Are sure you're not talking about slopes?...Except it's the shining example of most of what the series is about; fast platforming, using speed as your superpower. So fast, you can DEFY GRAVITY, and make the very Earth your *****, as you run on the walls and even the ceiling as easily as running on the floor, and capable of using the loops to reach places no mere mortal human could accomplish with their normal abilities alone. A shuttle loop is the prime example of the Sonic series in a nutshell: Platforming with speed.