Described in the Sonic Wings 3 strategy guide as a "zero-style super dreadnought tank," the Do-ni Kai first appears as a giant tank with a three-cannon turret. After taking some damage, the turret is destroyed to reveal a much more futuristic turret marked with the eyeball symbol of the Hildroid. The Do-ni tank may be related to the Hildroid Tank which serves as the first boss of Spinal Breakers. However, the two tanks are not identical.
While the Do-ni is not a real-world tank [1], its two-syllable name is similar to those of other World War II-era Japanese tanks [2]. The kanji 改 ("kai") appended to its name means "modified," implying that it is the successor to a previous Do-ni tank, possibly the tank in Spinal Breakers.
In the game data for Sonic Wings Special, the tiny version of Do-ni Kai is referred to as "Cario," which may be a shortened form of another name. The name "Do-ni Kai" is found in the Sonic Wings 3 strategy guide, but it may refer only to the large version of the tank.
Sonic Wings 3[]
Stage: Tokyo
The Do-ni Kai is always the first boss of the game, attacking with its turret. However, if the player proceeds past the mid-game major boss fight to the level 9 version of the Tokyo stage, the Do-ni Kai appears as a minuscule tank. Despite its tiny size, it is somewhat more difficult to defeat here because its speed is greatly increased: it darts around the screen quickly, making it hard to damage.
Sonic Wings Limited[]
Stage: Another Dimension
The small version of the Do-ni Kai may appear as the game's final boss if the player has more than 600,000 points at the end of the Red Square stage. (More often, Lar is the boss of "Another Dimension" instead.) Here, the tiny tank is blue rather than tan as in Sonic Wings 3. The Do-ni Kai behaves the same as in Sonic Wings 3, darting quickly around the screen. If the Do-ni Kai is allowed to escape, the player receives an ending in which an inufuku walks across the screen.
Sonic Wings Special[]
Stage: Another World, Bermuda Triangle
As in Sonic Wings Limited, Do-ni Kai may appear as the game's final boss in place of Lar. The wrecked Do-ni Kai from Sonic Wings 3 also appears in the Bermuda Triangle stage along with 89-X, Rocket V3, Rainfire's right arm, and several other Sonic Wings 3 enemy planes.
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