From Blast-Off to Lift-Off- The Sonic the Hedgehog Jump to Other Media

Sonic the Hedgehog is a creation nearly twenty years in age that has proven its worth not only in the success of its original video game release and subsequent sequels, but also in the worlds of comics and television.

Following the adventures of a little blue speed demon as he does battle with Dr. Robotnik and strives to free his captive friends, the Sonic the Hedgehog series is one that has introduced myriad new worlds and characters across many incarnations.

Some friends, some foes, all fun!

It all started in April 1990. After Sega asked its research and development department to create a new icon for a new decade, Sonic the Hedgehog was born. With the 16-bit Sega Genesis system on the horizon, Sonic the Hedgehog was just the product that would show gamers how far video games had come in the five short years since the debut of Super Mario Bros.

And show them, it did!

Followed a year later by Sonic the Hedgehog 2, the universe was growing. With Miles Prower, or “Tails” for short, Sonic had a new ally in the fight against Dr. Robotnik. Two years after that, Sonic the Hedgehog 3 debuted and brought with it the introduction of Knuckles the echidna. Unlike Tails, Knuckles was a rival instead of a prot?.

The creation of Knuckles was a huge success and led to a co-headlined follow-up, Sonic and Knuckles, in which the pair must overcome their differences to stop another takeover by Dr. Robotnik before it is too late. It was clear to see, at this point, that Sonic the Hedgehog’s world of adventure was only just beginning to flourish. Since then, there has been a host of new characters join the danger and the fun. So many the video game series could no longer contain them!

If the games are not enough, watch for Sonic and Friends (and Enemies) in these other media outlets:

* Sonic Comics: Since 1992, Sonic the Hedgehog has been a fixture in comic books and manga with seven different series, including three from famed American publisher Archie Comics, two of which are still going strong.

* Sonic Gamebooks: Choose your own adventure with one of six Sonic gamebooks. These allow the reader to affect the story by making choices throughout that affect the events of the overall narration.

* Sonic Novels: Published by multiple houses, there have been eighteen novels written that explore and expand the Sonic the Hedgehog Universe.

* Sonic Animated: Sonic the Hedgehog has made one of its biggest impacts in the world of animated entertainment. With the youthful Adventures of Sonic the Hedgehog, in which Family Matters’ Steve Urkel, Jaleel White himself, became the first voice of Sonic, and the edgier Sonic the Hedgehog, there have been nearly 75 individual episodes and an animated feature film to the blue speedster’s credit.

Twenty years strong, Sonic shows no signs of stopping. With every new generation, it is likely he will be buzz-sawing his way to victory over the forces of darkness for some time to come. Whether it is in video games, comic books, novels, cartoons, or feature films, Sonic the Hedgehog is here to stay.