why sonic?

What is so fascinating about a blue hedgehog? This question has been put to me several times, both by friends and by relatives. Here, I finally find time to answer that timeless question: why do I still like Sonic the Hedgehog after so many years (11 to be exact)?

For one, the moment I saw Sonic 2 at that video game shop along Orchard Road, the first thing I thought was "This game is cool!" Sonic has always been about coolness - I think most people would agree on that. The sales pitch that was made when Sonic came out was that it was cooler than a particular red-suited plumber. And it has worked, for the most part - I have yet to find a video game mascot who's cooler than Sonic. Of course, comparing Sonic to characters like, say, Solid Snake wouldn't be fair, as the games are distinctly different and have a different focus. Plus, rabid Metal Gear Solid fanboys would probably go around screaming "Solid Snake 0wn2 Sonic for free" or something in a similarly retarded vein.

Undoubtedly, another unique feature of the Sonic games is speed. Pure, raw speed. Mind you, this is the main thing that kept me coming back to these games again and again, year after year. There are few games that can match the breakneck speed and frenetic pace of Sonic. Shinobi on the PS2 (another Sega title) comes close, but not really. The speed has been really cranked up in the later editions, especially in Sonic Advance 2, where you often find yourself frantically button mashing to ensure you maintain the insane pace while not falling into an endless pit.

Sonic is fast, and he's cool. There's more though - for one thing, Sonic has more often than not featured a reasonably good gameplay experience. There's always been something new in every new Sonic game, and it's refreshing. For instance, Sonic 2 introduced Super Sonic, which you could turn into if you collected all seven Chaos Emeralds, as well as pseudo-3D special stages that were quite exciting (and often exasperating). In Sonic 3 & Knuckles, you could play as Sonic, Tails or Knuckles, each having different gameplay styles and sometimes different objectives. Somehow, Sonic Team has been able to come up with new gimmicks every time to make each Sonic game new and exciting. Of course, nothing could make the horribly slow Sonic Labyrinth any good, but there are always bound to be a few rotten eggs in any basket. Sonic Team has been taking the franchise in new directions lately, with titles like Sonic Advance 3 and Sonic Heroes, and while this isn't smiled upon by all, I am personally happy that

Perhaps you've gained an insight into why I like Sonic so much. Maybe you should give the games a try, and you'll see what I mean. Or maybe not. But in any case, why should I care? XD