Sonic is Finally Dead, and Here’s Why That’s a Good Thing.
Ok. I’m a game journalist writing about Sonic, so let me get this out of the way. Sonic The Hedgehog (2006). It has no relation whatsoever to the rest of this article, but it’s a given that I HAVE to, no? It’s 17 years old now, so in many cases, it’s marginally reflective of what the series is anymore. Take that as my April Fool’s day joke.
The real joke SEGA made though, quickly became much more than just that. With April Fools’ day of 2023, the Sonic the Hedgehog Twitter posted a video saying that they’ve finally listened to the community. Judging from the video, and the absolutely legendary image of sonic dead on the floor, this joke finally made Sonic too slow. Slow enough that an entire game (available now on Steam) focuses around discovering the late hedgehog’s killer. (And no, he’s not actually dead.)
The Murder of Sonic the Hedgehog (2023) quickly became a hit among Sonic fans, myself included. Though it wasn’t a fast-paced action game, the point-and-click adventure/auto-runner with similar elements to games such as the Ace Attorney franchise garnered a large following instantaneously.
The spin-off’s pacing seemed to differ greatly from the mainline games, slowing down the experience for fans to truly take in what was around them. Why then, did The Murder of Sonic the Hedgehog (2023) become such a hit, when it’s so different from the rest of the series?
Sometimes You Don’t Have To Go Fast.
As previously stated, the game itself is much different from any spin-off sonic games in the past. A point-and-click definitely doesn’t seem to appeal to many, but as is proven by the reception of this title, it definitely works. Many recent Sonic games have been delving into new territories with new characters and even newer worlds, but the grounded idea of a simple murder mystery party created a great opportunity to see beloved characters once more. Not to mention in stylish outfits!
The player character follows Tails (playing the role of the detective), investigating each member of the crew after the ‘fake’ murder. Knuckles, Rouge, Blaze, Amy, Shadow, Espio, and Vector all make an appearance (in costumes!) in celebration of Amy’s birthday. Even from the get-go, it’s easy to see how much love went into the writing. Every character plays their roles well, and interacts with a great sense of personality.
My personal favorite portion of the game was the library, where the player and tails had to interrogate “the butcher” Vector and “the poet” Espio. Their last appearance being in Sonic Forces (2017), and a lackluster one at that, it was refreshing to see them fleshed out with their own scenario.
Giving light to these two, their personalities are able to shine through this title more than in modern Sonic games, which made this visual novel stand out. Characters such as Vector, Espio, and Blaze have seemingly been neglected as of recent times, only appearing for slight cameos or story segments without much meat to their appearances. Having direct conversation with them helped to provide a reminder on how lovable these anthropomorphic mammals really are. The interrogation sequences truly made each character’s personality glow. In a game riddled with fan service, the best form of such was definitely shining a light on these fan favorites.
Toss a Ring to Your Friends!
Considering that this title was much more text-based, the references within were really smart. A long-time Sonic fan can pick apart every small reference to a zone, or little character sitting outside of the train. Almost from the get-go, the conductor references Spagonia, a renowned city from the fan-favorite Sonic Unleashed (2008). Although the references themselves are never overly obvious, it’s not hard to spot a character like Big the Cat in the background.
Yet it doesn’t stop there. Within SEGA, a few independent products have been either referenced or incorporated in the Sonic Franchise. From Super Monkey Ball to even Wreck-It Ralph, Sonic doesn’t hold back in terms of spin-off references and collaborations.
In this game, there are two tremendously apparent references to SEGA franchises, being Super Monkey Ball and NiGHTS Into Dreams. Super Monkey Ball plays quite the important role, being the arcade machine that Knuckles busts up at the beginning of the game. It’s hilarious to both hear about and see the rage such an innocent ape can cause, but it gets even better when it plays a crucial role in progressing the game. At the end of the day, it’s just a quick name drop that SEGA fans could catch.
Similarly, NiGHTS Into Dreams (a more niche SEGA title), makes a visual appearance later in the casino car. With such a cult following, and Nights being a playable character in Sonic Riders (2006), it’s no wonder that an ad can pop up for an upcoming pinball machine sporting the face of the happy jester.
These small touches to previous games made the simple space of the train feel much more expansive. Capturing the world around these characters made the whole experience feel as if it was part of a larger whole, and not just a silly mix of pages for April Fools’ Day.
Go Spin-Dashing into Modern Times!
As the tweet says, they indeed listened to their fans. The head-cannons, small references, inside jokes, and suggested ideas taken from the community really form the experience of this visual novel. It very quickly became one of the best parts about the writing.
One of the best references to modern jokes was the wanted poster inside of the saloon car. Omochao, a robotic chao introduced in Sonic Adventure 2 (2001), is posted with a reward label. Interacting with the poster leads Tails to describe how ashamed he feels about his friend, now with a bounty on his head. Questioning Tails on why, he mentions the innocent-seeming little robot has committed the crime of medical malpractice.
The overblown accusation of such an exact breach of the law is nothing short of a modern inside joke among fans. Pretty straightforward; it’s funny. Why is such a small creature committing such a crime? The simplicity of these jokes around the Sonic community bring a smile to fan’s faces, including mine.
Another such instance is the casual mention of war crimes from Blaze, who (according to the lore of the franchise) has the most jurisdiction to bring up such topics. It’s strange to think how deep into the law a simplistic rated E visual novel can go. In the end, it’s the subtle references to what makes modern Sonic fans chuckle that defined such a simple but effective experience.
Goodbye, Sonic.
Even if this joke was taken too far, the simple charms of such a game revitalized the love of many for the Sonic franchise. Over the past few years, many have been losing faith in the franchise as the new games release. Up until Sonic Frontiers (2022), the downward spiral of the Blue Blur’s reputation seemed to take a toll on this household hedgehog.
Yet sometimes, all it takes is a murder to make people realize, once again, why Sonic the Hedgehog plays such a big role in video game culture.
