Sonic the Hedgehog is back in the race for 2008 – he’ll appear in two new advanced games – Sonic Unleashed (PS2, PS3, Xbox, and Wii) and Sonic Chronicles: The Dark Brotherhood (Nintendo DS). To reconnect you with Sonic’s activities over the past 15 years, here’s a short calendar of major feats Sonic has achieved over his life.
Sonic, born June 23 1991 as the fastest, most technologically advanced character for the SEGA Genesis console, continues to innovate as he stars in the multi-platform Sonic Unleashed and exclusive to the DS, Sonic Chronicles: The Dark Brotherhood.
Super Sonic Milestones
· Sonic The Hedgehog is one of the most popular videogame icons of all time with over 44 million games sold worldwide
· An estimated 50 million people have played at least one Sonic game
· Gamers have collected over 66 billion rings while playing Sonic
· Sonic was the first videogame included in the National Film and Television Archive of the UK, where historic films and TV programs are preserved
· An average of 8,000 Sonic games are sold worldwide every day
· Gamers have spent over 500 million hours playing Sonic games
Key Dates
1990: Development of ‘action game for the new age’ commences in April. In November, Sonic The Hedgehog is officially announced.
1991: On December 28, Sonic The Hedgehog for Game Gear is released in Japan, marking Sonic’s debut on handheld platforms.
1992: In November, Sonic The Hedgehog 2 is released for Genesis and Game Gear in the US on ‘Sonic 2s Day’. Miles ‘Tails’ Prower is introduced for the first time. The game sells over 400,000 copies in five days.
1993: Sonic sponsors the F1 Williams team in April, and in the same month scientists discover a new gene with spikes similar to Sonic’s. They dub the new gene ‘Sonic The Hedgehog gene’. In June, the Adventures of Sonic The Hedgehog cartoon begins airing nationwide in the US. In September, Sonic The Hedgehog appears in US arcades, and in November, Sonic stars in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Parade with a 65-foot long balloon.
1994: Sonic The Hedgehog 3 blasts on Genesis February 2nd. In October, Sonic and Knuckles ships in the US. The two games could be combined by locking Sonic and Knuckles into the Sonic 3 cartridge, allowing the complete adventure to be played. In October, Sonic appears in a nationwide MTV ‘Rock the Rock’ special shot on Alcatraz. Twenty-five finalists from over 100,000 entrants compete in Sonic 3 for the title of “The World’s Most Hard-Core Gamer.”
1996: In a videogame first, Sonic is included in the National Film and Television Archive of the UK, where historic films and TV programs are preserved. Marking Sonic’s first full 3D
adventure, Sonic 3D Blast is released on Saturn.
1997: Sonic R and Sonic Jam ship in Japan for SEGA Saturn.
1998: In December, Sonic Adventure is released in Japan on Dreamcast.
1999: Sonic Adventure ships August 31 in the US, eventually becoming the best-selling SEGA Dreamcast game of all time with over six million copies sold worldwide. Sonic’s second cartoon series launches in the US. In October, Sonic’s first clothing line is released in Japan.
2000: The Sonic fashion project makes its way to Paris as Sonic apparel is displayed at the Concept Store/Jean Charles de Castelbajac.
2001: On June 18, Sonic Adventure 2 ships in the US for Dreamcast. In June, a series of tenth birthday celebrations for Sonic are held across Japan. In December, CoroCoro Comics announces that the artist of the Sonic The Hedgehog comic will be well-known artist Santa Harukaze. The comic first appears in December.
2002: Sonic Adventure 2: Battle is released for GameCube on February 3, marking Sonic’s debut on the platform. Sonic Team’s Yuji Naka receives a Lifetime Achievement Award at the Game Developers Choice Awards in the US, an award presented to individuals who have made innovative and significant achievements in the videogame industry.
2003: In February, the new animated series Sonic X is announced.
2004: In January, Sonic Heroes is released on GameCube, PlayStation 2, and Xbox, marking Sonic’s largest multi-platform launch to date.
2005: On November 15, Shadow the Hedgehog marks Shadow’s first appearance in a standalone game, shipping on NGC, PS2, and Xbox. On the same day, Sonic debuts on Nintendo DS with the well-received Sonic Rush.
2006: With games shipping or in development on seven different platform, 2006 marks Sonic’s busiest and most diverse gaming year to date. Games released included Sonic Riders,
Sonic Rivals and various Sonic games for mobiles.
2007: Mario and Sonic make video game history by joining forces in Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games. Sonic makes his debut on the Wii system with Sonic and the Secret Rings shipping in February.
2008: Sonic appears in two new Sonic-focused games, Sonic Unleashed and Sonic Chronicles
Sonic Chronicles: The Dark Brotherhood
Exclusive to the Nintendo DS, Sonic Chronicles is Sonic’s first appearance in an RPG (role playing game). Solve puzzles, work as a team, explore and battle your way through the Sonic Universe in the eyes of Sonic the Hedgehog. Available now in stores for $69.95 RRP.
Sonic Unleashed
Navigate through the graphically stunning environment at super high speeds as Sonic races to save the world. Sonic Unleashed, available on PS2, PS3, Xbox and Wii, takes everything you know Sonic and adds distinct new powers that transform Sonic into an all-action fighting werewolf at night. Sonic Unleashed will be released in November 2008 and is available on the PS3 ($99.95 RRP), PS2 ($49.95), X360 ($99.95) and Wii ($79.95).