GetWiki

{{Short description|Video game franchise}}{{About|the media franchise|the character|Sonic the Hedgehog (character)|other uses}}{{Featured article}}{{Pp-semi-indef|small=yes}}{{Use mdy dates|date=May 2023}}

factoids

Sonic the Hedgehog (1991 video game)>Sonic the Hedgehog (1991)| owner = Sega| years = 1991–presentList of Sonic the Hedgehog printed media>Printed media list| novels = | short_stories = List of Sonic the Hedgehog printed media#Comic books>Comic book list| magazines = List of Sonic the Hedgehog features#Films>Films listList of Sonic the Hedgehog features#Web series>Web series list| tv = List of Sonic the Hedgehog features#Television series/specials>Animated series list| tv_specials = | tv_films = | dtv = | plays = | musicals = | games = | rpgs = List of Sonic the Hedgehog video games>List of games| radio = | soundtracks = | music = | toys = Lego Sonic the Hedgehog| otherlabel1 = | otherdata1 = | otherlabel2 = | otherdata2 = | otherlabel3 = | otherdata3 = www.sonicthehedgehog.com}}| alt = The word "Sonic" in yellow text outlined in blue, followed by "the hedgehog" in white text surrounded by a red box}}{{nihongo foot|Sonic the Hedgehog|ソニック・ザ・ヘッジホッグ|Sonikku za Hejjihoggu|lead=yes|group=lower-alpha}} is a video game series and media franchise created by the Japanese developers Yuji Naka, Naoto Ohshima, and Hirokazu Yasuhara for Sega. The franchise follows Sonic, an anthropomorphic blue hedgehog who battles the evil Doctor Eggman, a mad scientist. The main Sonic the Hedgehog games are platformers mostly developed by Sonic Team; other games, developed by various studios, include spin-offs in the racing, fighting, party and 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 game mechanics and stories, they feature recurring elements such as the ring-based health system, level locales, and fast-paced gameplay. Games typically feature Sonic setting out to stop Eggman's schemes for world domination, and the player navigates levels that include springs, slopes, bottomless pits, and vertical loops. Later games added a large cast of characters; some, such as Miles "Tails" Prower, Knuckles the Echidna, and Shadow the Hedgehog, have starred in spin-offs. The franchise has crossed over with other video game franchises in games such as Mario & Sonic, Sega All-Stars, and Super Smash Bros.Sonic the Hedgehog is Sega's flagship franchise and one of the bestselling video game franchises, selling over {{nowrap|140 million}} units {{As of|2016|alt=by 2016}} and grossing over {{US$|5 billion|long=no}} {{as of|2014|lc=y}}. Series sales and free-to-play mobile game downloads totaled {{nowrap|1.6 billion}} {{as of|2023|lc=y}}. The Genesis Sonic games have been described as representative of the culture of the 1990s and listed among the greatest of all time. Although later games, notably the 2006 game, received poorer reviews, Sonic is influential in the video game industry and is frequently referenced in popular culture. The franchise is known for its fandom that produces unofficial media, such as fan art and fangames.

History

{{see also|List of Sonic the Hedgehog video games|l1=List of Sonic the Hedgehog video games|Sonic Team}}

1990–1991: Conception and first game

File:Sonic Boom 2011 - Sonic Team 03 (cropped).jpg|thumb|Sonic the Hedgehog co-creators: programmer Yuji Naka (left) and artist Naoto Ohshima (right) with a costume of the titular charactertitular characterBy 1990, the Japanese video game company Sega wanted a foothold in the video game console market with its 16-bit console, the Sega Genesis. Sega's efforts had been stymied by the dominance of Nintendo;WEB, Sam, Kennedy, 1Up.com, The Essential 50: Sonic the Hedgehog,weblinkweblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20040822083659weblink">weblink dead, August 22, 2004, the Genesis did not have a large install base and Nintendo did not take Sega seriously as a competitor.BOOK, Kent, Steven L., Steven L. Kent, (The Ultimate History of Video Games: From Pong to Pokémon and Beyond), 2001, Three Rivers Press, 0-7615-3643-4, 1, {{rp|414}} Sega of America CEO Michael Katz attempted to challenge Nintendo with the "Genesis does what Nintendon't" marketing campaign and by collaborating with athletes and celebrities to create games.{{rp|405–406}} These efforts did not break Nintendo's dominance, and Katz was replaced by Tom Kalinske, formerly of Mattel.{{rp|423–424}}Sega president Hayao Nakayama decided Sega needed a flagship series and mascot to compete with Nintendo's Mario franchise. Nintendo had recently released Super Mario Bros. 3, at the time the bestselling video game ever. Sega's strategy had been based on porting its successful arcade games to the Genesis; however, Nakayama recognized that Sega needed a star character in a game that could demonstrate the power of the Genesis's hardware. An internal contest was held to determine a flagship game, with a focus on the American audience. Among the teams working on proposals were artist Naoto Ohshima and programmer Yuji Naka.{{rp|20–33; 96–101}} The gameplay of Sonic the Hedgehog (1991) originated with a tech demo created by Naka, who had developed an algorithm that allowed a sprite to move smoothly on a curve by determining its position with a dot matrix. Naka's prototype was a platform game that involved a fast-moving character rolling in a ball through a long winding tube. Sega management accepted the duo's project, and they were joined by designer Hirokazu Yasuhara.{{rp|20–33; 96–101}}WEB,weblink Game Design Psychology: The Full Hirokazu Yasuhara Interview, Gamasutra, August 25, 2008,weblink July 9, 2018, live, File:Sega-Genesis-Mod1-Bare.jpg|thumb|right|The original Sonic the Hedgehog was released on June 23, 1991, for the Sega Genesis,MAGAZINE, Edge (magazine), Edge, 101, The Making of ... Sonic The Hedgehog, Future plc, Future Publishing, alt=An edition of the original model of the Sega Genesis. It is a black system that resembles an audio player, with a slot on top to insert game cartridges.After Yasuhara joined Naka and Ohshima, their focus shifted to the protagonist, who Sega hoped could become its mascot.{{rp|20–33; 96–101}} The protagonist was initially a rabbit able to grasp objects with prehensile ears, but the concept proved too complex for the hardware. The team moved on to animals that could roll into a ball, and eventually settled on Sonic, a teal hedgehog created by Ohshima.BOOK, Harris, Blake J., (Console Wars: Sega, Nintendo, and the Battle That Defined a Generation), 2014, HarperCollins, 978-0-06-227669-8, 386, Naka's prototype was expanded with Ohshima's character design and levels conceived by Yasuhara.MAGAZINE, Sonic's Architect: GI Interviews Hirokazu Yasuhara, Game Informer, GameStop, 124, 13, August 2003, 114–116, 1067-6392, Sonic's color was chosen to match Sega's cobalt blue logo, and his red and white shoes were inspired by the cover of Michael Jackson's 1987 album Bad.WEB, Sheffield, Brandon, December 4, 2009, Out of the Blue: Naoto Ohshima Speaks,weblink live,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20150716002842weblink">weblink July 16, 2015, Gamasutra, His personality was based on then-Governor of Arkansas Bill Clinton's "can-do" attitude.VIDEO,weblink Sonic the Hedgehog GameTap Retrospective Pt. 3/4, February 17, 2009, GameTap,weblink July 21, 2016, live, YouTube, MAGAZINE, Review: Sonic Jam, Sega Saturn Magazine, 22, August 1997, 68, 1360-9424, MAGAZINE, Retro Gamer – The Mega Drive Book, Sonic Boom: The Success Story of Sonic the Hedgehog, 31, Retro Gamer staff, Imagine Publishing, 2013, 1742-3155, 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.MAGAZINE, August 1992, Interview with Yuji Naka: the creator of Sonic the Hedgehog, Sega Visions, Infotainment World, 1, 9, 20–21, 794192137, The team took the name Sonic Team for the game's release.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.BOOK, Horowitz, Ken, The Sega Arcade Revolution, A History in 62 Games, McFarland & Company, 2018, 978-1476631967, 182–184, 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.WEB, McFerran, Damien, January 26, 2023, PlayStation 5 lead architect Mark Cerny talks Sega, Michael Jackson and Yuji Naka,weblink January 29, 2023, Time Extension, Although Katz was certain that Sonic would not be popular with American children,WEB, IGN, IGN Presents the History of Sega, Fahs, Travis, April 21, 2009,weblinkweblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20140205002704weblink">weblink February 5, 2014, live, WEB, Horowitz, Ken,weblink Interview: Mark Cerny, Sega-16, December 5, 2006,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20141017130701weblink">weblink October 17, 2014, dead, November 10, 2019, Kalinske arranged to place Sonic the Hedgehog as the pack-in game with the Genesis.WEB,weblink Hardware Focus – Sega Megadrive / Genesis, March 8, 2007, McFerran, Damien, Nintendo Life,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20111007020153weblink">weblink October 7, 2011, live, Featuring speedy gameplay, Sonic the Hedgehog received critical acclaim.MAGAZINE, Lesser, Hartley, Lesser, Patricia, Lesser, Kirk, October 1991, The Role of Computers, Dragon (magazine), Dragon, 174, 57–64, 1062-2101, amp, MAGAZINE, Computer and Video Games, 117, Sonic The Hedgehog, 16–19, 0261-3697, Review, August 1991, It greatly increased the popularity of the Sega Genesis in North America, credited with helping Sega gain 65% of the market share against Nintendo.

1991–1995: Genesis sequels

File:Hirokazu yasuhara gdc 2018.jpg|thumb|right|upright|alt=Photograph of Hirokazu Yasuhara|Hirokazu YasuharaHirokazu YasuharaNaka 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.WEB,weblink The Essential 50 Part 28 – Sonic the Hedgehog, 1UP.com,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20110523204203weblink">weblink May 23, 2011, dead, STI began work on Sonic the Hedgehog 2 (1992) in November 1991. Level artist Yasushi Yamaguchi designed Sonic's new sidekick, Tails, a flying two-tailed fox inspired by the mythological kitsune. 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.MAGAZINE, Day, Ashley, 2007, Company Profile: Sega Technical Institute, Retro Gamer, Imagine Publishing, 36, 28–33, 1742-3155, 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.WEB, Linneman, John, April 8, 2018, DF Retro: Sonic CD – under-appreciated but still brilliant today,weblink live,weblink April 8, 2018, Eurogamer, 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. The Japanese began work on Sonic the Hedgehog 3.MAGAZINE, The Story of Sonic the Hedgehog, Retro Gamer, Imagine Publishing, 158, 2016, Nick, Thorpe, 18–25, 1742-3155, It was initially developed as an isometric game using the Sega Virtua Processor chip, but was restarted as a more conventional side-scrolling game after the chip was delayed. It introduced Sonic's rival Knuckles, created by artist Takashi Thomas Yuda.BOOK, Petronille, Mark, Audureau, William, The History of Sonic the Hedgehog, 2013, Pix'n Love, 978-1926778563, {{rp|51; 233}} Due to an impending promotion with McDonald's and cartridges size constraints, the project was split in two: the first half, Sonic 3, was released in February 1994, and the second, Sonic & Knuckles, a few months later. The Sonic & Knuckles cartridge contains an adapter that allows players to connect it to Sonic 3, creating a combined game, Sonic 3 & Knuckles.MAGAZINE, Shea, Brian, How Sonic 3 Became Two Separate Games,weblink Game Informer, October 10, 2016,weblink October 31, 2020, live, Sonic 3 and Sonic & Knuckles, as with their predecessors, were acclaimed.MAGAZINE, Hyper (magazine), Hyper, Review: Sonic 3, Humphreys, Andrew, March 1994, 26–29, 1320-7458, MAGAZINE, December 1994, Review Crew: Sonic & Knuckles, Electronic Gaming Monthly, Sendai Publishing, 65, 34, 1058-918X, WEB, GamesRadar+ staff, Best Sega Genesis/Mega Drive games of all time,weblink GamesRadar+, 5, June 21, 2017,weblink June 3, 2020, live, To release a Sonic game in time for the 1993 holiday shopping season, Sega commissioned the American team to make a new game, the spin-off Sonic Spinball.MAGAZINE, Machin, Cole, The Making of: Sonic Spinball, Retro Gamer, 85, Imagine Publishing, January 2011, 36–39, 1742-3155, While Spinball received mixed reviews, it sold well and helped build the reputation of its developers.A number of Sonic games were developed for Sega's 8-bit consoles, the Master System and the handheld Game Gear. The first, an 8-bit version of the original Sonic, was developed by Ancient to promote the Game Gear and released in December 1991.BOOK, Szczepaniak, John, The Untold History of Japanese Game Developers: Volume 1, SMG Szczepaniak, 978-0992926007, 346–347, 2014, Aspect Co. developed most of the subsequent 8-bit Sonic games, beginning with a version of Sonic 2.WEB, Ronaghan, Neal, Grinding Game Gears: An Overview of Sonic's Portable Origins,weblink Nintendo World Report, June 21, 2013,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20180313153721weblink">weblink March 13, 2018, live, 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),WEB,weblink Puyo Puyo, Hardcore Gaming 101,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20160220005121weblink">weblink February 20, 2016, dead, SegaSonic the Hedgehog (1993), an arcade game featuring isometric gameplay,BOOK, Szczepaniak, John, The Untold History of Japanese Game Developers: Volume 3, 2018, S.M.G Szczepaniak, 978-0992926083, 301–302; 308–309, and Knuckles' Chaotix (1995), a spin-off for the Genesis's 32X add-on starring Knuckles.WEB, Knuckles Chaotix Review,weblink 1UP.com,weblink" title="archive.today/20120722011634weblink">weblink January 1, 2000, July 22, 2012, dead,

1995–1998: Saturn era

File:Sega-Saturn-JP-Mk1-Console-Set.jpg|thumb|alt=A Japanese Sega Saturn console. It is a gray system that resembles a DVD player. Attached is a gray controller with a dark gray D-pad on the left side and six buttons (three bigger black ones labeled A, B, and C, and three smaller blue ones labeled X, Y, and Z).|Few Sonic games were released for the Saturn. The cancellation of Sonic X-treme is considered a significant factor in the Saturn's commercial failure.]]Following Sonic & Knuckles, Naka returned to Japan, having been offered a role as a producer.MAGAZINE, Smith, Sean, 2006, Company Profile: Sonic Team, Retro Gamer, Imagine Publishing, 26, 24–29, 1742-3155, He was reunited with Ohshima and brought with him Takashi Iizuka,MAGAZINE, Hunt, Stuart, Jones, Darran, December 2007, The Making of... Nights, Retro Gamer, Imagine Publishing, 45, 1742-3155, who had worked with Naka's team at STI. Sonic Team was officially formed as a brand,MAGAZINE, October 2000, Sega's new beginning, Edge (magazine), Edge, Future plc, 68–78, 1350-1593, 89, MAGAZINE, January 23, 1998, Topics: The 1998, Sega Saturn Magazine, ja, SoftBank Group, SoftBank Publishing, 18–29, and began to work on a new intellectual property, Nights into Dreams (1996), for Sega's 32-bit Saturn console. 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,WEB, Langshaw, Mark, February 8, 2014, Sonic the Hedgehog 3 retrospective: Sega mascot's finest outing,weblink live,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20180623075541weblink">weblink June 23, 2018, Digital Spy, as the system still had a large install base.WEB,weblink Interview: Mike Wallis, Horowitz, Ken, June 19, 2007, Sega-16,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20090904194333weblink">weblink September 4, 2009, It was the final Sonic game produced for the Genesis,WEB, Thomas, Lucas M., December 4, 2007, Sonic 3D Blast Review (Genesis),weblink July 19, 2013, IGN, and was developed as a swan song for the system.WEB,weblink GameSpot, October 21, 1997, GameSpot Staff, February 27, 2015, Sonic 3D Blast Review (PC), Since Sonic Team was preoccupied with Nights, 3D Blast was outsourced to the British studio Traveller's Tales.MAGAZINE, Sonic 3D, Previews, Mean Machines Sega, 52, EMAP, February 1997, 84, 85, 0967-9014,weblink While 3D Blast sold well,MAGAZINE, Who Won the Videogame Wars of 1996?, Next Generation (magazine), Next Generation, 28, Imagine Media, April 1997, 17, 1078-9693, it was criticized for its gameplay, controls, and slow pace.MAGAZINE, Walk, Gary Eng, December 13, 1996,weblink Sonic 3D Blast Review, Entertainment Weekly,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20090427125036weblink">weblink April 27, 2009, live, WEB, Shau, Austin, December 12, 2007, Sonic 3D Blast Review (Genesis),weblink live,weblink February 4, 2018, GameSpot, WEB,weblink Sonic 3D Blast for Genesis, GameRankings,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20120702132001weblink">weblink July 2, 2012, live, 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.WEB,weblink Sonic X-treme Revisited, Fahs, Travis, May 29, 2008, IGN, Ziff Davis,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20170712125403weblink">weblink July 12, 2017, live, MAGAZINE, July 2007, The Making Of... Sonic X-treme,weblink dead, Edge (magazine), Edge, Future plc, 15, 177, 100–103,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20130417052400weblink">weblink April 17, 2013, Edge Online, 1350-1593, Journalists and fans have speculated about the impact X-treme might have had if it was released,MAGAZINE, November 1996, In the Studio, Next Generation (magazine), Next Generation, Future US, 23, 17, 1078-9693, WEB,weblink Sega Saturn: The Pleasure And The Pain, Sewart, Greg, August 5, 2005, 1UP.com,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20121021131827weblink">weblink October 21, 2012, dead, with producer Mike Wallis believing it "definitely would have been competitive" with the first 3D Mario game, Super Mario 64 (1996). Due to X-treme{{'s}} cancellation, Sega ported Sonic 3D Blast to the SaturnWEB,weblink Page 7 â€“ The greatest Sonic game we never got to play, Houghton, David, April 24, 2008, GamesRadar+,weblink June 10, 2020, MAGAZINE, Sega Saturn Magazine, EMAP, January 1997, Sonic Boom!, 58–63, 1360-9424, with updated graphics and bonus levels developed by Sonic Team.MAGAZINE, Sonic 3D Blast: Blast's the Name for a Blast of a Game, Electronic Gaming Monthly, 89, Ziff Davis, December 1996, 230–1, 1058-918X, MAGAZINE, February 1997, Sonic 3D, Computer and Video Games, 183, 42–43, Future plc, 0261-3697, 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 Sonic Jam, a compilation of the main Genesis Sonic gamesMAGAZINE, CVG Staff, Tokyo Game Show: Project Sonic, Computer and Video Games, June 1997, 187, 20–21, Future plc, 0261-3697, which included a 3D overworld Sonic Team used to experiment with 3D Sonic gameplay.MAGAZINE, December 2007, Nights Adventure, Retro Gamer, Imagine Publishing, 45, 39, 1742-3155, Sonic Team and Traveller's Tales collaborated again on the second Project Sonic game, Sonic R,MAGAZINE, Lee, Nutter, A Blast from the Past!, Sega Saturn Magazine, 21, EMAP, July 1997, 39, 1360-9424, a 3D racing game and the only original Sonic game for the Saturn.WEB, Williamson, Coliun, Sonic Jam overview,weblink AllGame,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20141114182605weblink">weblink November 14, 2014, November 14, 2014, MAGAZINE, Sega Saturn Magazine, 24, 25,weblink Travellers Tales: Sonic R Programmer Speaks!, EMAP, 1360-9424, October 1997, Yasuhara moved to London to assist Sonic R{{'s}} development. Sonic Jam was well received,MAGAZINE, Review Crew: Sonic Jam, Electronic Gaming Monthly, 99, Ziff Davis, October 1997, 52, 1058-918X, WEB, June 6, 2004, Sonic Jam review: Where's the Sonic Peanut Butter?,weblink live,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20151117022458weblink">weblink November 17, 2015, Game Revolution, while Sonic R{{'s}} reviews were more divided.MAGAZINE, Elektro, Dan, February 1998, Pro Review: Sonic R,weblink GamePro, International Data Group, 10, 103, 98, 1042-8658, WEB, Sonic R Review for Saturn,weblink GameSpot, MacDonald, Ryan, December 22, 2007,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20120106085641weblink">weblink January 6, 2012, live, The cancellation of Sonic X-treme, as well as the Saturn's general lack of Sonic games, are considered important factors in the Saturn's commercial failure.WEB, Buchanan, Levi, February 2, 2009, What Hath Sonic Wrought? Vol. 10 – Saturn Feature at IGN,weblink live,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20131111082707weblink">weblink November 11, 2013, IGN, 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."MAGAZINE, Thorpe, Nick, The Making of: Sonic Adventure, Retro Gamer, Future Publishing, 189, December 28, 2018, 18–27,weblinkweblink January 2, 2019, live, PressReader,

1998–2005: Transition to 3D

File:Dreamcast-Console-Set.jpg|thumb|right|Sonic Adventure, the first major 3D Sonic game, was released for the alt=A Dreamcast. It is a white system with a disk drive on top and a controller with a display screen attachedWith 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 role-playing video game (RPG) with an emphasis on storytelling. Development moved to Sega's new console, the Dreamcast, which Naka believed would allow for the ultimate Sonic game.{{rp|65–67}} Sonic Adventure, directed by Iizuka and released in 1998,WEB, Nutt, Christian, Sega's Iizuka On 'Better Defining The Direction of the Sonic Series',weblink Gamasutra, November 3, 2011,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20160407124524weblink">weblink April 7, 2016, live, was one of the first sixth-generation video games.WEB, Cundy, Matt, Houghton, David, Irvine, Nathan, Towell, Justin, Top 7... horrendously buggy games we loved anyway,weblink GamesRadar+, 2, September 26, 2011,weblink August 7, 2020, It introduced elements that became series staples,WEB, Cook & Becker, April 7, 2017, How Sega moved Sonic from 2D to 3D,weblink live,weblink July 5, 2017, Polygon (website), Polygon, WEB, Fahey, Rob, November 24, 2006, Sonic The Hedgehog,weblink live,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20170301125751weblink">weblink March 1, 2017, Eurogamer, such as artist Yuji Uekawa's new character designs influenced by comics and animation. In 1999, Iizuka and 11 other Sonic Team members relocated to San Francisco and established Sonic Team USA to develop the more action-oriented Sonic Adventure 2 (2001).WEB, IGN Staff, June 4, 2001, Interview With Sonic Adventure 2 Director Takashi Iizuka,weblink live,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20160323050537weblink">weblink March 23, 2016, IGN, Between the releases, Ohshima left Sega to form Artoon.WEB, McFerran, Damien, The Guy Who Designed Sonic The Hedgehog Supervised On Mario & Sonic at the Rio Olympics,weblink Nintendo Life, March 29, 2016,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20200229155805weblink">weblink February 29, 2020, live, While both Adventure games were well received and the first sold over two million copies,WEB, Boutros, Daniel, August 4, 2006, A Detailed Cross-Examination of Yesterday and Today's Best-Selling Platform Games,weblink live,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20160702031921weblink">weblink July 2, 2016, Gamasutra, consumer interest in the Dreamcast quickly faded, and Sega's attempts to spur sales through lower prices and cash rebates caused escalating financial losses.WEB,weblink Dreamcast may be discontinued, Sega says, January 24, 2001, USA Today, live,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20141225010445weblink">weblink December 25, 2014, In January 2001, Sega announced it was discontinuing the Dreamcast to become a third-party developer;WEB,weblink Sega announces drastic restructuring, Ahmed, Shahed, January 31, 2001, GameSpot, live,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20150510200945weblink">weblink May 10, 2015, following this, Yasuhara left to join Naughty Dog. The following December,WEB, ゲームキューブ,weblink live,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20160304084218weblink">weblink March 4, 2016, Sonic Channel, ja, Sega released an expanded port of Sonic Adventure 2 for Nintendo's GameCube.WEB,weblink Sonic Adventure 2: Battle, Mirabella, Fran III, February 8, 2002, IGN,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20141222233738weblink">weblink December 22, 2014, live, Afterward, Sonic Team USA developed the first multi-platform Sonic game, Sonic Heroes (2003), for the GameCube, Microsoft's Xbox, and Sony's PlayStation 2.WEB, Yuji Naka and Takashi Iizuka Speak on Sonic Heroes,weblinkweblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20060321050743weblink">weblink March 21, 2006, Sega, It was designed for a broad audience,MAGAZINE, November 2003, Takashi Iizuka Q&A,weblink live, Nintendo Power, 173,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20150726170115weblink">weblink July 26, 2015, 1041-9551, and Sonic Team revived elements not seen since the Genesis era, such as special stages and the Chaotix characters.MAGAZINE,weblink Afterthoughts: Sonic Heroes – A candid chat with Sonic Team's lord of the rings, Electronic Gaming Monthly,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20040330042803weblink">weblink March 30, 2004, Reviews for Sonic Heroes were mixed;

• WEB,weblink Sonic Heroes for Xbox Reviews, Metacritic,weblink June 8, 2012, live,
• WEB,weblink Sonic Heroes for GameCube Reviews, Metacritic,weblink June 8, 2012, live,
• WEB,weblink Sonic Heroes for PC Reviews, Metacritic,weblink June 8, 2012, live,
• WEB,weblink Sonic Heroes for PlayStation 2 Reviews, Metacritic,weblink June 8, 2012, live,

Sega continued to release 2D Sonic games. In 1999, it collaborated with SNK to produce Sonic the Hedgehog Pocket Adventure,WEB,weblink Sonic on NeoGeo Pocket Color, IGN Staff, August 6, 1999, IGN, live,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20160810022658weblink">weblink August 10, 2016, an adaptation of Sonic 2 for the Neo Geo Pocket Color.MAGAZINE, Shamoon, Evan, March 2000, Pocket Sonic, Official Dreamcast Magazine (US magazine), Official Dreamcast Magazine, Future US, Imagine Media, 4, 79, 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).WEB, Harris, Craig, April 18, 2001, GBA Sonic Developed By Dimps,weblink live,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20160818082311weblink">weblink August 18, 2016, IGN, WEB, IGN Staff, August 17, 2009, The DSi Virtual Console Wishlist,weblink live,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20160324084807weblink">weblink March 24, 2016, IGN, Sonic Advance was the first original Sonic game released for a Nintendo console after Sega and Nintendo's fierce rivalry in the 1990s.WEB, IGN Staff, May 18, 2001, E3: First Look: Sonic the Hedgehog Advance,weblink live,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20160818080300weblink">weblink August 18, 2016, IGN, May 18, 2001, WEB, GamesRadar+ Staff, May 19, 2017, The best Sonic games of all time,weblink live,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20170930062254weblink">weblink September 30, 2017, GamesRadar+, It was outsourced to Dimps because Sonic Team was understaffed with employees familiar with the GBA.WEB,weblink E3 2004: Yuji Naka Talks Sonic, Harris, Craig, May 13, 2004, IGN,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20180714131550weblink">weblink July 14, 2018, live, Dimps also developed Sonic Rush (2005) for the Nintendo DS, which uses a 2.5D perspective.WEB, Harris, Craig, November 11, 2005, IGN: Sonic Rush Review,weblink dead,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20120516145233weblink">weblink May 16, 2012, IGN, WEB,weblink Sonic Rush for DS Review – DS Sonic Rush Review, Gerstmann, Jeff, GameSpot, November 14, 2005, dead,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20090302184701weblink">weblink March 2, 2009, Dimps's projects received generally favorable reviews. To introduce older games to new fans, Sonic Team developed two compilations, Sonic Mega Collection (2002) and Sonic Gems Collection (2005).WEB, Yojiro Ogawa Interview,weblink GameSpy, July 22, 2005, live,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20120318010628weblink">weblink March 18, 2012, Further spin-offs included the party game Sonic Shuffle (2000),MAGAZINE, Huhtala, Alex, April 2001, Reviews: Sonic Shuffle, Official Dreamcast Magazine (UK magazine), Official Dreamcast Magazine, Dennis Publishing, 18, 66–69, 1467-6265, the pinball game Sonic Pinball Party (2003)WEB, Harris, Craig,weblink Sonic Pinball Party Review, IGN, May 28, 2003,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20151210191825weblink">weblink December 10, 2015, live, and the fighting game Sonic Battle (2003).WEB, Harris, Craig, Sonic Battle,weblink IGN, January 13, 2004,weblink October 31, 2019, live,

2005–2010: Franchise struggles

Sonic Team USA was renamed Sega Studios USA after completing Sonic Heroes. Sega and Sonic Team leadership entered flux while they experimented with diverging from the Sonic formula. Sega Studios USA's first post-Heroes project was Shadow the Hedgehog (2005), a spin-off starring the popular Adventure 2 character Shadow.WEB,weblink Shadow the Hedgehog for GameCube Overview, Deci, TJ, AllGame, dead,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20141114131027weblink">weblink November 14, 2014, NEWS, February 26, 2006, Game of the week; Shadow the Hedgehog; GameCube/PS2/Xbox (rrp $79.95) Rating: 3.5/5, Herald Sun, 1, F02, While Shadow retains most elements from previous Sonic games, it was aimed at a mature audience and introduced third-person shooting and nonlinear gameplay.WEB,weblink Shadow the Hedgehog Preview from 1UP.com, Klepek, Patrick, May 24, 2005, 1UP.com, dead,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20121108105244weblink">weblink November 8, 2012, Shadow the Hedgehog was panned for its controls, level design, and mature themes,MAGAZINE, Helgeson, Matt, January 2006, Shadow the Hedgehog for GameCube Review,weblink dead, Game Informer,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20060526221039weblink">weblink May 26, 2006, WEB,weblink Shadow the Hedgehog for GameCube review, Mueller, Greg, November 21, 2005, GameSpot,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20140105040739weblink">weblink January 5, 2014, live, but was a commercial success, selling at least 1.59 million copies.WEB,weblink Sega Sammy Holdings Annual Report 2006, July 2006, Sega Sammy Holdings,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20160330020047weblink">weblink March 30, 2016, live, 47, WEB, May 14, 2007, Fiscal Year Ended March 2007 Full Year Results,weblink dead,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20160729222445weblink">weblink July 29, 2016, June 12, 2017, Sega Sammy Holdings, 15, In 2006, for the franchise's 15th anniversary, Sonic Team developed Sonic Riders,MAGAZINE,weblink Sonic Riders Review, Ouroboros, March 1, 2006, GamePro,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20091107104719weblink">weblink November 7, 2009, live, a GBA port of the original Sonic,WEB,weblink News Article: Sonic on GBA for 15th Anniversary, Metts, Jonathan, June 23, 2006, Nintendo World Report,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20090510061056weblink">weblink May 10, 2009, live, and a reboot, Sonic the Hedgehog (commonly referred to as Sonic '06).WEB,weblink TGS 2005: Sonic PS3 Named, Dunham, Jeremy, September 17, 2005, IGN, live,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20150624145032weblink">weblink June 24, 2015, MAGAZINE,weblink Super Replay – The Worst Sonic The Hedgehog Ever, Reiner, Andrew, March 12, 2017, Game Informer, dead, March 13, 2017,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20170313214910weblink">weblink March 13, 2017, 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.MAGAZINE,weblink Where Sonic Went Wrong, Shea, Brian, November 14, 2016, Game Informer, dead,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20170808033442weblink">weblink August 8, 2017, WEB,weblink E3 2006: Sonic Team Interview, Eddy, Andy, May 24, 2006, TeamXbox, 1–3,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20131022085249weblink">weblink October 22, 2013, WEB,weblink E3 06: Sonic the Hedgehog Preshow Report: Sonic Goes Next-Gen, Torres, Ricardo, May 8, 2006, GameSpot, live,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20150425133504weblink">weblink April 25, 2015, The development faced serious problems; Naka, the last of the original Sonic development team, resigned as head of Sonic Team to form Prope,WEB,weblink Ten Years Ago Sonic The Hedgehog Was at Its Worst, Fahey, Mike, November 15, 2016, Kotaku Australia, live,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20161117022037weblink">weblink November 17, 2016, 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. None of the 15th-anniversary Sonic games were successful critically,WEB,weblink Sonic the Hedgehog Genesis for Game Boy Advance Reviews, Metacritic,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20111130040045weblink">weblink November 30, 2011, live,

• WEB, Sonic Riders for GameCube Reviews,weblink Metacritic,weblink June 20, 2012, live,
• WEB, Sonic Riders for PlayStation 2 Reviews,weblink Metacritic,weblink June 20, 2012, live,
• WEB, Sonic Riders for Xbox Reviews,weblink Metacritic,weblink June 20, 2012, live, and Sonic '06 became regarded as the worst game in the series, panned for its bugs, camera, controls, and story.WEB,weblink The best, worst, and weirdest games from 25 years of Sonic The Hedgehog, Lee, Patrick, June 23, 2016, The A.V. Club, live,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20170117193101weblink">weblink January 17, 2017, WEB,weblink The 100 worst games of all time, December 2, 2015, GamesRadar+, dead,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20170202054927weblink">weblink February 2, 2017, 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."

Backbone Entertainment developed two Sonic games exclusive to the PlayStation Portable, Sonic Rivals (2006) and Sonic Rivals 2 (2007).WEB, Yoon, Andrew, PSP Fanboy review: Sonic Rivals,weblink Engadget, December 9, 2006,weblink December 15, 2019, live, WEB, Bishop, Sam, Sonic Rivals 2 Review,weblink IGN, November 14, 2007,weblink November 16, 2019, live, The first Sonic game for the Wii, Sonic and the Secret Rings (2007), takes place in the world of Arabian Nights and was released instead of a port of Sonic '06.MAGAZINE, Thomason, Steve, March 2007, New Blue, Nintendo Power, Future plc, 213, 32–36, 1041-9551, Citing lengthy development times, Sega switched plans and conceived a game that would use the motion detection of the Wii Remote.WEB,weblink Lifting the lid on Sonic's Secret Rings, Burman, Rob, February 6, 2007, IGN, dead,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20110905205334weblink">weblink September 5, 2011, Sega released a sequel, Sonic and the Black Knight, set in the world of King Arthur, in 2009.WEB,weblink Hands-on Sonic & The Black Knight, Casamassina, Matt, February 6, 2009, IGN,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20180707052319weblink">weblink July 7, 2018, live, Secret Rings and Black Knight form what is known as the Sonic Storybook sub-series.WEB,weblink Sonic and the Black Knight Isn't A Bad Dream, Fahey, Mike, July 21, 2008, Kotaku,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20170615092044weblink">weblink June 15, 2017, live, A Sonic Riders sequel, (Sonic Riders: Zero Gravity|Zero Gravity) (2008), was developed for the Wii and PlayStation 2.WEB,weblink Sonic Riders: Zero Gravity Review, Bozon, January 14, 2008, IGN,weblink April 27, 2013, Dimps returned to the Sonic series with Sonic Rush Adventure, a sequel to Sonic Rush, in 2007,WEB,weblink Sonic Rush Adventure Review, Harris, Craig, September 17, 2007, IGN,weblink November 16, 2019, live, while BioWare developed the first Sonic RPG, (Sonic Chronicles: The Dark Brotherhood) (2008), also for the DS.WEB,weblink Sonic Chronicles: The Dark Brotherhood Interview, Matt, Casamassina, February 15, 2008, IGN,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20120304145925weblink">weblink March 4, 2012, live, Following Naka's departure, Akinori Nishiyama, who worked on the Sonic Advance and Rush games,WEB, kombo, TGS 2008: Sonic Team General Manager Talks About 2D, HD Sonic,weblink GameZone, April 29, 2022, May 4, 2012, became Sonic Team's general manager.WEB, Musgrave, Shaun, An Interview With Sonic Team's Takashi Iizuka About 'Sonic Runners',weblink TouchArcade, April 29, 2022, June 30, 2015, Sonic Team began working on Sonic Unleashed (2008) in 2005.WEB,weblink SEGA_SonicUnleashed's Blog – Sonic Unleashed – A New Direction, Riley, Patrick, October 16, 2008, IGN, dead,weblink" title="archive.today/20120524131552weblink">weblink May 24, 2012, 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.WEB,weblink Sonic Unleashed "has no relation" to Sonic 360/PS3, Robinson, Andy, April 9, 2008, Computer and Video Games, dead,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20080412234659weblink">weblink April 12, 2008, With Unleashed, Sonic Team sought to combine the best aspects of 2D and 3D Sonic games and address criticisms of previous 3D entries,MAGAZINE, Thomason, Steve, August 2008, Back on the Fast Track, Nintendo Power, Future plc, 67–69, 1041-9551, WEB,weblink Sonic Unleashed: Yoshi Hashimoto Interview, Doree, Adam, November 12, 2008, Kikizo, live,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20141102012144weblink">weblink November 2, 2014, although reviews were mixed due to the addition of a beat 'em up game mode in which Sonic transforms into a werewolf-like beast.WEB, McWhertor, Michael, You Haven't Seen The Last Of Sonic The Werehog,weblink Kotaku, March 2, 2009,weblink November 27, 2019, live, After Nishiyama was promoted in 2010, Iizuka was installed as the head of Sonic TeamWEB,weblink Producer Takashi Iizuka speaks, "Sonic Generations White Space-Time Space / Blue Adventure" Production Secret Story and Sonic Series 20 Years of Progress, Inemoto, Tetsuya, December 28, 2011, 4Gamer.net, ja,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20170821045318weblink">weblink August 21, 2017, live, WEB,weblink Interview: Sonic Team's Takashi Iizuka, Higham, Rupert, October 6, 2010, Kikizo,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20180327212045weblink">weblink March 27, 2018, live, and became the Sonic producer.

2010–2015: Refocusing

File:A signing with Mr Takashi Iizuka (Cropped).jpg|thumb|right|upright|alt=Photo of Takashi Iizuka|Takashi Iizuka, who directed the first three 3D Sonic games, has been the head of Sonic TeamSonic TeamIizuka felt Sonic was struggling because it lacked unified direction, so Sonic Team refocused on more traditional side-scrolling elements and fast-paced gameplay.Hester, Blake. "Sonic the Hedgehog's long, great, rocky history". Polygon. weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20161201034847weblink">Archived from the original on December 1, 2016. Retrieved November 19 2016. Sonic the Hedgehog 4, a side-scrolling episodic sequel to Sonic & Knuckles co-developed by Sonic Team and Dimps,WEB, Ronaghan, Neal, Sonic the Hedgehog 4 to be Developed by Dimps,weblink Nintendo World Report, March 31, 2018, February 17, 2010, MAGAZINE, Thomason, Steve, April 2010, True Blue, Nintendo Power, Future US, 253, 14–17, began with (Sonic the Hedgehog 4: Episode I|Episode I) in 2010,JOURNAL,weblink Review: Wonky Physics, Nasty Levels Ruin Sonic the Hedgehog 4, Mix, John, October 14, 2010, Wired (website), Wired,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20121107002912weblink">weblink November 7, 2012, live, followed by (Sonic the Hedgehog 4: Episode II|Episode II) in 2012.WEB,weblink Sonic 4: Episode 2 is Already Changing Stuff, Plunkett, Luke, December 29, 2011, Kotaku,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20120316122326weblink">weblink March 16, 2012, live, Later in 2010, Sega released Sonic Colors for the Wii and DS, which expanded on the well received aspects of Unleashed and introduced the Wisp power-ups.WEB,weblink Sonic Colors Sends A Hedgehog Into (Mario's) Space, McWhertor, Michael, June 18, 2010, Kotaku,weblink March 31, 2019, live, For the series' 20th anniversary in 2011, Sega released Sonic Generations for the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, and Windows;WEB,weblink Sonic Generations review, Towell, Justin, October 31, 2011, GamesRadar+, live,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20170210213415weblink">weblink February 10, 2017, WEB,weblink Review: Sonic Generations, Sterling, Jim, October 31, 2011, Destructoid, live,weblink November 29, 2016, a separate version was developed by Dimps for the Nintendo 3DS.WEB,weblink Sonic Generations 3DS Review, Whitehead, Dan, December 9, 2011, Eurogamer, live,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20160330012925weblink">weblink March 30, 2016, MAGAZINE,weblink Sonic Generations Review: Dimps' Reliable Quality Skips A Generation, Turi, Tim, November 22, 2011, Game Informer,weblink August 25, 2019, live, Sonic Generations featured reimagined versions of levels from previous Sonic games and reintroduced the "classic" Sonic design from the Genesis era. These efforts were better received, especially in comparison to Sonic '06 and Unleashed.In May 2013, Nintendo announced it was collaborating with Sega to produce Sonic games for its Wii U and 3DS platforms.WEB,weblink Nintendo Announces Sonic: Lost World, Karmali, Luke, May 17, 2013, IGN,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20140222125838weblink">weblink February 22, 2014, live, The first game in the partnership, 2013's Sonic Lost World, was also the first Sonic game for eighth-generation hardware.WEB,weblink Sonic the Hedgehog Needs to Die, Diver, Mike, January 20, 2015, Vice Media, Vice,weblink October 25, 2019, live, Sonic Lost World was designed to be streamlined and fluid in movement and design,WEB,weblink Sonic Lost World adds 'spice' and usability to the series, Pitcher, Jenna, June 13, 2013, Polygon (website), Polygon,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20131213214547weblink">weblink December 13, 2013, live, borrowing elements from Nintendo's Super Mario Galaxy games and the canceled X-treme.WEB,weblink Sonic Lost World trailer reminds me of Sonic X-treme, Ponce, Tony, May 28, 2013, Destructoid,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20130806003130weblink">weblink August 6, 2013, live, The second was Mario & Sonic at the Sochi 2014 Olympic Winter Games (2013) for the Wii U, the fourth Mario & Sonic game and a 2014 Winter Olympics tie-in (see Crossovers section). 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.Lien, Tracey (February 6, 2014). "Sonic Boom gives Sega's series a new look, two new developers". Polygon. weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20140208055612weblink">Archived from the original on February 7, 2014. Retrieved February 6, 2014. Sonic Lost World polarized critics,WEB,weblink Sonic Lost World review: On The Path to Redemption, Davidson, Joey, November 4, 2013, TechnoBuffalo,weblink November 10, 2019, live, while critics found Mario & Sonic at the Sochi 2014 Olympic Winter Games mediocreWEB,weblink Mario & Sonic at the Sochi 2014 Olympic Winter Games for Wii U Reviews, Metacritic,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20160310130103weblink">weblink March 10, 2016, live, and panned the Sonic Boom games. (Sonic Boom: Fire & Ice), a Shattered Crystal sequel, was released in 2016.WEB,weblink Sonic Boom: Fire and Ice Review, Petty, Jared, September 27, 2016, IGN,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20170818023215weblink">weblink August 18, 2017, live, Sega began to release more Sonic games for mobile phones, such as iOS and Android devices. After Australian programmer Christian "Taxman" Whitehead developed a version of Sonic CD for modern consoles in 2011, he collaborated with fellow Sonic fan Simon "Stealth" Thomley to develop remakes of the original Sonic the Hedgehog and Sonic the Hedgehog 2 for iOS and Android, which were released in 2013.WEB,weblink Sonic the Hedgehog 3 Remastered Interview With Christian 'The Taxman' Whitehead, Mawson, Chris, April 2, 2015, Power Up Gaming, live,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20161110085120weblink">weblink November 10, 2016, The remasters were developed using Whitehead's Retro Engine, an engine tailored for 2D projects, and received praise.WEB,weblink Hey Sega! This 'Sonic 3 & Knuckles' iOS Port Needs to Happen, Nelson, Jared, October 19, 2014, TouchArcade,weblink September 3, 2019, live, WEB,weblink 'Sonic The Hedgehog 2 Remastered' Review – Setting Right What Once Went Wrong, Musgrave, Shaun, December 16, 2013, TouchArcade,weblink September 9, 2019, live, Sonic Dash (2013), a Temple Run-style endless runner,WEB,weblink App of the Week: 'Sonic Dash', Don, Hatfield, March 7, 2013, MTV,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20191110020624weblink">weblink November 10, 2019, live, was developed by HardlightWEB,weblink Sega officially announces Blue Blur-themed endless-runner Sonic Dash for iOS, Usher, Anthony, March 4, 2013, Pocket Gamer,weblink November 10, 2019, live, and downloaded over 350 million times by 2020WEB, Forde, Matthew, Nearly seven years on, Sonic Dash is showing no signs of slowing down,weblink Pocket Gamer, February 14, 2020,weblink March 11, 2020, live, and received a (Sonic Dash 2: Sonic Boom|Sonic Boom-themed sequel) in 2015.WEB,weblink Sonic Dash 2: Sonic Boom soft-launched on Android [Update], Cowley, Ric, July 1, 2015, Pocket Gamer,weblink November 10, 2019, live, Sonic Team released Sonic Runners, its first game for mobile devices, in 2015.WEB,weblink An Interview With Sonic Team's Takashi Iizuka About 'Sonic Runners', Musgrave, Shaun, June 30, 2015, TouchArcade, live,weblink August 6, 2018, Sonic Runners was also an endless runner, but was unsuccessfulWEB,weblink Sega Networks Strategic Presentation, December 18, 2015, Sega, 11, live,weblink June 1, 2016, and was discontinued a year after release.WEB,weblink Sonic Runners, SEGA's Mobile Release by the Sonic Team, is Getting Shut Down, Whitehead, Thomas, May 28, 2016, Nintendo Life, live,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20180822213934weblink">weblink August 22, 2018, Gameloft released a sequel, Sonic Runners Adventure, in 2017 to generally positive reviews.WEB,weblink 'Sonic Runners Adventure' Released on Gameloft's Android Store in Some Countries, Dotson, Carter, June 12, 2017, TouchArcade, live,weblink August 6, 2018, WEB,weblink Sonic Runners Adventure for iPhone/iPad Reviews, Metacritic,weblink May 5, 2019, live,

2015–present: New directions

In a 2015 interview with Polygon, Iizuka acknowledged that contemporary Sonic games had been disappointing. He hoped, from then on, that the Sonic Team logo would stand as a "mark of quality"; he planned to release quality games and expand the Sonic brand, while retaining the modern Sonic design. Iizuka and most of Sonic Team relocated to Burbank, California to oversee the franchise with a new team. At the San Diego Comic-Con in July 2016, Sega announced two Sonic games to coincide with the series' 25th anniversary: Sonic Mania and Sonic Forces.WEB, Johnson, Leif, Sonic the Hedgehog Is Really Trying to Get His Act Together for 25th Anniversary,weblink Vice Media, Vice, July 23, 2016,weblink August 19, 2019, live, Both were released for the PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, and Windows in 2017.WEB, Compendio, Chris, Sonic the Hedgehog Has Too Many Friends in Sonic Forces Story Trailer,weblink Paste (magazine), Paste, September 22, 2017,weblink November 10, 2019, live, WEB, Sarkar, Samit, Sonic Mania arrives in August, watch the awesome new trailer,weblink Polygon (website), Polygon, May 30, 2017,weblink November 10, 2019, live, Sonic Mania was developed by the independent game developers PagodaWest Games and Headcannon with a staff comprising members of the Sonic fandom; Whitehead conceived the project and served as director.WEB, Casey, Watch The Full Sonic Mania Panel From San Diego Comic-Con,weblink Siliconera, July 31, 2017,weblink June 17, 2019, live, The game, which emulates the gameplay and visuals of the Genesis entries, received the best reviews for a Sonic game in 15 years.MAGAZINE, Helster, Blake, August 17, 2017, Sonic Mania is the Highest-Rated Sonic game in 15 Years,weblink live,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20170822055635weblink">weblink August 22, 2017, August 21, 2017, Rolling Stone, 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.WEB, Parish, Jeremy, Sonic Forces review,weblink Polygon (website), Polygon, November 5, 2017,weblink November 12, 2019, live, WEB, Gartenberg, Chaim, Sonic Mania and Sonic Forces show Sega's wildly differing views on its flagship franchise,weblink VentureBeat, June 15, 2017,weblink June 17, 2017, live, Sonic Forces received mixed reviews,*WEB,weblink Sonic Forces for PC Reviews, Metacritic,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20171112155215weblink">weblink November 12, 2017, live,

• WEB,weblink Sonic Forces for Switch Reviews, Metacritic,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20171203202039weblink">weblink December 3, 2017, live,
• WEB,weblink Sonic Forces for PlayStation 4 Reviews, Metacritic,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20171116220326weblink">weblink November 16, 2017, live,
• WEB,weblink Sonic Forces for Xbox One Reviews, Metacritic,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20171121064727weblink">weblink November 21, 2017, live, with criticism for its short length.WEB, Kemps, Heidi, November 10, 2017,weblink Sonic Forces Review, IGN,weblink October 14, 2019, live, WEB, Andrews, Stuart, November 8, 2017, Sonic Forces review: 'A short game of short levels, yet desperately short of real ideas',weblink live,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20171108212005weblink">weblink November 8, 2017, GamesRadar+,

In 2019, Sega released a kart racing game, Team Sonic Racing (2019), developed by Sumo Digital.WEB, Wales, Matt, February 5, 2018, Evidence of new Sonic Racing game mounts,weblink live,weblink June 12, 2018, Eurogamer, WEB, Robinson, Martin, June 5, 2018, Team Sonic Racing is another arcade racer that wants to reinvent the genre,weblink live,weblink June 8, 2018, Eurogamer, AV MEDIA, Sonic Stadium, Sonic Stadium @ E3 2018 Interview with Aaron Webber, June 24, 2018, Interview with Aaron Webber,weblinkweblink July 17, 2018, live, In May 2021, Sega announced several Sonic projects for the series' 30th anniversary, including a remaster of Sonic Colors, the compilation Sonic Origins, and the 2022 game Sonic Frontiers.WEB, Skrebels, Joe, May 27, 2021, Sonic Central Stream: Everything Announced, Including a Brand New Sonic Game,weblink IGN, May 30, 2021, WEB, Ivan, Tom, November 8, 2021, Sega's 'Sonic Frontiers' trademark seemingly corroborates open-world claims,weblink November 8, 2021, Video Games Chronicle, Frontiers was the first Sonic game to feature open-world design,WEB, Fahey, Mike, Sega Reveals Sonic Frontiers, The First Open-World Sonic Game,weblink Kotaku, December 9, 2021, December 9, 2021, and Iizuka expressed hope that it would inform future games in a similar way to Sonic Adventure. Frontiers received moderately positive reviews, with critics and fans considering it a flawed but solid new direction for the series,WEB, Bonthuys, Darryn, Review Roundup For Sonic Frontiers,weblink GameSpot, December 7, 2022, December 7, 2022, and sold well.WEB, Smith, David, In Contrast To Its Middling Response In The West, Sonic Frontiers Is Selling Off Its Head In Japan,weblink Kotaku, December 7, 2022, November 18, 2022, WEB, Scullion, Chris, Sonic Frontiers and Mario Kart 8 Deluxe were UK Black Friday's biggest winners,weblink Video Games Chronicle, December 7, 2022, November 28, 2022, 2023 Sonic releases included The Murder of Sonic the Hedgehog, a free visual novel,WEB, McWhertor, Michael, Sonic's dead in Sega's new game The Murder of Sonic the Hedgehog,weblink Polygon (website), Polygon, April 2, 2023, March 31, 2023, Sonic Dream Team, an Apple Arcade-exclusive 3D platformer,WEB, Romano, Sal, 3D action platformer Sonic Dream Team announced for Apple Arcade,weblink Gematsu, November 1, 2023, November 1, 2023, 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.MAGAZINE, Shea, Brian, Sonic Superstars Is A Modernized 2D Adventure With Four-Player Co-Op,weblink Game Informer, June 8, 2023, June 8, 2023, WEB, Robinson, Andy, Sonic Superstars is developed by original designer's studio, Sega confirms,weblink Video Games Chronicle, June 10, 2023, June 10, 2023, 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.AV MEDIA, Takashi Iizuka Talks Superstars Using 3D models, The Classic Formula & Sonic Adventure 2 Remake, Shacknews, YouTube,weblink June 15, 2023, June 16, 2023, 2024 Sonic media emphasized Shadow the Hedgehog as part of Sega's "Fearless: Year of Shadow" campaign. This included Sonic X Shadow Generations, a rerelease of Sonic Generations featuring new Shadow-centric content, Shadow-themed events in the mobile games Sonic Dash and Sonic Forces, music from Shadow the Hedgehog in the Sonic Symphony World Tour, and Shadow playing a prominent role in the film Sonic the Hedgehog 3 (see Live-action film franchise subsection).WEB, Nightingale, Ed, Sega declares 2024 the Year of Shadow the Hedgehog,weblink Eurogamer, April 10, 2024, April 10, 2024,

Characters and story

File:Sonic modern and classic designs.png|thumb|right|upright=0.85|alt=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 GenerationsSonic GenerationsThe Sonic franchise is known for its large cast of characters; Sonic the Fighters (1996) producer Yu Suzuki joked that anyone who makes a Sonic game has the duty to create new characters.MAGAZINE, Maximum News: Sonic and AM2 team-up for new coin-op!, Maximum, EMAP, 3, 115, The first game introduced Sonic, a blue hedgehog who can run at incredible speeds, and Doctor Eggman, a rotund mad scientist.WEB, Thomas, Lucas M., Sonic the Hedgehog VC Review,weblink IGN, January 26, 2007,weblink December 10, 2019, live, During the Genesis era, Eggman was referred to as Doctor Ivo Robotnik in Western territories.WEB, Frushtick, Russ, Doctor Robotnik vs. Eggman: the confusion over Sonic the Hedgehog's true villain,weblink Polygon (website), Polygon, February 16, 2020,weblink March 10, 2020, live, Sega of America's Dean Sitton made the changeWEB, Caoili, Eric, April 13, 2009, Sonic The Hedgehog Bible: Never Before Revealed Secret Origins,weblink live,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20191003150825weblink">weblink October 3, 2019, GameSetWatch, 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,WEB, Casey, Sega Explains How Dr. Robotnik Came To Be Called Eggman,weblink Siliconera, June 24, 2016,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20180310043818weblink">weblink March 10, 2018, live, although the Robotnik name is still acknowledged.VIDEO GAME, Sonic Adventure, Sonic Team, Sega, December 23, 1998, Mystic Ruins, Doctor Robotnik: Silence! I am Dr. Robotnik, the greatest scientific genius in the world! Sonic: Whatever you say, Eggman!, Dreamcast, VIDEO GAME, Sonic Generations, Sonic Team, Sega, November 1, 2011, PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, and Windows, Time Eater, Classic Tails: Dr. Robotnik! Classic Eggman: Nobody calls me that anymore. If you would be so kind as to explain, gentleman genius Dr. Eggman From The Future., Sonic games traditionally follow Sonic's efforts to stop Eggman, who schemes to obtain the{{anchor|Chaos Emeralds}} Chaos Emeralds—seven{{efn|In the original Sonic the Hedgehog, there are only six Chaos Emeralds.WEB, Katala, Kurt, Sonic the Hedgehog,weblink Hardcore Gaming 101, July 6, 2018,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20191120160530weblink">weblink November 20, 2019, live, }} emeralds with mystical powers. The Emeralds can turn thoughts into power,VIDEO GAME, Sonic Adventure, Sonic Team, Sega, December 23, 1998, Dreamcast, "?" Story, warp time and space with a technique called Chaos Control,BOOK, Sega, Sonic Adventure 2 Instruction Manual, Sega, 2002, 7, Characters: Shadow, BOOK, Sega, Sonic Heroes Instruction Manual, Sega, 2004, 8, Team Dark, give energy to living things, and be used to create nuclear or laser-based weaponry.BOOK, Sonic the Hedgehog (1991 video game), Sonic the Hedgehog, Sega, 4–5, ja, Prologue, They typically act as MacGuffins in the stories.WEB, Chichizola, Corey, February 28, 2020, Why Sonic The Hedgehog's Movie Doesn't Include Super Sonic and the Chaos Emeralds,weblink live,weblink March 12, 2020, CinemaBlend, Eggman seeks the Emeralds in his quest to conquer the world, and traps animals in aggressive robots and prison capsules. Because Sonic Team was inspired by the culture of the 1990s, Sonic features environmental themes.WEB, McWhertor, Michael, March 21, 2018, The origins of Sonic the Hedgehog,weblink live,weblink August 25, 2019, Polygon (website), Polygon, Sonic represents "nature", while Eggman represents "machinery" and "development"—a play on the then-growing debate between environmentalists and developers.WEB, Sonic's Creator – Yuji Naka,weblinkweblink" title="web.archive.org/web/19970605172353weblink">weblink June 5, 1997, Sega, Much of the supporting cast was introduced in the succeeding games for the Genesis and its add-ons. Sonic 2 introduced Sonic's sidekick Miles "Tails" Prower, a fox who can fly using his two tails.WEB, Thomas, Lucas M., Sonic the Hedgehog 2 Review,weblink IGN, June 11, 2007,weblink July 23, 2019, live, Sonic CD introduced Amy Rose, a pink hedgehog and Sonic's self-proclaimed girlfriend, and Metal Sonic, a robotic doppelgänger of Sonic created by Eggman.BOOK, Sega Mega Drive/Genesis: Collected Works, Stuart, Keith, Read-Only Memory, 2014, 978-0957576810, 289–290, Interview with Kazuyuki Hoshino, Art Director, Sonic 3 introduced Sonic's rival Knuckles, a red echidna and the guardian of the Master Emerald.WEB, Oxford, Nadia, Knock Knock it's Knuckles: How Sega Turned the World's Weirdest Mammal into Sonic's Coolest Friend,weblink USGamer, February 13, 2019,weblink December 10, 2019, live, The Master Emerald, introduced in Sonic & Knuckles,BOOK, Hanshaw, Neil, Hanshaw, Carol Ann, Sonic & Knuckles Instruction Manual, Save Floating Island!, 1994, Sega, 3, controls the power of the Chaos Emeralds. Knuckles' Chaotix introduced the Chaotix, a group comprising Vector the Crocodile, Espio the Chameleon and Charmy Bee.WEB, Bobinator, Knuckles' Chaotix,weblink Hardcore Gaming 101, July 22, 2018,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20191208132047weblink">weblink December 8, 2019, live, Three characters introduced during this period, Mighty the Armadillo and Ray the Flying Squirrel from SegaSonic the Hedgehog and Fang the Sniper from Sonic Triple Trouble (1994), faded into obscurity,WEB, Minotti, Mike, Sonic's lamest and most forgotten sidekicks and rivals,weblink VentureBeat, May 29, 2014,weblink December 11, 2019, live, but became prominent characters again in Sonic Mania and Superstars.WEB, Minotti, Mike, Sonic Superstars wants to give fans a classic 2D game with new surprises,weblink VentureBeat, June 11, 2023, June 10, 2023, 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. Since Sonic Adventure, the series' cast has expanded.WEB, Buchanan, Levi, Where Did Sonic Go Wrong?,weblink IGN, February 20, 2009,weblink November 4, 2019, live, Notable characters include Big, a large cat who fishes for his pet frog Froggy;WEB,weblink Review: Sonic Adventure (XBLA), Legarie, Destin, September 27, 2010, Destructoid,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20160225035501weblink">weblink February 25, 2016, live, WEB,weblink Sega, ja:ビッグ・ザ・キャット, ja,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20131205201906weblink">weblink December 5, 2013, dead, the E-100 Series of robots;Sonic Adventure (Dreamcast) instruction manual, pp. 26–27. Shadow, a brooding black hedgehog; Rouge, a treasure-hunting bat;WEB, Dunham, Jeremy, Sonic Heroes Profiles: Team Dark,weblink IGN, December 2, 2003,weblink December 14, 2019, live, Blaze, a cat from an alternate dimension;WEB, Gerstmann, Jeff, Sonic Rush Review,weblink GameSpot, November 14, 2005,weblink December 14, 2019, live, and Silver, a telekinetic hedgehog from the future.MAGAZINE, Shea, Brian, The 10 Worst Characters in Sonic History,weblink Game Informer, May 16, 2015,weblink October 10, 2019, dead, The Chao creatures function as digital pets and minor gameplay elements,WEB, Frank, Allegra, Sonic's greatest minigame becomes its own perfect spinoff,weblink Polygon (website), Polygon, August 16, 2017,weblink December 14, 2019, live, and Wisp creatures function as power-ups.WEB, Hinkle, David, Sonic Colors preview: Wisp you were here,weblink Engadget, September 5, 2010,weblink December 14, 2019, live, Flicky, the blue bird from Sega's 1984 arcade game, appears in several Sonic games, most notably 3D Blast.WEB, Derboo, Sam, Hardcore Gaming 101: Flicky,weblink live,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20160520080622weblink">weblink May 20, 2016, Hardcore Gaming 101, 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.MAGAZINE, Electronic Gaming Monthly staff, Preview: The Mean Beans of Robotnik's Machine, Electronic Gaming Monthly, Sendai Publishing, November 1993, 52, 256, 1058-918X, In 1995, Sega released the Knuckles spinoff Knuckles' Chaotix for the 32X, and two Tails spin-offs for Game Gear: Tails' Skypatrol (a scrolling shooter) and Tails Adventure (a Metroidvania game).WEB, Chungus, Apollo, Tails' Skypatrol,weblink Hardcore Gaming 101, February 26, 2019,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20191118070500weblink">weblink November 18, 2019, live, WEB, Chungus, Apollo, Tails Adventures,weblink Hardcore Gaming 101, February 26, 2019,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20191019214420weblink">weblink October 19, 2019, live, Shadow the Hedgehog (2005) was developed in response to the Shadow character's popularity and to introduce "gun action" gameplay to the franchise.WEB, Kemps, Heidi,weblink Sega's Yuji Naka Talks!, GameSpy, September 30, 2005,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20160306212428weblink">weblink March 6, 2016, dead, 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.WEB,weblink Sonic Team's Takashi Iizuka wants to make NiGHTS 3, Knuckles Chaotix 2, August 23, 2010, GamesTM,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20160406044415weblink">weblink April 6, 2016, MAGAZINE, Sonic Lost World, Official Nintendo Magazine, October 2013, 94, 48–49, Takashi Iizuka: At Summer of Sonic a lot of people were asking if we might feature characters like Shadow, or if there was any possibility of spin-offs. The focus isn't on taking characters and building around them, but on the game itself. Obviously, if there was a game in which we could use the characters in the best way, we might consider it. For Big the Cat, if it's a fishing game, it's a possibility., 1750-9998,

Gameplay

{{multiple images| direction = vertical| align = left| image1 = Sonic2Gameplay.gif| image2 = Sonic Unleashed Boosting Example.gif| footer = 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| alt1 = 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.| alt2 = Sonic blasts through city streets in one of the levels of Sonic Unleashed, a European-themed world called Rooftop Run.}}The Sonic series is characterized by speed-based platforming gameplay. Controlling the player character, the player navigates a series of levels at high speeds while jumping between platforms, fighting enemies and bosses, and avoiding obstacles. The series contains both 2D and 3D games.WEB, USGamer Team, Gotta Go Fast: Ranking All of The Sonic The Hedgehog Games,weblink USgamer, January 6, 2020,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20170825025119weblink">weblink August 25, 2017, dead, March 1, 2020, 2D entries generally feature simple, pinball-like gameplay—with jumping and attacking controlled by a single buttonMAGAZINE, Edge (magazine), Edge, 101, The Making of ... Sonic The Hedgehog, Future plc, Future Publishing, September 2001, 118–121, 1350-1593, —and branching level paths that require memorization to maintain speed. Meanwhile, 3D entries tend to be more linear in design, feature various level objectives,BOOK, Nishino, Makoto, Sonic Adventure 2 Instruction Manual, June 23, 2001, Sega, 7–11; 17; 20, different movesets, and allow players to upgrade and customize the playable character.BOOK, Sonic the Hedgehog (2006 video game), Sonic the Hedgehog Instruction Manual, November 14, 2006, Sega, 8–11, Games since Sonic Unleashed have blended 2D and 3D gameplay, with the camera shifting between side-scrolling and third-person perspectives.{{anchor|Rings (Sonic the Hedgehog)}}One distinctive game mechanic of Sonic games are collectible golden rings spread throughout levels,MAGAZINE, Wallace, Kimberly, Sonic Forces Producer Discusses Changes To Ring System And Darker World,weblink Game Informer, October 5, 2017,weblink February 21, 2020, live, which act as a form of health. Players possessing rings can survive upon sustaining damage, but the rings are scattered and the player has a short amount of time to re-collect some of them before they disappear. Collecting 100 rings usually rewards the player an extra life.WEB, Orry, Tom, Sonic Mania Cheats: Level Select Code, How to Collect Chaos Emeralds, Super Sonic, Special and Bonus Stages,weblink USGamer, June 7, 2019,weblink November 8, 2019, live, Rings have other uses in certain games, such as currency in Sonic '06, restoring health bars in Sonic Unleashed,BOOK, Sonic Unleashed Wii Instruction Manual, November 18, 2008, Sega, 11, or improving statistics in Sonic Riders.BOOK, Sakuta, Yoshihiro, Nakagawa, Hisakazu, Restall, Colin, Sonic Riders GameCube Instruction Manual, February 21, 2006, Sega, 23, Levels in Sonic games feature elements such as slopes, bottomless pits, and vertical loops. Springs, springboards, and dash panels are scattered throughout and catapult the player at high speeds in a particular direction.BOOK, Sonic Colors Wii Instruction Manual, November 16, 2010, Sega, 16, Players' progress in levels is saved through passing checkpoints.WEB, Orry, Tom, Sonic Mania's Save System Sucks,weblink USGamer, August 15, 2017,weblink February 23, 2020, live, Checkpoints serve other uses in various games, such as entering bonus stages. Some settings, most notably Green Hill Zone, recur throughout the series.WEB, Frank, Allegra, Sonic fans are getting a little tired of Green Hill Zone,weblink Polygon (website), Polygon, April 26, 2017,weblink May 19, 2017, live, The series contains numerous power-ups, which are held in boxes that appear throughout levels.WEB, Provo, Frank, Sonic the Hedgehog 2 Review,weblink GameSpot, June 15, 2007,weblink May 31, 2019, live, An icon indicates what it contains, and the player releases the item by destroying the box.BOOK, Rich, Jason R., Sonic the Hedgehog 3 Instruction Manual, February 2, 1994, Sega, 11–12, Sonic Power-Ups, Common items in boxes include rings, a shield, invincibility, high speed, and extra lives. 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.WEB,weblink IGN, Gies, Arthur, November 8, 2010, Sonic Colors Wii Review,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20170821215618weblink">weblink August 21, 2017, live, Since Sonic Rush, most Sonic games have featured "boosting", a mechanic that immediately propels Sonic forward at top speed when activated.WEB, Poskitt, Matt, How Sonic Team made the iconic hedgehog feel like the fastest creature on the planet,weblink TechRadar, September 30, 2023, June 23, 2021, While boosting, Sonic can smash through objects, destroy enemies instantly, or access different level paths. This requires players to react to forthcoming obstacles quickly; Sonic Unleashed introduced side-stepping and drifting maneuvers to allow players to maintain speed.WEB, DeAngelus, Chris,weblink Xbox 360 Review - 'Sonic Unleashed', WorthPlaying, December 2, 2008, November 27, 2008, August 28, 2023,weblink live, Boosting is limited by a gauge that the player can fill with rings or Wisps.In most Sonic games, the goal is to collect the{{anchor|Chaos Emeralds}} Chaos Emeralds;WEB, Chungus, Apollo, Sonic Chaos,weblink Hardcore Gaming 101, February 18, 2019,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20191125042218weblink">weblink November 25, 2019, live, the player is required to collect them all to defeat Eggman and achieve the games' good endings.WEB, Reynolds, Matthew, Sonic Mania special stages – How to get Chaos Emeralds and Gold Medals from UFO, Blue Sphere stages,weblink Eurogamer, July 27, 2018,weblink October 12, 2019, live, Sonic games that do not feature the Chaos Emeralds, such as Sonic CD, feature different collectibles that otherwise function the same.WEB, Katala, Kurt, Sonic CD,weblink Hardcore Gaming 101, July 8, 2018,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20191020151207weblink">weblink October 20, 2019, live, Players find the Emeralds by entering portals, opening portals using 50 rings,WEB, NGamer_UK, Sonic the Hedgehog 4: Episode I,weblink GamesRadar+, March 22, 2010,weblink February 16, 2019, live, or scouting them within levels themselves.WEB, Thomas, Lucas M., Sonic the Hedgehog (Master System Version) Review,weblink IGN, August 4, 2008,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20170728084559weblink">weblink July 28, 2017, live, Sometimes, the Emeralds are collected automatically as the story progresses.BOOK, Stratton, Bryan, (Sonic Adventure DX: Director's Cut): Prima's Official Strategy Guide, 2003, Prima Games, 0761542868, 58, BOOK, Black, Fletcher, Sonic the Hedgehog (2006 video game), Sonic the Hedgehog: Official Game Guide, 2006, Prima Games, 0761555102, 310, 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.WEB, Nelson, Jared, A Guide to 'Sonic The Hedgehog' Version 2.0's Hidden Level-select, Debug Mode, and Many More Secrets,weblink TouchArcade, May 29, 2013,weblink May 16, 2020, live, WEB, Craddock, David, Sonic Mania: How to Play As Super Sonic,weblink Shacknews, August 15, 2017,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20180714111358weblink">weblink July 14, 2018, live, Some games require the player to collect all the Chaos Emeralds to reach the final boss.WEB, Orry, Tom, June 7, 2019, Sonic Mania Bosses – How to Unlock Secret Final Boss,weblink live,weblink November 8, 2019, USGamer, VIDEO GAME, Dimps; Sonic Team, Sega, Sonic Advance 2, December 19, 2002, Game Boy Advance, True Area 53, 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. 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. Both the Sonic Storybook games feature unique concepts: Secret Rings is controlled exclusively using the Wii Remote's motion detection,WEB, Fahey, Rob, Sonic and the Secret Rings,weblink Eurogamer, March 5, 2007,weblink October 7, 2019, live, which Black Knight incorporates hack and slash gameplay.WEB, Mike, New Sonic and the Black Knight footage shows hack'n'slash,weblink VG247, January 17, 2009,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20150924120132weblink">weblink September 24, 2015, live, While some games feature Sonic as the only playable character,WEB, Mitchell, Richard, June 18, 2010, Sega: Sonic is the only playable character ... 'in Episode 1',weblink live,weblink June 10, 2020, Engadget, others feature multiple, who have alternate movesets and storylines.WEB, Dunham, Jeremy, Sonic Heroes Profiles: Team Sonic,weblink IGN, December 5, 2003,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20121016115008weblink">weblink October 16, 2012, live, 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.WEB, Katala, Kurt, Sonic & Knuckles,weblink Hardcore Gaming 101, July 10, 2018,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20191119113439weblink">weblink November 19, 2019, live, Many Sonic games contain multiplayer and cooperative gameplay, beginning with Sonic the Hedgehog 2.WEB, Mitchell, Richard, Sonic 2 speeds onto XBLA,weblink Engadget, September 12, 2007,weblink June 10, 2020, In some games, if the player chooses to control Sonic and Tails together, a second player can join at any time and control Tails separately.BOOK, Sega Technical Institute, Sonic the Hedgehog 2 Instruction Manual, 1992, Sega, 7–8, WEB, Minotti, Mike, Sonic Mania review – Sonic's best game in over two decades,weblink VentureBeat, August 14, 2017,weblink August 22, 2017, live, Sonic games also feature a split-screen competitive mode in which two players race to the end of the stage.BOOK, (Sonic Adventure 2: Battle) Instruction Manual, 2002, Sega of Europe, 40, 2P Battle Mode, WEB, McWhertor, Michael, Sonic Mania brings back Sonic 2's competitive multiplayer,weblink Polygon (website), Polygon, August 8, 2017,weblink February 26, 2020, live,

Music

File:Crush 40.JPG|thumb|Jun Senoue (left) and his band alt=A Japanese man (left) plays a guitar while an American man (right) sings in front of a crowd.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.MAGAZINE, January 1997, ソニックチーム物語, Sega Magazine, SoftBank Group, SoftBank Publishing, 3, 9–13, ja, MAGAZINE, Retro Gamer, 100, February 2012, The Making of Sonic the Hedgehog, 46–49, Imagine Publishing, 1742-3155, Nakamura returned to compose Sonic 2{{'s}} soundtrack.{{Citation|last=Nakamura|first=Masato|title=Interview with Masato Nakamura|publisher=DCT Records|year=2011|type=Album Booklet|quote=When I started writing the music, "Sonic the Hedgehog 1" was just still images..."Sonic the Hedgehog 2" started off the kind of the same. Just graphics.}} 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.WEB,weblink Developer's Den: Sega Technical Institute, Horowitz, Ken, June 11, 2007, Sega-16,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20160408141746weblink">weblink April 8, 2016, live, 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.BOOK, Sega Mega Drive/Genesis: Collected Works, Stuart, Keith, Read-Only Memory, 2014, 978-0957576810, 312, Interview with Naofumi Hataya, WEB,weblink Interview: Spencer Nilsen (Composer), Horowitz, Ken, December 9, 2008, Sega-16, live,weblink May 12, 2018, A number of composers contributed to the Sonic the Hedgehog 3 score, including Sega sound staffMAGAZINE, Herman, Tamar, Jun Senoue on Creating Music for 'Team Sonic Racing' and the Future of Video Gaming Music,weblink September 10, 2019, Billboard (magazine), Billboard,weblink December 30, 2019, live, {{subscription required}} and independent contractors recruited to finish the game on schedule.WEB, Plunkett, Luke, Unreleased Version Of Sonic The Hedgehog 3 Found After Surviving Development Hell,weblink Kotaku, November 17, 2019,weblink November 20, 2019, live, According to conflicting sources, American pop musician Michael Jackson, a Sonic fan, composed music for Sonic 3. Ohshima and Hector said Jackson's involvement was terminated and his music removed following the first allegations of sexual abuse against him,WEB, Carless, Simon, March 27, 2006, Michael Jackson's Secret Sonic 3 Shame,weblink live,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20090106045015weblink">weblink January 6, 2009, GameSetWatch, but composers involved with the project said his contributions remained.MAGAZINE, Lynch, Joe, Michael Jackson Wrote 'Sonic the Hedgehog 3' Music: Crazy Theory Confirmed?,weblink Billboard (magazine), Billboard, January 26, 2016,weblink November 15, 2019, live, Sonic 3 was the first Sonic game composer Jun Senoue worked on. Senoue has composed the music for many Sonic games since Sonic 3D Blast,{{efn|Senoue was the lead composer for Sonic 3D Blast (1996),VIDEO GAME, Sonic 3D Blast, Traveller's Tales; Sonic Team, Sega, Sega Genesis, November 5, 1996, Credits, Sonic Adventure (1998),WEB,weblink Digi-Log Conversation Sonic Adventure O.S.T. Side-A, sonic.sega.jp, Sega, ja,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20160616131449weblink">weblink June 16, 2016, live, WEB,weblink Digi-Log Conversation Sonic Adventure O.S.T. Side-B, sonic.sega.jp, Sega, ja,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20160818041734weblink">weblink August 18, 2016, live, Sonic Adventure 2 (2001),MAGAZINE,weblinkweblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20060102014915weblink">weblink January 2, 2006, GamePro, June 19, 2001, Four-Eyed Dragon, Sonic Adventure 2, dead, Sonic Heroes (2003),WEB,weblink Sonic Heroes – Original Soundtrack, November 9, 2004, AllMusic,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20170115213936weblink">weblink January 15, 2017, live, Shadow the Hedgehog (2005),MAGAZINE,weblink "セガモバ"で『シャドウ・ザ・ヘッジホッグ』のサントラCDがプレゼント！, Famitsu, ja, February 21, 2006,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20090619214856weblink">weblink June 19, 2009, live, Sonic and the Black Knight (2009),WEB, Tuff, Adam, The June Senoue Interview – Part One,weblink Sonic Stadium, February 7, 2010,weblink September 7, 2011, live, Sonic the Hedgehog 4 (2010 and 2012), Sonic Generations (2011),WEB, Hammond, Joe, Game Music :: Sonic Generations Original Soundtrack -Blue Blur,weblink Square Enix Music Online, live,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20160331145059weblink">weblink March 31, 2016, and Team Sonic Racing (2019).NEWS, Gallagher, Mathew, Jun Senoue lead composer on Sonic Team Racing,weblink Video Game Music Online, June 7, 2018,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20180612142216weblink">weblink June 12, 2018, live, }} often with his band Crush 40, which he formed with Hardline vocalist Johnny Gioeli.WEB, Sonic Youth: The History and Impact of Crush 40,weblink Aitchison, Sean, January 10, 2020, Fanbyte, live,weblink April 26, 2020, While the Genesis Sonic soundtracks were characterized by electropop, Senoue's scores typically feature funk and rock music.MAGAZINE, October 1998, Sega Unveils Sonic Adventure, Edge (magazine), Edge, Future plc, 63, 6–7, 1350-1593, 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.WEB, Greening, Chris, Tomoya Ohtani Interview: Sonic Music for a New Generation,weblink Video Game Music Online, December 5, 2015,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20191218113222weblink">weblink December 18, 2019, live, VIDEO GAME, Sonic Forces, Sonic Team, Sega, December 7, 2017, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and Windows, Credits, 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.Other composers who have contributed to Sonic games include Richard JacquesWEB, Leo, Jon, Sound Byte: Meet the Composer – Richard Jacques,weblink GameSpot, May 2, 2012,weblink December 30, 2019, live, WEB, Sheffield, Brandon, Staying in Tune: Richard Jacques On Game Music's Past, Present, And Future,weblink Gamasutra, June 16, 2008,weblink December 30, 2019, live, and Hideki Naganuma.WEB, Frank, Allegra, Jet Set Radio composer would like to remind you that he can't make a new game happen,weblink Polygon (website), Polygon,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20170428224850weblink">weblink April 28, 2017, April 27, 2017, Tee Lopes—known for releasing unofficial remixes of Sonic tracks on YouTube—was the lead composer for Sonic ManiaWEB, Webster, Andrew, Creating the old-school soundtrack of Sonic Mania,weblink The Verge, August 10, 2017,weblink November 8, 2017, live, and a contributor to Team Sonic Racing.AV MEDIA, Team Sonic Racing OST – "Boo's House", Sega, Music,weblink October 30, 2018,weblink December 6, 2018, live, The main theme of the 2006 Sonic the Hedgehog was performed by Ali Tabatabaee and Matty Lewis of the band Zebrahead,WEB, Sonic the Hedgehog,weblink Sega, live,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20061004175750weblink">weblink October 4, 2006, while Akon remixed "Sweet Sweet Sweet" for its soundtrack.WEB, jkdmedia, DREAMS COME TRUE Song to be Featured in Sonic the Hedgehog,weblink GameZone,weblink August 18, 2015, September 15, 2006, Doug Robb, the lead singer of Hoobastank, performed the main theme of Sonic Forces.WEB, Frank, Allegra, Sonic Forces recruits Hoobastank for its perfectly on-brand theme song,weblink Polygon (website), Polygon, July 6, 2017,weblink September 4, 2017, live, One of the ending themes of Sonic Frontiers, "Vandalize", was performed by the Japanese rock band One Ok Rock.WEB, Romano, Sam, Sonic Frontiers ending theme song announced – 'Vandalize' by ONE OK ROCK,weblink Gematsu, September 6, 2022, October 4, 2022,

Other media

Crossovers

{{see also|Sega All-Stars (series)|l1=Sega All-Stars (series)|Super Smash Bros.|l2=Super Smash Bros.}}Outside the Sonic series, Sonic appears in other Sonic Team games as a playable character in Christmas Nights (1996),WEB, Williamson, Alan, December 22, 2013, Christmas NiGHTS Into Dreams retrospective,weblinkweblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20140329092559weblink">weblink March 29, 2014, Eurogamer, a power-up in Billy Hatcher and the Giant Egg (2003),VIDEO GAME, Billy Hatcher and the Giant Egg, September 23, 2003, GameCube, Sonic Team, Sega, and in a cameo in the 2008 Wii version of Samba de Amigo (1999).WEB, Greenhough, Chris, July 16, 2008, Samba de Cameo,weblink Engadget,weblink June 10, 2020, Sonic characters also feature in the Sega All-Stars series, which includes Sega Superstars (2004),WEB, Bramwell, Tom, August 26, 2004, SEGA SuperStars,weblink Eurogamer,weblink October 24, 2020, Sega Superstars Tennis (2008),WEB, Thomas, Aaron, March 25, 2008, Sega Superstars Tennis Review,weblink live,weblink September 23, 2019, GameSpot, and Sumo Digital's kart racing games Sonic & Sega All-Stars Racing (2010) and Sonic & All-Stars Racing Transformed (2012).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.MAGAZINE, Jackson, Mike, March 29, 2007, Mario and Sonic interview Pt. 1,weblink Computer and Video Games,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20070406191929weblink">weblink April 6, 2007, live, WEB, Thorsen, Tor, March 29, 2007, Q&A: Sega, Nintendo on the first Sonic-Mario game,weblink live,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20121102132102weblink">weblink November 2, 2012, GameSpot, WEB, Mario and Sonic at the Olympic Games (Nintendo DS),weblink dead,weblink" title="archive.today/20140219171629weblink">weblink February 19, 2014, PALGN, Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Winter Games, based on the 2010 Winter Olympics, was released in 2010 for the Wii and DS,NEWS, Gaudiosi, John, April 6, 2009, Sega shows off next big Olympics game, targets Wii and DSi, VentureBeat,weblink live,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20090409032834weblink">weblink April 9, 2009, 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.WEB, Makuch, Eddie, July 27, 2010, Mario & Sonic at the London Olympic Games playing November 15,weblink live,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20121121163404weblink">weblink November 21, 2012, GameSpot, The fourth game, 2013's Mario & Sonic at the Sochi 2014 Olympic Winter Games, was exclusive to the Wii U,WEB, Mario & Sonic at the Sochi 2014 Olympic Winter Games (Wii U) Game Profile,weblink live,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20190904195551weblink">weblink September 4, 2019, Nintendo Life, July 28, 2014, but the following game, Mario & Sonic at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games (2016), was released on both the Wii U and 3DS.WEB, Sarkar, Samit, March 3, 2016, Mario & Sonic at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games launches June 24 on Wii U,weblink live,weblink November 10, 2019, Polygon (website), Polygon, 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.WEB, Theriault, Donald, March 29, 2019, Sega Announces Pair Of 2020 Olympic Games,weblink live,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20190330171812weblink">weblink March 30, 2019, Nintendo World Report, Sonic appears as a playable character in Nintendo's Super Smash Bros. crossover fighting games, beginning with Super Smash Bros. Brawl in 2008. Alongside Solid Snake from Konami's Metal Gear franchise, Sonic was the first non-Nintendo character to appear in Smash.WEB, Frank, Allegra, February 1, 2018, When Sonic joined Super Smash Bros. Brawl, the internet exploded,weblink live,weblink February 1, 2018, Polygon (website), Polygon, He was considered for inclusion in Super Smash Bros. Melee (2001), but the game was too close to completion so his introduction was delayed until Brawl.AV MEDIA,weblink SXSW Gaming: March 17 – 19, 2016 in Austin, Texas, March 19, 2016, SXSWGaming,weblink January 9, 2019, live, Twitch (service), Twitch, Event occurs at 03:47:57. He returned in the sequels Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS and Wii U (2014) and Super Smash Bros. Ultimate (2018).WEB, Sahdev, Ishaan, October 1, 2013, Sonic Returns For Super Smash Bros. On 3DS And Wii U,weblink Siliconera,weblink August 7, 2020, WEB, Mejia, Ozzie, July 16, 2018, Super Smash Bros. Ultimate Character Profiles: Sonic,weblink live,weblink December 14, 2019, Shacknews, Shadow and Knuckles appear in Smash as non-playable characters,WEB, Donaldson, Alex, September 13, 2018, Super Smash Bros Ultimate: echo fighter ideas and picks,weblink live,weblink December 17, 2019, VG247, while Tails and Knuckles costumes are available for players' Mii avatars.WEB, Hillier, Brenna, December 15, 2015, Super Smash Bros: Chocobo, Geno costumes today, Tails and Knuckles in February,weblink live,weblink October 7, 2017, VG247, 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).WEB, Reynolds, Matthew, June 2, 2017, Mario Kart 8 Deluxe amiibo list for every Mii racing suit costume,weblink live,weblink October 31, 2019, Eurogamer, WEB, Prell, Sam, August 19, 2015, Nintendo does Sonic a solid and puts him in a bona fide classic,weblink live,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20160317123308weblink">weblink March 17, 2016, GamesRadar+, WEB, Minotti, Mike, October 14, 2015, Yoshi's Wooly World is adorable but can't match Yoshi's Island's brilliance,weblink live,weblink December 25, 2019, VentureBeat, In June 2015, characters from the Angry Birds RPG Angry Birds Epic (2014) appeared as playable characters in Sonic Dash during a three-week promotion,WEB, Webster, Andrew, June 11, 2015, Nobody wins in this Angry Birds / Sonic crossover,weblink live,weblink December 16, 2019, The Verge, while Sonic was added to Angry Birds Epic as a playable character the following September.WEB, Sawers, Paul, September 2, 2015, Sonic the Hedgehog zooms into Angry Birds Epic,weblink live,weblink July 27, 2017, VentureBeat, Similar crossovers with the Sanrio characters Hello Kitty, Badtz-Maru, My Melody, and Chococat and the Namco game Pac-Man took place in December 2016 and February 2018.WEB, Swalley, Kirstin, December 1, 2016, Sonic the Hedgehog Celebrates 25 Years with Sanrio,weblink live,weblink December 8, 2019, Hardcore Gamer, WEB, S. Good, Owen, February 21, 2018, Sonic, Pac-Man cross over to each other's mobile apps,weblink live,weblink December 4, 2019, Polygon (website), Polygon, 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.WEB, Lada, Jenni, October 17, 2016, Sonic The Hedgehog Comes To Lego Dimensions On November 18, 2016,weblink Siliconera,weblink August 7, 2020, In September 2021, Sonic and Tails became playable characters in (Cookie Run#Cookie Run: Kingdom|Cookie Run: Kingdom).WEB, Sonic And Tails Join Cookie Run For A Limited Time Only,weblink TheGamer, September 19, 2021, November 16, 2021,

Animation

File:JaleelWhiteDec10.jpg|thumb|right|upright|Jaleel White voiced Sonic in alt=An African-American man with short hair and a stubble, wearing a black suit and tie.In 1992, Sega approached the American Broadcasting Company (ABC) about producing two television series—"a syndicated show for the after-school audience" and a Saturday-morning cartoon—based on Sonic. Kalinske "had seen how instrumental the launch of He-Man and the Masters of the Universe cartoon series was to the success of the toyline" during his time at Mattel and believed that success could be recreated using Sonic. The two cartoons, the syndicated Adventures of Sonic the Hedgehog (1993) and ABC's Sonic the Hedgehog (1993–1994), were produced by DIC Entertainment. DIC also produced a Sonic Christmas special in 1996, and Sonic Underground in 1999, to promote Sonic Adventure. DIC's Sonic adaptations are generally not held in high regard.WEB,weblink The absolute worst Sonic moments: Page 2, GamesRadar_ US, April 23, 2008, GamesRadar+,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20150716070657weblink">weblink July 16, 2015, live, WEB, Bozon, Mark, February 28, 2007, Sonic the Hedgehog – The Complete Series,weblink live,weblink October 31, 2020, IGN, 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. The 26-episode Sonic the Hedgehog (commonly called Sonic SatAM)WEB, Plant, Gaz, Feature: A Supersonic History of Sonic Cartoons,weblink Nintendo Life, October 18, 2013,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20140818065606weblink">weblink August 18, 2014, live, features a bleak setting in which Eggman has conquered the world, while Sonic is a member of a resistance force that opposes him.WEB, Mackey, Bob, On Saturday Mornings, Sonic the Hedgehog Turned Platforming into Pathos,weblink USgamer, July 10, 2014,weblink March 27, 2019, live, The series was canceled after two seasons. 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. In all three DiC series, Sonic is voiced by Family Matters star Jaleel White.WEB, Lee, Patrick, A hedgehog for all seasons: Our guide to 20 manic years of Sonic cartoons,weblink The A.V. Club, September 30, 2015,weblink October 30, 2019, live, In Japan, Sega and Sonic Team collaborated with Studio Pierrot to produce a two-part original video animation (OVA), Sonic the Hedgehog, released direct-to-video in Japan in 1996. To coincide with Sonic Adventure{{'s}} Western release in 1999,WEB, Gilbert, Henry, 15 esoteric game-to-anime adaptations worth discovering,weblink GamesRadar+, August 1, 2014,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20151017060754weblink">weblink October 17, 2015, live, 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, and recounts Sonic's efforts to stop a generator taken over by Eggman from exploding and destroying their world.WEB, Shepard, Chris, Sonic the Hedgehog: The Movie DVD,weblink Anime News Network, July 2, 2013,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20150926024855weblink">weblink September 26, 2015, live, 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.Sonic X, an anime series produced by TMS Entertainment and overseen by Naka, ran for three seasons (78 episodes) from 2003 to 2006.WEB,weblink THEM Anime, Jones, Tim, Sonic X,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20030922220849weblink">weblink September 22, 2003, live, While previous series' episodes feature self-contained plots, Sonic X tells a single serialized story. 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. Some critics enjoyed Sonic X,MAGAZINE,weblink Famitsu, アニメ『ソニックX』の制作発表会が開催！, March 18, 2003, ja,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20141019045655weblink">weblink October 19, 2014, live, while others disliked it.WEB, Zimmerman, Conrad, Watch Sonic X on Hulu this Easter,weblink Destructoid, April 4, 2010,weblink February 20, 2019, live, Although it suffered from poor ratings in Japan, Sonic X consistently topped ratings for its timeslot in the US and France.WEB,weblink Comic Book Resources, May 23, 2005, Archie Launches New 'Sonic X' Series, Weiland, Jonah,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20140726014213weblink">weblink July 26, 2014, live, WEB,weblink Jetix, Jetix Europe, December 8, 2004, Jetix Europe N.V. Announces Results for the Year Ended September 30, 2004,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20140724225521weblink">weblink July 24, 2014, dead, Sonic Boom, an animated television series produced by Sega and Genao Productions,WEB, Sonic Boom (Working Title) – A New Animated Series Coming Fall 2014,weblink SEGA Blog, Kellie, October 2, 2013,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20131004215419weblink">weblink October 4, 2013, dead, premiered on Cartoon Network in November 2014.WEB, Maiberg, Emanuel, Sonic Boom TV Show Premieres November 8,weblink GameSpot, October 5, 2014,weblink October 31, 2019, live, It features a satirical take on the Sonic mythos, and the franchise's cast was redesigned for it. 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.WEB,weblink Why Sega handed Sonic over to Western studios and gave him a scarf, Corriea, Alexa, February 6, 2014, Polygon (website), Polygon,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20141006094313weblink">weblink October 6, 2014, live, 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.WEB, Doolan, Liam, Random: Sonic Boom Won't Be Returning, According To Television Show's Executive Producer,weblink Nintendo Life,weblink June 3, 2020, May 25, 2020, To promote the release of Sonic Mania Plus (2018), a five-part series of animated shorts, Sonic Mania Adventures, was released on the Sonic the Hedgehog YouTube channel between March 30 and July 17, 2018. The series depicts Sonic's return to his world following the events of Sonic Forces, teaming up with his friends to prevent Eggman and Metal Sonic from collecting the Chaos Emeralds and Master Emerald.AV MEDIA, Sonic Mania Adventures: Part 1,weblink March 30, 2018,weblink March 31, 2018, live, Sega, YouTube, WEB, Esteves, Ricardo C., Sonic Mania Adventures' last episode is now available,weblink Gamereactor,weblink June 27, 2020, July 18, 2018, An additional Christmas-themed episode was released on December 21, 2018.WEB, Dale, Laura Kate, Sonic Mania Adventures Now Has a Bonus Christmas Episode,weblink Kotaku,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20181224084154weblink">weblink December 24, 2018, December 21, 2018, The shorts were written and directed by Tyson Hesse, who created Sonic Mania{{'s}} opening cutscene.WEB, Romano, Sal, Sonic Mania Adventures animated shorts series announced,weblink Gematsu, March 16, 2018, live,weblink March 16, 2018, Hesse has contributed to other animated Sonic short films since, including a two-part Team Sonic Racing series and the Christmas special Chao in Space in 2019,WEB, Wong, Alistar, Next Sonic The Hedgehog Game in Production; Team Sonic Racing Customization Detailed,weblink Siliconera, March 16, 2019,weblink March 22, 2019, live, WEB, Lada, Jenni, A New Sonic Mania Adventures Holiday Special Stars a Chao,weblink Siliconera, October 1, 2023, December 12, 2019, a two-part Sonic Colors series in 2021,WEB, Romano, Sal, Sonic Colors: Rise of the Wisps Part 2 now available,weblink Gematsu, October 1, 2023, August 26, 2021, a Sonic Frontiers prequel in 2022,MAGAZINE, Harte, Charles, Sonic Frontiers Animated Prologue Shows Knuckles in Action,weblink Game Informer, October 1, 2023, November 1, 2022, and a Sonic Superstars prequel in 2023.WEB, Reynolds, Ollie, Sonic Superstars Animation Features Fang The Hunter And Newcomer Trip,weblink Nintendo Life, September 20, 2023, September 20, 2023, Sonic and Tails also appeared as guest stars in OK K.O.! Let's Be Heroes in August 2019.WEB, Minotti, Mike, Sonic and Tails will guest star on Cartoon Network show OK K.O.!,weblink VentureBeat, July 19, 2019,weblink July 22, 2019, live, Sonic Prime, an animated Sonic series, began airing on Netflix in December 2022. The series was co-produced by Netflix Animation, Sega of America, WildBrain Studios, and Man of Action Entertainment,WEB, McWhertor, Michael, New Sonic the Hedgehog animated series coming to Netflix,weblink Polygon (website), Polygon, December 10, 2020,weblink December 10, 2020, WEB, Mass, Jennifer, Sonic the Hedgehog Animated Series 'Sonic Prime' Ordered at Netflix,weblink The Wrap, February 1, 2021, WEB,weblink Sonic Prime: Exclusive Release Date and Character Posters Reveal for Netflix Animated Series, Griffin, David, IGN, October 27, 2022, October 27, 2022, and unlike prior adaptations, it is canon to the events of the Sonic games.WEB, Is Sonic Prime Canon With Sonic Frontiers and the Games?,weblink Game Revolution, October 1, 2023, December 21, 2022, 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.WEB, Seward Jr., Kenneth, Sonic Prime: Season 1 Review,weblink IGN, October 1, 2023, December 12, 2022,

Comics

File:9.8.12IanFlynnByLuigiNovi3.jpg|thumb|right|upright|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 FrontiersSonic FrontiersShogakukan published a 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.MAGAZINE, Terada, Kenji, Matsubara, Norihiro, Sonic the Hedgehog: Chapter 1, Shogaku Yonensei, April 1992, 96–101, Shogakukan, ja, According to character artist Kazuyuki Hoshino, the manga was part of Sega's promotional strategy to appeal to primary school children. 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.AV MEDIA, Summer Of Sonic 2013 Live Part 3/5, August 4, 2013,weblinkweblink December 21, 2021, live, The Sonic Show, {{cbignore}} – via YouTube. Event occurs at 0:42:22.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.WEB, Hogan, Patrick, Saying Farewell To Three Decades of Weird Sonic the Hedgehog Comics,weblink Kotaku, July 24, 2017,weblink January 5, 2019, live, 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. Originally written as a "straightforward lighthearted action-comedy", Sonic the Hedgehog became more dramatic after Ken Penders began writing it with issue #11.WEB, Sims, Chris, How did Sonic the Hedgehog become America's longest-running comic?,weblink Polygon (website), Polygon, May 22, 2017,weblink October 6, 2019, live, 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. Following a legal battle with Penders over ownership of characters he created, in 2013 the series was rebooted, leaving only characters introduced in the games or which predated Penders' run.In 2008, Guinness World Records recognized Archie's Sonic the Hedgehog as the longest-running comic based on a video game,WEB,weblink Sonic the Hedgehog enter Book of World Records, July 7, 2008, Archie Comics, dead,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20080912135723weblink">weblink September 12, 2008, 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, and in July, Sega announced it was ending its business relationship with Archie in favor of a new partnership with IDW Publishing. 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.WEB, Prell, Sam, What the new Sonic the Hedgehog comic pulls from the blue blur's history, and what it leaves behind,weblink GamesRadar+, February 16, 2018,weblink December 29, 2019, live, 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.WEB, Schroeder, Bobby, How a Legal Dispute Wiped Hundreds of Sonic the Hedgehog Characters From Existence,weblink New York (magazine), New York, February 11, 2020,weblink February 13, 2020, live, Sonic the Comic, a 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.MAGAZINE, GamesTM staff, Paper With Attitude, GamesTM, Future plc, August 28, 2009, 87, 154–157, 1478-5889,

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.WEB,weblink The Sonic the Hedgehog Movie That Never Got Made, Owen, Luke, July 6, 2018, Kotaku,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20181023045655weblink">weblink October 23, 2018, dead,

Sonic the Hedgehog (2020)

File:Tim Miller by Gage Skidmore 2.jpg|thumb|upright|right|Tim Miller, the executive producer of the Sonic the HedgehogSonic the HedgehogIn 2013, Sony Pictures Entertainment acquired the Sonic film rights.WEB, Bui, Hoai-Tran, October 3, 2017, Live-Action Sonic the Hedgehog Movie Is Speeding into Development,weblink dead,weblink August 3, 2018, October 29, 2019, /Film, In June 2014, it announced plans to produce a Sonic film as a joint venture with Sega's Marza Animation Planet.MAGAZINE,weblink The Hollywood Reporter, 'Sonic the Hedgehog' Movie in the Works at Sony, June 10, 2014, Siegel, Tatiana,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20150926185306weblink">weblink September 26, 2015, live, Neal H. Moritz was attached to produce under his Original Film banner, alongside Takeshi Ito, Mie Onishi, and Toru Nakahara. In February 2016, Sega CEO Hajime Satomi said the film was scheduled for 2018.NEWS, Loughrey, Clarisse, Sonic the Hedgehog movie confirmed for 2018, will be 'a live-action and animation hybrid',weblink The Independent, February 11, 2016,weblink August 3, 2018, live, Blur Studio's Tim Miller and Jeff Fowler were hired the following October to develop the film; Fowler would make his feature directorial debut, while both would executive produce.NEWS, Kit, Borys, 'Deadpool' Director Shifts to Sony's 'Sonic the Hedgehog' Movie (Exclusive),weblink The Hollywood Reporter, October 31, 2016,weblink" title="archive.today/20161101125431weblink">weblink November 1, 2016, live, In October 2017, Paramount Pictures acquired the rights after Sony put the film into turnaround. However, most of the production team remained unchanged,MAGAZINE,weblink The Hollywood Reporter, 'Sonic the Hedgehog' Movie Races to Paramount (Exclusive), October 2, 2017, Kit, Borys,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20171003041014weblink">weblink October 3, 2017, live, and principal photography began in September 2018 in Ladysmith, British Columbia.WEB,weblink Paramount budgets $7M for Sonic the Hedgehog movie shoot in 'hero town' Ladysmith, Gregory, Mike, June 14, 2018, Vancouver Island Free Daily, dead,weblink August 9, 2018, February 13, 2020, The film, written by Patrick Casey and Josh Miller,WEB,weblink 'Sonic The Hedgehog' Trailer: First Look At Jim Carrey As Dr. Robotnik, Deadline, Petski, Denise, April 30, 2019,weblink April 30, 2019, live, follows Sonic (voiced by Ben Schwartz) as he journeys to San Francisco with a small-town cop (James Marsden) so he can escape Eggman (Jim Carrey) and collect his missing rings. Additional cast members include Tika Sumpter, Adam Pally, and Neal McDonough,WEB,weblink Exclusive: 'Sonic the Hedgehog' Movie Adds MCU Veterans Adam Pally, Neal McDonough, Sneider, Jeff, Collider (website), Collider, August 9, 2018,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20180809233616weblink">weblink August 9, 2018, live, while Colleen O'Shaughnessey reprises her voice role as Tails from the games for a mid-credits scene cameo.WEB, Spencer, Samuel, 'Sonic the Hedgehog' Movie: Does Tails Appear in Credits Scene?,weblink Newsweek, February 14, 2020,weblink February 14, 2020, live, WEB, Russell, Bradley, Is there a Sonic movie post-credits scene?,weblink GamesRadar+, February 13, 2020,weblink February 14, 2020, live, Sonic was initially redesigned to be more realistic, with fur, new running shoes, separate eyes and a more humanlike physique.WEB,weblink A 'Sonic the Hedgehog' movie is on the way, but fans think his new design looks awful, Webb, Kevin, Business Insider,weblink December 11, 2018, live, WEB,weblink Sonic The Hedgehog Movie First Look: Check Out the Exclusive Official Poster, Schwartz, Terri, December 10, 2018, IGN,weblink December 10, 2018, live, The design triggered a backlash;WEB, Jackson, Gita, The Internet Is Having A Hard Time with the Sonic The Hedgehog Trailer,weblink Kotaku, April 30, 2019,weblink April 30, 2019, live, WEB, Molina, Brett, The 'Sonic the Hedgehog' movie trailer is here, and fans have some issues with it,weblink USA Today, April 30, 2019,weblink April 30, 2019, live, WEB, Stuart, Keith, The Sonic the Hedgehog movie trailer is a 200mph slap in the face,weblink The Guardian, April 30, 2019,weblink May 1, 2019, live, it was criticized for not resembling the game design and provoked an uncanny valley-type of repulsed response from viewers.WEB,weblink Sonic the Hedgehog trailer worse than being punched by Knuckles the Echidna, Sonic rolls his way into the uncanny valley, Stephen, Lambrechts, TechRadar, May 1, 2019,weblink May 5, 2019, live, As such, Sonic was revised to better resemble the original design.WEB, Carbone, Gina, A Look at Sonic The Hedgehog's Rumored Redesign Has Movie Fans Optimistic,weblink CinemaBlend, October 27, 2019,weblink October 28, 2019, live, Paramount originally scheduled Sonic the Hedgehog for a November 8, 2019, release,NEWS,weblink 'Top Gun: Maverick' Flies To Summer 2020 With 'A Quiet Place' Sequel & More: Paramount Release Date Changes, D'Alessandro, Anthony, August 29, 2018, Deadline Hollywood,weblink August 29, 2018, live, but delayed it to February 14, 2020, to accommodate the redesign.WEB,weblink Sonic The Hedgehog Movie Delayed While Sonic Is Redesigned, Auty, Dan, May 24, 2019, GameSpot,weblink December 12, 2019, 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.WEB, Campbell, Christopher, February 13, 2020, Sonic the Hedgehog First Reviews: Jim Carrey Steals the Show in a Solid Family Adventure,weblink live,weblink February 13, 2020, Rotten Tomatoes, Criticism was directed at a perceived lack of originality or ambition,WEB, McMillan, Graeme, 'Sonic the Hedgehog': What the Critics Are Saying,weblink The Hollywood Reporter, February 13, 2020,weblink February 17, 2020, live, 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.WEB, Kelly, Stephen, From Sonic the Hedgehog to Star Wars, are fans too entitled?,weblink BBC, February 14, 2020,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20200216003507weblink">weblink February 16, 2020, live, With an estimated budget of $81–95 million,WEB, Evans, Nick, Sonic The Hedgehog's Redesign Reportedly Cost A Ton Of Money,weblink CinemaBlend, November 19, 2019,weblink February 16, 2020, live, WEB,weblink Box Office Preview: 'Sonic the Hedgehog' to Boom Past the Competition, The Hollywood Reporter, Pamela, McClintock, February 13, 2020,weblink February 13, 2020, live, the film grossed over $310 million worldwide,WEB,weblink Sonic the Hedgehog (2020), Box Office Mojo, December 13, 2020,weblink August 7, 2020, WEB,weblink Sonic The Hedgehog (2020), The Numbers (website), The Numbers,weblink December 6, 2019, live, becoming the sixth-highest-grossing film of 2020.WEB, Top 2020 Movies at the Worldwide Box Office,weblink The Numbers (website), The Numbers,weblink March 24, 2020, live, In March, it became the highest-grossing film based on a video game in US box office history.WEB, Webb, Katherine, Wow, Sonic The Hedgehog Movie Just Set A Major Box Office Record,weblink CinemaBlend, March 14, 2020,weblink March 31, 2020, live,

Sonic the Hedgehog 2 (2022)

Sonic the Hedgehog 2 was announced in May 2020, and principal photography began in March 2021.WEB, Batchelor, James, December 1, 2020, Sonic The Hedgehog 2 movie expected to start production in March,weblink GamesIndustry.biz, 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,WEB, Albers, Caitlin, 'Sonic the Hedgehog 2's Uncovered Plot Summary Reveals a Dr. Robotnik Return With a New Enemy Sidekick,weblink Collider (website), Collider, December 2, 2021, May 21, 2021, NEWS,weblink Petrana, Radulovic, Sonic the Hedgehog 2 movie casts Tails classic voice actor, Polygon (website), Polygon, December 7, 2021, while Idris Elba voices Knuckles.WEB,weblink Idris Elba Joins 'Sonic the Hedgehog 2' as Knuckles, Vary, Adam, Variety (magazine), Variety, August 10, 2021, Much of the crew, including Fowler, Casey, and Josh Miller, returned.WEB, Kroll, Justin, May 28, 2020, 'Sonic the Hedgehog' Sequel in the Works,weblinkweblink August 8, 2020, Variety (magazine), Variety, Sonic 2 incorporates more aspects of the Sonic games than the first film,WEB, Vorel, Jim, December 10, 2021, Tails and Knuckles Join the Party in First Trailer for Sonic the Hedgehog 2,weblink Paste (magazine), Paste, December 13, 2021, December 13, 2021,weblink dead, including plot elements from Sonic 2 and Sonic 3 & Knuckles and the introduction of Shadow in the mid-credits scene.NEWS, Purslow, Matt, Sonic the Hedgehog Movies Won't Follow The Games In Order,weblink April 4, 2022, IGN, March 29, 2022, WEB, Russell, Bradley, Sonic 2 ending explained: your biggest questions answered,weblink GamesRadar+, April 27, 2022, April 7, 2022, Sonic the Hedgehog 2 was released on April 8, 2022.WEB, Fuster, Jeremy, July 23, 2020, 'Sonic the Hedgehog 2' Gets April 2022 Release Date,weblinkweblink July 24, 2020, The Wrap, It received positive reviews and grossed over $402 million worldwide,WEB, Scullion, Chris, The first impressions of the Sonic 2 movie are largely positive,weblink Video Games Chronicle, August 18, 2022, March 24, 2022, BOX OFFICE MOJO, Sonic the Hedgehog 2, 12412888, July 4, 2022, surpassing its predecessor as the highest-grossing video game film in the US.NEWS, Stanton, Rich, April 28, 2022, Sonic the Hedgehog 2 now the highest-grossing videogame movie ever in the US, PC Gamer,weblink April 28, 2022,

Knuckles (2024)

In February 2022, Paramount and Sega announced Knuckles, a six-episode streaming television series for Paramount+.WEB, Kroll, Justin, 'Sonic The Hedgehog' Universe Expands As Sega And Paramount Sign Off On Third Film And 'Knuckles' Spinoff Series At Paramount+ With Idris Elba Reprising Role,weblink Deadline Hollywood, February 15, 2022, February 15, 2022, MAGAZINE, Murphy, J. Kim, February 8, 2024, 'Knuckles' Trailer Reveals Idris Elba's 'Sonic the Hedgehog' Spinoff Series on Paramount+,weblink February 8, 2024, Variety (magazine), Variety, It was created by John Whittington and premiered on April 26, 2024. 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.WEB, Otterson, Joe, 2023-04-17, 'Sonic the Hedgehog' Spinoff Series 'Knuckles' at Paramount+ Sets Cast, Including Adam Pally, Tika Sumpter,weblink 2023-04-17, Variety (magazine), Variety, en-US, April 17, 2023,weblink live, WEB, Petski, Denise, June 14, 2023, Cary Elwes, Stockard Channing, Christopher Lloyd, Paul Scheer & Rob Huebel Join 'Sonic The Hedgehog' Spinoff Series 'Knuckles',weblink June 14, 2023, Deadline Hollywood,

Sonic the Hedgehog 3 (2024)

In February 2022, Paramount and Sega announced Sonic the Hedgehog 3, scheduled for release on December 20, 2024.WEB, Grobar, Matt, August 9, 2022, Paramount Sets Sonic The Hedgehog 3 Release, Pushes Date For Smurfs Animated Musical,weblink April 17, 2023, Deadline Hollywood, August 9, 2022,weblink live, 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,WEB, Watson, Fay, Sonic the Hedgehog 3 reveals first look at Shadow, and we can't get over his shoes,weblink GamesRadar+, November 29, 2023, November 29, 2023, WEB, Lang, Brett, Jim Carrey Returning for 'Sonic the Hedgehog 3' (EXCLUSIVE),weblink Variety (magazine), Variety, February 16, 2024, February 2, 2024, while Krysten Ritter, Alyla Browne, James Wolk, Sofia Pernas, Cristo Fernández, and Jorma Taccone will play new characters.WEB, Bankhurst, Adam, February 2, 2024, Sonic the Hedgehog 3 Adds Krysten Ritter, Cristo Fernández, Alyla Browne, and More,weblink February 2, 2024, IGN, en-US, February 2, 2024,weblink live, Shadow, voiced by Keanu Reeves,WEB, Couch, Aaron, Kit, Borys, April 15, 2024, Keanu Reeves Joins 'Sonic 3' as Shadow,weblink The Hollywood Reporter, April 15, 2024, makes his full film debut following his mid-credits scene cameo in Sonic 2.

Merchandise

Licensed Sonic merchandise includes books, clothing, soundtracks,MAGAZINE, Dealessandri, Marie, Margin Makers: Guide to Sonic merchandise,weblink MCV/Develop, August 4, 2017,weblink October 21, 2020, board games,WEB, Plunkett, Luke, Sonic The Hedgehog: Battle Racers: The Kotaku Review,weblink Kotaku, April 23, 2020,weblink April 28, 2020, live, and toys such as figures and plushes.WEB, McWhertor, Michael, This Sonic the Hedgehog plush is non-canon, because you can see his feet,weblink Polygon (website), Polygon, February 14, 2020,weblink March 1, 2020, live, By 2004, the Sonic the Hedgehog franchise had generated more than {{US$|1 billion|long=no}} in licensed merchandise sales.NEWS, ShoPro on the Go,weblink January 30, 2021, License Global, May 1, 2004, Sega and McDonald's collaborated for Sonic-themed Happy Meal promotions in 1994 for Sonic 3 and in 2004 for Sonic Heroes.WEB, Minotti, Mike, The RetroBeat: Sonic & Knuckles turned a problem into success 25 years ago,weblink VentureBeat, October 18, 2019,weblink May 21, 2020, live, WEB, GamesIndustry.biz International, McDonald's and SEGA Reveal Details of New Happy Meal Promotion Featuring Sonic and 'Search for the Silver Game',weblink GamesIndustry.biz, December 3, 2004,weblink October 26, 2020, Sonic was the first video game franchise promoted in McDonald's, and over {{nowrap|50 million}} Sonic Happy Meal toys were sold worldwide.BOOK, Hansen, Dustin, Game On!: Video Game History from Pong and Pac-Man to Mario, Minecraft, and More, November 22, 2016, Feiwel & Friends, 978-1-250-08096-7, 91,weblink A million pairs of Sonic trousers were sold by 1996.MAGAZINE, News, Computer and Video Games, October 9, 1996, 180 (November 1996), 10,weblink First4Figures has produced a large number of vinyl and resin Sonic figures since 2008.WEB, Siegel, Scott Jon, First4Figures announces classic Sonic vinyl line,weblink Engadget, February 5, 2008,weblink June 10, 2020, WEB, Doolan, Liam, First 4 Figures Reveals Its Fourth Sonic The Hedgehog Resin Statue,weblink Nintendo Life, July 12, 2019,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20191123053355weblink">weblink November 23, 2019, live, In January 2012, Sega and RHM Solutions opened an online Sonic store,WEB, Dutton, Fred, Sega launches official Sonic store,weblink Eurogamer, January 18, 2012,weblink February 7, 2020, live, while PlayStation Gear began selling Sonic items in December 2017.WEB, Mason, Andrew, New Sonic the Hedgehog merchandise dashes onto PlayStation Gear,weblink PlayStation Blog, December 20, 2017,weblink November 9, 2020, 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.WEB, Gartenberg, Chaim, Lego's official Sonic the Hedgehog set recreates picture-perfect Green Hill Zone,weblink The Verge, December 28, 2021, This was followed by the launch of a full Lego Sonic the Hedgehog theme in 2023.WEB, Hollister, Sean, Sonic The Hedgehog can actually spin in Lego's new sets,weblink The Verge, October 2, 2023, April 19, 2023,

Events

On June 23, 2021, to celebrate Sonic the Hedgehog{{'}}s 30th anniversary, Sega presented the concert Sonic the Hedgehog 30th Anniversary Symphony as a free 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.WEB, Robinson, Andy, June 24, 2021, Watch again: Sonic Symphony concert earns overwhelming fan praise,weblink live,weblink July 30, 2021, July 11, 2023, Video Games Chronicle, WEB, Parrish, Ash, June 24, 2021, Sonic's 30th Anniversary Concert Kicked So Much Arse I Cried,weblink live,weblink November 8, 2022, July 11, 2023, Kotaku Australia, WEB, Sheehan, Gavin, Sonic The Hedgehog 30th Anniversary Symphony Happening Today,weblink Bleeding Cool, Avatar Press, June 23, 2021, July 10, 2023, WEB, Shepard, Kenneth, I'm Still Crying About the Sonic Symphony Concert Days Later,weblink Fanbyte, June 25, 2021, July 11, 2023, The concert would become the start of Sonic Symphony, a tour, with its first live concert on October 12, 2022WEB, Sonic the Hedgehog, If you're at Brasil Game Show - be...,weblink Facebook, October 12, 2022, July 11, 2023, at the 2022 Brasil Game Show and more concerts in late 2023 and 2024 as the Sonic Symphony World Tour.WEB, Price, Leigh, Sonic Symphony World Tour Dates Announced,weblink Siliconera, Gamurs Group, 19 May 2022, 11 July 2023, WEB, Egan, Toussaint, The Sonic the Hedgehog symphony is going on a world tour,weblink Polygon (website), Polygon, Vox Media, 19 May 2023, 11 July 2023,

Reception and legacy

Commentary

| align = right| width = 20em| quoted = true| salign =}}The Sonic platformers released during the 1990s were acclaimed and have been listed among the greatest video games of all time.MAGAZINE, Game Informer, The Top 200 Games of All Time, January 2010, 200, 1067-6392, MAGAZINE, Game Informer's Top 100 Games Of All Time (Circa Issue 100),weblink Game Informer, Cork, Jeff, November 16, 2009,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20100408113757weblink">weblink April 8, 2010, live, MAGAZINE, Top 100 Games of All Time, Next Generation (magazine), Next Generation, 21, Imagine Media, September 1996, 63–64, 1078-9693, The original Sonic was touted as a faster, cooler alternative to Nintendo's Super Mario World (1990). 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". 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."WEB, Stuart, Keith,weblink Why Sonic the Hedgehog is 'incorrect' game design, The Guardian, July 27, 2017,weblink July 27, 2017, live, Sonic 2, Sonic CD, Sonic 3, and Sonic & Knuckles were praised for building on the first game's formula;

• WEB, Towell, Justin, April 16, 2008, Sonic's 2D classics re-reviewed,weblinkweblink August 7, 2020, GamesRadar+,
• MAGAZINE, February 1994, Sonic 3, Sega Saturn Magazine, Sega Magazine, EMAP, 2, 87–88, 1360-9424,
• MAGAZINE, The Unknown Gamer, January 1994, Sega CD ProReview: Sonic the Hedgehog CD, GamePro, International Data Group, 64–68, 1042-8658,
• MAGAZINE, November 1994, ProReview: Sonic & Knuckles, GamePro, International Data Group, 64, 72–73, 1042-8658,

in 1996, Next Generation described them as "the zeitgeist of the 16-bit era".

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;WEB,weblink Sonic Adventure, Justice, Brandon, September 8, 1999, IGN,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20141030035903weblink">weblink October 30, 2014, live, WEB,weblink Sonic Adventure Review, Bartholow, Peter, December 31, 1998, GameSpot,weblink October 29, 2017, live, MAGAZINE, Edge (magazine), Edge, Future plc, 68, February 1999, 70–73, 1350-1593, Sonic Adventure, Testscreen, Sonic Adventure 2 was met with similar praise.WEB,weblink Sonic Adventure 2 Review, GameSpot, Ahmed, Shahed, June 19, 2001, dead,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20130518200416weblink">weblink May 18, 2013, WEB, June 22, 2001,weblink IGN, Chau, Anthony, Sonic Adventure 2 Review,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20120304232908weblink">weblink March 4, 2012, dead, February 12, 2020, 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.DeMaria, Rusel, and Johnny L. Wilson (2004), High Score!: The Illustrated History of Electronic Games, McGraw-Hill/Osborne, p. 312. {{ISBN|0072224282}}. 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".WEB,weblink Where Sonic The Hedgehog Went Wrong, Stewart, Zolani, August 4, 2014, Kotaku,weblink December 13, 2017, live, 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".After the Dreamcast, the series' critical standing declined. Evans-Thirlwell summarized further 3D Sonic games as "20-odd years of slowly accumulating bullshit". Although reviews for Sonic Heroes were mostly favorable, Stewart said this was when the focus on story and cutscenes became unbearable. Shadow the Hedgehog was widely criticized as a misguided attempt to bring a sense of maturity to the franchise,WEB, East, Thomas, The best and worst Sonic characters,weblink Official Nintendo Magazine,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20131029185609weblink">weblink October 29, 2013, 3, May 29, 2013, and Sonic '06 was critically panned. 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". Journalists, Whitehead, and the former Sega of America marketing director Al Nilsen criticized the number of characters added to the series, which Naka had justified as necessary to please fans.WEB, Kemps, Heidi, Sega's Yuji Naka Talks!,weblink GameSpy, 2, September 30, 2005,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20120915001746weblink">weblink September 15, 2012, live, 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".WEB, Evans-Thirlwell, Edwin, Why did 3D Sonic struggle?,weblink Eurogamer, August 28, 2017,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20171206001022weblink">weblink December 6, 2017, live, 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.WEB, Parkin, Simon, Sonic Lost World – Wii-U review,weblink The Guardian, October 18, 2013,weblink March 3, 2020, live, Despite the critical decline, Dimps' side-scrolling Sonic games for the GBA and DS were consistently praised.

• WEB,weblink Sonic Advance for Game Boy Advance Reviews, Metacritic,weblink July 23, 2012, live,
• WEB,weblink Sonic Advance 2 for Game Boy Advance Reviews, Metacritic, live,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20141205024113weblink">weblink December 5, 2014,
• WEB,weblink Sonic Advance 3 for Game Boy Advance Reviews, Metacritic,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20141012140833weblink">weblink October 12, 2014, live,
• WEB,weblink Sonic Rush for DS Reviews, Metacritic,weblink April 24, 2012, live,
• WEB, Sonic Rush Adventure for DS Reviews,weblink Metacritic,weblink August 10, 2012, live, Writing for Destructoid, 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."NEWS, Sterling, Jim, Review: Sonic Colors DS,weblink Destructoid, November 14, 2010,weblink August 28, 2016, live, 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".WEB, Elston, Brett, The rise, fall and deafening crash of Sonic the Hedgehog,weblink GamesRadar+, 4, April 9, 2008, live,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20161018174852weblink">weblink October 18, 2016, 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".WEB,weblink Sonic Unleashed Review, Hilary, Goldstein, IGN, December 2, 2008, live,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20081206112313weblink">weblink December 6, 2008, Critics suggested that Unleashed would have been better received if it had focused on its speed-based platforming levels, which were widely praised.WEB,weblinkweblink" title="archive.today/20120524131555weblink">weblink dead, May 24, 2012, Sonic Unleashed Review, November 20, 2008, Bettenhausen, Shane, 1UP.com, WEB,weblink Sonic Unleashed on Xbox 360 Review, GameDaily, November 25, 2008, Chris, Buffa, live,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20090103022925weblink">weblink January 3, 2009, WEB,weblink Sonic Unleashed Review (Xbox 360), Matt, Cabral, TeamXbox, November 25, 2008, dead,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20081209235929weblink">weblink December 9, 2008,

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.WEB, McWhertor, Michael, Sega Doesn't Want Sub-par Sonic Games On Shelves Anymore,weblink Kotaku, October 7, 2010,weblink November 4, 2018, live, That month, Sonic the Hedgehog 4: Episode I was released to general praise,

• WEB,weblink Sonic the Hedgehog 4: Episode I for Wii Reviews, Metacritic,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20140329113749weblink">weblink March 29, 2014, live,
• WEB,weblink Sonic the Hedgehog 4: Episode I for PlayStation 3 Reviews, Metacritic,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20120711015622weblink">weblink July 11, 2012, live,
• WEB,weblink Sonic the Hedgehog 4: Episode I for Xbox 360 Reviews, Metacritic,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20120329062606weblink">weblink March 29, 2012, live,
• WEB,weblink Sonic the Hedgehog 4: Episode 1 for iPhone/iPad Reviews, Metacritic,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20121113071127weblink">weblink November 13, 2012, live, with Goldstein describing it as "short but sweet and well worth downloading".WEB, Goldstein, Hilary,weblink Sonic the Hedgehog 4: Episode I Review, IGN, October 8, 2010, dead,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20110713005425weblink">weblink July 13, 2011, Sonic Colors, released shortly afterward, was hailed as a return to form,MAGAZINE, Meyer, John, Review: No-Nonsense Sonic Colors Is Best Hedgehog Game in Years,weblink Wired (magazine), Wired, November 18, 2010,weblink September 22, 2017, live, WEB, Gies, Arthur, Sonic Colors Wii Review,weblink IGN, November 8, 2010,weblink February 12, 2020, live, WEB, Comb, Dave, Sonic Colors Game Review,weblink November 15, 2010, Empire (film magazine), Empire, live,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20170821181034weblink">weblink August 21, 2017, as was 2011's Sonic Generations.WEB, Sonic Generations Review,weblink IGN, DeVries, Jack, Altano, Brian, amp, October 28, 2011, live,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20111201231019weblink">weblink December 1, 2011, WEB, Sonic Generations Game Review,weblink Empire (magazine), Empire, live,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20171004043322weblink">weblink October 4, 2017, November 4, 2011, Williamson, Sebastian, 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". 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. The two Sonic Boom games received negative reviewsWEB,weblink Metacritic, Sonic Boom: Shattered Crystal for 3DS Reviews,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20141111101513weblink">weblink November 11, 2014, live, WEB,weblink Metacritic, Sonic Boom: Rise of Lyric for Wii U Reviews,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20161206221223weblink">weblink December 6, 2016, live, and sold only 490,000 copies combined by February 2015, making them the worst-selling Sonic games.WEB, Copeland, Wesley, Sonic Boom is the Worst-Selling Sonic Title in History,weblink IGN, February 12, 2015,weblink November 2, 2019, live, 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. 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.WEB, Sato, Sega Learned About Making Quality Games From Atlus, Aim To Regain Trust From Players,weblink Siliconera, July 7, 2015,weblink November 28, 2019, live,

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".WEB, Frank, Allegra, How Sonic the Hedgehog's weirdo Twitter account could bring him back from the brink,weblink Polygon (website), Polygon, September 13, 2016,weblink May 18, 2020, live, 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.WEB, Goldfarb, Andrew, PAX 2016: Sonic Mania Has Me Excited For Sonic Again,weblink IGN, September 4, 2016,weblink June 30, 2019, live, WEB, Robinson, Nick, Why Sonic Mania is my most anticipated game this year,weblink Polygon (website), Polygon, February 21, 2017,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20170227062406weblink">weblink February 27, 2017, live, WEB, Donaldson, Alex, Sonic Mania hands-on: after 20 years, this is the sequel I've always wanted,weblink VG247, September 28, 2016,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20160929145007weblink">weblink September 29, 2016, live, Released in August 2017, it became the best-reviewed Sonic game in 15 years .MAGAZINE,weblink Sonic Mania is the Highest-Rated Sonic game in 15 Years, Helster, Blake, August 17, 2017, Rolling Stone, live,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20170822055635weblink">weblink August 22, 2017, 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".WEB, Espineli, Matt, August 14, 2017,weblink Sonic Mania Review, GameSpot, live,weblink August 14, 2017, Many called it one of the best games in the series and expressed excitement for Sonic{{'s}} future,MAGAZINE, L Patterson, Mollie, August 15, 2017, Sonic Mania review,weblink dead,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20170816020931weblink">weblink August 16, 2017, November 10, 2019, Electronic Gaming Monthly, EGMNow, WEB, Whitehead, Thomas, August 16, 2017, Sonic Mania Review – Switch eShop,weblink live,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20170818090519weblink">weblink August 18, 2017, Nintendo Life, although Sonic Forces, released a few months later, received mixed reviews.

Sales

Sonic the Hedgehog is one of the bestselling video game franchises. The series' cumulative sales reached 89{{nbsp}}million units by March 2011BOOK, Annual Report 2011, 2011, 43,weblink Sega Sammy Holdings,weblink May 2, 2020, live, PRESS RELEASE, London's Calling Mario & Sonic, Sega/Nintendo, April 21, 2011,weblinkweblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20120916121612weblink">weblink September 16, 2012, live, and over {{nowrap|140 million}} by 2016. The Mario & Sonic series alone sold over 19{{nbsp}}million units {{as of|2011|lc=y}}. The Sonic the Hedgehog games had grossed over {{US$|5 billion|long=no}} in sales by 2014.WEB, Gaudiosi, John,weblink Sonic the Hedgehog still running fast for Sega, Fortune (magazine), Fortune, July 9, 2014,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20190528202524weblink">weblink May 28, 2019, live, Series sales and free-to-play mobile game downloads totaled {{nowrap|920 million}} units by 2019,BOOK, Sega Sammy Holdings – Integrated Report 2019, 2019, Sega Sammy Holdings, 35,weblinkweblink May 2, 2020, live, more than {{nowrap|1.14 billion}} units by 2020WEB, Integrated Report 2020,weblink Sega Sammy Holdings, 10, February 11, 2021, February 10, 2021,weblink dead, and over 1.6 billion units by 2023.WEB,weblink Sonic Franchise Moves 1.6 Billion Units, gonintendo, November 2, 2023, November 3, 2023, In 1993, Sonic tied with Mario as the highest-earning entertainment personality of the year, each generating {{US$|500 million|long=no}} ({{US$|{{Inflation|US|500|1993|r=-1}} million|long=no}} adjusted for inflation) in digital game sales that year.NEWS, Seigel, Jessica, Interactive Frenzy,weblink February 22, 2021, Sun-Sentinel, July 10, 1994,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20200522012202weblink">weblink May 22, 2020, live, In the United Kingdom, Sonic was the sixth-bestselling game franchise between 1996 and 2012.NEWS, Purchese, Robert, Can you guess the top 10 UK games brands from 1996 to 2012?,weblink October 18, 2021, Eurogamer, July 30, 2012,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20061030052642weblink">weblink October 30, 2006, live, Individual Sonic games have been bestsellers as well. The original game is the bestselling Genesis game, while Sonic the Hedgehog 2 is the bestselling Game Gear game, Sonic CD is the bestselling Sega CD game, and Sonic Adventure is the bestselling Dreamcast game. Sonic Adventure 2 is the eighth-bestselling GameCube game in the US and the bestselling GameCube game that was not published by Nintendo.WEB, Minotti, Mike, The RetroBeat: Examining the GameCube's 10 best-selling games in the U.S.,weblink VentureBeat,weblink January 29, 2019, December 12, 2018, Upon release, Sonic the Hedgehog 2 set recordsJOURNAL, 2001, Screen Digest,weblink Screen Digest, Screen Digest Limited, 348, Sonic the Hedgehog 2 breaks all records for sales of video/computer games, for being the fastest-selling game,MAGAZINE, News: Sonic For Pope, Mean Machines Sega, December 28, 1992, 4 (January 1993), 13,weblink selling out {{nowrap|3.2 million}} copies worldwide within two weeks in 1992.BOOK, Tokyo Business Today, 1993, Toyo Keizai, 37,weblink Through March 1992, "Sonic" sales had climbed to {{nowrap, 2.8 million, packages, a record high for Sega software. "Sonic 2," introduced in November 1992, proceeded to outperform its predecessor. The initial release of {{nowrap|3.2 million}} packages sold out only two weeks after hitting the stores}} The original Sonic the Hedgehog earned over {{US$|400 million|long=no}} by 1997BOOK, Abreu, Carlos De, Smith, Howard Jay, Opening the Doors to Hollywood: How to Sell Your Idea, Story, Book, Screenplay, Manuscript, Three Rivers Press, 1997, 978-0-609-80110-9, 25,weblink Sonic the Hedgehog, a video game which has made over four hundred million dollars worldwide, compared to two or three hundred million for a blockbuster picture., ({{US$|{{Inflation|US|400|1991|r=-1}} million|long=no}} adjusted for inflation). Sonic the Hedgehog 2 grossed {{US$|450 million|long=no}} in 1992 ({{US$|{{Inflation|US|450|1992|r=-1}} million|long=no}} adjusted for inflation), becoming the year's highest-grossing home entertainment product.NEWS, Lewis, Peter H., Sound Bytes: A Man With Many Ideas for Addicting Americans,weblink February 13, 2021, The New York Times, August 1, 1993, subscription,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20110214184128weblink">weblink February 14, 2011, Last year we did {{US$, 450 million, no, worldwide on one game, Sonic 2. That's more than any hit movie, more than any other entertainment property. |url-status=live }}{| class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders mw-collapsible" border="1"! scope="col"|Year! scope="col"|Game! scope="col"|Platform(s)! scope="col"|Sales 1991! scope="row"| Sonic the Hedgehog Sega Genesis 15 million (bundled with Genesis hardware) 1992! scope="row"| Sonic the Hedgehog 2 6 millionBOUTROS >FIRST1=DANIEL URL=HTTPS://WWW.GAMEDEVELOPER.COM/BUSINESS/A-DETAILED-CROSS-EXAMINATION-OF-YESTERDAY-AND-TODAY-S-BEST-SELLING-PLATFORM-GAMES GAME DEVELOPER (WEBSITE)>GAME DEVELOPER DATE=AUGUST 5, 2006 ARCHIVE-URL=HTTPS://WEB.ARCHIVE.ORG/WEB/20151120113519/HTTP://WWW.GAMASUTRA.COM/VIEW/FEATURE/1851/A_DETAILED_CROSSEXAMINATION_OF_.PHP?PAGE=2, live, 1993! scope="row"| Sonic CD| Sega CD 1.5 millionGUINNESS WORLD RECORDS GAMER'S EDITION>GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS 2016 GAMER'S EDITIONISBN=978-1910561096PUBLISHER=JIM PATTISON GROUP, 1994! scope="row"| Sonic the Hedgehog 3 and Sonic & Knuckles Sega Genesis 4 millionHTTPS://WWW.YOUTUBE.COM/WATCH?V=F-IJ_RCEZCI >ARCHIVE-URL=HTTPS://GHOSTARCHIVE.ORG/VARCHIVE/YOUTUBE/20211221/F-IJ_RCEZCI URL-STATUS=LIVETIME=12:40 (SONIC 1), 14:39 (SONIC 2), 18:40 (SONIC 3/SONIC & KNUCKLES)YOUTUBE>PUBLISHER=GAMETAPTIME=1:39ARCHIVE-DATE=JULY 25, 2015PUBLISHER=GAMETAP, YouTube, 1996! scope="row"| Sonic 3D Blast 700,000 1998! scope="row"| Sonic Adventure Dreamcast 2.5 million 2001! scope="row"| Sonic Adventure 2 500,000HTTPS://WWW.ESCAPISTMAGAZINE.COM/20-YEARS-LATER-SONIC-ADVENTURE-2-BATTLE-MIGHT-BE-THE-SERIESS-MOST-IMPORTANT-GAME/>TITLE=20 YEARS LATER, SONIC ADVENTURE 2: BATTLE MIGHT BE THE SERIES'S MOST IMPORTANT GAMEFIRST=JESSEWEBSITE=THE ESCAPIST (MAGAZINE)>ACCESS-DATE=MARCH 23, 2023ARCHIVE-DATE=JANUARY 26, 2023, live, ! scope="row"| (Sonic Adventure 2: Battle)| GameCube 1.54 million{{efnSonic Adventure 2: Battle: 1.44 million in US,DECEMBER 27, 2007URL=HTTP://WWW.THE-MAGICBOX.COM/CHART-USPLATINUM.SHTMLARCHIVE-URL=HTTPS://WEB.ARCHIVE.ORG/WEB/20151231174815/HTTP://WWW.THE-MAGICBOX.COM/CHART-USPLATINUM.SHTMLWEBSITE=THE MAGIC BOX, 100,000 in UKHTTP://WWW.ELSPA.COM/?I=3942> PUBLISHER=ENTERTAINMENT AND LEISURE SOFTWARE PUBLISHERS ASSOCIATIONARCHIVE-URL=HTTPS://WEB.ARCHIVE.ORG/WEB/20100213011415/HTTP://WWW.ELSPA.COM/?I=3942, February 13, 2010, }}! scope="row"| Sonic Advance| Game Boy Advance 1.31 million{{efn|Sonic Advance: 1.21 million in US, 100,000 in UK}} 2003! scope="row"| Sonic Mega Collection| GameCube 1.453 million{{efnSonic Mega Collection: 1.38 million in US, 72,967 in Japan2003 JAPAN CHARTSWEBSITE=GEIMINARCHIVE-DATE=JUNE 27, 2015LANGUAGE=JA, }}! scope="row"| Sonic HeroesPlayStation 2, Xbox (console)>Xbox, GameCube 3.41 millionANNUAL REPORT 2004>URL=HTTP://SEGARETRO.ORG/INDEX.PHP?TITLE=FILE%3AANNUALREPORT2004_ENGLISH.PDF&PAGE=15SEGA SAMMY HOLDINGS>DATE=MARCH 31, 2004ARCHIVE-DATE=NOVEMBER 10, 2017DATE=JULY 2006ARCHIVE-URL=HTTPS://WEB.ARCHIVE.ORG/WEB/20160330020047/HTTP://WWW.SEGASAMMY.CO.JP/ENGLISH/IR/LIBRARY/PDF/PRINTING_ANNUAL/2006/E_2006_ANNUAL.PDFURL-STATUS=LIVE, HTTPS://WWW.SEGASAMMY.CO.JP/ENGLISH/IR/LIBRARY/PDF/SETTLEMENT/2007/E_200703_4Q_PRE.PDF>TITLE=FISCAL YEAR ENDED MARCH 2007 FULL YEAR RESULTSDATE=MAY 14, 2007ARCHIVE-DATE=JULY 29, 2016ACCESS-DATE=JUNE 12, 2017, Sega Sammy Holdings, ! scope="row"| Sonic Mega Collection Plus| PlayStation 2, Xbox 2 millionANNUAL REPORT 2005>URL=HTTP://SEGARETRO.ORG/INDEX.PHP?TITLE=FILE%3AANNUALREPORT2005_ENGLISH.PDF&PAGE=32SEGA SAMMY HOLDINGS>DATE=MAY 25, 2005ARCHIVE-DATE=NOVEMBER 10, 2017, live, 2005! scope="row"| Shadow the Hedgehog| PlayStation 2, Xbox, GameCube 2.06 millionFULL YEAR RESULTS PRESENTATION>URL=HTTPS://WWW.SEGASAMMY.CO.JP/ENGLISH/IR/LIBRARY/PDF/SETTLEMENT/2006/E_200603_4Q_PRE.PDFSEGA SAMMY HOLDINGS>DATE=MAY 16, 2006ARCHIVE-DATE=OCTOBER 11, 2016PAGE=15ARCHIVE-URL=HTTPS://WEB.ARCHIVE.ORG/WEB/20160729222445/HTTP://WWW.SEGASAMMY.CO.JP/ENGLISH/IR/LIBRARY/PDF/SETTLEMENT/2007/E_200703_4Q_PRE.PDFURL-STATUS=DEAD, June 12, 2017, 2006! scope="row"| Sonic the HedgehogMobile game>Mobile 8 million in US & EUHTTP://WWW.MCVUK.COM/NEWS/30705/SONIC-RINGS-MOBILE-SUCCESS >MAGAZINE=MCV (MAGAZINE) >FIRST=BEN DATE=MAY 29, 2008 ARCHIVE-URL=HTTPS://WEB.ARCHIVE.ORG/WEB/20080601023754/HTTP://WWW.MCVUK.COM/NEWS/30705/SONIC-RINGS-MOBILE-SUCCESS URL-STATUS=LIVE, ! scope="row"| Sonic the Hedgehog (2006)| Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 870,000FULL YEAR RESULTS>URL=HTTPS://WWW.SEGASAMMY.CO.JP/ENGLISH/IR/LIBRARY/PDF/SETTLEMENT/2007/E_200703_4Q_PRE.PDFSEGA SAMMY HOLDINGS>DATE=MAY 14, 2007ARCHIVE-DATE=JULY 29, 2016ACCESS-DATE=JUNE 12, 2017, 2008! scope="row"| Sonic Unleashed| PlayStation 2, Wii, Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 2.45 millionFINANCIAL RESULTS>URL=HTTP://WWW.SEGASAMMY.CO.JP/JAPANESE/PDF/RELEASE/200903_TANSHIN_20090513_FINAL.PDF#PAGE=7SEGA SAMMY HOLDINGS>FORMAT=PDFDATE=MAY 13, 2009ARCHIVE-URL=HTTPS://WEB.ARCHIVE.ORG/WEB/20110513035450/HTTP://WWW.SEGASAMMY.CO.JP/JAPANESE/PDF/RELEASE/200903_TANSHIN_20090513_FINAL.PDF#PAGE=7URL-STATUS=DEAD, December 29, 2009, 2010! scope="row"| Sonic & Sega All-Stars Racing| PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, Wii, Nintendo DS, Windows 1.07 millionAPPENDIX OF CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS YEAR ENDED MARCH 31, 2010>URL=HTTP://WWW.SEGASAMMY.CO.JP/ENGLISH/PDF/RELEASE/20100514_HOSOKU_E_FINAL.PDF#PAGE=5SEGA SAMMY HOLDINGS>FORMAT=PDFDATE=MAY 14, 2010ARCHIVE-DATE=OCTOBER 3, 2011, live, ! scope="row"| Sonic Colors| Wii, Nintendo DS 2.18 millionAPPENDIX OF CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS YEAR ENDED MARCH 31, 2011>URL=HTTP://WWW.SEGASAMMY.CO.JP/ENGLISH/PDF/RELEASE/1103APPENDIX_E_FINAL.PDF#PAGE=3SEGA SAMMY HOLDINGS>PAGE=3ARCHIVE-URL=HTTPS://WEB.ARCHIVE.ORG/WEB/20120315043047/HTTP://WWW.SEGASAMMY.CO.JP/ENGLISH/PDF/RELEASE/1103APPENDIX_E_FINAL.PDF#PAGE=3URL-STATUS=DEADFIRST= TOM DATE= FEBRUARY 4, 2011 COMPUTER AND VIDEO GAMES >ARCHIVE-URL= HTTPS://WEB.ARCHIVE.ORG/WEB/20121103054220/HTTP://WWW.COMPUTERANDVIDEOGAMES.COM/287223/VANQUISH-SELLS-820000-COPIES/ URL-STATUS= LIVE, 2011! scope="row"| Sonic Generations| PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, Windows, Nintendo 3DS 1.85 millionAPPENDIX OF CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS YEAR ENDED MARCH 31, 2012>URL=HTTPS://WWW.SEGASAMMY.CO.JP/ENGLISH/IR/LIBRARY/PDF/SETTLEMENT/2012/20120511_HOSOKU_E_FINAL.PDF#PAGE=6SEGA SAMMY HOLDINGS>FORMAT=PDFDATE=MAY 8, 2012ARCHIVE-DATE=MARCH 29, 2016, live, 2012! scope="row"| Sonic & All-Stars Racing Transformed| PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, Wii U, Nintendo 3DS 1.36 millionSEGA SAMMY POSTS FISCAL NET PROFIT>URL=HTTP://WWW.JOYSTIQ.COM/2013/05/10/SEGA-SAMMY-POSTS-FISCAL-NET-PROFIT-ALIENS-COLONIAL-MARINES-SHI/JOYSTIQ>LAST=KUODATE=MAY 10, 2013ARCHIVE-DATE=JUNE 7, 2013, dead, 2013! scope="row"| Sonic Lost World Wii U, Nintendo 3DS 710,000MAY 12, 2014>TITLE=FY ENDED MARCH 2014 FULL YEAR RESULTS PRESENTATIONURL-STATUS=LIVEARCHIVE-DATE=JULY 25, 2014SEGA SAMMY HOLDINGS>PAGE=21, 2014! scope="row"| (Sonic Boom: Rise of Lyric) and (Sonic Boom: Shattered Crystal|Shattered Crystal) 620,000MARCH 31, 2015>TITLE=FY ENDED MARCH 2015 FULL YEAR RESULTS PRESENTATIONURL-STATUS=LIVEARCHIVE-DATE=APRIL 7, 2019SEGA SAMMY HOLDINGS>PAGE=21, 2017! scope="row"| Sonic Mania| Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Windows 1{{nbsp}}millionSATO>TITLE=SONIC MANIA REACHES 1 MILLION IN WORLDWIDE SALESWEBSITE=SILICONERAARCHIVE-URL=HTTPS://WEB.ARCHIVE.ORG/WEB/20180425050248/HTTP://WWW.SILICONERA.COM/2018/04/24/SONIC-MANIA-REACHES-1-MILLION-WORLDWIDE-SALES/URL-STATUS=LIVE, 2022! scope="row"| Sonic Frontiers| Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, Windows 3.5 millionHTTPS://WWW.GAMEDEVELOPER.COM/BUSINESS/SONIC-FRONTIERS-SPEEDS-TO-3-5-MILLION-COPIES-SIX-MONTHS-AFTER-RELEASE >TITLE=SONIC FRONTIERS SPEEDS TO 3.5 MILLION COPIES SIX MONTHS AFTER RELEASE FIRST=JUSTIN WEBSITE=GAME DEVELOPER (WEBSITE) >ACCESS-DATE=MAY 9, 2023 ARCHIVE-DATE=MAY 9, 2023, live, ! colspan="3" style="text-align: center;" scope="row"| Mario & Sonic series! 19{{nbsp}}million 2007! scope="row"| Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games Wii, Nintendo DS 11.31 millionHTTP://GAMERSBLOG.GUINNESSWORLDRECORDS.COM/_THE-GODFATHER-OF-GAMING-IS-BACK/BLOG/2348305/4121.HTML>TITLE=THE 'GODFATHER' OF GAMING IS BACK!PUBLISHER=GUINNESS WORLD RECORDSARCHIVE-DATE=MAY 25, 2010LAST=CRECENTEDATE=JULY 18, 2008KOTAKU>ARCHIVE-URL=HTTPS://WEB.ARCHIVE.ORG/WEB/20090306172015/HTTP://KOTAKU.COM/5026683/ANOTHER-MARIO-SONIC-COLLABORATION-IN-THE-WORKSURL-STATUS=LIVE, 2009! scope="row"| Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Winter Games 6.53 millionSEGA POSTS DECLINE IN NINE MONTH GAME SALES>URL=HTTP://EDGE-ONLINE.COM/NEWS/SEGA-POSTS-DECLINE-IN-NINE-MONTH-GAME-SALESEDGE (MAGAZINE)>EDGEFIRST=TOMARCHIVE-URL=HTTPS://WEB.ARCHIVE.ORG/WEB/20101011232625/HTTP://WWW.NEXT-GEN.BIZ/NEWS/SEGA-POSTS-DECLINE-IN-NINE-MONTH-GAME-SALES, October 11, 2010, 2011! scope="row"| Mario & Sonic at the London 2012 Olympic Games| Wii, Nintendo 3DS 3.28 millionAPPENDIX OF CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS: YEAR ENDED MARCH 31, 2012>URL=HTTP://WWW.SEGASAMMY.CO.JP/ENGLISH/PDF/RELEASE/20120511_HOSOKU_E_FINAL.PDF#PAGE=6SEGA SAMMY HOLDINGS>PAGE=6ARCHIVE-URL=HTTPS://WEB.ARCHIVE.ORG/WEB/20120522204341/HTTP://WWW.SEGASAMMY.CO.JP/ENGLISH/PDF/RELEASE/20120511_HOSOKU_E_FINAL.PDF#PAGE=6URL-STATUS=DEAD, October 16, 2018, 2019! scope="row"| Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020| Nintendo Switch 900,000HTTPS://FIND-AND-UPDATE.COMPANY-INFORMATION.SERVICE.GOV.UK/COMPANY/01669057/FILING-HISTORY/MZI5NZU3MDE2NGFKAXF6A2N4/DOCUMENT?FORMAT=PDF&DOWNLOAD=0>TITLE=SEGA EUROPE LIMITED ANNUAL FINANCIAL STATEMENTSPAGE=4ACCESSDATE=SEPTEMBER 7, 2022,

Effect on the industry

Primarily because of its Genesis bundling, Sonic the Hedgehog contributed greatly to the console's popularity in North America. Between October and December 1991, the Genesis outsold its chief competitor, the Super Nintendo Entertainment System, by a two-to-one ratio; at its January 1992 peak Sega held 65 percent of the market for 16-bit consoles. Although Nintendo eventually reclaimed the number-one position, it was the first time since December 1985 that Nintendo had not led the console market.MAGAZINE, January 2002, This Month in Gaming History, Game Informer, 12, 105, 117, 1067-6392, 1UP.com credited Sonic for "turning the course" of the 16-bit console wars, helping make Sega a dominant player and industry giant.During the 16-bit era, Sonic inspired similar platformers starring animal mascots, including the Bubsy series,WEB,weblink Playing Catch-Up: Bubsy's Michael Berlyn, Frank, Cifaldi, Gamasutra, October 3, 2005,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20170202233138weblink">weblink February 2, 2017, live, Aero the Acro-Bat (1993), James Pond 3 (1993),MAGAZINE,weblink Making Of: James Pond II – Robocod, Edge (magazine), Edge, Edge staff, 2, August 25, 2010,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20140721075426weblink">weblink July 21, 2014, Earthworm Jim (1994),WEB,weblink Hardcore Gaming 101, Earthworm Jim, Kalata, Kurt, October 10, 2008,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20160322054519weblink">weblink March 22, 2016, live, and Zero the Kamikaze Squirrel (1994).WEB, Ledford, Jon, 10 Worst Video Game Mascots,weblink Arcade Sushi, September 6, 2013,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20160215200256weblink">weblink February 15, 2016, live, "Animal with attitude" games carried over to the 3D era, with the developers of Gex (1995) and Crash Bandicoot (1996) citing Sonic as a major inspiration.MAGAZINE, From Rags to Riches: Way of the Warrior to Crash 3, Game Informer, GameStop, 66, October 1998, 18–19, 1067-6392, WEB, Gavin, Andy,weblink Making Crash Bandicoot – part 1, All Things Andy Gavin, February 2, 2012,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20160616081945weblink">weblink June 16, 2016, live, WEB,weblink What Hath Sonic Wrought?, Vol. 4, Levi, Buchanan, December 2, 2008, IGN,weblink November 17, 2019, live, According to Levi Buchanan of IGN, "Sonic inspired so many of these copycats that they practically became an entire subgenre for the platformer." Thorpe wrote that "it's hard to keep track of how many programmers have cited [Sonic the Hedgehog] as a bar against which they have measured their own work", while Phil Hornshaw of Complex noted that few animal mascot characters achieved the same success as Sonic.WEB, Hornshaw, Phil, Gotta Go Fast: How Sonic the Hedgehog Transcended Video Games to Become an Icon,weblink Complex (magazine), Complex, June 24, 2016,weblink November 17, 2019, live, Regarding the series' influence, Thorpe wrote:{{blockquote|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.}}Computer and Video Games credited Sonic the Hedgehog with helping to popularize console video games in the United Kingdom, where home computers previously dominated the home video game market.MAGAZINE, 16-Bit Systems, Computer and Video Games, December 11, 1996, 182 (January 1997), 18,weblink Frank Cifaldi, a video game preservationist and the founder of the Video Game History Foundation (VGHF), said Sonic fans' documentation of Sonic the Hedgehog 2 prototypes influenced how video game history is studied, and that the VGHF has roots in his interest in Sonic 2{{'s}} development.AV MEDIA, Sonic 2 Lost Stages Revealed, Cifaldi, Frank, Video Game History Foundation, YouTube, December 12, 2023, December 13, 2023,weblink

Cultural impact

File:Time lapse Macy s Thanksgiving Day Parade 2012 New York hd720.webm|thumb|right|thumbtime=0:46|alt=A time lapse of the 2012 Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade.|Sonic was the first video game character to have a balloon in the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, which occurred in 1993. In the above time lapsetime lapseOne of the world's most popular video game characters, by 1992 Sonic was more recognizable to children ages 6 to 11 than Disney's Mickey Mouse. In 1993, Sonic became the first video game character to have a balloon in the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, and he was one of the four characters inducted on the Walk of Game in 2005, alongside Mario, Link, and Master Chief.WEB, CNET Australia staff, Walk of Game: Mario and Sonic get stars,weblink CNET, August 14, 2008,weblink November 17, 2019, live, Additionally, a Japanese team developing the Radio & Plasma Wave Investigation (RPWI) instrumentation for the Jupiter Icy Moons Explorer spacecraft, to be launched by ESA and Airbus in 2023, received approval to use Sonic as the mascot.WEB,weblink Actual Space Mission Picks Sonic The Hedgehog As An Official Mascot, Luke, Plunkett, October 2, 2019, Kotaku,weblink October 3, 2019, live, Sonic and Eggman appear as minor characters in the Walt Disney Animation Studios films Wreck-It Ralph (2012) and Ralph Breaks the Internet (2018),WEB, Geoghegan, Kev, How Wreck-It Ralph recruited Sonic, Pac-Man and Bowser,weblink BBC, February 8, 2013,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20170920062156weblink">weblink September 20, 2017, live, WEB, Aguilar, Matthew, 'Wreck-It Ralph 2': Sonic Explains Wi-Fi,weblink ComicBook.com, October 30, 2018,weblink December 27, 2019, live, while Sonic makes cameos in Ready Player One (2018)WEB, Riesman, Abraham, Here Are All the References in Ready Player One,weblink Vulture (blog), Vulture, March 28, 2018,weblink November 29, 2019, live, and (Chip 'n Dale: Rescue Rangers (film)|Chip 'n Dale: Rescue Rangers) (2022).WEB, Milici, Lauren, May 20, 2022,weblink Chip 'N Dale: Rescue Rangers director Akiva Schaffer talks that very ugly cameo, GamesRadar, May 20, 2022, The franchise is known for its eccentric and passionate fandom, which produces unofficial media, including fangames, fan fiction, modifications and ROM hacks of existing games, fan films, and fan art. Caty McCarthy of 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.WEB, Caty, McCarthy, The People Who Never Gave up on Sonic: A Deep Dive Into the Most Curious (and Passionate) Fandom on the Internet,weblink USGamer, August 17, 2017,weblink November 23, 2019, live, Notable Sonic fangames include Sonic After the Sequel (2013), set between the events of Sonic the Hedgehog 2 and 3,WEB,weblink Kotaku, June 20, 2013, Neltz, András, There's a New Sonic Out on PC. It's a Fangame and It Looks Amazing.,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20140419015814weblink">weblink April 19, 2014, live, and Sonic Dreams Collection (2015), which satirizes the series' fandom.WEB, Fingas, Jon, 'Sonic the Hedgehog' tribute games reflect a mascot's fall from grace,weblink Engadget, August 16, 2015, live,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20150820231340weblink">weblink August 20, 2015, Sonic Mania{{'s}} development team included individuals who had worked on Sonic ROM hacks and fangames, while Iizuka said the character customization system in Sonic Forces was influenced by the Sonic community's tendency to create original characters.WEB, Frank, Allegra, Sonic Forces' Custom Hero mode might not be the wish fulfillment you want,weblink Polygon (website), Polygon, September 25, 2017,weblink December 27, 2019, live, 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.WEB,weblink Ollerenshaw, Tracy, Happy Birthday Sonic! The famous blue hedgehog turns 25, BBC, June 8, 2016,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20200708133353weblink">weblink July 8, 2020, Sonic has inspired various internet memes,WEB, Feldman, Brian, Is President Trump Tweeting About Sonic the Hedgehog's Chaos Emeralds?,weblink New York (magazine), New York, March 6, 2018,weblink May 14, 2020, live, WEB, Knoop, Joseph, Sonic the Hedgehog live-action memes are so hot right now,weblink The Daily Dot, March 9, 2019,weblink September 4, 2019, live, which have been acknowledged by Sega and referenced in games.WEB, Frank, Allegra, Sonic the Hedgehog Twitter takes on Ugandan Knuckles in the best way,weblink Polygon (website), Polygon, January 11, 2018,weblink November 2, 2019, live, WEB, Good, Owen S., Sonic Forces pays tribute to Sanic Hegehog meme,weblink Polygon (website), Polygon, November 26, 2017,weblink November 2, 2019, live, "Sanic hegehog", a crude Sonic drawn in Microsoft Paint, originated in 2010;MAGAZINE, Macgregor, Jody, Now you can get a "Sanic" T-shirt in Sonic Forces for some reason,weblink PC Gamer, November 27, 2017,weblink November 2, 2019, live, typically, the meme uses one of Sonic's catchphrases but with poor grammar.WEB, Moo, William, Sanic, the demented meme, is the purest expression of Sonic the Hedgehog,weblink Syfy Wire, February 10, 2020, February 11, 2020, June 10, 2020,weblink dead, The Sonic Twitter account has made numerous references to it,WEB,weblink Talking to the man behind Sonic the Hedgehog's incredible Twitter, Andrew, Webster, June 23, 2016, The Verge,weblink December 1, 2017, live, and it appeared in official downloadable content for Sonic Forces on in-game shirtsWEB,weblink Get your Sanic on in Sonic Forces with some free DLC, Peter, Glagoski, November 25, 2017, Destructoid,weblink November 26, 2017, live, and as a visual gag in the Sonic the Hedgehog film.WEB, Russell, Bradley, Sonic movie Easter eggs: every cameo and reference to the games,weblink GamesRadar+, February 14, 2020,weblink February 16, 2020, live, Sanic also inspired similar memes and parodies and was described by William Moo of Syfy Wire as "perfect proof of the twisted love and appreciation many have" for Sonic. In January 2018, players flooded the virtual reality game VRChat with avatars depicting "Ugandan Knuckles", a deformed version of Knuckles the Echidna. The character stemmed from a 2017 review of Sonic Lost World by YouTube user Gregzilla, as well as fans of PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds streamer Forsen, who often reference the African country Uganda.WEB,weblink How Ugandan Knuckles turned VRChat into a total trollfest, Hathaway, Jay, January 11, 2018, The Daily Dot,weblink January 14, 2018, live, WEB,weblink Controversial 'Ugandan Knuckles' Meme Has Infested VRChat, MacGregor, Collin, January 9, 2018, Heavy.com,weblink January 9, 2018, live, The Ugandan Knuckles meme was controversial for its perceived racial insensitivity, and the creator of the avatar expressed regret over how it was used.WEB,weblink Creator of VRChat's 'Ugandan Knuckles' Meme Regrets His Decision, Tamburro, Paul, January 8, 2018, GameRevolution,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20180110005557weblink">weblink January 10, 2018, live, In response, the Sonic Twitter account encouraged players to respect others and donate to a Ugandan charity through GlobalGiving.The sonic hedgehog gene, first identified for its role in fruit fly embryonic development, was named after Sonic.BOOK, Anwood, Robert, Robert Anwood, Emus Can't Walk Backwards, Ebury Press, September 6, 2007, 113–114, 978-0-09-192151-4,weblink JOURNAL, Nature, 438, 897, December 15, 2005, 10.1038/438897a, Pokémon blocks gene name, Tom, Simonite, 897, 16355177, 2005Natur.438..897S, 37632823, free, Robert Riddle, then a postdoctoral fellow at the Tabin Lab,WEB, Cliff Tabin: Super Sonic An Interview,weblink April 12, 2004, Annalise, Keen, Cliff, Tabin, The Weekly Murmur, April 24, 2014,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20051110080615weblink">weblink November 10, 2005, dead, came up with the name after his wife bought a magazine containing an advert for Sonic.NEWS,weblink A Gene Named Sonic, January 11, 1994, The New York Times, Interview with Robert Riddle, on naming of the gene, features in "Ingenious: The Cyclops Gene", BBC Radio feature by Kat Arneyweblink A mutation in the gene causes fly larvae to bear spiky denticles, reminiscent of Sonic.

Notes

{{Notelist|30em}}{{Reflist|group=n}}

References

{{Reflist}}

External links

{{Commons category|Sonic the Hedgehog|Sonic the Hedgehog}}

• {{Official websiteweblink}}
• {{Official websiteweblink}} {{In lang|ja}}

{{Sonic the Hedgehog|state=expanded}}{{Franchises owned by Sega Sammy Holdings}}{{Marza Animation Planet}}{{Authority control}}

- content above as imported from Wikipedia
- "Sonic the Hedgehog" does not exist on GetWiki (yet)
- time: 8:36am EDT - Sat, May 18 2024