Sonic the Hedgehog

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This article is about the video game character. For the series of video games featuring Sonic, see Sonic the Hedgehog series. For the protein, see Sonic hedgehog.

Image:Sonics.jpg

Sonic the Hedgehog is the flagship character and mascot for the video and arcade game company Sega, which has released a series of video games in which he appears. Sonic was competing head-to-head with Nintendo's mascot Mario for over a decade until Sega left the console market. His games are now on various other consoles.

He is a blue hedgehog who lives on South Island in the Pacific Ocean (some American and European cartoons, comics, books and the English game manuals state that his home is the planet Mobius). He has the ability to run at supersonic speeds, hence his name.

Sonic replaced Alex Kidd, who was Sega's mascot prior to 1990. Naoto Ohshima designed the character while Yuji Naka (who would later become head of the Sonic Team division) was the main programmer. The "game planner" was Hirokazu Yasuhara. The music of the first two Sonic the Hedgehog games on the Mega Drive and Genesis was composed by Masato Nakamura of the Japanese band Dreams Come True.

Contents

Appearance

Sonic was an early example of the "unusual anthropomorphic animal starring in a platform game" character archetype that was later seen in characters such as Crash Bandicoot, Fox McCloud, Klonoa, Spyro the Dragon, Blinx and Sly Cooper.

In early artwork, Sonic had no visible irises; with the revamp he received for Sonic Adventure they were shown to be green, though his eyes are visibly red when he is in his "Super Sonic" form and in motion in earlier games.

His blue pigmentation has never been explained in the games. However, it was described in an issue of gaming magazine GamePro as being the result of getting caught in an explosion involving cobalt, but this is likely not canonical. An alternative explanation was given in a promotional comic for the original game featured in Disney Adventures, which was later elaborated upon in Mike Pattenden's Stay Sonic, a book about the character published only in the UK. This later became the basic origin for all subsequent UK publications.

Abilities

Sonic is best known as the 'fastest thing alive', although he has other abilities as well. One technique he has always used is his rolling jump (also known as the "Kaiten Jump" or "Super Sonic Spin Attack"), which allows him to attack any enemy simply by jumping or rolling into it. The Spin-Dash, introduced in Sonic the Hedgehog 2, allows Sonic to accelerate quickly from a stationary position, as does the Super Peelout introduced (and so far, only seen) in Sonic CD and "Sonic the Hedgehog Triple Trouble".

Sonic sinks in water and will drown in a short amount of time. In Sonic the Hedgehog 3, a water shield allows Sonic to breathe underwater, but in more recent games, landing in water is the equivalent of instant death. In the Fleetway Sonic the Comic, an inability to swim was, for a long time, one of the character's major weaknesses.

In Sonic Adventure and later installments of the series, his abilities include the Homing Attack, in which he propels himself towards the nearest enemy while jumping, and the Light Dash, which allows him to run along a path of rings at light speed, even through the air. Three of his newest abilites, gained in Sonic Heroes, are the Rocket Accel, which allows Sonic to bounce off his teammates to accelerate, the Flying Kick, and the Blue Tornado, which sweeps enemies off their feet and is used to spin up poles.

Since the 16-bit version of Sonic the Hedgehog 2, Sonic has had the ability to transform into a more powerful form known as Super Sonic. Super Sonic is even faster than Sonic (often able to run on water), can jump higher (in some situations, he can even fly) and is almost invincible. His appearance also changes, with his body becoming yellow, his eyes turning red and his spikes rising and getting wilder. In all game appearances, the transformation is triggered by collecting all the Chaos Emeralds (and usually fifty rings in a level); stories in other media involved different events (for example, in Sonic the Comic, Sonic's anger could be enough to cause the change, much like the Incredible Hulk).

Sonic 3 and Knuckles introduced the even more powerful Hyper Sonic, his only game appearance to date. He glows with the colours of the Chaos Emeralds, is surrounded by glowing sparks and leaves afterimages in his wake. Unlike Super Sonic, he cannot drown underwater, and has a devastating "lightning flash" attack, which can be used to "double-jump" in any direction and when performed destroys all enemies on-screen with a bright flash.

Super Sonic has only been available towards the end of the game ever since Sonic Adventure, as opposed to being available in the ordinary levels. His usage in final bosses (very frequently in space) has become something of a cliché of late, and it does not look like it will be broken any time soon.

Personality

Sonic is noted in the games for his heroic behavior and standing up for what he believes is right. However, he is also extremely impatient and often does things without thinking, which often gets him into trouble. Despite his heroic behavior, he is characterized in some of the later games and in some of the cartoons as being quite lazy, often taking naps and sometimes going on vacation when the world needs him the most. American sources often claim that Sonic's favourite food are chili dogs, thought to be because his Uncle Chuck owned a chili dog stand before being robotized.

Voices

The earliest voice Sonic was given was that of teen actor Jaleel White (popularly known as Steve Urkel). In 1993, DiC Entertainment cast White as Sonic in their simultaneously released shows Sonic the Hedgehog and Adventures of Sonic the Hedgehog. White would later be cast as Sonic during DiC's 1999 show Sonic Underground.

In 1996, when the Sonic the Hedgehog OAV was produced in Japan, Sonic was played by Masami Kikuchi. The 1999 English-language dub featured Martin Burke in Sonic's role.

Beginning with the 1998 game Sonic Adventure, Sonic's video games featured voice acting. Sonic was played by Junichi Kanemaru, who later went on to play Sonic in the Japanese version of Sonic X. Ryan Drummond performed the role of Sonic in Sonic Adventure and continued to play the role for several games. However, 4Kids Entertainment decided not to use Drummond's voice in their US dub of Sonic X, instead choosing their own Jason Griffith. Despite this, Drummond continued to play Sonic in the games until 2005, when Sega replaced all their Sonic voice actors with their 4Kids counterparts, in order to be uniform across the games and Sonic X, effectively making Griffith the official game voice actor. This decision has angered many fans of the Sonic series, although many other fans found the criticism hypocrital, as they have also been critical over the original voicework in prior Sonic games just as much.

Games

Spoiler warning: Plot or ending details follow.

Sonic started his battle against his nemesis Doctor Robotnik (he is subsequently referred to as Dr. Eggman in the Sonic Adventure games, however in Sonic Adventure 2, he does indeed acknoledge his true name) in Sonic the Hedgehog for the Sega Genesis. After venturing out on his own in the first game, he was given a sidekick in Miles "Tails" Prower, who would run behind Sonic as he sped through each zone as they continued the fight against Eggman. The game was the first game to feature Sonic's Super Sonic form. Sonic would be solo once again for Sonic CD, in which Sonic would travel through time to defeat Eggman and ensure a good future for the world.

Sonic 3 and Sonic and Knuckles would see Sonic and Tails battle Eggman yet again, with the additional threat of Sonic's newfound nemesis, the misguided Knuckles the Echidna. Sonic would eventually team up with Knuckles to defeat Eggman once again. Sonic 3D Blast, the first Sonic game to feature 3D pre-rendered graphics was a diversion for Sonic as he rescued birds called Flickies on an island.

Sonic Adventure featured Sonic returning from vacation to find the city of Station Square under attack by a new foe named Chaos as well as Doctor Eggman. The game was the first true 3D Sonic game and was the debut Sonic's homing attack (some argue that the homing attack was first seen in Sonic 3D, however as he required a power-up to do this, it is generally accepted that its first use was in Sonic Adventure). In addition, Sonic was also able to collect power-ups that gave him extra abilities. The game also featured Sonic interacting with non-playable characters and objects in 3D "Adventure" sequences. Sonic Adventure was the first video game title that featured a voice-over for Sonic.

Sonic Adventure 2 involved Sonic being framed for a robbery he didn't commit and on-the-run from the military. He also faces a new rival in Shadow the Hedgehog. However, the two must put their differences aside and save the world from destruction yet again. The game featured power-ups just as the original Sonic Adventure had, but had two parallel stories: "Hero" and "Dark". Unfortunately, it did not have 3D "Adventure" sequences.

In addition to these games, Sonic has been featured in a variety of 8-bit console and handheld games as well. Sonic Triple Trouble saw Sonic and Tails face off against Fang the Sniper for the first time. Sonic Advance and Sonic the Hedgehog Pocket Adventure for the Game Boy Advance and the Neo Geo Pocket respectively were the first games to feature Sonic on a non-Sega game platform. Two sequels to Sonic Advance were released and Sonic has continued his appearances on Nintendo handheld game units with Sonic Rush.

Sonic has also been a featured character in several spin-off titles. The arcade SegaSonic the Hedgehog had Sonic as one of three playable characters. Sonic has also been featured in some pinball games including Sonic Spinball. He is also a selectable character in Sonic R, Sonic Riders and the Sonic Drift racing games. Sonic is a selectable fighter in both Sonic Battle and Sonic Championship.

Origins

Due to the many differences between games, comics, books and cartoons released in different regions, Sonic's history and world varies greatly. In the games, the player knows very little about Sonic's past; he was supposedly born on Christmas Island and has frequently visited South Island. In addition, he and Dr. Ivo "Eggman" Robotnik have a fierce rivalry. Beyond that, though, his past is a mystery. Sonic is something of a nomad; he travels from area to area of the Earth searching for new things to see and do, rarely stopping for anything or anyone unless he's needed, often times getting himself involved in stopping Eggman's schemes to take over the world.

Former US/UK version

The origin of Sonic's blue colouration and super speed was first featured in a promotional comic strip in the US Disney Adventures comic and later described in more detail in Mike Pattenden's Stay Sonic book. It was used in most subsequent UK publications (including Sonic the Comic and the "Martin Adams" series of Sonic novels published by Virgin). Although Stay Sonic and the others were official Sega books, it should not be taken as canon for anything else; neither the video games themselves nor their translated manuals make any mention of it, and since the Sonic Adventure games the Japanese backstories seem to have been officially adopted by all the regional divisions of Sega. This background has therefore not been officially in use since Sonic the Comic ended in 2002.

Sonic was originally an ordinary brown hedgehog with few remarkable qualities. But one day, he accidentally burrowed his way into the secret underground lab of Doctor Ovi Kintobor, a kindly scientist who wanted to make the world a true paradise by removing all evil from it using a machine he called the Retro-Orbital Chaos Compressor. This device used many thousands of gold rings to transfer evil energy into six magnificent "Chaos Emeralds". Of course, Sonic found that a laudable goal, and helped Kintobor by searching Mobius for the seventh and final emerald that was required to completely stabilise all the negative energy contained in the other Chaos Emeralds. Kintobor also helped Sonic to increase his speed using a treadmill and special red shoes he designed himself. Sonic eventually ran so fast that he broke the sound barrier, the resultant shockwave fusing his quills together and turning his body cobalt blue.

Sonic failed to find the seventh emerald, but Kintobor apparently deduced a way to complete the transfer of the chaotic energy to the six emeralds without it. Before initiating the process, the pair planned to eat - but upon opening the fridge, they found it to contain only one rotten egg. Holding it in his hand and distracted by its smell, Kintobor walked back over to the ROCC, only to trip on a cable and fall, his hand slamming into the ROCC control panel. The machine overloaded and exploded, bathing Kintobor - and the egg - in chaos energy, and scattering the golden rings that comprised it across the planet. Doctor Ovi Kintobor had been transformed into the evil Doctor Ivo "Eggman" Robotnik.

Sonic the Comic's version is identical to the former US/UK Version, but it also later featured a story involving time travel that revealed that Sonic himself was responsible for Kintobor's accident. His foes, the Brotherhood of Metallix, had travelled back and removed the rotten egg from the fridge, preventing Robotnik from being created and leaving them free to dominate the planet. In order to prevent this future, Sonic had to replace the egg and pull the cable that tripped Kintobor - thereby making himself responsible for the creation of his greatest enemy (again).

Another young juvenile version appeared in the book Sonic the Hedgehog. In the book, Sonic and Dr. Robotnik were orphans living with "Uncle" Chuck. Sonic loved running and kept burning out his shoes going as fast as sound (how he got so fast is never explained.), so Chuck gave him friction-resistant shoes that would hold out under great friction. Dr. Robotnik loved putting together robots and kept stealing parts for his creations, which made machines swerve out of control, almost killing Sonic and Uncle Chuck. Robotnik was eventually found out and grounded, causing him to go crazy and create a robot to kill Chuck, but was thwarted by Sonic, making Robotnik run away. 7 years later, Sonic and Uncle Chuck started a chili dog stand, hence the orgin of Sonic's favorite food. On one busy day, they recieved an order for 200 chili dogs and Sonic was sent by himself for the delivery. The order was a trap by Robotnik, who captured Uncle Chuck and robotized him. Sonic was almost captured, but escaped and ran off into the woods, where he met Princess Sally and joined the Freedom Fighters. This orgin story was obviously written for young children who wanted a quick explanation of Sonic, as it doesn't explain Sonic's speed, mutation, or home planet.

Relationships

Romance

Image:Sonicrosesamy.jpg

In the video games, Amy Rose (also mistakenly called Princess Sally in the American Sonic CD instruction manual) believes she is Sonic's girlfriend. Although Sonic far from dislikes Amy, he is still quite repelled by her constant advances. However, in the anime series Sonic X, he has a bit more patience for her, and at times there is a mutual fondness between the two.

In the SatAM cartoon, Sonic's love interest is Princess Sally Acorn. The Adventures of Sonic the Hedgehog cartoon features a girlfriend named Breezie Hedgehog, while the Archie comics series featuring Sonic includes both Sally Acorn and Mina Mongoose and also contains Amy Rose and her repelling ways. However in recent comics Sally has broken up with Sonic and Mina is now with her boyfriend/manager Ash.

Family

Sonic apparently has no relatives in the games, Sonic the Comic or Sonic X. In several of the other continuities, however, Sonic does have family members, ranging from his parents and his Uncle Chuck from the Archie Comics version, his mother Queen Aleena and siblings Sonia and Manic from Sonic Underground, to his Uncle Chuck from SatAM. In many instances, Sonic classes Tails as a sort of brother.*

  • In the AoSTH Series, Sonic Takes in Tails because tails is an orphan and doesnt know who his parents are. This weakness of tails' is used several times by Dr.Robotnik to lure and capture Tails in order to capture Sonic. Sonic does consider Tails as his little brother and from time to time refers to him as such.

Appearances in other Media

Television series

Image:SonicXSTH.jpg

There have been several animated television series featuring Sonic. Adventures of Sonic the Hedgehog (AoStH, US) featured Sonic voiced by Jaleel White and Robotnik voiced by Long John Baldry. It had a comical take on Sonic's adventures and battles with Doctor Eggman. Sonic the Hedgehog (SatAM, US), originally broadcast on Saturdays on ABC, was broadcast concurrently with the syndicated Adventures series in the United States. Sonic was voiced by Jaleel White) and Robotnik was voiced by Jim Cummings. The series was far more dark and brooding than Adventures and found a devoted following.

Sonic Underground (US, France) ignored the continuity of the previous series and introduced two siblings and Sonic's mother to the story. Sonic was again voiced by Jaleel White, while Robotnik was voiced by Gary Chalk. There was a Sonic the Hedgehog Anime in Japan which featured Sonic, Tails, Knuckles and Metal Sonic. Sonic was voiced by Masami Kikuchi and Martin Burke in the Japanese and United States versions respectively.

The latest animated sonic series, Sonic X Anime featured Sonic being transported from his world to the human world and loosely follows the storylines from the Sonic Adventure game series. Sonic is voiced by Jun'ichi Kanemaru in the Japanese version and Jason Griffith in the US version. Although many Sonic fans Did not consider the Sonic X version of Sonic to be accurate and true to the Comic and Game hero, this Series still drew thousands of new Fans.

Sonic makes short cameo appearance in Marge Be Not Proud, a Christmas episode of The Simpsons. Here he is voiced by Dan Castallaneta.

Books

Comic books

Several comic books have also been released, each establishing a different storyline about Sonic.

Sonic fan-made dōjinshi have also been released in Japan.

Game books

A series of six Sonic Adventures gamebooks were published in the UK between 1993 and 1996 by Puffin under the Fantail label:

Novels

Stay Sonic by Mike Pattenden developed the "Kintobor origin" (first introduced in the Disney Adventures comic) in more detail. This background was used as the basis of most subsequent UK Sonic stories.

James Wallis, Marc Gascoigne and Carl Sargent (under the pseudonym of Martin Adams) wrote four Sonic the Hedgehog novels based on the origin established in Stay Sonic. They were published in the UK by Virgin Publishing.

  • Book 1 - Sonic the Hedgehog in Robotnik's Laboratory
  • Book 2 - Sonic the Hedgehog in the Fourth Dimension
  • Book 3 - Sonic the Hedgehog and the Silicon Warriors
  • Book 4 - Sonic the Hedgehog in Castle Robotnik

Michael Teitelbaum has also written a series of Sonic novels:

  • Sonic the Hedgehog
  • Sonic the Hedgehog: Robotnik's Revenge
  • Sonic the Hedgehog: Fortress of Fear
  • Sonic the Hedgehog: Friend or Foe?
  • Sonic & Knuckles
  • Sonic X-Treme

Two novels have been written based on the Second/Third season of Sonic X, Meteor Shower Messanger and Spaceship Blue Typhoon.

Others

Trivia

  • One of a class of genes involved in fruit fly embryonic development, called hedgehog genes, has been named "sonic hedgehog" after the character.
  • Sonic was the first video game character to be seen in a Rose Parade in 1996.
  • When Sonic was just two years old, he had already surpassed Nintendo's Mario in popularity according to a June 1993 Q-Survey in Gameplayer's magazine.

See also

Wikiquote has a collection of quotations related to:

External links

Image:Sonic.pngSonic the Hedgehog Characters</font>
Heroes</font> Sonic | Tails | Knuckles | Amy Rose | Cream
Villains</font> Dr. Ivo "Eggman" Robotnik | Metal Sonic
Shadow | Rouge | Fang/Nack | E-102 Gamma
Sonic the Hedgehog series
Sonic the Hedgehog | Sonic 2 | Sonic CD | Sonic 3 | Sonic & Knuckles | Sonic 3D
Sonic Adventure/DX | Sonic Adventure 2/Battle | Sonic Heroes | Sonic (2006)
8-bit series
Sonic the Hedgehog | Sonic the Hedgehog 2 | Sonic Chaos | Sonic Triple Trouble | Sonic Blast
New handheld series
Sonic Pocket Adventure | Sonic Advance/N | Sonic Advance 2 | Sonic Advance 3 | Sonic Rush
Notable spinoffs
SegaSonic the Hedgehog | Sonic Spinball | Knuckles' Chaotix | Tails Adventures
Tails' Skypatrol | Sonic R | Sonic Battle | Shadow the Hedgehog | Sonic Riders
Compilations
Classics | Jam | S&K Collection | Sonic Mega Collection/Plus | Sonic Gems Collection
Cancelled
Sonic Crackers | Sonic X-treme
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