Sega Animation Team’s Jasmin Hernandez Talks Sonic Colors: Ultimate and Future Animated Projects

Next month, Sonic Colors: Ultimate will give Sega‘s beloved game some modern updates when it releases on PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, and PC. To build hype for the new release, Sega has created a two-part animated adaptation, Rise of the Wisps. The second episode is now available online, and ComicBook.com had the privilege of discussing the project with Sega of America associate production manager Jasmin Hernandez. Sega has produced a handful of these Sonic animated projects so far, including adaptations based on Sonic Mania and Team Sonic Racing. Hernandez discussed the possibility of future animated adaptations featuring the blue blur, as well as a dream Sonic game to base a similar series on.

For now, the future of similar animated Sonic projects seems to be up in the air, but hopefully we’ll see more based on Sonic Team’s next project, or even future Sega games, like Super Monkey Ball Banana Mania. Hernandez doesn’t take anything off the table, which should be good news for those that have enjoyed Rise of the Wisps and Sega’s other animated specials. Read on to learn more about the current series and what might be in store for the future of Sonic the Hedgehog!

Mania Connection

Comicbook.com: Did the success of the Sonic Mania animated series lead to this project?

Jasmin Hernandez: Definitely! I’d say that Sonic Mania‘s opening animation was the precursor to it all. Animation has always gone hand-in-hand with Sonic games. Seeing the overwhelmingly positive reactions from gamers and animation fans alike, we knew we had captured something special with that opening animation. After that, we decided to create Sonic Mania Adventures in anticipation for the launch of Sonic Mania Plus to boost awareness around the game’s launch. That ultimately led us to creating Team Sonic Racing: Overdrive a two-part animation that is set in the world of Team Sonic Racing. Now, we are very excited to produce another unique series to complement the launch of Sonic Colors: Ultimate.

Getting It Right

Sonic Colors is regarded as one of the best games in the Sonic franchise. Did that add extra pressure to “get this right,”?

When it comes to remasters, I think there is always a pressure to “get it right,” since fans have engaged with the original game previously, and there can be expectations that have been set. As a brand, we always hope to deliver games and experiences that make our dedicated fan base proud, so we made sure to highlight the most iconic environments and characters from the original Colors in the animated series. Fans will get to journey to Sweet Mountain, and really see the personalities of the Wisps come to life in Sonic Colors: Rise of the Wisps.

Challenge

Which game proved more challenging to adapt? 

Since each Sonic game we’ve adapted has been different, they all had their own set of challenges. However, I will say that the game that provided the most challenges to adapt was Team Sonic Racing. Teamwork is important to Team Sonic Racing, and it’s something we wanted to highlight in our animation. The challenge it posed was that each team comprised of three members and that meant that, compared to Sonic Mania Adventures, we had a larger cast of characters to feature. Not to mention that each character had their own unique vehicle. A lot of time went into figuring out a story that would highlight each of the characters, vehicles, team dynamics, and Wisp powerups in a fun and engaging way, but also doable for our budget and schedule.

Cartoon Star

Sonic has had a long and successful run in animation. Why do you think the character translates so well to the animated medium?

Sonic’s character lends itself to the medium, his signature characteristics such as his speed, perseverance, and fun playful attitude are perfect for telling exciting stories. Reflecting on the past and current Sonic animations, it’s amazing to see people resonating with those stories and I hope to see Sonic in more animated projects in the future.

Sega Vision

How do these animated projects fit into Sega’s overall vision for the Sonic the Hedgehog character?

Great question! Animation is a way for us to further expand on characters and stories that we don’t always get to touch upon in the games. It’s fun to see our dedicated fans enjoy the continuation of Sonic through animation, and we hope our fan base loves Sonic in animation as much as we do!

Best Games to Adapt

If you could give any Sonic game an animated adaptation next, which one would it be?

It’s up to the larger team on which game might be next in line, but personally, I have fond memories of playing Sonic 2 as a kid, so that would be my initial selfish choice. However, if I really think about that question, it’s really a difficult choice to just choose just one because our Sonic games have provided a wealth of stories that would be great to further expand upon. Sonic is really such an adaptable character, and our audiences enjoy his story in many forms.

Physical Release

Would Sega ever consider a physical release for these shows?

We try to listen to what our fans are most interested in and adapt our strategies to best suit their feedback, so I wouldn’t consider that off the table if it was something our audiences were asking for. Personally, it is something I would love to see one day.

The Future

Can Sega fans expect to see more of these animated productions for subsequent Sonic games?

We’ve really enjoyed creating these animated shorts as a way for fans to get to know the characters and universes of our Sonic games. Nothing is pre-determined yet, but there’s always a possibility we’ll continue this trend for future games, so be on the lookout!

What’s next for the animation team after this? Could we see Sega games like Super Monkey Ball get a similar treatment?

Like I mentioned, there’s always a possibility that we’ll have a new project up our sleeves — you’ll just have to stay tuned for more from our team.

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Stay tuned for ComicBook.com’s review of Sonic Colors: Ultimate, coming soon.

Have you been enjoying these Sonic animated projects? Which game would you like to see covered next? Let us know in the comments or share your thoughts directly on Twitter at @Marcdachamp to talk all things gaming!