery, which requires 5,000,000 of them to progress. Similarly to previous games, the points are granted by hitting the Bumpers.

Variants[]

Hexagonal bumper[]

Hexagonal-Bumpers

Hexagonal bumpers, from Sonic the Hedgehog 2 (left) and Sonic Advance (right).

Hexagonal bumper, also known simply as Bumper (バンパー[6] Banpā?) or block (ブロック[7] Burokku?), is a simple variant of Bumpers. Only noticeable differences between this variant and regular Bumper is its hexagonal shape and that they do not grant any points in some games. Hexagonal bumpers also come in two types: the normal ones, which are hovering one place, and those moving to the left and right in a linear pattern.

Both types of hexagonal bumpers first appeared in Casino Night Zone in Sonic the Hedgehog 2, where they are depicted as blue and orange-colored blocks. Stationary hexagonal bumpers with the same appearance are later present in the Cosmic Casino Zone of Sonic the Hedgehog Pocket Adventure. Both types of obstacles reappeared in Sonic Advance, where they are featured in Casino Paradise Zone. In this game, they are somewhat flatter and have a red color scheme with a yellow five-pointed star on them. Hexagonal bumpers are also seen hovering in one place in Casino Street Zone in Sonic the Hedgehog 4: Episode I, where they have a yellow and blue color scheme. Hexagonal bumpers also reappear in Casino Night in the Nintendo 3DS version of Sonic Generations. Red and light yellow flashing hexagonal bumpers are also seen on separated pinball tables in Frozen Factory Zone 3 in the Wii U version of Sonic Lost World and unlike in previous games, they give 100 points each time when the player hits them. In Sonic Forces, green hexagonal bumpers appear in Casino Forest, where they do also grant 500 points each time after hitting them.

Gallery[]

Gallery

Horizontal bumper bars[]

Horizontal-Bumper-Bars-Collision-Chaos-Present-Sonic-CD

Horizantional bumper bars of Collision Chaos, from Sonic the Hedgehog CD.

In Sonic the Hedgehog CD, one of Collision Chaos gimmicks include basic horizantional bars with flashing outlines. When the player comes in contact with them, the playable character is pushed backwards at medium speed. Some of bumper bars come in medium or longer length, placed on floors or floathing in the mid-air, and they are also placed vertically on wall's surfaces of the terrain. There are also regular platforms hovering back and forth in linear pattern with flashing outlines and same bumper mechanic on them, as the player has to balance on it while being constantly being bounced upwards.[8] Unlike regular Bumpers, these do not grant any points after hitting them.

These horizontal bumper bars are later featured in Sonic Mania and its extension Sonic Mania Plus, where they are minor gimmicks found in Studiopolis Zone Act 2. Here, they function closely the same as in Sonic the Hedgehog CD and they are placed either horizontally and diagonally. Horizontal bumper bars are also located near close to lottery machine gimmicks of the Act and some bars are also seen hovering back and forth in linear pattern, while having Item Boxes placed on them.

Gallery[]

Gallery

Pillar[]

Bumper-Pillar

In Sonic the Hedgehog (8-bit), bumper pillars are obstacles found exclusively in the game's Special Stages. They are depicted as cylinder-shaped pillars that consist of light green and yellow lines that twist around each other. Touching them will send the player flying backwards so the player has to either cross over or below them, as getting bounced back by them at high speed can easily make the player lose the control over the playable character.

Sphere[]

Main article: Sphere (obstacle)
Breaking past

Sonic breaking spheres in Collision Chaos, from Sonic the Hedgehog CD.

In games like Sonic the Hedgehog CD, Sonic Triple Trouble and Sonic Mania, different type of obstacles known simply as spheres, are more fragile variants of the Bumpers. These obscure Bumpers either appear in large clusters or, in rare cases, by themselves, separated by pinball tables. When the player bounces on one of them, it breaks and disappear while giving points or nothing.

Triangle Bumper and Sling Shot[]

Main article: Triangle Bumper

Triangle Bumpers are another type of Bumpers and minor pinball obstacles that usually come in three types. The first type is usually large and wide plates set on the ground, walls, ceilings or even against each other. The second type is smaller, but have a more triangular look. The second types of triangle bumpers are usually set in the corner sections of the areas they are present in. Both types made their first appearance in Sonic the Hedgehog 2. The third type usually called Sling Shots are introduced in Sonic Spinball, which are usually positioned in traditional places that equals to that of real-life pinball machines, like together with flippers between a kick-out hole. Sling Shots' key features includes red, blue and white color schemes with a five-pointed star on their plate.

In other media[]

Animation[]

Adventures of Sonic the Hedgehog[]

Attack on pinball fortress

Bumper outside of the Pinball Fortress, “Attack on Pinball Fortress

In Adventures of Sonic the Hedgehog, different-colored bumpers were featured as a part of Dr. Ivo Robotnik's new lair, the Pinball Fortress. These Bumpers were usually set on a giant pinball section. When Sonic, Sergeant Doberman and Wes Weasely tried to make their way through the pinball table, they kept getting bouncing between the Bumpers. The Bumper's symbols could also be seen in the fortress' background.[9]

More Bumpers appeared as a part of another large pinball table called "Pin-Ball Blizzard" at Mobiusland, a park that Dr. Robotnik had taken over. There, Sonic got bounced around by Bumpers and other gimmicks while Robotnik earned points from the pinball game he had trapped Sonic in. After Sonic started to earn points for himself though, Robotnik sent Scratch and Grounder to stop him. However the Badniks' assault failed and they got stuck to a pinball, which got bounced between the Bumpers and other pinball gimmicks.[10]

Sonic the Hedgehog (TV series)[]

Bobbin Satam

Sonic bouncing on multiple Bumpers, from "Game Guy".

In the Sonic the Hedgehog television series, multiple Bumpers served as a part of a huge pinball table created by Dr. Robotnik inside a mechanized pyramid. When Sonic got himself trapped there by Ari, Robotnik forced him to be used as a pinball while trying to trap him in the Void.[11]

While Sonic got bounced around, he began destroying the pinball table's gimmicks with a Power Ring, including the Bumpers. As Robotnik grew more desperate in his efforts, many Bumpers got sucked into the Void, along with Ari himself.[11]

Books and comics[]

Sonic the Hedgehog Story Comic[]

Bumpers manga

Sonic bouncing between Bumpers, from Sonic the Hedgehog Story Comic Volume 2.

Bumpers appear briefly in the Sonic the Hedgehog Story Comic Volume 2 story "Clash!! South Island". During his journey to save his Animal friends, Sonic entered the Sparkling Zone. Here, he accidentally slips on a slide and is thrown into the pinball arena. He then gets bounced back and forth between the many Bumpers until he lands on the ground, confused, only for a Crabmeat and Newtron to attack him.

Sonic X[]

In the Sonic X comic series published by Archie Comics, Bumpers were featured in the background of the Spring Yard Zone. There, Sonic, Knuckles and Amy tried to get through the Zone while getting bounced by Bumpers sometimes.[12][13]

Miscellaneous[]

Paramount[]

Main article: Bumper (Paramount)
Paramount Spring Yard Zone

Tails arriving at Spring Yard through a Ring.

In the Sonic the Hedgehog film series produced by Paramount Pictures and its spin-offs, the Bumpers are alien objects found in the chaotic Spring Yard Zone.

Symbol[]

The yellow or white five-pointed star on a blue circle surrounded by a red annulus is a common symbol in the Sonic series. The Star Posts in the original Sonic the Hedgehog, which were depicted as blank lampposts, were replaced with the Checkpoints in Sonic the Hedgehog 2 that featured a star in a red annulus. The Badnik Crawl, which debuted in the latter game, is equipped with shields that are fashioned and function like real Bumpers.

The symbol bears resemblance to the National Symbol that was used during World War II. It was stenciled on motor vehicles assigned to tactic units. The symbol was usually a white star, a star in a broken circle, or a star in a thick circle, sometimes yellow. The symbol also bares resemblance to the United States Air Force 1943 roundel, its fourth design being a star set in a circle.[14]

Ever since Springs were rendered in 3D games, they have been red, supporting the star-on-blue-circle Bumper design on them. Also, since Sonic Adventure 2, there have been Floating Item Boxes which appear as large red balloons with the bumper symbol on them. In Sonic Heroes, Checkpoints were redesigned as pillars of blue light with a gold star in a red circle inside them. The colors and design of these symbols also resemble the Bumper symbol. These checkpoints are favored for the Nintendo DS side-scrolling games. The Red Star Ring have stars that take up most of the space set in their centers. They may be an allusion to the Bumper symbol. Medals in Sonic Forces and Knuckles' Memory Tokens in Sonic Frontiers also share the five-pointed star symbol on the circle medal design.

Gallery[]

Gallery

Trivia[]

  • There have been exceptions in which Bumpers used a different sound effect instead of its unique one, such as Sonic the Hedgehog CD, Sonic Spinball, Sonic Adventure and Nintendo 3DS version of Sonic Generations. Many Sega Master System/Game Gear titles, along with Sonic Advance, also have different sound effects, but this is due to the sound emulation of handheld consoles.
    • The Nintendo 3DS version of Sonic Generations has neon red colored, downwards pointing flippers that misleadingly recycle the Bumper's sound effect when the player gets bounced backwards once.
  • Few enemies or even bosses used Bumpers as shields, such Crawl and Robotnik's EGG-HVC-001. Oddly enough, many of them use the spring sound effect.
  • The first planetoid section in Sky Road Zone 2 has a similar appearance, color scheme, and even features the large five-pointed star on it like the Bumper obstacle in Nintendo 3DS version of Sonic Lost World.
  • In Frozen Factory Zone 3 in the Wii U version of Sonic Lost World, interacting with a Bumper may cause a strobe effect to appear (giving the illusion of an epileptic seizure, lag, and color errors), leaving Sonic stuck until he gets a Time Over. It also happens on the second pinball table containing the Zone's third Red Star Ring. This glitch was patched as of version 3.0.0, and was passed on to the PC version of the game.

References[]

  1. Sonic the Hedgehog (Sega Genesis) United States instruction booklet, pg. 7.
  2. Sonic the Hedgehog (Sega Mega Drive) Japanese instruction booklet, pg. 27.
  3. 3.0 3.1 Chaotix (Super 32X) Japanese instruction booklet, pg. 37.
  4. Ohshima, Naoto; Sonic Team. Sonic Jam Strategy Guide. Sega. "This map was the first one to be drawn and finalized. Wanting to bounce around on the pinball-like bumpers in this stage really can't be helped! Because the star-patterned bumpers make a "Bo-bin!" sound when you bounce on them, in Sonic Team lexicon we call them bobins (laughs)."
  5. Sonic Drift 2 (Sega Game Gear) United States instruction booklet, pg. 19.
  6. "ギミック紹介" (in Japanese). ソニックアドバンス必勝パーフェクトガイド. Aspect. 8 February 2002. p. 26. ISBN 978-4757209145. "触れると弾き飛ばされる。 直角三角形、平たい二等辺三角形、六角形の3種類がある。"
  7. (in Japanese) ソニック・ザ・ヘッジホッグ2 メガドライブ公式ガイドブック. Shogakukan. December 1992. p. 83. ISBN 978-4091024145.
  8. "ROUND 2 COLLISION CHAOS ZONE 2" (in Japanese). ソニック・ザ・ヘッジホッグCD ガイドブック. Tokuma Shoten. October 1993. p. 21. "右に見える足場も、乗るとハネてしまう。 操作に慣れるまでは難しいが慣れてしまえば問題ナシ"
  9. Forward, Bob (14 October 1993). "Attack on Pinball Fortress". Adventures of Sonic the Hedgehog. Season 1. Episode 41. First-run syndication.
  10. Scott, Jeffrey (25 November 1993). "Robotnikland". Adventures of Sonic the Hedgehog. Season 1. Episode 54.
  11. 11.0 11.1 Allee, Pat; Hurst, Ben (10 September 1994). "Game Guy". Sonic the Hedgehog. Season 2. Episode 15. ABC.
  12. Sonic X #10, "No Thanks For The Memories! Part One"
  13. Sonic X #11, "No Thanks For The Memories! Part Two"
  14. Keennon, Tim (4 December 2006). US WWII Vehicle Markings (PDF). Sturmgeschütze vor!.
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