Grab,^[1] also referred to as Pick or Pick Up, is a move that appears in the Sonic the Hedgehog series. It is a technique used for grabbing onto, carrying around, and releasing objects, which can be utilized for various means.

Description[]

When performing Grab, the users grasp an object with their hands and start carrying it around or holding onto it. In gameplay, unlike conventional items akin to the Rings, objects picked up with Grab do not disappear from the field and enter the in-game inventory when touched, but remains in the playable characters' hands. As such, Grab can under normal circumstances only be used on one object at the time.

Gameplay-wise, Grab is primarily used for moving and manipulating special targets such as Key Stones, Chao Eggs, Containers and so forth, though it is also used to hold onto ledges and poles in one instance. Once used, Grab lets the player hold onto an object indefinitely, though the playable character will drop it when attacked. While using Grab on an object that can be carried, however, the playable character's speed is lowered and their unique actions are disabled (e.g. Sonic's Sonic's Spin Dash, Tails' Propeller Flight, Sonic the Werehog's Skills etc.).

Game appearances[]

Sonic Adventure[]

In Sonic Adventure and its enhanced port Sonic Adventure DX: Director's Cut, the technique is referred to as Pick in gameplay, though it is just referred to as Carrying Items in the manual.^[2] In this game, all the playable characters can use it.

Pick can be used on a number of items such as Key Stones, the Employee ID Card, Monkey Destruction Switch, Chao Eggs, Chao, and objects such as the "man statue" in Mission Mode. Pick is especially important for raising Chao, as it enables the player to interact with them and affect their evolution. Pick is also essential to defeating Chaos 6, as the player must get a hold of satellites during the fight and insert them into Chaos 6 to win.

To carry an item in gameplay, the player has to press /// when near an object. When holding the object, the player can press /// while using the movement controls to "wave" items or "cuddle" Chao. To throw the object, press /// while moving. To set the object down, press /// while stopped.

Sonic Adventure 2[]

In Sonic Adventure 2 and it is enhanced port Sonic Adventure 2: Battle, Grab works just like it did in Sonic Adventure. It is once again referred to as Pick in gameplay. Like in the previous game, all playable characters can use it.

In addition to being used to pick up Gate Keys, Chao Egg, Chao, Omochao and Chaos Drives in the Chao Gardens, the game introduces an offensive usage for Pick. By picking up random objects in the Stages, the player can throw them at enemies with automatic accuracy, resulting in an instant kill (except for Spark Beetles). Aside from this, Pick is again essential to raising Chao in Chao Gardens as it enables the player to interact with them and affect their growth.

To use Pick in gameplay, the player has to press // when near an object. When holding the object, the player can "wave" items or "cuddle" Chao using the movement controls. To throw the object, press // while moving. To set the object down, press // while stopped.

Shadow the Hedgehog[]

In Shadow the Hedgehog, the technique is referred to as Pick up^[3] and is primarily used by Shadow the Hedgehog, though any characters controlled through co-op mode or Battle Mode are able to use it as well.^[4] When performing Grab in this game, Shadow carries the grabbed object above his head with his right hand.

Pick up is primarily used on Containers, Bomb Units and Heal Units. When releasing the objects though, Shadow will always throw them, resulting in Containers breaking and the effects of Bomb Units and Heal Units being activated upon impact. Also, while Shadow cannot use moves like the Homing Attack or Spin Dash after picking up an item, though he can still use weapons, the Punch, Chaos Control, and Chaos Blast without affecting the held object. To pick up an item in gameplay, the player must press // near an object, and press it again to throw it.

Sonic Unleashed[]

In the Xbox 360/PlayStation 3 version and the Wii/PlayStation 2 version of Sonic Unleashed, the move is referred to as Grab^[1] and is only usable to Sonic the Werehog. For this game, the move has been given an entire overhaul in mechanics. Not only can it be used to pick up the game's Key Stones and Containers, but it can also be used for picking up enemies and exploration. To Grab objects in gameplay, the player has to press the following buttons near a target where a reticle appears:

PS2	Wii			PS3	Xbox 360
	Wii Remote	Classic Controller	GameCube Controller

When using Grab to carry objects, Sonic carries them above his head, though falling down from edges will make him drop them. Using Grab on enemies however, is a bit more tricky. While Sonic can easily pick up smaller enemies like the Little Rex and Dark Fright and even carry one in each hand, larger enemies like the Nightmare variants and Dark Master variants are required to have their Health Gauges lowered before Grab can be used on them. Even then, they are able to resist, meaning the player has to repeatedly press the Grab button before the enemy is picked up. Large enemies like the Titan and Big Mother are immune to Grab though. On the Xbox 360/PlayStation 3 version of the game, the player can increase Sonic's walking speed while using Grab by using Dash.

Depending on the player's skill level, a variety of attacks can be performed on grabbed enemies. In general on the Xbox 360/PlayStation 3 version of the game, pressing /, /, or / while grabbing an enemy or Container will make Sonic attack with it by either swinging it around, using it repeatedly as a club, or throwing it away. These methods will inflict minor damage on enemies. In the Wii/PlayStation 2 version, though, Sonic can only throw his grabbed objects by pressing one of the following buttons:

PS2	Wii
	Wii Remote	Classic Controller	GameCube Controller
	Shake Wii Remote

Additionally, a number of Hanging Ledges, Horizontal Poles and Vertical Poles can be grabbed hold of, enabling Sonic to climb or swing to otherwise inaccessible areas. When approaching a ledge from below, the player can use Grab to take hold when a reticle appears and then use the control stick to shinny sideways or to climb up. However, on the Wii/PlayStation 2 version, the player has to hold down the Grab button to hang onto poles and ledges, and release it to let go. On the Xbox 360/PlayStation 3 version, while hanging from a ledge or vertical pole, the player must press / or / to release Sonic's grip, or / to jump by kicking off of it. When swinging from a Horizontal Pole, the player has to press the jump button at the correct time to swing towards the next pole or a ledge.

Sonic Frontiers[]

In Sonic Frontiers, the ability to grab (referred to as Carrying^[5]) Koco appears during the SOS Backup Story Quest and in Cyber Space stages during The Final Horizon. To grab Koco (during SOS Backup) or an Animal (while in Cyber Space), Sonic must run into them and they will be automatically picked up. During SOS Backup, Sonic can also Homing Attack the Koco to grab them. Sonic can set them down by pressing the // button (Animals only), by bringing them to the goal, or by being damaged.

During the Island Mystery "Drain the water to move on", Sonic can do a similar carrying maneuver by using the Cyloop on a nearby missile, which he then can load into the nearby launcher.

While carrying, Sonic's movement is severely limited to just running, jumping, using the Homing Attack (SOS Backup only) and using Dash Panels while in Cyber Space.

Trivia[]

• E-102 Gamma is the only character that can use some of his moves while holding an item in Sonic Adventure, which is his Hover technique in this case.

Notes[]

References[]