Like many video game franchises, the Sonic the Hedgehog series has seen critically acclaimed gems and massive flops. One of the most infamous entries was the 2006 reboot, a game criticized for its rushed production, numerous game-breaking glitches, and cheesy writing.
However, nearly two decades later, several directors for the franchise looked back at the game with a newfound interest, believing it deserved a second chance. Here is a breakdown of this shocking plan from the creators of the iconic Sonic the Hedgehog.
Sonic Team’s New Goal
According to GameRant, Team Sonic, the developers behind SEGA’s iconic franchise, made a surprising announcement regarding their plans. During a fan meetup in Indonesia, the series creatives Kazuyuki Hoshino and Shun Nakamura were asked about any upcoming remakes for their games.
They said the game at the top of their list was the controversial ’06 for the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3. Surprising as such an idea is given ’06’s reputation, it existed among fans for some time now. Other games they considered remaking were the more acclaimed Heroes or the Adventure games.
A remake of Sonic’06 has the potential to work. While the game had several fundamental issues with its story, many of the problems with the original stemmed from its rushed development to make it for the Christmas season. Therefore, a polished game remake could solve many of its problems. Furthermore, as shown by the recent success of Sonic X Shadow Generations, this series has always been in touch with its previous generations.
The Failed 2006 Game
In 2006, SEGA released Sonic 2006, one of the series’ most disliked and controversial games. The game was a reboot intended to restart the storyline. Fans and critics alike despised it for its rushed design and buggy gameplay. Fans especially despised the new character Princess Elise for her generic writing that did not belong in the franchise. Despite this, the game won over a handful of fans, while many others believed the game had intriguing story elements and an epic soundtrack.
As shown by games like SEGA’s own Shin Megami Tensei V: Vengeance, even the most mediocre stories have the potential for a second draft. For example, Mephiles the Dark has gained a small following for being a cool villain, so salvaging his character could help build this remake. The game also introduced the franchise dark horse Silver the Hedgehog, who became a series regular and developed a fanbase, and the original “Flames of Disaster.”
The Saga’s Comeback
Sonic the Hedgehog has experienced many highs and lows over its three-decade run as a major video game franchise. While the franchise had a peak with games like Unleashed and Colors, the lukewarm reception to Rise of Lyric and Forces saw it fall into a low era for several years. However, SEGA eventually regained direction with the successful Sonic Frontiers and later Shadow Generations.
One of the best examples of this was the film trilogy from Paramount. When the trailers were first unveiled, the entire internet banded together to ridicule the uncanny design of the titular hedgehog. However, the dedicated VFX team took great pains to fix the lead’s appearance. Since then, the Sonic films have become some of cinema’s most well-received video game adaptations. Furthermore, the upcoming third film with Keanu Reeves as Shadow has become highly anticipated.
Conclusion
To summarize this announcement, a remake of Sonic ’06 could redeem a broken story. The original game introduced several of the series’ most iconic characters, so giving the failed game a second chance would show how far the team has come.
Given that this remake is only a concept at the time of writing, only time will tell if fans and executives will bring such a project to fruition. Hopefully, if such a remake does come out, the game will go from the butt of a joke to a well-remembered classic for generations to come.
