Sega is Going Big for Sonic the Hedgehog's 30th Anniversary
Sega recently hosted a special presentation called Sonic Central where it pulled the curtain back on its plans for Sonic the Hedgehog's 30th anniversary. As one might expect, Sega is going all-out when it comes to the 30th anniversary of its flagship franchise, releasing a number of new video games and other projects surrounding Sonic the Hedgehog.
The Sonic Central event was mostly well-received by Sonic the Hedgehog fans, especially since Sega has mostly been quiet about the series since the release of Sonic Forces. It has given Sonic the Hedgehog fans plenty to look forward to, with a ton of content dropping in 2021 and a brand new main series Sonic the Hedgehog video game planned for release at some point in 2022.
Here is all Sonic the Hedgehog fans have to look forward to for the 30th anniversary.
A key component in any Sonic the Hedgehog game is the soundtrack. Since the beginning of the franchise, the Sonic the Hedgehog games have prided themselves on having catchy, memorable soundtracks, which was taken to new heights with the jump to 3D and titles like Sonic Adventure 2. As part of Sonic the Hedgehog's 30th anniversary celebration, Sega is hosting a virtual symphony that will feature a variety of Sonic the Hedgehog tunes.
Along with the symphony, rock band Crush 40 will also be performing some classic Sonic the Hedgehog tracks as part of the musical event. Any Sonic the Hedgehog fans interested in tuning in should note that they can do so without paying anything. The Sonic the Hedgehog 30th Anniversary Symphony will be available to watch completely free of charge on June 23.
More information on the Sonic the Hedgehog 30th Anniversary Symphony will come before the June 23 event, though. Geoff Keighley's Summer Game Fest 2021 is kicking off with a special presentation on June 10, and it was teased that more information will come then in the form of a "sneak peek." Needless to say, it seems as though Sonic the Hedgehog fans will want to make sure that Summer Game Fest 2021 is marked on their calendars.
While most Sonic the Hedgehog fans may be more interested in the new Sonic the Hedgehog video games coming, they should note that they will have the opportunity to play as the Blue Blur in other games this year as well. On June 22, those playing Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games: Official Video Game will be able to dress their athlete up as Sonic the Hedgehog while they compete in the various Olympic events.
Then on July 30, fans of Two Point Hospital can dress up their characters as Amy, Knuckles, Sonic, and Tails. Not only that, but Two Point Hospital players will also be able to decorate their hospital with a variety of Sonic the Hedgehog-themed items, including arcade cabinets.
And finally, on September 24, the Lost Judgment video game will also be getting some Sonic the Hedgehog content, and it's rather substantial. In Lost Judgment, players will be able to visit the local arcade to play games, and one of the available games will be none other than Sonic the Fighters. Sonic the Fighters is a 1996 fighting game based on the Sonic the Hedgehog franchise, and it will be available to play in its entirety within the Lost Judgment video game.
Sega teased that it has even more Sonic the Hedgehog crossovers up its sleeve to be revealed at a later date, including a possible Minecraft crossover. It seems fans will have to standby for more information on these other collaborations, however.
One of the most critically-acclaimed Sonic video games of the last decade is undoubtedly Sonic Colors, which launched for the Nintendo DS and Wii in 2010. Sonic Colors is coming back as Sonic Colors Ultimate for PC, PS4, Switch, and Xbox One on September 7, updating the game for modern audiences. Sonic Colors Ultimate will include baby Sonic as a pre-order bonus, along with other content based on the Sonic the Hedgehog movie. It will also have a Digital Deluxe edition which includes early access, exclusive music, cosmetic items, player icons, and more.
Besides the Sonic Colors Ultimate video game, fans of Sonic Colors can also look forward to the new Sonic Colors: Rise of the Wisps animation. This animated Sonic Colors project brings Roger Craig Smith back as the voice of Sonic the Hedgehog, with Episode 1 set to drop at some point later this summer.
Sega has re-released the Sonic the Hedgehog games numerous times, releasing them as standalone titles while also packaging them together in collections. Well, Sega is doing just that yet again, re-releasing the classic Sonic the Hedgehog video games together as Sonic Origins. This collection will be a bit more comprehensive than Sonic the Hedgehog fans have come to expect, however, as it will feature more than just the original Sonic the Hedgehog trilogy of games.
Along with Sonic the Hedgehog 1, 2, and 3, the Sonic Origins collection will also include Sonic & Knuckles as well as Sonic CD. The games will have some updates to make them a bit more accessible to modern audiences, but Sega stopped short of providing specifics on that front. More information on Sonic Origins is going to come at an undetermined later date, so Sonic the Hedgehog fans should definitely keep an eye out.
Video game streaming services are growing in popularity, and two of the most notable ones will soon be getting a boost from the Sonic the Hedgehog franchise. Both Sonic Mania and Team Sonic Racing are coming to the Amazon Luna streaming service, while Sonic Mania, Sonic Forces, and Team Sonic Racing will all be debuting on Sony's PlayStation Now service beginning June 1. This should give Sonic the Hedgehog fans even more options when it comes to playing these particular Sonic the Hedgehog games.
Sonic the Hedgehog has a significant presence on mobile devices, and Sega is set to release plenty of new content for the various Sonic the Hedgehog mobile games. First up, Sonic Dash is getting pirate-themed cosmetics for players to unlock this month, as well as new birthday items that they can find in the levels.
The mobile version of Sonic Forces, meanwhile, is getting a new playable character in the form of Super Sonic. Whenever players manage to transform into Super Sonic when playing Sonic Forces on mobile, they will be made invincible for a limited time. Players will be able to test this new feature with their friends through the new Party Match mode that is coming to Sonic Forces for a limited time.
Both Sonic Forces and Sonic Dash are getting the Werehog as a playable character "around Halloween," though Sega didn't nail down a specific release date for the character. For the uninitiated, the Werehog was an alternate form for Sonic, introduced in the Sonic Unleashed video game. Sonic Unleashed was fairly well-received compared to some other modern Sonic the Hedgehog games, so his debut in the Sonic mobile games will likely be well-received by the community.
And finally, Sonic Racing, the Apple Arcade Sonic racing game, will be getting some new content as well. Fans of Sonic Racing on Apple Arcade can look forward to a new classic version of Sonic, who comes with a new car, along with some brand new music tracks to listen to while playing. On top of all that, there will reportedly be three new tracks based on a "classic zone," which, based on the footage shown, seems to be the Green Hill Zone specifically.
While fans may be most excited about the Sonic the Hedgehog video game projects that are in development, the Sonic 30th anniversary stream also included reveals for non-video game products. This will include Sonic Prime, a Sonic Netflix series scheduled to debut in 2022, along with plenty of merch based on the franchise. Fans can look forward to new Sonic the Hedgehog toys from Jakks Pacific, King Ice jewelry based on Sonic characters, and a comprehensive Sonic the Hedgehog encyclopedia published by Dark Horse comics. There will also be some silver and gold Sonic the Hedgehog coins released by Apmex for collectors to add to their collection.
The Sonic the Hedgehog 30th anniversary stream capped things off in a big way with the reveal of a new main series Sonic the Hedgehog game that's releasing at some point in 2022. Sega didn't reveal much about the game, but there are some reputable leaks that point to it being called Sonic Rangers. Leaks also point to Sonic Rangers being an open world game inspired by The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, but it remains to be seen if any of that is true.
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