With Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds approaching its September 25 release on Nintendo Switch, fans are once again asking the age-old question—why does the world’s fastest hedgehog need a car to race? It’s a topic that has followed the series for years, and now, Sonic Team has provided a direct answer.
In a recent interview with Shacknews, Sonic Team’s Takashi Iizuka offered clear insight into the reasoning behind Sonic’s choice to drive. According to Iizuka, it’s all about fun and fairness.
“Sonic likes actually having fun,” Iizuka explained. “That competitive spirit and having fun with his friends competitively is one element that Sonic really enjoys. If we were just running flat out, Sonic is going to be faster than everyone. It’s not so much fun and it’d be really more enjoyable to Sonic to be in a car, to be racing, and have that fun competitive edge with his friends. That’s why he’s racing.”
While this idea has been humorously addressed in the past by SEGA’s former social media team, this is one of the first times the answer has come directly from the developers. It helps explain the recurring use of vehicles in Sonic’s racing titles like Sonic & SEGA All-Stars Racing and Team Sonic Racing, where balancing character abilities makes for better gameplay.
Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds will continue that tradition later this year on on all major platforms, with a version also confirmed for the Switch 2 at a later date.
Stay tuned to Sonic City for more News and Updates on Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds and insights from Sonic Team!
To be honest, I enjoy seeing Sonic in a car. Reason why I say that is because 2 reasons. 1st reason, Sonic runs faster than the speed of sound (768 MPH). 2nd reason, it’s fair competition.