Sonic Frontier’s Homing Dash now puts a mark next to Cyber Space times

Sega has released a free update for Sonic Frontiers titled Sights, Sounds, and Speed which contains a host of new content including Photo Mode, Juke Box, Cyber Space Challenge Mode, and Battle Rush Mode.

Additionally, a few adjustments were made based on player feedback. One of these changes that’s gathering attention among fans is a mark on the results screen of Cyber Space stages that denotes whether or not a player used the Homing Dash technique.

Cyber Space refers to stages in Sonic Frontiers that are accessible from Portals scattered about the game’s main islands with special challenges such as time trials. They offer gameplay that’s different from what’s provided in the open zones and play more like the stage-based games of Sonic’s past. The Homing Dash is something of a hidden trick that can be used in these stages.

The Homing Dash is performed by using a Homing Attack on an enemy or spring and then using an Air Boost just as Sonic begins homing in on the target. Doing this will allow Sonic to fly at high speeds in the direction being input when the Air Boost is used. In other words, players can use it to take shortcuts through Cyber Space stages.

Players are graded in Cyber Space stages based on how fast they clear them. Some stages have strict requirements for players to achieve, but with good use of the Homing Dash, an S rank can be easily earned even on the most strict stages. However, with this latest update, times achieved by using the Homing Dash will now be marked with an asterisk.

It’s not uncommon for players online to refer to the Homing Dash as a glitch. For that reason, we can see players on Reddit considering this Sega’s way of tackling said glitch. That said, Homing Dash itself is still usable even after the update. Since the game doesn’t have online rankings, the update will simply allow players to check if their times were done with or without Homing Dash.

When talking about the change, the game’s director Morio Kishimoto said that players are free to decide whether they want to use the Homing Dash or not. Kishimoto added that there aren’t any merits or demerits to the asterisk.

ちなみに、このマークが付くことにメリットもデメリットもありませんので、引き続き自由なプレイスタイルで楽しんで下さいね！

— Morio Kishimoto (@moq_46) March 24, 2023

Previously, Sega actually showcased the Homing Dash in a tips and tricks video. In the below video about speed running Cyber Space stages, they explain how to perform the Homing Dash as a way to aim for the fastest completion times.

Based on Kishimoto’s previous comments, it’s hard to say if the Homing Dash is actually a glitch or not. However, it’s certain that the Homing Dash is a technique that can be used to achieve times that would be impossible normally. This change is said to have been made based on player feedback, so players may have been asking for runs that use the Homing Dash to be separate from regular runs somehow.

Sonic Frontiers is now available on PC (Steam), Nintendo Switch, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X|S.

Written by. Nick Mosier based on the original Japanese article (original article’s publication date: 2023-03-25 16:47 JST)