JUST KEEP SPINNING

Sega’s speedy mascot has come a long way in the last 30 years. After making his debut as an ornament hanging from a rearview mirror in Rad Mobile, he found immediate success on the Mega Drive and Master System. Sega quickly realised the strength of its new character, and pushed him aggressively as a result, and when the wind changes you can sometimes still hear the uncontrollable sobs of the publisher’s previous mascot, Alex Kidd, as he laments what might have been if Sonic had never shown up.

But Sonic did show up and his spunky attitude and high-speed platforming struck a chord with gamers around the world and he soon became instrumental in Sega’s very public battle against Nintendo and its popular plumber, Mario. He was versatile too, appearing in all manner of media and merchandise from lunchboxes and magazines, to more recently, a surprisingly fun movie.

What’s particularly interesting about Sonic is that while his later 3D adventures haven’t always resonated well with fans, the strength of his early 8-bit and 16-bit games are so strong that a groundswell of excitement still appears whenever a new game is announced, even when it ends up being Sonic Forces. Sonic often feels unstoppable, despite the many highs and lows he’s faced over the last 30 years. So join us as we strap on our red shoes and make a hasty run through Sonic’s best and most interesting games.