Disclaimer: I am terrible at playing video games. Growing up, I had my brother's old Sega Genesis and a dozen or so games that only worked after profuse blowing. I never even heard of games using alternative camera angles until 2005. However, I have always enjoyed watching other people play video games, like my brother scoring Fatalities in Mortal Kombat or my friends playing Final Fantasy. The only games I have completed on my own include Undertale, A Bird Story, and Mr. Chin-Chin (Gameboy's most racist gourmet). So I may not be a let's-player, but I have a respect for video games and an appreciation for their spot in pop culture.
Going back to Sega, I recently found myself thinking about Sonic the Hedgehog. As a kid, I always thought it was a cute game with an environmentally friendly theme. Nowadays, though, the name "Sonic" comes with a lot of baggage. We on the internet no longer think of Sonic the Hedgehog as just another game mascot; he is the root of all Deviantart nightmares. He is an amorphous blue scribble that has to go fast. He is Sonic Dreams (look it up if you dare). But there are other pop culture icons that have been through Rule 34 of the Internet. There are plenty of movies and TV shows that have had their fair share of fanfiction and AMV memes. Why do we seem to identify Sonic with his internet infamy rather than his original character? I thought long and hard about this, and this may be leading into a multi-part discussion about video games through the eyes of a non-gamer. For now, though, I want to talk about video games and how representation from media - including fan-made depictions - changes the characters over time. I will be comparing Sonic to another game, just as a frame of reference, and dissect this change from Character to Fan-Created Deity.
Sonic as a Video Game Character
When discussing Sonic the Hedgehog as a video game, the most obvious description is "platform style". Sega used the hedgehog as the company mascot, and Sonic has since been a symbol used for marketing. At a glance, it is easy to draw a comparison to Nintendo's best selling game and mascot, Super Mario. Same platform style of gaming, same use in marketing, but the two games are really nothing alike. Mario games are all about puzzle-solving in a fantastic world, slowly giving players new skills over time and opportunities to play the game in new ways. World exploration is the key factor in Mario games; Mario is only there to be used a vehicle for the players. Sonic was designed to be the antithesis of the smiling Italian plumber. The character would cross his arms and tap his feet if you stopped using the controller for too long. The levels were fun, but they were never immersive or applied new skills over time. All you know as a player is that Sonic collects rings, jumps on robots, and goes fast. While that seems so simple, it really gives outsiders looking into the game an idea of what kind of character Sonic is. You feel less like you are controlling the character, and more like you are giving the character motivation to move on with the game. Mario, on the other hand, has so many different skills and ways to go across levels that players feel more like they are Mario. In the gaming world, immersion is something to strive for, but other pop-culture mediums have trouble translating this concept. As a video game character, Sonic had an easier personality to convey than Mario... which is what leads us to the evolution of these characters.
Sonic as a TV and Movie Character
Does anyone remember the Super Mario Brother's Super Show? Or what about that Super Mario Brother's Movie? Remember how awful those were? I am convinced that the well-though design of the Super Mario video games is directly responsible for these catastrophes. When games are based on individual experience, film makers can't exactly replicate that. In games you are given several chances to start levels, die, start again, die again, and eventually beat the level. In film, you are given a narrative and experience the same conclusion every replay. **HUGE DISCLAIMER** By no means am I trying to say that the first Sonic movie or TV show were better than either of the Mario adaptations. In fact, I'd say that the first Sonic TV show was worse than SMBSS. Everything from the sloppy animation to Erkle's voices begging for chili dogs simply irks me. But the character of Sonic was much more defined. He is fast, quick-witted, impatient, and full of 90's attitude. These are all attributes that can be interpreted through the video game. Now, there was a second TV show made for Sonic with better writing and animation. This show had more of the environmental focus shared by the game and included several new characters for fans to enjoy. This still didn't quit make up for Sonic's initial exposure to the public or the horrendous first movie. My little conspiracy starts with a straight-forward video game that got pretty lousy representation from the media. It ends in Sonic becoming a glorified and notorious figure, but how?
Sonic as a God of the Internet
Fans. It's always the fans.
Let's break away from the Mario comparison for a second and look at another figure in video game culture: Pewdiepie. More than any other let's-player, Pewdie has had hate come toward his direction. Does he deserve criticism? Sure, everyone on Youtube needs some. He isn't exactly my cup of tea, but I don't mind the guy. He actually seems quite charming when he's not in front of a screen. But then why does Mr. Pie get such hatred?
It's his fans. This, of course, is a broad generalization, but a large amount of Pewdiepie fans have caused many a trouble in forums, comments, and their own videos. These particular fanatics have spawned this idea that he is the one true gamer and anyone who disagrees with him is inferior. Does Pewdiepie share these views? No! He has intentionally gone out of his way to prove he anything but a malevolent MRA spokesman. Because of his fan base, though, there is often an awkward silence after mentioning Pewdiepie in real life.
Sonic the Hedgehog suffers from the same problem. His fan base is made of several kinds of people, but a lot of fan art/fiction is dedicated to a sort of looking-glass-self Sonic. It is the representation of the Sonic fans wanted in lieu of the way he was presented on TV or the big screen. Because people felt that the game was immersive, they wanted to see Sonic in a way that represented themselves. Often, this is depicted through the lens of fetishism. We see the characters from the TV show shipped together; we see characters gender-swapped or amputated; we see fan art and read fanfiction our eyes can never un-see. As I said at the beginning, Sonic is not the only character to be treated like this. But he is special in the sense that, on the internet, Sonic is almost solely defined by his representation online. But why?
Well, like Pewdie, Sonic has a dedicated fan base that was not happy with the way the media portrayed him. Fans collectively decided that the hedgehog was a healthy outlet to explore unconventional ideas because they felt a strong connection to him. After such a long time of seeing fans use the character in different settings, non-players associate Sonic with the bizarre imagery. Eventually, when new games come out, the fans cheer and other people... well, they can't help but judge. They think of the "gotta go fast" drawing and whatever bondage picture someone shared with them. Sonic has evolved into something far beyond a mascot to a gaming company that no longer sells consoles. He has become an idea, formed though millions of pictures and billions of minds. He is a Legend. But like all Legends, his origins are humble. His accomplishments are few. And people retelling their version of Sonic gets more and more distorted over time. This is not a bad thing, either. Seeing a character evolve over time is fascinating, and in the case of Sonic, I am intrigued with the results.
I would like to thank you for indulging me with this rant. These are the kind of things I think about when I'm alone and not at work. I will probably be talking about video games again, so keep an eye out. Also, I have more pictures of me tearing a car apart coming soon (they are coming my way via email from a known procrastinator). Again, thank you, and I hope to share my thoughts and experiences with you soon!
Much Love,
Sam
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