30 Years of Sonic - What does the franchise mean to you?

1. I probably saw Sonic a few times as a little kid before the first Sonic game I ever had fell into my hands.
2. The first Sonic game I ever played was Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Winter Games.
3. Sonic is cool and I like him
4. My favorite memory? Gosh. Probably beating Sonic 3K for the first time. It felt like a massive accomplishment and cemented the game's status as one of my all-time favorites.
5. The future looks bright in my opinion. People love Sonic. We've got more games coming. We've got another movie coming. Everyone loves the memes and the characters and shares many memories of playing with the blue bitch over these past thirty years.

My toast to you, Sonic. It's been 30 years. Can't wait for 30 more.

 

Sounds fun!

1. What is your earliest memory of seeing Sonic anywhere?
I have two conflicting first memories. One was seeing Adventure of Sonic the Hedgehog, which I *think* probably aired in the same block as Power Rangers on my FOX affiliate. The other is playing Sonic 2 at my older cousin's house. No clue which one came first!

2. What was the first Sonic related media actually you played/read/watched?
The first one I played was Sonic 2, the first thing I watched was AoStH, and the first thing I read was one of the very early Archie books. Might've been the one in the front of the Sonic 1&2 strategy guide, explaining how Robotnik took over Mobius.

3. Why do you still spend time here, reminiscing over the series today?
It never stops being compelling. It's an incredibly dense series with seemingly endless different interpretations, and I'm always looking forward to what the future holds.

4. What's your favorite memory of the franchise over the past 30 years?
Prooobably either of the previous two milestone anniversaries. I'm full-on nostalgic at this point for Classic Sonic's comeback in 2011, and the unbridled optimism in the community around that time... but I'll never forget Sonic Mania's announcement and release. I was so, SO proud of this fandom, and finally getting to play it and seeing the reception it got, I knew everything we'd been through over the years had been worth it.

5. What are your honest hopes for the next 10 years?
I just want the line Sonic Jam's history section ended with to continue to be true. Hopefully, it'll thrive like it never has before. But regardless of what happens, I hope we'll still have plenty to talk about for the 40th, the 50th, and beyond. No matter what ups, down, or all around this series might hit, it'll always be with me.

 

1. What is your earliest memory of seeing Sonic anywhere?
AOSTH. I had never heard of Sonic before when the episode Slowwww Going suddenly introduced me to him. It wasn't an amazing show, but I kept watching it, and was eventually introduced to SatAM as well. I preferred AOSTH for the lighter tone.

2. What was the first Sonic related media actually you played/read/watched?
See above.

As for the games, it wouldn't be until a few years later that I learned about them from friends who had Genesis. I only had a NES, so Sonic blew my mind with its graphics. When I finally got a Genesis I immediately became hooked on the series, and have been a fan ever since.

3. Why do you still spend time here, reminiscing over the series today?
Because it's still one of my favorite game series. It may have given us many stinkers, but those don't negate all the joy I got out of it in the past, and I'm still getting, be it from replaying old games (S3&K is one of the greatest games I've played and still holds up), playing the occasional modern gem, or playing nice fangames.

I'm also here because I find the Sonic secrets scene fascinating, having followed it since the early noughties.

4. What's your favorite memory of the franchise over the past 30 years?
Either the first time I played Sonic Adventure or Sonic 2 Beta. I can't decided which was more mindblowing, seeing the series make the full 3d leap, or experiencing a very different Sonic 2 --a game I thought I knew like the back of my hand-- and getting a taste of what it could have been.

5. What are your honest hopes for the next 10 years?
That Sega finally gets some proper QA and starts making consistently good Sonic games. Hopefully ones that take the best parts of each era while still moving the series forward.

 

My mom had a co-worker who owned a Sega Genesis. When we went over to his house, my brother and I would be parked in front of the console with Sonic 2 while they talked shop. Later on, when he upgraded to a Saturn, we were given his Genesis, with Sonic 2 and a pile of sports games, as a Hanukkah present.

The fact that I joined right before Colors' release, and it's now being remastered, is kinda crazy. I'm here because oftentimes this community is what kept the franchise alive, even moreso than the official media. Finding development secrets, taking apart and creating new experiences with classic games, and being generally interested in at least one aspect of my life most IRL people can't be passionate about in the same way.

Sonic has been there a lot of times when I couldn't rely on anyone to cheer me up in my real life. So for me, it was when I would hold myself up in my parents' basement as a tween, in front of a 13" CRT, and take a deep dive into any game that was relatively recent. Whether it be mapping out Sonic 3K for the best route with the debug codes, or literally taking notes about Sonic's history with Sonic Jam's Sonic World, or cross-referencing the Prima strategy guide for all the upgrades in Sonic Adventure. Anything to completely envelop myself in pure unadulterated nerdiness to escape the horrors of first-world problems like elementary school.

I want the developers to be confident in an idea and iterate on it. We spent the last decade going back and forth with gameplay ideas and designs to the point where it shows no clear sense of direction. Maybe it needs new blood, or maybe a different means of focus testing. I'm not sure. Sega has always been fighting against itself, so I don't know how realistic that hope may be. But, hey, it's a hope.

 

Hmm, well I was born only a couple months before the release Sonic the Hedgehog. I'd be shocked to learn that I played it so young, but our family had a Genesis in the house so I was absolutely familiar with the Blue Blur before I ever had my first turn with the controller.

The first show I watched was a rented vhs of like the first couple episodes of Satam, which I ended up renting fairly often as I don't recall there being many/if any other vhs' available at our video store or the Hollywood Video's we'd hit up on vacation in Florida or Michigan. I believe the first comic I read was the 3D Blast Special from Archie. It was either that or the start of the Battle Royale event. Whichever one it was got me hooked on Archie for a good while.

I spend time here in part for the nostalgia of having lurked on here and other sites when I was younger, but also because it is one of a depressingly small pool of communities that typically harbours any positivity. Sonic is my favourite media franchise period, and this place allows me to celebrate it with considerate fellows.

My favourite memory is probably from when Hirokazu Yasuhara revealed his design documents for Sonic 2. That was the impetus I needed to become a contributor instead of being a mere lurker, and it inspired a ton of creativity within me.

I have decently high hopes for the future of the franchise. I'm excited for every upcoming game, especially Origins, but I have faith in Rangers given how Iizuka has stressed that they truly went back to find the heart of the series. I really dug the movie too, so I'm pretty amped for the sequel.

 

1. What is your earliest memory of seeing Sonic anywhere? & 2. What was the first Sonic related media actually you played/read/watched?

Oh goodness, I have no clue... It's down to one of 3 memories honestly.

I remember on Toon Disney (when it was a thing) there was this episode of AOSTH where Sonic & Tails were babysitting someone's kids? I mostly remember the end credits and then never seeing anything Sonic-related on the channel ever again.

Another memory is playing Sonic & Knuckles PC collection and never getting past Hydrocity (Hydrossity) or Flying Battery. Our Dad had bought it at what we called the BX (I think it stands for Base Exchange?) as a pack with Sega Smash Pack II so Sonic 2 and Chemical Plant had similar results.

And then the last memory which for the longest time I thought was my first memory is an older friend bringing over his GameCube (which was very new to us kids who were restricted to PC games) and playing Sonic Adventure 2 Battle which my brother and I were crazy about. Especially the Chao, I was always so upset that my younger brother would hoard the Chao and it was years until I could play with them

3. Why do you still spend time here, reminiscing over the series today?
I guess everyone else has said it but it's one of my favorite series, and Retro, in particular, has been a fascinating hub to watch fangames and from hacks develop out of. I remember when the community was trying to make their own Sonic 4 and the plan was that Sonic, Tails, and Knuckles would have their own story sections. If someone still has that gif breaking down the story PLEASE share it!

4. What's your favorite memory of the franchise over the past 30 years?
This is hard because there's more than one. I guess the one that sticks out to me is watching E3 live for the first time on Youtube in 2007 (I guess it was a pretty new thing at the time) and seeing Sonic Unleashed's opening sequence. I had seen the leaks beforehand and thought the game looked interesting enough, but when I saw that cinematic cutscene with Endless Possiblities playing, I yelled to me brother "Come look at this! They realized Sonic's last game was terrible and they're making it good this time!" I think I was also in awe of how they didn't just throw out the story for some reason?

Unleashed has so many memories for me. I remember getting it as an official Christmas gift from the Air Force along with an Xbox 360 (We had the Ps2 version and I was so disappointed it was the "bad version"). I remember my brother and I split the game so I played the daytime stages while he played the nighttime stages. I remember we got incredibly stuck on the first Tails Defense mission for a month because A. we weren't used to a 360 controller yet and B. there were no saves or ways to regain health at any point in the stage so you literally had to start over from the beginning even if you got to Eggman's flying fortress. It got so bad that we carried out 360 over to our friend's house to have them try and beat it for us and they were just as stuck. We got as far as Eggmanland before we just put the game down. We had plans to play it together since we knew both of us had to be around to play it, but my brother and I got busy with family problems in 2009.


5. What are your honest hopes for the next 10 years?

Good gameplay, a good story with good stakes like Adventure 2 & Unleashed had. I'm not too picky about if the gameplay is classic, adventure, boost, or maybe something new like Rangers is rumored to be, just so long as it's fun to play and they don't cut corners on it. I would hope for consistency going forward, with Sega realizing they need to give a decent amount of time and resources if they're going to make good games, but as I've said in other threads, it's not something I can expect without skepticism. I just want Sonic to be appreciated again, you know?

 

1. What is your earliest memory of seeing Sonic anywhere?

Sonic Mega Collection.

2. What was the first Sonic related media actually you played/read/watched?

Sonic Mega Collection.

3. Why do you still spend time here, reminiscing over the series today?

Sonic Mega Collection.

4. What's your favorite memory of the franchise over the past 30 years?

Sonic Mega Collection.

5. What are your honest hopes for the next 10 years?

Sonic Mega Collection.

6. How will you celebrate the franchise today?

Sonic Mega Collection.

...

Technically all of those responses are true. But you're not here for satire, are you? Allow me to elaborate:

1. What is your earliest memory of seeing Sonic anywhere?

Still mega collection. Got it at 5 years old just after I got my first gamecube for Christmas in 2005. That title screen music. Still makes me emotional.

2. What was the first Sonic related media actually you played/read/watched?

Again, mega collection on all counts. It had the first sonic games I played, first sonic books I read, and the first sonic videos I watched. And what a way to do it too! I went through everything from the top down, so my first game was Sonic 1, my first book was archie #0's "don't cry for me, mobius" (included in sonic firsts), and my first video was the sonic cd opening movie. Lucky me!

3. Why do you still spend time here, reminiscing over the series today?

Mega collection brought me to where I am today, but in a modern context...

Cause Sonic's not just a franchise- it's passion. It's love. It's ambition. It's learning. It's teaching. It's discovery. It's unity. It's sharing. It's creating. It's hobbies. It's careers.

Sonic is a community. A community of millions of people around the globe who are all united and do incredible things together. It's a community I'm damn proud to be a part of. :D

4. What's your favorite memory of the franchise over the past 30 years?

Mega collection obviously takes the cake here, but a few others would be:

>Finally beating Sonic Spinball

>Playing Sonic CD for the first time and winding up having more fun with the GG games on gems

>D e b u g m o d e

>Finally getting advance 1 and 2 for Christmas 3 years after 3 (after asking for advance 2 for 8 (guess where I first discovered the game from ;D)) and winding up liking advance 1 more lmao

>Listening to Sonic Crackers's Electoria for the first time. I kid you not, it changed the course of my life. I'm not exaggerating

>Finally getting adventure 2 on my 18th birthday after asking for it for 12 years (again, guess where I discovered it) and finally getting to shred those rails like a pro right out of the gate (and not understanding why people struggle so much) :p

>And many, many more <3

5. What are your honest hopes for the next 10 years?

Mega Collection still counts lmao. Sonic Origins is quickly shaping up to be a huge step in the right direction here- I really really want Sega to fully open up Sonic's back catalog to everyone again, and wear the entire franchise proudly on their shoulders, and not just the famously good parts. Why? So when people get a taste of all the good and bad that have come before, they'll hopefully see the same bright future and sheer potential hiding within Sonic that we all do. There are ups and downs, yes, but seeing that Sonic isn't always perfect means he always has room to improve and innovate. And that means that maybe one day, Sega will be just as proud of Sonic now as they were in the Mega Collection days.

6. How will you celebrate the franchise today?

With Mega Collection, of course! (Anyone watch Arlo?) I'm gonna play my favorite games I grew up with on mega collection. Then I'm gonna play the games I didn't grow up with on mega collection.

Then I'm gonna keep playing more Sonic games because they're all fun and awesome and everything's great and sonic has always been good and maybe I'll draw a picture and maybe watch some shows and talk with all my friends and watch the sonic symphony and listen to more sonic music and maybe read my stash of archie and idw comics and admire my sonic plush backpack and tell my little bro all about the celebration because

Happy 30th birthday Sonic and Eggman!!
You've changed the world- for the immeasurable better. <3

 

1. What is your earliest memory of seeing Sonic anywhere?
Honestly, I've no idea. I'm turning 23 this year, so it's difficult for me to cast my mind so far back and really pinpoint when my first exposure to Sonic was...

2. What was the first Sonic related media actually you played/read/watched?
In chronological order: I picked up the comic Sonic X #23 (iirc) when moving back to the UK from Cyprus sometime in 06/07, I played Sonic Heroes on the PS2 shortly thereafter at another kid's house, then, officially speaking (we'll get to that later), I got the first 4 volumes of Sonic X on DVD (I don't know if we ever got the whole show on DVD in the UK, or if it ever went into syndication here).

3. Why do you still spend time here, reminiscing over the series today?
I think Sonic has historically been a series that has been more open to change than the likes of his rival Mario, with an ongoing narrative and far more multimedia projects, with the comic in particular being a favourite of mine. As a result of that, and SEGA's lassez faire attitude towards fan projects, I think Sonic's fan community has thrived to a much greater degree, and Retro is absolutely the place I love coming to in order to talk about Sonic.

4. What's your favorite memory of the franchise over the past 30 years?
Okay, so this is cheating a bit, since it's not official, but the fan animation Nazo Unleashed blew my tiny mind as a kid. Sure, I think Mania may be the best thing that's happened to this series in recent years, but I was already 17 when that was revealed - childlike wonder was pretty much lost to me at that point. Back when I watched Nazo Unleashed, I didn't really know what DBZ was, and there was a feeling that everything in the world was so...big, like there was just some kind of infinite depth to anything I was into. Anyway, from time to time I still go back and watch the final fight of Hyper Shadic vs Perfect Nazo, hairs still standing on end as Live and Learn blasts over the fight, with Tails and Knuckles going Hyper to help deal the final blow, not to mention the Million Ring Whirlwind being the coolest kind of cheese. Honestly, it may be my favourite fan made anything for any IP ever, and it had such a profound effect on me as an artist in terms of influencing what I drew for a good few years.

5. What are your honest hopes for the next 10 years?
Same as anybody else's really - for Sonic to improve. I don't expect things to return to how they were during a time before I was even born, nor do I want them to. But what I do want is for Sonic to have prestige again. What we've heard about Sonic 2022 tells me that there's potential for this to happen, but there needs to be a earnest and sustained effort on the part of SEGA to really understand what the fanbase wants and to deliver on that.

6. How will you celebrate the franchise today?
I've got a busy workday ahead of me, but I'll be catching the Sonic Symphony as some point today, and I may even go any rewatch Nazo Unleashed again, or blast through Mania.

Happy birthday, you blurry blue bastard. :')

 

1. What is your earliest memory of seeing Sonic anywhere?
Sonic X. I used to watch it on Jetix back in the days.

2. What was the first Sonic related media actually you played/read/watched?
The first Sonic game I ever played was Ultimate Flash Sonic, like a lot people of my generation. The flash game scene was all I had when it came to Sonic game until I played Sonic Heroes for the first time at a friend's house around... 2006 I think?

3. Why do you still spend time here, reminiscing over the series today?
I think this place has the best discutions when it come to Sonic's peculiar game design and history, not to mention the amazing hacks, mods and fangames showcased here. I lurked here for years and finally joined the forum almost 4 years ago! Time sure does fly. It's not always sunshine and rainbow, but for a place called Sonic Retro I've always felt pretty accepted as an Adventure fan that didn't grow up with the classic games. Maybe it's because the Adventure games are retro too now? God I feel old.

4. What's your favorite memory of the franchise over the past 30 years?
There's so many of them, I can't really pinpoint any specific one...getting my own Xbox 360 and playing official Sonic games for the first time (outside of Heroes), discovering the Adventure games and realising Sonic X was based of them all along, playing the classic games on the classic collection on the DS and sucking at them, drawing Sonic for the first time... these all all really fond memories.

5. What are your honest hopes for the next 10 years?
An Adventure comeback, what else? There's a small portion of people here dedicated to making fun of us Adventure fans everytime we bring it up, but I know it'll happen eventually...and I hope it'll be as glorious as Mania was for Classic Sonic.

6. How will you celebrate the franchise today?
I'm pretty busy currently but I'll try to fit in a quick playtrough of Sonic 1 to celebrate.

 

1. What is your earliest memory of seeing Sonic anywhere?
2. What was the first Sonic related media actually you played/read/watched?

Combining these questions because they have the same answer: we were a fairly poor family so most of my consoles were hand-me-downs. At some point we got a Master System with the first two Sonic games on it. Two of the first games I ever beat, at the grand old age of seven.

3. Why do you still spend time here, reminiscing over the series today?

Stockholm Syndrome.

4. What's your favorite memory of the franchise over the past 30 years?

There are too many to name. I could easily be stuck with only Sonic 1, 2, 3K, CD, 1 8-bit, Unleashed, Colours, Generations and Mania and have fun the whole time. I've spent weeks raising Chao in Adventure 2. I enjoyed learning 68k ASM to turn Sonic 1 into Sonic Runners, or add procedural level generation. Some hacks and fangames (Sonic Classic Heroes, Sonic 2 Retro Remix, Robotnik's Revenge, S3K - The Challenges, Sonic VR, Jester's Challenge, Sonic: The Next Level to name just a few) show there's a lot of unexplored potential in the Sonic formula too - whenever I think we've seen everything that can be done something new comes along.

5. What are your honest hopes for the next 10 years?

I'm hoping SEGA stick with the boost gameplay, leaning into procedural generation to help them produce more level in a shorter space of time. If they do this they might be able to avoid crowbarring in a completely unrelated gameplay style for no reason other than padding - it'd be nice to have a more focussed game. Hopefully taking after Unleashed in level design more than later entries too.

I'm also hoping that they keep producing classic-style games, even (especially?) if they're outsourced. Mania wasn't amazing, but it certainly wasn't bad (definitely better than anything since Generations) and showed there's still a market for classic games. They can get some inspiration from the above hacks, and maybe some of the important people behind them too.

They could hire me. I have both things ready to go and I'm always accepting large cheques.

6. How will you celebrate the franchise today?

I'll have a proper Sonic session in a few weeks when I have more time, but for today I'll probably play through S3K.

 

1/2: Playing the classics at my cousin's house before getting my own Genesis Christmas 93. So Sonic 1 or 2, but I couldn't tell you which.

3: I need somewhere to talk to people about stuff and stave off boredom, and I don't do Twitter or reddit.

4: Mania. To see the "Sonic was never good" crowd eat all the dicks in the world felt so good, and it was also a reminder of why Sonic became so big in the first place.

5: That Sega allows classic to remain a thing under the care of Team Mania.

6: You mean today specifically? Someone said the 30th anniversary comic came out, so I'll pick that up. That's probably about it.

 

Old fart checking in.

1. What is your earliest memory of seeing Sonic anywhere?
Sonic 1 at a friend's house. I grew up kinda poor so all I had was my hand-me-down Atari 8bit computers, which were great, but I was still jealous of friends with their fancy, shiny, new SNES's and Genesis's. So I was often over at their houses playing their games.

2. What was the first Sonic related media actually you played/read/watched?
Sonic 1, probably around late 1991 to early 1992.

3. Why do you still spend time here, reminiscing over the series today?
I don't "reminisce," I'm still working on digital archaeology and technical research. I'm not interested in any games past around the PS2 era, so I'm really only active when we're focusing on older games.

4. What's your favorite memory of the franchise over the past 30 years?
Sonic CulT.

5. What are your honest hopes for the next 10 years?
I honestly couldn't care less about the future of Sonic, or of any video games for that matter. That's not to be blase or contrarian or anything: I'm just not interested in modern games. The technology is so homogenized that it's simply boring. All consoles are just small PCs. The comparatively unlimited resources they offer don't pose a challenge to the developer. Limitations create greatness. Give me 64kb of VRAM and a 2 MHz M68k; now THAT'S fun to work with!

I sincerely hope people find fun in future Sonic games, but I personally don't care.

6. How will you celebrate the franchise today?
Making this post. :P

 

1. What is your earliest memory of seeing Sonic anywhere?

The first time I ever saw Sonic was sometime in the mid 90s when I was 3-4 years old (I was born November 1991). My brother had a Genesis and Sonic 2 (along with other games) and this leads to my next answer..

2. What was the first Sonic related media actually you played/read/watched?

The first game I played was Sonic 2. I don’t have any memories of my first playthroughs but I’m pretty sure I struggled lol. As I got older I got better and I considered it my favorite. I remember my godbrother (who lived above us on the third floor) had a copy of Sonic 1 and I played that only briefly, so yeah Sonic 2 was my go-to.

3. Why do you still spend time here, reminiscing over the series today?

I just love interacting and being a part of this community. There are so many people here who love this franchise even through the dark times and seeing all these personalities shine through is very special. Plus this is my go-to site for news regarding new games lol.

4. What's your favorite memory of the franchise over the past 30 years?

100% the reveal of Sonic Mania. Being an adult and getting to experience the reveal of a game that goes back to what I grew up with was totally an insane moment for me. And ofc the game delivered in all aspects (minus the returning zones, but they were remixed to be more different so props to Team Mania).

5. What are your honest hopes for the next 10 years?

I just want the franchise to be more consistent and successful. They seem to be on the right track in terms of expanding their audience with the movies and the upcoming TV show. We just need the main developers of the games to have that same passion and energy to create amazing games and I’m sure they have that. I hope the next 10 years will result in the franchise reaching new heights.

6. How will you celebrate the franchise today?

Playing through the current, definitive versions of the classic games (1,2,3&K, and CD)


Happy 30th Sonic!!! Thank you for being a part of my life all these years!! Here’s to 30 more!!

 

Awww shit! You shouldn't ask me these things! *cracks knuckles*

1. What is your earliest memory of seeing Sonic anywhere?

I usually always credit my late favorite Aunt with showing me Sonic, but that's because for the longest, I'd forgotten my ACTUAL first glimpse at Sonic. My Aunt and her late son CJ are the ones who really showed me the ropes with the game, but because both memories are close to me, I usually just say I was introduced to Sonic twice. With that being said...

I couldn't have been any older than four years old when a kid I used to hang with at my church (we'll call him Sean) showed me both Sonic 1 and —if my memory serves me correct— he showed me Sonic 2 as well. What I remember is this interesting Disney-looking blue animal waving his finger around "like a fan" (I was reaaally into fans and things that spun at this age, and for whatever reason that's what I thought this weird blue character was doing...because that's what I did when I wanted to imitate fans or other spinny things. Don't judge me lol.).
There was so much to unpack with this game and so much happening. It was overwhelming but intriguing at the same time. One of the things that stuck out was how colorful and vibrant the game was compared to other games I'd seen up to that point (mostly NES or Atari); from the graphics to the music and sounds, everything was just so much more beautiful and so much more real compared to what I used to from video games.
What caught my attention during gameplay was when Sonic curled up spun through (here we go again with the damn spinning) the tunnel in what I now know is GHZ; the sound he made when he did this really caught me, I remember thinking or possibly even saying "Heyyy! That sounds like my daddy's saw!! Wow! HE CAN TURN INTO A SAW?!?!".
Sean is maybe two years older than me, and even though in hindsight I think we both sucked at the game, I remember him showing me the basic controls and teaching me how to play (I also remember he had an interesting controller that had a mini joystick type thing with a yellow ball tip on its D-Pad. I've seen it maybe one other time...in a movie or show. Haven't found one in real life since. It's like a Mandela Effect almost...)

As I said, I vaguely remember him showing me another game that could have been Sonic 2, but not much memorable detail springs from that. I say "could have", because Sonic 2 may not have even been out yet, but the thing that seemed Sonic 2-ish about it that I remember there being playing as an 'orange cat' (Tails. I thought Tails was a cat for the longest time), and I remember there being double screens and being even more confused and overwhelmed at what to do (damn split screen mode) than Sonic 1. It's honestly hard to say because I can't quite say if I recall Sonic's presence even IN this mystery game — I partially blame that on possibly not having much time to play and really soak it up, as I think by the time we fired THIS game up, it was time for me and my dad to leave. I really can't say, due to my super young age + the passage of time being a bitch, though I'm almost certain it was Sonic 2. The world may never know.

2. What was the first Sonic related media actually you played/read/watched?

Sonic 1. So as I said, I like to say experienced Sonic for the first time "twice". The "second first time" time was when above mentioned departed favorite Aunt showed me the game; she was something of a gamer herself (I can't say she was particularly good but she really liked games) and usually had most of the latest systems. I call this the REAL first time I played Sonic, 1.) because I can recall my time playing with her a LOT better than the actual first time and 2.) because I was at her house way more than Sean's, so I got to really PLAY the game and practice instead of just kind clumsily fiddle around with it when Sean showed me.

So anyway, as soon as that damn Sonic 1 title screen popped up with the "fan finger", I instantly recognized it. "HEY! I remember this!!" I gushed. My Aunt looked after me A LOT in the early 90's when my my had to go to school and my dad had to work, and because I had no games at home yet, I was GLUED to Auntie's Sega and had A LOT of time to get acquainted with this game and boy did I loooove it. THIS time I was paying more attention, and now that that stupid joystick thing wasn't in the way on the D-Pad, I could play a lot better than my first time (being just a few months to a year older probably didn't hurt either).
Both my Aunt and my cousin CJ knew the level select code so whenever I got sick of GHZ or Marble Zone, I could just pass the controller to her or him and get to experience the rest of the game, especially so I could see the different bosses — I LOVED The bosses. I was just so in love with this game and everything about it.
Honestly, I don't recall being too much into video games until I got to try my hand at Sonic (again, everything was always Atari or NES, which as a kid was 'meh' to me). Sonic was literally a game changer (ha! puns..) in so many ways. Whenever my cousins from my other Aunt would come over and play it with me, and they'd teach me even more tips and tricks (they and my cousin CJ were like expert gamers to me, I'd learn so much just watching them).
I'll never forget the day they brought Sonic 2 over. I was not feeling. Like, I literally was not crazy about it for many reasons (it didn't help that on such occasion, the oldest cousin came over and completely shut off Sonic 1 while I was in the middle of playing it and put in Sonic 2 .... right after I'd made it particularly far in Marble Zone....rude. Guess that's not Sonic 2's fault but hey lol). I just remember being...rather weirded out by it. It was cool, but it just wasn't the same. Sonic seemed 'taller' and not as 'cute' as Sonic 1. The levels were certainly bigger and even more vibrant than Sonic 1, but they seemed more intimidating too. I also wasn't crazy about of a lot of the music...including how the title screen and invincibility themes were remixed — all of which grew on me. If you wanna get really petty, the checkpoints in Sonic 1 reminded 5-year old me of cherries when they turned red which I loved, yet they'd been replaced with these weird things with stars on them that made the same sound. Bogus! lol And furthermore WHO the fuck was THIS CAT (again, Tails) and why did he look so different in the title screen than on the box and cart?! I eventually warmed up to Sonic 2 and became just as in love with it (if not more than) Sonic 1 for the longest time.

Sometime a year later my Aunt gifted me her Genesis AND her Sonic 1 (both of which I have to this day. One of the few things I have left from her. The Genesis boots up but doesn't play anymore, and the Sonic 1 cart went through weird spurts where it kind of worked and then didn't over the years. These days it's in "works mode", but that could change at any more). Sonic 2 is back to being my least favorite game again, probably because I spent so much time playing it once I finally got my own copy. I still love it, but it's probably the one game out of the trilogy that I boot up the least.

3. Why do you still spend time here, reminiscing over the series today?

Why not lol? Actually, aside from lurking, I stepped away from this and pretty much all Sonic related communities (and most forums in general) from '07 until 2019, which is when I found that I could still access my old account and became active again. The reason I'm still here is because as someone who loves and LIVES to create things (everything from bomb-ass omelets to performance V8 engines to music to...you guessed it...video games. If I had the body for it, I'd probably be doing construction), I am incredibly intrigued by the topic of how things are made. From the time I could crawl around, I've been notorious for pulling things apart to see just how everything worked. So.. 20 something years ago when I discovered that there were whole online communities dedicated to basically pulling apart Sonic games and examining what makes them tick? Come on! There was no way I could pass up the chance to get in on that action.

4. What's your favorite memory of the franchise over the past 30 years?
The short answer: Seeing the SatAM and AoSth for the first time. Also the announcement of Sonic Adventure, then Sonic Mania.

Long answer: I have to say (especially after writing all this) that the people I played Sonic with (my Aunt, cousins, friends, even my parents) are just as much responsible for my warm fuzzy memories and fondness of the franchise as the blue blur himself. That being said, the release of Sonic & Knuckles (three guesses as to who introduced me to that one. If you guessed the above mentioned departed Aunt, you win a prize lol). Yes, as a standalone. Look I love the combined game just as much as the next guy, but forgetting everything we now know about lock-on technology and how S&K is just half of a game, in my opinion it's a good-ass game by itself (ditto for Sonic 3 to a somewhat lesser extend). I feel like it's a case of not realizing what you're missing until after you've PLAYED what's missing. I figure there is a reason why everyone I speak to about Sonic either mentions Sonic 2 or Sonic & Knuckles is their favorite games. I know this is just anecdotal, but for the longest time in the 90's and even in the early 00's, it was almost impossible to find anyone who was familiar with Sonic 3. Any kid I ever showed it to prior to the PC version coming out, would go "So THIS Sonic 3, huh?". I also remember it being a hard game to find back then too. I got my copy of S&K some time in '94 and I finally got Sonic 3 in February '96 (I still have the Funcoland receipt tucked within the case). It took nearly two whole years to finally track down a cartridge...this could explain why so many kids I knew had heard of it but never actually played or had it.

Coming in second was discovering the Game Gear games. I played Sonic 1 on a Game Gear display in Best Buy some time in the first grade (so '94/95), hearing the 8-bit beepity-boop version of the GHZ music and being absolutely FLOORED. I'd been so disenchanted (and feeling so duped lol) by those crummy Tiger handhelds that once I actually played a REAL DEAL hand-held Sonic that somewhat resembled the Genesis version, that I HAD to have it. I could NOT get it off my mind. I fired up my Genesis when we got home from the store that night to play Sonic 1 but it wasn't the same. I HAD to see more of that "little version". To my delight, I was later gifted a Game Gear by my Aunt the same night I play S&K at her house for the first time, she bought it for herself but she wasn't much into handhelds, and CJ already had a Game Boy soooo lol (yeah, I might've been the favorite back then LOL). '94-'95 were such exciting years for me as a young gamer lol.

5. What are your honest hopes for the next 10 years?

Hell, just make some good games again. Maybe put out a good TV series again. I feel like it's been really hit or miss for the franchise as a whole since SA2 and I hate that. If we're being super honest, I'd LOVE to be able WORK on an official Sonic project, whether as a composer or designer. Not saying I'd be as good as Tee Lopes or Taxman, but I might be able to bring a little somethin' somethin'. A guy can dream, right? lol

6. How will you celebrate the franchise today?

I've just begun laying down the skeleton for a remix of the Sonic 1 special stage. Maybe it'll be done today, maybe not. Who knows? I'm gonna rock some of my Sonic gear when I run some errands today for sure (I've got four hats, about six t-shirts, a watch, about three face masks and some nifty coffee mugs that my wife gave me for Christmas).

Actually I may even just have to throw some chili dogs on the grill and fire up Sonic on my Super Retro Trio and play it with my kids. My son and daughter, 12 and turning 14 respectively, are avid gamers and Sonic fans just like their ol' man. With them, I get to kind relive those days playing with my Aunt cousins and build new memories. It's bitter-sweet. One way or another, it's gonna be a beautiful day.

 

1. What is your earliest memory of seeing Sonic anywhere?

Sometime in early/mid 1992 (at the age of 4) a friend down the street had a Genesis and a Sonic 1, he showed me the game and that was my very first exposure

2. What was the first Sonic related media actually you played/read/watched?

I did play Sonic 1 first, but I got a Genesis for Christmas '92 that came with Sonic 2 instead. Watched SatAM and AoStH when they were airing new episodes.

3. Why do you still spend time here, reminiscing over the series today?

I always have at least a small interest in the franchise and enjoy seeing the amazing things people do with hacks and fan games. Also these forums (as Sonic 2 Beta forums) is the oldest place of Internet membership that I have.

4. What's your favorite memory of the franchise over the past 30 years?

The Sonic Mania reveal announcement/trailer. 5 years later and it still gives me the feels.

5. What are your honest hopes for the next 10 years?

Getting back on track of course. Origins collection will seem to finally bring the classics full circle, and we can only hope the newly announced mainline game will live up to its claims.

6. How will you celebrate the franchise today?

I should be able to catch that 30th anniversary symphony. Will probably dabble with my JP Mega Drive carts too.

 

1. What is your earliest memory of seeing Sonic anywhere?
2. What was the first Sonic related media actually you played/read/watched?
Sonic 1 on the Mega Drive. My father (or was it my aunt?) bought me one for my birthday. I used to spend summer holidays at my dad's place. Every time he drove me home, I cried like a baby. It felt like I was leaving him behind. It was awkward. That one time, though, was different. When he dropped me off, he quickly set up the console for me and I got so immersed in playing Sonic that I almost forgot to say good bye. I was still sad and cried, but at least I had a new buddy to look forward to.

Also, I liked Mickey Mouse and Michael Jackson. I was predestined to like this character.

3. Why do you still spend time here, reminiscing over the series today?
For nostalgia's sake, of course! The very first things I searched on the internet were Sonic fansites. That's how I stumbled upon Sonic Cult, Retro and co., learned about Sonic Adventure's unused dragon boss fight or Hidden Palace in Sonic 2 and many other things. It feels surreal, that even after so many years the fandom hasn't lost its spark.

4. What's your favorite memory of the franchise over the past 30 years?

Ok, my top 3 are Sonic Adventure Music Experience UK, an actual fever dream about Sandopolis Zone and the Sonic X era (good times).

5. What are your honest hopes for the next 10 years?
Four words: T e n o u t o f t e n. XD

6. How will you celebrate the franchise today?
I dunno, maybe listening some music?

 

1. What is your earliest memory of seeing Sonic anywhere?
Waking up early in the morning to the first episode of Sonic X on air. History was made on that day.

2. What was the first Sonic related media actually you played/read/watched?
Like I said, Sonic X was my introduction to the series. Rush was my first game. Eventually I found out about the Classics and learned about the Archie comics through Mega Collection.

3. Why do you still spend time here, reminiscing over the series today?
I'm new here.

4. What's your favorite memory of the franchise over the past 30 years?
Too many! Can I cheat? Too late. I’m cheating.

Getting back to the series through the Sonic 1 mobile port in 2016, reigniting my interest in the series by playing SA1 for the first time last year, watching the movie for the first time, and playing Colors DS for the first time in years, three years ago.

5. What are your honest hopes for the next 10 years?
I sincerely hope that we're moving out of the nostalgia era. That means no Mania 2 or Adventure remakes. Stick with nostalgia in ports (but don't neglect the games in between Sonic 3&K and Colors) and keep it out of the new games. Embrace the colorful cast of characters. Embrace the multimedia. And most importantly, I hope Colors:Ultimate/Prime/Sonic 2 starts a new generation of Sonic fans.

6. How will you celebrate the franchise today?
I will celebrate the franchise by replaying the game that started it all.

 

Indigestion.