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The Conveyor Belt[1] (ベルトコンべア[2] Berutokon Bea?), also formatted conveyor belt,[3] is a gimmick that appears in the Sonic the Hedgehog series. It is a type of long, infinitely moving assemblies that can carry objects along their surfaces.

Description[]

Based on two or more rotating wheels with a long belt set on to move endlessly between them, conveyor belts are recurrently featured in numerous mechanical and air fortress-themed Zones. When Sonic or any other playable character runs on a conveyor belt, their moving speed either heavily decreases or increases, depending on the direction the belt is moving. In some games, the movement speed of conveyor belts can also be either slow or extremely fast. Should the playable characters stand still on a conveyor belt however, it will simply carry them along, often off the edges of themselves.

It is also common for conveyor belts to have items, obstacles and enemies placed on top of them, causing them to be carry along on the conveyor belts so that the player will be forced to either avoid or interact with these objects.

Game appearances[]

Sonic the Hedgehog (1991)[]

Conveyor Belt Sonic 1 SBZ II

Smaller conveyor belts in Scrap Brain Zone, from the 16-bit version of Sonic the Hedgehog (1991).

In the 16-bit version of Sonic the Hedgehog (1991), conveyor belts are only featured in Scrap Brain Zone Act 2, where they can be found in halls and along routes. Along them are also dangerously placed circular saws, swinging iron balls, and crusher tubes. Moving on the conveyor belts is also very difficult due their high speed and obstacles on them.

In the 8-bit version of Sonic the Hedgehog (1991), conveyor belts are seen in Scrap Brain Zone, where most of them float in mid-air. In Scrap Brain Zone Act 2, there is also a large room with a lot of conveyor belts, which the player has to climb to reach the upper route.

Sonic the Hedgehog 2 (8-bit)[]

In Sonic the Hedgehog 2 (8-bit), conveyor belts are featured in Gimmick Mountain Zone. In this Zone, they are either floating in mid-air or placed in-between small pits full of spikes.

Sonic the Hedgehog 2[]

Conveyor Belt Sonic 2 CNZ

A Conveyor Belt in Casino Night Zone, from Sonic the Hedgehog 2.

In Sonic the Hedgehog 2, its numerous ports and remasters, and its lock-on version Knuckles in Sonic 2, Casino Night Zone and Metropolis Zone have singular conveyor belts floating in their Zones. In Metropolis Zone, the conveyor belts sometimes have crushers above them. There is also a diagonal conveyor belt at the mid-point of Wing Fortress Zone.

Sonic the Hedgehog CD[]

Conveyor Belt Sonic CD QQ I

A conveyor belt on the ground in Quartz Quadrant, from Sonic the Hedgehog CD.

In Sonic the Hedgehog CD, conveyor belts are featured as the main gimmicks of Quartz Quadrant. These conveyor belts are set everywhere, both on the ground and on platforms. In Quartz Quadrant, there are also small switches with arrows on them that point in the direction the conveyor belts move. The direction of these conveyor belts can be changed by touching the aforementioned Switches. There are also tunnels through Quartz Quadrant's underground whose walls are covered in conveyor belts; by changing the belt direction, these tunnels can suck the player either up or down through them. Outside of Quartz Quadrant, Metallic Madness also features several suspended conveyor belts.

During the battle against the Egg Conveyer, Dr. Robotnik will use a conveyor belt covering the boss arena's floor to keep the playable character from getting close enough to his cockpit, all while dropping bombs on the playable character from above. While on the this conveyor belt, the playable character must keep running to the right, or risk getting pulled into the spikes on the left side of the arena. To win, the player has to survive this battle long enough for Robotnik's cockpit to overheat from the friction caused by the conveyor belt it sits on.

Sonic the Hedgehog 3 & Knuckles[]

Danger Zone

A conveyor belt elevator, from Sonic & Knuckles.

In Sonic & Knuckles and the lock-on game Sonic 3 & Knuckles, three types of conveyor belts are featured in Death Egg Zone. The first type of conveyor belts is embedded in the paths and work like normal conveyor belts. The second type of conveyor belts consists of elevator platforms consisting of long, active conveyor belts, on which the player has to balance their movements while these elevators take them through corridors where they have to avoid missiles that are launched from the walls. These conveyor belts change direction whenever someone jumps and lands on them and can force the player into the spikes laced on the walls if the player is caught off guard.

The third type of conveyor belts are similar to moving platforms with conveyor belts on the bottom. These conveyor belt-platforms slowly descend through midair while moving left and right, and when they touch the ground, they crawl along the ground. As such, the player can ride on these platforms through midair and across electrified floors. While these platforms are on a solid surface, jumping and landing on top of them will cause the platform to shift direction. If these platforms hit a wall, they will simply crawl the opposite way.

Sonic the Hedgehog Triple Trouble[]

ConveyorBeltTripleTrouble

A conveyor belt, from Sonic the Hedgehog Triple Trouble.

In Sonic the Hedgehog Triple Trouble, conveyor belts are featured in Tidal Plant Zone. In this Zone, they are only set on the ground, like in Quartz Quadrant in Sonic the Hedgehog CD. They also appear both above and in the underwater sections of the Zone. While moving on them, the player has to avoid small bombs that fall down from small tubes in the roofs and onto the conveyor belts.

Tails Adventure[]

Ta 41

Tails on a conveyor belt, from Tails Adventure.

In Tails Adventure, conveyor belts are common gimmicks in Coco Island and Battle Fortress 2. Due to Tails and Remote Robot's medium walking speed, crossing conveyor belts can be extremely tricky. Making these belts even more difficult are the enemies, electric generators and spikes that appear along the conveyor belts.

In Battle Fortress 2, certain machines drop non-functional Battle Kukku Empire droids on the conveyor belts. As a result, these droids will be carried along on the conveyor belts until they fall off of them and get destroyed. When encountering these droids, the player's only option is to dodge them. In Battle Fortress 2, there are also machines that can reverse the moving direction of the conveyor belts when using the Wrench on them.

Sonic 3D Blast[]

Conveyor Belt Sonic 3D GGZ

A wide conveyor belt in Gene Gadget Zone Act 3, from Sonic 3D Blast.

In Sonic 3D Blast, the boss fight in Gene Gadget Zone takes place on a wide conveyor belt. This conveyor belt runs in the opposite direction the player must move, towards a set of spikes at the end of the boss arena. While running along the conveyor belt, the player also has to avoid spiky blocks that are placed on the conveyor belt by a machine in front of the arena. When Robotnik lands above the conveyor belt to shoot missiles from his Egg Mobile, the player can attack Robotnik.

In the last Zone of the game, Panic Puppet Zone, there are also slow-moving conveyor belts that can transport Sonic to the other part of the Zone. Some conveyor belts go in the wrong direction however, and must have their direction changed by pulling nearby switches to the other side.

Sonic Adventure[]

FESONIC10

Conveyor belts, from Sonic Adventure DX: Director's Cut.

In Sonic Adventure and its enhanced port Sonic Adventure DX: Director's Cut, the conveyor belts appear in one of the rooms in Final Egg. These conveyor belts are extremely fast-moving, and the player has to jump on them to get to the other side of their room or risk falling into a huge bottomless pit. At the same time, the player also has to avoid large-moving spike attachments above.

Sonic Advance[]

ConveyorBeltAdvance

A conveyor belt in Cosmic Angel Zone, from Sonic Advance.

In Sonic Advance, conveyor belts are featured in three different Zones: Secret Base Zone, Egg Rocket Zone, and Cosmic Angel Zone. In all three Zones, the conveyor belts have slightly different designs based on their Zone's environment. Secret Base Zone has rusty-looking ones, Egg Rocket Zone conveyor belts are more bright, and Cosmic Angel Zone conveyor belts are the most colorful of all three variations. The direction of the conveyor belts in Cosmic Angel Zone is also easily recognized, as the belts have arrows pointing in the direction they are moving.

Sonic Heroes[]

ConveyorBeltHeroes

A conveyor belt, from Sonic Heroes.

In Sonic Heroes, extremely fast-moving conveyor belts are featured on the Egg Fleet. These conveyor belts are located inside the halls on the large battleships. Because the conveyor belts move quickly in the opposite direction the player must run, the player should use Rocket Accel repeatedly to cross them and charge towards the end of the hall. Once there, the playable team will automatically destroy the battleship itself and move on to the next part of the stage.

Sonic the Hedgehog (2006)[]

ConveyorBelt06

Conveyor belts, from Sonic the Hedgehog (2006).

In Sonic the Hedgehog (2006), Radical Train has conveyor belts on wooden scaffolds. They come in sets of two and switch between going forwards and backwards. Their pattern changes as the player progresses on the wooden scaffolds.

Sonic Rivals[]

ConveyorBeltRivals

A conveyor belt, from Sonic Rivals.

In Sonic Rivals, conveyor belts are featured in Death Yard Zone. These conveyor belts are mainly colored gray with yellow arrows on them that indicate the direction they are moving in.

Sonic Unleashed[]

ConveyorBeltUnleashed

A conveyor belt, from the Xbox 360/PlayStation 3 version of Sonic Unleashed.

In the Xbox 360/PlayStation 3 version of Sonic Unleashed, conveyor belts appear exclusively in Eggmanland. These gimmicks are featured in both the 2.5D and 3D daytime sections of the stage. Conveyor belts in the 2.5D sections either move in or against the direction the player is heading in (albeit rather slowly), but they all have laser fields along them that serve as hazards. In the 3D sections, the conveyor belts are much wider and move in the opposite direction the player is heading in at such high speeds that Sonic barely moves forward when running forward on them. In addition, these conveyor belts have walls of laser fields along them and will be carrying obstacles like bombs and blocks with spikes on top of them.

In the Wii/PlayStation 2 version of Sonic Unleashed, the conveyor belts also appear only in Jungle Joyride and Eggmanland, except they are only featured in the nighttime Acts of the stages. In this version, they are narrow and normal-looking, with yellow/blue and grey treadmills. They also have arrows on them that show the direction they are moving in.

Sonic the Hedgehog 4: Episode I[]

Mad Gear Zone - Screenshot - (4)

Conveyor belts in Mad Gear Zone, from Sonic the Hedgehog 4: Episode I.

In Sonic the Hedgehog 4: Episode I, conveyor belts appear in Mad Gear Zone where they float in midair. They also appear either individually or in small groups. These conveyor belts do not move very fast, but they usually have Badniks on the other side waiting for the player. Also, unlike in previous games, the player is able to jump through conveyor belts from below.

Sonic Generations[]

In the Nintendo 3DS version of Sonic Generations, conveyor belts only appear in Casino Night Act 1 where they often float in midair.

Sonic Lost World[]

ConveyorBeltLostWorld

Conveyor belts, from the Wii U version of Sonic Lost World.

In the Wii U version and PC version of Sonic Lost World, conveyor belts only appear in the interior sections of Lava Mountain Zone 3. These conveyor belts make up the floors through narrow corridor that the player has to pass through. However, these conveyor belts usually carry several iron balls along on top of them, creating moving obstructions that the player has to get past.

Sonic Mania[]

PGARDEN1-15

Conveyor belts in Press Garden Zone, from Sonic Mania.

In Sonic Mania and its expansion Sonic Mania Plus, Press Garden Zone Act 1 makes heavy use of the conveyor belt mechanic. The conveyor belts there in particular have been modified so the player can bounce off their belts. By holding down the jump button when touching the belts, the player can even increase their bounce's height. Also, touching the conveyor belts' wheels will catapult the player in the direction they are moving.

Lava Reef Zone Act 2 also features conveyor belts. These conveyor belts are more like the regular ones encountered in previous games, except their direction can be changed by switches that appear along them. They also occasionally carry obstacles on their belts, such as iron balls and Iwamodokis though they can also carry Monitors. Metallic Madness Zone Act 2 also features traditional conveyor belts placed on tight sections near close to active saw blades or Flywheels.

Sonic Forces[]

ConveyorBeltForces

Conveyor belts, from Sonic Forces.

In Sonic Forces, conveyor belts (floating and otherwise) only appear in the Death Egg. In this game, they mirror their role in Sonic & Knuckles by serving many of the same purposes they had back then, like being embedded in the roads and having cannons that fire energy blasts across them. Egg Pawns will also occasionally drop down on the conveyor belts and let them carry them forward, creating obstructions for the player.

Much like in Sonic & Knuckles, Death Egg features moving platforms that double as conveyor belts. These conveyor belt-platforms can float through midair in different patterns and crawl along the ground upon landing on it. Like before, these platforms can be ridden through midair and across superheated surfaces by the player. Unlike in Sonic & Knuckles however, these platforms also have moving belts on top of them, leaving players with the extra task of balancing on them while riding them.

Other game appearances[]

Sonic the Hedgehog Pocket Adventure[]

ConveyorBeltPocketAdventure

A conveyor belt in Cosmic Casino Zone, from Sonic the Hedgehog Pocket Adventure.

In Sonic the Hedgehog Pocket Adventure, the conveyor belt are somewhat less frequently encountered. In this game, they can be found floating in midair in Cosmic Casino Zone and Gigantic Angel Zone. In both Zones, they work much like they did in Casino Night Zone and Metropolis Zone in Sonic the Hedgehog 2.

Sonic Forces: Speed Battle[]

SFSB Conveyor Belts

Both kinds of conveyor belts in Spiral Heights, from Sonic Forces: Speed Battle.

In Sonic Forces: Speed Battle, conveyor belts take the form of long, metal belts with either red arrows facing backward, or green arrows facing forward on them. The green conveyor belts will greatly accelerate the player while they are on them, while the red version will greatly slow the player down for as long as they are on it, even sending them slightly backward if they are moving slowly enough (such as when frozen). However, all the tracks with the red conveyor belt variants have since been either edited to remove them, or removed from the game entirely for unknown reasons.

Trivia[]

  • In Sonic the Hedgehog (8-bit), when the player sees the first conveyor belt in Scrap Brain Zone Act 1, one of them is seen to have 1-Up monitor moving to the edge and falling to the bottomless pit. The player is able to pick the 1-Up from the monitor if they are fast enough.
  • In the Simon Wai prototype of Sonic the Hedgehog 2, Wood Zone originally was supposed to have wooden conveyor belts. In the prototype, they are shown to be active, but do not function normally at all.
  • In Sonic & Knuckles and Sonic the Hedgehog 3 & Knuckles, if the player has Debug Mode enabled and inverts gravity while their character is standing on the moving conveyor belts in Death Egg Zone, that character will then stand on the other side of the conveyor belts instead of being drawn towards the ceiling/floor.

References[]

  1. Sonic the Hedgehog (Sega Game Gear) United States instruction booklet, pg. 10.
  2. "Gimmick" (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. 27. ISBN 978-4757209145.
  3. Prima Publishing (1993). "Sonic The Hedgehog for Sega Genesis". Sonic the Hedgehog 1 & 2: Sega's Official Player's Guide. Prima Publishing. p. 53. ISBN 1-55958-335-5. "Conveyor belts mess up your timing. Sometimes conveyor belts team up with saws or other deadly devices to make a hedgehog's life even tougher."
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