| Sonic the Hedgehog | |
|---|---|
| Sonic the Hedgehog character | |
| First appearance | Rad Mobile (1990) |
| First game | Sonic the Hedgehog (1991) |
| Created by | |
| Designed by |
|
| Voiced by | See #Voice portrayal |
| In-universe information | |
| Species | Hedgehog |
Sonic the Hedgehog is a character created by the Japanese video game developers Naoto Ohshima and Yuji Naka. He the title character of the Sonic the Hedgehog franchise and the mascot of the Japanese video game company Sega. Sonic is an anthropomorphic blue hedgehog who runs at supersonic speeds. He battles Doctor Eggman, a mad scientist who seeks the magical Chaos Emeralds for world domination. Sonic is often assisted by supporting characters such as Miles "Tails" Prower, his sidekick, and Knuckles the Echidna, his friendly rival. As Sonic, the player races through levels while collecting power-ups and rings, avoiding obstacles and robot enemies, and curling into a ball to gain speed and attack.
Sonic was created in 1990 following an internal Sega contest to determine a flagship game to compete with Nintendo's Mario franchise. Ohshima designed Sonic based on Naka's prototype for a platform game that involved a fast-moving character rolling in a ball. Sonic's design was influenced by a variety of sources, including Felix the Cat, Mickey Mouse, Michael Jackson, and Santa Claus; his pigmentation was chosen to match Sega's cobalt blue logo. He made a cameo appearance in the 1991 arcade game Rad Mobile before starring in Sonic the Hedgehog for the Sega Genesis later that year. For Sonic Adventure (1998), artist Yuji Uekawa redesigned Sonic to suit the franchise's transition to 3D computer graphics.
In addition to Sonic video games, Sonic has appeared in other Sega franchises, as well as in crossover games such as Nintendo's Super Smash Bros. series. He has been featured in comics, animations, and films. Numerous actors have provided Sonic's voice, including Jun'ichi Kanemaru, Jaleel White, Ryan Drummond, Jason Griffith, Roger Craig Smith, and Ben Schwartz.
An established pop culture icon, Sonic is widely considered one of the most famous video game characters in history. The Sonic series is one of the bestselling video game franchises and one of the key reasons for Sega's success during the 16-bit era in the 1990s.
Character
editSonic, the title character of Sega's Sonic the Hedgehog series of platform games, is an anthropomorphic blue hedgehog who can run at supersonic speeds. He is traditionally the main, or only, player character in Sonic games. Sonic games generally follow Sonic as he sets out to stop the evil schemes of his archenemy, Doctor Ivo "Eggman" Robotnik, a mad scientist who designs robots and seeks the seven mystical Chaos Emeralds in his quest for world domination. Sonic is joined by a cast of supporting characters, such as Miles "Tails" Prower, his sidekick and adopted brother; Knuckles the Echidna, his friendly rival; and Amy Rose, his self-proclaimed girlfriend.
In contrast to other platform game mascots like Mario and Crash Bandicoot, who have few character traits, Paste described Sonic as a fleshed-out character with a defined personality.[1] He is known for his "attitude";[2] Paste described him as brashly self-confident with an "aggressively '90s snark [and] wholeheartedly cringe style of humor",[1] while VentureBeat said he is "impatient, obnoxious, and selfish".[2] Sonic is depicted as living a carefree life, and he seeks to have fun above all else. However, he despises oppression and staunchly defends freedom.[1]
Development
editConception
editDesign
editVoice portrayal
editReception and legacy
editCommentary
editCultural impact
editNotes
editReferences
edit- ^ a b c Pisoni, Caleb (July 13, 2023). "In Defense of 3D Sonic". Paste. Retrieved October 29, 2023.
- ^ a b Minotti, Mike (February 14, 2020). "The RetroBeat: Sonic's movie is surprisingly fun for fans who grew up on the character". VentureBeat. Retrieved July 9, 2023.