I figured I would make this guide to help out people who are trying to learn Sonic and don't know where to look. It runs a little shy of 45 minutes so I added a table of contents into the video description to help you jump to parts of interest. I'm not the greatest authority on the game but I feel like I have a solid enough understanding of Sonic to consolidate most Sonic tips and tricks into one video. I hope you find it to be helpful.
Direct Link:
https://youtu.be/E__gcgYtLlI
Update!
Just as I expected there are a lot of things I forgot to include in the video. I've decided to wait until 3.6 drops to release an updated video but I figured I would include a list of the things I left out here in text format, so here goes.
Neutral B:
- Blast attack can be almost instantly canceled into an aerial on hit, allowing you to start a combo. (Thanks to YouTube user SuperSaiyanMax for pointing this out)
- This is also a decent out of shield option. (Thanks to YouTube user Dane Wittig for bringing this up.)
Down B:
- It is possible to jump early out of the initial down-b animation to achieve crazy horizontal jump distance. This becomes increasingly useful as a recovery option, allowing you to get even better use out of your double jump. (Thanks to YouTube user Dane Wittig for bringing this up.)
Side B:
- Sonic's side-b has two different parts!
- If you hold side-b, Sonic will perform the attack that I demonstrate in the video; curls into a ball and then hops slightly while moving forward. This covers more distance but is also more dangerous, as it leaves you off the ground momentarily when you first initiate it.
- If you tap side-b, sonic performs essentially the same thing, however he doesn't leave the ground, and he travels a bit shorter distance. Out of this, you can do everything that you can do out of a held side-b but this method also allows for easier setups into blast attack, all you have to do is jump out of the side-b and then immediately launch the blast attack. (Thanks to SmashBoards user xoriff for bringing this up.)
- The rolling animation of the side-b can be ledge canceled, meaning if you roll off a ledge in the side-b, you will immediately enter the ending animation of the move, letting you act out of it quicker.
- Similarly to how you can jump cancel grab out of side-b, you can also jump cancel up smashes! This still doesn't entirely qualify his up smash as a good move, but it increases your opportunities. We Ike now?
- Throwing out forward aerials as you fly through the air after using your up-b increases the horizontal distance you'll travel. (Thanks to YouTube user MentosNdPepsi for bringing this up.)
- Sonic's up throw allows for easy up airs. (Or really any aerial for that matter)
- All other throws are good for setting up tech chases, his forward throw and down throw being slightly better than his back throw.
- Sonic has an additional way to hog edges with his side-b. All you have to do is run off the edge and then immediately side-b back to it. You will grab the ledge. (Thanks to YouTube user MentosNdPepsi for bringing this up.)