It's been 30 years since Sonic the Hedgehog first appeared in pop culture. First appearing as the protagonist of the Sega Mega Drive game on June 23, 1991, this popular blue hedgehog has remained very iconic in pop culture for three decades.

Being one of the most iconic mascots in gaming history, people probably already know a lot about Sonic the Hedgehog. But there are still many unique and amazing facts about this fastest hedgehog that even his fans might not know. Do you want to know more about Sonic The Hedgehog? Let's look at the 12 facts about the most popular blue hedgehog that can run fast!

1. Sonic Can’t Swim

It is a well-known fact that Sonic the Hedgehog cannot swim, although in some of his games he can run across the surface of the water. But do you know how Sonic's most known weakness came to be?

Programmer Yuji Naka, who was heavily involved in making Sonic games, thinks that hedgehogs really can't swim. So it was decided that this blue hedgehog couldn't swim either. His inability to swim is a trait that has stuck with Sonic to this day. Sonic even had to wear a life jacket in a swimming match in Mario & Sonic at The Olympics Games.

2. His Ability to Run Fast Inspired by Speed ​​Running

In addition to the initial plan to design a mascot to compete with Mario, Sonic the Hedgehog's design was also inspired by Yuji Naka's experience in Super Mario Bros. While playing the game, Yuji Naka tried to get through the first level as fast as possible, which was called World 1-1. Maybe the speed running while playing Super Mario Bros. sparked the idea to create Sonic.

Who would have thought that Mario's speed was the main inspiration behind the creation of Sonic? Mario and Sonic both became the mascots of successful and popular gaming companies. Mario, the Nintendo icon, always competes with SEGA's mascot Sonic.

3. Sonic Can’t Run When Sleep Deprived

Sonic the Hedgehog needs eight hours of sleep like a normal human sleep, or his running ability will be affected. Humans can't run faster than the speed of sound, but Sonic is also a living creature like humans who need time to rest.

In the cartoon series The Adventure of Sonic the Hedgehog, at the end of each episode Sonic always gives life advice to the viewer. In the segment of the show called Sonic Says, the blue hedgehog always reminds us that a good night's sleep is the foundation of good health. Sonic is also often shown to fall asleep in the game if he has been running for too long.

4. Sonic Dates a Human

Early in the development of Sonic the Hedgehog, Naoto Oshima designed a girlfriend for Sonic named Madonna. The human girl was tall and blonde, with a sexy body shaped like a Spanish guitar, much like Jessica Rabbit. Not much else is known about Madonna other than her role as Sonic's girlfriend.

Unfortunately, Madonna was removed from the game, for 2 different reasons. The first reason is that game content is too mature so it must be removed to make it suitable for children. The second reason is that the theme of rescuing a hostage girl is too similar to the theme of its rival game franchise, Super Mario Bros. But in the end a human "girlfriend" character managed to get into the 2006 game Sonic the Hedgehog.

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5. Sonic's Middle Name is Maurice

This fact comes from the comic Sonic the Hedgehog which ran from 1993 to 2017. In the comics, his full name is Sonic Maurice the Hedgehog. A former comic book writer even claims that the blue hedgehog's real first name is Olgilvie. It's quite strange to imagine that the fastest hedgehog character like Sonic has the middle name Maurice, which makes him feel like a gentleman.

6. Sonic’s Initially Named Mr. Needlemouse

When Naoto Oshima first created Sonic the Hedgehog, he gave him the code name Mr Needlemouse. Perhaps the name Mr. Needlemouse meant the hedgehog was shaped like a big mouse with many needles sticking out of its back.

It has never been explicitly stated how the creators chose the name Sonic. Maybe because of his super speed, this character was given the name Sonic. What is certain is that the name is definitely more suitable for this iconic mascot than being called Mr. Needlemouse.

7. The Blue Fur Has A Deeper Meaning

Some might assume that with the development console competition in the 1990s, Sonic the Hedgehog color palette was to directly counter Mario's red palette. But actually there is a deeper meaning than just the reason for the competition. According to Yuji Naka, Sonic's blue fur is meant to represent peace, trust, and something cool.

That makes a lot of sense considering Sonic is really passionate about keeping the peace. He had fought Dr. Robotnik or Eggman for years to keep the peace in various places.

8. Dr. Robotnik or Eggman Was Designed To Be Protagonist

When SEGA had to design a new mascot for its company, one of the ideas it came up with was a caricature of Theodore Roosevelt in pajamas. Since Sonic the Hedgehog was finally chosen as the mascot, the design of this historical figure evolved into a character shaped like an egg, who eventually became Dr. Eggman. Also known as Dr. Robotnik, Dr. Eggman who likes to catch small animals in the forest is similar to Teddy Roosevelt who is famous for his Teddy Bear hunting story.

Another interesting detail is that Dr. Eggman was designed to be the opposite of Sonic. Symbolizing the Doctor's technology and machinery versus Sonic's spirit of environmental preservation. This premise also refers to the growing conflict of life between environmentalists and technology developers.

9. Sonic Personality Inspired by Bill Clinton

When you look at Sonic's early design and development phases, there are many influences to the design. With the buzz of presidential debates taking place in 1992, all eyes were on Bill Clinton, and this is where Sonic's personality is thought to have come from. Bill Clinton adopted a "finishing" attitude, which Naoto Oshima later attributed to Sonic.

Naoto Oshima admired the idea of ​​getting things done quickly rather than letting it drag on. That's why the trait stayed with Sonic for years. Until now Sonic still seemed impulsive and would definitely solve the problem created by Dr. Robotnik as soon as possible

10. Sonic is Also Inspired by Santa Claus

Believe it or not, some of Sonic's traits are inspired by Santa Claus, and part of that is his shoes. Yes, the bright red shoes are inspired by the color of Santa Claus' outfit combined with the giant buckle taken from Michael Jackson's "Bad" music video.

11. Sonic's Initial Design was A Rabbit 

When Sonic the Hedgehog was being designed, Mario was already a popular icon. SEGA's idea was to create a mascot to compete with Nintendo, but Sonic's initial concept was a rabbit that could pick up things and fight with its ears.

SEGA quickly realized that it was not a good idea, mainly for technological reasons. So the creators turned to the concept of a rolling ball and used its entire body as a weapon. Even though Sonic's concept of attacking and defending is like an Armadillo, he is still crowned as a hedgehog.

12. Tails and Knuckle are Not The Same Species

People might assume that Sonic's close friend was from the same species as Sonic. But the three of them are different species. If Sonic is a hedgehog, Tails is a fox and his full name is Miles Tails Prower. Knuckle is an echidna, it is a species of mammal that reproduces by laying eggs.

Those are the 12 facts about Sonic The Hedgehog, the most popular blue hedgehog that can run fast. Do you think there are any other Sonic The Hedgehog facts that haven't been discussed here? You can share them in the comment section.

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