Sonic the Hedgehog

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This article is about the media franchise. For the character, see Sonic the Hedgehog (character). For other uses, see Sonic the Hedgehog (disambiguation).

Sonic the Hedgehog
The word "Sonic" in yellow text outlined in blue, followed by "the hedgehog" in white text surrounded by a red box
Created by
Original workSonic the Hedgehog (1991)
OwnerSega
Years1991–present
Print publications
Book(s)Printed media list
ComicsComic book list
Films and television
Film(s)Films list
Short film(s)Web series list
Animated seriesAnimated series list
Games
Video game(s)List of games
Miscellaneous
Toy(s)Lego Sonic the Hedgehog
Official website
www.sonicthehedgehog.com

Sonic the Hedgehog

sports genres. The franchise also incorporates printed media, animations
, feature films, and merchandise.

Naka, Ohshima, and Yasuhara developed the first Sonic game, released in 1991 for the Sega Genesis, to provide Sega with a mascot to compete with Nintendo's Mario. Its success helped Sega become one of the leading video game companies during the fourth generation of video game consoles in the early 1990s. Sega Technical Institute developed the next three Sonic games, plus the spin-off Sonic Spinball (1993). A number of Sonic games were also developed for Sega's 8-bit consoles, the Master System and Game Gear. After a hiatus during the unsuccessful Saturn era, the first major 3D Sonic game, Sonic Adventure, was released in 1998 for the Dreamcast. Sega exited the console market and shifted to third-party development in 2001, continuing the series on Nintendo, Xbox, and PlayStation systems. Takashi Iizuka has been the series' producer since 2010.

While Sonic games often have unique

Sega All-Stars, and Super Smash Bros.

Sonic the Hedgehog is Sega's flagship franchise and one of the

fangames
.

History

See also: List of Sonic the Hedgehog video games and Sonic Team

1990–1991: Conception and first game

Main article: Sonic the Hedgehog (1991 video game)
A Sonic the Hedgehog costume performer is flanked by Naka and Oshima in front, while the two men are applauding.
Sonic the Hedgehog co-creators: programmer Yuji Naka (left) and artist Naoto Ohshima (right) with a costume of the titular character (center)

By 1990, the Japanese video game company

Genesis does what Nintendon't" marketing campaign and by collaborating with athletes and celebrities to create games.[2]: 405–406  These efforts did not break Nintendo's dominance, and Katz was replaced by Tom Kalinske, formerly of Mattel.[2]
: 423–424 

Sega president

platform game that involved a fast-moving character rolling in a ball through a long winding tube.[7] Sega management accepted the duo's project, and they were joined by designer Hirokazu Yasuhara.[6]: 20–33, 96–101 [8]

Governor of Arkansas Bill Clinton's "can-do" attitude.[11][12][13] The antagonist, Doctor Eggman, was another character Ohshima had designed for the contest. The team thought the abandoned design was excellent and redesigned it as a villain.[14] The team took the name Sonic Team for the game's release.[15]

Sonic's first appearance came in Sega AM3's racing game Rad Mobile (1991) five months before the release of Sonic the Hedgehog, as an ornament hanging from the driver's rearview mirror. The Sonic developers let AM3 use Sonic because they were interested in making him visible to the public.[16] According to Mark Cerny, who worked in Tokyo as an intermediary between the Japanese and American Sega offices, the American staff felt that Sonic had no appeal.[17] Although Katz was certain that Sonic would not be popular with American children,[18][19] Kalinske arranged to place Sonic the Hedgehog as the pack-in game with the Genesis.[18][20] Featuring speedy gameplay, Sonic the Hedgehog received critical acclaim.[21][22] It greatly increased the popularity of the Sega Genesis in North America,[23] credited with helping Sega gain 65% of the market share against Nintendo.[11]

1991–1995: Genesis sequels

Photograph of Hirokazu Yasuhara
Hirokazu Yasuhara (pictured in 2018) designed most of the Genesis Sonic games.

Naka was dissatisfied with his treatment at Sega and felt he received little credit for his involvement in the success. He quit but was hired by Cerny to work at the US-based Sega Technical Institute (STI), with a higher salary and more creative freedom. Yasuhara also moved to STI.[24][23] STI began work on Sonic the Hedgehog 2 (1992) in November 1991.[24] Level artist Yasushi Yamaguchi designed Sonic's new sidekick, Tails, a flying two-tailed fox inspired by the mythological kitsune.[3] Like its predecessor, Sonic the Hedgehog 2 was a major success, but its development suffered from the language barrier and cultural differences between the Japanese and American developers.[25] While STI developed Sonic 2, Ohshima led a team in Japan to create Sonic CD for the Genesis's CD-ROM accessory, the Sega CD; it began as a port of the first game but evolved into a separate project.[26]

Once development on Sonic 2 concluded, Cerny departed and was replaced by Roger Hector. STI divided into two teams: the Japanese developers led by Naka, and the American developers.

holiday shopping season, Sega commissioned the American team to make a new game, the spin-off Sonic Spinball.[33] While Spinball received mixed reviews, it sold well and helped build the reputation of its developers.[24]

A number of Sonic games were developed for Sega's

Aspect Co. developed most of the subsequent 8-bit Sonic games, beginning with a version of Sonic 2.[35] Other Sonic games released during this period include Dr. Robotnik's Mean Bean Machine (1993), a Western localization of the Japanese puzzle game Puyo Puyo (1991),[36] SegaSonic the Hedgehog (1993), an arcade game featuring isometric gameplay,[37] and Knuckles' Chaotix (1995), a spin-off for the Genesis's 32X add-on starring Knuckles.[38]

1995–1998: Saturn era

commercial failure
.

Following Sonic & Knuckles, Naka returned to Japan, having been offered a role as a producer.[15] He was reunited with Ohshima and brought with him Takashi Iizuka,[39] who had worked with Naka's team at STI.[27] Sonic Team was officially formed as a brand,[40][41] and began to work on a new intellectual property,[15] Nights into Dreams (1996), for Sega's 32-bit Saturn console.[42] In 1996, towards the end of the Genesis's lifecycle, Sega released Sonic 3D Blast, an isometric game based on the original Sonic 3 concept,[43] as the system still had a large install base.[44] It was the final Sonic game produced for the Genesis,[45] and was developed as a swan song for the system.[46] Since Sonic Team was preoccupied with Nights, 3D Blast was outsourced to the British studio Traveller's Tales.[42] While 3D Blast sold well,[44][47] it was criticized for its gameplay, controls, and slow pace.[48][49][50]

Meanwhile, in America, STI worked on Sonic X-treme, a 3D Sonic game for the Saturn intended for the 1996 holiday shopping season. Development was hindered by disputes between Sega of America and Japan, Naka's reported refusal to let STI use the Nights game engine, and problems adapting the series to 3D. After two lead developers became ill, X-treme was canceled.[51][52] Journalists and fans have speculated about the impact X-treme might have had if it was released,[51][53][54] with producer Mike Wallis believing it "definitely would have been competitive" with the first 3D Mario game, Super Mario 64 (1996).[52] Due to X-treme's cancellation, Sega ported Sonic 3D Blast to the Saturn[55][56] with updated graphics and bonus levels developed by Sonic Team.[57][58]

In 1997, Sega announced "Project Sonic", a promotional campaign aimed at increasing market awareness of and renewing excitement for the Sonic brand. The first Project Sonic release was

commercial failure.[62][68] According to Nick Thorpe of Retro Gamer, "By mid-1997 Sonic had essentially been shuffled into the background... it was astonishing to see that just six years after his debut, Sonic was already retro."[69]

1998–2005: Transition to 3D

A Dreamcast. It is a white system with a disk drive on top and a controller with a display screen attached
Sonic Adventure, the first major 3D Sonic game, was released for the Dreamcast in 1998

With its Sonic Jam experiments, Sonic Team began developing a 3D Sonic platformer for the Saturn. The project stemmed from a proposal by Iizuka to develop a Sonic

Sonic Team USA to develop the more action-oriented Sonic Adventure 2 (2001).[15][74] Between the releases, Ohshima left Sega to form Artoon.[75] While both Adventure games were well received[70] and the first sold over two million copies,[76] consumer interest in the Dreamcast quickly faded, and Sega's attempts to spur sales through lower prices and cash rebates caused escalating financial losses.[77]

In January 2001, Sega announced it was discontinuing the Dreamcast to become a

Windows in 2004,[6]: 141  to mixed reviews.[89]

Sega continued to release 2D Sonic games. In 1999, it collaborated with SNK to produce Sonic the Hedgehog Pocket Adventure,[90] an adaptation of Sonic 2 for the Neo Geo Pocket Color.[91] Some SNK staff formed Dimps the following year, and developed original 2D Sonic games—Sonic Advance (2001), Sonic Advance 2 (2002), and Sonic Advance 3 (2004)—for Nintendo's Game Boy Advance (GBA).[92][93] Sonic Advance was the first original Sonic game released for a Nintendo console after Sega and Nintendo's fierce rivalry in the 1990s.[94][95] It was outsourced to Dimps because Sonic Team was understaffed with employees familiar with the GBA.[96] Dimps also developed Sonic Rush (2005) for the Nintendo DS, which uses a 2.5D perspective.[97][98] Dimps's projects received generally favorable reviews.[99] To introduce older games to new fans, Sonic Team developed two compilations, Sonic Mega Collection (2002) and Sonic Gems Collection (2005).[100] Further spin-offs included the party game Sonic Shuffle (2000),[101] the pinball game Sonic Pinball Party (2003)[102] and the fighting game Sonic Battle (2003).[103]

2005–2010: Franchise struggles

Sonic Team USA was renamed Sega Studios USA after completing Sonic Heroes.[15] Sega and Sonic Team leadership entered flux while they experimented with diverging from the Sonic formula.[88] Sega Studios USA's first post-Heroes project was Shadow the Hedgehog (2005), a spin-off starring the popular Adventure 2 character Shadow.[104][105] While Shadow retains most elements from previous Sonic games, it was aimed at a mature audience and introduced third-person shooting and nonlinear gameplay.[106] Shadow the Hedgehog was panned for its controls, level design, and mature themes,[107][108] but was a commercial success, selling at least 1.59 million copies.[109][110]

In 2006, for the franchise's 15th anniversary, Sonic Team developed Sonic Riders,[111] a GBA port of the original Sonic,[112] and a reboot, Sonic the Hedgehog (commonly referred to as Sonic '06).[113][114] With a more realistic setting than previous entries, Sonic '06 was intended to relaunch the series for seventh-generation consoles such as the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3.[88][115][116] The development faced serious problems; Naka, the last of the original Sonic development team, resigned as head of Sonic Team to form Prope,[117] and the team split so work could begin on a Wii Sonic game. According to Iizuka, these incidents, coupled with stringent Sega deadlines and an unpolished game engine, forced Sonic Team to rush development.[88] None of the 15th-anniversary Sonic games were successful critically,[118][119] and Sonic '06 became regarded as the worst game in the series, panned for its bugs, camera, controls, and story.[120][121] Brian Shea of Game Informer wrote that it "[became] synonymous with the struggles the Sonic the Hedgehog franchise had faced in recent years. Sonic ['06] was meant to be a return to the series' roots, but it ended up damning the franchise in the eyes of many."[88]

Arabian Nights and was released instead of a port of Sonic '06.[124] Citing lengthy development times, Sega switched plans and conceived a game that would use the motion detection of the Wii Remote.[125] Sega released a sequel, Sonic and the Black Knight, set in the world of King Arthur, in 2009.[126] Secret Rings and Black Knight form what is known as the Sonic Storybook sub-series.[127] A Sonic Riders sequel, Zero Gravity (2008), was developed for the Wii and PlayStation 2.[128] Dimps returned to the Sonic series with Sonic Rush Adventure, a sequel to Sonic Rush, in 2007,[129] while BioWare developed the first Sonic RPG, Sonic Chronicles: The Dark Brotherhood (2008), also for the DS.[130]

Following Naka's departure, Akinori Nishiyama, who worked on the Sonic Advance and Rush games,[131] became Sonic Team's general manager.[132] Sonic Team began working on Sonic Unleashed (2008) in 2005.[133] It was conceived as a sequel to Adventure 2, but became a standalone entry after Sonic Team introduced innovations to separate it from the Adventure games.[134] With Unleashed, Sonic Team sought to combine the best aspects of 2D and 3D Sonic games and address criticisms of previous 3D entries,[135][136] although reviews were mixed due to the addition of a beat 'em up game mode in which Sonic transforms into a werewolf-like beast.[137] After Nishiyama was promoted in 2010,[132] Iizuka was installed as the head of Sonic Team[138][139] and became the Sonic producer.[70]

2010–2015: Refocusing

Photo of Takashi Iizuka
Takashi Iizuka, who directed the first three 3D Sonic games, has been the head of Sonic Team and Sonic's producer since 2010.

Iizuka felt Sonic was struggling because it lacked unified direction,

Wisp power-ups.[145] For the series' 20th anniversary in 2011, Sega released Sonic Generations for the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, and Windows;[146][147] a separate version was developed by Dimps for the Nintendo 3DS.[148][149] Sonic Generations featured reimagined versions of levels from previous Sonic games and reintroduced the "classic" Sonic design from the Genesis era.[146][149] These efforts were better received, especially in comparison to Sonic '06 and Unleashed.[140]

In May 2013, Nintendo announced it was collaborating with Sega to produce Sonic games for its

Mario & Sonic game and a 2014 Winter Olympics tie-in (see Crossovers section).[150] The deal was completed in 2014 with the release of Sonic Boom: Rise of Lyric for the Wii U and Sonic Boom: Shattered Crystal for the 3DS; these games were based on the Sonic Boom television series.[140][154] Sonic Lost World polarized critics,[155] while critics found Mario & Sonic at the Sochi 2014 Olympic Winter Games mediocre[156] and panned the Sonic Boom games.[140] Sonic Boom: Fire & Ice, a Shattered Crystal sequel, was released in 2016.[157]

Sega began to release more Sonic games for

Sonic Boom-themed sequel in 2015.[164] Sonic Team released Sonic Runners, its first game for mobile devices, in 2015.[165] Sonic Runners was also an endless runner,[165] but was unsuccessful[166] and was discontinued a year after release.[167] Gameloft released a sequel, Sonic Runners Adventure, in 2017 to generally positive reviews.[168][169]

2015–present: New directions

In a 2015 interview with

independent game developers PagodaWest Games and Headcannon with a staff comprising members of the Sonic fandom; Whitehead conceived the project and served as director.[173] The game, which emulates the gameplay and visuals of the Genesis entries, received the best reviews for a Sonic game in 15 years.[174] Meanwhile, Sonic Team developed Sonic Forces, which revives the dual gameplay of Sonic Generations along with a third gameplay style featuring the player's custom character.[175][176] Sonic Forces received mixed reviews,[177] with criticism for its short length.[175][178][179]

In 2019, Sega released a

open-world design,[185] and Iizuka expressed hope that it would inform future games in a similar way to Sonic Adventure.[184] Frontiers received moderately positive reviews, with critics and fans considering it a flawed but solid new direction for the series,[186] and sold well.[187][188] 2023 Sonic releases included The Murder of Sonic the Hedgehog, a free visual novel,[189] Sonic Dream Team, an Apple Arcade-exclusive 3D platformer,[190] and Sonic Superstars, a 2.5D side-scrolling game featuring the classic Sonic design. Superstars was co-developed by Ohshima's studio Arzest and he designed a new character, his first contribution to the series since Sonic Adventure.[191][192] Iizuka said the 2D and 3D Sonic games would continue independently going forward and Sonic Team would try to keep them as different as possible.[193]

2024 Sonic media emphasized Shadow the Hedgehog as part of Sega's "Fearless: Year of Shadow" campaign. This included

Sonic Symphony World Tour, and Shadow playing a prominent role in the film Sonic the Hedgehog 3 (see Live-action film franchise subsection).[194]

Characters and story

Main article: List of Sonic the Hedgehog characters
Two anthropomorphic, cartoon blue hedgehogs wearing red shoes. The one on the left is taller and slimmer, while the one on the right is shorter and portly.
Promotional art of Sonic for Sonic Generations (2011), depicting Ohshima's original design (right) and Uekawa's Sonic Adventure redesign (left)

The Sonic franchise is known for its large cast of characters;[195] Sonic the Fighters (1996) producer Yu Suzuki joked that anyone who makes a Sonic game has the duty to create new characters.[196] The first game introduced Sonic, a blue hedgehog who can run at incredible speeds, and Doctor Eggman, a rotund mad scientist.[4] During the Genesis era, Eggman was referred to as Doctor Ivo Robotnik in Western territories.[197][198] Sega of America's Dean Sitton made the change[199] without consulting the Japanese developers, who did not want a single character to have two different names. Since Sonic Adventure, the character has been referred to as Eggman in all territories,[197] although the Robotnik name is still acknowledged.[198][200][201]

Sonic games traditionally follow Sonic's efforts to stop Eggman, who schemes to obtain the Chaos Emeralds—seven

culture of the 1990s, Sonic features environmental themes.[208] Sonic represents "nature",[208] while Eggman represents "machinery" and "development"—a play on the then-growing debate between environmentalists and developers.[209]

Much of the supporting cast was introduced in the succeeding games for the Genesis and its add-ons. Sonic 2 introduced Sonic's

Sonic Triple Trouble (1994), faded into obscurity,[37][215] but became prominent characters again in Sonic Mania and Superstars.[216]

During Sonic Adventure's development, Sonic Team discovered that the relatively simple character designs did not suit a 3D environment. The art style was modernized to alter the characters' proportions and make them appeal to Western audiences.

digital pets and minor gameplay elements,[223] and Wisp creatures function as power-ups.[224] Flicky, the blue bird from Sega's 1984 arcade game, appears in several Sonic games, most notably 3D Blast.[225]

Some Sonic characters have featured in spin-off games. Eggman is the featured character of Dr. Robotnik's Mean Bean Machine, a Western localization of Puyo Puyo. Sega replaced the Puyo Puyo characters with Sonic characters because it feared Puyo Puyo would not be popular with a Western audience.

scrolling shooter) and Tails Adventure (a Metroidvania game).[227][228] Shadow the Hedgehog (2005) was developed in response to the Shadow character's popularity and to introduce "gun action" gameplay to the franchise.[229] Iizuka has said that future spin-offs, such as sequels to Knuckles' Chaotix and Shadow the Hedgehog or a Big the Cat game, remain possibilities.[230][231]

Gameplay

Sonic and Tails run around a loop and a corkscrew, and collect rings in the first level of Sonic the Hedgehog 2, a grassy area called Emerald Hill.
Sonic blasts through city streets in one of the levels of Sonic Unleashed, a European-themed world called Rooftop Run.
Examples of gameplay in Sonic the Hedgehog 2 (1992) and Sonic Unleashed (2008), respectively illustrating some of the core game mechanics of 2D and 3D Sonic games

The Sonic series is characterized by speed-based platforming gameplay.

third-person perspectives.[145][238]

One distinctive

checkpoints.[245] Checkpoints serve other uses in various games, such as entering bonus stages.[241] Some settings, most notably Green Hill Zone, recur throughout the series.[246]

The series contains numerous power-ups, which are held in boxes that appear throughout levels.[247] An icon indicates what it contains, and the player releases the item by destroying the box.[248] Common items in boxes include rings, a shield, invincibility, high speed, and extra lives.[76][248] Sonic Colors introduces the Wisps, a race of extraterrestrial creatures that act as power-ups. Each Wisp has its own special ability corresponding to its color; for instance, yellow Wisps allow players to drill underground and find otherwise inaccessible areas.[249] Since Sonic Rush, most Sonic games have featured "boosting", a mechanic that immediately propels Sonic forward at top speed when activated.[250] While boosting, Sonic can smash through objects, destroy enemies instantly, or access different level paths.[251] This requires players to react to forthcoming obstacles quickly;[250] Sonic Unleashed introduced side-stepping and drifting maneuvers to allow players to maintain speed.[251] Boosting is limited by a gauge that the player can fill with rings or Wisps.[250]

In most Sonic games, the goal is to collect the Chaos Emeralds;[202][252] the player is required to collect them all to defeat Eggman and achieve the games' good endings.[202][253] Sonic games that do not feature the Chaos Emeralds, such as Sonic CD, feature different collectibles that otherwise function the same.[254][214] Players find the Emeralds by entering portals,[253] opening portals using 50 rings,[255] or scouting them within levels themselves.[256] Sometimes, the Emeralds are collected automatically as the story progresses.[257][258] By collecting the Emeralds, players are rewarded with their characters' "Super" form and can activate it by collecting 50 rings in a stage. The Super transformations grant the player character more speed, a farther jump, and invincibility, but their ring count drains by the second; the transformation lasts until all the rings have been used.[259][260] Some games require the player to collect all the Chaos Emeralds to reach the final boss.[261][262]

Sonic games often share basic gameplay, but some have game mechanics that distinguish them from others. For instance, Knuckles' Chaotix is similar to previous entries in the series, but introduces a partner system whereby the player is connected to another character via a tether; the tether behaves like a rubber band and must be used to maneuver the characters.[214] Sonic Unleashed introduces the Werehog, a beat 'em up gameplay style in which Sonic transforms into a werewolf-like beast and must fight enemies using brute strength.[263] Both the Sonic Storybook games feature unique concepts: Secret Rings is controlled exclusively using the Wii Remote's motion detection,[264] which Black Knight incorporates hack and slash gameplay.[265] While some games feature Sonic as the only playable character,[264][266] others feature multiple, who have alternate movesets and storylines.[140][267] For instance, in Sonic & Knuckles, Knuckles goes through the same levels as Sonic, but his story is different, he explores different parts of the levels, and certain areas are more difficult.[268]

Many Sonic games contain

split-screen competitive mode in which two players race to the end of the stage.[272][273]

Music

Main article: Music of Sonic the Hedgehog
A Japanese man (left) plays a guitar while an American man (right) sings in front of a crowd.
Jun Senoue (left) and his band Crush 40 have composed music for most Sonic games since Sonic 3D Blast (1996).

For the original Sonic the Hedgehog, Sega commissioned Masato Nakamura, bassist and songwriter of the J-pop band Dreams Come True, to compose the soundtrack.[5][274] Nakamura returned to compose Sonic 2's soundtrack.[275] Dreams Come True owns the rights to Nakamura's score, which created problems when the Sonic Spinball team used his Sonic theme music without permission.[24] For Sonic CD, two soundtracks were composed; the original, featured in the Japanese and European releases, was composed by Naofumi Hataya and Masafumi Ogata, while the North American score was composed by Spencer Nilsen, David Young, and Mark Crew.[276][277]

A number of composers contributed to the Sonic the Hedgehog 3 score, including Sega sound staff

first allegations of sexual abuse against him,[37][280] but composers involved with the project said his contributions remained.[281]

Sonic 3 was the first Sonic game composer Jun Senoue worked on.[278] Senoue has composed the music for many Sonic games since Sonic 3D Blast,[c] often with his band Crush 40, which he formed with Hardline vocalist Johnny Gioeli.[291] While the Genesis Sonic soundtracks were characterized by electropop, Senoue's scores typically feature funk and rock music.[292] Tomoya Ohtani has been the series' sound director since Sonic the Hedgehog in 2006, and was the lead composer for that game, Sonic Unleashed, Sonic Colors, Sonic Lost World, Sonic Runners, and Sonic Forces.[293][294] Ohtani said he attempts to "express through music the greatest features each game has", citing the diverse and energetic score of Sonic Unleashed and the more science fiction-style score of Sonic Colors as examples.[293]

Other composers who have contributed to Sonic games include

Sweet Sweet Sweet" for its soundtrack.[301] Doug Robb, the lead singer of Hoobastank, performed the main theme of Sonic Forces.[302] One of the ending themes of Sonic Frontiers, "Vandalize", was performed by the Japanese rock band One Ok Rock.[303]

Other media

Crossovers

See also:
Sega All-Stars (series) and Super Smash Bros.

Outside the Sonic series, Sonic appears in other Sonic Team games as a playable character in

Sega All-Stars series, which includes Sega Superstars (2004),[307] Sega Superstars Tennis (2008),[308] and Sumo Digital's kart racing games Sonic & Sega All-Stars Racing (2010) and Sonic & All-Stars Racing Transformed (2012).[180][181]

Since 2007, Sega has collaborated with former rival Nintendo to produce Mario & Sonic, an Olympic Games-themed crossover with the Mario franchise. The first Mario & Sonic game was released in 2007 for the Wii and in 2008 for the DS to tie in with the 2008 Summer Olympics.[309][310][311] Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Winter Games, based on the 2010 Winter Olympics, was released in 2010 for the Wii and DS,[312] and Mario & Sonic at the London 2012 Olympic Games, based on the 2012 Summer Olympics, was released for the Wii in 2011 and the 3DS in 2012.[313] The fourth game, 2013's Mario & Sonic at the Sochi 2014 Olympic Winter Games, was exclusive to the Wii U,[314] but the following game, Mario & Sonic at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games (2016), was released on both the Wii U and 3DS.[315] After a brief hiatus, the series made a return in 2019 with Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 for the Switch, based on the 2020 Summer Olympics.[316]

Sonic appears as a playable character in Nintendo's

non-playable characters,[321] while Tails and Knuckles costumes are available for players' Mii avatars.[322] A Sonic amiibo figurine was released for the Smash games, and is also compatible with Mario Kart 8 (2014), Super Mario Maker (2015), and Yoshi's Woolly World (2015).[323][324][325]

In June 2015, characters from the

Chococat and the Namco game Pac-Man took place in December 2016 and February 2018.[328][329] In November 2016, a Sonic expansion pack was released for the toys-to-life game Lego Dimensions (2015); the pack includes Sonic as a playable character, in addition to Sonic levels and vehicles.[330] In September 2021, Sonic and Tails became playable characters in Cookie Run: Kingdom.[331]

Animation

Main article: List of Sonic the Hedgehog features
An African-American man with short hair and a stubble, wearing a black suit and tie.
Jaleel White voiced Sonic in DIC Entertainment's three Sonic animated series.

In 1992, Sega approached the

Christmas special in 1996, and Sonic Underground in 1999, to promote Sonic Adventure.[333][334] DIC's Sonic adaptations are generally not held in high regard.[333][335][336]

Adventures of Sonic the Hedgehog comprises 65 episodes overseen by

Ren & Stimpy director Kent Butterworth and features slapstick humor in the vein of Looney Tunes.[337] The 26-episode Sonic the Hedgehog (commonly called Sonic SatAM)[334] features a bleak setting in which Eggman has conquered the world, while Sonic is a member of a resistance force that opposes him.[337] The series was canceled after two seasons.[334] Sonic Underground was planned to last 65 episodes, but only 40 were produced. The series follows Sonic and his siblings Manic and Sonia, who use the power of music to fight Eggman and reunite with their mother.[333][334] In all three DiC series, Sonic is voiced by Family Matters star Jaleel White.[333]

In Japan, Sega and Sonic Team collaborated with

ADV Films released the OVA in North America as a 55-minute film, Sonic the Hedgehog: The Movie. Produced with input from Naka and Ohshima, the OVA is loosely based on Sonic CD, with elements from Sonic the Hedgehog 2 and 3,[333] and recounts Sonic's efforts to stop a generator taken over by Eggman from exploding and destroying their world.[339] Patrick Lee of The A.V. Club's said the OVA was "the only cartoon to adapt the look, sound, and feel of the Sonic games", with familiar scenes and music.[333]

Sonic X, an anime series produced by TMS Entertainment and overseen by Naka, ran for three seasons (78 episodes) from 2003 to 2006.[333][340] While previous series' episodes feature self-contained plots, Sonic X tells a single serialized story.[333] The Sonic cast teleports from their home planet to Earth during a scuffle with Eggman, where they meet a human boy, Chris Thorndyke. Throughout the course of the series, Sonic and his friends attempt to return to their world while fighting Eggman. The second season adapts the Sonic Adventure games and Sonic Battle, while the third season sees the friends return with Chris to their world, where they enter outer space and fight an army of aliens.[333][340] Some critics enjoyed Sonic X,[334][341] while others disliked it.[340][333][342] Although it suffered from poor ratings in Japan,[340] Sonic X consistently topped ratings for its timeslot in the US and France.[343][344]

Sonic Boom, an animated television series produced by Sega and

Genao Productions,[345] premiered on Cartoon Network in November 2014.[346] It features a satirical take on the Sonic mythos,[334] and the franchise's cast was redesigned for it.[346] According to Iizuka, Sonic Boom came about as a desire to appeal more to Western audiences, and it ran parallel with the main Sonic franchise.[347] Sonic Boom lasted for two seasons and the last episode aired in 2017. In May 2020, Sega brand officer Ivo Gerscovich stated that no further episodes of Sonic Boom would be produced.[348]

To promote the release of

Christmas special Chao in Space in 2019,[353][354] a two-part Sonic Colors series in 2021,[355] a Sonic Frontiers prequel in 2022,[356] and a Sonic Superstars prequel in 2023.[357] Sonic and Tails also appeared as guest stars in OK K.O.! Let's Be Heroes in August 2019.[358]

Sega of America, WildBrain Studios, and Man of Action Entertainment,[359][360][361] and unlike prior adaptations, it is canon to the events of the Sonic games.[362] It follows Sonic as he is sent into a multiverse after accidentally shattering an artifact during a battle with Eggman and encounters alternate-universe counterparts of Sonic characters.[363]

Comics

Main article: List of Sonic the Hedgehog printed media
Ian Flynn has been a lead writer on Sonic the Hedgehog comics since 2006. He also contributed to other Sonic media, including the script for Sonic Frontiers (2022).

Sonic the Hedgehog manga series in its Shogaku Yonensei magazine, beginning in 1992. Written by Kenji Terada and illustrated by Sango Norimoto, it follows a sweet but cowardly young hedgehog named Nicky whose alter ego is the cocky, heroic Sonic.[364] According to character artist Kazuyuki Hoshino, the manga was part of Sega's promotional strategy to appeal to primary school children.[365] The Sonic design team worked with Shogakukan to create new characters; Amy Rose and Charmy Bee originated in the manga before appearing in the games.[37][365]

The longest-running Sonic-based publication is the 290-issue Sonic the Hedgehog, an American comic book published by Archie Comics from 1993 until its cancellation in 2017.[366] Archie also published a number of spin-offs, such as Knuckles the Echidna (1997–2000) and Sonic Universe (2009–2017). Archie's comic drew its premise from the Sonic the Hedgehog television series, with Sonic and a resistance force fighting the dictator Eggman.[366] Originally written as a "straightforward lighthearted action-comedy", Sonic the Hedgehog became more dramatic after Ken Penders began writing it with issue #11.[367] Penders remained the head writer for the following 150 issues and developed an elaborate lore unique to the series. Ian Flynn became head writer in 2006 and remained until the series' cancellation.[367] Following a legal battle with Penders over ownership of characters he created, in 2013 the series was rebooted,[367][368] leaving only characters introduced in the games or which predated Penders' run.[367]

In 2008, Guinness World Records recognized Archie's Sonic the Hedgehog as the longest-running comic based on a video game,[369] and by 2016 it was one of the longest-running American comics in the market. While Archie planned to publish at least four issues beyond #290, in January 2017 the series went on an abrupt hiatus,[367] and in July, Sega announced it was ending its business relationship with Archie in favor of a new partnership with IDW Publishing.[366] IDW's Sonic comic began in April 2018. Although the creative teams from the Archie series, such as Flynn, returned, the IDW series is set in a different continuity. Flynn said the IDW series differs from the Archie comic in that it draws from the games for stories, with the first story arc set after the events of Sonic Forces.[370] Fans continued the Archie series unofficially, including finishing unpublished issues, while Penders is using the characters he gained ownership of for a graphic novel, The Lara-Su Chronicles.[368]

British comic published by Fleetway Publications, ran for 223 issues from 1993 to 2002; contributors included Richard Elson, Nigel Kitching, Andy Diggle, and Nigel Dobbyn. It featured stories aimed at children, in addition to news and review sections. Although it adapted the stories of the games, the writers established their own lore. The final story arc was a loose adaptation of Sonic Adventure in 2000, followed by 39 issues reprinting old stories. Following the series' cancellation, fans started Sonic the Comic Online, an unofficial webcomic that continues the stories.[371]

Live-action film franchise

In August 1994, Sega of America signed a deal with

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures and Trilogy Entertainment to produce a live-action animated film to tie in with Sonic X-treme. In May 1995, screenwriter Richard Jefferies pitched a treatment, Sonic the Hedgehog: Wonders of the World, to Sega. It saw Sonic and Eggman escape from Sonic X-treme into the real world and Sonic collaborate with a boy to stop Eggman. No agreement was reached, and the film was canceled. With permission from Sega, Jeffries pitched his treatment to DreamWorks Animation, but it was rejected.[332]

Sonic the Hedgehog (2020)

Main article: Sonic the Hedgehog (film)
A middle-aged white man in a T-shirt, speaking into a microphone.
Tim Miller, the executive producer of the Sonic the Hedgehog film

In 2013,

directorial debut, while both would executive produce.[375] In October 2017, Paramount Pictures acquired the rights after Sony put the film into turnaround. However, most of the production team remained unchanged,[376] and principal photography began in September 2018 in Ladysmith, British Columbia.[377]

The film, written by

mid-credits scene cameo.[380][381] Sonic was initially redesigned to be more realistic, with fur, new running shoes, separate eyes and a more humanlike physique.[382][383] The design triggered a backlash;[384][385][386] it was criticized for not resembling the game design and provoked an uncanny valley-type of repulsed response from viewers.[387] As such, Sonic was revised to better resemble the original design.[388]

Paramount originally scheduled Sonic the Hedgehog for a November 8, 2019, release,[389] but delayed it to February 14, 2020, to accommodate the redesign.[390] The film received generally positive reviews from critics, who felt it exceeded the low expectations typically associated with video game-based films; Carrey's performance in particular was praised.[391] Criticism was directed at a perceived lack of originality or ambition,[392] and while Sonic's second redesign was praised, some felt it set a negative precedent for the film industry by giving fans the power to influence the filmmakers.[393] With an estimated budget of $81–95 million,[394][395] the film grossed over $310 million worldwide,[396][397] becoming the sixth-highest-grossing film of 2020.[398] In March, it became the highest-grossing film based on a video game in US box office history.[399]

Sonic the Hedgehog 2 (2022)

Main article: Sonic the Hedgehog 2 (film)

Sonic the Hedgehog 2 was announced in May 2020,[400] and principal photography began in March 2021.[401] It features Sonic and Tails attempting to stop Eggman, who has joined forces with Knuckles in search of the Master Emerald. Schwartz, O'Shaughnessey, Marsden, Carrey, and Sumpter reprise their roles from the first film,[402][403] while Idris Elba voices Knuckles.[404] Much of the crew, including Fowler, Casey, and Josh Miller, returned.[400]

Sonic 2 incorporates more aspects of the Sonic games than the first film,[405] including plot elements from Sonic 2 and Sonic 3 & Knuckles and the introduction of Shadow in the mid-credits scene.[406][407] Sonic the Hedgehog 2 was released on April 8, 2022.[408] It received positive reviews and grossed over $402 million worldwide,[409][410] surpassing its predecessor as the highest-grossing video game film in the US.[411]

Knuckles (2024)

Main article: Knuckles (TV series)

In February 2022, Paramount and Sega announced Knuckles, a six-episode streaming television series for Paramount+.[412][413] It was created by John Whittington and premiered on April 26, 2024.[413] The story is set after the events of Sonic 2 and follows Knuckles as he trains a protégé. It was produced by the films' creative team; Elba, Pally, and Sumpter reprise their roles, while Edi Patterson, Julian Barratt, Scott Mescudi, Ellie Taylor, Cary Elwes, Stockard Channing, Christopher Lloyd, Paul Scheer and Rob Huebel portray new characters.[414][415]

Sonic the Hedgehog 3 (2024)

Main article: Sonic the Hedgehog 3 (film)

In February 2022, Paramount and Sega announced Sonic the Hedgehog 3,[412] scheduled for release on December 20, 2024.[416] Principal photography began in November 2023. Fowler is directing from a script by Casey, Miller, and Whittington. Schwartz, O'Shaughnessey, Elba, Carrey, Marsden, and Sumpter are reprising their roles,[417][418] while Krysten Ritter, Alyla Browne, James Wolk, Sofia Pernas, Cristo Fernández, and Jorma Taccone will play new characters.[419] Shadow, voiced by Keanu Reeves,[420] makes his full film debut following his mid-credits scene cameo in Sonic 2.[417]

Merchandise

Licensed Sonic merchandise includes books, clothing, soundtracks,[421] board games,[422] and toys such as figures and plushes.[423][424] By 2004, the Sonic the Hedgehog franchise had generated more than $1 billion in licensed merchandise sales.[425] Sega and McDonald's collaborated for Sonic-themed Happy Meal promotions in 1994 for Sonic 3 and in 2004 for Sonic Heroes.[28][426] Sonic was the first video game franchise promoted in McDonald's, and over 50 million Sonic Happy Meal toys were sold worldwide.[427] A million pairs of Sonic trousers were sold by 1996.[428]

First4Figures has produced a large number of vinyl and resin Sonic figures since 2008.

PlayStation Gear began selling Sonic items in December 2017.[431] Sega and The Lego Group collaborated to produce a Green Hill Zone Lego set in 2021, after it was suggested on Lego Ideas in 2019.[432] This was followed by the launch of a full Lego Sonic the Hedgehog theme in 2023.[433]

Events

On June 23, 2021, to celebrate Sonic the Hedgehog's 30th anniversary, Sega presented the concert

live stream on YouTube and Twitch, starring performances of orchestral arrangements of Sonic's music by Prague Philharmonic Orchestra and pop rock arrangements by the Tomoya Ohtani Band and Crush 40, with Nathan Sharp as guest singer.[434][435][436][437] The concert would become the start of Sonic Symphony, a tour, with its first live concert on October 12, 2022[438] at the 2022 Brasil Game Show and more concerts in late 2023 and 2024 as the Sonic Symphony World Tour.[439][440]

Reception and legacy

Commentary

I think Sega succeeded in making a good, strong character. There are lots of games that try to imitate Mario but Sega did especially well with Sonic. Despite his resemblance to Mario, there are some special points that make him different: the energy, for example. Among Mario's imitations, Sonic is a good one.

Mario creator Shigeru Miyamoto, 1995[441]

The Sonic platformers released during the 1990s were acclaimed and have been listed among the greatest video games of all time.[442][443][444] The original Sonic was touted as a faster, cooler alternative to Nintendo's Super Mario World (1990).[195] According to Kotaku's Zolani Stewart, Sonic's rebellious character was representative of the culture of the 1990s, "when the idea of individual rebellion seemed inextricably linked to consumer culture".[445] Writing in The Guardian, Keith Stuart observed that Sonic the Hedgehog's emphasis on speed departed from accepted precepts of game design, requiring that players "learn through repetition rather than observation" as "the levels aren't designed to be seen or even understood in one playthrough... Sonic is incorrect game design and yet ... it's a masterpiece."[232] Sonic 2, Sonic CD, Sonic 3, and Sonic & Knuckles were praised for building on the first game's formula;[446] in 1996, Next Generation described them as "the zeitgeist of the 16-bit era".[444]

After the uneventful Saturn era, the series found renewed popularity during the sixth generation of video game consoles. Sonic Adventure, though criticized for its glitches and camera system, was acclaimed for its visuals, spectacle, and varied gameplay;[447][448][449] Sonic Adventure 2 was met with similar praise.[285][450][451] However, journalists began to feel the series was straying from its roots, with some commenting that Sonic Adventure failed to reinvent Sonic for the 3D era as Super Mario 64 had for Mario.[445][452][234] Stewart argued that the addition of voice acting and greater focus on plot changed Sonic into "a flat, lifeless husk of a character, who spits out slogans and generally has only one personality mode, the radical attitude dude, the sad recycled image of vague '90s cultural concept".[445] Edwin Evans-Thirlwell of Eurogamer agreed, writing that Mario's "plucky earnestness and whimsy will always enjoy a longer shelf-life than [Sonic's] over-compensatory edginess".[234]

After the Dreamcast, the series' critical standing declined. Evans-Thirlwell summarized further 3D Sonic games as "20-odd years of slowly accumulating bullshit".[234] Although reviews for Sonic Heroes were mostly favorable,[140] Stewart said this was when the focus on story and cutscenes became unbearable.[445] Shadow the Hedgehog was widely criticized as a misguided attempt to bring a sense of maturity to the franchise,[107][108][453] and Sonic '06 was critically panned.[88] The Sonic Mania developer Christian Whitehead said that the changes to the Sonic formula "stemmed from a – perhaps misplaced – desire to continue to push Sonic as a AAA brand".[140] Journalists, Whitehead, and the former Sega of America marketing director Al Nilsen criticized the number of characters added to the series,[140][195] which Naka had justified as necessary to please fans.[454] Evans-Thirlwell argued that Sonic Team had never successfully translated the momentum-based gameplay of the Genesis games to 3D, and that unlike Mario, Sonic never had a 3D "transcendental hit".[234] Simon Parkin of The Guardian noted that whereas the Mario creator Shigeru Miyamoto reviews every Mario game prior to release, the individuals who had shaped Sonic (Naka, Ohshima, and Cerny) left Sega.[238]

Despite the critical decline, Dimps' side-scrolling Sonic games for the GBA and DS were consistently praised.

Jim Sterling said: "Hyperbole states that we haven't had a good Sonic game since Sonic Adventure, which really betrays how much we gamers ignore the handheld market... Sonic Advance and the Sonic Rush games have often ranged from decent to superb, which makes one wonder why Dimps is the 'B' team and the inferior Sonic Team is the 'A' team."[455] In the wake of the 2006 Sonic the Hedgehog, Brett Elston of GamesRadar+ said that Sonic Rush Adventure had "managed to keep the [series'] spirit alive".[456] Sonic Unleashed was criticized for its addition of beat 'em up gameplay, which IGN's Hilary Goldstein felt had "nothing to do with Sonic whatsoever".[263] Critics suggested that Unleashed would have been better received if it had focused on its speed-based platforming levels, which were widely praised.[457][458][459]

In October 2010, Sega delisted Sonic games with average or below-average scores on the review aggregator website Metacritic, to increase the value of the brand and avoid confusing customers.[460] That month, Sonic the Hedgehog 4: Episode I was released to general praise,[461] with Goldstein describing it as "short but sweet and well worth downloading".[462] Sonic Colors, released shortly afterward, was hailed as a return to form,[463][464][465] as was 2011's Sonic Generations.[466][467] Though Evans-Thirlwell considered Sonic Generations the best 3D Sonic game, he called it "an admission of defeat" for depicting the 2D and 3D incarnations of Sonic "together only to remind us of their profound differences".[234] Sonic Lost World was released in 2013 to more mixed reviews, with some critics considering it a fresh take on the Sonic formula and others a poorly designed mess.[155] The two Sonic Boom games received negative reviews[468][469] and sold only 490,000 copies combined by February 2015, making them the worst-selling Sonic games.[470] That year, Iizuka admitted that Sonic Team had prioritized shipping games over quality and did not have enough involvement in third-party Sonic games such as Sonic Boom.[140] The Sega CEO, Haruki Satomi, acknowledged that Sega in general had "partially betrayed" the trust of the longtime fans and hoped to focus on quality over quantity.[471]

In June 2015, the Sonic public relations manager Aaron Webber took charge of the series' Twitter account. Under Webber, the account, @sonic_hedgehog, became renowned for posting internet memes and making self-deprecating comments about the Sonic franchise's critical decline. According to Allegra Frank of Polygon, Webber "had an important effect on the franchise, cultivating a new persona for the character, one that has created a renewed sense of hope".[472] The announcement of Sonic Mania in 2016 brought further hope for the Sonic franchise's future. Journalists described it as a true continuation of the Genesis games, succeeding where previous Sonic games—such as Sonic Rush and Sonic 4—had failed.[473][474][475] Released in August 2017, it became the best-reviewed Sonic game in 15 years .[476] Matt Espineli of GameSpot said it "exceeds expectations of what a new game in the franchise can look and play like, managing to simultaneously be a charming celebration of the past and a natural progression of the series' classic 2D formula".[477] Many called it one of the best games in the series and expressed excitement for Sonic's future,[477][478][479] although Sonic Forces, released a few months later, received mixed reviews.[177]

Sales

Sonic the Hedgehog is one of the

bestselling video game franchises. The series' cumulative sales reached 89 million units by March 2011[480][481] and over 140 million by 2016.[482] The Mario & Sonic series alone sold over 19 million units as of 2011.[481] The Sonic the Hedgehog games had grossed over $5 billion in sales by 2014.[483] Series sales and free-to-play mobile game downloads totaled 920 million units by 2019,[484] more than 1.14 billion units by 2020[485] and over 1.6 billion units by 2023.[486] In 1993, Sonic tied with Mario as the highest-earning entertainment personality of the year, each generating $500 million ($1,050 million adjusted for inflation) in digital game sales that year.[487] In the United Kingdom, Sonic was the sixth-bestselling game franchise between 1996 and 2012.[488]

Individual Sonic games have been bestsellers as well. The original game is the bestselling Genesis game, while Sonic the Hedgehog 2 is the bestselling Game Gear game, Sonic CD is the bestselling Sega CD game, and Sonic Adventure is the bestselling Dreamcast game.[489] Sonic Adventure 2 is the eighth-bestselling GameCube game in the US and the bestselling GameCube game that was not published by Nintendo.[490] Upon release, Sonic the Hedgehog 2 set records[491] for being the fastest-selling game,[492] selling out 3.2 million copies worldwide within two weeks in 1992.[493] The original Sonic the Hedgehog earned over $400 million by 1997[494] ($890 million adjusted for inflation). Sonic the Hedgehog 2 grossed $450 million in 1992 ($980 million adjusted for inflation), becoming the year's highest-grossing home entertainment product.[495]

Year Game Platform(s) Sales
1991 Sonic the Hedgehog Sega Genesis 15 million (bundled with Genesis hardware)[11][12]
1992 Sonic the Hedgehog 2 6 million[496]
1993 Sonic CD Sega CD 1.5 million[489]
1994 Sonic the Hedgehog 3 and Sonic & Knuckles Sega Genesis 4 million[497][498]
1996 Sonic 3D Blast 700,000[44]
1998 Sonic Adventure Dreamcast 2.5 million[76]
2001 Sonic Adventure 2 500,000[499]
Sonic Adventure 2: Battle
 		GameCube 1.54 million[d]
Sonic Advance Game Boy Advance 1.31 million[e]
2003 Sonic Mega Collection GameCube 1.453 million[f]
Sonic Heroes PlayStation 2, Xbox, GameCube 3.41 million[503][504][505]
Sonic Mega Collection Plus
 		PlayStation 2, Xbox 2 million[506]
2005 Shadow the Hedgehog PlayStation 2, Xbox, GameCube 2.06 million[507][508]
2006 Sonic the Hedgehog Mobile 8 million in US & EU[509]
Sonic the Hedgehog (2006) Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 870,000[510]
2008 Sonic Unleashed PlayStation 2, Wii, Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 2.45 million[511]
2010 Sonic & Sega All-Stars Racing PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, Wii, Nintendo DS, Windows 1.07 million[512]
Sonic Colors Wii, Nintendo DS 2.18 million[513][514]
2011 Sonic Generations PlayStation 3, Xbox 360,
Windows, Nintendo 3DS
 1.85 million[515]
2012 Sonic & All-Stars Racing Transformed PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, Wii U, Nintendo 3DS 1.36 million[516]
2013 Sonic Lost World Wii U, Nintendo 3DS 710,000[517]
2014 Sonic Boom: Rise of Lyric and Shattered Crystal 620,000[518]
2017 Sonic Mania Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Windows 1 million[519]
2022 Sonic Frontiers Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4,
Xbox Series X/S
, Windows 		3.5 million[520]
Mario & Sonic series
 19 million[481]
2007 Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games Wii, Nintendo DS 11.31 million[521][522]
2009 Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Winter Games 6.53 million[512][523]
2011 Mario & Sonic at the London 2012 Olympic Games Wii, Nintendo 3DS 3.28 million[524]
2019 Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 Nintendo Switch 900,000[525]

Effect on the industry

Primarily because of its Genesis bundling, Sonic the Hedgehog contributed greatly to the console's popularity in North America.

1UP.com credited Sonic for "turning the course" of the 16-bit console wars, helping make Sega a dominant player and industry giant.[23]

During the 16-bit era, Sonic inspired similar platformers starring animal mascots, including the

Complex noted that few animal mascot characters achieved the same success as Sonic.[482]
Regarding the series' influence, Thorpe wrote:

Every

E3 conference dig can be traced back to the console war that truly fired up when Sonic and Mario were put side by side. Every time console games have pushed to obtain an older target age group, that's something that Sonic was on the leading edge of – and broadening demographics has been important to the growth of the games industry, whether for reasons of content... or appeal... Five years prior to the co-ordinated international launch of Sonic 2, your gaming experience depended heavily on where you lived... These days, with same-day global launches and region-free consoles, that seems like a lifetime ago. And of course, every time you buy DLC, you might want to spare a thought for Sonic & Knuckles. And, of course, all of that is to say nothing of the legion of mascot platform games that came in the wake of the Sonic series.[27]

video game history is studied, and that the VGHF has roots in his interest in Sonic 2's development.[535]

Cultural impact

Sonic was the first video game character to have a balloon in the
time lapse
of the 2012 parade, the balloon can be seen at the 46-second mark.

One of the world's most popular video game characters, by 1992 Sonic was more recognizable to children ages 6 to 11 than Disney's

ESA and Airbus in 2023, received approval to use Sonic as the mascot.[537] Sonic and Eggman appear as minor characters in the Walt Disney Animation Studios films Wreck-It Ralph (2012) and Ralph Breaks the Internet (2018),[538][539] while Sonic makes cameos in Ready Player One (2018)[540] and Chip 'n Dale: Rescue Rangers (2022).[541]

The franchise is known for its eccentric and passionate

USGamer noted that many fans have continued to support the series in spite of poorly received games like the 2006 Sonic the Hedgehog, and she credited the fandom with helping maintain public interest in the franchise.[542] Notable Sonic fangames include Sonic After the Sequel (2013), set between the events of Sonic the Hedgehog 2 and 3,[543] and Sonic Dreams Collection (2015), which satirizes the series' fandom.[544] Sonic Mania's development team included individuals who had worked on Sonic ROM hacks and fangames,[542] while Iizuka said the character customization system in Sonic Forces was influenced by the Sonic community's tendency to create original characters.[545] Summer of Sonic, an annual fan convention dedicated to the Sonic series and hosted in the United Kingdom, was founded by Svend Joscelyne and Adam Tuff and first held in 2008.[546]

Sonic has inspired various internet memes,

PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds streamer Forsen, who often reference the African country Uganda.[555][556] The Ugandan Knuckles meme was controversial for its perceived racial insensitivity,[555] and the creator of the avatar expressed regret over how it was used.[557] In response, the Sonic Twitter account encouraged players to respect others and donate to a Ugandan charity through GlobalGiving.[549]

The

sonic hedgehog gene, first identified for its role in fruit fly embryonic development, was named after Sonic.[558][559] Robert Riddle, then a postdoctoral fellow at the Tabin Lab,[560] came up with the name after his wife bought a magazine containing an advert for Sonic.[561][562] A mutation in the gene causes fly larvae to bear spiky denticles, reminiscent of Sonic.[558]

Notes

  1. ^ Japanese: ソニック・ザ・ヘッジホッグ, Hepburn: Sonikku za Hejjihoggu
  2. ^ In the original Sonic the Hedgehog, there are only six Chaos Emeralds.[202]
  3. Sonic the Hedgehog 4 (2010 and 2012),[142] Sonic Generations (2011),[289] and Team Sonic Racing (2019).[290]
  4. ^ Sonic Adventure 2: Battle: 1.44 million in US,[500] 100,000 in UK[501]
  5. ^ Sonic Advance: 1.21 million in US,[500] 100,000 in UK[501]
  6. ^ Sonic Mega Collection: 1.38 million in US,[500] 72,967 in Japan[502]

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External links

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