It's Time to Let Go of Sonic

I experienced an epiphany during E3. I was in Sega's booth, and I decided to check out Sonic the Hedgehog 4: Episode 1. I'd begged Sega to make this game for years. You see, I was a hardcore Sega fan from the day my family brought home a Genesis up to the day the Dreamcast died. I slept with a Sonic doll every night. I once yelled at a friend over the phone when he told me that the PlayStation was better than the Saturn. I was -- frankly -- a fanboy.

My doll was kind of like this, minus the green eyes.

We all know the current sad state of the Sonic franchise. Each game seems to get further away from the central ideas that made Sonic the Hedgehog a classic. Speed and platforming bow out for action, the games are littered with extensive and poorly written cutscenes, and the sidekicks...oh, the sidekicks. Sonic has more furry friends than the creepy cat lady who lives across the street.

When Mega Man 9 came out, I thought that Sega needed to do the same thing for the Sonic franchise; bring it back to its roots. Get rid of the sidekicks, get rid of the 3D, and get rid of the story. Then they announced Sonic the Hedgehog 4, and it looked like they were doing just that. I was elated. Finally, they would save the franchise I had loved since childhood.

Fast-forward to E3 2010. I'm playing Sonic the Hedgehog 4: Episode 1 for the first time. If you had told me that it was an HD remake of the original Sonic the Hedgehog, I would've believed you. The level I played looked exactly like Green Hill Zone, the first level from the original Sonic. Sure, the homing attack was part of it, but for the most part it felt like an old-school Sonic game.

But I wasn't having much fun.

This confused me. Wasn't this what I'd wanted -- what I'd begged Sega to do? But it felt so familiar; nothing was exciting about it. It was like watching your favorite movie for the hundredth time. You still love it, but let's face it; you've seen it all before.

I walked away from the demo station a little stunned. Immediately in front of me were the kiosks for Sonic Colors, yet another new 2D Sonic game. Maybe this is what I wanted: a Sonic game that was still 2D but also different enough to be more than just a nostalgic romp. I had no idea what I was doing 2 minutes into the demo. I had some sort of drill power, but using it almost always resulted in my death. I wasn't even sure how I was activating it. I'm guessing it was a motion control...maybe. This, too, wasn't the Sonic game I wanted.

So, what is the Sonic game I want? I began to ponder this in the middle of Sega's booth when I noticed a little girl sitting on the floor in front of one of the Sonic Colors stations. The scene was pretty adorable. The demo totally transfixed her, and she platformed through the sections that had killed me with ease. I heard a PR person talk to one of her friends behind me. "She's been here all day. She just likes to play this game."

That's when it hit me. Sonic isn't for me. Not anymore. This little girl doesn't care that Sonic Unleashed had a low score on Metacritic. She doesn't care that Sonic has too many sidekicks. She loves Sonic just as much as I did when I was her age, and she loves him for being exactly the way he is.

It's time for me -- and maybe all of us -- to stop saying what Sonic should be. As much as we hate to admit it, Sonic clearly has a market; we're just not a part of it. Is it a shame that Sonic isn't able to transcend the children's market the way Mario does? Sure. And I'm not saying that adults shouldn't be able to enjoy Sonic. I'm sure I will end up getting Sonic 4, and I'm sure I'll get some enjoyment out of it. I just have to accept that Sonic is -- above all else -- now meant for kids. Maybe he always has been. Maybe it's not some coincidence that he's appealed to me less and less as I get older.

I used to be so in love with the character that I even enjoy some aspects of his bad games. Something beyond the platforming -- beyond the classic Genesis games -- appealed to me. Apparently, it still appeals to children today. Maybe it's time I rethink my stance that Sonic has been failing as a franchise these past several years. At the very least, he's done just for fine for one little girl.

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Frank Anderson

June 26, 2010

Good piece! I always kind of thought the same thing. When I worked at GameStop I would see the kiddies flock (well, not exactly flock) to games like Sonic Riders and I always questioned why. I tried Unleashed and simply could not get past how bad the Werehog levels were. Sonic and the Black Knight was a lot more fun then I expected when I checked it out, but not so good that I was inspired to purchase it or even keep it long enough to beat it.

I think I will still be willing to try more Sonic titles in the future, but I doubt I will ever have as much fun as I did back in the day.

AJ Hurst

Mike, the degree to which you and I think alike is downright scary.

James Mackenzie

June 27, 2010

I think you're right. I've never really been a huge fan of Sonic but I've always been somewhat fascinated by the franchise's direction. Interesting article.

Omar Ather

you were attached to the story the same way we were all attached to the childhood television of days gone by. look at the animation quality ! its as good as the 3d stuff on the disney channel, the gameplay isnt demanding, its easy to get into and its fun, the character design is campy but thats fine, the A-team isnt the best movie, but its fun to watch right? every video game experience doesnt need to be pinnacle, sometimes a well executed average game fits the bill, pass the controller around, have a beer and just enjoy it for what it is instead of what it isn't.

Dan "Shoe" Hsu

Great article. I've never been a Sonic fan, but somehow, I never outgrew Mario in the same way. I think it's a childish character and universe, but I still love the gameplay.

Brett Bates

Great story, Mike. Like James Mackenzie mentions, the history of Sonic is a fascinating one, even if you've never gotten into the series.

Matthew H. Mason

June 28, 2010

You know, you're absolutely right.

Do you ever have those moments where somebody else realizes your thoughts for you? That's what your article is. Great piece, sir.

Mike Minotti

Thanks for the kind words, everyone :) I'm a bit surprised so many people agree!

Aaron Thomas

I agree. It's time for a long break from Sonic. Maybe I'll be excited to see him in 10 years or something.

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Thilina Bandara

Wow, this is a great article. It's a completely rational revelation on what we think we deserve as older gamers.

David Van Arsdell

If there was a "Like A Lot" button i would have pressed it. Not only is it spot-on with sonic, it also can be applied to other things in life. It's the same reason why Episodes 1, 2, and 3 of Star Wars were dissapointing. Trying to replicate the pure joy of youth is futile and sometimes it's a good thing to let it go.

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Chris Whittington

June 29, 2010

Whoa...I never thought I'd live to see the day. You're a big boy now, Mike.

Jonathan Oyama

October 17, 2010

Y'know, I used to be a Sonic fanatic back in the day. I watched almost all the TV episodes of Sonic the Hedgehog on ABC and KTLA (or whatever station had the funnier version of Sonic). I have some Sonic stuffed animals. I even subscribed to the Sonic comic books.

And then Sonic changed into some ubiquitous icon that was purely for children only. I couldn't understand why such a cool character became a infantile animal who merely bumbled aimlessly with his cute friends to kill Robotnik.

I suppose it's a good time to let this hedgehog go. Still, it's hard to forget how much Sonic was universally respected at one point. I mean, when I first saw how speed through the Genesis games, I fell in love. Now he's just another old icon of the cute video game past.

Maybe we were never meant to stick with a character who is nearly uncontrollable in a free-roaming 3D environment. It's like a wine that just doesn't age well. I think his old games will always be remembered for pushing the limits of console gaming, though.

Michael Rougeau

October 19, 2010

What an interesting idea.. imagine if all these years of game journalists bitching about the decline of Sonic can be chalked up to little more than nostalgia. I mean, it's easy to imagine, but what if none of us realized that Sonic is simply a kids' franchise? Weird. I too loved Sonic as a kid (played all his Game Gear titles), and I too couldn't care less about him now.