(AfroGamers.com) As fall rolls in there are three things I tend to do. First, I might play Stardew Valley or a Story of Seasons game most of the season. Second, I dive into the Sonic the Hedgehog comics again. I don’t know what it is but I love these comics. You can see the exact point in the 1990s where the comics stop being like Sonic the Hedgehog cartoon that aired on UPN and more like Sonic SatAM on ABC.
Why the Sonic the Hedgehog Archie Comics Rocked
There were still humorous moments in the comic but things were more serious. Sonic started out the series as the Knothole Resistance’s most active field agent. In these issues and SatAM, their goal was simply to stop Robotnik in his evil deeds.
What were those evil deeds? In a call back to the Sonic games on the Sega Master System and the Sega Genesis, Robotnik was capturing woodland creatures and turning them into the robots that Sonic faces. Don’t ask me for the exact science on that.
It’s super-science! It’s so advanced and out there that there is no real-world explanation. So, we have Robotnik doing this and the animals who are somewhat evolved are out to stop him. It’s not particularly mentioned in the games that this is the backstory.
Like many games of the early 1990s, you were told what the main boss was doing and that it was up to you to stop them. You just rented the game, that’s a lot of responsibility to place on someone who doesn’t live on Mobius. Actually, a lot of these games placed a lot of responsibilities on kids. This princess was kidnapped, this gang is terrorizing the town, win this tournament against eight other skilled fighters including one with psycho power.
It’s a lot. I’m just saying.
Linking Comics and Games
What does eventually plays into the game and the comics is the importance of the Chaos Emeralds. In the first two Sonic games, they were simply valued because you could go Super Sonic. You had to be really good and really dedicated to those bonus stages. Me? I just used the code, folks.
By Sonic the Hedgehog 3 the Chaos Emeralds are given more importance because we know more about them. The game gave some hint that the comics really upsold the Emeralds and the introduction of the cool new character Knuckles the Echidna.
The Archie series ran for a very long time, even during periods when Sega was horrendous and had to end console manufacturing. The Sonic property always had mileage, it merely activated at times when there wasn’t much buzz on the game front or after the game had dropped.
Storyline-wise, the Archie comics filled in some spots where my imagination would’ve stepped in and actually made it make sense with the rest of the game. That’s the thing: technology wasn’t there to where full-on, detailed stories could be told on consoles outside of RPGs and point-and-click adventure games.
Action and platformers really didn’t have time to waste when the actual action is the selling point. So, having a comic book adaptation was a great touch. It kept my interest in Sonic even after I stopped playing the games. Of course, now consoles and PCs have the power to retell the first three Sonic games in one long remake with cutscenes, voice acting, and better in-game graphic.
…while having room for Sonic Spinball and Sonic 3D Blast.
Did you ever read the Archie Sonic comics? What did you think of them and what other games could’ve benefited from a comic book or cartoon adaptation? Let us know down below!
Staff Writer; M. Swift
This talented writer is also a podcast host, and comic book fan who loves all things old school. One may also find him on Twitter at; metalswift.