Sonic the Hedgehog is 34 years old today, and here’s why I still love him

Today is important in the history of gaming. On this day, 34 years ago, Sega’s number one poster boy sped onto the Sega Genesis (Or Mega Drive if you’re not in the US), marking the beginning of an iconic franchise. Sonic the Hedgehog is a pinnacle of my childhood, though I’d be lying if I said Sonic being 34 doesn’t make me feel a tad bit old. The first Sonic game is playable on many platforms today, including the Nintendo Switch and mobile, thanks to various remasters and collections.

Even today, the 1991 platform side-scroller is one of the best Sonic games you can play, and not just because of the newer platforms you can play it on. It’s one of my favorite retro games, so you’d best believe I bring out my Mega Drive when I want to revisit Green Hill. However, in my Sonic Origins Plus Switch review, I gave the collection a 9/10, so I still encourage people to have fun with the first Sonic game on modern consoles – it features a whole heap of ’90s adventures with the Blur Blur.

Not only are the original Sonic adventures fun to play, but part of why I love him so much is that there’s always a new Sonic game on the horizon. Unsurprisingly, the fastest thing alive doesn’t stand still for long, with new adventures coming nearly every year from Team Sonic. Last year, I’d say another of Sonic’s best outings debuted, and my Sonic x Shadow Generations Switch 2 review explains what makes it so great – seriously, that point gets Sonic off to a great start on Nintendo’s new hardware.

Then there’s Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds, which is due to release in just a few months, another racing game featuring all your favorite Sonic characters, including familiar faces from SpongeBob SquarePants, TMNT, and Avatar, thanks to a Nickelodeon crossover.

Yes, MKW is fantastic (we gave it a 9/10 in our Mario Kart World review for a reason), but Mario games aren’t my favorite, putting him behind Sonic for me, even when it comes to kart racers. Admittedly, even Sonic comes in second overall, but I’m not here to talk about Crash Bandicoot games, even though I live in eternal sadness that he doesn’t get anywhere near as many outings as Sonic. Even hitting ten million sales for CTR Nitro Fuelled isn’t seemingly enough for him to get back behind the wheel.

Another thing that I love about Sonic is that the lad tries all sorts to keep things fresh. Don’t get me wrong, I love a bit of Sonic action, but I appreciate the open world of Sonic Frontiers, even if it isn’t perfect. It’s an interesting concept for Sonic, and it fills me with hope for the future. Team Sonic laid the groundwork; now, the team just needs to capitalize on that one day.

Sonic’s classic adventures are a safety net; the formula works, and they sell. It wouldn’t surprise me if another collection pops up in a few years. However, if I’m being honest, what this milestone really has me thinking about is remasters for two of my favorite ever games in the franchise: Sonic Unleashed and Sonic Heroes.

That’s probably wishful thinking on my part, not as wishful as me wanting to see the 2005 action game Shadow the Hedgehog make a comeback. Anyway, I’m going to grab myself a chili dog and my Sonic Underground box set and celebrate his birthday in style. If you need some suggestions on what to play while you wait for Sonic’s next adventure, check out our list of the best Switch games.