Sonic the Hedgehog Rulesheet

Games Wiki Rulesheets
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Quick Links:

Game Information & Overview:

  • Lead Designer: Steve Ritchie
  • Code/Rules: Bill Grupp
  • Mechanical Engineers:
  • Artwork:
  • Display and Animations:
  • Sound Design: Pierce Colbert, Slash, Jun Senoue (additions to “Open Your Heart” and “It Doesn’t Matter”)
  • Release Date: June 2026
  • Wiki Rulesheet based on Code Rev: 0.91
    • Edit the Code revision, if applicable, when you make changes

Sonic the Hedgehog is JJP’s 2026 release and the second table designed for them by Steve Ritchie and the same team that worked on Elton John. Sonic and his friends must put a stop to Eggman’s evil schemes while finding the Chaos and Master Emeralds for a chance to become Super Sonic. The game uses assets from the Modern Sonic levels of Sonic Generations.

Layout:

Collector’s Edition

Arcade

Skill Shots:

On ball 1:
Eggman will confront Sonic and the player can attack him with a well-aimed shot at the start of the game. Plunge the ball and hit either the center ramp or left ramp to send the ball to the upper playfield. Then shoot Eggman to score the skill shot and increase the base scoring for boss battles, with boss battles on the first ball scoring 2x their normal amount. While the ball is in the plunger, the player can use the action button to select their first zone.

On subsequent balls:
Lock in an award by plunging the ball or selecting it using the flippers. Then hit any white shot on the right side of the playfield to score the locked-in award, or the left ramp to score a super skill shot award worth more of the locked-in award.

  • Chao - Spawns X Chao eggs.
  • Bonus X - Increases bonus multiplier.
  • Checkpoint - Advances to the next checkpoint in the current zone.
  • Award Hero - Spots one hero’s worth of progress towards Sonic Heroes Multiball.
  • Rings - Awards X rings.

Zones & Boss Battles:

The main goal of Sonic the Hedgehog pinball is to complete zones, then win the boss fight against Eggman at the end of each zone. The player selects a zone by using the flippers and action button while the ball is in the plunger lane, then locks it in when they plunge the ball.

During any zone, make enough lit shots to reach checkpoints that save your progress in the current zone and light the Big target for a mystery award. The shot value is based on shot difficulty - they vary between 1x, 2x, and 3x the value.

There are seven zones to play through:

  • Green Hill
  • Chemical Plant
  • Rooftop Run
  • City Escape
  • Speed Highway
  • Sky Sanctuary
  • Seaside Hill

Once enough checkpoints have been completed, the Boss Battle will be qualified at the left and center ramps. Shoot Eggman with the ball enough times to attack the boss and score awards that increase in value by making shots on the upper playfield before the battle starts. Once the Boss Battle is completed, the zone will be counted as won and the player will be given an award that changes with each boss defeated. The awards are:

  • Boss 1 - Start boosted Tails hurry-up
  • Boss 2 - Light extra ball
  • Boss 3 - Qualify Casino Night feature mode
  • Boss 4 - X rings & bonus X
  • Boss 5 - Qualify Boss Rush feature mode
  • Boss 6 - Boost scoring for next zone

Feature Modes:

Feature Modes take priority over all other modes and multiballs once started, and serve as mini-wizard modes of the game.

  • Casino Night: Starts after completing 3 boss battles.
  • Boss Rush: Starts after completing 5 boss battles.
  • Master Emerald Mission: Starts after making enough upper playfield shots.
  • Super Sonic: Starts after collecting all 7 Chaos Emeralds.

Multiballs & Bash Dash:

Only one multiball mode can be active at a time, but they can stack with currently active zones and boss battles.

Bash Dash: During either multiball mode, shooting the left standup target will hold the ball there temporarily and increase the jackpot multiplier. Repeatedly hitting the held ball will increase the jackpot multiplier further. The Bash Dash scoring opportunity disappears after 15 seconds but can be relit by collecting rings during the multiball.

Sonic Heroes Multiball:

There are four teams of three heroes that can be earned by completing the HERO inlanes, which cycle with the flippers. As soon as the player has collected all three members of one team, the left standup target will start Sonic Heroes Multiball. The player can delay this multiball by pressing the action button during the intro animation.

Shoot jackpots to light the super jackpot for each team. Team Sonic’s is at the right ramp, Team Dark’s is at the left ramp, Team Rose’s is at the right orbit, and Team Chaotix’s is at the left orbit. If multiple super jackpots are lit (only obtainable by completing more than one team before starting the multiball), the super jackpot value will be multiplied.

Chaos Emerald Multiball:

Shoot the inline drop targets near the right ramp to lock balls and eventually start Chaos Emerald Multiball.

While in multiball, along with scoring jackpots, the player can collect or boost Chaos Emeralds by completing the goals associated with the game’s modes:

Jackpots and super jackpots on the lower playfield score 1x. Jackpots and super jackpots on the upper playfield score 2x.

Other Scoring:

Many of the game’s side modes are tied into Chaos Emeralds. Chaos Emeralds increase the frozen timers during Chaos Control, and collecting all 7 Chaos Emeralds qualifies the Super Sonic feature mode.

Ring Combos:

Rings can be scored at any time during the game and are mainly used to increase the end-of-ball bonus, and to determine shot values during spin dash and feature modes. Light rings by either rolling through inlanes or repeatedly shooting the orbits, and collect them by shooting shots near them, with combo shots increasing the ring counter regardless of if rings are currently available. Collect 5 rings to light the left outlane kickback. Collect enough rings to light extra ball.

Chao Garden:

Hitting the Chao target on the very left of the playfield spawns a Chao egg. Hatch the egg and advance the Chao by shooting repeated orbit shots; left orbit shots for Light Chao, and right orbit shots for Dark Chao. When the Chao is at its maximum level, victory laps start at the shot that was used to advance it.

Badnik Attack:

The standup targets surrounding the center ramp represent Eggman’s army of mechanized animals sent to defeat Sonic. Once all six targets are completed, a timed Badnik Attack mode will start, where further shots to the targets score increasing points but increase in difficulty with each wave defeated. Shooting the upper playfield targets while a Badnik Attack is running will start a hurry-up on the upper playfield, which can complete an entire wave of Badniks in one shot.

Spin Dash:

Shoot the right ramp repeatedly to qualify a Spin Dash at that same ramp. Once the ramp is hit, the player will temporarily get control of the magnet used to send balls through the loop in a similar manner to the rev mode from Corvette. Use the flippers to build up Sonic’s spin speed, and press the action button with the right timing (while within the green window) to score the most points and release the ball. The Spin Dash points award is determined by how many rings the player has.

Find Froggy:

Big’s pet frog was temporarily controlled by one of the same Chaos Emeralds that gave Chaos its power. Every time the player reaches a checkpoint in a zone, the Big target on the far right of the playfield will light to score a mystery award based on the size of fish caught and advance the fishing gear. Once the player has all gear, they will be able to catch Froggy and light the center ramp for extra ball.

Tails Hurry-Up:

Shoot the spinner on the upper playfield to qualify the left inlane for Tails hurry-up, which will hold the ball, light a random shot to score a hurry-up, then release the ball. The value for each successive hurry-up adds the value from the previous one to the total.

Chaos Control:

Shadow, an artificial counterpart to Sonic created by Eggman’s grandfather, has the power to slow down time with the power of the Chaos Emeralds. If the player has any Chaos Emeralds in their possession, pressing the action button will freeze all currently active game timers, and pressing the action button again will activate the timers again. Every emerald earned adds more time to Chaos Control.

Kickback:

Light the left outlane kickback at thresholds of 5 rings. The kickback fires the ball near the right orbit area so it can be caught on the right flipper.

Extra Balls:

Light extra ball at the center ramp by:

End-of-Ball Bonus:

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I did the Wiki thing. Thanks for starting the rulesheet!