Once in a blue moon comes something so innovative and so special you have to wonder JUST WHAT the story is behind it. In fact it can become so special that over time it can form what many call "A Legend".

Such is the legend that is The Blue Blur - or as us fans like to call him - Sonic The Hedgehog !!! Whether you call him Sonniku or Sonic, you can't help but be drawn into his immersive world. Join us as we take a look at the legend that is "The Blue Blur"....

The Games Gallery: Legends Of A Blue Blur



Whirled History !!!


Page One - History Of A Blue Blur !!!

Sonic Team Presents....
The history of the "blue hedgehog with an attitude" is a rich and varied one. In 1991, Sega’s 16-bit Genesis console was already 2 years old in the United States and enjoying moderate success. Finally, the industry juggernaut, Nintendo, brought forth their 16-bit offering, the Super Nintendo Entertainment System, with gaming icon Mario in tow. Sega needed something to battle Super Mario World, a game character that would define the company and its newfound success. That character was Yuji Naka’s Sonic the Hedgehog. Naka-san is a talented man, up to that point responsible for the Sega Master System’s most memorable title, Phantasy Star.

Phantasy Star 4

With Sonic, he brought incredible speed and intuitive gameplay to the platforming genre that differed from Mario. Shigeru Miyamoto’s definitive series involves exploration and gameplay that exercises every part of your gaming brain while Sonic allows you to sit back and enjoy the adrenaline-packed ride. A new era had arrived and Sega had done the unthinkable - taken industry leadership from under Nintendo’s feet.

Sonic 2

In the years that followed, Nintendo and Sega fought tooth and nail. Yuji Naka moved to the United States and joined the Sega Technical Institute to create Sonic the Hedgehog 2, specifically created to maintain leadership in the American market (Sega was getting its proverbial ass kicked in Japan). The sequel introduced Tails, Sonic’s 2-tailed fox sidekick to the mix and included some of the most incredible, jaw-dropping levels ever seen. Gamers everywhere were having the time of their lives and Sega rode the wave of Sonic’s success. At this point, Sega was searching vehemently to find a way to hold on to that market leadership. Cue the Sega CD....

The Sega CD

While this Genesis add-on was a commercial failure (and ended up costing Sega big time in the future), the CD version of Sonic, imaginatively titled Sonic CD, was the greatest in the series. The time-traveling aspect and awe-inspiring bonus stages (which showcased the Sega CD’s impressive scaling and rotation effects) made for a platforming experience which, in my opinion, like none had ever seen. And if you haven’t experienced the Sonic vs. Metal Sonic race, I pity you.



The Fall From Grace....

Shot Down In His Prime....
Next in the sonic series came Sonic 3 which introduced the well known Knuckles The Echidna to the family! It was the newest Sonic game, graphics and gameplay had improved marginally and the Sonic games were on top again! Next came Sonic And Knuckles - a welcome addition to the series and the conclusion of the 2-part storyline set about in Sonic 3. It even brought for the new Lock On Technology that allowed HUGE abouts of replay value from Sonic Spinball, Sonic 1, and Sonic 2! And Combined with Sonic 3 you could see the whole storyline unfold even more!

The Ice Cap Zone

But unfortunately, things started to slowly roll down hill from there, and after Sonic And Knuckles - considered by many as the last of the best Sonic games and the beginning of the downhill spiral, Sega slowly lost its lead in the 16-bit market....The opportunity arose to regain that lead as a new generation of hardware was ushered in. Inexplicably, Sega’s offering, the 32-bit Saturn was missing a new Sonic game. Sure the series began to grow moldy on the Genesis, but this new technology made possible exciting new realms of gameplay. A beautifully hand-drawn Sonic with loads of parallax would have been the commercial success that the game "Astal" should have been. But hope loomed on the horizon in the form of Sonic X-Treme - which ended up in the long run being scrapped due to developers not happy with the project...But Sega needed its mascot for the Saturn to survive. Instead, Sega farmed Sonic out to European developer Traveler’s Tales as we ended up getting Sonic 3D Blast and Sonic R which ensued while the Saturn slowly marched towards its grave.

The Panic Puppet Zone

Fans have yet to understand why Sega treated their mascot so unimportant. As the new President of Sega of Japan, Shoichiro Irimajiri has admitted however, that Sega became somewhat arrogant and assumed that their powerful brand name would carry them through (along with mass appeal of Clockwork Knight...Clockwork Knight 2: end sarcasm). They were wrong. But now, the year is 1998. The system is Dreamcast. And the developers are Sonic Team....The Hedgehog is back.



The Comeback Kid...

Sonic's Back In Town !!!!!! And Its A Whale Of A Tale To Tell....
After he finished NiGHTS Into Dreams, Yuji Naka began what is now known as Sonic Adventure. Naka and his Sonic Team were probably the first developers to receive a Dreamcast development kit, so they’ve had a lot of time to explore the ins and outs of the system. The result - a Sonic game so revolutionary, it has taken the industry by storm and generated more hype than even the almighty Super Mario 64. First unveiled to the world on August 22 in Tokyo Japan, Sonic Adventure features 3D graphics so smooth and detailed that mere words cannot describe their high-resolution, 60 fps splendor. Sonic Team has shown us what the Dreamcast is capable of, and to be frank, it’s downright scary.

Marching Towards Victory....

As one can probably guess from the title, Sonic Adventure is a bit different from other games in the series. BUT instead of a hindrance it has ended up - in the long run - being a GOOD THING! Rather than a pure bred platformer, the game features a variety of gameplay styles. Formerly rumored to be titled Sonic RPG, the game is all about high adventure and should provide a unique experience for Sonic fans. The characters will actually speak and interact with humans, adding to the immersion of the game. One can only hope that Sonic Team won’t be rushed (as they have for every other game they’ve ever created) as the potential for greatness here is at an all-time high. If given time to properly button everything up, Yuji Naka could finally have one of his visions realized and Sega fans something to remember for years to come. Regardless, the game will certainly be available the day Dreamcast launches here, so set aside a couple of weeks in 1999 to have the time of your life. Sonic has returned and Dr. Robotnik, Nintendo, and Sony are steadily shaking in their boots....



Click below for our next section - The Sonic Timeline....


Page Two - The Career Continuim !!!

The Big Three