Sonic the Hedgehog’s Bond With the Sports Industry Grows Stronger

by Stritix January 29, 2021 1 comment

People admire Sonic for different reasons, but his athleticism and bold attitude is a common favorite. It’s easy to connect these qualities to real-life sports, so SEGA and parts of the sports industry haven’t been shy in making the most of this relationship.

Even though Sonic merchandise is quite popular, specialized video games are the main and most sought-after result, involving various themes like soccer and car racing. Here are existing titles that fans enjoy, as well as what SEGA’s movements suggest would be good to develop next.

Popular Sports Titles With Sonic the Hedgehog

The best-known video games today containing Sonic and sports are those in the series created alongside the Olympics. They bring beloved retro characters into a virtual world, where you can compete for gold in a range of events with or against friends in local or online multiplayer mode.

The last instalment, Mario & Sonic at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games, included more than 30 sports to choose from, including volleyball, soccer, swimming, archery, long jump, and more. The title, of course, contains extra fun activities too, like dream shooting, racing, and karate, all in the larger-than-life arcade style we know and love.

As Team Sonic Racing showed, the blue speedster is also a perfect fit for competitive car racing themes. Fans of the genre more than appreciated the game, which features high-quality fast-paced gameplay, as well as lots of team and customization options. The fact that the product specifically focused on Sonic and his co-stars say a lot about his brand’s status.

At the end of the day, Sonic is synonymous with athleticism in general. Any activity that involves running, fighting, or jumping around can be linked to the famous blue hedgehog. So it’s no surprise that SEGA and the sports industry have been happy partners for decades.

Hopes for Future Sonic Sports Titles

Facts and speculations exist in equal measure since Sonic the Hedgehog’s 2020 anniversary. Looking at the success of ventures like the movie that came out the same year and grossed over $300 million, future hopes include more video game remakes besides Sonic Adventure. We can also expect producers’ imagination regarding merchandise to go beyond the Sonic the Hedgehog Encyclo-Speedia book, expected sometime in 2021.

In terms of sports, SEGA has been showing more and more of an interest in involving themselves in the wider landscape. The fact that its subsidiary Sports Interactive, developer of Football Manager, sponsors AFC Wimbledon and Watford FC, a team 11/10 favourites in the soccer betting to return to England’s Premier League, is evidence of their increased sports focus, specifically when it comes to soccer.

SEGA’s confidence in sports and ability to secure sponsorship deals for elite clubs, paired with its love of reboots, creates many possibilities. For example, it’s not impossible that Sonic Soccer will return in full force. The popularity of this particular sport increases those odds. The success of mobile games like Sonic Dash presents extra options for developers to play with as they plan the franchise’s future.

Sonic started out as a humble pixelated hedgehog eager for adventure. Today, his brand is involved in so much more than video games. They’re still his main focus, but he embraces other successful industries too. In particular, sports of all kinds benefit from the limelight. Some might say there’s too much of Sonic around. Others are happy for the dreamy partnership between athletics and video games.