The Solid Flapper (ソリッドフラッパー[1] Soriddofurappā?) is an enemy that appears in the Sonic the Hedgehog series. It is a mass-produced Pawn Series Badnik created by Dr. Eggman, and a variant of the Flapper.
Appearance
The Solid Flappers look very similar to the Flapper, possessing the round torso, black undercarriage, dome-shaped head, the airplane-like wings instead of arms, the two turbines on their backs, the pointy nose, and the flight visors instead of eyes. However, unlike the typical Flapper, the Solid Flappers are silver-colored instead of orange-red with orange joints.
Game appearances
Sonic Heroes
A Solid Flapper
The Solid Flappers made their first appearance in Sonic Heroes as enemies. In this game, they are a rare type of Badnik that can only be found in a few stages, such as BINGO Highway.
In gameplay, Solid Flappers have few hit points and will either float around in a fixed position or hover back and forth within a certain area. When they spot the playable characters, a speech balloon containing an exclamation point will appear above the Solid Flappers. What they will do next depend on their equipment, as Solid Flappers can possess any of the attack patterns belonging to the other Flapper variations in Sonic Heroes. These include:
- Flapper: The Solid Flappers possess no weapons or equipment at all. In fact, the only way the player can take damage due to these Solid Flappers is by ramming into them.
- Bomb Flapper: The Solid Flappers are equipped with bomb deployment systems. This allows them to periodically drop bombs so that they hit the ground directly below them. When hitting the ground, these bombs will then explode. Touching this explosion will cause the playable characters to take damage.
- Cannon Flapper: The Solid Flappers are equipped with laser cannons. This allows them to slowly fire a laser bullet at the playable characters. However, the shot is relatively easy to dodge.
- Gun Flapper: The Solid Flappers are equipped with machine guns. This allows them to fire a steady stream of bullets at the playable characters. However, the shots are relatively easy to dodge.
- Laser Flapper: The Solid Flappers are equipped with laser generators. This allows them to constantly shoot a laser resembling a yellow electrical current down into the ground below them. Touching this laser will cause the playable character to take damage.
- Needle Flapper: The Solid Flappers are equipped with spikes that it can protrude and retract. This allows them to periodically protrude and retract spikes from their torsos. While their spikes are deployed, the playable characters cannot touch the Solid Flappers without taking damage, even when hitting them with attacks like the Homing Attack, Fire Dunk or Thunder Shoot. Often, this skill enables the Solid Flappers to intercept attacks before they connect with them. However, their spikes do not make them invulnerable to damage, as it is possible for some of the player's attacks to affect them even while their spikes are out.
- Search Flapper: The Solid Flappers are equipped with searchlights. This allows them to teleport several Egg Pawns into the same areas as themselves when they spot the playable characters in order to have them combat the player. However, they can only do this once.
Regardless of their weaponry, the Solid Flappers can (mostly) only take damage when hit by a Power Formation attack (which will always destroy Solid Flappers in one attack); Speed Formation attacks have no effects on them and Fly Formation can only stun them. While they can still take damage when hit by Thunder Shoot while they are airborne (and not in midfall, grounded or flying back up after being grounded), they will only lose one hit point per hit.
Because they float in midair, the Solid Flappers typically float outside the reach of most of the player's attacks. The easiest way to destroy them is by using Thunder Shoot to knock them out of the sky, leaving them open to Power Formation attacks. Alternatively, the player can use Thunder Shoot on them until they are destroyed. Also, upon their destruction, they grant the player 100 points.
Other game appearances
Sonic Rumble
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Powers and abilities
The Solid Flappers are all capable of flight using the jetpacks on their backs. They also possess a type of armor that only those with exceptional super strength can break through. In addition, they can be equipped with one of the following Flapper variants' weaponry:
- A Bomb Flapper's supply of bombs that they can drop on enemies.
- A Cannon Flapper's cannon that can fire laser bullets.
- A Gun Flapper's machine guns that can fire a steady stream of bullets.
- A Laser Flapper's laser generator that lets them fire lasers towards the ground.
- A Needle Flapper's deadly spikes that they can protrude at will to skewer opponents too close to them.
- A Search Flapper's searchlight that lets them call Egg Pawns to their location by having them teleported there.
References
- ↑ "Chapter 1" (in Japanese). ソニックヒーローズ最強攻略ガイド. Shogakukan. February 2004. p. 33. ISBN 978-4091061522.