Sonic the Hedgehog, often called Sonic '06, is a 2006 platform game made by Sonic Team and released by Sega. It was meant to be a new version of the Sonic series for seventh-generation video game consoles. In the game, players control Sonic, Shadow, and a new character named Silver as they try to stop Solaris, an ancient evil that Doctor Eggman is chasing. Each character has their own story, special skills, and must complete levels, explore main areas, and fight bosses to move forward in the game. In multiplayer modes, players can work together to collect Chaos Emeralds or race to finish levels quickly.
The game's development started in early 2005, led by Yuji Naka, one of Sonic's creators. Sonic Team wanted to make a game similar to superhero movies like Batman Begins (2005), hoping it would give the series a more realistic feel and different types of gameplay. Before the game was released, it received praise from video game reporters. However, problems arose when Naka left to start his own company, Prope, and the team split to work on another game, Sonic and the Secret Rings (2007). Because of this, Sonic Team rushed the final parts of the game, removing many features and canceling plans to release it on the Wii and Windows.
Sega wanted to release the game in time for the 2006 holiday season and launched it unfinished to celebrate the franchise's 15th anniversary. It came out for the Xbox 360 in November 2006 and the PlayStation 3 in December of that year. The game received very negative reviews, with criticism about long loading times, poor camera angles, weak story, bad voice acting, technical errors, and difficult controls. It is widely seen as the worst Sonic game and hurt the franchise's reputation. In 2010, Sega removed Sonic the Hedgehog from stores after deciding to take down all Sonic games with low Metacritic scores to improve the franchise's value.
Gameplay
Sonic the Hedgehog is a 3D game that combines action-adventure and role-playing elements. Similar to Sonic Adventure (1998), players explore open areas where they can talk to townspeople and complete missions to move the story forward. The main game takes place in levels that are unlocked as the story progresses. Three hedgehogs—Sonic, Shadow, and Silver—each have their own story to play through. A bonus story that includes all three characters and finishes the game is available after completing the first three stories.
Sonic’s gameplay focuses on fast-paced jumping and running, with some parts requiring players to move quickly while avoiding obstacles or riding a snowboard. In some areas, players must protect Princess Elise, who can create a shield to help Sonic. Shadow’s sections are also fast-paced but include more combat, with some parts involving vehicles. Silver’s levels are slower and focus on using telekinesis to fight enemies and solve puzzles. In some areas, players control other characters who have special abilities.
Although all characters visit the same levels, their unique skills let them reach different parts of each stage and block access to certain items. Golden rings are scattered throughout levels and act as health. A character can survive one hit from an enemy or obstacle if they have rings, but the rings will disappear after the hit. The game starts with Sonic, Shadow, and Silver each having a limited number of lives. Lives are lost if a character is hit by an enemy or obstacle without rings or encounters deadly hazards. The game ends when all lives are used up. Silver medals and coins are found in levels and hub areas for players to collect. After every few levels, players face a boss battle, where they must defeat the boss by reducing its health.
After completing a level or mission, players receive a grade based on their performance, with an "S" rank being the highest and a "D" rank the lowest. Higher grades earn more money, which can be used to buy upgrades for the main character. Some upgrades are needed to finish the game. The game includes two multiplayer modes: "Tag," where two players work together to complete levels and collect Chaos Emeralds, and "Battle," where two players race against each other.
Plot
Doctor Eggman captures Princess Elise of Soleanna to use the Flames of Disaster, a powerful force locked inside her. With help from his friends Tails and Knuckles, Sonic tries to save Elise from Eggman. At the same time, Shadow, his teammate Rouge, and Eggman accidentally free a dangerous creature named Mephiles. Mephiles takes Shadow and Rouge to a future where the world is destroyed by a monstrous being called Iblis. Mephiles tricks Silver and Blaze, survivors from that future, into believing Sonic caused the destruction. He sends them to the present to attack Sonic.
Throughout the story, Sonic and his friends move between the past, present, and future to stop Mephiles and Iblis and protect Elise from Eggman. At first, Silver follows Sonic and tries to stop him from saving Elise. Shadow tells Silver that Sonic is not responsible for the destruction in Silver’s world, but Mephiles is. They travel back in time ten years and learn that Mephiles wants to join with Iblis, who was locked inside Elise as a child. Mephiles and Iblis are two parts of Soleanna’s all-powerful god, Solaris. Mephiles succeeds in his plan after making Sonic die, which causes Elise to cry and release Iblis. Mephiles uses Chaos Emeralds to merge with Iblis, becoming Solaris. Solaris then tries to destroy time itself.
The heroes and Elise gather the power of the Chaos Emeralds to bring Sonic back to life. Sonic, Shadow, and Silver use their super forms to fight Solaris. Sonic and Elise are sent back in time to stop Solaris, putting out the god’s flame and removing Solaris from existence. This prevents the events from happening. Afterward, Sonic and Elise have slight memories of their experience.
Development
Sonic Team started planning what would become Sonic the Hedgehog after completing the 2003 games Billy Hatcher and the Giant Egg and Sonic Heroes. They began designing a game with a realistic style and physics engine. It was not originally related to Sonic, but became a Sonic game after Sega asked Sonic Team to work on one. Sonic the Hedgehog was planned for sixth-generation consoles, but Sonic Team realized its release would happen around the franchise's 15th anniversary and decided to develop it for seventh-generation consoles like the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360. Yuji Naka, co-creator of Sonic and head of Sonic Team at the time, said Sonic Team received specifications for seventh-generation consoles in late 2004 and started creating technology demos when they got software development kits in early 2005.
Naka wanted the first Sonic game for seventh-generation systems to reach a large audience. He noted the success of superhero movies like Spider-Man 2 (2004) and Batman Begins (2005): "When Marvel or DC Comics turn their characters into films, they are thinking of them as blockbusters, huge hits, and that's what we were trying to emulate." Sonic Team used the same title as the original Sonic the Hedgehog (1991) to show it would be a major improvement from earlier games. Sonic Team saw Sonic the Hedgehog as a "rebirth" of the franchise, so sources often describe it as an attempted reboot. Shun Nakamura served as director.
Sonic Team used the Havok physics engine, which they first used for their PlayStation 2 game Astro Boy (2004). The character artist Yoshinari Amaike said this allowed Sonic Team to create large levels with detailed objects and varied gameplay, which was impossible on earlier consoles. The engine also helped Sonic Team test features like global illumination, a night-and-day system, and new abilities for Sonic, such as using ropes to jump into the air.
Sonic Team chose a more realistic, Japan-inspired setting than previous Sonic games. They redesigned Sonic and Doctor Eggman to fit this updated environment: Sonic was made taller with longer quills, and Eggman was made slimmer with a more realistic look. Nakamura and producer Masahiro Kumono said this was because the characters would interact with more humans, which they believed would appeal to older players. At one point, Sonic Team considered giving Sonic realistic fur and rubber textures.
While Sonic Team focused on improving visuals, they aimed to create a game as appealing as the original Sega Genesis Sonic games. Naka said Sonic Team wanted to keep Sonic's traditional elements but add new ones to please both old and new players. They felt Sonic Heroes (2003) and Shadow the Hedgehog (2005) had taken the series in different directions and wanted to return to its speed-based roots in new ways. For example, they wanted to include multiple paths in levels, like the Genesis games had, a goal the realistic environments helped achieve. Sonic Team worked to fix problems with the virtual camera system from earlier Sonic games, which had received many complaints.
Silver the Hedgehog's gameplay style came from Sonic Team's desire to use Havok's capabilities. The first design for Silver was an orange mink; he got his final hedgehog look after more than 50 design changes. When designing Shadow's gameplay, the developers stopped using firearms, which had been in Shadow the Hedgehog (2005), and instead focused on combat to make him different from other characters. Shadow's gameplay included vehicles, each with its own physics engine. The CGI cutscenes were made by Blur Studio. Animation supervisor Leo Santos said Blur faced challenges animating the opening scene because of Sonic's mouth placement.
The English cast of the Sonic X anime series repeated their roles for Sonic the Hedgehog, and actress Lacey Chabert voiced Princess Elise, a new character. The music was mainly composed by Tomoya Ohtani, along with Hideaki Kobayashi, Mariko Nanba, Taihei Sato, and Takahito Eguchi. It was Ohtani's first time working as sound director, though he had previously contributed to Sonic Heroes and Shadow the Hedgehog. The main theme, "His World," a fantasy-rap song, was performed by Ali Tabatabaee and Matty Lewis of Zebrahead. Crush 40 performed Shadow's theme, "All Hail Shadow," while vocalist Bentley Jones (previously Lee Brotherton) sang Silver's theme, "Dreams of an Absolution." R&B artist Akon remixed the Dreams Come True song "Sweet Sweet Sweet," which had been used in Sonic the Hedgehog 2 (1992). Donna De Lory sang Elise's theme, "My Destiny."
Because Sonic the Hedgehog was the first Sonic game for seventh-generation consoles, Ohtani aimed to highlight that it was an epic next-generation title. Masato Nakamura, who composed music for the first two Sonic games, supervised the soundtrack. Two soundtrack albums were released on January 10, 2007, under Sega's Wave Master label: Sonic the Hedgehog Vocal Traxx: Several Wills and Sonic the Hedgehog Original Soundtrack. Vocal Traxx: Several Wills includes seven songs; four are from the game, and the other three are remixes, including a version of "His World" by Crush 40. Original Soundtrack includes all 93 tracks from the game, spread across three discs.
As development continued, Sonic Team faced serious challenges. In March 2006, Naka left his
Release
Sonic the Hedgehog was introduced during a private meeting at the Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3) in May 2005. Later that year, in September at TGS, Naka shared the game's name and stated its release would match the series' 15th anniversary. A demo version was available for players at E3 2006. Another demo, which included a short gameplay section, was released through Xbox Live in September 2006. Sega created sets of desktop wallpaper featuring characters from the game, and American publisher Prima Games released an official strategy guide written by Fletcher Black. Sega also partnered with Microsoft to display advertisements in Windows Live Messenger.
The Xbox 360 version of the game was released in North America on November 14, 2006, and in Europe on November 24. Both versions were released in Japan on December 21. The PlayStation 3 version came out in North America on January 30, 2007, and in Europe on March 23 as part of the PS3's launch in Europe and Australia. Critics and fans often refer to the game using names based on its release year, such as Sonic 2006 or Sonic '06.
In 2007, Sega released downloadable content that added new features to the single-player game. These additions included a harder single-player mode and a continuous battle mode where players face all the bosses in a row. One downloadable feature, called "Team Attack Amigo" mode, lets players complete many levels, switching characters every two or three levels and ending with a boss fight. The PlayStation 3 version was delayed to include these downloadable additions, so it launched at the same time as the content.
Sonic the Hedgehog was made available again digitally through the Xbox Live Marketplace on April 15, 2010. In October of that year, several Sonic games, including Sonic the Hedgehog, were removed from retailers after receiving average or low scores on the Metacritic website. Sega explained this was done to prevent confusion for customers and to strengthen the brand's value after positive early feedback on Sonic the Hedgehog 4: Episode I and Sonic Colors (both released in 2010). The game was later added back to the Xbox 360 Marketplace in select countries on May 24, 2022.
Reception
Sonic the Hedgehog was well received during pre-release events. Previous games, Sonic Heroes and Shadow the Hedgehog, had mixed reviews. After several positive showings and demos, some believed Sonic the Hedgehog could return to the series' earlier style. GameSpot said it "showed a considerable amount of promise" after playing a demo at E3 2006, and GameSpy praised its graphics and environments. GamesRadar said the game looked "amazing" before its release.
Sonic the Hedgehog received widespread negative reviews. Metacritic said both versions had "generally unfavorable" reception. Sega reported the game sold well, with 870,000 copies sold in the United States and Europe within four months. The Xbox 360 version was part of the Platinum Hits budget line.
Critics had different opinions about the presentation. IGN called its graphics and audio "decent" and said the interface and menu system worked well but lacked polish. GameSpot said the graphics were colorful but bland and only slightly better than games from earlier generations, a view shared by 1UP.com. Game Informer and Eurogamer noted several graphical errors. Eurogamer also criticized the decision to continue the Sonic Adventure style of gameplay, believing Sonic Team had not learned from past criticisms.
Reviewers criticized the camera system, loading times, controls, level design, and glitches. GameSpot said the level design was worsened by the frustrating camera system, and Game Informer criticized the high difficulty, saying the camera caused most deaths. Some reviewers were unhappy that most of the game was not played as Sonic; GameSpot found playing as Tails boring. Eurogamer found the supporting characters annoying and called the camera system the worst they had ever seen. 1UP said the game still felt like a Sonic game despite control and level design problems.
The story was criticized as confusing and too dark. GamesRadar called it overwrought and "conceptually challenged," and Eurogamer found the voice acting painful and the cutscenes awkward. Some reviewers compared the story to an anime or Final Fantasy. The romance between Sonic and Princess Elise was especially criticized; GamesTM said it marked the point "the [Sonic] series had veered off into absolute nonsense."
GameSpot wrote that Sonic was "a mess from top to bottom" and said only the most devoted fans could enjoy it. IGN said the game had some good parts but failed to improve the series. Eurogamer believed the mistakes would have been noticed even if the game had been released in 1996.
Game Informer and Dave Halverson of Play Magazine defended the game. Game Informer called it ambitious and praised the graphics, story, content, and replay value but said only Sonic fans would enjoy it. Halverson initially gave the Xbox 360 version 9.5/10, praising character controls and calling it the best 3D Sonic game yet. In a later review, he gave it 8.5/10 after learning the load times and glitches in his copy would not be in the final version. In a later review of the PlayStation 3 version, Halverson was frustrated that problems remained and the performance was worse despite extra development time; he gave this version 5.5/10. The A.V. Club said in 2016 that despite the game's poor quality, the soundtrack had some "genuine rippers."
Legacy
In 2006, Sonic the Hedgehog was criticized by several gaming websites, including GameTrailers and GamesRadar, which called it one of the most disappointing games of that year. GamesTM ranked the Sonic franchise as the worst in their list of "Video Game Franchises That Lost Their Way." The A.V. Club, Kotaku, Game Informer, and USgamer described the game as the worst in the Sonic series, and GamesRadar listed it among the worst video games of all time. Despite its poor reception, the game remains popular for "Let's Play" videos, where players demonstrate its glitches. In 2019, a video titled "SnapCube's Real-Time Fandub" became popular, as voice actors performed Sonic's cutscenes in a single take, creating a story with no clear plot about video game culture. The official Sonic Twitter account has also made jokes about the game.
The game's poor reception affected the Sonic franchise. According to Hardcore Gamer, Sonic Team struggled to create a consistent vision for the series after this game, releasing titles with very different ideas. Sonic Team avoided the serious tone of this game in later titles, starting with Sonic Unleashed (2008). The A.V. Club noted that Sonic Colors (2010) helped the series return to its roots, focusing on fun and playful stories with light tones.
Sonic the Hedgehog introduced new characters, including Silver the Hedgehog, Princess Elise, Mephiles, and Iblis. While most of these characters appeared infrequently, Silver became a regular supporting character. He returned as a playable character in Sonic Rivals (2006), Sonic Rivals 2 (2007), Sonic Riders: Zero Gravity (2008), Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Winter Games (2009), and its sequels, Team Sonic Racing (2019), and the Nintendo DS version of Sonic Colors (2010). He also appeared in Sonic Forces (2017) and the Sonic comic series by Archie Comics. In a 2025 poll by Dengeki Online, Silver and Mephiles ranked as the third and twelfth most popular characters, respectively.
The main theme of Sonic the Hedgehog, titled "His World," was used in Drake's 2017 song "KMT."
To celebrate the Sonic franchise's 20th anniversary in 2011, Sega released Sonic Generations, which remade parts of earlier Sonic games. The PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, and Windows versions included a remake of the "Crisis City" level from Sonic the Hedgehog, while all versions, including the Nintendo 3DS version, featured a redesigned boss battle with Silver. Critics, such as James Stephanie Sterling of Destructoid, criticized the inclusion of the Silver boss fight, calling it a flaw in an otherwise strong game.
In 2015, a fan group named Gistix began creating a remake of the game for Windows using the Unity engine. A demo was released in 2017 and received positive reviews. A second demo was released in late 2017, which Eurogamer described as ambitious. Another fan team, led by ChaosX, started developing a separate PC remake called Sonic P-06, releasing multiple demos from 2019 onward.
The game was referenced in the television series Knuckles, which is part of the Sonic film series' continuity. In the fourth episode, "The Flames of Disaster," Knuckles' backstory is shown as a low-budget rock opera, where he fights and defeats a creature resembling Iblis. In the series, "The Flames of Disaster" is depicted as a power that allows Knuckles' fists to burst into flames, rather than being a name for Iblis as in the game.
In 2022, the game was relisted on the Xbox 360 Marketplace and remained available until the marketplace closed.
In the 2024 game Shadow Generations, a level from Sonic the Hedgehog, Kingdom Valley, reappears. Mephiles also returns as a boss fought by Shadow, who has no memory of him due to the game's events being erased from the timeline. Mephiles tries to use a time rift to return to the timeline but is defeated by Shadow.