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Sonic the Hedgehog (character)
Encyclopedia
, trademarked Sonic The Hedgehog, is a video game character
and the main protagonist
of the Sonic video game series released by Sega
, as well as in numerous spin-off comics
, cartoons
, and a feature film
. The first game was released on June 23, 1991, to provide Sega
with a mascot
to rival Nintendo
's flagship character Mario
(see 1991 in video gaming
). Since then, Sonic has become one of the world's best-known video game characters, with his series having sold more than 80 million copies. In 2005, Sonic was one of the first game character inductees into the Walk of Game
, alongside Mario
and Link.
While many individuals at Sega had a hand in Sonic's creation, programmer
Yuji Naka
and artist Naoto Ōshima are generally credited with the creation of the character, a blue 15-year-old anthropomorphic
hedgehog
, who has the ability to run at supersonic
speeds and the ability to curl into a ball, primarily to attack enemies. This is a major part of the gameplay
of the series.
along with a character to replace Alex Kidd
as the company's mascot, several character designs were submitted by its AM8 research and development department. Many results came forth from their experiments with character design, including an armadillo (who later developed into Mighty the Armadillo), a dog, a Theodore Roosevelt
look-alike in pajamas (who would later be the basis of Dr. Robotnik/Eggman
's design), and a rabbit (who would use its extendible ears to collect objects, an aspect later incorporated in Ristar
). Eventually, Naoto Ōshima's spiky teal hedgehog, initially codenamed "Mr. Needlemouse", was chosen as the new mascot
. Sonic's blue pigmentation was chosen to match Sega's cobalt blue logo, and his shoes were a concept evolved from a design inspired by Michael Jackson
's boots with the addition of the color red, which was inspired by both Santa Claus
and the contrast of those colors on Jackson's 1987 album Bad
; his personality was based on Bill Clinton
's "Get it done" attitude. Sonic was created without the ability to swim because of a mistaken assumption by Yuji Naka that all hedgehogs could not do so. A group of fifteen people started working on the first Sonic the Hedgehog game
, and renamed themselves Sonic Team
. The game's soundtrack was composed by Masato Nakamura
of the band Dreams Come True. Sega sponsored the group's "Wonder 3" tour, painting Sonic on the tour bus, distributing pamphlets advertising the game, and having footage of the game broadcast above stage prior to its release.
The original concepts gave Sonic fangs and put him in a band with a human girlfriend named Madonna. However, a team from Sega of America, led by Madeline Schroeder, who calls herself "Sonic's mother", "softened" the character up for an American audience by removing those elements. This sparked a heated issue with Sonic Team. Naka later admitted that it was probably for the best. Sonic's appearance varies greatly depending on the medium
and the style in which he is drawn. In the video games, Sonic's original design by Oshima was short and round, with short quills, a round body, and no visible irises. Artwork featuring this design and drawn by Akira Watanabe was displayed on the package artwork for Sonic the Hedgehog, and most subsequent Sonic video games featured similar designs.
When Sonic the Hedgehog 2 for the Mega Drive appeared, Sonic's proportions changed. The original 1:2 head to height ratio changed to 1:2.5.
Beginning with Sonic Adventure
in 1998, Sonic was redesigned by Yuji Uekawa as a character with longer legs and a less spherical body, longer and more drooping quills, and green-colored irises. Further subtle changes to the character's design have been made in subsequent games. Spin-off media such as comics and cartoons have featured variations on all these video game designs, with restrictions set by the standardized model sheet
s.
providing the voice. Sonic's first true voice actor was Takeshi Kusao
for the arcade game SegaSonic the Hedgehog
, with Junichi Kanemaru
continually voicing the role beginning with the release of Sonic Adventure. In Sonic Unleashed
, Sonic was voiced by Tomokazu Seki
whilst in Werehog form. Sonic's first English voice actor was Jaleel White
in the three animated series Adventures of Sonic the Hedgehog
, Sonic the Hedgehog (SatAM)
and Sonic Underground
. Sonic's first English game voice was provided by Ryan Drummond
beginning with Sonic Adventure
, a role he continued until 2004, when he was replaced by Jason Anthony Griffith
, who previously voiced the character in the American dub of the series Sonic X
. Griffith was later replaced by Roger Craig Smith
, starting with Sonic Free Riders
and Sonic Colors
in November 2010.
Rad Mobile
. Sonic's first major appearance was in the platform game
Sonic the Hedgehog for the Sega Mega Drive/Genesis, which also introduced his nemesis Dr. Robotnik
. His two-tailed fox friend Tails
joined him in the game's 1992 sequel, Sonic the Hedgehog 2
. Sonic CD
, released in 1993, introduced Sonic's self-appointed girlfriend Amy Rose
and recurring robotic doppelgänger
Metal Sonic as Sonic traveled through time to ensure a good future for the world. Sonic 3
and its direct sequel Sonic & Knuckles
, both released in 1994, saw Sonic and Tails battle Robotnik again, with the additional threat of Knuckles
, tricked by Robotnik into thinking Sonic was a threat to his home. Sonic 4
(2010) continues where the story of Sonic 3 left off, reducing Sonic to the only playable character and releasing in episodic installments.
Other two-dimensional platformers starring Sonic include Sonic Chaos
(1993), Sonic Triple Trouble
(1994), Sonic Blast
(1996), Sonic the Hedgehog Pocket Adventure
(1999), Sonic Advance
(2001), Sonic Advance 2
(2002), Sonic Advance 3
(2004), Sonic Rush
(2005), Sonic Rush Adventure
(2007), and Sonic Colors
(DS) (2010).
Sonic Adventure
(1999) was Sonic Team's return to the character for a major game. It featured Sonic returning from vacation to find the city of Station Square under attack by a new, very powerful foe named Chaos, under the control of Dr. Robotnik (now more commonly known as Dr. Eggman). It was also the first Sonic game to feature a complete voice-over
. Sonic Adventure 2
(2001) placed Sonic on-the-run from the military (G.U.N.) after being mistaken for a new enemy, Shadow the Hedgehog
. Sonic Heroes
(2003) featured Sonic teaming up with Tails and Knuckles, along with other character teams like Team Rose and Chaotix, against the newly rebuilt Metal Sonic, who had betrayed his master with intentions of world domination. Sonic the Hedgehog (2006) features Sonic in the city of water, "Soleanna," where he must rescue Princess Elise from Dr. Eggman while trying to avoid a new threat to his own life, Silver the Hedgehog. He is the only playable character in Sonic Unleashed
(2008), in which he unwillingly gains a new personality, "Sonic the Werehog," the result of Sonic being fused with Dark Gaia's power. He gains strength and flexibility in exchange for his speed, and new friends including a strange creature named Chip who helps him along the way. In Sonic Colors
(2010), Eggman tries to harness the energy of alien beings known as "Wisps" for a mind-control beam. Building on the gameplay used in the daytime stages of Unleashed, Sonic can harness these Wisps to gain temporary new abilities. The upcoming Sonic Generations
(2011) will feature two playable incarnations of Sonic: classic Sonic, whose gameplay is presented in a style reminiscent of the Mega Drive/Genesis titles, and modern Sonic, who uses the gameplay style present in Unleashed and Colors.
Sonic and the Secret Rings
(2007) features Sonic in the storybook world of 1001 Arabian Nights. A sequel, titled Sonic and the Black Knight
(2009), continued the storybook theme, this time taking place within the realm of the Arthurian legend
.
Sonic has also been featured in other games of many genres other than 2D and 3D platform games. These include Sonic Spinball
, Sonic Labyrinth
(1995), the racing games Sonic Drift
(1994), Sonic Drift 2 (1995), Sonic R
(1996), Sonic Riders
(2006), Sonic Rivals
(2006), Sonic Rivals 2
(2007), Sonic Riders: Zero Gravity
(2008), and Sonic Free Riders
(2010), the fighting games Sonic the Fighters
(1996) and Sonic Battle
(2003), the mobile game
Sonic Jump (2005), and the role-playing video game
Sonic Chronicles: The Dark Brotherhood
(2008).
Video games such as Dr. Robotnik's Mean Bean Machine
(1993), Knuckles' Chaotix
(1995), Tails' Skypatrol
(1995), Tails Adventure
(1995), and Shadow the Hedgehog
(2005) starred supporting characters of the Sonic series, although Sonic himself cameos in most of these titles.
Sonic has appeared in several crossover titles as well, including a playable appearance in Super Smash Bros. Brawl
(2008), one of only two third-party characters (alongside Solid Snake
) featured in the game. He appeared in the crossover party game Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games
as a Speed-type and in its sequel Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Winter Games
as the fastest character. In the Adventure Mode (DS Version only), he partners with his former rival and friend, Mario
, to stop their arch nemeses, Bowser and Dr. Eggman from ruining the Olympic Winter Games. Sonic is also a playable character in all three Sega Superstars titles.
, walking around the main hallway in Phantasy Star Universe
on the anniversary of his first game's release (June 23), and appearing in the 2008 remake
of Samba de Amigo
(he appears in the background for the songs "Low Rider", "UN Aguardiants" and "Mambo #5"). He is also a playable character in Christmas NiGHTS into Dreams
. Sonic has proved to be well liked among other publishers as well, making cameos in such games as Art Alive, Shining Force II, Clockwork Knight 2
, Daytona USA, Crusader of Centy
, Bug!
, Rad Mobile
, Ed, Edd n Eddy: Jawbreakers!, The Simpsons Game
, The Incredible Hulk
, and the video game adaptation of the film Tom and Jerry: The Movie
.
, in which he was voiced by Jaleel White
. The cartoon had a very comical take on Sonic and Tails' adventures battling Robotnik. Pierre De Celles, an animator who worked on Adventures of Sonic the Hedgehog, described the show as "fun and humorous."
In the dramatic series Sonic the Hedgehog, Sonic was again voiced by Jaleel White. He lives on the planet Mobius in Knothole Village, where he belongs to a band of Freedom Fighters that fight to free their world from the literally iron-fisted rule of the evil dictator Dr. Robotnik.
Sonic Underground
featured the introductions of Sonic's triplet siblings Sonia the Hedgehog and Manic the Hedgehog, as well as his mother Queen Aleena, the four of whom were destined to defeat Robotnik and rule Mobius as the "Council of Four". Jaleel White returned to voice Sonic for the third time as well as voicing Sonic's siblings, with Samuel Vincent
providing Sonic's singing voice. This series is the only Sonic the Hedgehog series with European origins, as it was a co-production between the United States and France.
Additionally, there were two OVA
s in Japan that formed a single story which featured Sonic, Tails, Robotnik, Knuckles, and Metal Sonic. Sonic was voiced by Masami Kikuchi
in Japan, and Martin Burke
in the United States, where the two OVA
s were treated as one unique, 1 hour long movie under the name of Sonic the Hedgehog: The movie
.
Sonic X
, was an anime
in which Sonic is teleported to Earth by Chaos Control, caused by the Chaos Emeralds (though the final season takes place in his own world). Here, he befriends a boy named Chris Thorndyke, and his infamous aquaphobia
is made far stronger; in one episode where Sonic and his friends go on a cruise, Sonic is in a constant state of panic and desperately searches for a way to escape. In this series, he is voiced by Jun'ichi Kanemaru in the Japanese version, and by Jason Griffith in the English version.
Sonic: Night of the Werehog is a short film by Sega's VE Animation Studio
, released to coincide with the release of Sonic Unleashed. In the film, Sonic and Chip enter a haunted house, and must deal with two ghosts trying to scare them.
magazine (and also given away as a free pull-out with a copy of Mean Machines
magazine), which established a backstory for the character involving the origin of his color and abilities and the transformation of kindly scientist Dr. Ovi Kintobor into the evil Dr. Ivo Robotnik. Numerous British publications, including "Sega handbook" Stay Sonic (1993), four novels published by Virgin Books
(1993–1994) and the comic book Sonic the Comic
(1993–2001) used this premise as their basis.
The American comics published by Archie Comics
, Sonic the Hedgehog
(1993–), Sonic X
(2005–2008), and Sonic Universe
(2009-) are based on the settings established by earlier animated TV series, the ABC "SatAM
" cartoon, the Sonic X
anime
, and an expansion to the series, respectively. The former series is currently the second longest-running licensed
comic series in the history of American comic books, second only to Marvel
's Conan
series (first issue released in 1970).
In France two comic books named "Sonic Adventures" were published by Sirène in 1994.
Sonic has also been featured in two different manga. One series was simply called Sonic the Hedgehog, and featured a story about a normal boy named Nicky Parlouzer who can change into Sonic. The other series was a compilation of short stories and was separated into two volumes, the first being called Dash and Spin, and the other called Super Fast Sonic!!.
According to various official materials from Sega, Sonic is described as a character who is "like the wind": a drifter who lives as he wants, and makes life a series of events and adventures. Sonic hates oppression and staunchly defends freedom. Although he is mostly easy-going he has a short temper and is often impatient with slower things. Sonic is a habitual daredevil hedgehog who is honest, loyal to friends, keeps his promises, and dislikes tears. He took the young Tails under his wing like a little brother, but is uninterested in marital proposals from Amy Rose. In times of crisis, he focuses intensely on the challenge as if his personality had undergone an astonishing change.
Sonic is known as the world's fastest hedgehog. Sonic's greatest strength is his running speed, which is faster than the speed of sound. Many of his abilities are variations on the tendency for hedgehogs to roll into tight balls for protection with the addition of spinning his body. Since his introduction in 1991's Sonic the Hedgehog, Sonic's primary offensive maneuver is the basic "Spin Attack" (or "Sonic Spin Attack"). Later games in the series expanded on this basic attack and two of these enhancements have become mainstays of his: the Spin Dash which was introduced in Sonic the Hedgehog 2
and involves Sonic spinning on the spot before blasting off at full speed, and the Homing Attack, officially introduced in Sonic Adventure
, in which Sonic dashes toward a target in mid air. Sonic's only weakness is that he cannot swim, sinking like a rock if plunged to a deep body of water. However, he can overcome this by running on the surface of water.
When the seven Chaos Emeralds are collected in most Sonic games, Sonic can initiate a Super transformation into Super Sonic, a faster and invulnerable version of himself that can fly. He can normally transform into Super Sonic with 50 Rings. While transformed, Sonic slowly loses Rings during the time he is in Super form (usually about one every second) and returns to normal when all the Rings are used up, usually incurring the loss of a life during a boss; the player can collect more Rings during this time to maintain Super form.
As Sega's mascot and one of the key reasons for the company's success during the 16-bit era
of video game consoles, Sonic is one of the most famous video game characters in the world. In 1996, Sonic was the first video game character to be seen in a Rose Parade. Sonic is also the first video game character (later followed by Pikachu) to have a balloon in Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade
.
Sonic was one of the three game characters inducted on the inaugural Walk of Game
class in 2005, along with former rivals Mario
and Link (both from Nintendo
). One of a class of gene
s involved in fruit fly embryonic
development, called hedgehog
genes, has been named "sonic hedgehog
" after the character.
Sonic has also been used as a symbol for Sega's various sponsorships. Between 1993 and 1997, Sega sponsored the JEF United Ichihara Chiba
football
team, during which period Sonic appeared in the team's uniform. During the 1993 Formula One championship
, Sega sponsored the Williams Grand Prix team
, which won the Constructors' Championship that year, as well as the team's lead driver, Alain Prost
, winning the Drivers' Championship. Sonic was featured in the cars, helmets, and their rivals McLaren
used to paint a squashed hedgehog after winning races over Williams. The 1993 European Grand Prix
featured a Sonic balloon and Sonic billboards, and the race's trophy was in the shape of a hedgehog. Sonic also appears on some versions of the willow video store logo. According to a poll conducted during Sonic's height of popularity in the early 90's, the character was more recognizable to American children than Mario
and Mickey Mouse
.
Nintendo Power
listed Sonic as their sixth favorite hero, stating that while he was originally Mario's arch nemesis, he seems at home on Nintendo platforms. They added that he has remained as one of gaming's greatest icons. In 2004, the character won a Golden Joystick Award for "The Sun Ultimate Gaming Hero". On October 21, 2008, out of 500 people, Sonic was voted the most popular video game character in the UK with a 24% vote while his old rival Mario came second with 21% of the vote. Then in late 2008, MSN held a poll of who's the most iconic video game character, Sonic was ranked #1 as the most iconic video game character of all in gaming while Mario and Lara Croft were voted less in second and in third respectively. And he was voted 10th out of the top 50 video game characters of all time in Guinness World Records
2011 Gamers' Edition. Sonic ranked ninth on GameDaily
's Top 10 Smash Bros characters list. GameDaily also listed his "next-generation stumble" in their list of video game characters' worst moments, using his relationship with a human female as one of the worst parts of it.
Ken Balough, Sega's associate brand manager, said that Sonic's appeal endured because the character is "a gaming legend, first and foremost" who originated "from a series of games that defined a generation in gaming history, and his iconic personality was the epitome of speed in the early ‘90s, pushing the limits of what gamers knew and expected from high-speed action and platforming games."
, who have also performed many other songs produced for the franchise.
Player character
A player character or playable character is a character in a video game or role playing game who is controlled or controllable by a player, and is typically a protagonist of the story told in the course of the game. A player character is a persona of the player who controls it. Player characters...
and the main protagonist
Protagonist
A protagonist is the main character of a literary, theatrical, cinematic, or musical narrative, around whom the events of the narrative's plot revolve and with whom the audience is intended to most identify...
of the Sonic video game series released by Sega
Sega
, usually styled as SEGA, is a multinational video game software developer and an arcade software and hardware development company headquartered in Ōta, Tokyo, Japan, with various offices around the world...
, as well as in numerous spin-off comics
Comics
Comics denotes a hybrid medium having verbal side of its vocabulary tightly tied to its visual side in order to convey narrative or information only, the latter in case of non-fiction comics, seeking synergy by using both visual and verbal side in...
, cartoons
Animated cartoon
An animated cartoon is a short, hand-drawn film for the cinema, television or computer screen, featuring some kind of story or plot...
, and a feature film
Sonic the Hedgehog: The Movie
Sonic the Hedgehog: The Movie is a two-episode OVA film series based on Sega's best-selling franchise Sonic the Hedgehog....
. The first game was released on June 23, 1991, to provide Sega
Sega
, usually styled as SEGA, is a multinational video game software developer and an arcade software and hardware development company headquartered in Ōta, Tokyo, Japan, with various offices around the world...
with a mascot
Mascot
The term mascot – defined as a term for any person, animal, or object thought to bring luck – colloquially includes anything used to represent a group with a common public identity, such as a school, professional sports team, society, military unit, or brand name...
to rival Nintendo
Nintendo
is a multinational corporation located in Kyoto, Japan. Founded on September 23, 1889 by Fusajiro Yamauchi, it produced handmade hanafuda cards. By 1963, the company had tried several small niche businesses, such as a cab company and a love hotel....
's flagship character Mario
Mario
is a fictional character in his video game series, created by Japanese video game designer Shigeru Miyamoto. Serving as Nintendo's mascot and the main protagonist of the series, Mario has appeared in over 200 video games since his creation...
(see 1991 in video gaming
1991 in video gaming
-Notable releases:*Microprose creates Civilization, Sid Meier's most successful game .*Electronic Arts releases James Pond 2 and Road Rash for Sega Genesis/Mega Drive, starting a series of games that were popular in the 1990s....
). Since then, Sonic has become one of the world's best-known video game characters, with his series having sold more than 80 million copies. In 2005, Sonic was one of the first game character inductees into the Walk of Game
Walk of Game
The Walk of Game is a year-round attraction in the United States honoring the icons and pioneers of the video game industry, and is located inside Metreon, an entertainment shopping center in San Francisco, California...
, alongside Mario
Mario
is a fictional character in his video game series, created by Japanese video game designer Shigeru Miyamoto. Serving as Nintendo's mascot and the main protagonist of the series, Mario has appeared in over 200 video games since his creation...
and Link.
While many individuals at Sega had a hand in Sonic's creation, programmer
Game programmer
A game programmer is a software engineer, programmer, or computer scientist who primarily develops codebase for video games or related software, such as game development tools. Game programming has many specialized disciplines all of which fall under the umbrella term of "game programmer"...
Yuji Naka
Yuji Naka
, is a video game designer and programmer, best known as the former head of Sonic Team, a group of Sega programmers/designers, where he was the lead programmer of the original Sonic the Hedgehog....
and artist Naoto Ōshima are generally credited with the creation of the character, a blue 15-year-old anthropomorphic
Anthropomorphism
Anthropomorphism is any attribution of human characteristics to animals, non-living things, phenomena, material states, objects or abstract concepts, such as organizations, governments, spirits or deities. The term was coined in the mid 1700s...
hedgehog
Hedgehog
A hedgehog is any of the spiny mammals of the subfamily Erinaceinae and the order Erinaceomorpha. There are 17 species of hedgehog in five genera, found through parts of Europe, Asia, Africa, and New Zealand . There are no hedgehogs native to Australia, and no living species native to the Americas...
, who has the ability to run at supersonic
Supersonic
Supersonic speed is a rate of travel of an object that exceeds the speed of sound . For objects traveling in dry air of a temperature of 20 °C this speed is approximately 343 m/s, 1,125 ft/s, 768 mph or 1,235 km/h. Speeds greater than five times the speed of sound are often...
speeds and the ability to curl into a ball, primarily to attack enemies. This is a major part of the gameplay
Gameplay
Gameplay is the specific way in which players interact with a game, and in particular with video games. Gameplay is the pattern defined through the game rules, connection between player and the game, challenges and overcoming them, plot and player's connection with it...
of the series.
Origins and history
While Sega were seeking a flagship series to compete with Nintendo's Mario seriesMario (series)
The video game series, alternatively called the series or simply the series, is a series of highly popular and critically acclaimed video games by Nintendo, featuring Nintendo's mascot Mario and, in many games, his brother Luigi. Gameplay in the series often centers around jumping on and...
along with a character to replace Alex Kidd
Alex Kidd
is a video game character whose popularity peaked during the late 1980s and who was the protagonist of both a series of video games released by Sega and their fictional universe, as well as in numerous spin-off merchandise such as novelizations and comics...
as the company's mascot, several character designs were submitted by its AM8 research and development department. Many results came forth from their experiments with character design, including an armadillo (who later developed into Mighty the Armadillo), a dog, a Theodore Roosevelt
Theodore Roosevelt
Theodore "Teddy" Roosevelt was the 26th President of the United States . He is noted for his exuberant personality, range of interests and achievements, and his leadership of the Progressive Movement, as well as his "cowboy" persona and robust masculinity...
look-alike in pajamas (who would later be the basis of Dr. Robotnik/Eggman
Doctor Eggman
, also known by his alias , is a fictional video game character, the main antagonist of the Sonic the Hedgehog series created by Sega. Dr. Eggman is a rotund, mad scientist with an IQ of 300 who plans to conquer the world in order to build his Eggman Empire and is the archenemy of Sonic the Hedgehog...
's design), and a rabbit (who would use its extendible ears to collect objects, an aspect later incorporated in Ristar
Ristar
Ristar, known as in Japan, is a platform game developed by Sonic Team and published by Sega for the Sega Mega Drive/Sega Genesis in 1995. A Sega Game Gear version, which features different levels than the Mega Drive version, was also released in the same year.The game stars a humanoid cartoon star...
). Eventually, Naoto Ōshima's spiky teal hedgehog, initially codenamed "Mr. Needlemouse", was chosen as the new mascot
Mascot
The term mascot – defined as a term for any person, animal, or object thought to bring luck – colloquially includes anything used to represent a group with a common public identity, such as a school, professional sports team, society, military unit, or brand name...
. Sonic's blue pigmentation was chosen to match Sega's cobalt blue logo, and his shoes were a concept evolved from a design inspired by Michael Jackson
Michael Jackson
Michael Joseph Jackson was an American recording artist, entertainer, and businessman. Referred to as the King of Pop, or by his initials MJ, Jackson is recognized as the most successful entertainer of all time by Guinness World Records...
's boots with the addition of the color red, which was inspired by both Santa Claus
Santa Claus
Santa Claus is a folklore figure in various cultures who distributes gifts to children, normally on Christmas Eve. Each name is a variation of Saint Nicholas, but refers to Santa Claus...
and the contrast of those colors on Jackson's 1987 album Bad
Bad (album)
Bad is the seventh studio album by American songwriter and recording artist Michael Jackson. The album was released on August 31, 1987 by Epic/CBS Records, nearly five years after Jackson's previous studio album, Thriller, which went on to become the world's best-selling album...
; his personality was based on Bill Clinton
Bill Clinton
William Jefferson "Bill" Clinton is an American politician who served as the 42nd President of the United States from 1993 to 2001. Inaugurated at age 46, he was the third-youngest president. He took office at the end of the Cold War, and was the first president of the baby boomer generation...
's "Get it done" attitude. Sonic was created without the ability to swim because of a mistaken assumption by Yuji Naka that all hedgehogs could not do so. A group of fifteen people started working on the first Sonic the Hedgehog game
Sonic the Hedgehog (16-bit)
is a seminal 16-bit 1991 platform video game developed in Japan by Sega and published for the Sega Genesis. It is the first installment in Sega's flagship Sonic the Hedgehog video game series and the first title developed by Sonic Team. The game was released in 1991 in North America, Europe, and...
, and renamed themselves Sonic Team
Sonic Team
is a Japanese computer and video game developer established in Ōta, Tokyo, Japan in 1990, originally known as Sega AM8. The Japan-based division is also known as G.E. Department Global Entertainment. The studio has collaborated with several in-house Japanese studios as well as other American-based...
. The game's soundtrack was composed by Masato Nakamura
Masato Nakamura
is a Japanese musician, bass guitarist, and record producer.- Life and music career :Nakamura was originally a session musician before forming the "Cha-Cha & Audrey's Project" with Miwa Yoshida. In 1988, they formed the band Dreams Come True....
of the band Dreams Come True. Sega sponsored the group's "Wonder 3" tour, painting Sonic on the tour bus, distributing pamphlets advertising the game, and having footage of the game broadcast above stage prior to its release.
The original concepts gave Sonic fangs and put him in a band with a human girlfriend named Madonna. However, a team from Sega of America, led by Madeline Schroeder, who calls herself "Sonic's mother", "softened" the character up for an American audience by removing those elements. This sparked a heated issue with Sonic Team. Naka later admitted that it was probably for the best. Sonic's appearance varies greatly depending on the medium
Media (communication)
In communications, media are the storage and transmission channels or tools used to store and deliver information or data...
and the style in which he is drawn. In the video games, Sonic's original design by Oshima was short and round, with short quills, a round body, and no visible irises. Artwork featuring this design and drawn by Akira Watanabe was displayed on the package artwork for Sonic the Hedgehog, and most subsequent Sonic video games featured similar designs.
When Sonic the Hedgehog 2 for the Mega Drive appeared, Sonic's proportions changed. The original 1:2 head to height ratio changed to 1:2.5.
Beginning with Sonic Adventure
Sonic Adventure
is a 1999 platform video game developed by Sonic Team and released on December 23, 1998, in Japan by Sega for the Dreamcast. One of its development titles was Sonic RPG...
in 1998, Sonic was redesigned by Yuji Uekawa as a character with longer legs and a less spherical body, longer and more drooping quills, and green-colored irises. Further subtle changes to the character's design have been made in subsequent games. Spin-off media such as comics and cartoons have featured variations on all these video game designs, with restrictions set by the standardized model sheet
Model sheet
In animation, a model sheet, also known as a character board, character sheet, character study or simply a study, is a document used to help standardize the appearance, poses, and gestures of an animated character...
s.
Actor portrayal
Different actors have provided Sonic's voice in his game appearances. Sonic originally had a few voice samples in Sonic CD, with Keiko UtokuKeiko Utoku
is a Japanese singer and songwriter, who debuted with Jpop female band Mi-Ke from 1991 to 1993, before starting a solo career. As a child, Utoku listened to a lot of music, including music made by Momoe Yamaguchi...
providing the voice. Sonic's first true voice actor was Takeshi Kusao
Takeshi Kusao
is a Japanese voice actor who works for Aoni Production.Among his many roles, he is best known as the voices of Future Trunks , Hanamichi Sakuragi , Lamune , Ryo Sanada , Cless Alvein , Yukimura Sanada , and Dororo is a Japanese voice actor who works for Aoni Production.Among his many roles, he is...
for the arcade game SegaSonic the Hedgehog
SegaSonic the Hedgehog
is an isometric platform game in the Sonic the Hedgehog series, released by Sega for Japanese arcades in June 1993. The game supported three players playing simultaneously, and possessed a unique track ball set up for moving on-screen characters. The only other control input was a single button,...
, with Junichi Kanemaru
Junichi Kanemaru
, also Junichi or Jun-ichi, is a Japanese voice actor from Yamanashi, Japan. He is affiliated with the talent management firm 81 Produce.He is most known for the roles of Hayato Kazami and Sonic the Hedgehog .Kanemaru came in eighth in the Seiyū Grand Prix in 1994, receiving 512 votes.He is also a...
continually voicing the role beginning with the release of Sonic Adventure. In Sonic Unleashed
Sonic Unleashed
Sonic Unleashed , is a video game and the 11th installment in the Sonic the Hedgehog series developed by Sonic Team and published by Sega for multiple platforms...
, Sonic was voiced by Tomokazu Seki
Tomokazu Seki
is a Japanese voice actor. He formerly worked for Haikyou and is now the head of Atomic Monkey.-About:Some of his most notable roles include Shinichi Chiaki from Nodame Cantabile, Gilgamesh from Fate/stay night, Rob Lucci from One Piece, Gundam characters Domon Kasshu and Yzak Joule, from G Gundam...
whilst in Werehog form. Sonic's first English voice actor was Jaleel White
Jaleel White
Jaleel Ahmad White is an American actor and screenwriter. He is best known for his role as Steve Urkel from Family Matters and voicing the character of Sonic the Hedgehog and other characters for Sonic the Hedgehog media....
in the three animated series Adventures of Sonic the Hedgehog
Adventures of Sonic the Hedgehog
The Adventures of Sonic the Hedgehog is an American animated series that was first broadcast in September 1993, and only for one season...
, Sonic the Hedgehog (SatAM)
Sonic the Hedgehog (TV series)
Sonic the Hedgehog: The Animated Series is an American animated series produced by DIC Entertainment with the partnership of Sega of America and was based on the Sonic the...
and Sonic Underground
Sonic Underground
Sonic Underground is an animated series that follows the adventures of Sonic the Hedgehog and his siblings, Sonia and Manic. The cartoon follows a main plot similar to, but heavily reconcepted from, main plot of Sonic the Hedgehog: The Animated Series...
. Sonic's first English game voice was provided by Ryan Drummond
Ryan Drummond
Ryan Drummond , is an American voice actor, actor, singer, comedian, clown, and mime. He was best known as the voice of Sonic the Hedgehog in the popular Sega video game franchise. He has been the bass vocalist in The A.Y.U. Quartet since 1991...
beginning with Sonic Adventure
Sonic Adventure
is a 1999 platform video game developed by Sonic Team and released on December 23, 1998, in Japan by Sega for the Dreamcast. One of its development titles was Sonic RPG...
, a role he continued until 2004, when he was replaced by Jason Anthony Griffith
Jason Anthony Griffith
Jason Anthony Griffith is an American actor and voice actor who has worked on several animated TV series, and was the voice of SEGA mascot Sonic the Hedgehog, as well as Shadow the Hedgehog and Jet the Hawk, in the Sonic the Hedgehog video game series, where he is credited as Jason Griffith and...
, who previously voiced the character in the American dub of the series Sonic X
Sonic X
is an anime series based on the Sonic the Hedgehog video game series. It was produced in Japan by TMS Entertainment with the partnership of Sega and was created by Sonic Team and Sonic Project. In the United States, 4Kids currently owns and manages copyright and branding of the series.- Series 1 ...
. Griffith was later replaced by Roger Craig Smith
Roger Craig Smith
Roger Craig Smith is an American voice actor. He is also known as Roger C. Smith. He is generally known as the voice behind Chris Redfield in Resident Evil 5 and Resident Evil: The Darkside Chronicles, as Ezio Auditore da Firenze in Assassin's Creed II, Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood and...
, starting with Sonic Free Riders
Sonic Free Riders
is a motion controlled racing video game in the Sonic the Hedgehog series. It is the third installment in the Sonic Riders series, following Sonic Riders: Zero Gravity. The game utilizes Microsoft's Kinect peripheral...
and Sonic Colors
Sonic Colors
is a 2010 platforming game in the Sonic the Hedgehog series. It was first announced on May 26, 2010, in a press release by Sega for Italy, and it included a teaser trailer...
in November 2010.
Sonic the Hedgehog series video games
Sonic's first appearance in video games was in the racing gameRacing game
A racing video game is a genre of video games, either in the first-person or third-person perspective, in which the player partakes in a racing competition with any type of land, air, or sea vehicles. They may be based on anything from real-world racing leagues to entirely fantastical settings...
Rad Mobile
Rad Mobile
Rad Mobile is a video game developed by Sega-AM2 and published by Sega. This game was first released in arcades in 1991, then it was ported to the Sega Saturn in 1994 under the name Gale Racer...
. Sonic's first major appearance was in the platform game
Platform game
A platform game is a video game characterized by requiring the player to jump to and from suspended platforms or over obstacles . It must be possible to control these jumps and to fall from platforms or miss jumps...
Sonic the Hedgehog for the Sega Mega Drive/Genesis, which also introduced his nemesis Dr. Robotnik
Doctor Eggman
, also known by his alias , is a fictional video game character, the main antagonist of the Sonic the Hedgehog series created by Sega. Dr. Eggman is a rotund, mad scientist with an IQ of 300 who plans to conquer the world in order to build his Eggman Empire and is the archenemy of Sonic the Hedgehog...
. His two-tailed fox friend Tails
Miles "Tails" Prower
, better known by his nickname , is a character, as well as the main deuteragonist in the Sonic the Hedgehog series of video games, comics, animated series and film released by Sega....
joined him in the game's 1992 sequel, Sonic the Hedgehog 2
Sonic the Hedgehog 2 (16-bit)
Sonic the Hedgehog 2 is a 16-bit 1992 platform video game that was developed by Sonic Team members working at the Sega Technical Institute, and published by Sega for the Sega Genesis console. It was released in Japan on November 21, 1992 and in North America and Europe on November 24, 1992...
. Sonic CD
Sonic the Hedgehog CD
, or Sonic CD, is a critically acclaimed 1993 platform video game in the Sonic the Hedgehog series, developed by Sonic Team for the Mega-CD/Sega CD. It marked the first official appearance of the characters Metal Sonic and Amy Rose...
, released in 1993, introduced Sonic's self-appointed girlfriend Amy Rose
Amy Rose
, known earlier as Rosy the Rascal, is a video game character who appears in most of the Sonic the Hedgehog series of video games developed by Sega's Sonic Team, debuting in Sonic CD as the third recurring protagonist. Amy Rose was created by Kazuyuki Hoshino and based on one of Kenji Terada's...
and recurring robotic doppelgänger
Doppelgänger
In fiction and folklore, a doppelgänger is a paranormal double of a living person, typically representing evil or misfortune...
Metal Sonic as Sonic traveled through time to ensure a good future for the world. Sonic 3
Sonic the Hedgehog 3
Sonic the Hedgehog 3 is a 1994 platform video game in the Sonic the Hedgehog series for the Sega Mega Drive/Genesis. It was developed in the United States by members of Sonic Team working at Sega Technical Institute, and was published by Sega, debuting worldwide in the first half of 1994...
and its direct sequel Sonic & Knuckles
Sonic & Knuckles
Sonic & Knuckles is a 1994 platform video game in the Sonic the Hedgehog series for the Sega Mega Drive/Genesis. It was developed in the United States at Sega Technical Institute by members of Sonic Team, and was published by Sega worldwide on October 18, 1994.As well as working as a standalone...
, both released in 1994, saw Sonic and Tails battle Robotnik again, with the additional threat of Knuckles
Knuckles the Echidna
Knuckles the Echidna is a video game character of the Sonic the Hedgehog game series, including spin-off games and comics. His first appearance was in Sonic the Hedgehog 3, released in 1994 to introduce a new rival for Sonic. He was presented as an antagonist who was tricked by Dr. Eggman into...
, tricked by Robotnik into thinking Sonic was a threat to his home. Sonic 4
Sonic the Hedgehog 4
is an episodic platform video game and a sequel in the Sonic the Hedgehog series. The game was developed by Dimps alongside members of Sonic Team and is intended to be inspired by and similar to the original Sonic the Hedgehog titles on the Sega Mega Drive/Genesis.Episode I was released in October...
(2010) continues where the story of Sonic 3 left off, reducing Sonic to the only playable character and releasing in episodic installments.
Other two-dimensional platformers starring Sonic include Sonic Chaos
Sonic Chaos
Sonic Chaos is a platform game for the Sega Master System and Sega Game Gear, developed by Aspect and published by Sega in 1993...
(1993), Sonic Triple Trouble
Sonic Triple Trouble
Sonic the Hedgehog: Triple Trouble is a platform video game in the Sonic the Hedgehog series, for the Sega Game Gear. It was developed by Aspect and published by Sega in 1994. It is the sequel to Sonic Chaos, which was the first Sonic & Tails game in Japan...
(1994), Sonic Blast
Sonic Blast
Sonic Blast is a video game in the Sonic the Hedgehog series developed by Aspect and published by Sega for the Sega Game Gear. It is known as G Sonic in Japan. It was released in December 1996 for both North American and European markets...
(1996), Sonic the Hedgehog Pocket Adventure
Sonic the Hedgehog Pocket Adventure
Sonic the Hedgehog Pocket Adventure is a video game in the Sonic the Hedgehog series. It was released in 1999 for the Neo Geo Pocket Color handheld game console...
(1999), Sonic Advance
Sonic Advance
is a platform game in the Sonic the Hedgehog series, developed by Dimps, published by Sega , by THQ and by Infogrames for Game Boy Advance. It was released in Japan on December 20, 2001, in North America on February 4, 2002 and finally in Europe on March 23, 2002...
(2001), Sonic Advance 2
Sonic Advance 2
is a side-scrolling platform game in the Sonic the Hedgehog series, developed by Dimps and published by THQ for the Game Boy Advance. The game was released in Japan on December 19, 2002, in North America on March 9, 2003, in Europe on March 18, 2003...
(2002), Sonic Advance 3
Sonic Advance 3
is a platform game in the Sonic the Hedgehog series, developed by Dimps, Sega and Sonic Team and published by THQ for the Game Boy Advance and the final installment of the Sonic Advance series. It was first released in North America on June 7, 2004, later in Japan on June 17, 2004 and then in...
(2004), Sonic Rush
Sonic Rush
is a 2005 platform handheld video game developed by Sonic Team and Dimps exclusively for the Nintendo DS as part of Sega's Sonic the Hedgehog series. It was released on November 15, 2005 in North America, November 18 in the PAL region, and November 23 in Japan. It is a 2D platform game, but Sonic's...
(2005), Sonic Rush Adventure
Sonic Rush Adventure
is a 2007 Sonic the Hedgehog platform game for the Nintendo DS videogame handheld, developed by Dimps and Sonic Team, published by Sega. Sonic the Hedgehog and Blaze the Cat return as playable characters, alongside a new, slightly hotheaded female raccoon named Marine the Raccoon...
(2007), and Sonic Colors
Sonic Colors
is a 2010 platforming game in the Sonic the Hedgehog series. It was first announced on May 26, 2010, in a press release by Sega for Italy, and it included a teaser trailer...
(DS) (2010).
Sonic Adventure
Sonic Adventure
is a 1999 platform video game developed by Sonic Team and released on December 23, 1998, in Japan by Sega for the Dreamcast. One of its development titles was Sonic RPG...
(1999) was Sonic Team's return to the character for a major game. It featured Sonic returning from vacation to find the city of Station Square under attack by a new, very powerful foe named Chaos, under the control of Dr. Robotnik (now more commonly known as Dr. Eggman). It was also the first Sonic game to feature a complete voice-over
Voice-over
Voice-over is a production technique where a voice which is not part of the narrative is used in a radio, television production, filmmaking, theatre, or other presentations...
. Sonic Adventure 2
Sonic Adventure 2
Sonic Adventure 2 is a platform game developed by Sonic Team and published by Sega for the Dreamcast video game console. It was released in North America on June 19, 2001 and in Japan on June 23, 2001 to mark the 10th anniversary of the release of the first Sonic the Hedgehog game. It is the sequel...
(2001) placed Sonic on-the-run from the military (G.U.N.) after being mistaken for a new enemy, Shadow the Hedgehog
Shadow the Hedgehog
is a character from the Sonic the Hedgehog series. Shadow is an artificially-created life form. His trademark hover shoes propel him at extreme speeds that rival those of Sonic, and with a Chaos Emerald he has the ability to distort time and space using "Chaos Control." Often referred to as being...
. Sonic Heroes
Sonic Heroes
is a 2004 platforming single-player/multiplayer video game in the Sonic the Hedgehog series developed by Sonic Team USA. It is the first multiplatform title in the Sonic series, developed for Nintendo GameCube, PlayStation 2 and Xbox and released in Japan in December 2003, in North America in...
(2003) featured Sonic teaming up with Tails and Knuckles, along with other character teams like Team Rose and Chaotix, against the newly rebuilt Metal Sonic, who had betrayed his master with intentions of world domination. Sonic the Hedgehog (2006) features Sonic in the city of water, "Soleanna," where he must rescue Princess Elise from Dr. Eggman while trying to avoid a new threat to his own life, Silver the Hedgehog. He is the only playable character in Sonic Unleashed
Sonic Unleashed
Sonic Unleashed , is a video game and the 11th installment in the Sonic the Hedgehog series developed by Sonic Team and published by Sega for multiple platforms...
(2008), in which he unwillingly gains a new personality, "Sonic the Werehog," the result of Sonic being fused with Dark Gaia's power. He gains strength and flexibility in exchange for his speed, and new friends including a strange creature named Chip who helps him along the way. In Sonic Colors
Sonic Colors
is a 2010 platforming game in the Sonic the Hedgehog series. It was first announced on May 26, 2010, in a press release by Sega for Italy, and it included a teaser trailer...
(2010), Eggman tries to harness the energy of alien beings known as "Wisps" for a mind-control beam. Building on the gameplay used in the daytime stages of Unleashed, Sonic can harness these Wisps to gain temporary new abilities. The upcoming Sonic Generations
Sonic Generations
is a 2011 platform video game in the Sonic the Hedgehog series, produced by Sonic Team for PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, Microsoft Windows and Nintendo 3DS...
(2011) will feature two playable incarnations of Sonic: classic Sonic, whose gameplay is presented in a style reminiscent of the Mega Drive/Genesis titles, and modern Sonic, who uses the gameplay style present in Unleashed and Colors.
Sonic and the Secret Rings
Sonic and the Secret Rings
is a video game developed by Sonic Team and published by Sega as part of the Sonic the Hedgehog series. It was released exclusively for the Wii on February 20, 2007 in North America; March 2 in Europe; and March 15 in Japan. It is the first Sonic game for the console, released in place of an...
(2007) features Sonic in the storybook world of 1001 Arabian Nights. A sequel, titled Sonic and the Black Knight
Sonic and the Black Knight
is a title within the Sonic the Hedgehog series, released exclusively on Wii as the second entry in the Sonic Storybook series, following on from Sonic and the Secret Rings. The game is directed by Tetsu Katano, who was the lead programmer of the Sonic Adventure titles and Sonic Heroes...
(2009), continued the storybook theme, this time taking place within the realm of the Arthurian legend
King Arthur
King Arthur is a legendary British leader of the late 5th and early 6th centuries, who, according to Medieval histories and romances, led the defence of Britain against Saxon invaders in the early 6th century. The details of Arthur's story are mainly composed of folklore and literary invention, and...
.
Sonic has also been featured in other games of many genres other than 2D and 3D platform games. These include Sonic Spinball
Sonic the Hedgehog Spinball
Sonic the Hedgehog Spinball is an adventure pinball game in the Sonic the Hedgehog series. It was originally released for the Sega Mega Drive/Genesis in 1993 and later ported to the Game Gear and Master System in 1995.The game title is a pun on pinball and Sonic's famous spin dash move...
, Sonic Labyrinth
Sonic Labyrinth
Sonic Labyrinth is a puzzle-come-platform game for the Sega Game Gear, released 17 November 1995 in Japan and in 1995 in North America and Europe. It is also playable on Sonic Adventure DX and in the PC, PlayStation 2 and Xbox editions of Sonic Mega Collection Plus. The game features isometric 3D...
(1995), the racing games Sonic Drift
Sonic Drift
The Sonic Drift games were a series of two racing games that featured characters from the Sonic the Hedgehog series. It was released for the Sega Game Gear in 1994 and 1995 respectively, and later re-released many years later in several other compilations.-Sonic Drift:Sonic Drift is a kart racing...
(1994), Sonic Drift 2 (1995), Sonic R
Sonic R
Sonic R is a racing game developed by Traveller's Tales and Sonic Team for the Sega Saturn and PC, the latter version being ported to the GameCube and the PlayStation 2 in Sonic Gems Collection. It features characters from the Sonic the Hedgehog series...
(1996), Sonic Riders
Sonic Riders
is a video game spin-off produced by Sega and developed by Sonic Team in cooperation with NowPro, for the Nintendo GameCube, PlayStation 2, Xbox and PC. It is the fourth racing game in the Sonic the Hedgehog series, preceded by Sonic Drift, Sonic Drift 2 and Sonic R.The game was released to start...
(2006), Sonic Rivals
Sonic Rivals
Sonic Rivals is a game in the Sonic the Hedgehog series in late 2006. It is the first Sonic game developed by a Canadian company, Backbone Entertainment exclusively for the PlayStation Portable...
(2006), Sonic Rivals 2
Sonic Rivals 2
Sonic Rivals 2 is the sequel to Sonic Rivals. The game was developed by Backbone Entertainment and supervised by Sega Studio USA, exclusively for the PlayStation Portable handheld videogame console. Sonic Rivals 2 was released on November 13, 2007 in North America...
(2007), Sonic Riders: Zero Gravity
Sonic Riders: Zero Gravity
Sonic Riders: Zero Gravity released in Japan as , is a hoverboard racing video game published by Sega and developed by Sonic Team in cooperation with NowPro. It is the fifth racing game in the Sonic the Hedgehog series, following Sonic Drift, Sonic Drift 2, Sonic R and its predecessor, Sonic Riders...
(2008), and Sonic Free Riders
Sonic Free Riders
is a motion controlled racing video game in the Sonic the Hedgehog series. It is the third installment in the Sonic Riders series, following Sonic Riders: Zero Gravity. The game utilizes Microsoft's Kinect peripheral...
(2010), the fighting games Sonic the Fighters
Sonic the Fighters
Sonic the Fighters is a fighting game in the Sonic the Hedgehog series. The game's original Japanese title, Sonic The Fighters, is used in North American and European releases of Sonic Gems Collection.-Plot:...
(1996) and Sonic Battle
Sonic Battle
Sonic Battle is a fighting game developed by Sonic Team and published by Sega and THQ for the Nintendo Game Boy Advance. It is the second fighting game in the Sonic the Hedgehog series, the first game being Sonic the Fighters...
(2003), the mobile game
Mobile game
A mobile game is a video game played on a mobile phone, smartphone, PDA, tablet computer or portable media player. This does not include games played on handheld video game systems such as Nintendo DS or PlayStation Portable....
Sonic Jump (2005), and the role-playing video game
Role-playing video game
Role-playing video games are a video game genre with origins in pen-and-paper role-playing games such as Dungeons & Dragons, using much of the same terminology, settings and game mechanics. The player in RPGs controls one character, or several adventuring party members, fulfilling one or many quests...
Sonic Chronicles: The Dark Brotherhood
Sonic Chronicles: The Dark Brotherhood
Sonic Chronicles: The Dark Brotherhood is a Nintendo DS console role-playing game based on the Sonic the Hedgehog franchise, and developed by Canadian RPG developer BioWare as their first handheld video game project...
(2008).
Video games such as Dr. Robotnik's Mean Bean Machine
Dr. Robotnik's Mean Bean Machine
-External links:* at Game Rankings* at The Internet Movie Database...
(1993), Knuckles' Chaotix
Knuckles' Chaotix
Knuckles' Chaotix, is a platform game spin-off to the Sonic the Hedgehog series, developed by Sonic Team, and published by Sega for the Sega 32X. The game was released in North America in March 1995, in Japan on April 21, 1995 and finally in Europe in May 1995. The game's only re-release since then...
(1995), Tails' Skypatrol
Tails' Skypatrol
is a platform/adventure video game in the Sonic the Hedgehog series, developed by JSH and published by Sega for Sega Game Gear. It was originally released on April 28, 1995 as an exclusive game to the Japanese market...
(1995), Tails Adventure
Tails Adventure
, also known as Tails Adventures, is an action-adventure video game with role-playing elements that was developed by Aspect and distributed by Sega in 1995 for the videogame console Sega Game Gear....
(1995), and Shadow the Hedgehog
Shadow the Hedgehog (video game)
Shadow the Hedgehog is a 2005 video game developed by Sega Studio USA, the former United States division of Sega's Sonic Team. Featuring the titular fictional character Shadow the Hedgehog from Sega's Sonic the Hedgehog series, the game was revealed at the March 2005 Walk of Game inauguration of...
(2005) starred supporting characters of the Sonic series, although Sonic himself cameos in most of these titles.
Sonic has appeared in several crossover titles as well, including a playable appearance in Super Smash Bros. Brawl
Super Smash Bros. Brawl
Super Smash Bros. Brawl, known in Japan as , often abbreviated as SSBB or simply as Brawl, is the third installment in the Super Smash Bros. series of crossover fighting games, developed by an ad hoc development team consisting of Sora, Game Arts and staff from other developers, and published by...
(2008), one of only two third-party characters (alongside Solid Snake
Solid Snake
Metal Gear, initially released in 1987, introduces Solid Snake, the rookie recruit of the elite special-forces unit FOXHOUND. Snake is sent by team leader Big Boss into the rogue nation Outer Heaven to rescue his missing teammate Gray Fox and discover who or what the "METAL GEAR" mentioned is, and...
) featured in the game. He appeared in the crossover party game Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games
Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games
Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games, known in Japan as , is a sports video game developed by the Sega Sports R&D Department of Sega Japan. It was published by Nintendo for Japan and by Sega for North America, Europe and all other regions. The game is officially licensed by the International Olympic...
as a Speed-type and in its sequel Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Winter Games
Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Winter Games
is a 2009 sports video game developed by Sega. It was published by Nintendo for Japan and by Sega for North America and Europe. The game is officially licensed by the International Olympic Committee through exclusive license International Sports Multimedia...
as the fastest character. In the Adventure Mode (DS Version only), he partners with his former rival and friend, Mario
Mario
is a fictional character in his video game series, created by Japanese video game designer Shigeru Miyamoto. Serving as Nintendo's mascot and the main protagonist of the series, Mario has appeared in over 200 video games since his creation...
, to stop their arch nemeses, Bowser and Dr. Eggman from ruining the Olympic Winter Games. Sonic is also a playable character in all three Sega Superstars titles.
Non-Sonic games
Sonic has made many cameo appearances in different games, most notably in other Sega games, such as being a power-up in Billy Hatcher and the Giant EggBilly Hatcher and the Giant Egg
is a video game developed by Sonic Team and published by Sega for the Nintendo GameCube. It was ported to Microsoft Windows and Mac OS X in 2006, exclusively for Europe.-Plot:...
, walking around the main hallway in Phantasy Star Universe
Phantasy Star Universe
is an action roleplaying game by Sega's Sonic Team for the PC, PlayStation 2 and Xbox 360. In Japan, it was released for the PC and PlayStation 2 on August 31, 2006, with the Xbox 360 version releasing on December 12, 2006. Its North American release was on October 24, 2006, available in all...
on the anniversary of his first game's release (June 23), and appearing in the 2008 remake
Remake
A remake is a piece of media based primarily on an earlier work of the same medium.-Film:The term "remake" is generally used in reference to a movie which uses an earlier movie as the main source material, rather than in reference to a second, later movie based on the same source...
of Samba de Amigo
Samba de Amigo
Samba de Amigo is a rhythm game originally developed by Sonic Team and released in 1999 by Sega in arcades, 2000 for the Dreamcast video game console, and developed by Gearbox Software and Escalation Studios in 2008 for the Wii. The player uses controllers shaped like maracas with the goal of...
(he appears in the background for the songs "Low Rider", "UN Aguardiants" and "Mambo #5"). He is also a playable character in Christmas NiGHTS into Dreams
NiGHTS into Dreams...
Nights into Dreams... , is a video game released by Sega in 1996 for the Sega Saturn video game system. The game's story follows two children entering a dream world, where they are aided by the main character, Nights...
. Sonic has proved to be well liked among other publishers as well, making cameos in such games as Art Alive, Shining Force II, Clockwork Knight 2
Clockwork Knight 2
Clockwork Knight 2 is a side-scrolling platformer video game released for the Sega Saturn in 1995. It is the sequel to Clockwork Knight, a launch title for the Saturn that also was released that year. A second sequel, Clockwork Knight 3: Pengin War, used gameplay similar to Bomberman, but never...
, Daytona USA, Crusader of Centy
Crusader of Centy
Crusader of Centy is an action RPG game that was released on the Mega Drive/Genesis. The story centers on Corona, a boy who has just turned 14 years of age. It is time for him to inherit his father's sword and fight the "monsters" that threaten the human race's very existence, attaining animals...
, Bug!
Bug!
Bug! was a 3D rendered platform/adventure video game developed by Realtime Associates for the Sega Saturn. Released in 1995 in North America, Japan and Europe, it was one of the earliest 3D platform games...
, Rad Mobile
Rad Mobile
Rad Mobile is a video game developed by Sega-AM2 and published by Sega. This game was first released in arcades in 1991, then it was ported to the Sega Saturn in 1994 under the name Gale Racer...
, Ed, Edd n Eddy: Jawbreakers!, The Simpsons Game
The Simpsons Game
The Simpsons Game is an action/platformer video game based on the animated television series The Simpsons, made for the Wii, PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, PlayStation 2, Nintendo DS, and PlayStation Portable. The game was developed, published, and distributed by Electronic Arts. It was released in North...
, The Incredible Hulk
The Incredible Hulk (2008 video game)
The Incredible Hulk is a video game based on the Marvel superhero Hulk and the 2008 film. The console versions were released on June 5, 2008 and the PC version was released on June 10, 2008...
, and the video game adaptation of the film Tom and Jerry: The Movie
Tom and Jerry: The Movie
Tom and Jerry: The Movie is a 1992 American animated musical film directed by Phil Roman, and produced by Film Roman and Turner Pictures. It is a film adaptation of the Tom and Jerry series of theatrical shorts....
.
Animation
The first animated series to feature Sonic was Adventures of Sonic the HedgehogAdventures of Sonic the Hedgehog
The Adventures of Sonic the Hedgehog is an American animated series that was first broadcast in September 1993, and only for one season...
, in which he was voiced by Jaleel White
Jaleel White
Jaleel Ahmad White is an American actor and screenwriter. He is best known for his role as Steve Urkel from Family Matters and voicing the character of Sonic the Hedgehog and other characters for Sonic the Hedgehog media....
. The cartoon had a very comical take on Sonic and Tails' adventures battling Robotnik. Pierre De Celles, an animator who worked on Adventures of Sonic the Hedgehog, described the show as "fun and humorous."
In the dramatic series Sonic the Hedgehog, Sonic was again voiced by Jaleel White. He lives on the planet Mobius in Knothole Village, where he belongs to a band of Freedom Fighters that fight to free their world from the literally iron-fisted rule of the evil dictator Dr. Robotnik.
Sonic Underground
Sonic Underground
Sonic Underground is an animated series that follows the adventures of Sonic the Hedgehog and his siblings, Sonia and Manic. The cartoon follows a main plot similar to, but heavily reconcepted from, main plot of Sonic the Hedgehog: The Animated Series...
featured the introductions of Sonic's triplet siblings Sonia the Hedgehog and Manic the Hedgehog, as well as his mother Queen Aleena, the four of whom were destined to defeat Robotnik and rule Mobius as the "Council of Four". Jaleel White returned to voice Sonic for the third time as well as voicing Sonic's siblings, with Samuel Vincent
Samuel Vincent
Samuel Vincent is a Canadian voice actor who works with the Ocean Productions based in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. He was born in North Vancouver, British Columbia.-Biography:...
providing Sonic's singing voice. This series is the only Sonic the Hedgehog series with European origins, as it was a co-production between the United States and France.
Additionally, there were two OVA
Original video animation
, abbreviated as media , are animated films and series made specially for release in home-video formats. The term originated in relation to Japanese animation...
s in Japan that formed a single story which featured Sonic, Tails, Robotnik, Knuckles, and Metal Sonic. Sonic was voiced by Masami Kikuchi
Masami Kikuchi
is a veteran voice actor who was born in Nagano. He works for Kenyu Office.-Anime:* Air Gear * Aoki Densetsu Shoot * The Brave Express Might Gaine * Captain Tsubasa J...
in Japan, and Martin Burke
Martin Burke
Martin Burke is a voice actor.He voiced Sonic the Hedgehog in the English-language release of the Sonic OVA, and Sumida in Dai-Guard, while he has also had acting roles in underground films like Lethal Force and Blood Chase. He also voiced Shiro Amakusa in the 1998 anime OVA Ninja...
in the United States, where the two OVA
Original video animation
, abbreviated as media , are animated films and series made specially for release in home-video formats. The term originated in relation to Japanese animation...
s were treated as one unique, 1 hour long movie under the name of Sonic the Hedgehog: The movie
Sonic the Hedgehog: The Movie
Sonic the Hedgehog: The Movie is a two-episode OVA film series based on Sega's best-selling franchise Sonic the Hedgehog....
.
Sonic X
Sonic X
is an anime series based on the Sonic the Hedgehog video game series. It was produced in Japan by TMS Entertainment with the partnership of Sega and was created by Sonic Team and Sonic Project. In the United States, 4Kids currently owns and manages copyright and branding of the series.- Series 1 ...
, was an anime
Anime
is the Japanese abbreviated pronunciation of "animation". The definition sometimes changes depending on the context. In English-speaking countries, the term most commonly refers to Japanese animated cartoons....
in which Sonic is teleported to Earth by Chaos Control, caused by the Chaos Emeralds (though the final season takes place in his own world). Here, he befriends a boy named Chris Thorndyke, and his infamous aquaphobia
Aquaphobia
Aquaphobia is an abnormal and persistent fear of water. Aquaphobia is a specific phobia that involves a level of fear that is beyond the patient's control or that may interfere with daily life. People suffer aquaphobia in many ways and may experience it even though they realize the water in an...
is made far stronger; in one episode where Sonic and his friends go on a cruise, Sonic is in a constant state of panic and desperately searches for a way to escape. In this series, he is voiced by Jun'ichi Kanemaru in the Japanese version, and by Jason Griffith in the English version.
Sonic: Night of the Werehog is a short film by Sega's VE Animation Studio
Marza Animation Planet
is a Japanese based CGI animation studio dedicated to making feature, full length films. Their extensive resume also include CGI Add-in's for television series and video games...
, released to coincide with the release of Sonic Unleashed. In the film, Sonic and Chip enter a haunted house, and must deal with two ghosts trying to scare them.
Comics
Sonic's first comic appearance was in a promotional comic printed in Disney AdventuresDisney Adventures
Disney Adventures was a children's entertainment and educational magazine published ten times per year by The Walt Disney Company. It should not be confused with the Disney Magazine...
magazine (and also given away as a free pull-out with a copy of Mean Machines
Mean Machines
Mean Machines was a market-leading multi-format gaming magazine released between 1990 and 1992 in the United Kingdom. Its style was popular with gamers of the time for its irreverent humor, anarchic editorial tone and style, and its sometimes outrageously outspoken reviews.- Origins :In the late...
magazine), which established a backstory for the character involving the origin of his color and abilities and the transformation of kindly scientist Dr. Ovi Kintobor into the evil Dr. Ivo Robotnik. Numerous British publications, including "Sega handbook" Stay Sonic (1993), four novels published by Virgin Books
Virgin Books
Virgin Books is a United Kingdom book publisher 90% owned by the publishing group Random House, and 10% owned by Virgin Enterprises, the company originally set up by Richard Branson as a record company.-History:...
(1993–1994) and the comic book Sonic the Comic
Sonic the Comic
Sonic the Comic, known to its many readers as STC, was a UK children's comic published fortnightly by Fleetway Editions between 1993 and 2002...
(1993–2001) used this premise as their basis.
The American comics published by Archie Comics
Archie Comics
Archie Comics is an American comic book publisher headquartered in the Village of Mamaroneck, Town of Mamaroneck, New York, known for its many series featuring the fictional teenagers Archie Andrews, Betty Cooper, Veronica Lodge, Reggie Mantle and Jughead Jones. The characters were created by...
, Sonic the Hedgehog
Sonic the Hedgehog (comics)
Sonic the Hedgehog is an ongoing series of American comic books published by Archie Comics, featuring Sega's mascot video game character of the same name. The comic book series debuted in the United States as a 4 part mini-series published between November 1992 and February 1993...
(1993–), Sonic X
Sonic X (comics)
Sonic X was an ongoing comic book series published by Archie Comics, based on the English dub of the Japanese anime of the same name. Like Archie's other title, Sonic the Hedgehog, Sonic X features SEGA's mascot video game character Sonic. It began in September 2005 and was originally meant to be a...
(2005–2008), and Sonic Universe
Sonic Universe
Sonic Universe is a comic book series set within Archie Comics's Sonic the Hedgehog continuity, designed to expand the horizon of that fictional universe. Sonic Universe deals with various characters throughout the fictional universe, including Shadow the Hedgehog, Knuckles the Echidna and many more...
(2009-) are based on the settings established by earlier animated TV series, the ABC "SatAM
Sonic the Hedgehog (TV series)
Sonic the Hedgehog: The Animated Series is an American animated series produced by DIC Entertainment with the partnership of Sega of America and was based on the Sonic the...
" cartoon, the Sonic X
Sonic X
is an anime series based on the Sonic the Hedgehog video game series. It was produced in Japan by TMS Entertainment with the partnership of Sega and was created by Sonic Team and Sonic Project. In the United States, 4Kids currently owns and manages copyright and branding of the series.- Series 1 ...
anime
Anime
is the Japanese abbreviated pronunciation of "animation". The definition sometimes changes depending on the context. In English-speaking countries, the term most commonly refers to Japanese animated cartoons....
, and an expansion to the series, respectively. The former series is currently the second longest-running licensed
Brand licensing
Licensing means renting or leasing of an intangible asset. Examples of intangible assets include a song , a character , a name or a brand . An arrangement to license a brand requires a licensing agreement...
comic series in the history of American comic books, second only to Marvel
Marvel Comics
Marvel Worldwide, Inc., commonly referred to as Marvel Comics and formerly Marvel Publishing, Inc. and Marvel Comics Group, is an American company that publishes comic books and related media...
's Conan
Conan (comics)
Conan the Barbarian by Robert E. Howard was first adapted into comics published Marvel Comics beginning with the series Conan the Barbarian in 1970...
series (first issue released in 1970).
In France two comic books named "Sonic Adventures" were published by Sirène in 1994.
Sonic has also been featured in two different manga. One series was simply called Sonic the Hedgehog, and featured a story about a normal boy named Nicky Parlouzer who can change into Sonic. The other series was a compilation of short stories and was separated into two volumes, the first being called Dash and Spin, and the other called Super Fast Sonic!!.
Characteristics
Sonic is known as the world's fastest hedgehog. Sonic's greatest strength is his running speed, which is faster than the speed of sound. Many of his abilities are variations on the tendency for hedgehogs to roll into tight balls for protection with the addition of spinning his body. Since his introduction in 1991's Sonic the Hedgehog, Sonic's primary offensive maneuver is the basic "Spin Attack" (or "Sonic Spin Attack"). Later games in the series expanded on this basic attack and two of these enhancements have become mainstays of his: the Spin Dash which was introduced in Sonic the Hedgehog 2
Sonic the Hedgehog 2 (16-bit)
Sonic the Hedgehog 2 is a 16-bit 1992 platform video game that was developed by Sonic Team members working at the Sega Technical Institute, and published by Sega for the Sega Genesis console. It was released in Japan on November 21, 1992 and in North America and Europe on November 24, 1992...
and involves Sonic spinning on the spot before blasting off at full speed, and the Homing Attack, officially introduced in Sonic Adventure
Sonic Adventure
is a 1999 platform video game developed by Sonic Team and released on December 23, 1998, in Japan by Sega for the Dreamcast. One of its development titles was Sonic RPG...
, in which Sonic dashes toward a target in mid air. Sonic's only weakness is that he cannot swim, sinking like a rock if plunged to a deep body of water. However, he can overcome this by running on the surface of water.
When the seven Chaos Emeralds are collected in most Sonic games, Sonic can initiate a Super transformation into Super Sonic, a faster and invulnerable version of himself that can fly. He can normally transform into Super Sonic with 50 Rings. While transformed, Sonic slowly loses Rings during the time he is in Super form (usually about one every second) and returns to normal when all the Rings are used up, usually incurring the loss of a life during a boss; the player can collect more Rings during this time to maintain Super form.
Reception and legacy
History of video game consoles (fourth generation)
In the history of computer and video games, the fourth generation began on October 30, 1987 with the Japanese release of Nippon Electric Company's PC Engine...
of video game consoles, Sonic is one of the most famous video game characters in the world. In 1996, Sonic was the first video game character to be seen in a Rose Parade. Sonic is also the first video game character (later followed by Pikachu) to have a balloon in Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade
Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade
The Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, often shortened to Macy's Day Parade, is an annual parade presented by Macy's. The tradition started in 1924, tying it for the second-oldest Thanksgiving parade in the United States along with America's Thanksgiving Parade in Detroit, and four years younger than...
.
Sonic was one of the three game characters inducted on the inaugural Walk of Game
Walk of Game
The Walk of Game is a year-round attraction in the United States honoring the icons and pioneers of the video game industry, and is located inside Metreon, an entertainment shopping center in San Francisco, California...
class in 2005, along with former rivals Mario
Mario
is a fictional character in his video game series, created by Japanese video game designer Shigeru Miyamoto. Serving as Nintendo's mascot and the main protagonist of the series, Mario has appeared in over 200 video games since his creation...
and Link (both from Nintendo
Nintendo
is a multinational corporation located in Kyoto, Japan. Founded on September 23, 1889 by Fusajiro Yamauchi, it produced handmade hanafuda cards. By 1963, the company had tried several small niche businesses, such as a cab company and a love hotel....
). One of a class of gene
Gene
A gene is a molecular unit of heredity of a living organism. It is a name given to some stretches of DNA and RNA that code for a type of protein or for an RNA chain that has a function in the organism. Living beings depend on genes, as they specify all proteins and functional RNA chains...
s involved in fruit fly embryonic
Drosophila melanogaster
Drosophila melanogaster is a species of Diptera, or the order of flies, in the family Drosophilidae. The species is known generally as the common fruit fly or vinegar fly. Starting from Charles W...
development, called hedgehog
Hedgehog signaling pathway
In a growing embryo, cells develop differently in the head or tail end of the embryo, the left or right, and other positions. They also form segments which develop into different body parts. The hedgehog signaling pathway gives cells information that they need to make the embryo develop properly....
genes, has been named "sonic hedgehog
Sonic hedgehog
Sonic hedgehog homolog is one of three proteins in the mammalian signaling pathway family called hedgehog, the others being desert hedgehog and Indian hedgehog . SHH is the best studied ligand of the hedgehog signaling pathway. It plays a key role in regulating vertebrate organogenesis, such as...
" after the character.
Sonic has also been used as a symbol for Sega's various sponsorships. Between 1993 and 1997, Sega sponsored the JEF United Ichihara Chiba
JEF United Ichihara Chiba
is a Japanese professional football club that plays in J. League Division 2. On February 1, 2005, the club changed its name from JEF United Ichihara to the current name after Chiba city had joined Ichihara, Chiba as its hometown in 2003. The club name, JEF -taken from JR East and Furukawa Electric-...
football
Football (soccer)
Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a sport played between two teams of eleven players with a spherical ball...
team, during which period Sonic appeared in the team's uniform. During the 1993 Formula One championship
1993 Formula One season
The 1993 Formula One season was the 44th season of FIA Formula One motor racing. It featured the 1993 FIA Formula One World Championship, which commenced on March 14, 1993 and ended on November 7 after sixteen races...
, Sega sponsored the Williams Grand Prix team
WilliamsF1
Williams Grand Prix Engineering Limited, trading as AT&T Williams, is a British Formula One motor racing team and constructor. It was founded and run by Sir Frank Williams and Patrick Head...
, which won the Constructors' Championship that year, as well as the team's lead driver, Alain Prost
Alain Prost
Alain Marie Pascal Prost, OBE, Chevalier de la Légion d'honneur is a French racing driver. A four-time Formula One Drivers' Champion, Prost has won more titles than any driver except for Juan Manuel Fangio , and Michael Schumacher . From 1987 until 2001 Prost held the record for most Grand Prix...
, winning the Drivers' Championship. Sonic was featured in the cars, helmets, and their rivals McLaren
McLaren
McLaren Racing Limited, trading as Vodafone McLaren Mercedes, is a British Formula One team based in Woking, Surrey, United Kingdom. McLaren is best known as a Formula One constructor but has also competed and won in the Indianapolis 500 and Canadian-American Challenge Cup...
used to paint a squashed hedgehog after winning races over Williams. The 1993 European Grand Prix
1993 European Grand Prix
The 1993 European Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held at Donington Park on April 11, 1993. It was the third round of the 1993 Formula One season. The race was notable for the dominance of Ayrton Senna.-Report:...
featured a Sonic balloon and Sonic billboards, and the race's trophy was in the shape of a hedgehog. Sonic also appears on some versions of the willow video store logo. According to a poll conducted during Sonic's height of popularity in the early 90's, the character was more recognizable to American children than Mario
Mario
is a fictional character in his video game series, created by Japanese video game designer Shigeru Miyamoto. Serving as Nintendo's mascot and the main protagonist of the series, Mario has appeared in over 200 video games since his creation...
and Mickey Mouse
Mickey Mouse
Mickey Mouse is a cartoon character created in 1928 by Walt Disney and Ub Iwerks at The Walt Disney Studio. Mickey is an anthropomorphic black mouse and typically wears red shorts, large yellow shoes, and white gloves...
.
Nintendo Power
Nintendo Power
Nintendo Power magazine is a monthly news and strategy magazine formerly published in-house by Nintendo of America, but now run independently. As of issue #222 , Nintendo contracted publishing duties to Future US, the U.S. subsidiary of British publisher Future.The first issue published was...
listed Sonic as their sixth favorite hero, stating that while he was originally Mario's arch nemesis, he seems at home on Nintendo platforms. They added that he has remained as one of gaming's greatest icons. In 2004, the character won a Golden Joystick Award for "The Sun Ultimate Gaming Hero". On October 21, 2008, out of 500 people, Sonic was voted the most popular video game character in the UK with a 24% vote while his old rival Mario came second with 21% of the vote. Then in late 2008, MSN held a poll of who's the most iconic video game character, Sonic was ranked #1 as the most iconic video game character of all in gaming while Mario and Lara Croft were voted less in second and in third respectively. And he was voted 10th out of the top 50 video game characters of all time in Guinness World Records
Guinness World Records
Guinness World Records, known until 2000 as The Guinness Book of Records , is a reference book published annually, containing a collection of world records, both human achievements and the extremes of the natural world...
2011 Gamers' Edition. Sonic ranked ninth on GameDaily
GameDaily
GameDaily was a video game journalism website based in the United States. Launched in 1995 by entrepreneur Mark Friedler under the name Gigex and focused on free game demo downloads, The site changed its business model from a flat fee per download CDN distributed service network to an...
's Top 10 Smash Bros characters list. GameDaily also listed his "next-generation stumble" in their list of video game characters' worst moments, using his relationship with a human female as one of the worst parts of it.
Ken Balough, Sega's associate brand manager, said that Sonic's appeal endured because the character is "a gaming legend, first and foremost" who originated "from a series of games that defined a generation in gaming history, and his iconic personality was the epitome of speed in the early ‘90s, pushing the limits of what gamers knew and expected from high-speed action and platforming games."
Theme songs
The Sonic the Hedgehog video games have featured several theme songs for the character. Most are performed by Crush 40Crush 40
Crush 40, formerly known as Sons of Angels, is a Japanese-American hard rock band formed in 1997 that is best known for their contributions to the soundtracks of several video games, predominantly the Sonic the Hedgehog series...
, who have also performed many other songs produced for the franchise.
- Sonic CD: "Sonic Boom" (US)- Pastiche/ "Sonic - You Can Do Anything" - Keiko Utoku (JPN/EUR)
- Sonic AdventureSonic Adventureis a 1999 platform video game developed by Sonic Team and released on December 23, 1998, in Japan by Sega for the Dreamcast. One of its development titles was Sonic RPG...
: "It Doesn't Matter" / "Open Your Heart" - Crush 40Crush 40Crush 40, formerly known as Sons of Angels, is a Japanese-American hard rock band formed in 1997 that is best known for their contributions to the soundtracks of several video games, predominantly the Sonic the Hedgehog series... - Sonic Adventure 2Sonic Adventure 2Sonic Adventure 2 is a platform game developed by Sonic Team and published by Sega for the Dreamcast video game console. It was released in North America on June 19, 2001 and in Japan on June 23, 2001 to mark the 10th anniversary of the release of the first Sonic the Hedgehog game. It is the sequel...
: "It Doesn't Matter" / "Live and Learn" - Crush 40Crush 40Crush 40, formerly known as Sons of Angels, is a Japanese-American hard rock band formed in 1997 that is best known for their contributions to the soundtracks of several video games, predominantly the Sonic the Hedgehog series... - Sonic HeroesSonic Heroesis a 2004 platforming single-player/multiplayer video game in the Sonic the Hedgehog series developed by Sonic Team USA. It is the first multiplatform title in the Sonic series, developed for Nintendo GameCube, PlayStation 2 and Xbox and released in Japan in December 2003, in North America in...
: "We Can" - Ted PoleyTed PoleyTed Harris Poley is a rock singer and drummer most famous for being in the band Danger Danger.-Biography:...
, Tony HarnellTony HarnellAntony "Tony" Harnell is an American hard rock singer, best known for his work with the Norwegian hard rock band TNT....
. This theme is also shared with Tails and Knuckles, considering that this is also the Team Sonic theme. - Sonic the Hedgehog '06: "His World" - ZebraheadZebraheadZebrahead is an American punk rock band from Orange County, California, which fuses elements of Rapcore, Pop Punk, Alternative Rock, Alternative Metal, and Funk Metal.-1996–98: Formation:...
. This is one of the three character theme songs and 2 instrumental versions can be found in the game. Other remixes of this theme were done by Crush 40Crush 40Crush 40, formerly known as Sons of Angels, is a Japanese-American hard rock band formed in 1997 that is best known for their contributions to the soundtracks of several video games, predominantly the Sonic the Hedgehog series...
and Bentley Jones. - Sonic and the Secret RingsSonic and the Secret Ringsis a video game developed by Sonic Team and published by Sega as part of the Sonic the Hedgehog series. It was released exclusively for the Wii on February 20, 2007 in North America; March 2 in Europe; and March 15 in Japan. It is the first Sonic game for the console, released in place of an...
: "Seven Rings In Hand" - Steve ConteSteve ConteSteve Conte is an American singer and rock musician and lead singer of the band The Contes, along with his brother John Conte, both formerly members of the band Crown Jewels. He is perhaps more popularly known for his collaborations with composer Yoko Kanno, as well as being former lead guitarist...
. This theme is also played during the final battle of the game with Darkspine Sonic (A dark form of Super Sonic with seven world rings) Vs. Alf Laya Wa Laya (seven world rings transformation of Erazor Djinn) - Sonic Riders: Zero GravitySonic Riders: Zero GravitySonic Riders: Zero Gravity released in Japan as , is a hoverboard racing video game published by Sega and developed by Sonic Team in cooperation with NowPro. It is the fifth racing game in the Sonic the Hedgehog series, following Sonic Drift, Sonic Drift 2, Sonic R and its predecessor, Sonic Riders...
: "Un-Gravitify" - Kenichi Tokoi (music), runblebee(lyrics), and Cashell (vocals) - Super Smash Bros. BrawlSuper Smash Bros. BrawlSuper Smash Bros. Brawl, known in Japan as , often abbreviated as SSBB or simply as Brawl, is the third installment in the Super Smash Bros. series of crossover fighting games, developed by an ad hoc development team consisting of Sora, Game Arts and staff from other developers, and published by...
: "Live and Learn" - Crush 40Crush 40Crush 40, formerly known as Sons of Angels, is a Japanese-American hard rock band formed in 1997 that is best known for their contributions to the soundtracks of several video games, predominantly the Sonic the Hedgehog series...
/ "Sonic Boom" - Pastiche/ "Angel Island Theme" (remake) (there were at least 2 more Sonic theme songs in this game) - Sonic UnleashedSonic UnleashedSonic Unleashed , is a video game and the 11th installment in the Sonic the Hedgehog series developed by Sonic Team and published by Sega for multiple platforms...
: "Endless Possibility" - Bowling For SoupBowling for SoupBowling for Soup is an American pop-punk band which originally formed in Wichita Falls, Texas in 1994...
. This theme also serves as the final boss theme (Perfect Dark Gaia) as an orchestral, instrumental theme. - Sonic and the Black KnightSonic and the Black Knightis a title within the Sonic the Hedgehog series, released exclusively on Wii as the second entry in the Sonic Storybook series, following on from Sonic and the Secret Rings. The game is directed by Tetsu Katano, who was the lead programmer of the Sonic Adventure titles and Sonic Heroes...
: "Knight of the Wind" - Crush 40Crush 40Crush 40, formerly known as Sons of Angels, is a Japanese-American hard rock band formed in 1997 that is best known for their contributions to the soundtracks of several video games, predominantly the Sonic the Hedgehog series...
. This theme also plays during the credits of the game's first ending. - Sonic ColorsSonic Colorsis a 2010 platforming game in the Sonic the Hedgehog series. It was first announced on May 26, 2010, in a press release by Sega for Italy, and it included a teaser trailer...
/Colours : "Reach for the Stars" - Cash CashCash CashCash Cash is an American band from Roseland, New Jersey.Cash Cash consists of Jean Paul Makhlouf, Alexander Luke Makhlouf, Sam Frisch, and Anthony Villacari.-History:...
. This theme also serves as the final boss theme in the Terminal Velocity Zone as an orchestral, instrumental theme. A retro version can also be found when any color power is being activated in Game Land.