Is there a formerly beloved video game character that has fallen on harder times than Sonic the Hedgehog? Sonic Team is less of a storied name and more of a spectral boogeyman at this point, a two-word letdown for many people excited for a Sonic game that isn’t terrible. Sonic Boom is designed to turn that around by, uh, assuming kids will be really excited for a new Sonic the Hedgehog TV show.
Now, if this were a gritty team-up between Sonic and an aging Guile as they investigate a tragic death of the Sega pantheon, that would be an amazing series. Instead, well, it’s this:
It’s pretty well animated, for CGI, and despite fan complaints, it’s not like the series has forgotten what made the original so appealing, in terms of character design. It’s also a nice touch that they’ve given Dr. Robotnik back his Dr. Eggman name. It still doesn’t make any sense, but hey, at least the guy won’t have to worry about losing his mail.
This will be backed up with a co-op Wii U title and a 3DS title, both of which don’t look particularly groundbreaking but might at least be fun. Still, you do have to wonder what Sega is thinking. Most of the kids who had an emotional attachment to the little hyper blue varmint are grown men and women at this point; if they’re still gaming, they’re probably more interested in indie PC games or Dark Souls II. Although admittedly Amnesia probably is not a series we need to bring to Cartoon Network
And while a two-minute clip doesn’t tell us about the overall quality of the show, this doesn’t seem to promise much. We’ll reserve judgement until the show begins airing later this year, but if nothing else, at least Sonic fans know what they’re in for.