Evolution of Sonic’s Character Designs
Amid the success of Sonic 3 in cinemas, I’ve been pouring over old Sonic the Hedgehog character designs recently. Our favourite blue Erinaceidae has evolved over the years, from the original 1991 platform game to the comics, games and movies of today. But I’m stunned to learn that back in the late 90s, Sonic could have looked very different.
Sonic Adventure Redesigns
A major watershed in Sonic history was Sonic Adventure, which was released in 1998. And early designs for the 3D game show that Sonic could have looked kinda scary – and could even have been a different colour (see our pick of the best game development software if you’re working on designs for your own indie title).
Original Redesigns
Original redesigns for Sonic in Sonic Adventure 1 from r/SonicTheHedgehog
Alternative Designs
But the early explorations above shared on Reddit show that even more radical designs were explored. In the bottom two iterations, Sonic looks kind of monstrous. The one on the bottom left is the biggest departure, showing a sharp-fanged Sonic in teal with red eyes and a yellow chest and over-sized gloves. And surprisingly it seems that Number 3 was designed by Naoto Oshima, who made the original Sonic design.
‘Classic Sonic’ vs ‘Modern Sonic’ (Image credit: Sega)
Conclusion
The bottom designs remind me of Extra Life and Scourge, the evil sonics from the Sonic comic series. It seems that Sega decided the bottom two designs were a step too far and had them toned down, which was probably wise considering that even the more reserved final modern Sonic design still causes controversy among fans even today. In hindsight, I think the new design for Sonic Adventure made sense, but I don’t think I’d feel the same if we’d got a red-eyed zombie hedgehog.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: What were the main reasons for changing Sonic’s character design?
A: The main reasons were to refresh the brand and keep Sonic cool and relevant for new audiences, as well as to accommodate the change to 3D.
Q: Who designed the original Sonic character?
A: Naoto Oshima, who also designed the alternative Sonic design seen in the article.
Q: What were the alternative designs for Sonic in Sonic Adventure?
A: The article shows three alternative designs, one of which features a sharp-fanged Sonic in teal with red eyes and a yellow chest and over-sized gloves.
