Sonic The Hedgehog – Are you curious about this Sonic The Hedgehog figure? Let’s discuss 12 facts about the most famous blue hedgehog that can run fast!
It’s been 30 years since Sonic the Hedgehog first appeared in pop culture. First appearing as the protagonist of the SEGA Mega Drive game on June 23, 1991, this most popular blue hedgehog has remained a very iconic figure in pop culture for three decades.
Being one of the most iconic mascots in gaming history, people probably already know a lot about Sonic the Hedgehog. But there are still many unique and amazing facts about this fastest hedgehog that even his fans might not know. Are you curious about this Sonic The Hedgehog figure? Let’s discuss 12 facts about the most famous blue hedgehog that can run fast!
1. Sonic’s weakness is that he can’t swim
It is a well-known fact that Sonic the Hedgehog cannot swim, although he can run across the surface of the water in some of his games. But do you know how Sonic’s most famous weakness came to be?
Programmer Yuji Naka, who made the Sonic game, thinks that hedgehogs really can’t swim. So, it was decided that this blue hedgehog couldn’t swim either. His inability to swim is a trait that has stuck with Sonic’s character to this day. Sonic even had to wear a life jacket in a swimming match in Mario & Sonic at The Olympics Games.
2. His Ability to Run Fast Inspired by Speed Running Game Super Mario Bros
In addition to the initial plan to design a mascot character to compete with Mario, Sonic the Hedgehog’s design was inspired by Yuji Naka’s experience in the Super Mario Bros. game. While playing the game, Yuji Naka tried himself to get through the first level as quickly as possible, called World 1-1. Maybe the speedrunning while playing the Super Mario Bros. game sparked the idea for many people’s favorite speedster character named Sonic.
Who would have thought that the speed Mario needed was the main reason the game’s fastest character in the form of a blue hedgehog was created? Mario and Sonic both became the mascots of successful and popular gaming companies. Mario, the Nintendo icon, always competes with SEGA’s mascot Sonic.
3. Sonic can’t run if he doesn’t get enough sleep
Sonic the hedgehog needs eight hours of sleep like an average human, whose running ability will be affected. Maybe humans can’t run faster than the speed of sound, but Sonic is also a living creature like humans who need time to rest every day.
In the cartoon series The Adventure of Sonic the Hedgehog, Sonic always gives life advice to the children who watch it at the end of each episode. In the show’s Sonic Says segment, the blue hedgehog always reminds us that a good night’s sleep is the foundation of good health. Sonic is also often shown to fall asleep if he has been running for too long.
4. Sonic Has a Human Boyfriend
At the beginning of Sonic the Hedgehog’s character development, creator Naoto Oshima designed it for a girlfriend named Madonna. The human girl was tall and blonde, with a sexy body shaped like a Spanish guitar, like Jessica Rabbit’s character. Not much else is known about Madonna other than her role as Sonic’s girlfriend.
Unfortunately, the Madonna character was removed from the game for two different reasons. The first reason is that game content that is mature enough must be removed to make it suitable for playing for children in various countries. The second reason is that rescuing a hostage girl is too similar to the theme of its rival game franchise, Super Mario Bros. But in the end, a human “girlfriend” character managed to get into the 2006 game Sonic the Hedgehog.
5. Sonic’s middle name is Maurice
This fact comes from the comic canon story Sonic the Hedgehog, from 1993 to 2017. In the comics, his full name is Sonic Maurice the Hedgehog. A former comic book writer even claims that the blue hedgehog’s real first name is Ogilvie. It’s pretty strange to imagine that the fastest hedgehog character like Sonic has the middle name Maurice, which makes him feel like a gentleman.
6. Sonic was originally given the name Mr. Needlemouse
When Naoto Oshima first created Sonic the Hedgehog, he gave him the code name Mr. Needlemouse. Perhaps the name Mr. Needlemouse meant the hedgehog was shaped like a giant mouse with many needles sticking out of its back.
It has never been explicitly stated how the creators chose the name Sonic. Maybe because of his super speed, this character is named “Sonic.” What is certain is that the name Sonic is more suitable for this iconic mascot character than being called Mr. Needlemouse.
7. The Blue Feather Color Has A Deep Meaning
Some might assume that with the development of competitive gaming consoles in the 1990s, Sonic the Hedgehog’s character color was blue to counter Mario’s red palette directly. But actually, there is a deeper meaning than just the reason for the competition. According to Yuji Naka, Sonic’s blue fur color represents peace, trust, and something cool.
That makes a lot of sense, considering that Sonic is passionate about keeping the peace. He had fought Dr. Robotnik or Eggman for years to keep the peace in various places.
8. Dr. Robotnik or Eggman Was Originally Designed to Be a Protagonist
When SEGA had to design a new mascot for its company, one of the ideas it came up with was a caricature of historical figure Theodore Roosevelt in pajamas. Since Sonic the Hedgehog was finally chosen as the mascot, the design of this mustachioed historical figure evolved into a character shaped like an egg, who eventually became Dr. Eggman. Also known as Dr. Robotnik, Dr. Eggman, who likes to catch small animals in the forest, is similar to Teddy Roosevelt, famous for his Teddy Bear hunting story.
Another interesting detail is that Dr. Eggman was designed to be the opposite character of Sonic. Symbolizes the Doctor’s development of technology and machinery versus Sonic’s spirit of environmental preservation. This premise also refers to the growing conflict of life between environmentalists and technology developers.
9. Sonic Personality Inspired by United States President Bill Clinton
When you look at the early design and development phases of Sonic the Hedgehog, he has a lot of different influences. With the buzz of the presidential debates taking place in 1992, all eyes were on Bill Clinton, and this is where Sonic’s personality is thought to have come from. Bill Clinton adopted a “finishing” attitude, which Naoto Oshima later attributed to Sonic.
Naoto Oshima admired the idea of getting things done quickly rather than letting it drag on. That’s why that trait must have stayed with Sonic for years. Until now, Sonic still seemed impulsive and would solve the problem that Dr. Robotnik had as soon as possible.
10. Santa Claus also inspired sonic
Believe it or not, Santa Claus inspires some of Sonic the Hedgehog’s characters, and part of that is his shoes. Yes, the bright red shoes are inspired by Santa Claus’ outfit’s color combined with the giant buckle taken from Michael Jackson’s “Bad” music video.
11. Sonic’s Design Was A Rabbit Before He Was Patented To Be A Hedgehog
When Sonic the Hedgehog was being made, Mario was already famous worldwide. SEGA’s idea was to create a mascot character to compete with Nintendo, but Sonic’s initial concept was a rabbit that could pick up things and fight with its ears.
SEGA quickly realized that was not a good idea, mainly for technological reasons. So the makers turned to the concept of a rolling ball and used its entire body as a weapon. Although Sonic’s idea of attacking and defending by rolling is like an Armadillo animal, he is still crowned as a hedgehog.
12. Tails and Knuckle are not the same species as Sonic
It might be easy to assume that Sonic the Hedgehog’s close friend, whom the second and third games introduced, was from the same species as Sonic because of his resemblance. But the three of them are different species. If Sonic is a hedgehog, Tails is a fox, and his full name is Miles Tails Prower. Knuckle is an echidna, a species of mammal that reproduces by laying eggs.
Well, that’s the discussion of 12 facts about Sonic The Hedgehog, the most famous blue hedgehog that can run fast. Do you think there are any other Sonic The Hedgehog facts that haven’t been discussed here? Can you write it in the comments column?
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