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Why don't you try using that ring to leap over to the other side.


Maria Robotnik, Shadow the Hedgehog

Dash Rings (ダッシュリング Dasshu Ringu?) or Speed Rings are reoccurring gimmicks in the Sonic the Hedgehog series which first appeared in Sonic Adventure. They are the airborne counterparts of the Dash Panels, that give those that pass through them a boost of speed through midair.

Description

The Dash Rings are basically large rings, up to a couple of meters in diameter, whose primary function is to send the playable character flying through the air. In gameplay, as soon as the playable character enters the middle of a Dash Ring or touches its edges, they will automatically be shot directly forward through midair with a short burst of speed, with the direction of the burst depending on the Dash Ring's angle. However, the Dash Rings can only launch the playable characters in one direction.

Dash Rings can always be found floating in midair and serve primarily as a way for the player to either move across grabs by providing a boost through the air, get through small passages in the walls or even reach otherwise unreachable areas. As such, they are usually found at the edges of gaps, above Springs or platforms, or just beyond roads and Grind Rails that abruptly end.

Though Dash Rings can provide a necessary boost to proceed, they also serve in automated sections of the levels to guide the player down certain pathways. In common cases, the Dash Rings are aligned in tube-like formations, so when the player enters one of these Dash Rings, the playable character will automatically be guided to through them to the intended location. This way, they form a path for characters through that lead the air to higher or lower sections.

The Dash Rings' design has been changed frequently over the course of the series. In the initial games, they looked like metal rings with a glowing inner rim (often green) with three or two plates on the edges, showing arrows pointing into them. These types of Dash Rings are referred to as Mechanical Rings.[1] Even so, their appearance would differ slightly between games. In Sonic Advance 2 though, the Dash Rings were given a more simplistic design, resembling thinner and smaller orange-red rings in the image of the Rainbow Rings. This design was initially restricted to handheld games, but was later officially implemented in the main series in Sonic Unleashed. From then on, the Dash Rings would have this design as their standard.

Game appearances

Sonic Adventure

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Dash Rings in Sonic Adventure DX: Director's Cut.

The Dash Rings first appeared in Sonic Adventure and Sonic Adventure DX: Director's Cut. In this game, they look like Mechanical Rings with green-glowing inner rims and two plates on the edges. Here, they only appear in Tails' Action Stages where they help increase his flying range by boosting him towards areas he cannot reach otherwise. However, they cannot keep Tails flying once he reaches his flying limit.

Sonic Advance series

Dashcircle

In Sonic Advance 2 and Sonic Advance 3, the Dash Ring is referred to as the Boost Ring (ダッシュサークル Dasshusākuru?, lit. "Dash Circle").[2] In these games, the Dash Rings were also given a completely new design, where they looked like simple orange-red rings, albeit with flat edges.

Sonic Heroes

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The Dash Ring in Sonic Heroes.

In Sonic Heroes, the Dash Rings again look like Mechanical Rings, except they are slightly smaller than the ones in Sonic Adventure, have three black, rectangular plates on their edges and their inner rims glow yellow and green. Also, whenever the user passes through one, they will be surrounded by their respective aura.

In this game, the Dash Rings appear in almost every Stage. While every character in the game can use them, they are most frequently used by Fly Type characters to help them get through midair sections. They are also sometimes found around Grind Rails and small roads to give the player a speed boost.

Shadow the Hedgehog

In Shadow the Hedgehog, the Dash Rings look exactly as they did in Sonic Heroes. In this game, they only appear in the midair areas of Stages where Shadow is riding flying vehicles and when grinding to boost his speed.

Sonic Rush series

Dash Ring SR sprite 2

In Sonic Rush and Sonic Rush Adventure, the Dash Rings look like the orange-red rings from Sonic Advance 2 and 3, except their angle had been shifted slightly so their inner hole can be seen. In these games, they are usually placed so they lead the player to a Rainbow Ring. Also, in addition to giving a boost into midair, they allow the player to perform Trick Actions as soon as they pass through them.

Sonic Riders series

In the Sonic Riders series, Dash Rings (in Sonic Riders, they are called Accelerators) allows Extreme Gear with flight capabilities to fly through a series of these objects as a shortcut route. This is called Air Ride. These Dash Rings appear when taking off from a catapult ramp or in mid-air. They serve as a shortcut and also refill the player's Extreme Gear's Air Tank with Air (or in the case of Sonic Riders: Zero Gravity, the Extreme Gear's GP Gauge is replenished with Gravity Points). The design of the Dash Rings keeps the same as of that appeared in Sonic the Hedgehog (2006).

Sonic the Hedgehog (2006)

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The Mechanical Ring

In Sonic the Hedgehog (2006), the Dash Rings are referred to as Mechanical Rings.[1] In terms of appearance, their design is similar to the one they had in Sonic Heroes, except their inner rims glow blue, the plates on their edges are more triangular, and their edges have outward curves.

In this game, the Dash Rings are only used by Tails, mostly Silver in multiplayer mode, and sometimes Rouge in the very hard mode. They are used to give Tails and Silver a boost through midair, but the former cannot keep flying after using this gimmick.

Sonic Unleashed

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Dash Rings in Sonic Unleashed.

In both versions of Sonic Unleashed, Dash Rings, also named Boost Rings, were given the design of the orange-red rings (with round edges), thus marking the first appearance of this particular design for the Dash Rings on the main consoles. Whenever the player passes through them in this game, they briefly shrinks and leave some sparkles behind from usage.

Sonic Colors

In Sonic Colors, the Dash Rings retain the appearance of orange-red rings, though their design slightly differ between the versions of the game. In the Wii version they look like they did in Sonic Unleashed, and in the Nintendo DS version they look like they did in the Sonic Rush series.

Sonic Generations

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A Mechanical Ring in Sonic Generations.

In the console/PC version of Sonic Generations, two versions of the Dash Ring appears. The first are the modern red-orange rings which can be found in nearly all the game's normal Stages and occasionally appear in trails leading up to a Rainbow Ring.

The second version resembles those in Sonic Adventure (except smaller). These ones are only found in the Tails: Toxic Skies Challenge Act, where they help the player fly through the air with Classic Tails.

Sonic Lost World

In the Nintendo 3DS version of Sonic Lost World, the Dash Rings also appear. In this game, the once more look like the orange-red circular rings. Other than that, they have the standard functions of the normal Dash Ring.

Sonic Runners

In Sonic Runners, regular orange-red Dash Rings made an appearance. In this game, the player can use them to dash through long Ring- or Crystal lines.

Sonic Forces

In Sonic Forces, the Dash Rings make an appearance as common gimmicks in the stages. In this game, they retain the design of orange-red rings. Other than that, all they do is give the standard dash through midair.

Trivia

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The Dash Ring-like item in the Wii U version of Sonic Lost World.

  • In the Wii U and PC versions of Sonic Lost World, there is a ring resembling the Dash Ring, but with three orange arrows in its center found in Hidden World Zone 2. When collected, it gives a significant boost in speed, akin to the Dash Rings in previous games.

References

  1. 1.0 1.1 Sonic the Hedgehog: Official Game Guide pg. 69
  2. Sonic Advance 2: Prima's Official Strategy Guide pg. 34.
Navigation templates to Dash Ring

Template:Ring Navbox


Main article · Scripts (Sonic, Tails, Knuckles, Amy, Big, Gamma, Super Sonic) · Story Screens (Sonic, Tails, Knuckles, Amy, Big, Gamma) · Credits · Glitches · Beta elements · Gallery · Pre-releases (Limited Edition, DX Demo Version) · Re-releases (DX, 2010)








Main article | Scripts (Heroes, Babylon) | Staff | Glitches | Beta elements | Gallery


Main article | Scripts (Introduction, Team Heroes, Team Babylon, Team Dark, Team Rose, Final Race) | Staff | Gallery

Main article · Script · Credits · Glitches · Beta elements · Gallery · Re-releases (Ultimate)

Main article · Script · Staff · Glitches · Beta elements · Gallery · Re-releases (Sonic X Shadow)

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