History Main / AirAidedAcrobatics

* Played straight in the mobile game ''VideoGame/EarlyBird''.

* ''VideoGame/JediOutcast'' has it in the Cloud City levels.

%%* ''VideoGame/AngryBirds'' ''Franchise/StarWars'' has this in a couple of levels.

* ''Franchise/TheLegendOfZelda''

** ''VideoGame/MarioAndLuigi'': Several jumping puzzles in the series involves the Bros catching visible whirlwinds in midair while performing their SpinJump ability.

** ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaBreathOfTheWild'' has cracked patches of earth that emitted strong gusts of wind that give Link more vertical distance with the Paraglider, especially in the Hebra region.

* ''VideoGame/{{Okami}}'', with the added awesomeness of you controlling the wind.

* The ''Franchise/SuperMarioBros'' series likes this trope.
** ''VideoGame/SuperMarioGalaxy2''.
** Various levels in VideoGame/SuperMario64 (but Tiny Huge Island most notably) have a number of updrafts that spontaneously activate when you're over them, which will allow you to make a jump or, perhaps, save your life from a BottomlessPit.
** Several jumping puzzles in the ''VideoGame/MarioAndLuigi'' series involves the Bros catching visible whirlwinds in midair while performing their SpinJump ability.
** VideoGame/SuperMarioBrosTheLostLevels has gusts of forward-moving wind that need to be used to trampoline over huge gaps.

* The [[LethalLavaLand Molten Front]] area in ''VideoGame/WorldOfWarcraft'' includes thermal vents in some areas, allowing characters to use the updrafts to leap much further than normal.

* ''VideoGame/DonkeyKongCountry2DiddysKongQuest'' level Gusty Glade includes a few spots where you must time your jump so that the wind pushes you enough that you can make a jump.
** [[PlayingWithATrope Of course, there are other times when that same tailwind will simply make you overshoot what you're aiming for.]]

* Tengu Man's stage in ''VideoGame/MegaMan8'' features wind that [[GustyGlade alternates between giving you a boosting tail-wind and a hindering head wind]]. Either one has a chance of pushing you down a BottomlessPit.
** A couple of weapons (Tornado Hold from ''8'' and Tornado Blow from ''VideoGame/MegaMan9'') allow you do do this at will.

** ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaPhantomHourglass''. Doubly annoying in that the areas you're jumping from/to are narrow enough that overshooting is ludicrously common.
** Also, some areas using the Deku Leaf in ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaTheWindWaker''.
** Deku Link in ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaMajorasMask'' could also do this, notably in the Stone Tower Temple, as could Link in ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaTwilightPrincess'' -- when hanging from an Oocoo in the City in the Sky, anyhow.

* The ''Franchise/SuperMarioBros'' series likes this trope.
** ''VideoGame/SuperMarioGalaxy2''.
** Various levels in VideoGame/SuperMario64 (but Tiny Huge Island most notably) have a number of updrafts that spontaneously activate when you're over them, which will allow you to make a jump or, perhaps, save your life from a BottomlessPit.
** Several jumping puzzles in the ''VideoGame/MarioAndLuigi'' series involves the Bros catching visible whirlwinds in midair while performing their SpinJump ability.
** VideoGame/SuperMarioBrosTheLostLevels has gusts of forward-moving wind that need to be used to trampoline over huge gaps.
* ''VideoGame/HeavyMetalFAKK2'': the Outskirts of Eden feature a single cliffside gap with an occassional ascending draft. You have to time your jump precisely to make it to the other side.

* ''Franchise/TheLegendOfZelda''
** ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaPhantomHourglass''. Doubly annoying in that the areas you're jumping from/to are narrow enough that overshooting is ludicrously common.
** Also, some areas using the Deku Leaf in ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaTheWindWaker''.
** Deku Link in ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaMajorasMask'' could also do this, notably in the Stone Tower Temple, as could Link in ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaTwilightPrincess'' -- when hanging from an Oocoo in the City in the Sky, anyhow.
** ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaTriForceHeroes'' often has vertically-pointed fans that could give a slight aerial boost for the Links under normal circumstances, especially in the Sky Realm.
** ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaBreathOfTheWild'' has cracked patches of earth that emitted strong gusts of wind that give Link more vertical distance with the Paraglider, especially in the Hebra region.
* The ''VideoGame/MonkeyIsland2LeChucksRevenge'' has this during the spitting contest (watch the flags to see when you've got a tailwind).

* ''VideoGame/{{Okami}}'', with the added awesomeness of you controlling the wind.
* Tengu Man's stage in ''VideoGame/MegaMan8'' features wind that [[GustyGlade alternates between giving you a boosting tail-wind and a hindering head wind]]. Either one has a chance of pushing you down a BottomlessPit.
** A couple of weapons (Tornado Hold from ''8'' and Tornado Blow from ''VideoGame/MegaMan9'') allow you do do this at will.

* The Windy Tree level (#10) in ''[[VideoGame/{{Prehistorik}} Prehistorik Man]]'' has wind coming from below, allowing to jump higher.
* In ''VideoGame/DrawnToLife: The Next Chapter'' for Wii, the Eastern Winds world has several of these. Unfortunately, [[ScrappyLevel it doesn't work out too well]].
* ''VideoGame/{{Scribblenauts}}'' has the Air Vent, an item which creates gusts of winds, which can be used to cross gaps. Unlike most examples of this trope, nearly every object in the game can perform Air-Aided Acrobatics through the use of a couple Air Vents, making it a GameBreaker in action levels where you can push harmful objects out of the way and push helpful objects to you.
* Windy Valley in ''VideoGame/SonicAdventure'' has Sonic literally running on the wind.
* ''VideoGame/LufiaCurseOfTheSinistrals'' has moving updrafts (Handwaved as being elven spirits), which Artea will need to make use of in several jumping puzzles.
* In ''VideoGame/AmericanMcGeesAlice'', you could only move Alice off a steam vent's GustyGlade. In ''VideoGame/AliceMadnessReturns'' you can make Alice jump off from it as well.
* The [[LethalLavaLand Molten Front]] area in ''VideoGame/WorldOfWarcraft'' includes thermal vents in some areas, allowing characters to use the updrafts to leap much further than normal.
** The Uldum dungeons Lost City of Tol`vir and Vortex Pinnacle both make use of these for transportation, and Throne of the Four Winds uses it as the boss' primary gimmick.
* ''VideoGame/LEGOBatman'' has fans that help lift you higher, as does ''VideoGame/LEGOStarWars''.
* ''VideoGame/DoritosCrashCourse'' has fans throughout the course, including one section where you must float along as the fan moves across the gap.
* The ''VideoGame/GuiltyGear'' series has something called Air Dashing, where most characters can rush backwards or forwards while in midair. This is actually justified in story, as a limitless energy source popularly known as 'magic' is used by many characters, one of which is Air magic.
* The original ''VideoGame/HalfLife1'' has a part where, by activating a fan underneath, you actually float up to the top of a shaft to enter an otherwise inaccessible vent. That must be one hell of a fan.

* Played straight in the mobile game ''VideoGame/EarlyBird''.
* ''VideoGame/NeverAlone'' has this as a core mechanic. The movement of falling snow helps you predict when a big gust is about to come along. Most of the time it's a hazard, and you have to brace yourself to avoid being bowled over, but sometimes there are jumps you can't make unless you time your jump to coincide with the wind.

* ''VideoGame/SnakePass'' has updrafts in Bloh-Wee's realm that allows Doodle the hummingbird to carry the protagonist snake Noodle across large gaps.
* On of the blocks in ''VideoGame/UltimateChickenHorse'' is a large fan that blows air in one direction, pushing players that way. This includes upwards.

However, sometimes a character's ability isn't great enough to let them cross a gap. Luckily, there just happens to be gusts of strong wind coming straight up (natural or artificial)! As the character jumps, the wind pushes enough force on our hero to let them cross the otherwise-uncrossable gap.

And thus, the character has just performed Air-Aided Acrobatics. Note that the air does not ''need'' to be coming directly from the gap, as Acrobatics can also be aided by air pushing from behind the character.

[[quoteright:350:[[VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaTheWindWaker https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/wind_waker_gliding.png]]]]

However, sometimes a character's ability isn't great enough to let them cross a gap. Luckily, there just happens to be gusts of strong wind coming straight up! As the character jumps, the wind pushes enough force on our hero to let them cross the otherwise-uncrossable gap.

[[quoteright:350:[[VideoGame/{{Klonoa}} https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/klonoa_whirlwind_jump.png]]]]

* ''VideoGame/KingdomHeartsDreamDropDistance'' has a major one where Riku's boss fight in Le Cite Des Cloches has him almost literally walking on the heat waves that are rising from the burning city.

Forms of fictional media have [[VideoGamePhysics physics]] [[ArtMajorPhysics which]] [[ArtisticLicensePhysics differ]] [[JumpPhysics from]] RealLife. As such, it's not uncommon for there to be [[PlatformGame places where the main character must cross gaps]] which can ''barely'' be surpassed with a well-timed jump.

** Deku Link in ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaMajorasMask'' could also do this, notably in the Stone Tower Temple, as could Link in VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaTwilightPrincess -- when hanging from an Oocoo in the City in the Sky, anyhow.

** Several jumping puzzles in the ''VideoGame/MarioAndLuigi'' series involves the Bros catching visible whirlwinds in midair while performing theirSpin Jump ability.
** SMB 2 Japan \ Lost Levels has gusts of forward-moving wind that need to be used to trampoline over huge gaps.

** Not to mention the fact that you enter Windy Valley from the hub world by jumping into an updraft.

* In ''WesternAnimation/AvatarTheLastAirbender'', the entire point of [[BlowYouAway air-bending is basically this trope]].

* The ''WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagic'' episode "[[Recap/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagicS6E24TopBolt Top Bolt]] has Twilight and Rainbow Dash try to solve a friendship problem at the Wonderbolts Academy. It involves a pair of pegasus recruits with one of them creating gusts of wind with her wings to boost the other in the air for impressive stunts, without the latter knowing.

[[AC:{{Literature}}]]

[[AC:LiveActionTV]]

[[AC:RealLife]]
* TruthInTelevision in athletics, of course, although overly-tailwindy marks may be discounted.

[[AC: Western Animation]]
* In ''WesternAnimation/AvatarTheLastAirbender'', the entire point of [[BlowYouAway air-bending is basically this trope]].
* The WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagic episode, [[Recap/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagicS6E24TopBolt "Top Bolt"]] has Twilight and Rainbow Dash try to solve a friendship problem at the Wonderbolts Academy that involves a pair of pegasus recruits with one of them creating gusts of wind with her wings to boost the other in the air for impressive stunts without the latter knowing.

[[AC:VideoGames]]

* ''VideoGame/AngryBirds'' ''Franchise/StarWars'' has this in a couple of levels.