Nexus Heroes / Sonic

Sonic is a playable character in Nexus Heroes, hailing from the Sonic the Hedgehog series. His design is based on the "classic" version of the character, therefore taking from the first three games in the series, as well as games like Sonic CD, Sonic the Fighters and Sonic Mania.
==Who is Sonic?==
===THE SUPERSONIC HEDGEHOG===
Whenever the mad scientist Dr. Robotnik attempts to carry out his evil schemes across the peaceful and colorful lands of the world, it's up to the hyperactive and impossibly fast hedgehog Sonic and his friends to save the day. Able to run at blinding speed and dispose of Robotnik's robotic minions with his deadly spinning attack, Sonic is a real legend in and outside of his world, renowned for his somewhat cocky and irreverent attitude, just as much as he is for his heart of gold, as he never hesitates to put himself in danger to save the world from whoever may threaten it.
==Gameplay==
===Overview===
Sonic is a small lightweight fighter which emphasizes a fast paced and precise playstyle, staying true to the character's original games. He is, by a long shot, the fastest character in the game, being able to run twice as fast as even the speedier characters, and this naturally causes Sonic to be a very difficult target, especially for slower fighters, also given his small frame. To compensate, Sonic's damage output is quite low, and while most of his attacks are very quick, the strongest ones are usually very punishable if read. Additionally, Sonic has a particularly slow turnaround speed, meaning that if he changes direction while running, his momentum will be halted almost completely. This prevents players from exploiting his absurd speed to camp and run around the stage without disturbance. 
As for Sonic's Specials, they mostly tie into his combo-oriented playstyle, particularly his Neutral and Down Specials, though Side Special is also a great tool to start aerial combos, or potentially lead into KOs, albeit this might prove a bit tough for Sonic, as he lacks a reliable and efficient move to quickly KO his opponents, and mostly has to rely on his Forward Aerial for a spike or his pretty slow but powerful Strong Attacks.
===Movelist===
  	Name  	Description
Neutral Attack
,,...	Super Rush I > Super Rush II > Super Rush III / Super Flurry > Super Punch	Three rapid punches, which, if mashed, become a rapid jab consisting of a flurry of punches, ending in a single, powerful punch.
Dash Attack
Dash,	Spinning Ram 	Curls up into a ball while maintaining his momentum, dealing multiple hits with a spin attack.
Side Tilt 	Side Kick 	A rapid side kick, with a bit of a lackluster range, but great speed.
Up Tilt 	Quick Somersault 	Performs a rapid somersault kick.
Down Tilt 	Slippery Kick 	Slides across the ground for a short distance while kicking in front of himself across the floor.
Forward Strong
+	Flame Shield 	Gets ready to sprint while a flaming shield forms around himself, then dashes forward for a short distance while surrounded by flames, dealing FIRE* damage to anyone in his path.
Up Strong
+ 	Insta-Shield 	Crouches, then hops into the air and spins while a flashing white shield surrounds him, damaging anyone who comes in contact with him.
Down Strong
+ 	Aqua Shield 	Charges up while a bubbly shield surrounds him, then jumps up with the shield and lands back with a bounce which damages anyone it touches.
Neutral Aerial
Airborne	Spin Attack 	Curls up into a ball, rapidly spinning on himself and dealing multiple hits.
Forward Aerial
Airborne	Axe Kick 	An axe kick aimed in front of himself, which can spike opponents.
Back Aerial
Airborne	Horse Kick 	Kicks both legs behind himself, dealing good damage and knockback to opponents behind him.
Up Aerial
Airborne	Spinning Kicks 	Kicks twice above himself, once with each leg, while rotating his torso.
Down Aerial
Airborne	Kick Flurry 	Hits below himself with a series of incredibly fast kicks, dealt as if he was running in place.
Grab 	Grab 	Holds the opponent with both hands.
Pummel
, 	Spiky Headbutt 	Headbutts the opponent.
Forward Throw
,	Windup Punch 	Winds up his fist, then punches the opponent, sending them flying.
Back Throw
, 	Head Spin 	Jumps on the opponent's head while curled into a ball and spins, shooting them behind himself.
Up Throw
, 	Volley Toss 	Lifts up the opponent with both hands, tossing them upward.
Down Throw
, 	Toss & Attack 	Launches the opponent upward with both hands, then jumps and slams them back to the ground with a double chop.
Floor Attack
Grounded >	Spiral Spin 	Curls up into a ball and spins in a circle, damaging opponents at both sides.
Edge Attack
Ledge >	Flying Kick 	Climbs up and propels himself forward with a flying kick.
NEUTRAL SPECIAL	Ring Attack 	Tosses a Ring in front of himself, which acts like a short ranged boomerang, as if it hits an opponent, it'll drag them towards Sonic after damaging them, allowing Sonic to extend or start a combo. The ring-collecting sound from the Sonic series is heard when performing this move.
SIDE SPECIAL 	Super Peel Out 	Starts running in place, then zips forward at high speed, forming a circular shape with his legs, crossing up opponents and launching them upward at an angle. The move can be charged to delay the hit and increase the distance, but Sonic will be helpless if he'll have no ground beneath him after dashing.
UP SPECIAL 	Propeller Lift 	Hops up while Tails, Sonic's best friend, spawns in, catching Sonic and holding him by the hands, while propelling himself upward using his tails at helicopter blades. The lift only lasts for a few seconds, during which Tails can be freely moved horizontally, and also be made to ascend higher into the air by mashing the input again, though this will shorten the duration of the move. After the move runs out, Tails will drop Sonic, making him helpless. The move can be canceled earlier by pressing the jump button, which won't have Sonic go into pratfall.
DOWN SPECIAL 	Spin Charge 	Curls up into a ball and charges up in place, then dashes forward at high speed, dealing multiple hits while spinning. The spin can be made faster and last a bit longer by mashing the input during the initial charge, which will have Sonic accumulate speed. The attack can also transition into any other attack, making it a great option for approaching enemies and start combos. Also, while spinning, Sonic can change direction and jump.
FINISHER 	Power of the Chaos Emeralds 	The seven Chaos Emeralds will orbit around Sonic, who'll absorb their power and turn into Super Sonic, with his quills sticking upward and his body glowing of an intense yellow light. In this mode, which lasts for about ten seconds, Sonic is even faster than he normally is, cannot be damaged or killed, and all of his attacks are much more damaging and cause high knockback. His running animation also changes, now hovering above ground instead of running.
===Intro Animation ===
Enters into the stage from a Big Ring while running, then stops and gets ready to fight after striking a pose.
===Taunt===
Crosses his legs, places one hand on his waist while holding up his other hand and making a "no" motion with his finger, all while smirking mischievously. During this, Sonic is heard saying "Tch tch tch", the only vocal sound Sonic is heard making in the game.
===Idle Poses ===
Sonic has only one idle animation, which however branches into others :
*Puts his hands on his hips, while leaning forward and nervously tapping his foot, while looking into the camera with a bothered expression. This animation is kept indefinitely until the player moves Sonic again, or until he gets hit. During this animation, several other sub-animations can play :
**He'll glance at a watch on his wrist.
**He'll lay down on the ground, crossing his legs and resting his head on his hand.
**He'll point in front of himself with both fingers, urging the player to move.
===Victory Poses===
*UP : Jumps up while pointing with his fingers, then lands in the same pose he strikes in his taunt. During this, several small animals will happily jump and cheer around Sonic.
*SIDE : Sonic runs across the screen while smirking at the camera and past a sign displaying Eggman's face, which spins as Sonic runs past it, flipping into a frame of Sonic posing with a V Sign.
*DOWN : Sonic lifts up the seven Chaos Emeralds as they orbit above him, while he looks at them in awe, then jumps up through them while pointing with his finger and smiling at the camera.
==Arcade Mode==
The first battle in Sonic's Arcade route pits him against fellow SEGA created character Blaze. It's also worth noting that a character called Blaze also appears within the Sonic series, though not in the classic games. An additional SEGA nod lies in the stage : 1989 is the year in which the SEGA Mega Drive was released : it's the console on which Sonic made his debut. After this battle, Sonic faces Crash. The two, back in the old 'console war' days of the 90's, had a common enemy that they rivaled with : a certain plumber in red who was dominating the videogames market.
And speaking of which, after completing a Bonus Stage, Sonic is faced with three iconic videogames characters who each represent a big brand in the market : Kratos, representing Playstation, Master Chief, representing Microsoft, and Chell, representing Valve. Sonic, in this match, obviously represents SEGA. The following match, on the other hand, reunites Sonic with two characters who he previously encountered in the Super Smash Bros. series : Snake and Cloud. The stage, additionally, references Kazuya Mishima, who debuted in the latest installment of the Smash Bros. series.
For the fifth battle (fought after the second Bonus Stage), Sonic battles a doctor who is aided by a robot, a clone of himself and a hot-head with a knack for punching things. This composition, made out of Lifeline, Sonic and Vi, references Eggman and two characters who aided him against the blue blur : Metal Sonic and Knuckles (initially tricked by Eggman into fighting Sonic). Finally, before facing Kerrigan, Sonic fights his Rival. It's the fellow platforming hero Rayman, who he fights in a battle aptly named "Running and Jumping".
Round 	Opponent 	Stage 	Music 	
1 	Blaze 	1989 	Voyager 	
2 	Crash 	Green Hill Zone 	Chemical Plant Zone	
Bonus Stage 1	Bonus Stage 1	Bonus Stage 1 	Bonus Stage 1 	Bonus Stage 1
3 	Master Chief
 Kratos
 Chell	Air Force Base 	Ryu Stage 	
4 	Snake
 Cloud 	Tiger Dojo 	Emotionless Passion	
Bonus Stage 2	Bonus Stage 2	Bonus Stage 2 	Bonus Stage 2 	Bonus Stage 2
5 	Lifeline
 Sonic
 Vi	Danger Room 	Avalon (Magneto) 	
6 	Rayman
(Rival Battle)	Band Land 	The Lum King 	
7 	Kerrigan 	Kerrigan's Leviathan	Conscience 	
==Alternates==
===Alternate Colors===
*BLUE : Default appearance, based on his appearance in Sonic Mania.
*RED : Based on one of the playable Sonics in the canceled Arcade game SegaSonic Bros. Also based on Knuckles the Echidna.
*YELLOW : Based on one of the playable Sonics in the canceled Arcade game SegaSonic Bros. Also based on Tails.
*PINK : Based on Amy Rose.
===Alternate Costume===
File:PN SONIC RENDER.png|"Default" Costume
File:PN SONIC ALT.png|"Elf Sonic" Costume
 
*Default : Based on his Classic look, specifically from Sonic The Hedgehog 3.
*Elf Sonic : Based on a costume for Classic Sonic in Sonic Dash.
==Trivia==
*His Neutral Special, Ring Attack, is inspired by a similar move from the never released Sega Genesis game known as Sonic-16.
*Sonic is the only character hailing from a platformer game which was developed in Japan.
*Despite some iterations of the classic version of Sonic being able to speak (such as in the comics and cartoons), it was decided to have him be mute in Nexus Heroes, sticking with how he is portrayed in current media, opposing the more loud-mouthed and witty modern Sonic.
Category: Project Nexus
Category: Project Nexus / Movesets
Category: Movesets