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141-567: Origins was conceived following the release of the 2020 Sonic film . Due to the influx of new fans, Sonic Team head Takashi Iizuka wanted to make the older Sonic games available on modern hardware. The remasters of Sonic the Hedgehog , Sonic 2 , and Sonic CD are based on the Retro Engine -developed remakes released between 2011 and 2013, while Simon Thomley and his studio Headcannon, who worked on Sonic Mania (2017), developed

282-411: A Chaos Emerald . In special stages, players dodge obstacles and collect colored spheres to increase their speed, allowing them to pursue a UFO carrying a Chaos Emerald ; collecting all seven Chaos Emeralds allows players to use their character's super transformation and unlocks the game's true ending. Players' ring counters slowly decrease during special stages and must be continually replenished; if

423-476: A debug mode and sound test . In a time attack mode, players must complete levels as quickly as possible, with the best times included on an online leaderboard ; players can instantly reload a level to try again at any time. A split-screen competitive multiplayer mode allows two players to race to the end of a level, similar to those of Sonic 2 . Players can also unlock "Mean Bean", a 2-player minigame based on Dr. Robotnik's Mean Bean Machine . After

564-517: A mid-credits scene , an anthropomorphic two-tailed fox emerges from a ring portal on Earth, searching for Sonic. Additionally, Colleen O'Shaughnessey reprises her role from the games as Miles "Tails" Prower , an anthropomorphic yellow-orange two-tailed fox , in the mid-credits scene. Development for a film adaptation of the Sonic the Hedgehog video games began in 1993 during production of DIC Entertainment 's television show Adventures of Sonic

705-574: A "drop dash" which sends him rolling in a dash after a jump, Tails can fly and swim, and Knuckles can glide and climb walls. As with Sonic 2 (1992), players can play as Sonic and Tails simultaneously, or a second player can control Tails independently. Unlockable options include Sonic's abilities from Sonic CD (1993) and Sonic 3 & Knuckles (1994) in place of the drop dash and "& Knuckles" mode, which allows simultaneous control of any character and Knuckles, including himself. Sonic Mania takes place over 13 levels , called zones;

846-424: A $ 58 million debut over the three-day weekend, and $ 70 million over the four, breaking Detective Pikachu ' s record for the biggest opening weekend by a video game-based film . It was also the fourth-best President's Day holiday weekend and Jim Carrey's second biggest opening weekend, behind Bruce Almighty (2003). The success was attributed in part to the redesign of Sonic and the publicity it created, and

987-592: A Japan-based subsidiary of Sega Sammy Holdings which had produced CGI cutscenes for several Sonic games. It would be produced by Neal H. Moritz by his Original Film banner alongside Takeshi Ito, Mie Onishi, and Toru Nakahara, and written by Evan Susser and Van Robichaux . In February 2016, Sega CEO Hajime Satomi said the film was scheduled for 2018. Blur Studio 's Tim Miller and Jeff Fowler were hired in 2016 to develop it; Fowler would make his feature directorial debut, and Miller would serve as executive producer. Blur Studio previously produced cutscenes for

1128-421: A Sonic fan who already owns these games in other compilations, Origins is worth it." Sonic 3 's replaced music received criticism. Destructoid said the replacement tracks "just feel wrong" and were inconsistent with the rest of the soundtrack, and Ars Technica said they did not compare well to the original tracks. Game Informer felt they stripped the levels of their nostalgic feel, but that replacing

1269-466: A better one. The title referenced the development team's "maniacal" fandom for the series; Iizuka described the project as being made "by the mania, for the mania", and as a "passion product" driven by the fans' love for the early Sonic games. Sonic Mania was produced in commemoration of the series' 25th anniversary. It was developed using Whitehead's Retro Engine , a game engine tailored for creating two-dimensional games, which he also used for

1410-424: A blue anthropomorphic hedgehog who can run at supersonic speeds, who teams up with a town sheriff to stop the mad scientist Dr. Robotnik . Development for a Sonic film began in the 1990s but did not leave the planning stage until Sony Pictures acquired the film rights in 2013. Fowler was brought in to direct in 2016. After Sony put the project in turnaround , Paramount Pictures acquired it in 2017. Most of

1551-401: A bucket list in a western-themed bar where Tom helps him complete several entries, culminating in a bar fight . Meanwhile, Robotnik discovers that one of Sonic's quills holds an almost limitless amount of energy and plans to capture and use Sonic to empower his machines. As he tracks them down, Sonic and Tom manage to fight off several mechanized drones sent by Robotnik, but Sonic is injured in

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1692-464: A development deal with MGM and Trilogy Entertainment Group, with Pen Densham as executive producer. MGM and Sega hired Richard Jefferies , an associate of Risley from her days at Marvel Comics , to write a film treatment . At the time, Sega was developing the video game Sonic X-treme (which was canceled in late 1996) for its next console, the Sega Saturn , and asked Jefferies to feature

1833-409: A download on Steam . As compensation, those who had pre-ordered the game received a copy of the original Sonic the Hedgehog on Steam. In addition to the standard release, a Sega Genesis-themed collector's edition was also released, containing a 12-inch (30 cm) Sonic statue atop a model Genesis, a game cartridge cast with a golden ring, and a metallic collector's card with a download code for

1974-528: A graphical quality between Genesis and Sega Saturn games. Sonic Mania was released in August 2017 and became the highest-rated Sonic game in fifteen years. Many reviewers saw it as a return to form for the Sonic series following a number of poorly received games released after the 1990s. Its presentation, level design, music, and faithfulness to the early Sonic games were praised, but its lack of originality

2115-403: A higher share of the profits, while Densham said it followed creative differences between Sega and Trilogy. During the late 90s, Ben Hurst attempted to revive and properly conclude the animated Sonic the Hedgehog television series, in which he worked as a writer. After failing to tell the conclusion in an Archie Sonic Super Special comic, and after being dissuaded from attempting to continue

2256-412: A less humanlike body to better resemble Sonic ' s video game design. Sonic was redesigned by Marza Animation Planet. The redesign added an estimated $ 5 million to the production budget, took around five months, and was achieved without overtime. In February 2019, Tom Holkenborg , who previously worked with executive producer Miller on Deadpool , was hired to compose the score. The soundtrack

2397-516: A massive power outage across the Pacific Northwest . The U.S. Department of Defense reluctantly enlists the services of eccentric roboticist and scientific genius Dr. Robotnik to determine the cause of the outage. Realizing his cover has been blown, Sonic reluctantly plans to leave Earth for a different planet only containing mushrooms and fungi. As Sonic prepares to leave, Tom discovers him in his shed and tranquilizes him. Upon reading

2538-452: A physical release; Sega staff requested one, but a retail version would have presented a challenge for the production schedule. After the game launched, fans also expressed interest in a physical version. As a retail release would cost more than the downloadable version, the team added value with new content. Mighty and Ray were included because they were rarely featured in games; to accommodate them, level designs had to be altered. Additionally,

2679-551: A playable character, along with emulations of all 12 Sonic games for the Game Gear : Sonic the Hedgehog , Sonic the Hedgehog 2 , Sonic Chaos , Sonic Triple Trouble , Sonic Spinball , Sonic Blast , Sonic Labyrinth , Dr. Robotnik's Mean Bean Machine , Sonic Drift , Sonic Drift 2 , Tails' Skypatrol , and Tails Adventure . The expansion also makes Knuckles playable in Sonic CD , and includes all of

2820-880: A previous March release due to the COVID-19 pandemic , and debuted at No. 6 that weekend. In China, the release was also postponed due to the pandemic, eventually receiving a July 31 date and underperforming at the Chinese box office due to new pandemic-related theatre policies there. In terms of box office admissions, the film sold 15,876,790 tickets in the United States and Canada (annual rank #3), 6,811,679 tickets in Mexico (annual #1), 893,634 tickets in Peru (annual #2), 468,697 tickets in Ecuador (annual #1), 67,230 tickets in

2961-564: A promotional instruction manual for the game. The game was announced for the second quarter of 2017, but Sega announced at SXSW that it had been delayed to allow for more development. Sonic Mania was released digitally for the Nintendo Switch , PlayStation 4 , and Xbox One on August 15, 2017. Four days before release, Sega delayed the Windows version for another two weeks for further optimization, releasing it on August 29 as

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3102-454: A rewind or save state option, and the delisting of the existing versions from most digital stores, calling it "a tragic example of good classics ruined by greed". Regarding the game's lack of bonus content, VentureBeat 's Mike Minotti wrote that "compared to, say, the 3D explorable world with its multiple media museums from Sonic Jam , it's a bit bare", but concluded that "a few oddities aside, these are fantastic remasters. Even if you're

3243-521: A reworked Metal Sonic battle based on his appearance in Knuckles' Chaotix (1995). The physical version was released with a 32-page art book and a reversible cover in the style of Genesis or Mega Drive boxart covers, depending on the region. A soundtrack CD was included with the Japanese physical release. In an interview with Famitsu , Iizuka explained that Sonic Mania was not intended to have

3384-440: A short time. Television monitors containing rings, elemental shields, or power-ups such as invincibility and faster running speed are scattered throughout each level. Like Sonic 3 & Knuckles , the story is told via short in-game cutscenes between levels. Giant rings hidden in each act, a feature of the original games, lead to pseudo-3D special stages similar to those in Sonic CD , where players can attempt to collect

3525-576: A ten-day worldwide gross of $ 203.1 million . Its largest international markets in its first ten days were the United Kingdom ( $ 19.1 million ), Mexico ( $ 12.3 million ), and France ( $ 9.1 million ), retaining the top spot in these markets. The film opened in 16 new markets, led by a number-one debut in Russia ( $ 6.3 million ). The film was released in Japan on June 26, 2020, after being postponed from

3666-730: A test reading as they pitched the project to several studios. Having enjoyed his performance, they officially cast Schwartz as the voice of Sonic. Adam Pally and Neal McDonough were added to the cast later that month. Debs Howard and Elfina Luk joined the cast the following November. Riff Raff was cast in an undisclosed role, but was cut from the film. Principal photography began in mid-September 2018 and ended in Vancouver , Ladysmith , and Vancouver Island on October 16, 2018. Key production scenes were also filmed in Liwa Oasis , United Arab Emirates . During filming, Ben Schwartz

3807-530: A third film was confirmed to be in development, scheduled for release on December 20, 2024. In February 2022, a spin-off miniseries starring Knuckles the Echidna was announced. It was released on Paramount+ on April 26, 2024, with Idris Elba reprising his role as the character. Sonic Mania Sonic Mania is a 2017 platform game published by Sega for Nintendo Switch , PlayStation 4 , Xbox One , and Windows . Produced in commemoration of

3948-517: A video game, and there's some genuinely fun stuff—like when Sonic uses his time-stopping powers or Robotnik's elaborate 'evil-plotting' montage that makes you wonder why more movies don't feature bad guys with choreographed dance sequences. Carrey plays up Robotnik as the cartoon villain he is, and it's a true delight to watch him in his element." Corey Plante of Inverse called it a " road trip superhero movie" and "the best superhero movie of 2020" so far. John DeFore of The Hollywood Reporter , gave

4089-747: Is also included, along with an all-new version called New Blue Spheres , which adds additional sphere types from Sonic Mania (2017). An in-game museum allows players to view a collection of music, artwork, and videos, including the Sonic Mania Adventures animated shorts originally released in 2018. Players can unlock additional museum content, such as music arrangements from later games, concept art, and cutscene animatics, by completing in-game achievements or spending coins earned through gameplay. Coins can also be spent on additional attempts in Special Stages . Players who pre-ordered

4230-448: Is scheduled for December 2024. A spin-off miniseries, Knuckles , premiered on Paramount+ in 2024. On a distant planet, Sonic , a young anthropomorphic blue hedgehog who can run at supersonic speed, is unexpectedly attacked by an echidna tribe. His guardian, an anthropomorphic owl named Longclaw, gives him a bag of golden rings that open portals to distant locations. She uses one to send him to Earth while she stays behind to hold off

4371-410: Is terrific overall... Having the best versions of the classic Sonic saga in one bundle is supremely satisfying." Heidi Kemps ( GameSpot ) and Stephen Tailby ( Push Square ) felt that while the additions made to the compilation justified the purchase for fans, its lackluster presentation and unnecessary downloadable content hindered Origins ' overall quality. Kemps noted that "even the recreations of

Sonic Origins - Misplaced Pages Continue

4512-492: The International Business Times , the series had been "tarnished by years of sub-par games with only the occasional gem". The Business Times predicted that Sega's approach of releasing Sonic Forces and Sonic Mania in the same year, catering to new and old fans, could repair the series' reputation and lead to a " Sonic renaissance". Several critics expressed excitement for a return to the style of

4653-473: The Pokémon characters. Sonic's humanoid appearance was described as evoking an uncanny valley response. Former members of Sonic Team , who created the Sonic the Hedgehog games, also expressed surprise. A second poster was leaked online shortly after. Fans complained of a lack of resemblance to the games and criticized the positioning of Sonic's legs, spawning an Internet meme in which users recreated

4794-494: The Sonic 2 HD project. Lopes initially wanted his score to resemble the Sonic CD soundtrack, trying to imagine what a sequel to it might have sounded like. As development progressed, he took inspiration from other older Sonic and Sega games, such as The Revenge of Shinobi (1989) and the Sega Rally games, and from 1990s popular music, such as the work of Michael Jackson . The reveal trailer theme, "Checkpoint",

4935-650: The Sonic Origins compilation in 2022. An expanded version of the game, Sonic Mania Plus , was released in North America and Europe at retail and as downloadable content for the original version on July 17, 2018, and in Japan on July 19, 2018. A version for Amazon Luna was released on October 20, 2020. It adds playable characters Mighty the Armadillo and Ray the Flying Squirrel from

5076-484: The Sonic the Hedgehog series' 25th anniversary, Sonic Mania pays homage to the original Sega Genesis Sonic games, featuring speedy side-scrolling gameplay. It takes place over 13 levels , including several redesigned from past games. The story follows Sonic , Tails and Knuckles as they venture to defeat Doctor Eggman and his robotic henchmen, the Hard-Boiled Heavies. The development team

5217-459: The Ted films, as a reference to insert a CGI character into a real-world setting. Executive producer Miller said: "It would be weird, and it would feel like he was running around nude if he was some sort of otter-like thing. It was always, for us, fur, and we never considered anything different. It's part of what integrates him into the real world and makes him a real creature." According to Miller, Sega

5358-527: The Chaos Emeralds . They traverse side-scrolling levels at high speeds while collecting rings , defeating enemies and bosses , and finding secrets. Unlike the originals, the player can control Tails and Knuckles in most games. Origins features two versions of each game: "classic mode" is the original format, presented in 4:3 , while "anniversary mode" features support for widescreen displays, replaces lives with coins, and allows Sonic to use

5499-773: The DX7 ) similar to the Sega Genesis/Mega Drive console's Yamaha YM2612 sound chip . Test footage was screened at the Comic Con Experience in Brazil on December 9, 2018. It was followed by a teaser poster released on December 9, 2018, revealing the silhouette design of Sonic, with the tagline "A Whole New Speed of Hero". It received a negative response from critics and fans, and was compared unfavorably to another 2019 video game film adaptation, Detective Pikachu , which added fur and skin textures to

5640-572: The Sonic 3 & Knuckles remaster under crunch conditions for a strict deadline, that Sega would not delay it, and that Sega had introduced bugs when integrating it in Origins . According to Thomley, the Headcannon team "were outsiders creating a separate project that was then wrangled into something entirely different". Sonic Origins was announced during a livestream commemorating the Sonic franchise's 30th anniversary on May 27, 2021, and

5781-522: The replay value , with branching paths that made multiple playthroughs "fresh". EGM wrote that the soundtrack was "completely fantastic" and felt nostalgic and new at the same time. Nintendo Life called the soundtrack "one of the best of recent times". The game received some criticism. Polygon commented that frustrations with controls and enemy placement in the original Sonic games were present in Sonic Mania . VideoGamer.com wrote that

Sonic Origins - Misplaced Pages Continue

5922-437: The "Speed Me Up" TikTok challenge. "Friends" by Hyper Potions, which previously appeared as the opening theme of Sonic Mania , also appears, along with arrangements of tracks from Masato Nakamura 's score for the original Sonic the Hedgehog (1991). Holkenborg attempted to capture the feel of Nakamura's soundtracks for the Sonic and Sonic the Hedgehog 2 (1992) games, using Yamaha digital FM synthesizers (such as

6063-511: The "drop dash" from Sonic Mania . Both modes use the Retro Engine version of each game, aside of the emulation of the original game in classic mode. A "story mode" allows players to play through the four games sequentially as Sonic in anniversary mode, with new animated cutscenes that bridge their stories, which are also seen when launching for the first time or clearing each game in either mode, respectively. When played through this mode,

6204-424: The 1993 arcade game SegaSonic the Hedgehog , each with unique abilities: Mighty can slam the ground and is immune to spikes when in ball form, while Ray can glide without losing altitude. Plus also adds an "Encore Mode" with remixed levels and a reworked lives mechanic, a pinball bonus stage, and a four-player competition mode. Additionally, an update released alongside Sonic Mania Plus adds more cutscenes and

6345-668: The Chaos Emeralds to activate their super forms to escape while Eggman is sent into a portal created by the Phantom Ruby. Sonic and his friends celebrate their victory in a bar in a desert, but the Heavy King surprises them. Development of Sonic Mania began in 2015, led by Australian programmer Christian "Taxman" Whitehead . Whitehead was a prominent member of the Sonic fangame community , and had previously been contracted by Sega to develop remastered ports of Sonic

6486-796: The Dominican Republic (annual #2), 12,454,206 tickets in Europe (annual #3), 3,001,403 tickets in Brazil (annual #3), 698,500 tickets in China, 687,740 tickets in Argentina (annual #3), and 118,725 tickets in South Korea, for a combined 41,078,604 tickets sold in these territories. Sonic the Hedgehog received mixed reviews, with critics praising Sonic's redesign, humor and cast performances, but criticizing its product placements and screenplay for its lack of ambition and departures from

6627-506: The Heavies, and escape just as it explodes. If all seven Chaos Emeralds are collected while playing as Sonic, the Phantom Ruby transports him and Eggman to another dimension. There, the Heavies' leader, Heavy King, betrays Eggman and takes the ruby, imbuing himself with power; Eggman attacks the Heavy to try to reclaim it. Sonic uses the Chaos Emeralds to become Super Sonic and fights Eggman and

6768-558: The Heavy King separately to keep the ruby out of their possession. After the battle, the Phantom Ruby reacts with the Emeralds, negating Sonic's super state and creating a wormhole that engulfs itself and Sonic as Little Planet vanishes. After the incident, Sonic is transported to Angel Island, where he comes across Mighty the Armadillo and Ray the Flying Squirrel. He then encounters the Hard-Boiled Heavies, who are damaged from their fights against Sonic and his friends. The Heavy King grabbed

6909-490: The Hedgehog . Michealene Risley , the newly appointed consumer products director who helped license Sonic for Adventures , negotiated with several Hollywood producers. Sega of America CEO Tom Kalinske was wary of damaging the brand, citing the commercial and critical failures of the Super Mario Bros. and Street Fighter films. Despite Kalinske's concerns, Sega was enthusiastic. In August 1994, Sega struck

7050-463: The Hedgehog grossed $ 149 million in the United States and Canada, and $ 170.7 million in other territories, for a worldwide total of $ 320 million . It was the sixth- highest-grossing film of 2020 , and the highest-grossing superhero film of the year , ending Marvel Studios ' decade-long run of having the highest-grossing film of the genre (from 2010 to 2019). The film's budget was estimated at being between $ 85 million and $ 90 million. In

7191-479: The Hedgehog is nevertheless boosted by solid performances from Ben Schwartz as Sonic and Jim Carrey as Dr. Robotnik. Their ongoing cat-and-mouse game is entertaining, and passionate fans of the Sega franchise should appreciate all the nods to Sonic's history." Dami Lee of The Verge gave the film a positive review, praising the nostalgic elements seen in the film, writing that it "shines when it remembers it's based on

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7332-454: The Hedgehog , Sonic 2 , and Sonic CD for mobile phones. After developing the game for a few months, Whitehead presented a prototype, which he called Sonic Discovery , to series producer Takashi Iizuka . Iizuka was receptive, and suggested that it should include old levels from the early Sonic games it was inspired by, "remixed" in a way that felt new. He also gave it the working title of Sonic Mania , which stuck after no one suggested

7473-418: The Hedgehog , other films and television series based on video game series have made it a production priority to assure characters and the details of the film are true to the works they are based on to appeal better to viewers that are fans of the games. A modified version of the original design, named "Ugly Sonic", appears as a supporting character in the 2022 film Chip 'n Dale: Rescue Rangers , playing off

7614-480: The Internet's reaction to the first trailer. According to that film's director Akiva Schaffer , they had also used Moving Picture Company for their animation studio, and MPC was able to provide the original Sonic model for the film. The character was voiced in the film by comedian Tim Robinson . Sonic the Hedgehog was scheduled for 2018 by Sony Pictures Releasing . In February 2018, shortly after taking over

7755-541: The Nintendo Switch port. Iizuka and the rest of Sonic Team provided guidance and made sure the team didn't "go off the rails into something that doesn't feel like Sonic ". Iizuka described the visuals as a cross between the graphical capabilities of the Genesis and Sega Saturn , comprising mostly pixel art with some polygonal graphics . The developers modeled the gameplay on Sonic 3 , with boss fights at

7896-593: The Paramount Pictures studio lot in Los Angeles on January 25, 2020. The film was released theatrically in the United States in 4DX and Dolby Cinema formats. The film was originally going to be released in Japan on March 27, 2020, but had to be moved to June 26, 2020, due to the COVID-19 pandemic . On March 20, 2020, Paramount announced that Sonic the Hedgehog would be released to home media in

8037-412: The Phantom Ruby and uses its power to take Sonic and his four friends back to the beginning of their adventure in the game. Sonic and his friends travel through the areas again, but differently this time. After defeating Eggman and the Heavies again, if all seven Chaos Emeralds are collected again, the Phantom Ruby makes Eggman's robotic fortress explode again. However, this time, Sonic and his allies use

8178-426: The Retro Engine remakes and Sonic Mania , developed the Origins remaster of Sonic 3 & Knuckles . Thomley said he was contracted to develop the remaster separately from Origins . The compilation marks Sonic 3 & Knuckles ' first rerelease since 2011, following speculation that soundtrack licensing problems arising from Michael Jackson 's involvement with Sonic 3 were preventing new releases. As Sega

8319-639: The Retro Engine, updated it to allow the remakes to run in a compilation. The Origins team prioritized the main Sonic series, so they did not consider including other 2D Sonic games, such as those released for the Game Gear , Knuckles' Chaotix , and the Sonic Advance series. Powerhouse Animation Studios produced the new cutscenes with longtime Sonic artist Tyson Hesse , with a script written by Sonic comic book writer Ian Flynn and featuring arranged music by Sonic Mania composer Tee Lopes. Simon Thomley and his studio Headcannon, who worked on

8460-576: The Saturn in the screenplay. Jefferies' treatment, Sonic: Wonders of the World , was submitted in May 1995. While the draft received a positive response among MGM and Sega executives, Sega COO Shinobu Toyoda suggested Kalinske replace Robotnik with a meaner villain. MGM canceled the project after a failed attempt to revive it at DreamWorks . Jeffries suggested that the film was scrapped as both Sega and MGM wanted

8601-535: The United Kingdom, $ 4.3 million in France, $ 3.3 million in Germany, and $ 3 million in Brazil. Worldwide, it made $ 101 million over the three-day weekend and $ 113 million over the four days. In its second weekend the film again topped the international box office with $ 38.3 million from 56 countries for a ten-day overseas gross of $ 96.5 million , and topped the global box office again with $ 64.6 million for

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8742-470: The United States and Canada before the end of the usual 90-day theatrical run, as many film studios took the decision to release films earlier due to movie theaters closures in mid-March because of the COVID-19 pandemic restrictions. The digital version was released on March 31, 2020, and was released on DVD , Blu-ray , and Ultra HD Blu-ray by Paramount Home Entertainment on May 19, 2020. All home media releases include an original short film, Around

8883-416: The United States and Canada, the film was released alongside Fantasy Island , The Photograph , and Downhill , and was initially projected to gross $ 40–50 million from 4,130 theaters in its four-day President's Day opening weekend. After making $ 21 million on its first day (including $ 3 million from Thursday night previews), estimates were raised to $ 64 million. It went on to top the box office with

9024-406: The United States on February 14, and received mixed reviews. It set the record for the biggest opening weekend for a video game film in the United States and Canada and grossed $ 320 million worldwide, becoming the sixth highest-grossing film of 2020 and the highest-grossing video game film adaptation in North America. Sonic the Hedgehog 2 was released in 2022, while Sonic the Hedgehog 3

9165-566: The World in 80 Seconds . The film topped the American Blu-ray and DVD charts for several weeks upon release. It was the sixth top-selling home video title of 2020 in the United States. The DVD and Blu-ray releases crossed 2 million units sold in the United States by January 2021 and earned about $ 50 million in US sales revenue as of 16 April 2022 . After its release to Digital HD in 2020, Paramount Pictures announced that

9306-531: The amount of time you want to spend watching its animated protagonist go on instantly forgettable adventures, and boy, is that unfortunate." Tim Grierson of Screen Daily also gave the film a negative review, writing, "The film projects enough benign cheerfulness that the experience is never unpleasant, but one can't help but feel the filmmakers' strain in crafting a sly action-comedy for audiences expecting over-the-top spectacle and nonstop quips. Sadly, Sonic isn't swift enough to deliver." A chapter novel based on

9447-521: The animated Sonic show and continued in Archie's comic series. The project was dropped in 2007 due to a corporate upheaval and the death of Sega licensing manager Robert Leffler, who had supported Penders. In 2013, Sony Pictures Entertainment acquired the rights to produce and distribute a Sonic film. On June 10, 2014, a live-action animated film was announced as a joint venture between Sony Pictures's Columbia Pictures and Marza Animation Planet ,

9588-571: The artists of the Sonic comics by Archie Comics . It also features an optional CRT graphical filter, and supports the enhanced features of both the PlayStation 4 Pro and Xbox One X , outputting at a native 4K resolution . The soundtrack was composed by Tee Lopes of PagodaWest Games, consisting of rearranged pieces from previous Sonic games alongside new material. Lopes was chosen due to his popularity on YouTube for producing arrangements of various Sonic tracks, and for his work on

9729-598: The battle. Arriving in San Francisco, Tom brings Sonic to Maddie, who treats him at her sister Rachel's home, where Rachel's daughter, Jojo, gives Sonic new shoes. The group heads to the roof of the Transamerica Pyramid and recovers the rings as Robotnik arrives in an advanced hovercraft powered by the quill. Sonic fights off Robotnik's drones, hastily using one of his rings to send Tom and Maddie back to Green Hills to protect them; however, Robotnik uses

9870-467: The cast signed on by August 2018. Principal photography took place between September and October that year in Vancouver and on Vancouver Island . Following the negative reaction to the first trailer, released in April 2019, Paramount delayed the film by three months to redesign Sonic. Sonic the Hedgehog premiered at the Paramount Pictures studio lot on January 25, 2020, before its theatrical release in

10011-483: The compilation was lacking and lamented the lack of more substantial additions, writing: "The whole idea behind the new collection was apparently to 'modernize' the games; moving them into a new engine rather than simply emulating them. If that's the case, why stop with widescreen?" Brian Shea of Game Informer , by contrast, praised the enhancements made to the Anniversary mode, writing, "The Sonic Origins package

10152-405: The delayed release date, which meant it opened with less competition from other family films. Opening day audiences were 56% male and 44% female, with 70% under 25 years. In its second weekend, Sonic the Hedgehog made $ 26.2 million and retained the top spot at the box office, bringing its ten-day domestic gross to $ 106.6 million . Sonic the Hedgehog made $ 16.3 million in its third weekend and

10293-675: The development progressed. The first original level designed was the Hollywood-themed Studiopolis Zone. The desert-themed Mirage Saloon Zone was inspired by an unfinished level from Sonic 2 and the Monument Valley region of the United States. The special stages were inspired by more recent games such as Sonic Rush (2005) and Sonic Colors (2010). The team felt proud of their recreation of classic Sonic gameplay. The game features animated opening and ending sequences led by Tyson Hesse , one of

10434-447: The early Sonic games, and wrote that Sega's previous efforts to develop games in the "classic" style, such as Sonic the Hedgehog 4 in 2010, had been disappointing. According to the review aggregator site Metacritic , Sonic Mania received "generally favorable" reviews. It became the best-reviewed Sonic game in fifteen years, and several critics described it as one of the best 2D platform games. At launch, Sonic Mania

10575-588: The echidnas, leaving Sonic alone. Ten years later, a teenage Sonic enjoys a secret life in a cavern under the rural town of Green Hills, Montana , but longs to make friends. He idolizes the local sheriff Tom Wachowski and his wife Maddie, unaware that the pair are planning to relocate to San Francisco as Tom plans to accept a job at the SFPD . One night, Sonic grows upset over his loneliness while playing baseball alone and, while running at unusually high speeds, accidentally triggers an electromagnetic pulse that causes

10716-477: The end of each zone. For returning stages, the designers made the first act feel familiar, and introduced new elements in the second act. The team cited Sonic CD and Sonic 3 as major influences on the level design for their "big, wide open" and "streamlined" designs, respectively. According to Thomley, the team typically decided what elements to include in the returning stages prior to designing them, but sometimes came up with new ideas or changed them based on how

10857-482: The enhanced ports of Sonic the Hedgehog , Sonic 2 , and Sonic CD . The team also included programmer Simon "Stealth" Thomley of the independent studio Headcannon, who assisted Whitehead with those projects and on various Sonic fangames and ROM hacks , as well as level designer Jared Kasl and art director Tom Fry of PagodaWest Games, who had previously independently collaborated on an unofficial high-definition remaster of Sonic 2 . Tantalus Media helped develop

10998-413: The enhancements and presentation, but criticized the downloadable content (DLC), replaced music in Sonic 3 , lack of features, and additional bugs not present in the original games. An expanded version adding new playable characters and the 12 Game Gear Sonic games, Sonic Origins Plus was released physically and as DLC for the original on June 23, 2023. Sonic Origins compiles and remasters

11139-470: The events of Sonic 3 & Knuckles , Sonic and Tails detect a powerful energy reading on Angel Island and board their biplane , the Tornado, to investigate. However, Dr. Eggman sends an elite group of EggRobos to reach the signal before Sonic and Tails. The EggRobos excavate the source of the signal, a magical gemstone called the Phantom Ruby, just as Sonic and Tails arrive. The EggRobos gain new powers from

11280-407: The film a positive review, saying: "Flesh-and-blood actors help keep this game derived kids' flick afloat." Gene Park of The Washington Post gave the film a positive review, saying it was "the furthest thing from Cats , despite the early comparisons. Wary fans expecting the usual easy target to mock will instead find something to fervently celebrate for years." Amon Warrman of Empire gave

11421-444: The film an average grade of "A" on an A+ to F scale, and PostTrak reported it received an average 4 out of 5 stars, with 66% of viewers they surveyed saying they would definitely recommend it. Akeem Lawanson of IGN gave the film a score of 7 out of 10, praising the performances and the nostalgia, stating, "While this family-friendly action-comedy suffers from a simplistic story and leans too heavily on tired visual clichés, Sonic

11562-456: The film in turnaround . Almost all of the production team remained unchanged. Coincidentally, Paramount and Sega had once been sister companies under Gulf and Western Industries ; Gulf and Western sold Sega's assets in 1984. In February 2018, it was announced that the film would be released in November 2019. During production the film used the working title "Casino Night", named after one of

11703-423: The film two out of five stars, writing, "An on-form Jim Carrey can't stop Sonic's live-action debut from feeling like a missed opportunity. If the teased sequels do materialize, here's hoping the storytelling levels up." Ben Kenigsberg of The New York Times gave the film a negative review and wrote, "Sonic now resembles a cartoon hedgehog instead of a spray-painted marmot. But if anything was done to de-genericize

11844-443: The film would land on the streaming service EPIX on November 20, 2020. The movie then made its move to streaming service Hulu on February 18, 2021, and on Amazon Prime Video the next day on February 19, 2021. Paramount Pictures also confirmed that the movie as well as its sequel entitled Sonic the Hedgehog 2 would release later on Paramount+ with its sequel being released 45 days after its theatrical release window. Sonic

11985-575: The film, titled Sonic the Hedgehog: The Official Movie Novelization , written by Kiel Phegley and published by Penguin Books , was released alongside the film on February 14, 2020. Paramount confirmed that a sequel was in development on May 28, 2020. Fowler returned as director, while Casey and Josh Miller returned as writers. Neal H. Mortiz, Toby Ascher, and Toru Nakahara produced the sequel, having co-produced

12126-441: The first film alongside Takeshi Ito, while Tim Miller , Hajime Satomi, and Haruki Satomi returned as executive producers. Filming took place between March 2021 and May 2021, under the working title Emerald Hill . This was a reference to "Emerald Hill Zone", the first level of the game Sonic the Hedgehog 2 (1992); in addition, the film's title announcement trailer features a remix of the level's music. On December 8, 2020, it

12267-582: The first four platform games in Sega 's Sonic the Hedgehog series— Sonic the Hedgehog (1991), Sonic the Hedgehog 2 (1992), Sonic CD (1993), and Sonic the Hedgehog 3 & Knuckles (1994)—originally released for the Sega Genesis and the Sega CD . The player controls Sonic the Hedgehog , Miles "Tails" Prower , and Knuckles the Echidna as they attempt to stop Doctor Eggman from stealing

12408-478: The future of the series. IGN wrote that it was the "classic" throwback that fans had clamored for since the 1990s, but also recommended it for people new to the franchise. Nintendo World Report called it a "must-buy" for fans of the older Sonic games. Waypoint compared it favorably to Donkey Kong Country Returns , describing it as a game that knew "what was fun" about its predecessors. Nintendo Life felt that Mania represented "a true return to form" and

12549-402: The game features eight "remixed" zones, such as Green Hill Zone from the first Sonic game (1991), alongside five original ones. Remixed stages consist of both new elements and recycled gimmicks and ideas from other past Sonic games. Each zone is divided into 2 acts, in which the player must guide their character past various enemies and obstacles to reach the end. At the end of each act,

12690-442: The game relied too much on nostalgia, with minimal innovation and too few original stages, but was a good proof of concept that the development team could expand upon. Nintendo World Report complained about the boss fights, which they felt were poorly executed and too easy. The Windows version was subject to review bombing due to its implementation of the digital rights management (DRM) software Denuvo , which some thought to be

12831-430: The game started with 100 Coins and mirror mode unlocked, which is available after clearing each game for the first time. Menu aesthetics, a set of 11 harder missions, and tracks from Sonic Spinball (1993), Knuckles' Chaotix (1995) and Sonic 3D Blast (1996) for the museum music player are available as downloadable content (DLC). Sonic Origins was conceived alongside Sonic Colors: Ultimate (2021) following

12972-525: The game. To promote the collector's edition, Sega released a retro-styled infomercial featuring former series art director Kazuyuki Hoshino and social media manager Aaron Webber, based on an American television commercial for Sonic The Hedgehog 2 . The music label Data Discs published a vinyl LP featuring the game's original music in late 2017. An expanded soundtrack was released on digital music distribution platforms on January 17, 2018. A five-part animated short mini-series, Sonic Mania Adventures ,

13113-417: The games Shadow the Hedgehog (2005), for which Fowler directed cutscenes, and Sonic the Hedgehog (2006). Patrick Casey , Josh Miller , and Oren Uziel were writing the screenplay, while Casey and Miller wrote the story, however, the former two received their writing credit and Uziel went uncredited. On October 2, 2017, Paramount Pictures announced that they had acquired the rights after Sony put

13254-445: The games are in chronological story order, meaning that CD is played in between 1 and 2 , rather than after. New modes include a boss rush mode; a mirror mode that reverses the level layouts; and a mission mode featuring 60 additional standalone challenges, such as collecting a target number of rings within a time limit or reaching the goal without destroying any enemies. The " Blue Spheres " minigame from Sonic 3 & Knuckles

13395-417: The games themselves have some issues, with strange bugs that weren't present in the originals". John Linneman of Eurogamer also criticized the bugs, stating "most aren't game breaking, but the sheer number of them impact the overall experience", specifically mentioning a recurring bug in Sonic 2 that made Tails get stuck as the player progresses through the level. Jacob Bukacek of Hardcore Gamer felt that

13536-463: The multiplayer mode was updated because of the increased number of selectable characters. In 2023, Netflix announced that Sonic Mania Plus would be available for iOS and Android devices via the Netflix Games service in 2024. The game was released via Netflix Games on May 7, 2024. Sonic Mania was announced following years of mixed reviews for the Sonic franchise. According to

13677-538: The mushroom planet. Following the incident, Tom and Maddie decide to stay in Green Hills and let Sonic live with them, treating him as a surrogate son. The government erases all evidence of the events, including records of Robotnik's existence. Some time later, Robotnik, now sporting a shaved head , is still in possession of Sonic's quill and usable equipment salvaged from the remains of his hovercraft. He plans to return to Earth and get his revenge against Sonic. In

13818-422: The music was better than omitting Sonic 3 entirely. Sonic the Hedgehog (film) Sonic the Hedgehog is a 2020 action-adventure comedy film based on the video game series published by Sega . The film was directed by Jeff Fowler and written by Pat Casey and Josh Miller , and stars James Marsden and Jim Carrey , with Ben Schwartz voicing the titular character . The plot follows Sonic,

13959-432: The new design was "much more Sonic-like". The second trailer received thousands of likes and the highest like-to-dislike ratio of any trailer on Google in the last three years. The trailers have garnered a total of more than 500   million views worldwide. As a promotional tie-in, the version of Sonic seen in the film was added as a playable character to the mobile games Sonic Dash and Sonic Forces . Since Sonic

14100-449: The new partner system more frustrating than the traditional lives system found in classic Sonic games. IGN Spain did not recommend the update for those that own the original game, but commended the physical release and the added value for new players and hardcore fans. Sonic Mania was nominated for the "Best Family Game" at The Game Awards 2017 and the "Best Kids Game" at the 2018 New York Game Awards. The theme song "Friends"

14241-406: The new versions "aren't all that much better than the originals" and that the compilation "doesn't manage to justify the price tag". TJ Denzer of Shacknews was more forgiving, praising the added museum, Boss Rush mode, tight controls, and remaster quality, but disliked the lack of multiple saves and console commands. Sam Machkovech of Ars Technica criticized the downloadable content, lack of

14382-419: The original games "exceptionally", and that "running, jumping, and spin dashing all work exactly as well as you would hope". Nintendo World Report wrote that it avoided the physics problems from Sonic the Hedgehog 4 and recaptured the spirit of the 16-bit games. The level design and music also received praise. Hardcore Gamer wrote that the remixed versions of older stages felt fresh while staying true to

14523-458: The originals. Game Informer wrote that the new stages matched the quality and captured the spirit of early Sonic games. The A.V. Club praised the detail and content in each level; Metro praised the fan service , and likened it to a school project "gone wild, something enthusiastic kids have made while the teacher was away and which far surpasses anything they were actually supposed to be doing". Like IGN , Venture Beat appreciated

14664-468: The overly kiddified tone of the movie a mistake." Writing for The Guardian , Steve Rose gave the film two out of five, saying elements were "clearly indebted" to other films, such as Quicksilver 's powers in the X-Men movies, and finding the message of friendship "trite and familiar". Simon Abrams of RogerEbert.com gave the film one out of four, writing, " Sonic the Hedgehog is only as successful as

14805-489: The player runs out of rings before they catch the UFO, the special stage ends. The "Blue Sphere" special stages from Sonic the Hedgehog 3 also return, repurposed as bonus stages that are accessed by entering a portal that appears when the player passes a checkpoint while carrying 25 or more rings. Completing bonus stages earns the player a silver or gold medal depending on their performance; collecting medals unlocks features such as

14946-466: The player takes part in a boss battle against Doctor Eggman , also known as Dr. Robotnik, or one of his robots, including the Hard-Boiled Heavies, elite henchmen based on the EggRobo enemies from Sonic 3 & Knuckles . The player collects golden rings, which serve as a form of health ; players survive hits as long as they have at least one ring, but, if hit, their rings scatter and disappear after

15087-566: The position. The film's official Twitter account posted an image of Sonic behind a sign reading: "Can't a guy work out?" Images of the Sonic design were leaked in March 2019 to more fan criticism. Sonic co-creator Yuji Naka was "shocked" by the design and felt the ratio of Sonic's head and abdomen was imbalanced. The first trailer premiered on April 4, 2019, at CinemaCon in Las Vegas, and

15228-563: The previously released downloadable content. The physical release includes a reversible cover and 20-page art book, as well as a downloadable code of the Plus upgrade pack. According to review aggregator Metacritic , Sonic Origins received "mixed or average" reviews for Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4 and Windows, it received "generally favorable reviews" for the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S. Zoey Handley of Destructoid felt that

15369-412: The quill's power to match Sonic's speed. Sonic fights Robotnik in a chase across the world utilizing the rings before Robotnik subdues Sonic in Green Hills. Tom and the townsfolk intervene, and Tom acknowledges Sonic as his friend, causing Sonic to regain consciousness and strength. The empowered Sonic defeats Robotnik by destroying his hovercraft and, with help from Tom, sending him through a ring portal to

15510-434: The real reason behind the two-week delay. The game could not be played offline on launch day; Sega stated this was a bug unrelated to Denuvo, and released a patch the following day. Multiple reviewers saw it as a return to form for the Sonic series after a number of poorly reviewed games after the 1990s. EGMNow commended Sonic Mania as one of the "purest and most enjoyable" Sonic games, expressing excitement for

15651-487: The release of the 2020 Sonic film . Because the film brought many new fans, Sonic Team head Takashi Iizuka wanted to make older Sonic games available on modern formats. Iizuka noted that though they are frequently rereleased via emulation , they felt "retro" on modern displays due to their 4:3 aspect ratios; he wanted Origins to modernize them with widescreen support and new features to appeal to both new and longtime fans. Sonic Mania encouraged Sonic Team that there

15792-417: The release of the compilation Grand Theft Auto: The Trilogy – The Definitive Edition (2021), a decision that was reversed following backlash. On March 23, 2023, Sega announced an expanded version, Sonic Origins Plus , released on June 23, 2023, the game's first anniversary. The new content, which was released as both a physical edition and as downloadable content for the digital version, adds Amy Rose as

15933-445: The remaster of Sonic 3 & Knuckles . Jun Senoue replaced a portion of the Sonic 3 soundtrack, following speculation of licensing problems arising from Michael Jackson 's involvement with Sonic 3 . Origins was released digitally for the Nintendo Switch , PlayStation 4 , PlayStation 5 , Windows , Xbox One , and Xbox Series X/S on June 23, 2022, the series' 31st anniversary. It received favorable reviews; critics praised

16074-427: The rights, Paramount Pictures rescheduled the film to November 15, 2019. It was later moved a week earlier to November 8, 2019. Following the announcement of Sonic's redesign in May 2019, the film was delayed for the final time by three months, to February 14, 2020; this was to provide enough time for the redesign to be completed. Playing with Fire took the original release date. The world premiere took place at

16215-462: The ruby, becoming the Hard-Boiled Heavies, and send Sonic, Tails, and the island's guardian, Knuckles, through zones the trio have previously visited where they pursue Eggman to prevent him from using the ruby's power for evil, clashing with him and the Heavies along the way. Sonic and his allies discover that Eggman has used the Phantom Ruby's power to retake control of Little Planet from Sonic CD . They board Eggman's robotic fortress, defeat him and

16356-533: The script, it hasn't helped. Not that the Sega games—in which the fleet-footed hero zips around doing flips and collecting gold coins (which here encircle the Paramount mountain) gave the director, Jeff Fowler, much to work with." Variety ' s Owen Gleiberman criticized the tone: "For all the borderline tedium I felt at Sonic the Hedgehog , I do realize that this is a picture made for 8-year-olds. And they'll probably like it just fine. Yet I would also call

16497-638: The series as a network show during an interview with Robby London,” a DIC Entertainment executive, he decided to pursue telling the rest of the SatAM story in a feature film. Robby London put Hurst in contact with a Sega executive interested in the idea. Hurst was contacted by Ken Penders , writer of the Archie Comics ' Sonic the Hedgehog comic book series, who had been alerted of Hurst's plans. Though Hurst told him his strategy and offered to include him in his effort, Penders allegedly told Sega that Hurst

16638-465: The series' pixel graphics. GameSpot called the animations and detail superior to the original games, writing that they added an extra layer of personality. Cubed3 described the levels as stylish and vibrant. Critics also praised the attention to detail in recreating the early games. Game Informer wrote that its gameplay was "nearly indistinguishable" from its Genesis predecessors, but with "extra polish". Easy Allies wrote that Mania emulated

16779-539: The source material. On Rotten Tomatoes , 63% of 254 reviews are positive, with an average rating of 5.9/10. The website's critics consensus reads: "Fittingly fleet and frequently fun, Sonic the Hedgehog is a video game-inspired adventure the whole family can enjoy -- and a fine excuse for Jim Carrey to tap into the manic energy that launched his career." On Metacritic , the film has a weighted average score of 47 out of 100, based on 42 critics, indicating "mixed or average reviews". Audiences polled by CinemaScore gave

16920-533: The stages in the Sonic games. Early drafts featured Sonic's Super Sonic form from the video games; the ideas were latterly discarded, as Fowler felt that "it didn't make sense to obviously bring in the Super Sonic thing just yet" and instead wanted to focus on the origins of Sonic and Robotnik's relationship. Casey and Miller reportedly described the film as not faithful to the game, while producer Toby Ascher favored their buddy comedy approach. Inspirations for

17061-469: The story also include many other buddy comedies, such as Midnight Run (1988) and Dumb and Dumber (1994). In May 2018, it was reported that Paul Rudd was in talks for a lead role as Tom, "a cop who befriends Sonic and will likely team up to defeat Dr. Robotnik"; however, this was later denied by Paramount. A day later, it was announced that James Marsden was cast in an undisclosed role, but later revealed to be Tom Wachowski. In June, Tika Sumpter

17202-499: The trailer was viewed more than 20   million times on YouTube , and had received hundreds of thousands of dislikes, drastically outnumbering its likes. A second trailer revealing the redesigned Sonic was released on November 12, 2019. The trailer received far more positive responses, with many praising Sonic's new design. The tone and the humor also received positive reviews, as did the choice of song, J. J. Fad 's " Supersonic " and Ramones ' " Blitzkrieg Bop ". Naka said he felt

17343-515: The writing on Tom's shirt, Sonic accidentally opens a portal to San Francisco and drop his bag of rings through the portal to the Transamerica Pyramid 's roof before passing out. After Sonic recovers, Tom hesitantly agrees to help him and the two flee when confronted by Robotnik, who falsely labels Tom a domestic terrorist. The two bond as they make their way to San Francisco, with Tom relating to Sonic's desire for friends. Sonic creates

17484-500: Was a contender for the best game in the series. Sonic Mania Plus received stronger reviews, with the Nintendo Switch version receiving "universal acclaim", according to the review aggregator Metacritic. Multiple reviewers called it the definitive version thanks to its extra game mode and characters. DualShockers' Tomas Franzese praised the "Encore" mode for feeling fresh, as well as the movement options introduced with Mighty and Ray. Michael Leri of Game Revolution , however, found

17625-402: Was cast as Tom's wife Maddie, with Jim Carrey cast to play the villain, Dr. Robotnik. In August, Ben Schwartz joined the cast to voice Sonic. This marked a rare occasion in which the character would not be voiced by Roger Craig Smith , who voices Sonic in most incarnations since 2010. Schwartz, a fan of the original video games, was chosen for the role after Fowler and Miller cast him for

17766-561: Was composed by the electronic music groups Hyper Potions and Nitro Fun and the opening theme, "Friends", was composed by Hyper Potions. Sonic Mania was announced alongside Sonic Forces at the 25th anniversary Sonic event at San Diego Comic-Con in July 2016. The game was also featured at South by Southwest (SXSW), the Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3), and SDCC in 2017; at SDCC 2017, attendees received

17907-543: Was composed of members known for their work in the Sonic fangame and ROM hacking community. Development began after lead developer, director and programmer Christian "Taxman" Whitehead , who was previously contracted by Sega to develop enhanced mobile ports of Genesis Sonic games, presented a playable prototype to Sonic Team producer Takashi Iizuka . Art, level design, audio, and additional programming were provided by independent studios PagodaWest Games and Headcannon. The team used Whitehead's Retro Engine and aimed for

18048-436: Was confirmed that artist Tyson Hesse would reprise his role for storyboard artist Fill Marc as he said the following: "I wrapped up work on Lower Decks Season 2 last week. Excited 2 announce I've been working on the Sonic the Hedgehog 2 Story Team with Jeff Fowler and Tyson Hesse at Blur Studio. My first live action feature coming in 2022." This is Marc's first live-action project. In January 2021, Sumpter announced that she

18189-509: Was criticized. Several described it as one of the best Sonic games and one of the best games of 2017. Within a year, it had sold over one million copies worldwide. Sonic Mania Plus , an enhanced version with additional content, was released in July 2018. Sonic Mania is a side-scrolling platformer similar to the early Sonic the Hedgehog games released for the Sega Genesis and Sega CD . Players select one of 3 playable characters, each with their own unique abilities: Sonic can perform

18330-530: Was dethroned by newcomer The Invisible Man . On March 14, 2020, it became the highest-grossing film based on a video game in US box office history, surpassing Detective Pikachu . Sonic the Hedgehog was released in 40 countries during its three-day opening weekend, topping the international box office with $ 43 million . Its strongest international regions were Latin America and Europe, with its largest openings being $ 6.7 million in Mexico, $ 6.2 million in

18471-473: Was not "entirely happy" with the design of Sonic's eyes. On May 2, 2019, in response to the criticism, Fowler announced on Twitter that Sonic would be redesigned. The film was delayed from its original release date of November 8, 2019, to February 14, 2020, as a result. Artist Tyson Hesse , who worked on previous Sonic the Hedgehog media, was brought on to lead the redesign. Sonic was given larger and differently colored eyes, new sneakers, white gloves, and

18612-524: Was released alongside the film on February 14, 2020, in both digital and physical formats. Riff Raff , who had a role in the film but was cut due to controversy against him, appears on the soundtrack. An original song, " BOOM " by X Ambassadors, appears on the soundtrack, the single was released on January 24, 2020, by Atlantic Records . "Speed Me Up" by American musicians Wiz Khalifa , Lil Yachty , Ty Dolla $ ign , and Sueco The Child received 15   million streams , along with 1.8   billion views for

18753-470: Was released on June 23, 2022—the series' 31st anniversary—for the Nintendo Switch , PlayStation 4 , PlayStation 5 , Windows, Xbox One , and Xbox Series X/S . Prior to release, Sega delisted the existing versions of the games from most digital stores. The move received criticism on video game preservation grounds and for preventing consumers from choosing their preferred versions. It was compared to Rockstar Games delisting Grand Theft Auto games before

18894-693: Was released on the Sonic the Hedgehog YouTube channel between March and July 2018, promoting the release of Sonic Mania Plus . The series depicts Sonic's return to his world following the events of Sonic Forces , teaming up with his friends to prevent Eggman and Metal Sonic from collecting the Chaos Emeralds and Master Emerald. A holiday-themed bonus episode was released in December 2018. The shorts were written and directed by Hesse, with animation production by Neko Productions, and music written by Lopes. All six shorts were later included as part of

19035-421: Was released online on April 30. It received near-unanimous criticism, with Gita Jackson of Kotaku calling it "horrific" and "a blight upon this weary earth". Sonic's design was heavily criticized by fans for its humanoid appearance, while some found the use of Coolio 's " Gangsta's Paradise " jarring. Conversely, CNET ' s Sean Keane praised the humor and references to the games. Within two days,

19176-469: Was reprising her role as Maddie. She also announced that the sequel would film in Vancouver and Hawaii . The film's title, Sonic the Hedgehog 2 , was confirmed on February 10, 2021. On March 15, 2021, Jeff Fowler confirmed that production of the film had begun. The film was released on March 30, 2022, in France and the Netherlands, April 1 in the U.K. and on April 8 in the U.S. In February 2022,

19317-460: Was still an audience for 2D Sonic games and the series' 30th anniversary provided the "perfect" opportunity to develop a compilation. The compilation was developed internally at Sega, which handled the presentation and consolidation of the included games. The remasters of Sonic the Hedgehog , Sonic 2 , and Sonic CD are based on the remakes made in the Retro Engine released between 2011 and 2013; Evening Star's Christian Whitehead , creator of

19458-406: Was the bestselling Switch game, outselling Minecraft and Overcooked: Special Edition . It greatly increased Sega's third-quarter profits, and helped Sega almost double sales of packaged games compared to the same period in 2016. By April 2018, it had sold over one million copies worldwide across all platforms. The presentation attracted acclaim. USGamer described it as the "pinnacle" of

19599-411: Was trying to co-opt the franchise, leading Sega to dismiss Hurst and his proposal. Ben would attempt to get the movie made once more from 2005 to 2006, but this ultimately fell through. In September 2003, Ken Penders pitched his own concept for a Sonic film, Sonic Armageddon . In Penders' words, the movie would have been an origin story and a series reset, resolving the plot threads which began in

19740-441: Was unable to use the soundtrack for Origins , Sonic Team composer Jun Senoue rearranged several tracks originally written for Sonic 3 prior to Jackson's involvement; they were previously featured in the 1997 Sonic & Knuckles Collection for Windows . Thomley said he and the Headcannon team were unhappy with the version of Origins that Sega released, and that it did not represent Headcannon's work. He said they developed

19881-405: Was unavailable, so a stand-in performed alongside Marsden. The visual effects are provided by Moving Picture Company (MPC), Marza Animation Planet , Blur Studio , Trixter , and Digital Domain . The production team created a live-action version of Sonic using CGI , adding fur, new running sneakers, two separate eyes, and a more human like physique. They used Ted, the living teddy bear from

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