Gotta Go Fast: Sonic's Journey Through Video Game History
Get Ready to Race with Sonic on Nex Playground
Few video game characters are as recognizable as Sonic the Hedgehog. His edgy blue spikes, confident smirk, and super speed helped make him the face of the SEGA Genesis.
Despite Sonic's popularity, his legacy has taken plenty of twists and turns, much like the winding paths of his games. Did you know that SEGA once considered ending the Sonic franchise for good? Super speed didn't always translate into super sales.
But the success of the Sonic movies helped turn things around, introducing the blue hedgehog to a whole new audience and changing the course of the franchise.
Now, as Sonic celebrates his 35th anniversary, Nex Playground is joining the fun with our very own Sonic game, Sonic Forces: Rival Rush. It's the perfect time to get up to speed on Sonic's history, from classic side-scrolling adventures to 3D platformers, racing games, and beyond.
Origins of the Blue Blur
If we all know just one thing about Sonic, it's that he's fast.
His super speed earned him the nickname “The Blue Blur,” which is fitting considering even Sonic's creators didn't have a clear vision of what the character would look like at first.
It all began in 1990, when SEGA tasked game developers Yuji Naka and Naoto Ohshima with creating a mascot that could rival Nintendo's Mario. Hirokazu Yasuhara would later join the Sonic team to help bring the game together.
Before settling on a character, the team already had a key advantage: technology built for speed. Naka had developed a game engine that could scroll at high speeds. SEGA wanted a game that could showcase the capabilities of its Genesis console, and that high-speed foundation helped shape the game Sonic would later become.
But the team also needed a memorable character. They wanted a design that kids could easily draw and explored several possibilities, including armadillos, porcupines, and dogs. To help choose a direction, character designer Naoto Ohshima took three character concepts to Central Park in New York and asked passersby which they liked best. The hedgehog won the informal poll.
A hedgehog also offered an elegant solution to a gameplay challenge: how could Sonic jump and attack using the same button? By curling into a ball, he could damage enemies and bounce through the air using the same basic move.
With his look and gameplay coming together, Sonic was ready to race onto the SEGA Genesis. And as his popularity would soon prove, this little blue hedgehog wasn't ready to slow down anytime soon.
Five Ways to Experience Sonic the Hedgehog
It's amazing all the places you can go when you've been running for 35 years. Since the ‘90s, Sonic the Hedgehog has done a lot more than speed through side-scrolling levels. He's explored 3D worlds, hit the racetrack, and even competed alongside his longtime rival Mario at the Olympics.
Let's take a look at five ways you can experience Sonic, from his classic platforming roots to his latest adventure on Nex Playground, Sonic Forces: Rival Rush.
Running in Two Dimensions
Released in 1991, the original Sonic the Hedgehog introduced the fast-paced, 2D side-scrolling action that would define the series. Players raced through colorful levels, jumped over obstacles, collected Rings, and curled into a ball to spin through enemies.
Few opening stages are as iconic as Green Hill Zone, with its checkerboard hills, towering palm trees, and gravity-defying loops. The winding paths reward exploration as much as speed, giving players plenty of reasons to race through the levels again and again.
Of course, Sonic had a nemesis to stop along the way. Dr. Robotnik (later known as Dr. Eggman) was turning innocent animals into robotic minions, and Sonic was determined to set them free. As the series grew, Sonic the Hedgehog 2 (1992) introduced Tails, Sonic’s loyal sidekick, while Sonic the Hedgehog 3 (1994) brought Knuckles into the mix, expanding Sonic’s world beyond the original adventure.
More than 30 years later, 2D Sonic games are still going strong. Sonic Superstars (2023) brought the classic side-scrolling formula back with a fresh look and a series first: four-player local co-op, letting friends and family join the adventure.
A World Beyond the Side-Scroller
As video game graphics evolved, Sonic was ready to take a giant leap into 3D. Suddenly, players could race through his colorful world from new perspectives, making his trademark speed feel more intense than ever.
Watching Sonic barrel through a loop from behind is like riding a rollercoaster. You can almost feel the wind rushing past as you fly over ramps, leap across gaps, and race toward the next big thrill.
Sonic 3D Blast (1996) offered an early taste of the third dimension with an isometric perspective, but Sonic Adventure (1998) on the SEGA Dreamcast truly brought Sonic into a new visual era. Players could explore larger environments, discover hidden paths, and race through fully 3D stages. Its sequel, Sonic Adventure 2 (2001), took the action further by introducing rival Shadow the Hedgehog and the rock anthem “Live & Learn,” one of the series' most beloved songs.
Sonic's 3D adventures just kept evolving. From the team-based gameplay of Sonic Heroes (2004) to the vast, explorable environments of Sonic Frontiers (2022), his world had grown far beyond the side-scrolling paths where it all began.
Sonic Takes the Wheel
Why would the fastest creature on Earth need to ride a vehicle? To compete with Mario, of course! With platforming covered, the racetrack became another battlefield in the rivalry between SEGA and Nintendo. And if there's one thing Sonic isn't afraid of, it's a contest of speed.
Following the success of Super Mario Kart in 1992, SEGA put Sonic behind the wheel with Sonic Drift, which debuted on the Game Gear in Japan in 1994. Since then, Sonic and his friends have raced in just about every way imaginable.
Sonic R (1997) ditched the vehicles for a good old-fashioned footrace through 3D courses. Sonic Riders (2006) introduced Extreme Gear, including hoverboards, hover skates, and hoverbikes. Then Sonic & All-Stars Racing Transformed (2012) took things to another level, with vehicles that transformed to suit the terrain, shifting between cars, boats, and planes for races across land, sea, and air.
The latest entry, Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds (2025), brings back transforming vehicles while adding a twist of its own. Travel Rings send racers to different tracks mid-race, changing the course and keeping competitors on their toes.
And the guest racers are just as wild. Characters from Minecraft, PAC-MAN, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, and Avatar: The Last Airbender have all joined the competition, bringing their own worlds along for the ride. Sonic's racing adventures have come a long way from a handheld kart race, and it seems there's no limit to how far he'll go to cross the finish line.
When Rivals Collide
Today, Sonic can race alongside characters from Minecraft and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. But back in the '90s, there was one crossover that seemed almost impossible: Mario and Sonic in the same game.
Nintendo and SEGA were fierce console rivals, with each company trying to outdo the other rather than share the stage. But when SEGA left the console business in 2001 and began making games for other platforms, including Nintendo's, the two former rivals found new opportunities to work together. Their iconic mascots could finally share the spotlight, if only they could find the right setting.
Enter the Olympics. After SEGA secured the license for the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, the Games offered a neutral playing field where Mario, Sonic, and their friends could compete without stepping into either character's world.
Since then, Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games has brought the two universes together for both the Summer and Winter Olympics. Across entries set in cities like Beijing, Vancouver, London, Rio de Janeiro, and Tokyo, players have competed in everything from the 100-meter sprint to bobsleigh and figure skating, along with more fantastical events like Dream Karate.
Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 remains the latest console entry, and the future of the series is uncertain. But if Mario and Sonic have taught us anything, it's to never say never.
Sonic Speed Meets Full-Body Motion
Sonic has raced through 2D levels, explored 3D worlds, and competed in all kinds of racing games. Now, Sonic Forces: Rival Rush brings several parts of that history together in a high-speed battle racing game controlled through full-body movement on Nex Playground.
Sonic has experimented with motion controls before. In 2010, Sonic Free Riders brought body-controlled hoverboard racing to Xbox 360 with Kinect. More than a decade later, Sonic Forces: Rival Rush offers another rare opportunity to experience Sonic's world through movement.
Players can race through 12 tracks inspired by the Sonic universe and take control of familiar characters like Sonic, Tails, Knuckles, and Amy. Lean left or right to change lanes, jump to leap over obstacles, and squat to duck under hazards. As you learn each course and build up speed, every movement pulls you deeper into the rush of the race.
Racing isn't just about staying ahead, either. Players can grab power-ups to boost their speed, attack their rivals, or lay traps to disrupt the competition.
Sonic Forces: Rival Rush brings the excitement of Sonic's racing games into active, head-to-head play.
Become the Fastest Creature on Earth in Sonic Forces: Rival Rush
Sonic began as SEGA's answer to Mario, but he soon became much more than a rival mascot. His speed, confident attitude, and thirst for adventure helped make him an icon in his own right.
More than 35 years later, that spirit is still inspiring players to race into new worlds and push their limits. Now, with Sonic Forces: Rival Rush on Nex Playground, you can move like the Blue Blur himself, bringing a little of Sonic's speed and sense of adventure into your own living room.
Step up to the starting line with Sonic Forces: Rival Rush on Nex Playground with Play Pass and see how fast you can go.
