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About Sega Sonic the Hedgehog:
Sega wanted a game capable of selling over one million copies and a
character to replace Alex Kidd as the company's mascot. Several
character designs were submitted by its AM8 research & development
department, including an armadillo (which then developed into Mighty
the Armadillo), a dog, a Theodore Roosevelt look-alike in pajamas
(which would later be the basis of Eggman's design), and a rabbit
(intended to use its extendible ears to collect objects; these
aspects were later incorporated into 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 blue logo, 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 Santa Claus and his personality was
based on Bill Clinton's fast reaction to trouble. The character was
created without the ability to swim because of a mistaken assumption
by Yuji Naka that all hedgehogs couldn't. A group of fifteen people
started working on Sonic the Hedgehog, 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 had Sonic with fangs and in a band with a
human girlfriend named Madonna, however Sega of America "softened"
the character up for an American audience by removing these,
sparking a heated issue with Sonic Team, although Naka later
admitted 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 quite
short and round, with short quills, a round body and no visible
irises (see artwork at left). 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 became
1:2:5
Beginning with Sonic Adventure in 1998, Sonic was redesigned by Yuji
Uekawa as a taller character with longer legs and a less spherical
body, longer and more drooping quills, the addition of shoe buckles,
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 sheets.
Quite a number of different actors have provided the voice for Sonic
in his game appearances. Sonic's first voice actor was Takeshi Kusao
for SegaSonic the Hedgehog, with Junichi Kanemaru continually
voicing the role beginning with the release of Sonic Adventure.
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 anime series Sonic X.
Sonic's first appearance in the video game world was in the platform
game Sonic the Hedgehog (sometimes referred to simply as Sonic 1)
for the Sega Mega Drive/Genesis, which also introduced his nemesis
Dr. Robotnik (more commonly known as Dr. Eggman). His two-tailed fox
friend Miles "Tails" Prower joined him in the game's 1992 sequel
Sonic 2. Sonic CD, released in 1993, introduced Sonic's
self-proclaimed girlfriend Amy Rose and his robotic doppelgänger
Metal Sonic (not to be confused with Mecha Sonic, an alternate model
made later by Dr. Robotnik) as Sonic traveled through time to ensure
a good future for the world. Sonic the Hedgehog 3 and its direct
sequel Sonic & Knuckles, both released in 1994, saw Sonic and Tails
battle Dr. Robotnik again, with the additional threat of Knuckles
the Echidna, tricked by Robotnik into thinking Sonic was a threat to
his home.
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 in (2001), Sonic
Advance 2 (2002), Sonic Advance 3 (2004), Sonic Rush (2005), and
Sonic Rush Adventure (2007).
Sonic Adventure (1998/1999) 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. Eggman. This was also the
first Sonic game to have 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, the Ultimate Life
Form. Sonic Heroes (2004) has Sonic teaming up with Tails and
Knuckles (along with other characters) against the newly rebuilt
Metal Sonic, who had betrayed his master. 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 incredible strength and
flexibility in exchange for his speed.
Sonic and the Secret Rings (2007) features Sonic in a story book
world of the "Arabian Nights". A Nintendo Power cover scan was
released spoiling a new Sonic game titled Sonic and the Black
Knight. Soon after, Sega confirmed that it was in fact real and was
going to be the second title in the Sonic Storybook spinoff series,
making Sonic and the Secret Rings the first.
Sonic has also been featured in games of many genres other than 2D
and 3D platform games. The first of these was a pinball game, Sonic
Spinball (1993), which expanded upon the pinball sequences in the
first three platform games. Then, more spin-offs appeared like:
Sonic Labyrinth (1995) and Sonic 3D Blast (1996), the racing games
Sonic Drift (1994), Sonic Drift 2 (1995), Sonic R (1996), Sonic
Riders (2006), Sonic Rivals (2006), Sonic Rivals 2 (2007) and Sonic
Riders: Zero Gravity (2008), the fighting games Sonic the Fighters
(1996), Sonic Battle (2003), the mobile game Sonic Jump (2005) and
has made an appearance in Super Smash Bros. Brawl (2008). Sonic is
the first playable character in his first role-playing 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.
-- Referenced from
Wikipedia More About Sonic:
On June 23, 1991, platforming action game Sonic the Hedgehog made its debut in
the United States on the Sega Genesis. Sega is marking the anniversary by giving
away tons of free Sonic-related swag. Head over to the publisher's official
Sonic blog for more. Sonic served as the slightly edgier alternative to
then-rival Nintendo and its mascot Mario in the '90s. Both companies were
engaged in a heated console battle as Sega's Genesis battled the Super Nintendo.
Sega would eventually drop out of the console market near the start of this
decade, ceasing production of its final device, the Dreamcast.
Ironically, most of Sonic's recent success stems from a partnership with
Nintendo's mascot in the surprisingly successful Mario and Sonic at the Olympic
Games for the Nintendo Wii and DS. The 2007 title sold 5 million copies within
its first four months at retail. |
