True to creed, Nintendo was always the “family” entertainment system, offering bright fluffy Kirbys and Mushroom Kingdoms in spades. Sonic was the video game poster child of that time. “Cool” culture ruled from the slang of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles to toy commercials ( Crossfire, anyone?) to the “Kids Rule” revolution of Nickelodeon. Everything was neon and fast, and extolled anti-authority in the most juvenile of terms. The 90s were notorious for its loud, bright, and “extreme” youth marketing. Sonic is, for all intents and purpose, stuck in 1991. He’s heroic, upbeat, and fearless, but beyond that, he’s rather simple and can be easily revived through the times. Other than graphical evolution, the character in and of itself has remained consistent through the years, especially considering that Mario doesn’t exactly have a distinct character. Let’s compare Sonic with his initial rival, Mario. Video game movies have always had a bad rap (with good reason), but the Sonic trailer also reflects the ugly legacy of Sonic The Hedgehog as a whole.
