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19 Oct, 2021

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Sonic the Hedgehog Unique Facts

Some time ago, the public was shocked by the news that Sonic the Hedgehog would be brought to the big screen this year. The clarity of the confusing blue hedgehog movie still makes fans curious. This is quite natural because for almost three decades Sonic has become one of the most iconic characters in the world of pop culture.

This speedster character has also appeared in various video games, animated series, and even appeared as a cameo in the film. However, do you really know this blue hedgehog who runs really fast? If not, let's check out unique facts about Sonic the Hedgehog!

1. Starting from a Racing Car Fragrance Hanger

In the video game world, you might think that Sonic the Hedgehog is the first appearance of Sonic in the video game universe. In fact, Sonic first appeared in an arcade game released by Sega titled Arcade Rad Mobile. This blue hedgehog appears as a car fragrance hanger that you can see in the 1991 game. No wonder Sonic is really speeding, often participates in races, really!

Uniquely, as reported by Screen Rant, Sonic's unofficial first appearance can be found in The Adventures of Quik & Silva. This cheap game for the Amiga console was given away for free with Amiga Fun magazine in 1991. In this game, Sonic is an opponent that players must defeat. Even though it's not an official game, the blue hedgehog could have some traction before its debut on Sega Genesis.

2. Inspired by Mickey Mouse and Felix the Cat

Based on Shortlist's description, this blue hedgehog was actually created from the inspiration of cats and mice, you know. According to the designer, Naoto Ohshima, he originally created Sonic by using Felix the Cat's head combined with Mickey Mouse's body.

3. Had a name other than Sonic

Although Sega had determined that Sonic's character was a hedgehog, Ohshima had a strange idea. He and his team had tried to come up with a confusing name for the character, namely Mr. Needlemouse. Based on information from Mental Floss, Project Needlemouse was the codename for the game Sonic the Hedgehog 4: Episode I during its development in 2009.

4. Almost a Rabbit

At first, Sega intended to create their new mascot in the form of a rabbit. This is a signal that the company will release a rabbit-themed game that picks up items to throw at the enemy. The goal was to show that the core game mechanics they created had different features than Nintendo's products.

Sega decided that they wanted to show off the technical capabilities of its Genesis game console as well as highlight its speed. You see, the core game mechanic is centered on the activity of picking up and throwing objects. However, players will find it difficult to maintain forward momentum.

Sega decided to keep the game simpler by focusing on fast platforming rather than new mechanics. In the end, they chose to use a different mascot and surprisingly chose the hedgehog as the symbol of the fast character.

5. Have a Relationship with Michael Jackson

Besides Mickey Mouse and Felix the Cat, it turns out that Sonic's birth was also inspired by the legend of pop music, Michael Jackson. The MJ boots on the Bad album cover also inspired this speedster character's footwear with a red color modification like Santa Klaus shoes to give a friendly impression.

Sonic Team's love for MJ was reciprocated by the King of Pop's collaboration with Sega for several times, including in the game adaptation of the film Moonwalker (1988) for the Genesis console. Oh, yes, MJ is known as a big Sonic fan, you know!

Following the success of Moonwalker, MJ and Sega agreed that the King of Pop would compose all the music for the game Sonic the Hedgehog 3. Initially, MJ was excited by the opportunity and assembled a team of musicians to develop the game's soundtrack. Unfortunately, allegations of child abuse made by MJ emerged to the public. Sega also chose to keep its involvement in the project a secret.

However, fans noted some similarities between the music in Sonic the Hedgehog 3 and MJ's later released songs. One of them, the end credit song which is considered similar to the song "Stranger in Moscow".

6. There's a Bill Clinton in Sonic's Soul

Previously, it was mentioned that Sonic's shoes were inspired by Michael Jackson and Santa Klaus. Apparently, in designing the character of Sonic, Sega also got inspiration from Bill Clinton, who was the Governor of Arkansas.

Yep, this company has an interest in the figure who was once the number 1 person in America, especially with his "can-do" attitude. Sega wanted a character who could be mischievous and sarcastic while still getting the job done at one time. Wow, who would have thought that Sonic had the soul of one of the Presidents of the United States!

7. Appears on TV and Comics

In order to increase the popularity of Sonic during the 1990s, several television cartoon series were developed. One of them is titled Sonic the Hedgehog. This animated series is better known among fans as SatAM because of its first debut as a cartoon that airs every Saturday morning. The cartoon's popularity inspired a comic spin-off that continued Sonic's adventures after the show ended.

There are several things that make this comic famous in its era. First, this comic is the longest running comic adaptation of video game characters. Moreover, this comic has maintained its popularity for so long after reaching 275 issues. Sonic the Hedgehog is now the most highly sustainable comic series on the Western market.

8. Had a Thanksgiving Parade

It took a long time for video games to gain respect in the eyes of the mainstream press. For a long time, popular game characters were considered irrelevant by the established media. Sonic the Hedgehog changed this perception with the dominance of cross-platform media. In other words, the blue hedgehog paved the way for games to be treated as important as any other form of media.

For example, at Macy's Thanksgiving Day 1993, Sonic balloons were presented and became a sign that this character became a popular game mascot in the 1990s. Sonic became the first game character to enliven the celebration, you know. Unfortunately, Sonic's balloon had bad luck due to a puncture.

The following year, the Sonic balloon was used again, but again had the bad luck of hitting a lamppost. After several repairs, the balloon again collided with a lamppost in 1997 and was finally "retired". The new Sonic Balloon was introduced in 2011 to mark its 20th birthday.