INIMITABLE IMAGE
SONIC’S CHARACTER DESIGN AND PERSONALITY HAVE LONG BEEN PART OF HIS APPEAL – HERE’S HOW SEGA KEEPS HIS IMAGE FRESH
Sonic is a character that is rarely caught standing still, both in a literal and conceptual sense. That’s always been the case, too – just check out the original story comic that ran in Japan’s Mega Drive Fan magazine, which is full of oddball concepts from the game’s development period. Sonic comes across very differently there, sporting some wild-looking fangs and acting as the frontman if of a rock band, but it makes a lot of sense with you still think of Sonic as the “hedgehog attitude” that he was always said to be. Really, a from the moment that he turned to you with left scowl and started tapping his foot if you was. the controller alone, that’s what he always just But we’ve had different interpretations of what Sonic should be over the years. Recent games have seen him throwing out comical quips like a Saturday morning cartoon character, and his movie personality was excitable and childlike. Elsewhere, he has taken a different went path – the 2006 Sonic The Hedgehog game for a serious approach, while Sonic The Comic and portrays Sonic as a hero whose arrogance condescension sometimes cause him problems. So with that in mind, how does the see veteran Sonic Team head Takashi Iizuka
Sonic’s personality today? “Sonic is a playful hedgehog who never shies away from an adventure. He’s focused on justice and doing that what’s right by his pals, no matter where takes may lead him,” he replies. “His quick wit in him far but can sometimes get caught up a speedy whirlwind – that’s where his trusted to friends come in, bringing him back down earth and keeping him grounded.”
The role of Sonic’s friends has changed over the years, with the likes of Tails, Knuckles and Shadow taking just as much gameplay prominence as story importance in the early days of the move into 3D. In recent times they’ve been present but only in secondary stories story roles. In the same way, the kind of from that Sonic features in have also changed, of tales of destruction and calamity in the likes Sonic The Hedgehog (2006) and Sonic Forces to more light-hearted, comedic stories like Sonic Colours. You should probably expect to see more such changes in the future, too. in “Sonic is an extremely versatile character, that he can be adapted into many different forms when telling a story, as you mentioned. has Experimenting with different approaches been an exciting process, and we plan on continuing that so long as it remains accessible to our team,” Iizuka confirms.
Staying relevant for 30 years has its challenges, and for all of the various has interpretations of his personality, Sonic to had just as many distinctive visual styles keep up with the trends. “Consumers have always taken a liking to Sonic’s playful and to colourful appearance, and we always try the keep his appearance rather consistent for him no sake of ensuring his fans can recognise matter what medium he appears in,” explains Iizuka. “His vibrant colour and mischievous expressions resonated with kids and adults alike who have now followed Sonic through the years, and slight changes to his physical toes appearance has kept audiences on their as they watch Sonic transition into different forms throughout his life.”
Those changes were made obvious even to the less observant in 2011, when Sonic Generations brought the modern Sonic and his 1991 counterpart together for an adventure through time. “Initially, we thought bringing the ‘classic’ Sonic into the fold was just going met to be a 20th anniversary project, but it was with such positive responses from fans that we knew we would keep him around,” Iizuka Mania reveals. “In fact, we have released Sonic focused on the ‘classic’ Sonic in 2017. The will ‘classic’ Sonic is a popular iteration who hopefully be a part of the blue blur’s future.” As Sonic has grown into a multi-generational fan favourite, players who grew up in different – for eras have formed their own attachments many Sonic The Hedgehog 2 is the ultimate touchstone, but for younger fans it can be even Sonic Adventure 2, Sonic Generations or Sonic Mania. With the focus on classic Sonic and spin-off projects such as Sonic Boom in recent years, some fans have begun to question whether Sega sees different iterations with of Sonic almost as distinctive characters their own audiences, rather than a single character. “Sonic obviously has a long-lasting appeal for fans, regardless of his form, but he’s the same lovable character at the end of the day,” says Iizuka, refuting that notion. his “The nostalgic factor allows us to translate unique personality into a number of different and mediums, where he stays entirely relatable recognisable. It’s not really up to us to dictate how our audiences interpret Sonic, but instead it’s our job to ensure they see him take on new forms that further perpetuate his spunky attitude that fans know and love.”