Chaos Emeralds

is a Japanese video game series and media franchise created by Sega. The franchise follows Sonic, an anthropomorphic blue hedgehog who battles the evil Doctor Eggman, a mad scientist. The main ''Sonic the Hedgehog'' games are platformers mostly developed by Sonic Team; other games, developed by various studios, include spin-offs in the racing, fighting, party and sports genres. The franchise also incorporates printed media, animations, feature films, and merchandise.

Sega developed the first ''Sonic'' game, released in 1991 for the Sega Genesis, to compete with Nintendo's mascot Mario. Its success helped Sega become one of the leading video game companies during the fourth generation of video game consoles in the early 1990s. Sega Technical Institute developed the next three ''Sonic'' games, plus the spin-off ''Sonic Spinball'' (1993). A number of ''Sonic'' games were also developed for Sega's 8-bit consoles, the Master System and Game Gear. After a hiatus during the unsuccessful Saturn era, the first major 3D ''Sonic'' game, ''Sonic Adventure'', was released in 1998 for the Dreamcast. Sega exited the console market and shifted to third-party development in 2001, continuing the series on Nintendo, Xbox, and PlayStation systems.

While ''Sonic'' games often have unique game mechanics and stories, they feature recurring elements such as the ring-based health system, level locales, and fast-paced gameplay. Games typically feature Sonic setting out to stop Eggman's schemes for world domination, and the player navigates levels that include springs, slopes, bottomless pits, and vertical loops. Later games added a large cast of characters; some, such as Miles "Tails" Prower, Knuckles the Echidna, and Shadow the Hedgehog, have starred in spin-offs. The franchise has crossed over with other video game franchises in games such as '' Mario & Sonic'', '' Sega All-Stars'', and ''Super Smash Bros.''

''Sonic the Hedgehog'' is Sega's flagship franchise and one of the bestselling video game franchises, selling over units and grossing over . Series sales and free-to-play mobile game downloads totaled . The Genesis ''Sonic'' games have been described as representative of the culture of the 1990s and listed among the greatest of all time. Although later games, notably the 2006 series reboot, have received poor reviews, ''Sonic'' is influential in the video game industry and is frequently referenced in popular culture. The franchise is known for its fandom that produces unofficial media, such as fan art and fangames.

History

1990–1991: Conception and first game

By 1990, the Japanese video game company Sega wanted a foothold in the video game console market with its 16-bit console, the Sega Genesis. Sega's efforts had been stymied by the dominance of Nintendo; the Genesis did not have a large install base and Nintendo did not take Sega seriously as a competitor. Sega of America CEO Michael Katz attempted to challenge Nintendo with the " Genesis does what Nintendon't" marketing campaign and by collaborating with athletes and celebrities to create games. These efforts did not break Nintendo's dominance, and Katz was replaced by Tom Kalinske, formerly of Mattel.

Sega president Hayao Nakayama decided Sega needed a flagship series and mascot to compete with Nintendo's ''Mario'' franchise. Nintendo had recently released '' Super Mario Bros. 3'', at the time the bestselling video game ever. Sega's strategy had been based on porting its successful arcade games to the Genesis; however, Nakayama recognized that Sega needed a star character in a game that could demonstrate the power of the Genesis's hardware. An internal contest was held to determine a flagship game, with a focus on the American audience. Among the teams working on proposals were artist Naoto Ohshima and programmer Yuji Naka. The gameplay of ''Sonic the Hedgehog'' (1991) originated with a tech demo created by Naka, who had developed an algorithm that allowed a sprite to move smoothly on a curve by determining its position with a dot matrix. Naka's prototype was a platform game that involved a fast-moving character rolling in a ball through a long winding tube. Sega management accepted the duo's project and they were joined by designer Hirokazu Yasuhara.

After Yasuhara joined Naka and Ohshima, their focus shifted to the protagonist, who Sega hoped could become its mascot. The protagonist was initially a rabbit able to grasp objects with prehensile ears, but the concept proved too complex for the hardware. The team moved on to animals that could roll into a ball, and eventually settled on Sonic, a teal hedgehog created by Ohshima. Naka's prototype was fleshed out with Ohshima's character design and levels conceived by Yasuhara. Sonic's color was chosen to match Sega's cobalt blue logo, and his red and white shoes were inspired by the cover of Michael Jackson's 1987 album '' Bad''. His personality was based on Bill Clinton's "can-do" attitude. The antagonist, Doctor Eggman, was another character Ohshima had designed for the contest. The team thought the abandoned design was excellent and retooled the character into a villain. The team took the name Sonic Team for the game's release.

Sonic's first appearance came in Sega AM3's racing game ''Rad Mobile'' (1991) five months before the release of ''Sonic the Hedgehog'', as an ornament hanging from the driver's rearview mirror. The ''Sonic'' developers let AM3 use Sonic because they were interested in making the character visible to the public. Although Katz was certain that ''Sonic'' would not be popular with American children, new CEO Kalinske arranged to place ''Sonic the Hedgehog'' as the pack-in game with the Genesis. Featuring speedy gameplay, ''Sonic the Hedgehog'' received critical acclaim. It greatly increased the popularity of the Sega Genesis in North America, credited with helping Sega gain 65% of the market share against Nintendo.

1991–1995: Genesis sequels

Naka was dissatisfied with his treatment at Sega and felt he received little credit for his involvement in the success. He quit but was hired by Mark Cerny to work at the US-based Sega Technical Institute (STI), with a higher salary and more creative freedom. Yasuhara also decided to move to STI. STI began work on ''Sonic the Hedgehog 2'' (1992) in November 1991. Level artist Yasushi Yamaguchi designed Sonic's new sidekick, Tails, a flying two-tailed fox inspired by the mythological kitsune. Like its predecessor, ''Sonic the Hedgehog 2'' was a major success, but its development suffered from the language barrier and cultural differences between the Japanese and American developers. While STI developed ''Sonic 2'', Ohshima led a team in Japan to create ''Sonic CD'' for the Genesis's CD-ROM accessory, the Sega CD; it was conceived as an enhanced port of ''Sonic 2'', but evolved into a separate project.

Once development on ''Sonic 2'' concluded, Cerny departed and was replaced by Roger Hector. STI divided into two teams: the Japanese developers led by Naka, and the American developers. The Japanese began work on ''Sonic the Hedgehog 3''. It was initially developed as an isometric game using the Sega Virtua Processor chip, but was restarted as a more conventional side-scrolling game after the chip was delayed. It introduced Sonic's rival Knuckles, created by artist Takashi Thomas Yuda. Due to an impending promotion with McDonald's and cartridges size constraints, the project was split in two: the first half, ''Sonic 3'', was released in February 1994, and the second, ''Sonic & Knuckles'', a few months later. The ''Sonic & Knuckles'' cartridge contains an adapter that allows players to connect it to ''Sonic 3'', creating a combined game, ''Sonic 3 & Knuckles''. ''Sonic 3'' and ''Sonic & Knuckles'', as with their predecessors, were acclaimed. To release a ''Sonic'' game in time for the 1993 holiday shopping season, Sega commissioned the American team to make a new game, the spin-off ''Sonic Spinball''. While ''Spinball'' received poor reviews, it sold well and helped build the reputation of its developers.

A number of ''Sonic'' games were developed for Sega's 8-bit consoles, the Master System and the handheld Game Gear. The first, an 8-bit version of the original ''Sonic'', was developed by Ancient to promote the Game Gear and released in December 1991. Aspect Co. developed most of the subsequent 8-bit ''Sonic'' games, beginning with a version of ''Sonic 2''. Other ''Sonic'' games released during this period include ''Dr. Robotnik's Mean Bean Machine'' (1993), a Western localization of the Japanese puzzle game ''Puyo Puyo'' (1991), ''SegaSonic the Hedgehog'' (1993), an arcade game featuring isometric gameplay, and ''Knuckles' Chaotix'' (1995), a spin-off for the Genesis's 32X add-on starring Knuckles.

1996–1998: Saturn era

Following the release of ''Sonic & Knuckles'', Yasuhara quit Sega and Naka returned to Japan, having been offered a role as a producer. He was reunited with Ohshima and brought with him Takashi Iizuka, who had worked with Naka's team at STI. With Naka's return, Sonic Team was officially formed as a brand. Sonic Team began to work on a new intellectual property, '' Nights into Dreams'' (1996), for Sega's 32-bit Saturn console. In 1996, towards the end of the Genesis's lifecycle, Sega released ''Sonic 3D Blast'', an isometric game based on the original ''Sonic 3'' concept, as the system still had a large install base. It was the final ''Sonic'' game produced for the Genesis, and was developed as a swan song for the system. Since Sonic Team was preoccupied with ''Nights into Dreams'', ''3D Blast'' was outsourced to the British studio Traveller's Tales. While ''3D Blast'' sold well, it was criticized for its gameplay, controls, and slow pace.

Meanwhile, in America, STI worked on ''Sonic X-treme'', a 3D ''Sonic'' game for the Saturn intended for the 1996 holiday shopping season. Development was hindered by disputes between Sega of America and Japan, Naka's reported refusal to let STI use the ''Nights'' game engine, and problems adapting the series to 3D. After two lead developers became ill, ''X-treme'' was canceled. Journalists and fans have speculated about the impact ''X-treme'' might have had if it was released, with producer Mike Wallis believing it "definitely would have been competitive" with the first 3D ''Mario'' game, ''Super Mario 64'' (1996). Due to ''X-treme'' cancellation, Sega ported ''Sonic 3D Blast'' to the Saturn with updated graphics and bonus levels developed by Sonic Team.

In 1997, Sega announced "Project Sonic", a promotional campaign aimed at increasing market awareness of and renewing excitement for the ''Sonic'' brand. The first Project Sonic release was ''Sonic Jam'', a compilation of the main Genesis ''Sonic'' games which included a 3D overworld Sonic Team used to experiment with 3D ''Sonic'' gameplay. Sonic Team and Traveller's Tales collaborated again on the second Project Sonic game, ''Sonic R'', a 3D racing game and the only original ''Sonic'' game for the Saturn. ''Sonic Jam'' was well received, while ''Sonic R'' reviews were more divided. The cancellation of ''Sonic X-treme'', as well as the Saturn's general lack of ''Sonic'' games, are considered important factors in the Saturn's commercial failure. According to Nick Thorpe of ''Retro Gamer'', "By mid-1997 Sonic had essentially been shuffled into the background... it was astonishing to see that just six years after his debut, Sonic was already retro."

1998–2005: Transition to 3D

With its ''Sonic Jam'' experiments, Sonic Team began developing a 3D ''Sonic'' platformer for the Saturn. The project stemmed from a proposal by Iizuka to develop a ''Sonic'' role-playing video game (RPG) with an emphasis on storytelling. Development moved to Sega's new console, the Dreamcast, which Naka believed would allow for the ultimate ''Sonic'' game. ''Sonic Adventure'', directed by Iizuka and released in 1998, was one of the first sixth-generation video games. It introduced elements that became series staples, such as artist Yuji Uekawa's new character designs influenced by comics and animation. In 1999, Iizuka and 11 other Sonic Team members relocated to San Francisco and established Sonic Team USA to develop the more action-oriented ''Sonic Adventure 2'' (2001). Between the releases, Ohshima left Sega to form Artoon. While both ''Adventure'' games were well received and the first sold over two million copies, consumer interest in the Dreamcast quickly faded, and Sega's attempts to spur sales through lower prices and cash rebates caused escalating financial losses.

In January 2001, Sega announced it was discontinuing the Dreamcast to become a third-party developer. The following December, Sega released an expanded port of ''Sonic Adventure 2'' for Nintendo's GameCube. Afterward, Sonic Team USA developed the first multi-platform ''Sonic'' game, ''Sonic Heroes'' (2003), for the GameCube, Microsoft's Xbox, and Sony's PlayStation 2. The game, again directed by Iizuka, was designed for a broad audience, and Sonic Team revived elements not seen since the Genesis era, such as special stages and the Chaotix characters. Reviews for ''Sonic Heroes'' were mixed; while its graphics and gameplay were praised, critics felt it failed to address the problems of previous ''Sonic'' games, such as the camera. Iizuka later reflected that developing ''Heroes'' was the most stressful experience in his career; he lost 22 pounds due to the crunch conditions he worked under. Sonic Team also ported ''Sonic Adventure'' with additional content to the GameCube in 2003 and Windows in 2004, to mixed reviews.

Sega continued to release 2D ''Sonic'' games. In 1999, it collaborated with SNK to produce ''Sonic the Hedgehog Pocket Adventure'', an adaptation of ''Sonic 2'' for the Neo Geo Pocket Color. Some SNK staff formed Dimps the following year, and developed original 2D ''Sonic'' games—''Sonic Advance'' (2001), ''Sonic Advance 2'' (2002), and ''Sonic Advance 3'' (2004)—for Nintendo's Game Boy Advance (GBA). ''Sonic Advance'' was the first original ''Sonic'' game released for a Nintendo console after Sega and Nintendo's fierce rivalry in the 1990s. It was outsourced to Dimps because Sonic Team was understaffed with employees familiar with the GBA. Dimps also developed ''Sonic Rush'' (2005) for the Nintendo DS, which uses a 2.5D perspective. Dimps's projects received generally favorable reviews. To introduce older games to new fans, Sonic Team developed two compilations, ''Sonic Mega Collection'' (2002) and ''Sonic Gems Collection'' (2005). Further spin-offs included the party game ''Sonic Shuffle'' (2000), the pinball game ''Sonic Pinball Party'' (2003), and the fighting game ''Sonic Battle'' (2003).

2005–2010: Franchise struggles

Sonic Team USA was renamed Sega Studios USA after completing ''Sonic Heroes''. Sega and Sonic Team leadership became in constant flux while they began experimenting with diverging from the established ''Sonic'' formula. Sega Studios USA's first post-''Heroes'' project was ''Shadow the Hedgehog'' (2005), a spin-off starring the popular ''Adventure 2'' character Shadow. While ''Shadow'' retains most elements from previous ''Sonic'' games, it was aimed at a mature audience and introduced third-person shooting and nonlinear gameplay. ''Shadow the Hedgehog'' was panned for its controls, level design, and mature themes, but was a commercial success, selling at least 1.59 million units.

For the franchise's 15th anniversary in 2006, Sonic Team developed ''Sonic Riders'', ''Sonic the Hedgehog'', and a GBA port of the original ''Sonic''. ''Sonic Riders'', the first ''Sonic'' racing game since ''Sonic R'', was designed to appeal extreme sports fans as well as regular ''Sonic'' fans. With a more realistic setting than previous entries, ''Sonic the Hedgehog''—commonly referred to as ''Sonic '06''—was intended to reboot the series for seventh-generation consoles such as the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3. The development faced serious problems; Naka, the last of the original ''Sonic'' development team, resigned as head of Sonic Team to form Prope, and the team split so work could begin on a Nintendo Wii ''Sonic'' game. According to Iizuka, these incidents, coupled with stringent Sega deadlines and an unpolished game engine, forced Sonic Team to rush development. None of the 15th-anniversary ''Sonic'' games were successful critically, and ''Sonic '06'' became regarded as the worst game in the series, panned for its bugs, camera, controls, and story. Brian Shea of ''Game Informer'' wrote that it " ecamesynonymous with the struggles the ''Sonic the Hedgehog'' franchise had faced in recent years. ''Sonic 06' was meant to be a return to the series' roots, but it ended up damning the franchise in the eyes of many."

The first ''Sonic'' game for the Wii, ''Sonic and the Secret Rings'' (2007), takes place in the world of ''Arabian Nights'' and was released instead of a port of ''Sonic '06''. Citing lengthy development times, Sega switched plans and conceived a game that would use the motion detection of the Wii Remote. Sega released a sequel, ''Sonic and the Black Knight'', set in the world of King Arthur, in 2009. ''Secret Rings'' and ''Black Knight'' form what is known as the ''Sonic Storybook'' sub-series. A ''Sonic Riders'' sequel, ''Zero Gravity'' (2008), was developed for the Wii and PlayStation 2. Dimps returned to the ''Sonic'' series with ''Sonic Rush Adventure'', a sequel to ''Sonic Rush'', in 2007, while BioWare developed the first ''Sonic'' RPG'','' '' Sonic Chronicles: The Dark Brotherhood'' (2008), also for the DS. Backbone Entertainment developed two ''Sonic'' games exclusive to the PlayStation Portable, ''Sonic Rivals'' (2006) and ''Sonic Rivals 2'' (2007).

Following Naka's departure, Akinori Nishiyama, who worked on the ''Sonic Advance'' and ''Rush'' games, became Sonic Team's general manager. Sonic Team began working on ''Sonic Unleashed'' (2008) in 2005. It was conceived as a sequel to ''Adventure 2'', but became a standalone entry after Sonic Team introduced innovations to separate it from the ''Adventure'' games. With ''Unleashed'', Sonic Team sought to combine the best aspects of 2D and 3D ''Sonic'' games and address criticisms of previous 3D entries, although reviews were mixed due to the addition of a beat 'em up game mode in which Sonic transforms into a werewolf-like beast. After Nishiyama was promoted in 2010, Iizuka was installed as the head of Sonic Team and became the ''Sonic'' producer.

2010–present: Refocusing and new directions

Iizuka felt ''Sonic'' was struggling because it lacked unified direction, so Sonic Team refocused on more traditional side-scrolling elements and fast-paced gameplay.Hester, Blake
"Sonic the Hedgehog's long, great, rocky history"
''Polygon''
Archived
from the original on December 1, 2016. Retrieved November 19 2016. ''Sonic the Hedgehog 4'', a side-scrolling episodic sequel to ''Sonic & Knuckles'' co-developed by Sonic Team and Dimps, began with '' Episode I'' in 2010, followed by '' Episode II'' in 2012. Later in 2010, Sega released ''Sonic Colors'' for the Wii and DS, which expanded on the well received aspects of ''Unleashed'' and introduced the Wisp power-ups. For the series' 20th anniversary in 2011, Sega released ''Sonic Generations'' for the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, and Windows; a separate version was developed by Dimps for the Nintendo 3DS. ''Sonic Generations'' featured reimagined versions of levels from previous ''Sonic'' games and reintroduced the "classic" Sonic design from the Genesis era. These efforts were better received, especially in comparison to ''Sonic '06'' and ''Unleashed''.

In May 2013, Nintendo announced it was collaborating with Sega to produce ''Sonic'' games for its Wii U and 3DS platforms. The first game in the partnership, 2013's ''Sonic Lost World'', was also the first ''Sonic'' game for eighth-generation hardware. ''Sonic Lost World'' was designed to be streamlined and fluid in movement and design, borrowing elements from Nintendo's ''Super Mario Galaxy'' games and the canceled ''X-treme''. The second was '' Mario & Sonic at the Sochi 2014 Olympic Winter Games'' (2013) for the Wii U, the fourth '' Mario & Sonic'' game and a 2014 Winter Olympics tie-in (see Crossovers section). The deal was completed in 2014 with the release of '' Sonic Boom: Rise of Lyric'' for the Wii U and '' Sonic Boom: Shattered Crystal'' for the 3DS; these games were based on the ''Sonic Boom'' television series.Lien, Tracey (February 6, 2014)
"Sonic Boom gives Sega's series a new look, two new developers"
''Polygon''
Archived
from the original on February 7, 2014. Retrieved February 6, 2014. ''Sonic Lost World'' polarized critics, while critics found ''Mario & Sonic at the Sochi 2014 Olympic Winter Games'' mediocre and panned the ''Sonic Boom'' games. '' Sonic Boom: Fire & Ice'', a ''Shattered Crystal'' sequel, was released in 2016.

Sega began to release more ''Sonic'' games for mobile phones, such as iOS and Android devices. After Australian programmer Christian "Taxman" Whitehead developed a version of ''Sonic CD'' for modern consoles in 2011, he collaborated with fellow ''Sonic'' fan Simon "Stealth" Thomley to develop remasters of the original ''Sonic the Hedgehog'' and ''Sonic the Hedgehog 2'' for iOS and Android, which were released in 2013. The remasters were developed using Whitehead's Retro Engine, an engine tailored for 2D projects, and received praise. ''Sonic Dash'' (2013), a ''Temple Run''-style endless runner, was developed by Hardlight and downloaded over 350 million times by 2020 and received a ''Sonic Boom''-themed sequel in 2015. Sonic Team released ''Sonic Runners'', its first game for mobile devices, in 2015. ''Sonic Runners'' was also an endless runner, but was unsuccessful and was discontinued a year after release. Gameloft released a sequel, ''Sonic Runners Adventure'', in 2017 to generally positive reviews.

In a 2015 interview with ''Polygon'', Iizuka acknowledged that contemporary ''Sonic'' games had been disappointing. He hoped, from then on, that the Sonic Team logo would stand as a "mark of quality"; he planned to release quality games and expand the ''Sonic'' brand, while retaining the modern Sonic design. Iizuka and most of Sonic Team relocated to Burbank, California to oversee the franchise with a new team. At the San Diego Comic-Con in July 2016, Sega announced two ''Sonic'' games to coincide with the series' 25th anniversary: ''Sonic Mania'' and ''Sonic Forces''. Both were released for the PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, and Windows in 2017. ''Sonic Mania'' was developed by the independent game developers PagodaWest Games and Headcannon with a staff comprising members of the ''Sonic'' fandom; Whitehead conceived the project and served as director. The game, which emulates the gameplay and visuals of the Genesis entries, received the best reviews for a ''Sonic'' game in 15 years. Meanwhile, Sonic Team developed ''Sonic Forces'', which revives the dual gameplay of ''Sonic Generations'' along with a third gameplay style featuring the player's custom character. ''Sonic Forces'' received mixed reviews,
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In 2019, Sega released a kart racing game, ''Team Sonic Racing'' (2019), developed by Sumo Digital. In May 2021, Sega announced several ''Sonic'' projects for the series' 30th anniversary, including a remaster of ''Sonic Colors'', the compilation ''Sonic Origins'', and the 2022 game ''Sonic Frontiers''. ''Frontiers'' was the first ''Sonic'' game to feature open-world inspired design, and Iizuka expressed hope that it would inform future games in a similar way to ''Sonic Adventure''. ''Frontiers'' received moderately positive reviews, with critics and fans considering it flawed but a solid direction for the franchise, and sold strongly.

Characters and story

The ''Sonic'' franchise is known for its large cast of characters; ''Sonic the Fighters'' (1996) producer Yu Suzuki joked that anyone who makes a ''Sonic'' game has the duty to create new characters. The first game introduced Sonic, a blue hedgehog who can run at incredible speeds, and Doctor Eggman, a rotund mad scientist. During the Genesis era, Eggman was referred to as Doctor Ivo Robotnik in Western territories. Sega of America's Dean Sitton made the change without consulting the Japanese developers, who did not want a single character to have two different names. Since ''Sonic Adventure'', the character has been referred to as Eggman in all territories, although the Robotnik name is still acknowledged.

''Sonic'' games traditionally follow Sonic's efforts to stop Eggman, who schemes to obtain the Chaos Emeralds—seven emeralds with mystical powers. The Emeralds can turn thoughts into power, warp time and space with a technique called Chaos Control, give energy to living things, and be used to create nuclear or laser-based weaponry. They typically act as MacGuffins in the stories. Eggman seeks the Emeralds in his quest to conquer the world, and traps animals in aggressive robots and prison capsules. Because Sonic Team was inspired by the culture of the 1990s, ''Sonic'' features environmental themes. Sonic represents "nature", while Eggman represents "machinery" and "development"—a play on the then-growing debate between environmentalists and developers.

Much of the supporting cast was introduced in the succeeding games for the Genesis and its add-ons. ''Sonic 2'' introduced Sonic's sidekick Miles "Tails" Prower, a fox who can fly using his two tails. ''Sonic CD'' introduced Amy Rose, a pink hedgehog and Sonic's self-proclaimed girlfriend, and Metal Sonic, a robotic doppelgänger of Sonic created by Eggman. ''Sonic 3'' introduced Sonic's rival Knuckles, a red echidna and the guardian of the Master Emerald. The Master Emerald, introduced in ''Sonic & Knuckles'', controls the power of the Chaos Emeralds. ''Knuckles' Chaotix'' introduced the Chaotix, a group comprising Espio the Chameleon, Vector the Crocodile, and Charmy Bee. A number of characters introduced during this period, such as Mighty the Armadillo and Ray the Flying Squirrel from ''SegaSonic the Hedgehog'' and Fang the Sniper from ''Sonic Triple Trouble'' (1994), faded into obscurity, although they sometimes reappear.

During ''Sonic Adventure'' development, Sonic Team discovered that the relatively simple character designs did not suit a 3D environment. The art style was modernized to alter the characters' proportions and make them appeal to Western audiences. Since ''Sonic Adventure'', the series' cast has expanded. Notable characters include Big, a large cat who fishes for his pet frog Froggy; the E-100 Series of robots;''Sonic Adventure'' (Dreamcast) instruction manual, pp. 26–27. Shadow, a brooding black hedgehog; Rouge, a treasure-hunting bat; Blaze, a cat from an alternate dimension; and Silver, a telekinetic hedgehog from the future. The Chao creatures function as digital pets and minor gameplay elements, and Wisp creatures function as power-ups. Flicky, the blue bird from Sega's 1984 arcade game, appears in several ''Sonic'' games, most notably ''3D Blast''.

Some ''Sonic'' characters have featured in spin-off games. Eggman is the featured character of ''Dr. Robotnik's Mean Bean Machine'', a Western localization of ''Puyo Puyo''. Sega replaced the ''Puyo Puyo'' characters with ''Sonic'' characters because it feared ''Puyo Puyo'' would not be popular with a Western audience. In 1995, Sega released the Knuckles spinoff ''Knuckles' Chaotix'' for the 32X, and two Tails spin-offs for Game Gear: ''Tails' Skypatrol'' (a scrolling shooter) and ''Tails Adventure'' (a Metroidvania game). ''Shadow the Hedgehog'' (2005) was developed in response to the Shadow character's popularity and to introduce "gun action" gameplay to the franchise. Iizuka has said that future spin-offs, such as sequels to ''Knuckles' Chaotix'' and ''Shadow the Hedgehog'' or a Big the Cat game, remain possibilities.

Gameplay

The ''Sonic'' series is characterized by speed-based platforming gameplay. Controlling the player character, the player navigates a series of levels at high speeds while jumping between platforms, fighting enemies and bosses, and avoiding obstacles. The series contains both 2D and 3D games. 2D entries generally feature simple, pinball-like gameplay—with jumping and attacking controlled by a single button—and branching level paths that require memorization to maintain speed. Meanwhile, 3D entries tend to be more linear in design, feature various level objectives, different movesets, and allow players to upgrade and customize the playable character. Games since ''Sonic Unleashed'' have blended 2D and 3D gameplay, with the camera shifting between side-scrolling and third-person perspectives.

One distinctive game mechanic of ''Sonic'' games are collectible golden rings spread throughout levels, which act as a form of health. Players possessing rings can survive upon sustaining damage, but the rings are scattered and the player has a short amount of time to re-collect some of them before they disappear. Collecting 100 rings usually rewards the player an extra life. Rings have other uses in certain games, such as currency in ''Sonic '06'', restoring health bars in ''Sonic Unleashed'', or improving statistics in ''Sonic Riders''. Levels in ''Sonic'' games feature elements such as slopes, bottomless pits, and vertical loops. Springs, springboards, and dash panels are scattered throughout and catapult the player at high speeds in a particular direction. Players' progress in levels is saved through passing checkpoints. Checkpoints serve other uses in various games, such as entering bonus stages. Some settings, most notably Green Hill Zone, recur throughout the series.

The series contains numerous power-ups, which are held in boxes that appear throughout levels. An icon indicates what it contains, and the player releases the item by destroying the box. Common items in boxes include rings, a shield, invincibility, high speed, and extra lives. ''Sonic Colors'' introduces the Wisps, a race of extraterrestrial creatures that act as power-ups. Each Wisp has its own special ability corresponding to its color; for instance, yellow Wisps allow players to drill underground and find otherwise inaccessible areas.

In most ''Sonic'' games, the goal is to collect the Chaos Emeralds; the player is required to collect them all to defeat Eggman and achieve the games' good endings. ''Sonic'' games that do not feature the Chaos Emeralds, such as ''Sonic CD'', feature different collectibles that otherwise function the same. Players find the Emeralds by entering portals, opening portals using 50 rings, or scouting them within levels themselves. Sometimes, the Emeralds are collected automatically as the story progresses. By collecting the Emeralds, players are rewarded with their characters' "Super" form and can activate it by collecting 50 rings in a stage. The Super transformations grant the player character more speed, a farther jump, and invincibility, but their ring count drains by the second; the transformation lasts until all the rings have been used. Some games require the player to collect all the Chaos Emeralds to reach the final boss.

''Sonic'' games often share basic gameplay, but some have game mechanics that distinguish them from others. For instance, ''Knuckles' Chaotix'' is similar to previous entries in the series, but introduces a partner system whereby the player is connected to another character via a tether; the tether behaves like a rubber band and must be used to maneuver the characters. ''Sonic Unleashed'' introduces the Werehog, a beat 'em up gameplay style in which Sonic transforms into a werewolf-like beast and must fight enemies using brute strength. Both the ''Sonic Storybook'' games feature unique concepts: ''Secret Rings'' is controlled exclusively using the Wii Remote's motion detection, which ''Black Knight'' incorporates hack and slash gameplay. While some games feature Sonic as the only playable character, others feature multiple, who have alternate movesets and storylines. For instance, in ''Sonic & Knuckles'', Knuckles goes through the same levels as Sonic, but his story is different, he explores different parts of the levels, and certain areas are more difficult.

Many ''Sonic'' games contain multiplayer and cooperative gameplay, beginning with ''Sonic the Hedgehog 2''. In some games, if the player chooses to control Sonic and Tails together, a second player can join at any time and control Tails separately. ''Sonic'' games also feature a split-screen competitive mode in which two players race to the end of the stage.

Music

For the original ''Sonic the Hedgehog'', Sega commissioned Masato Nakamura, bassist and songwriter of the J-pop band Dreams Come True, to compose the soundtrack. Nakamura returned to compose ''Sonic 2'' soundtrack. Dreams Come True owns the rights to Nakamura's score, which created problems when the ''Sonic Spinball'' team used his ''Sonic'' theme music without permission. For ''Sonic CD'', two soundtracks were composed; the original, featured in the Japanese and European releases, was composed by Naofumi Hataya and Masafumi Ogata, while the North American score was composed by Spencer Nilsen, David Young, and Mark Crew.

A number of composers contributed to the ''Sonic the Hedgehog 3'' score, including Sega sound staff and independent contractors recruited to finish the game on schedule. According to conflicting sources, American pop musician Michael Jackson, a ''Sonic'' fan, composed music for ''Sonic 3''. Ohshima and Hector said Jackson's involvement was terminated and his music removed following the first allegations of sexual abuse against him, but composers involved with the project said his contributions remained.

''Sonic 3'' was the first ''Sonic'' game composer Jun Senoue worked on. Senoue has composed the music for many ''Sonic'' games since ''Sonic 3D Blast'', often with his band Crush 40, which he formed with Hardline vocalist Johnny Gioeli. While the Genesis ''Sonic'' soundtracks were characterized by electropop, Senoue's scores typically feature funk and rock music. Tomoya Ohtani has been the series' sound director since ''Sonic the Hedgehog'' in 2006, and was the lead composer for that game, ''Sonic Unleashed'', ''Sonic Colors'', ''Sonic Lost World'', ''Sonic Runners'', and ''Sonic Forces''. Ohtani said he attempts to "express through music the greatest features each game has", citing the diverse and energetic score of ''Sonic Unleashed'' and the more science fiction-style score of ''Sonic Colors'' as examples''.''

Other composers who have contributed to ''Sonic'' games include Richard Jacques and Hideki Naganuma. Tee Lopes—known for releasing unofficial remixes of ''Sonic'' tracks on YouTube—was the lead composer for ''Sonic Mania'' and a contributor to ''Team Sonic Racing''. The main theme of the 2006 ''Sonic the Hedgehog'' was performed by Ali Tabatabaee and Matty Lewis of the band Zebrahead, while Akon remixed " Sweet Sweet Sweet" for its soundtrack. Doug Robb, the lead singer of Hoobastank, performed the main theme of ''Sonic Forces''. One of the ending themes of ''Sonic Frontiers'', "Vandalize", was performed by the Japanese rock band One Ok Rock.

Other media

Animation

In 1992, Sega approached the American Broadcasting Company (ABC) about producing two television series—"a syndicated show for the after-school audience" and a Saturday-morning cartoon—based on ''Sonic''. Kalinske "had seen how instrumental the launch of ''He-Man and the Masters of the Universe'' cartoon series was to the success of the toyline" during his time at Mattel and believed that success could be recreated using ''Sonic''. The two cartoons, the syndicated ''Adventures of Sonic the Hedgehog'' (1993) and ABC's ''Sonic the Hedgehog'' (1993–1994), were produced by DIC Entertainment. DIC also produced a ''Sonic'' Christmas special in 1996, and ''Sonic Underground'' in 1999, to promote ''Sonic Adventure''. DIC's ''Sonic'' adaptations are generally not held in high regard.

''Adventures of Sonic the Hedgehog'' comprises 65 episodes overseen by ''Ren & Stimpy'' director Kent Butterworth and features slapstick humor in the vein of ''Looney Tunes''. The 26-episode ''Sonic the Hedgehog'' (commonly called ''Sonic SatAM'') features a bleak setting in which Eggman has conquered the world, while Sonic is a member of a resistance force that opposes him. The series was canceled after two seasons. ''Sonic Underground'' was planned to last 65 episodes, but only 40 were produced. The series follows Sonic and his siblings Manic and Sonia, who use the power of music to fight Eggman and reunite with their mother. In all three DiC series, Sonic is voiced by ''Family Matters'' star Jaleel White.

In Japan, Sega and Sonic Team collaborated with Studio Pierrot to produce a two-part original video animation (OVA), ''Sonic the Hedgehog'', released direct-to-video in Japan in 1996. To coincide with ''Sonic Adventure'' Western release in 1999, ADV Films released the OVA in North America as a 55-minute film, ''Sonic the Hedgehog: The Movie''. Produced with input from Naka and Ohshima, the OVA is loosely based on ''Sonic CD'', with elements from ''Sonic the Hedgehog 2'' and ''3'', and recounts Sonic's efforts to stop a generator taken over by Eggman from exploding and destroying their world. Patrick Lee of ''The A.V. Club'' said the OVA was "the only cartoon to adapt the look, sound, and feel of the ''Sonic'' games", with familiar scenes and music.

''Sonic X'', an anime series produced by TMS Entertainment and overseen by Naka, ran for three seasons (78 episodes) from 2003 to 2006. While previous series' episodes feature self-contained plots, ''Sonic X'' tells a single serialized story. The ''Sonic'' cast teleports from their home planet to Earth during a scuffle with Eggman, where they meet a human boy, Chris Thorndyke. Throughout the course of the series, Sonic and his friends attempt to return to their world while fighting Eggman. The second season adapts the ''Sonic Adventure'' games and ''Sonic Battle'', while the third season sees the friends return with Chris to their world, where they enter outer space and fight an army of aliens. Some critics enjoyed ''Sonic X'', while others disliked it. Although it suffered from poor ratings in Japan, ''Sonic X'' consistently topped ratings for its timeslot in the US and France.

''Sonic Boom'', a computer-animated series produced by Sega and Genao Productions, premiered on Cartoon Network in November 2014. It features a satirical take on the ''Sonic'' mythos, and the franchise's cast was redesigned for it. According to Iizuka, ''Sonic Boom'' came about as a desire to appeal more to Western audiences, and it ran parallel with the main ''Sonic'' franchise. ''Sonic Boom'' lasted for two seasons and the last episode aired in 2017. In May 2020, Sega brand officer Ivo Gerscovich stated that no further episodes of ''Sonic Boom'' would be produced.

To promote the release of ''Sonic Mania Plus'' (2018), a five-part series of animated shorts, ''Sonic Mania Adventures'', was released on the ''Sonic the Hedgehog'' YouTube channel between March 30 and July 17, 2018. The series depicts Sonic's return to his world following the events of ''Sonic Forces'', teaming up with his friends to prevent Eggman and Metal Sonic from collecting the Chaos Emeralds and Master Emerald. An additional Christmas-themed episode was released on December 21, 2018. The shorts were written and directed by Tyson Hesse, who created ''Sonic Mania'' opening cutscene. Similarly, Hesse produced a two-part animated series to tie in with the release of ''Team Sonic Racing'' in 2019. Sonic and Tails also appeared as guest stars in ''OK K.O.! Let's Be Heroes'' in August 2019.

''Sonic Prime'', a computer-animated ''Sonic'' series, is in development at Netflix. The series is co-produced by Netflix Animation, Sega of America, WildBrain Studios, and Man of Action Entertainment and is scheduled to premiere in December 2022.

Comics

Shogakukan published a ''Sonic the Hedgehog'' manga series in its ''Shogaku Yonensei'' magazine, beginning in 1992. Written by Kenji Terada and illustrated by Sango Norimoto, it follows a sweet but cowardly young hedgehog named Nicky whose alter ego is the cocky, heroic Sonic. According to character artist Kazuyuki Hoshino, the manga was part of Sega's promotional strategy to appeal to primary school children. The ''Sonic'' design team worked with Shogakukan to create new characters; Amy Rose and Charmy Bee originated in the manga before appearing in the games. – via YouTube. Event occurs at 0:42:22.

The longest-running ''Sonic''-based publication is the 290-issue ''Sonic the Hedgehog'', an American comic book published by Archie Comics

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