News / RetroVision – Sonic Boom

We all know Sonic’s recent troubled history. Raise your hand if you remember Sonic’s longing kiss with Princess Elise? Nevertheless, that’s what’s so good about retro gaming, no one can ever take away the classic memories of Sonic’s 16-bit adventures. Well not until now that it.

You see, in what can only be seen as a very cruel joke, well known modder VAdaPEGA has made some soul-destroying alterations to the original Sonic the Hedgehog. The most striking of which being adding voice acting to the original speechless Sonic. Oh and it’s not any old voice acting either.

Yes, as you can see from the video above, it’s all your worst nightmares come true, with the original Sonic now transformed into his scarf adorned Sonic Boom persona. From the bored attitude on the title screen, through to the endless array of catchphrases that concern everything from rings through to “revving the engine”, this certainly isn’t Sonic as you remember him.

In fact, by the end you’ll either be in hysterics at what you’re witnessing, or you’ll want to rip your ears off. Trust me, if you love Sonic, then this makes for one painful experience. Although, despite the fact that this hack does corrupt one of the 16-bit era’s golden games, it also acts as an amusing commentary on how Sonic’s character has changed over the last 25 years.

Sonic has always been a character with ‘attitude’, but sadly that ‘attitude’ has become decidedly mass market in the years following the fall of the Dreamcast. What’s more, this change in both Sonic’s attitude, and the overall direction for the series, is something that began with the critically panned Sonic the Hedgehog for Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3. A title which incidentally, was first Sonic game to be released following series creator Yuji Naka’s departure from SEGA.

All in all, Sonic is a series that has by and large struggled to hold onto its classic fans. And to be honest, it’s easy to understand why. Gamers in their millions may have adopted the character as a mascot of gaming back in the 90s, but nobody wants to see Sonic Boom corrupt the original classic experiences.

This year Sonic celebrates his 25th birthday, a remarkable achievement and one that I will certainly be raising a glass to. However, it may be best if SEGA focuses on Sonic’s 2D entries alongside well received 3D entries such as Sonic Adventure, rather than some of the more misguided recent efforts. Either way, let’s hope this doesn’t give anyone any inspiration for a modern HD remaster eh?