In the gaming industry, a mascot has to have an endearing quality to remain in the public eye for more than a brief moment. Since gaming became a mainstream medium back in the 80s, numerous mascots have fallen by the wayside, with perhaps the most notable absentee being SEGA’s at one time lead mascot Alex Kidd, while others have had long periods in the wilderness before being resurrected by an odd twist of fate, such as Pit with his re-appearance in Super Smash Bros Brawl. However, some characters are instantly taken in by gamers and sheltered from the rough storm that is the marketplace, and even fewer make it to that illusive mantle that contains the icons that define gaming. Last year we celebrated Mario’s 25^th year at this level, and this year another mascot is getting the opportunity to remind us just why most of the gaming world at one point knew only one other name than Mario  – Sonic the Hedgehog.

Sonic’s 20^th Anniversary is a moment in history that SEGA are keen to emphasise, with an almost unrivalled amount of publicity going into the celebratory Anniversary game, Sonic Generations. With the release of Generations now imminent, or Tuesday is you’re in the US, there really is no better time than now to take a look back at what has been one of the most diverse and colourful 20 years for any mascot in gaming. Generations has neatly separated the two decades into 3 distinct eras so we’ll be using that as the template for our retrospective. The past 20 years are a tale of success, failure and a redemption that many wrote off.

The year is 1991, and Alex Kidd hasn’t quite sold himself to the public as a viable mascot for SEGA. With the popularity of Mario at an all-time high, Yuji Naka created a new mascot that was everything that Mario was considered not to be – he was cool, he could run really fast and he had an attitude. And he was a blue anthropomorphic hedgehog. 1991 was the year that Nintendo suddenly had a challenger, as the Mega Drive launched in Europe bundled with the eponymous Sonic the Hedgehog, offering gamers an alternative to Mario. Thanks to aggressive marketing from SEGA, the Mega Drive era proved to be hugely profitable for Sonic, and this rolled into the Saturn days, despite less noteworthy releases from the blue blur. Sonic had become a household icon, and it appeared nothing could stand in his way.

Sonic the Hedgehog (1991)
The game that started it all. Green Hill Zone is the area that makes its way from Sonic the Hedgehog to Generations, and there really could be no better choice. Beyond the iconic opening theme, the music to Green Hill Zone is perhaps one of the greatest themes in all of gaming, instantly recognisable to anyone who has ever played the original game. What made Sonic so successful back in 1991 is debateable, but the apparent simplicity must have been a big draw for consumers. On the face of it, the game demands only that you run and jump at the right times as you move rapidly from left to right, but it is clear that there is more to the game than meets the eye after the first couple of playthroughs. Secret paths are everywhere, and the sudden discovery of a new route is something that is still iconic to the series to this day.

Sonic the Hedgehog 2 (1992)
The follow-up to Sonic the Hedgehog came quickly, but it brought with it one of the big features of the series – the introduction of Miles ‘Tails’ Prower. This marks the start of the almost annual introduction of new characters to the series that some still complain about to this day, but the addition of Tails is something that is almost universally agreed on as a good thing. Providing an alternative means to completing levels through the power of flight, Sonic Team’s creativity went wild in Sonic the Hedgehog 2, creating some incredibly memorable areas while maintaining that sense of exploration from the original. Having Tails along as a partner also introduced a new way to tackle enemies, with him shadowing your every move. Throw in there an increase in speed and it is clear why many consider Sonic 2 as the finest in the series.

Sonic CD (1993)
Sonic CD introduced yet more characters, with the introduction causing perhaps the most polarity in reaction ever seen in the series. The introduction of Amy Rose as a love interest for Sonic still causes debates to this day, while the introduction of a new villain in Metal Sonic created one of the most beloved enemies of all time. The gameplay in Sonic CD widely sticks to the tried and tested formula seen before, but with the addition of time travel, which resulted in a very unique experience. The game also gave the series the iconic tune ‘Sonic Boom’, one of the best loved theme songs of the generation.

Sonic the Hedgehog 3 & Knuckles (1994)
Released in the same year, Sonic the Hedgehog 3 and Sonic & Knuckles can largely be considered the same game, as essentially, Sonic & Knuckles is everything that didn’t fit in Sonic 3. The game is most notable for introducing the gullible Knuckles to the Sonic cast, who would go on to affirm a place as a fan favourite thanks in part to his unique gliding abilities. Once again, the addition of a new playable character introduced a lot of new variables into the level design, and of course, Sonic Team obliged with some brilliant level concepts. The game is also notable as the last numbered 2D Sonic game until the recent Sonic the Hedgehog 4, but we’ll leave that for later.

Honourable Mentions
Most of the Mega Drive/Saturn era games are being featured in Generations, but we must also make a note of Sonic 3D Blast, the first attempt at 3D Sonic and Sonic R, the first Sonic racing game and the debut of ‘Super Sonic Racing’ as a backing track.

The Dreamcast Era was an extremely memorable era for Sonic, with the hedgehog and his ever growing group of friends going from strength to strength. The Adventure pair remain a series highlight, although why Sonic and co are on a planet that appears to be Earth remains a contentious issue for many fans. Despite this, it is widely regarded that the Adventure series got true 3D Sonic right at the first attempt, blending together the series’ iconic speed with 3D platforming, interspersed with unique levels for Sonic’s companions. The multi-platform release Sonic Heroes built on this, and ended one of the most continually successful eras for Sonic fans.

Sonic Adventure (1999)
Sonic Adventure is fondly remembered for two things – being a great 3D Sonic game and the debut of legendary Sonic band Crush 40 with Open Your Heart. While Crush 40 would go on to be one of the key mainstays of the series, the debut of the Adventure style introduced a brand new element to the Sonic series that still divides fans – multiple character adventures. The game required you to complete various levels as one of 6 characters, meaning Sonic’s levels were actually at a premium. Nonetheless, the other levels worked well, and along with one of the strongest plots in the series, Sonic Adventure remains one of the key games that prove that 3D Sonic can work.

Sonic Adventure 2 (2001)
If there was only one thing to take away from this game, it would be the music. Live & Learn and Escape from the City are two of the best songs in any game, but that’s not all Sonic Adventure 2 had to offer. Improving upon everything that Sonic Adventure had done, SA2 introduced Shadow and Project ARK, bringing with it a brilliant story that was counterbalanced well by solid gameplay. The Sonic/Shadow sections were great, the Tails/Eggman sections were fun and the Knuckles/Rouge sections were often infuriating, but despite this, the game is just so well made that it’s hard to stay angry for long. Many consider this the high point in the series, and as soon as you play it, it is clear to see why.

Sonic Heroes (2004)
The collapse of SEGA as a console manufacturer could have hit Sonic hard, but he found a home with the most unlikely of allies – Nintendo. In hindsight it is a natural fit, but for his first non-SEGA platform game, Sonic went multi-platform, and did it with more characters than you can shake an echidna at. Sonic Heroes introduced a three character team mechanic, necessitating the need for a total of 12 characters to be brought in for four unique plots. It’s an entirely new experience for Sonic fans, and one that was warmly received by the community, despite some reservations on some of the characters.

(Dis)Honourable Mention
2005’s Shadow the Hedgehog was the beginning of a troubling few years for SEGA’s mascot, with the release of a game that didn’t really know what is was meant to be. In an attempt to aim at a more mature audience, SEGA outfitted Shadow with a gun, and successfully alienated the majority of the Sonic fanbase. It was a bad move, and one that needs to be forgotten. Moving along then…

The modern era is a complete mix of success and failure for Sonic. It is also the era that has managed to garner Sonic a reputation for only putting out bad games, despite it being clear that up until 2005, this was simply not true. Despite the absolute lowest point for the series in 2006, things have turned around dramatically since then. Taking Werehogs out of the equation, the Sonic series has gone from strength to strength, and with the recent Sonic Colours coming the closest to aping the original Mega Drive games, it is clear that Sonic is well and truly back in the public’s eye after a difficult few years.

Sonic the Hedgehog (2006)
We begin with what has become the go-to game for detractors of the series. Rushed out to celebrate Sonic’s 15^th Anniversary, Sonic 06 is an example of how not to make a game and how to potentially undo 15 years of hard work. The problems that Sonic 06 had could fill an entire article, but the biggest complaint was that the game was simply full of game breaking bugs. The rushed release meant that the game simply did not get a thorough enough test, leading to a game that was borderline broken. When it worked, the game played fine, but unfortunately it rarely worked, and when it did you just ended up back in an infuriating hub world. Add in there some hedgehog/human romance and a plot with more holes in it than a golf course, and you have a game that needs to be learnt from.

Sonic Unleashed (2008)
SEGA did learn, and Unleashed underwent much more thorough test, providing some of the best pure Sonic levels ever released. From the mesmerising Rooftop Run to the epic conclusion in EggmanLand, everything about this game oozed pure Sonic goodness; at least it did until the Sun went down. Now I’m never one to hate a developer for trying something new and different, but quite simply, Werehog Sonic was a mistake. Sonic games are all about lightning-fast platforming, but the Werehog sections were all about slow, cumbersome brawling. It was a mistake, but ignoring that half of the game, it is clear that Unleashed was the beginning of the true realisation of Sonic in 3D.

Sonic Colours (2010)
Take the Werehog out of Unleashed, amplify the beauty and brightness of the game and throw in some unique power-ups and you have Sonic Colours, the return to form that Sonic fans had been waiting for since 2004. 6 years is a long time in gaming, but the endurance that Sonic showed to make it this far has to be commended. Colours was simply a joy to play, providing not only the brilliant gameplay of Unleashed, but also the unique Wisp abilities, which allowed Sonic to transform into anything from a drill to a rocket. It also marked the first true appearance of a new voice cast, which are widely accepted as being a move that has helped put Sonic back on the gaming map.

Honourable Mentions
Sonic also featured in two storybook games on Wii, 2007’s Sonic and the Secret Rings and 2009’s Sonic and the Black Knight. Secret Rings is often regarded as a fore-runner to Unleashed’s style of gameplay, but the unfortunate use of motion controls prevented it from being an all-time classic. Black Knight offered SEGA the chance to fix this, and they did, bringing in natural analogue controls for the sequel. Unfortunately they also brought in sword fighting, relegating what would otherwise have been a great Sonic game to an unfortunate also-ran. We’ve also recently seen the release of Sonic 4, although with poor physics and an episodic release schedule, it is looking set to be the least loved 2D Sonic game ever made unless SEGA can turn it around.

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It’s clear that the past 20 years really have been a fascinating ride for Sonic fans. Despite getting it right so often, the detractors of the series will always point to the time after Sonic Heroes and say that Sonic has never been a good series. But if you look back, it’s clear that nothing could be further from the truth. Sonic 06 is the product of bad timing, and while the Werehog was not loved at all, SEGA have to be commended for trying something new to keep the series fresh. Although in future, maybe don’t give Sonic extendable arms…

The future though is bright. Sonic Generations is taking everything that was great from Unleashed and Colours and making a true celebration of all things Sonic. It’s a game that will stand as a marker point in Sonic’s history, potentially as the time when Sonic finally returned as one of gaming’s elite.