Sonic the Hedgehog Creator Had "Mixed Feelings" About the Character on Non-Sega Systems
February 11th was the 20th anniversary of Sonic Adventure 2 Battle for the Nintendo GameCube. Alongside the handheld game Sonic Advance, these titles marked the first-time the blue blur appeared on non-Sega systems. The move came after Sega's departure from the console market, following the commercial failure of the Dreamcast. In the 20 years since, Sonic has appeared on Nintendo systems many times, as well as on PlayStation and Xbox platforms. The move no doubt introduced the character to a much bigger audience, but Sonic creator Yuji Naka revealed in a Tweet this weekend that he struggled a bit seeing the character on other consoles.
"I had mixed feelings about Sonic's run on non-Sega hardware, both sad and happy. It's been 20 years now," Naka wrote on Twitter.
Naka did not elaborate on the post, but it's not hard to imagine why he might have had mixed feelings. After all, many Sega fans were sad to see the company step away from making hardware. Sonic provided Sega with a character that could rival Mario, and helped sell the Genesis hardware. Before the release of Sonic the Hedgehog, many felt that Sega was doomed to fail in the video game industry, but the company fought hard and built a passionate fanbase. Unfortunately, poor business decisions in the Sega Saturn era made it difficult for the company to compete with the Nintendo 64 and Sony PlayStation. Those struggles continued to the Dreamcast era, forcing Sega to shift focus away from making its own consoles.
20 years later, fans have embraced the character's adventures on multiple gaming platforms. Sonic going multi-console opened the door for the character to appear in video games like Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, which likely helped the character's popularity grow. In 2022, Sonic might be bigger than ever, starring in the upcoming game Sonic Frontiers, as well as the theatrical release of Sonic the Hedgehog 2. The journey might have been a difficult one for Naka and Sonic, but it seems like things worked out for the best!
Were you disappointed about Sonic going multi-platform? Do you still think it's weird to see Sonic on other hardware? Let us know in the comments or share your thoughts directly on Twitter at @Marcdachamp to talk all things gaming!