Part 5

Learn about Princess Elise, Dr. Eggman, Shadow the Hedgehog, and game controls in Sonic the Hedgehog. Includes character ages and abilities.

Characters:

Princess Elise is 17 years old and the Princess of Soleanna. She lost her father when she was younger but keeps a promise never to cry. She fulfills her duty as princess but has yet to see the mysterious powers she possesses.

Dr. Eggman is a master of robotic engineering with an IQ of 300. Knowing about the princess' secret powers, he attempts to capture her to unlock and use her powers for his self-serving needs.

Shadow the Hedgehog is the ultimate life form, created by Professor Gerald. On a mission from the Federal Government to rescue Rouge, Shadow encounters a mysterious enemy, Mephiles. During the course of battle, Shadow is hurled into the future.

Silver the Hedgehog is 14 years old and a hedgehog with telekinetic powers. He travels back in time to the present day to save the future from the destructive evil of the Iblis Trigger.

Miles "Tails" Prower is 8 years old and a friendly kid fox with two tails.

Knuckles the Echidna is 16 years old and a powerful and wild echidna who is a close friend of Sonic.

Rouge the Bat is 18 years old (17 in US Sonic Heroes booklet) and a professional treasure hunter and part-time government spy.

E-123 Omega is the last and most powerful of Dr. Eggman's E-series robots.

Amy Rose is 12 years old and an energetic girl that adores Sonic and plans to marry him someday.

Blaze the Cat is 14 years old and a calm and level-headed feline that's quick on her claws.

Game Controls:

Xbox 360 In Game Controls:

• Left stick: Walk and Run
• Right stick: Move Camera
• D-pad: Select Custom Actions (Sonic Only)
• A button: Jump
• B button: Not used
• X button: Attack
• Y button: Mount/Dismount Vehicles (Shadow only)
• LT button: Reset Camera (camera shifts to what you are looking at)
• RT button: Special Actions
• LB button: Pan Camera (left)
• RB button: Pan Camera (right)
• Start button: Pause Menu
• Xbox Guide Button

Xbox 360 Menus:

• Left Stick/D-pad: Select Menu Items
• A/Start button: Enter Selection
• B Button: Back

Playstation 3 In Game Controls:

• Left stick: Walk and Run
• Right stick: Move Camera
• Directional buttons: Select Custom Actions (Sonic Only)
• X button: Jump
• O (circle) button: Not used
• [] (square) button: Attack
• ^ (triangle) button: Mount/Dismount Vehicles (Shadow only)
• L1 button: Reset Camera (camera shifts to what you are looking at)
• R1 button: Special Actions
• L2 button: Pan Camera (left)
• R2 button: Pan Camera (right)
• Start button: Pause Menu

Playstation 3 Menus:

• Left Stick/directional: Select Menu Items
• X/Start button: Enter Selection
• O Button: Back

Character Moves:

Sonic, Shadow, and Silver are the main characters. Each hedgehog has unique moves that can be upgraded by purchasing them with Rings at the Shops in Town. Rings are earned by collecting them in Acts, Bosses, and Town Missions, with bonus Rings awarded based on your Rank. Items bought at the shop are available at different points in Episode Mode, have different costs, specific names, and some upgrades are needed to continue the story.

These three characters have an Action Gauge (a meter on the bottom right of the screen) that depletes when using certain moves. Power is gained by defeating enemies, picking up Light Cores or Chaos Drives. Sonic and Silver can also refill their Action Gauge by standing on the ground. A level indicator next to the gauge shows Shadow's Chaos Boost level, which can be increased by buying Memory Shards from the shop. For Sonic, a Gem appears next to the gauge showing the currently equipped Custom Move.

Sonic has two "Princess Acts" where he carries Princess Elise, stages with a board section, and areas with Super Speed. Special controls apply to these gameplay types.

In most Acts, Shadow can drive vehicles, which are controlled similarly but vary in ease of driving and ammo type. Some stages require vehicle use to complete. Shadow also has "Chaos Boost," available when his Action Gauge is full. Certain upgrades only function in this boost mode, and the Action Gauge slowly depletes.

Other characters are Support Characters who may appear in Acts or follow you. You may temporarily switch to a Support Character to complete a part of a level, and one Act in each story is played entirely by a Support Character. Main characters can also act as support characters in other stories, using their existing upgrades.

Rails:

Sonic, Tails, Shadow, Omega, and Blaze can grind on rails, sliding faster than running. Silver has rails in some levels but cannot grind on them (though it's reported he can in the downloadable Very Hard Mode).

Basic Rail Controls:

• Homing Attack: If your character can Homing Attack, use it to target a rail, which is useful for switching rails.
• Jump Button on Rail: Press the Jump button to jump off the rail.