Sonic Jumps Into a Giant Ring

About this drawing

Sonic giant ring portal moments were a big reward in the early games. Finish certain stages while holding enough rings and a huge golden hoop would appear in the air. Jump through it and Sonic was whisked away to a colorful special stage.

Those bonus stages were where players hunted for the Chaos Emeralds. Every game handled them differently, from spinning mazes to half-pipe tunnels and spheres to collect. They were tricky, and earning every emerald took real patience.

The prize for that patience was worth it. Gather all seven Chaos Emeralds and Sonic can turn into Super Sonic, a glowing golden form that flies faster and shrugs off almost any attack.

Ordinary rings matter just as much. Sonic scoops them up as he runs, and they work like a shield: when an enemy hits him, his rings scatter across the ground instead of ending his run. Only a hit with zero rings costs him a life, which is why players scramble to grab a few back before they blink away. That simple rule turned the golden ring into one of gaming's best-known symbols.

• sonic
• rings
• chaos emeralds
• video games
• landscape