Sonic the Hedgehog
Sonic the Hedgehog (ソニック・ザ・ヘッジホッグ, Sonic the Hedgehog) is the titular character of the Sonic the Hedgehog series, and the mascot of Sega. After making a cameo in 1991's Rad Mobile, Sonic debuted a few months later in his eponymous game.[1] In addition to succeeding Alex Kidd as Sega's mascot, Sonic was also the company's attempt at rivaling Nintendo's mascot, Mario, during the fourth and fifth generations of video games.[2] Sonic made his Super Smash Bros. debut in Super Smash Bros. Brawl, in which he and Solid Snake gained the distinction as the first third-party characters to appear in the Super Smash Bros. series. Sonic has since reappeared as a playable character in Super Smash Bros. 4 and Super Smash Bros. Ultimate. ContentsOrigin[edit]Sonic is a 15-year-old anthropomorphic hedgehog who, as his name suggests, is capable of running at supersonic speeds. He is 3 ft, 3 in (1 m) tall, weighs 77 lbs (35 kg), and has large quills, blue fur, and green eyes. Sonic also wears a pair of Power Sneakers[3] alongside a pair of white gloves. The self-described "fastest thing alive", Sonic is confident, quick-witted, carefree, virtuous, and adventurous to the point that he hates being constrained, yet he can also be impulsive, hot-headed, snarky, and cocky. As a result of his love for freedom, Sonic always campaigns to stop subjugation of any kind, most notably the plots concocted by his archnemesis, Dr. Ivo "Eggman" Robotnik. Sonic gathers golden rings for energy, and when he collects the seven Chaos Emeralds, he can transform into Super Sonic, which grants him flight and invincibility so long as he has a sufficient number of rings. Initially, early Western profiles sometimes portrayed Sonic as being from the fictional planet Mobius. However, Japanese profiles (which Western territories would follow starting with Sonic Adventure) and Yuji Naka, the former head of Sonic Team, have since stated that his birthplace is Kiritimati (also known as Christmas Island), one of the numerous atolls that comprise the real world sovereign state of Kiribati.[4] In Super Smash Bros. Melee[edit]Although Sega and Nintendo were hardware and software rivals at the release of the Nintendo GameCube, then-head of Sonic Team Yuji Naka claimed that it was possible to include Sonic in Super Smash Bros. Melee.[5] However, time constraints apparently caused these plans to fall through. It would later be revealed that both Shigeru Miyamoto and Masahiro Sakurai would have approved the idea of adding Sonic to Melee.[6] An infamous hoax claimed that Sonic and Tails were unlockable in Melee. Despite having been proven as false, the hoax became well-known in both the Super Smash Bros. community and the wider world of gaming. In Super Smash Bros. Brawl[edit]As a playable character[edit]Main article: Sonic (SSBB)
Sonic is a playable character in Super Smash Bros. Brawl, and was confirmed on October 10th, 2007.[7] According to Super Smash Bros. series creator Masahiro Sakurai, Sonic's inclusion was not guaranteed; as a result of his last-minute inclusion, the delay of Brawl's release date was announced alongside his confirmation.[8] According to Sakurai, he played a number of both classic and modern Sonic the Hedgehog games in order to develop a basis for Sonic's appearance in Brawl.[8] Aesthetically, Sonic's design is from Sonic the Hedgehog (2006), and his dashing animation is his Super Peel Out from Sonic the Hedgehog CD.[8] Mechanically, his moveset largely consists of his attacks from Sonic the Fighters,[8] although two of his special moves are the Homing Attack from Sonic Adventure and the Spin Dash from Sonic the Hedgehog 2.[7] Sonic's Final Smash, Super Sonic, functions almost identically to its appearances in his home series: he is rendered invincible and can fly, yet his transformation has a fairly short duration.[7] Possibly as a result of his last-minute inclusion, Sonic also appears very late in Brawl's Adventure Mode, The Subspace Emissary. Ultimately, he plays a pivotal role in the defeat of the Subspace Army's leader, Tabuu, during the final battle. Sonic fittingly possesses the fastest dashing speed in the game, as well as among the fastest walking and air speeds. His blisteringly fast mobility is further accentuated by Spin Dash and Spin Charge, which enable him to blitz an opponent and are integral to his solid combo game. Sonic also possesses an excellent recovery, courtesy of his aforementioned air speed and the considerable distance granted by Spring Jump. However, Sonic's strengths are almost completely offset by his severely unimpressive KO potential, and most of his moveset generally has minimal utility. Despite his flaws and the general consensus that he lacks truly advantageous matchups, Sonic has nevertheless managed to achieve decent tournament results, even at the national level. As a result, he is currently ranked 22nd out of 38 on the tier list; this places him in the D tier, and renders him a mid-tier character. Trophy[edit]
The world's fastest hedgehog, who can run at supersonic speeds. Generally speaking, he loves being able to do what he wants and loathes being constrained. Holding still is something he would never consider. He's got a bit of an attitude but can't pass by someone in trouble. When he collects the seven Chaos Emeralds, he transforms into the mighty, gold Super Sonic. Stickers[edit]
In Super Smash Bros. 4[edit]As a playable character[edit]Main article: Sonic (SSB4)
Sonic reappears as a playable character in Super Smash Bros. 4, with his return being confirmed during a Nintendo Direct on October 1st, 2013.[9] Unlike in Brawl, his design is now based on his appearance as of Sonic Unleashed. This is further reflected by him now being voiced by Roger Craig Smith, who succeeded Jason Griffith in 2010. On a related note, Sonic is now fully voiced in Spanish, French, Italian, and German. Sonic has been heavily buffed in the transition from Brawl to SSB4. Sonic's previously abysmal KO potential has noticeably improved, and a number of his moves have improved utility. Outside of this, Sonic's outstanding speed and mobility have improved even further, thanks to his air and fast falling speeds becoming noticeably faster. Although Sonic's recovery was slightly weakened and some of his moves, particularly his KOing options, had their lag increased, these nerfs are largely outweighed by his aforementioned buffs. Thanks to his improvements and consistent tournament success at all levels of play, Sonic is currently ranked 7th out of 55. This places him in the A tier, which ties him with Fox and renders him a top-tier character. Trophies[edit]
In Super Smash Bros. Ultimate[edit]As a playable character[edit]Main article: Sonic (SSBU)
Sonic reappears as an unlockable character in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, with his return being confirmed during Nintendo's E3 2018 presentation on June 12.[10] Due to being the first character in Mario's Classic Mode character unlock tree, Sonic can potentially be the first character unlocked in the game. Spirits[edit]Trivia[edit]
References[edit]
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