Sonic Superstars Adding Shadow the Hedgehog in Free Update

Sonic the Hedgehog fans still have a long time to wait for the release of Sonic Generations x Shadow, but Sega has announced some free content for Sonic Superstars to tide players over in the meantime. On February 15th, Sonic Superstars will receive an update that adds a Shadow skin that can be used in the game by Sonic. The announcement appeared in a press release from Sega about Sonic Generations x Shadow, and the company has yet to reveal the design for the skin. However, with the skin set to arrive in less than two weeks, fans shouldn't have to wait long to see what it looks like! 

Shadow's Classic Era Debut

The announcement is a bit of a surprise, given the fact that Shadow has never gotten a design that fits with the Classic Sonic aesthetic. The character's first appearance came in the Dreamcast game Sonic Adventure 2, long after what Sega considers the "Classic era." While games like Sonic Mania and Sonic Superstars have revisited that era over the years, Shadow has never appeared in one of those games. In fact, Sonic Team boss Takashi Iizuka told Game Informer last year that Shadow would not appear in Sonic Superstars as "the Classic series exists before the Modern series, so they haven't met at that time." 

That reasoning prevents Shadow from appearing in the narrative for games like Sonic Superstars, but it seems it won't prevent him from getting a dedicated skin. With this being the first time that Shadow has made any kind of appearance in the Classic era, it will be interesting to see what his design looks like! 

Shadow the Hedgehog in 2024

2024 is shaping up to be a very big year for fans of Shadow the Hedgehog. The character's appearances in Sonic Superstars and Sonic x Shadow Generations are clearly being made to build hype for Sonic the Hedgehog 3. The Paramount film is slated to arrive in theaters on December 20th. At this time, we don't know who will be playing Shadow, but rumors have suggested that Star Wars actor Hayden Christensen will voice the role. Shadow actually made his movie universe debut in a mid-credit teaser at the end of Sonic the Hedgehog 2, but did not have any spoken dialogue. 

From the setup, it seems that Sonic the Hedgehog 3 could be a loose adaptation of Sonic Adventure 2. In that game, Shadow is a genetically engineered creation of Gerald Robotnik, the father of Ivo "Eggman" Robotnik. Shadow starts off the game as the primary antagonist, but eventually allies with Sonic and helps him save all of planet Earth. Since then, Shadow has become a recurring character in the video game series, appearing as something of an anti-hero. 

Are you planning to check out the free Shadow skin in Sonic Superstars this month? What do you think of the character? Share your thoughts with me directly on Twitter at @Marcdachamp or on Instagram at @Dachampgaming!