There’s no denying that Sega made a hit franchise when they released Sonic the Hedgehog. Gamers around the world wanted to go fast and the series spawned a comic series, several animated television shows, and even a live-action movie.
With over 100 games that feature the blue blur, it might come as a surprise that a few well-developed titles never hit store shelves. There are many mysterious games with Sonic that were canceled that fans of the franchise will find fascinating.
11 SegaSonic Bros.
SegaSonic Bros. was a falling-block puzzle game being designed by Fukio Mitsuji, the creator of Bubble Bobble. After the game had tested poorly in Japan, it was eventually shelved. A collector let the world know that he had found a copy of the game in 2016 and the game finally premiering unofficially to the public at California Extreme 2018. The game’s ROM has been dumped but its distribution online has caused much controversy.
10 Treasure Tails
Not to be confused with the cell phone game of the same name, Treasure Tails was set to be an isometric puzzle platformer that would put Tails “Miles” Prower as the protagonist for the first time. The game never was officially announced by Sega and the only screenshots of the title come from a previous Sonic Technical Institute member’s old VHS resume. Some fans speculate this game inspired Tails’ Skypatrol and Tails Adventure to eventually be developed.
9 Sister Sonic
Sonic fans were close to having their first RPG game in the franchise all the way back in 1995. Sister Sonic was supposed to be a reskin of Popful Mail and released in the United States. It would have been similar to how Dr. Robotnik’s Mean Bean Machine was a reskin of Poyo Poyo.
When learning about Sega’s plans, fans angrily wrote to the company requesting the game was released in its original unedited format instead of with a Sonic styled coat of paint. The company responded and Sonic didn’t have a chance to be in a full RPG until Sonic Chronicles: The Dark Brotherhood was released in 2008 for Nintendo DS.
8 Sonic Ride
Not to be confused with Sonic Free Riders, Sonic Ride was the name of an unreleased Arcade game about the blue blur. Fans of the series who have always wondered what it would be like to ride side-by-side with Sonic would have gotten that experience in 3D through the game. While the full experience of this game will never be the video of what would have been shown during the ride was released as a bonus on Sonic Jam.
7 Untitled Sonic Game
No grumpy geese here, just a Sonic game without a title. The only information about this isometric game that exists is a single screenshot and that it was originally being worked on by Sonic Technical Institute for the Sega 32X. The screenshot was created before the release of Sonic 3D Blast which shows this game might have been scrapped for the Sega 32X but the ideas kept to eventually inspire the later title.
6 Sonic-16
When the popularity Sonic the Hedgehog the Animated Series was at an all-time high it almost received a full-blown spinoff game. Sonic-16 was set to release for the Sega Mega Drive and had a demo of the game out within the company in 1993. It’s speculated that the slower gameplay of the demo is what lead it to never being fully developed.
5 Sonic DS
Sonic DS was first shown off at E3 2004. The game was reported to have rather simplistic gameplay where players increased speed by scrolling a finger or the DS stylus faster. The game was released eventually being replaced on the console by Sonic Rush. Had Sonic DS been released it would have been the first portable 3D Sonic Game.
4 Sonic’s Edusoft
Games like Sonic’s Schoolhouse helped bring Sonic into the edutainment market when it was all the rage but we still missed out on another one. Tiertex was set to develop the game for the Master System at the request of game publisher US. Gold.
The game had far more content than something like the Mario’s Early Years series. It had fifteen levels and three bonus minigames that players could go through. While it was never officially released thanks to a programmer who worked on the title a hacked ROM of the game is available online.
3 Sonic Crackers
Sonic Crackers isn’t just the demo for what would become Knuckles’ Chaotix. While both games share similarities, Sonic Crackers was advertised individually with screenshots in gaming magazines a while before the later title was fully announced and released. Sprites from Sonic Crackers were even found within Yu Yu Hakusho: Makyou Toitsusen’s prototype. This weird prototype that was possibly a game on its own does have a ROM with earlier levels dumped.
2 Sonic Sports
Sonic almost managed to beat Mario to the punch! Sonic Sports was being developed for the Sega 32X and if it had been released would have been out four years before Nintendo would take on the gaming franchise sports game idea with Mario Golf. Little is known about the game except for Sonic, Tails, and Ristar being planned as playable characters, and that basketball, volleyball, and soccer would be featured.
1 Sonic The Hedgehog (Amiga/Commidore 64/ZX Spectrum)
What if Sonic games hadn’t stayed so exclusive to Sega consoles when they first game to be? Sonic the Hedgehog for PC was set to be designed by US Gold and it was supposed to give them the license to make future games but it fell through. The only remaining evidence of the game is two screenshots and a couple of magazine articles.
Details are lacking so fans aren’t sure if this would have been a clone of the original title or something more akin to Super Mario Bros. Special. We can only be happy that it didn’t turn out the way Mega Man (DOS) did and lament this missed opportunity to have more Sonic games.
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