Gimmicks

Gimmicks are objects in the game that are placed in Worlds, Obbies or Race Courses. They provide a kinetic boost to players who touch or step onto them.
There are currently four types of gimmicks, 
* Springs that bounce a player in a fixed direction
* Dash Panels, which give players a short burst of speed
* Grind Rails, which players can ride along with enough speed
* Badnicks/event spawns, which help the player fulfill specific event requirements
A variant of the Spring exists, known as the Wide Spring. It appears as an elongated spring, utilizing three spring coils underneath it rather than one coil. Likewise, the star pattern is placed on the red cover three times, equidistant to each other.
A variant of the Dash Panel also exists, known as the Dash Ramp. It appears as a larger dash panel, but propped upwards. It features three moving arrows instead of the regular panel's singular arrow. 
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==Functions==
===Springs===
Springs are often used to reach higher platforms, and are often placed either on the ground or on walls. Sometimes, they can be placed in hidden locations that only keen players can find, and on contact will bounce them to a hard-to-reach area. Springs are commonly placed in sets, where one Spring will lead to the next, until a destination is reached. Usually, sets of Springs include trails of rings to indicate their direction.
Wide Springs are less common, and are primarily used to make higher ledges more accessible on a well-trodden path. While that sounds similar to the normal Spring, the increased size of Wide Springs make them easier to find and bounce off of. These are not commonly used in sets.
===Dash Panels===
Dash Panels are most commonly used to ensure the player keeps a certain pace. When running over them, the players' speed is instantly accelerated to a certain speed, no matter what speed the player was at when touching the panel. Sometimes multiple dash panels are placed next to each other to cover a wide range, and sometimes dash panels are used in sets, with one speeding the player directly into another one.
Dash Ramps are used most often at the end of a speedy section in a level. It sends players flying forward into the air for a set distance, usually into a new section.
===Grind Rails===
Grind Rails are long, often curved or looped lines usually suspended high in the sky. Upon contact, the player latches to the rail, and depending on their momentum prior to touching the rail may begin to slide along its top side. Players on Grind Rails are still affected by physics, namely gravity, and will build-up or lose their speed depending on the shape of the rail. Grind Rails commonly have Chaos Orbs or Rings spread out on its surface, which players collect by simply going along it. At any time, a player can jump to leave a Grind Rail, and will continue to carry any momentum gained during the ride. Grind Rails are usually out-of-the way, but may sometimes be used exclusively as a section in a level.
== Badniks/event spawns ==
Badniks are stationary enemies found anywhere on the map. They can be on land, in the sky or even in water, and normally reward the player with rings upon their destruction. They are also often swapped out with Event Spawns, which fill the same general purpose only instead of rewarding the player with rings, they can reward the player with event currency needed to complete the event; like the scrolls from Hurdle Hurry and the presents from Gotta Snow Fast.
==Trivia==
*Dash Panels are currently unused in any location, however Dash Ramps are used rather liberally in a few Worlds and in the Lost Valley Race Cource.
*Green Hill and Hill Top are the only locations in the game that uses the Wide Spring.
**Green Hill only has one Wide Spring, found beneath the Grind Rail that the Sonic Card is located.
*Springs and Wide Springs are targeted by the Homing Attack when nearby.
**In other Sonic titles, Grind Rails are also sometimes able to be targeted this way.
*Grind Rails are currently the only Gimmick without any variants.
==Gallery==
File:Ring Springs.png|Two sets of Springs that each lead into each other
File:Wide spring.png|A Wide Spring
File:Dash Ramp.gif|A Dash Ramp that would send a player flying high
File:Grind Rail.gif|Tails using a Grind Rail
File: Super Badnik 1.png |A super Badnik!
File: Super Badnik 2.png |A super Badnik!
File: Super Badnik 3.png |A super Badnik!