Of the numerous longstanding video game franchises,Sonic the Hedgehogis one that has taken many forms and has gone through various iterations. Longtime fans of the series have stood bySonic the Hedgehogthrough thick and thin, but not every take onSonichas been fruitful in terms of execution. This has led one longtimeSonicdeveloper to instill an unspoken rule going forward.
Perhaps one of the most controversial entries in the entireSonic the Hedgehogfranchise is the 2006 soft reboot titledSonic the HedgehogorSonic 06as it’s commonly referred to now. WhileSonic 06still has a fair number of fans, this game has been panned across the board for the litany of bizarre narrative decisions and the borderline unfinished nature of the product. Not to mention, it involves Sonic being kissed by a human woman, an occurrence that the head of Sonic Team does not wish to happen again.
RELATED:Sonic 06 Fan Remake Gets New Demo With Shadow’s Levels
In a recent interview with Axios, Takashi Iizuka, the current head of Sonic Team, discussed the two integral rules when making aSonic the Hedgehoggame, along with an unofficial rule from Iizuka, which states that Sonic won’t be kissing humans ever again. Given how unnatural and bizarre the occurrence was inSonic 06, this is certainly for the better.
In fairness to Iizuka, while he has been instrumental in the design of mostSonic the Hedgehogtitles, going as far back asSonic the Hedgehog 3, he wasn’t involved in the development ofSonic 06. Given the overall negative reception toSonic 06, Sonic kissing humans likely isn’t the only thing Sonic Team wishes to not have happen again.
The two official rules that Iizuka previously discussed are much more on brand with Sonic’s character as a whole. According to Iizuka, the first rule to making anySonic the Hedgehoggame is unsurprisingly “speed,” given the character’s propensity to go fast. However, the second rule is that Sonic isn’t allowed to swim. This may come off as unexpected, but this has been consistent across every appearance Sonic has made, even inMario and Sonic at the Olympic Games, Sonic can be seen wearing a flotation device in all water activities.
In any case, it will be interesting to see what the future holds forSonic the Hedgehoggoing forward. The second installment in theSonic the Hedgehogmovie franchise was met with a great degree of financial success. Not to mention the upcoming release ofSonic Frontiers,which will be Sonic’s first foray into open-world gameplay.
