Happy belated 17th birthday Sonic

by Jason Dobson { Jun 26th 2008 at 11:45AM }

You know that feeling that nags at the back of your skull, reminding you that you've forgotten something, but stopping just short of recalling what exactly that something is. Well, we've been struggling with that for a few days, and let me tell you, it's been enough to drive us crazy. It turns out, however, that what we overlooked was none other than Sega's 'tude-fueled azure marsupial's 17th birthday.

Sonic first sped into North America households on June 23, 1991 in Sonic the Hedgehog for the Genesis as Sega's answer to a certain Mushroom-hungry plumber, and has since been featured in numerous games, toys, and breakfast cereals. Happy belated birthday sonic. We hope you didn't forget to blow out your candles and make a wish. We suggest something simple, like a game that doesn't continue to dilute your good name. That, or you know, a pony.

Tags: birthday, sega, sonic

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

offday @ Jun 26th 2008 11:52AM

I hate to burst everyone's bubble, but the average lifespan of a hedgehog is only 4-7 years. And the longest recorded hedgehog only lived to be 16. Sooo...yeah.

Learning is power!

Meloche @ Jun 26th 2008 11:55AM

Well, we all know that Sonic is dead, so...

Mr.ESC @ Jun 26th 2008 11:59AM

That would explain a lot,really.

Sonic Adventure 3:Guns of Robotnick Featuring Old Sonic FTW.

Obie @ Jun 26th 2008 12:04PM

Poor Sonic, he showed so much promise in the day. Now he would be more at home on that TV show "Intervention".

Jakka @ Jun 26th 2008 12:15PM

@ Mr.ESC

Dunno about MGS fanboys but most players would much rather fight Robotnik than watch the two fight each other in a three-hour cutscene.

FOXHOUND @ Jun 26th 2008 12:18PM

"I'm no mascot... I'm just a washed up mammal, hired to do some side-scrolling."
-Old Sonic

Sega Gamer @ Jun 26th 2008 1:57PM

"Sega... has changed.."

Mr.ESC @ Jun 26th 2008 11:56AM

Please Lord let Unleashed be good.

If Bioware can't make a good game with Sonic no one can.

Fernando Rocker @ Jun 26th 2008 12:04PM

Well... right now, I'm waiting for Sonic Chronicles. It's by BioWare and those guys are very good developers.

Sonic Unleashed is by Sonic Team, and they are good, but they need to improve. I really think that they are going to make a great job with Unleashed.

Sonic Unleashed and Sonic Chronicles will be the comeback of Sonic.

=p

riggs @ Jun 26th 2008 1:00PM

did i end up in bizarro world or does fernando have more than 2 stars?

riggs @ Jun 26th 2008 1:01PM

and by stars i mean hearts (if my original comment actually shows up THIS time)

Mr. Numeros @ Jun 26th 2008 11:57AM

I would have expected Ludwig to make this post, but I guess it took longer for South Africa to get the first Sonic game. What with the lions guarding the airdropped supply boxes containing the game. Must have taken a while before they left and you could get at them.

Markez (MKWii 4339-2878-5120) @ Jun 26th 2008 12:03PM

We had so many good times together back in the day, and then you turned your back on me, it hurt so much.

And then you teased me with Sonic and the Secret Rings on Wii, but you didn't mean it, you didn't want to be pals after all, how dare you!!!

Fernando Rocker @ Jun 26th 2008 12:06PM

Sonic and the Secret Rings is not bad. It has good graphics and gameplay, but the game gets very repetitive and is very slow at the beggining.

samfish @ Jun 26th 2008 12:16PM

I love Sonic & the Secret Rings. It's one of my favorite games on the Wii, really. I'm so disappointed that Sonic Unleashed is less like Secret Rings and more like Sonic Rush.
S&TSR is definitely the direction Sega should be taking Sonic. Give me that kind of game set in a classic Sonic setting (and fix the relatively minor control issues) and you've easily got a winner.

Markez (MKWii 4339-2878-5120) @ Jun 26th 2008 12:21PM

Ah balls. The warm and fuzzy fondness emanating from you two makes me want to buy it again, I did enjoy it for a bit. And then I'm reminded of how my patience kind of wore out with it. Best Sonic game in ages for sure, but it wasn't great in my opinion.

Fernando Rocker @ Jun 26th 2008 12:43PM

Markez

Is $19.99 in Walmart... Sonic miss you =(

riggs @ Jun 26th 2008 12:19PM

hey happy birthday little guy

*goes to pet*

ouch! you BASTARD

Superstar90 @ Jun 26th 2008 12:22PM

Sonic wasn't always bad... He was a happy hedgehog full of life and love, until one eventful day.
Heading home (in 2 dimensions) he stumbled on a glowing 3 dimensional circle (a sphere as the top-siders call it). Upon touching this object, his body became distorted. The cute little hedgehog's arms and legs extended to disgusting proportions and his head ballooned to the size of a watermelon. He was forever changed...
That was not the worst of it, Sonic could now speak. He opened his mouth, only to project the most awful, 15 year old, pubescent sound he had ever heard. He had become a monster.
Years passed, and sonic remained in hiding, fearing the public's reaction to his deformity. Until one day, when Sega (his masters) summoned him to the Dreamcast...
Much to his surprise he had a wonderful outing, the public adored him. He continued his life on the Dreamcast, having two grand adventures. However, trouble was brewing. It seemed that Sega decided to force friendships upon the young hedgehog. He was given more friends than he could wish for, and for a short while he loved the attention. Until, of course, Sega went overboard by introducing Big the Cat.
From there Sonic has been plagued by "friends". His fans have come to ridicule his choices, and his games have been sub-par. He has attempted to redeem himself with some secret rings and dual screened adventures, but it was all in vain. Sometime in the year 2006, he was caught kissing a human girl. The public was just not ready for such awkwardness, and Sonic, once again, lost all respect.

Rich @ Jun 26th 2008 12:51PM

Wow, my daughter and Sonic share the exact same birthday! When I tell her, she'll be so....unimpressed.

Squirrel3D @ Jun 26th 2008 1:14PM

If your wondering about sonic team making Sonic Unleashed, do keep in mind that a different team within Sonic Team is making this game. That should be enough to give us old school long suffering Sonic fans some hope.

On an anime related know, Tsukino Usagi..AKA Sailor Moon also has a birthday this month. Don't ask how I know this or why I know this.

Sinister Rouge @ Jun 26th 2008 1:32PM

As the textbook definition of a long-suffering Sonic fan, very little will fill me with hope these days- although I was a little aroused by the picture accompanying the news.

Sonic Unleashed looks excellent PRECISELY BECAUSE it looks just like Sonic Rush, which was the best Sonic game since Sonic and Knuckles. Although the soundtrack was rubbish- get Hideki Naganuma to do it!

Lord Bowser @ Jun 28th 2008 11:25AM

http://squirrel-3d.livejournal.com/

I'm going to start reading up on you.

Squirrel3D @ Jun 28th 2008 12:09PM

So now your gonna try an attempt to expose my life to everyone. Do you honestly think you'll get that far? And what the hell do you have against me?? Most of all, WHAT DOES IT HAVE TO DO WITH SONIC'S 17TH BIRTHDAY??

Go ahead...try running me off the internet. It won't work. My friends are already aware of this and are gonna have my back in case you try anything.

mykie @ Jun 26th 2008 1:32PM

It doesn't seem that long ago that I brought home Sonic and Thunderforce III for my Genesis, and blew away all my NES-loving friends with it's speed, colorful graphics, large sprites, and lack of flickering and slowdown when more than 3 enemies appeared onscreen.

Thanks for making me feel old again, Joystiq, seriously.

Superstar90 @ Jun 26th 2008 1:37PM

The only things that make me worry about Sonic Chronicles/Unleashed are the soundtracks. The original Rush game had great music. Rush Adventure had good music too, but it was not done my Hideki Naganuma... they just copied his style. I really want him to do more video game music, I have the official Jet Set Radio and JSRF soundtracks and they are incredible.

coolforever4537 @ Jun 26th 2008 1:57PM

Happy birthday to my favorite video game character of all time!!! :D :D :D

riggs @ Jun 26th 2008 2:17PM

mario just turned his back on you.

Kassie @ Jun 26th 2008 3:03PM

on Phantasy Star Universe Sega is doing a sonic birthday event thing, theres giant sonic statues all over! and GM's came on as Sonic and Tails and like 200 ppl shouting Happy Birthday Sonic for hours around them o.O

Nate @ Jun 26th 2008 3:16PM

Happy Birthday Sonic!
http://i55.photobucket.com/albums/g153/sexyb418/Hotdogs/chilidog.jpg

lol @ Jun 26th 2008 8:07PM

excuse me, Sonic's birthday is November 27, 1976

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jaleel_White

I'd probably pass out if Hideki Naganuma and Yuzo Koshiro did the soundtrack together.

And if you don't know who Yuzo Koshiro is, then maybe you should play ActRaiser, Shinobi, and Streets of Rage. Or if you want something more recent, Wangan Midnight.