Whether you know him from the SEGA Genesis days or are a brand new fan of the franchise, Sonic The Hedgehog is undeniably one of the most iconic gaming characters to date with his distinct blue becoming synonymous with the speedster hedgehog. Even though he originally sped onto the scene back in 1991 people still can't get enough, between the classic games, the crossover games, new instalments and the movies there's plenty for fans to enjoy. With the success of the Sonic movies hitting the big screen (we won't mention THAT original design) it was only a matter of when, not if, we could expect the next instalment in Sonic's adventures.

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The wait is FINALLY over and as of today Sonic's latest adventure is possibly his most impressive (so far) experience Sonic The Hedgehog like never before in the all new Sonic Frontiers, the days of side-scrolling Sonic adventures are over, now Sonic can see what real speed is with the new open world adventure. Before we get into that though - why don't we take a look at Sonic over the years.

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Sonic's creation back in 1991 was a direct competitor to Nintendo's flagship mascot Mario, who would believe that years later in 2009 and again in 2019 that the pair would team up and compete at the Olympics? Not us, that's for sure! The success that Sonic brought SEGA meant they were able to become one of the leading video game companies of the time and we quickly saw an era of Sonic game after Sonic game after Sonic game, not all huge hits but it cemented Sonic's place as the official mascot of SEGA. In 1998 came the first major 3D Sonic game, moving him away from the flat pixelated design we were used to, to a little more like what we know Sonic to look like now, keeping that iconic blue and red shoe look throughout. It wasn't until 2001 when SEGA left the console market and decided to put their time and effort into third-party development, opening up Sonic to Nintendo, Xbox and PlayStation fans the world over.

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Sonic's Friends and Enemies

What does every good hero need? An equally devious enemy. In Sonic's case the devious enemy takes shape as Dr Robotnik, also known as Dr Eggman (can you guess what shape he is and that he likes robots?) The mad scientist planned to take over the world and build his own empire with the help of machines and robots he creates but every time is foiled by Sonic and his friends. With the release of Sonic Adventure in 1998 Dr Eggman, as well as a number of other series characters, got a bit of a redesign but he's always kept the round glasses, the huge moustache and rotund egg shape.

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Tails

It wouldn't be right to give Sonic ALL of the credit though since every protagonist needs their crew of friends along the way, for some there is no Sonic without Tails. The perfect sidekick to Sonic Tails is a two-tailed fox who possesses the gift of flight, well, the gift of spinning their tails so fast they can propel themselves into the air - same thing right? He's made an appearance in almost all Sonic games since he was kidnapped by Dr Robotnik in Sonic 2 and even had two of his own solo spinoffs back in 1995.

Amy Rose

Just like the Princess Peach to Mario, Amy Rose is Sonic's girlfriend who has been present in the games since 1993, unlike Princess Peach however she's more of a groupie and super-fan of Mario. A key feature of the character is her insistence on following Sonic to ensure his safety, even though she herself possesses no speed powers and relies on a hammer to combat enemies. Whilst her introduction wasn't as well received by some, she's earned herself the place of an iconic Sonic character.

Knuckles

Drawing similarities from other games, Knuckles is to Sonic as Gary is to Ash, a friendly, albeit sometimes annoying, rival there to push you along and keep you on your toes. Knuckles is an Echidna, the last of his kind, and it is his duty to guard the Master Emerald, the only thing keeping Angel Island where it is, floating in the sky. Knuckles is a more serious character due to his past and the heavy legacy on his shoulders, this strength is mirrored in his literal strength (man can PACK a punch) giving him the ability to shatter any boulder blocking his path.

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Enough about Sonic of the past, let's get into the good stuff. Sonic Frontiers.

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First things first, you can check out the story trailer right here;

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In search of the missing Chaos emeralds, Sonic becomes stranded on an ancient island teeming with unusual creatures. Battle hordes of powerful enemies as you explore a breathtaking world of action, adventure, and mystery. Accelerate to new heights and experience the thrill of high-velocity, open-zone platforming freedom as you race across the five massive Starfall Islands. Jump into adventure, wield the power of the Ancients, and fight to stop these new mysterious foes

From the pictures, trailers and posts it's clear that a lot of thought has gone into how the developers can make THE next Sonic game, and it's looking safe to say they have delivered. The game boasts an all new battle system and Sonic even has a skill tree players can build on, you can discover portals scattered across the island which will allow you to delve into Cyber Space and take on some challenging 3D platforming levels as well as being able to sprint across the open world and forge your own path, uncover mysteries, puzzles, encounter a friendly face or two along the way and even go fishing.

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Sonic's no stranger to robotic enemies to defeat, but will Sonic be able to uncover the mysteries of the remains of an ancient civilisation destroyed by robotics hordes and save Starfall Islands from this immense threat?