Not Enough Rings
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Not Enough Rings is a Sonic the Hedgehog fancomic by Taeshi, the creator of Bittersweet Candy Bowl. It presents a lighthearted take on the original four Sega Genesis Sonic games: Sonic the Hedgehog, Sonic the Hedgehog 2, Sonic The Hedgehog 3, and Sonic & Knuckles, examining their various quirks.
Tropes used in Not Enough Rings include:
- Action Bomb: Sonic appears to be intimidated by Bombs.
- Anticlimax Boss: "Emerald Hill Zone Boss" provides an impressive entry for Eggman. The boss fight in question was once the page image for Warmup Boss. You do the math.
- Artificial Stupidity: Tails inadvertently foils Sonic's attempt to complete the Sonic 2 Special Stage.
- Continuity Nod: The comic starts out with Sonic complaining about his inability to spindash in Sonic 1. When the Sonic 2 arc rolls around, the very first thing Sonic does is try out the spindash.
- At the end of Scrap Brain Zone Act 2, when Sonic finds himself on a trap door, with Eggman at the trigger behind an unbreakable glass wall, Sonic asks Eggman if he's still bitter about the critique on his Boss Arena Idiocy that he made two comics ago. He's not.
- Early Installment Weirdness: The subject of the very first two strips, in which Sonic gets frustrated with the first game's oddities.
- Foregone Conclusion: Once "The Doomsday Zone" rolls around (or possibly "The Doomsday Zone Boss"), the comic will be over.
- Goddamned Bats/That One Level: One gets the impression that Taeshi finds Marble Zone frustrating.
- Good Bad Bugs:
- In "Emerald Hill Zone Act 2," Sonic and Tails mention the "Ashura" graphical glitch.
- In "Chemical Plant Zone Boss," Sonic shows off his accidental immunity to Eggman's attacks.
- Idiosyncratic Episode Naming: The strips are named after stages, so the first is "Green Hill Zone Act 1," the fourth is "Special Stage," and so on.
- Invincibility Power-Up: Sonic has the invincibility powerup in effect for his very first encounter with Eggman. Poor Eggman.
- Kaizo Trap: Sonic manages to trap himself on the wrong side of a pit while fighting Eggman in Spring Yard Zone.
- Ordinary Drowning Skills: Which lead Sonic to his doom in "Scrap Brain Zone Act 3."
- Oxygenated Underwater Bubbles: And Sonic won't let Tails have any.
- Rise to the Challenge: In "Labyrinth Zone Boss." Sonic is undaunted.
- Sidetracked by the Gold Saucer: Sonic gets distracted in Casino Night Zone.
- The Spiny: Caterkiller. "OH COME ON"
- Title Drop: The title is the message that appears when you fail a Sonic 2 special stage. So naturally, when the Sonic 2 arc's "Special Stage" episode rolls around, he ends up having some trouble.
- Video Game Cruelty Potential: Sonic allows Tails to drown in "Aquatic Ruin Zone Act 2."
- Video Game Settings: All the same ones as in the games, naturally:
- Eternal Engine: Scrap Brain Zone, Chemical Plant Zone
- Green Hill Zone: The Green Hill Zone, Emerald Hill Zone
- Hailfire Peaks: Aquatic Ruin Zone (Temple of Doom/Under the Sea)
- Lethal Lava Land: Marble Zone
- Pinball Zone: Spring Yard Zone Casino Night Zone
- Underwater Ruins: Aquatic Ruin Zone