Editing Sonic the Hedgehog series (section)

==History==
===Development===
[[File:Sonic the Hedgehog (1991)(2013) introduction .gif|thumb|300px|right|Opening moments of [[Sonic the Hedgehog (1991)|''Sonic the Hedgehog'' (1991)]]; [[Sonic the Hedgehog (2013)|2013 remaster.]]]]
While several people have been involved in the creation of [[Sonic the Hedgehog]], the artist [[Naoto Ohshima]], programmer [[Yuji Naka]], and designer [[Hirokazu Yasuhara]] are generally credited with the creation of the character.

In April 1990, [[Sega]] requested a game capable of selling more than 1,000,000 copies; a character who could compete against [[Nintendo]]'s popular [[Mario|''Super Mario'']], and a character to ultimately replace [[Alex Kidd]] as the company's mascot. Several character designs were submitted by its AM8 research and development department. These included an armadillo (who was later developed into [[Mighty the Armadillo]]), a dog, a mustached man in pajamas (who was later used as the basis of the design of the main antagonist [[Doctor Eggman|Dr. Eggman]]) and a rabbit (who would use its extendable ears to collect objects, an idea that was later used for a separate Sega character, Ristar).<ref name="GameTap retro">{{Cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL509CA2E3CED470C1|title=Sonic the Hedgehog GameTap Retrospective|work=YouTube|date=5 August 2012|accessdate=14 May 2018}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.kafka-is-silly.net/sonicworld/angel_island_interviews/interviews/1992/sonic_1992_unknown_1.htm|title=Sega Visions Interview with Yuji Naka|date=October 1992|accessdate=28 June 2007|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20070928010746/http://www.kafka-is-silly.net/sonicworld/angel_island_interviews/interviews/1992/sonic_1992_unknown_1.htm|archivedate=28 September 2007}}</ref> Eventually, the mascot they selected was [[Naoto Ohshima]]'s submission, a spiky teal hedgehog code-named "Mr. Hedgehog", later renamed Sonic.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://twitter.com/nakayuji/status/1353259189389332480|title=Yuji Naka on Twitter|date=24 January 2021|work=Twitter|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20210124083200/https://twitter.com/nakayuji/status/1353259189389332480|archivedate=24 January 2021|language=Japanese|quote=悔しいのでもう一度挑戦しましたがもっと判らなかった感じです。「セガの看板キャラクターであるソニック。世に出る前に彼に付けられていた名前を選べ」と言う問題が判りませんでした。作った人なのにね<br>セガい共通テスト受験終了！}}</ref> Sonic's color was based on the Sega logo, his shoe buckles based on [[wikipedia:Michael Jackson|Michael Jackson]], his shoe color based on [[Santa Claus]], and his personality was inspired by future-President [[Wikipedia:Bill Clinton|Bill Clinton]]'s "get it done" attitude, who Ohshima felt embodied a modern sensibility of wanting to get things done right away, righting wrongs as they presented themselves instead of letting them linger.<ref name="GameTap retro" /><ref>{{Cite web|first=Brandon|last=Sheffield|publisher=Gamasutra|url=http://www.gamasutra.com/view/feature/4208/out_of_the_blue_naoto_ohshima_.php?page=2|title=Out of the Blue: Naoto Ohshima Speaks|accessdate=13 December 2009}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|author=Yahoo! Playback|publisher=Yahoo|url=http://videogames.yahoo.com/events/playback/playback-94/1380785|title=Yahoo Playback #94|accessdate=13 December 2009|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20091215060432/http://videogames.yahoo.com/events/playback/playback-94/1380785|archivedate=15 December 2009}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|first=Brian|last=Ashcraft|publisher=Kotaku|url=http://kotaku.com/5420201/sonics-shoes-inspired-by-michael-jackson|title=Sonic's Shoes Inspired by Michael Jackson|accessdate=13 December 2009}}</ref> According to Yuji Naka, Sonic's color also serves to symbolize peace, trust, and coolness (which are the attributes of Sonic's character). His trademark speed is based on ''[[Wikipedia:Super Mario Bros.|Super Mario Bros.]]'' World 1-1, with ''Sonic'' creator [[Yuji Naka]] stating in issue 260 of ''[[Wikipedia:Nintendo Power|Nintendo Power]]'' that he "always tried to get through the level as fast as [he] could," which inspired the initial concept for Sonic the Hedgehog. Sonic was created without the ability to swim because of a mistaken assumption by Yuji Naka that all hedgehogs could not do so.<ref name="videogamer swim">{{Cite web|url=http://www.videogamer.com/news/revealed_why_sonic_cant_swim.html|title=Revealed: Why Sonic can't swim|publisher=VideoGamer.com|date=February 2009|accessdate=27 February 2009}}</ref>

A group of fifteen people started working on ''[[Sonic the Hedgehog (1991)|Sonic the Hedgehog]]'' and renamed themselves [[Sonic Team]]. The game's soundtrack was composed by [[Masato Nakamura]] of the band [[Dreams Come True]]. Sega sponsored the group's "Wonder 3" tour, painting Sonic on the tour bus, distributing pamphlets advertising the game, and having footage of the game broadcast above stage prior to its release.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.sega.com/sonic/globalsonic/post_sonicteam.php?article=nakamura|publisher=[[Sega]]|work=Sonic Central|title=Masato Nakamura interview|format=flash|accessdate=7 February 2006|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20081223022942/http://www.sega.com/sonic/globalsonic/post_sonicteam.php?article=nakamura|archivedate=23 December 2008}}</ref>

The original concepts from Naoto Ohshima gave Sonic fangs and presented him in a [[Sonic the Hedgehog Band|band]] with a human girlfriend named [[Madonna]]. The band couldn't be completed for the game due to time constraints<ref name="breakdancing">{{Cite web |url=http://xbox.gamespy.com/articles/654/654750p5.html |title=Sega's Yuji Naka Talks! |work=Heidi Kemps |publisher=GameSpy |date=30 September 2005 |accessdate=1 May 2015 |quote='''[[Yuji Naka]]''': But the biggest thing I remember we had that we didn't use in Sonic 1 was the break-dancing. We had this idea for the sound test. The composer for the game was one of the members of Dreams Come True, a famous Japanese band, so we wanted to do something special for the game's music. See, we wanted to have a separate sound-test screen with an animation of Sonic break-dancing while a "Sonic Band" played the game music. We were working on the images, and had enough space left on the cartridge memory for it, but once again time constraints prevented us from putting it in the program. So what should we do with that leftover space? I suddenly had an epiphany! It said to me ... "SE-GA!" It came from our TV commercials, and that became the game's startup sound. I thought it made a good impression when you heard it, right? Though to fit it in, we had to delete all the break-dancing picture data we had made up to that point. Oshima was heartbroken, since we didn't need his pictures anymore. But seriously, that sound alone took up 1/8 of the 4 megabit ROM! Ah, those were the days...}}</ref> and Yuji Naka had Madonna removed because he wanted to take Sonic in a different, less-silly direction than the ''[[Mario|Super Mario Bros.]]'' series.<ref name="Gryson">{{Cite journal |journal=Beep! Mega Drive |pages=46–48 |title=The People Making Sega's Future |url=https://mdshock.com/2021/12/28/the-people-making-segas-future/ |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20211229012806/https://mdshock.com/2021/12/28/the-people-making-segas-future/ |date=January 1993 |archivedate=29 December 2021 |quote='''Questionnaire''': To go back to the discussion of Tails, there aren’t any women in Sonic games. What about including a heroine? / '''[[Yuji Naka]]''': There's a woman in the original source material. We created a woman named Madonna, and the original plan was to have Sonic rescue her. However, that kind of silly direction didn't really fit Sonic. We wanted to go with something more orthodox. Of course, there certainly are a lot of games like that in the world, where the hero has to rescue the princess. We wanted to do something different from Mario, though, and aim for a new direction.}}</ref> However, a team from Sega of America, led by [[Madeline Schroeder]], redesigned Sonic the Hedgehog for an American audience by having [[Greg Martin]] "soften" his design. This sparked a heated issue with Sonic Team but Naka later admitted that it was probably for the best.<ref name="GameTap retro" />

Sonic's precise age, weight, height and other physical characteristics vary depending on the continuity in which he appears and the style in which he is drawn. In the video games, Sonic's original design by [[Naoto Ohshima]] was with short spikes, a round body, and no visible irises. Artwork featuring this design and drawn by Akira Watanabe was displayed on the package artwork for ''[[Sonic the Hedgehog (1991)|Sonic the Hedgehog]]'', and most subsequent ''Sonic'' video games featured similar designs.<ref name="sega illustrations">{{Cite book|title=Sega Video Game Illustrations|year=1994|publisher=Nippon Shuppan Hanbai (Deutschland) GmbH|isbn=3-910052-50-9}}</ref> When ''[[Sonic the Hedgehog 2]]'' for the Mega Drive appeared, Sonic's proportions changed. The original 1:2 head to height ratio changed to 1:2.5.<ref name="sega illustrations" />

=== Franchise===
{{main|Franchise timeline of Sonic the Hedgehog}}

===Games===
''[[Sonic the Hedgehog (1991)|Sonic the Hedgehog]]'', the launch title for what would become the ''Sonic'' series, was released in 1991 for the [[Sega Mega Drive|Sega Genesis/Mega Drive]] to critical acclaim and far exceeding [[Sega]]'s commercial expectations, becoming one of the best-selling games in history, and, at the time, giving a huge popularity boost for Sega, enough so that the company could directly compete with [[Nintendo]], which soon released the [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Super_Nintendo_Entertainment_System Super Nintendo Entertainment System] in North America in the same year as a way of counterattack, starting the infamous company rivalry that will last throughout the decade. The game was soon ported to Sega's 8-bit platforms: the [[Sega Master System]] and the handheld [[Sega Game Gear|Game Gear]]; this version had similar Zone themes and regular enemies, but entirely different level layouts and bosses; this version notably omitted the use of the iconic [[shuttle loop]]s, and was also well-received by critics, who cited it as a decent effort in porting the original game's complex engine into the less powerful Master System/Game Gear. 

After the first game's success, a sequel, ''[[Sonic the Hedgehog 2]]'', soon followed, introducing Sonic's then-new sidekick and best friend, [[Miles "Tails" Prower]]. Unlike the original ''Sonic the Hedgehog'', it was developed by the [[Sega Technical Institute]] rather than [[Sonic Team]]. Released in November 1992, the gameplay and story remained largely the same as the previous game: having to rescue the [[Animals|animals friends]] and defeat [[Doctor Eggman|Dr. Robotnik]]. The game also introduced a new ability for [[Sonic the Hedgehog|Sonic]] to use: the [[Spin Dash]]. While its Sega Genesis/Mega Drive iteration is more widely known, the game was first released for the Master System and Game Gear, having little to no connection with its 16-bit counterpart aside the name. ''Sonic the Hedgehog 2'' was a commercial success, and was released to critical acclaim in all of its versions. It also introduced the [[super transformation]] ability, as due to the first game having only six [[Chaos Emerald|Chaos Emeralds]], a seventh was added. 

''[[Sonic the Hedgehog CD]]'' was released the following year, and was developed by a different team in Japan that was instead headed by [[Naoto Ohshima]]. While this game was supposed to be the same as ''Sonic the Hedgehog 2'', during development, it eventually became its own project. ''Sonic the Hedgehog CD'' was released for the [[Mega CD]] (called Sega CD in North America), a special add-on for the Sega Genesis/Mega Drive; due to this, it featured higher-quality sprites and soundtrack in comparison to previous ''Sonic'' games; the latter differed between the American and European/Japanese versions of the game. It quickly became a commercial success, receiving acclaim from video game reviewers and magazines. It was later ported to [[Microsoft]] [[Personal computer|Windows]] in CD-ROM format in 1996, becoming the first ''Sonic'' title to be officially available on PC, with noticeable improvements over the original version. It introduced the soon-to-be recurring characters [[Amy Rose]], Sonic's self-proclaimed girlfriend, and [[Metal Sonic]], Sonic's deadly robotic doppelganger created by Dr. Robotnik and first true rival. This game also marked the debut of the [[Super Peel Out]] ability. 

''[[Sonic Spinball]]'', the first spin-off title in the series, was released in 1993 for the Sega Genesis/Mega Drive, Master System and the Game Gear. It largely followed the concept of Sonic bouncing around as the ball on a giant pinball table that had been used in both ''Sonic the Hedgehog'' and ''Sonic the Hedgehog 2''. While it was commercially successful, the game received mixed reception from critics and fans alike. 

''[[Dr. Robotnik's Mean Bean Machine]]'', the second spin-off game in the franchise, released in 1993 for the Genesis/Mega Drive, Master System, and Game Gear, was one of the few entries in the series in which Sonic did not make any appearance, not even in a cameo. The game, however, was set in the universe of ''[[Adventures of Sonic the Hedgehog]]'', the first ''Sonic'' TV show, which was produced by [[DiC Entertainment]] and featured that cartoon's version of Dr. Eggman, alongside several of his lackeys such as [[Scratch]], [[Grounder (Adventures of Sonic the Hedgehog)|Grounder]], and [[Coconuts (Adventures of Sonic the Hedgehog)|Coconuts]]. The game branched the series into the puzzle genre for the first time, and was a port for Western regions of Japan's ''Puyo Puyo'', receiving positive reception.

''[[SegaSonic the Hedgehog]]'', also released in 1993, was the first installment in the series to be released in [[Arcade system|arcade systems]], and introduced new characters to the series: [[Mighty the Armadillo]] and [[Ray the Flying Squirrel]]. It distinguished itself from other ''Sonic ''games at the time by presenting a isometric, pseudo-3D perspective in comparison to the traditional 2D fast-paced platforming the series was known for. It was well-received by video game magazines and got positive scores.

''[[Sonic the Hedgehog 3]]'', released in 1994, continued where ''Sonic the Hedgehog 2'' left, and saw Sonic and Tails venture into [[Angel Island]], after hearing unusual activity coming from the place. It introduced another character to the series: [[Knuckles the Echidna]], who, while an enemy to Sonic and Tails in this game, would become one of their best friends later on. During development, the originally planned ''Sonic the Hedgehog 3'' was split in half due to time constraints and manufacturing costs, having a direct sequel, ''[[Sonic & Knuckles]]'', released later that year, which included the leftover content from the standalone ''Sonic the Hedgehog 3'' release. The two were built on the same engine and sold well, receiving positive feedback from videogame critics. ''Sonic & Knuckles'' also included [[Lock-on technology]], which allowed the ''Sonic & Knuckles'' cartridge to be connected to an older game to the cartridge's pass-through port to unlock bonuses: If connected to ''Sonic the Hedgehog 3'', the game becomes ''[[Sonic 3 & Knuckles]]'' (which is what the developers intended to achieve with the standalone ''Sonic the Hedgehog 3'' cartridge), while if it is connected to ''Sonic the Hedgehog 2'', [[Knuckles in Sonic 2|''Knuckles the Echidna in Sonic 2'']] is unlocked, which allows players to select Knuckles as their character in ''Sonic the Hedgehog 2'', although Sonic and Tails are removed in this version; connecting the ''Sonic & Knuckles'' cartridge to any other Sega Genesis/Mega Drive cartridge, including the original ''Sonic the Hedgehog'', unlocks a full version of the [[Blue Sphere]] [[Special Stage]]. ''Sonic the Hedgehog 3'', ''Sonic & Knuckles'', and the complete ''Sonic 3 & Knuckles'' would later be ported to Windows [[PC]]s in 1997 as a compilation titled ''[[Sonic & Knuckles Collection]]''.

''[[Knuckles' Chaotix]]'', released in 1995 for the [[Sega 32X]] Genesis/Mega Drive add-on, saw Knuckles the Echidna in the role of protagonist instead of the titular character Sonic (who only makes a cameo in the good ending of the game alongside Tails), and introduced the team that would later be known as the [[Team Chaotix]], including [[Espio the Chameleon]], [[Vector the Crocodile]], and [[Charmy Bee]], alongside a returning Mighty the Armadillo. Similar to ''Sonic the Hedgehog CD'' years earlier, ''Knuckles' Chaotix'' featured higher-quality graphics and OST than preceding entries. While it led to be the best-selling title for the 32X, it is largely considered a commercial failure and received mixed reviews overall, with its presentation dividing critics.

''[[Sonic 3D Blast|Sonic 3D]]'', named ''Sonic 3D: Flickies' Island'' in Europe and Japan, and ''Sonic 3D Blast'' in North America, was released as a "swan-song" for the Sega Genesis/Mega Drive in December 1996, and was the last ''Sonic'' game released for the 16-bit console. This game, similar to ''SegaSonic the Hedgehog'', was also played from an isometric perspective. Although it shared elements with the 2D platform ''Sonic'' installments, it stood out by introducing a new gameplay mechanic, which was to collect [[Flicky|Flickies]] (one of the many animal friends that are captured regularly to power Dr. Robotnik's [[Badnik]] army) after rescuing the birds from the robots and then, as a method of progress, the player had to warp them into [[Giant Ring]]s to get through the stages. [[Sega Saturn]] and Microsoft Windows ports followed to cover the hole of the cancellation of ''[[Sonic X-treme]]''. The Saturn/PC version featured enhanced graphics and a different soundtrack, composed by [[Richard Jacques]]. While it was a commercially prosperous, ''Sonic 3D Blast'' received mixed reception from critics and fans alike, with the Sega Saturn/PC version getting slightly more positive scores. The game was developed by [[Traveller's Tales]], although Sonic Team worked on the Special Stages in the Saturn/PC version.

In 1997, a compilation entitled ''[[Sonic Jam]]'' was released for the Sega Saturn and [[Wikipedia:Game.com|Game.com]]. In addition to containing ''Sonic the Hedgehog'', ''Sonic the Hedgehog 2'', ''Sonic the Hedgehog 3'' and ''Sonic & Knuckles'', it also included a "Sonic World" mode. This allowed the player to control Sonic in a small 3D-world similar to [[Green Hill|Green Hill Zone]] from the original game; it contained no enemies and was mainly a means of accessing the disc's multimedia features such as BGM's, illustrations and commercials. While the original version of ''Sonic Jam'' was well-received by reviewers and performed decently in commercial terms, its Game.com counterpart was critically panned and sold extremely poorly.

Alongside the 16-bit games, during this time there were also several 8-bit entries developed exclusively for the Game Gear and Master System, such as ''[[Sonic Chaos]]'' in 1993, ''[[Sonic the Hedgehog Triple Trouble]]'' in 1994, and ''[[Sonic Blast]]'' in 1996/97, each with varying degrees of success and following a similar formula to their 16-bit counterparts. Unlike the Sega Genesis/Mega Drive games, these titles were developed by a different entity, [[Wikipedia:Ancient (company)|Ancient]], with Sega as the publisher.

Beginning with ''[[Sonic Adventure]]'' in 1998, Sonic was redesigned by [[Yuji Uekawa]] as a fifteen-year-old character with longer legs, a less spherical body, longer spikes, and emerald green-colored eyes. Further changes to the character's design were made in subsequent games, namely in [[Sonic the Hedgehog (2006)|''Sonic the Hedgehog'' (2006)]] and ''[[Sonic Unleashed]]'', adding visible fur, a more realistic design for a human world, and making him a bit lankier. Spin-off media such as [[Comic|comics]] and cartoons have featured variations on all these videogame designs, with restrictions set by the standardized model sheets.

To create unique ''Sonic'' products in various markets, Sega initially developed two major regional backstories for the instruction booklets; the original Japanese version and a localized version for most other regions, which was the version built upon by the [[Archie Comics]], the ''[[Sonic the Hedgehog (TV series)|Sonic the Hedgehog]]'' television series, and other media. While sometimes the storyline would have minute differences, other times the storyline would be very different. With the launch of the [[Sega Dreamcast]], the series' storyline took a unified approach and this practice diminished. 

[[Image:Sonic2-big.jpg|thumb|225px|right|[[Sonic the Hedgehog|Sonic]] being chased by a giant [[orca]] in [[Emerald Coast]], as seen in ''[[Sonic Adventure]]''.]]
Although ''[[Sonic the Fighters]]'' and ''[[Sonic R]]'' were the first 3D graphic ''Sonic'' games, the true leap into 3D platforming was made with ''[[Sonic Adventure]]'', a launch title for the [[Dreamcast|Sega Dreamcast]] (Sega's last console), which resulted critical acclaim. On June 23 2001, the 10th anniversary of the US release of ''Sonic the Hedgehog'', ''[[Sonic Adventure 2]]'' was launched for the Dreamcast as the last ''Sonic'' game to release for the console. Both of the ''Adventure'' titles were later ported to the [[Nintendo GameCube]] (under the titles of ''[[Sonic Adventure DX: Director's Cut]]'' and ''[[Sonic Adventure 2 Battle]]'') when Sega ultimately dropped out of the hardware market. ''Sonic Adventure DX'' was also released on Microsoft Windows in 2003.

The first ''Sonic'' game to release simultaneously on multiple consoles, ''[[Sonic Heroes]]'', was released on the [[Nintendo GameCube]], [[PlayStation 2]], and [[Xbox]] in December 2003 in Japan, with American and European releases in 2004 and a PC version during the following November. The platforming was largely similar to that of the ''Adventure'' titles, although the player now controlled the lead character in a team of three characters, with the other two following closely behind. The player could switch to a new leader at any time to make use of each character's unique skills. While it was a commercial success, opinions among both reviewers and fans of the ''Sonic'' series were mostly mixed.

''[[Shadow the Hedgehog (game)|Shadow the Hedgehog]]'' was released in the United States in November 2005. It was commercially successful, but as with ''Sonic Heroes'', received mixed reviews from critics. Example sites such as IGN and GameSpot panned the game. ''[[Nintendo Power]]'' and GameTrailers, however, both rated it above 8 out of 10, praising the replay value. Controversies revolving around this game included the gun play and the over-use of minor profanity and the fact that Sega had decided to switch the characters' voices to the [[4Kids Entertainment]] voice actors from the English version of ''[[Sonic X]]''.

A highly faithful two-part port of ''Sonic the Hedgehog'' made for [[IOS|mobile]] [[Android|phones]] has been a huge hit in Europe, introducing the game to a new generation of pre-teen gamers, with respected handheld specialist Pocket Gamer awarding ''Sonic the Hedgehog Part Two'' a 9 out of 10 review score.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Sonic The Hedgehog Part 2 review|publisher=Pocket Gamer|url=http://www.pocketgamer.co.uk/r/Mobile/Sonic+The+Hedgehog+Part+Two/review.asp?c=1564|accessdate=23 September 2006}}</ref>

===Other gameplay styles ===
The ''Sonic'' series has also seen instalments in another genres and gameplay styles aside the standard platforming it is known for. The first of these was the already mentioned ''[[Sonic Spinball]]'' and its [[Sonic Spinball (8-bit)|8-bit counterpart]], soon followed by ''[[Dr. Robotnik's Mean Bean Machine]]'' and its [[Dr. Robotnik's Mean Bean Machine (8-bit)|8-bit counterpart]], in 1993. 

Several racing games starring ''Sonic'' characters have been developed. In ''[[Sonic Drift]]'' and its sequel [[Sonic Drift 2]], characters drive go-karts around a flat course, reminiscent of ''[[wikipedia:Super Mario Kart|Super Mario Kart]]''. In ''[[Sonic R]]'' (1998), most characters ran on foot (though Eggman rides in his [[Egg Mobile]] and Amy drives her car), while in the [[Sonic Riders series|''Sonic Riders'' series]] (2006), they race on hoverboards known as "[[Extreme Gear]]." With games such as ''[[Sonic & Sega All-Stars Racing]]'', ''Sonic'' characters returned to racing in vehicles, alongside other [[Sega]] characters.

''[[Sonic Shuffle]]'' was a virtual board game/party game for the Sega Dreamcast. Edutainment video games starring Sonic and Tails have also been released, such as ''[[Sonic the Hedgehog's Gameworld]]'' and ''[[Tails and the Music Maker]]'' for the [[Sega Pico]], and the PC title ''[[Sonic's Schoolhouse]]''.

A fighting game, named ''[[Sonic the Fighters]]'', was released in 1996 for [[Arcade system|arcade systems]], and later a hybrid, called ''[[Sonic Battle]]'', was released in 2003 in Japan and 2004 elsewhere for the [[Game Boy Advance]].

In 2005, ''[[Shadow the Hedgehog (game)|Shadow the Hedgehog]]'' introduced [[wikipedia:Nonlinear gameplay|nonlinear gameplay]] to the series while partly being a third-person-shooter, which was also incorporated in 2001's ''[[Sonic Adventure 2]]''. The player's decisions while playing the game would affect the story's course.

In 2008, ''[[Sonic Unleashed]]'' was released, which brought on a new to the series style of brawling-based combat mixed with platforming in the form of Night stages, played as ''[[Sonic the Werehog]].'' Six months later, ''[[Sonic Chronicles: The Dark Brotherhood]]'' brought Sonic into the genre of [[wikipedia:Role-playing game|role-playing games]] for the first time, mixing turn-based strategic combat and storytelling with the traditional ''Sonic'' elements.

''[[Sonic Frontiers]]'' ushered in [[wikipedia:Open world|open world]] gameplay in 2022, blending platforming elements into a series of "Open Zone" environments, offering players the freedom to traverse varied landscapes. Additionally, ''Sonic Frontiers'' featured an expanded combat system to enhance the overall gaming experience.