This early Sonic the Hedgehog design is giving me nightmares

Sonic the Hedgehog character designs
(Image credit: Sega)

Amid the success of Sonic 3 in cinemas, I've been pouring over old Sonic the Hedgehog character designs recently. Our favourite blue Erinaceidae has evolved over the years, from the original 1991 platform game to the comics, games and movies of today. But I'm stunned to learn that back in the late 90s, Sonic could have looked very different.

A major watershed in Sonic history was Sonic Adventure, which was released in 1998. And early designs for the 3D game show that Sonic could have looked kinda scary – and could even have been a different colour (see our pick of the best game development software if you're working on designs for your own indie title).

Thank you for reading 5 articles this month* Join now for unlimited access

Enjoy your first month for just £1 / $1 / €1

*Read 5 free articles per month without a subscription

Join now for unlimited access

Try first month for just £1 / $1 / €1

Joe Foley

Joe is a regular freelance journalist and editor at Creative Bloq. He writes news, features and buying guides and keeps track of the best equipment and software for creatives, from video editing programs to monitors and accessories. A veteran news writer and photographer, he now works as a project manager at the London and Buenos Aires-based design, production and branding agency Hermana Creatives. There he manages a team of designers, photographers and video editors who specialise in producing visual content and design assets for the hospitality sector. He also dances Argentine tango.

You must confirm your public display name before commenting

Please logout and then login again, you will then be prompted to enter your display name.

Read more
Sonic the Hedgehog
Sonic is a perfect example of character design evolution
Toadette character skin over Donkey Kong's skeleton
Behold the horror of Donkey Kong’s skeleton inside iconic Nintendo characters
Sonic the Hedgehog
How to draw Sonic the Hedgehog in under 60 seconds
Sonic Adventure Redux
I'm not saying this Sonic Adventure Unreal Engine 5 remake is the best thing I've ever seen, but I'm not not saying it either
Super Mario with crossed out eyes
Super Mario will never be the same now I've seen these horrifying design secrets
Still from new Shrek 5 teaser
The new Shrek 5 character design proves DreamWorks has lost its edge
Latest in Video Game Design
An image from teaser animation for ARK: Survival Ascended expansion ARK: Lost Colony
GDC 2025: Lost Colony anime teaser shows ARK: Survival Ascended is the game that has everything
Unity Gaming Report 2025; a small tugboat sails into the sunset
GDC 2025: AI isn't the 'creative cure-all' that some hoped
Promise Mascot Agency;
How Ikumi Nakamura's 'art bible' helped create Promise Mascot Agency's grotesque mascots, and why collaboration in indie game development is vital
Sonic Adventure Redux
I'm not saying this Sonic Adventure Unreal Engine 5 remake is the best thing I've ever seen, but I'm not not saying it either
An image from Half-life 2 RTX demo
Nvidia to show off powerful video game remix capabilities in Half-life 2 RTX demo
Your House indie game art interview; A stylised illustration depicts a young woman seated, seemingly contemplative, in a setting that combines elements of a comic book panel and a vintage aesthetic
"This is a game you can read, or a book you can play” – solving the visual design of Your House, a detective game crossed with a Daniel Clowes comic
Latest in News
A billboard advert at GDC 2025 for Revenge of Savage Planet
Savage GDC 2025 billboard ad is revenge for Google Stadia layoffs
camera phone deals Best Buy
Huge Samsung, Google Pixel and Motorola deals at Best Buy right now – phones from $299.99
An image from teaser animation for ARK: Survival Ascended expansion ARK: Lost Colony
GDC 2025: Lost Colony anime teaser shows ARK: Survival Ascended is the game that has everything
Roblox Cube 3D AI 3D object generation
GDC 2025: Roblox says its new AI generator will go beyond 3D models to allow groundbreaking '4D creation'
Bambu Lab H2D announcement
Just in: The next generation Bambu Lab H2D is arriving soon
PS5
Badass logo alert: PlayStation launches new studio Dark Outlaw Games