! Copyright © 2017 MakeUseOf. All Rights Reserved ®. ! The History of Sonic the Hedgehog: Beloved Mascot or Best Forgotten? Written by Anya Zhukova Published May 2017. Read the original article here: http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/history-sonic-hedgehog/ This ebook is the intellectual property of MakeUseOf. It must only be published in its original form. Using parts or republishing altered parts of this ebook is prohibited without permission from MakeUseOf.com. Copyright © 2017 MakeUseOf. All Rights Reserved ®. ! Table of contents Where It All Began 4 The Original Look 5 Sonic vs. Super Mario 7 Sega Strikes Back 8 The Initial Success 8 Introducing New Characters 9 Sonic the Hedgehog 2 (1992) 9 Sonic CD (1993) 10 Sonic the Hedgehog 3 & Knuckles (1994) 10 The Beginning of a New 3D Era 11 A Brand New Sonic Adventure (1999) 12 Sonic Adventure 2 or Welcome to the Dark Side (2001) 12 The Crazy Experiments of the 2000s 14 Sonic ’06 16 Sonic Unleashed (2008) 17 The Glorious Comeback 17 Sonic Colors (2010) 18 Sonic Generations (2011) 18 Keep Him Running! 19 Sonic Lost World 19 Big Promises for the 25th Anniversary 20 Other Sonic Media 21 The Ultimate Battle for the Love of the Fans 22 Copyright © 2017 MakeUseOf. All Rights Reserved ®. ! Sonic the Hedgehog is undoubtedly one of the most beloved video game franchises. In 2016, the series celebrated its 25th anniversary, but the Sonic era is far from over. The blue hedgehog is more relevant than ever with not one, but two new games on the horizon. Sonic Mania and Sonic Forcesare scheduled for release in late 2017, and the fandom is buzzing. To date, the franchise has collectively sold over 140 million copies, with some of its games considered the best of all time and others… the worst. In its quarter-century-long existence, Sonic has had many ups and downs, which made many fans turn on the franchise. Still on the edge about the cute little speedster of the gaming world? Dive into Sonic history with us and revisit all the important milestones in the hedgehog’s career to decide whether, after all, you love or hate the Blue Blur. Where It All Began The infamous console wars defined the 80s and early 90s in the gaming world. Of course, the 8- bit Nintendo Entertainment System emerged from the third console generation as an unquestionable leader. Although “the Mario machine” had plenty of competition, it still pretty much owned the market, having spent the decade launching one ground-breaking game afer another. A slight shift was caused by Sega in 1989, with the launch of the Sega Genesis (Mega Drive outside of the U.S.). It was the first true 16-bit console released outside of Japan. The Genesis came with some of the most advanced graphics ever seen in a console game at the time and a new strategy. Sega’s new lineup of games appealed to an older demographic than that of Nintendo, with arcade pack-in title Altered Beast becoming an early hit. Image Credit: Speedimaging via Shutterstock Copyright © 2017 MakeUseOf. All Rights Reserved ®. ! While Genesis sold well, by the end of the 80s it still hadn’t won its market share from Nintendo. The latter still dominated the market in North America, thanks to the release of Super Mario Bros. 3 in 1988. On top of that, it became known that Nintendo would release its own 16-bit system, the Super Nintendo Entertainment System (SNES). It was time for Sega to strike back. In the end, Sega taking action against its direct competitor is what led to the birth of one of the most popular video game characters of all time. The Original Look Sega’s first mascot, Alex Kidd, was originally featured on the Sega Master System. But he didn’t become the backbone the company needed to compete with Nintendo, and many felt it was time to start over. Looking for a new mascot, Sega of Japan held an internal competition, allowing its employees to submit ideas for character designs. Designer Naoto Ohshima came up with an idea of a blue hedgehog that had fangs and a human girlfriend. Ohshima’s character also fronted a rock band, together with a monkey and an alligator. At Sega’s American branch, Ohshima’s hedgehog was seen as too aggressive and hence had to become more universally appealing. To gain a more inviting look, the hedgehog’s fangs had to go, as did his girlfriend. He left the band, too. Copyright © 2017 MakeUseOf. All Rights Reserved ®. ! Image Credit: Naoto Oshima Although a hedgehog isn’t the fastest animal on the planet, Sega’s hedgehog was granted super speed — something largely unseen at the time. The gameplay was designed as a side- scrolling platformer that would keep him moving. To underline the concept of speed, the character was named Sonic — an adjective to describe reaching the speed of sound. Thus, the classic Sonic the Hedgehog was born. Copyright © 2017 MakeUseOf. All Rights Reserved ®. ! Sonic vs. Super Mario Image Credit: Coran Kizer Stone Born to directly rival Mario, Sonic had to match if not raise the platform game standards set by the Super Mario Bros. series. But what made the Mario franchise so great that it defined the platforming genre for decades? First of all, the game is family-friendly. The short goofy-looking Italian plumber appealed to people of all ages, as did the simple and lighthearted plot. Mario’s positive side characters — Luigi and Princess Peach — added to the charm as well. It was a story that was constantly moving forward, told through the game’s graphics. It was engaging, relaxed, and frankly, just a lot of fun. Copyright © 2017 MakeUseOf. All Rights Reserved ®. ! When I first discovered Super Mario Bros., the absence of competition or any sort of pressure in the game was what made me come back for more. It was the perfect game to play when you just wanted to relax and feel comfortable playing at your own pace and following your own rules. Back then, it seemed like the levels were huge, with space for different routes to take and secrets to unlock. Needless to say, as a kid I enjoyed the upbeat soundtrack and graphics that shaped the mood of the game. Sega Strikes Back And that’s what Sega was up against. If Sega was ever to truly compete with Nintendo, it had to overthrow the king that was Mario, Nintendo’s beloved mascot. And Sonic was Sega’s last hope. The first Sonic game, titled Sonic the Hedgehog and released on June 23, 1991, was an instant hit. In the game, you assume the role of Sonic as he runs and jumps through a variety of zones. His quest is to save a bunch of cute animals from being turned into heartless robots by the villain, Dr. Robotnik. Sonic 1 was bright and colorful, had a simple plot, and featured some of the most detailed visuals ever seen in a console game. But what really made it stand out was the emphasis on speed. The Initial Success Before games saved your progress, remember the frustration of turning on a console and having to play through the first levels of the game to get to the good parts? You do it so many times that eventually, you memorize the levels and try to speed through them as fast as you can. Well, Sonic’s mechanics and design were based on that concept. Rather than gaining speed by pressing the run button, Sonic did it simply by running forward and gradually gaining momentum over time. Copyright © 2017 MakeUseOf. All Rights Reserved ®. ! On top of this, most levels had multiple pathways you could take. Each stage was designed in a special way to reward those taking the high, speedy paths and punishing those opting for lower routes, filled with enemies and various obstacles. It was this innovative speed-based game style, Sonic’s mischievous character, and the advanced console’s design that drove the system’s sales to a new level, leaving Nintendo behind. Introducing New Characters Over the course of the early 90s, Sonic Team released a number of sequels. All of them introduced new game mechanics and new characters to the series. Sonic the Hedgehog 2 (1992) Watch the Youtube video here: Sonic The Hedgehog 2 Sega Genesis Retro Commercial Trailer 1992 S The first sequel, Sonic 2, added Sonic’s trusted sidekick, Miles “Tails” Prower. A flying two-tailed fox came as both an alternate protagonist and a co-operative character for two players to enjoy the game together. This game also introduced the spin dash attack, which allowed Sonic to quickly speed up and turn into a blue ball that would destroy any enemies in his path. Copyright © 2017 MakeUseOf. All Rights Reserved ®. ! Sonic CD (1993) Watch the Youtube video here: Sonic CD (Re-Release) Trailer In Sonic CD you meet even more characters: Metal Sonic and Amy Rose. The game is also set in the present, past, and future simultaneously, creating multiple versions of each play zone. Sonic CD is notable as it was one of the few successful games released for the Sega CD add-on, which suffered from several problems. Sonic the Hedgehog 3 & Knuckles (1994) Watch the Youtube video here: Sonic 3 And Knuckles Trailer 1994 Copyright © 2017 MakeUseOf. All Rights Reserved ®. ! In 1994, Sonic Team went even further, releasing two more games. Sonic 3 and Sonic & Knuckles made the new character playable. Originally, the two games were planned as one release. But due to financial difficulties, the company split it up into two games.