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Why Does Sonic the Hedgehog Have So Many Fans?

The first Sonic game was released back in 1991. Some people from the fanbase will argue that was the time the only good game in the series came out. How come the franchise is going to release a movie in November 2019?

The truth about Sonic’s popularity is twisted and definitely not as straightforward as you’d think. For instance, very few people are into Sonic in its country of origin, Japan, and three Sonic games are featured on the list of the worst games ever. Despite the fact, the franchise has sold over 80 million copies, and Sonic is still one of the most recognized video games characters.

Here’s why.

One of the First

A huge chunk of Sonic’s popularity can be attributed to the fact that it was one of the pioneers of the genre. The game put SEGA on the market and was seen as the only competitor of Mario.

Mario was released six years before the first Sonic game was, however. This allowed Sonic to be on top of its game while still being one of the first popular platformers.

While Mario was a classic by that time, Sonic offered something different. A better system than Nintendo, Sonic’s levels were fascinating for the gamers of the time. This involved better graphics and slopes that let you take advantage of the main character’s speed.

The King of Speedruns

Sonic’s speed was arguably one of the main reasons the game became popular. There were quite a few platformers back in the day, but it was Sonic that stood out. Sonic was also the one that got copied heavily.

The main perk Sonic has is that he can reach supersonic speed and curl into a high-velocity ball after he’s run long enough. In addition to looking awesome, this brought in a thing that so many people now love about platformers and games in general – the speedrun.

It was possible to beat a Sonic game level super fast. Apart from the obvious advantage of the speed that the character has, there are hidden pathways on the map that allow you to skip the boring parts of it.

The game rewards you for being smart and lets you feel unique for uncovering a hidden shortcut.

A Cheesy Personality

The other component that made Sonic so big in 1991 that fame is still present now is the Hedgehog’s personality. He was created specifically as a rebel. Even though Sonic always stood by his friends, he was not an easy person to deal with if you got on his bad side.

Sonic would taunt his foes by shouting ‘That’s too slow!’ and lived by the motto ‘If you want something, do it faster.’ Back in the day games were for children, and if you enter the age when you have to think about using custom essay writing service, SEGA is not for you. This is why the company targeted teenagers by using witty comebacks speed that implied impulsiveness.

Oh, and the whole game is filled with the fun stuff you’d expect to see in an edgy TV series. You can get an idea about it from Tails’ phrase ‘We’re headed to a secret military base, I’ve heard about it on satellite TV.’

Sonic on TV

In the early 90s, Sonic got so popular he received his own show. It aired in 1993 and 1994, so it was definitely inspired by the first three games. This both shows the influence the franchise had in those days, and signals that it had even more of an influence later.

This American-Italian show was a hit, and tens of thousands of kids learned about Sonic. Many probably played the game and became fans afterward. For the already existing fans, it was a precious bit of lore about the Sonic universe they loved so much.

The series cemented Sonic as one of the most recognized video games heroes and are still rerun in some countries.

The latest Sonic cartoon was made in 2014 by the US and France of all places. It’s a fun cartoon in and of itself, but the funniest parts are mostly references to previous Sonic games and cartoons. To the cartoons most kids at that time never played.

Sonic Games

Have you noticed that we only talked about the early games? This is because all the rest of Sonic games pretty much suck. All the games starting from 1996 were not taken as well as the previous ones. The franchise sold over 80 million copies over 20 years. 15 million of these are attributed to the very first Sonic game. SEGA sold 6 million more copies of Sonic 2. All the games that came next only sold as much as 2 million copies. Some of the latest ones didn’t even sell a million.

The first couple of games laid a foundation for the fanbase. The ones that came next only capitalized on the existing fanbase.

Most of them were poorly made and had only a rudimentary plot. Sonic Unleashed was rather good, but few people from outside of the fandom would like it.

Why is Sonic Getting a Movie?

If you want the answer to be one word, it’s nostalgia. Sonic is getting a full feature film because the franchise had two hit games back in the 90s. In fact, they were so popular that this popularity is still present today.

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