This is my first Sonic game (I grew up in a devoutly Nintendo household) and in the Quick Look I noticed Jeff pulling off some moves that I'm assuming came from earlier games in the series that I missed out on. Stuff like Sonic using Tails to fly upward, and spinning up in the air and landing in a full speed run/roll. I looked for an in-game move list but I haven't found one. Is there somewhere I can find the commands to do these moves?

For Tails, you press up + jump while in the air and he'll catch you if you jump into him. If you do this while you're both standing in the same position he should catch you straight away. Once you're flying with Tails, tapping jump repeatedly ascends.

To do the drop dash, just hold jump while in the air.

Neither of these moves were actually in past games. Tails could carry Sonic while flying in Sonic 3 & Knuckles, but you needed a second player controlling him to do it. The drop dash is new for Mania.

I'd be grateful for this, too. I can get Tails to pick me up occasionally, but he always drops me much sooner than in the quick look.

I think you just hold down as you land in ball form to shoot off. For Tails it seems like you hold up and tap jump twice. I don't remember either of those from past games, but I'm not exactly a Sonic expert.

@ll_exile_ll: Good to know. Thanks!

Press jump, hold left, hold right.

That's about it.