Sonic the Hedgehog 3 is currently racing through theaters. The latest in the film franchise that is doubling as the best video game adaptation franchise is poised for a huge box-office run. There are a lot of reasons the franchise has been wildly successful even though it began in an era where video game adaptations were anything but. Sonic came out in the days of Mortal Kombat, not Fallout and The Last of Us. One of the biggest reasons the franchise has been successful, aside from being great for kids, is a clear and palpable care for the source material.
The cast and crew all care about Sonic the Hedgehog and the various aspects of that world. It’s a franchise that has a devoted player base full of almost rabid fans (myself included). To do anything but put the utmost effort into understanding and representing this game franchise would be doing the audience a disservice. That’s what a lot of older video game adaptations suffered from, but not the Sonic movies.
The games are their source material, and that’s not just a passing statement. It’s clearly very important to everyone. To that end, Sonic the Hedgehog 3 has tons of references and Easter Eggs for fans. Here are the most fun ones. Light spoilers ahead.
Fun Easter Eggs for Gamers in Sonic the Hedgehog 3
Live and Learn
Perhaps the most obvious Easter Egg was the song Live and Learn. This was the primary theme of Sonic Adventure 2, and it was used in the trailer. Fans expected it, but that also didn’t stop them from gasping when it finally played in the movie. It’s the central theme behind the climactic fight between Shadow and Sonic, and it is one of the most fun Easter Eggs.
Prison Island
The aptly-titled Prison Island is where Shadow is being held and experimented on. It’s not a bland, painfully accurate name, though. Well, it is, but there’s a reason for that. This is where Shadow was held in Sonic Adventure 2. There are a lot of levels in Prison Island. The location also shows back up in Shadow’s solo adventure, the much-maligned Shadow the Hedgehog from 2005.
Goal
When Sonic runs races, which he does twice (once at the beginning of the movie and again in the post-credits scene), he sprints through a “goal” sign to signify the end spot that he, Tails, and Knuckles are running to. It spins as Sonic goes by, which is exactly what happens when players pass similar end signs in the franchise video games.
Low-budget flights
In Sonic Adventure 2, Sonic complains that his flight is low-budget because there are no snacks or movies available to him. In Sonic the Hedgehog 3, the hedgehog repeats the line word-for-word (adjusting it to the plural “we” to represent Tails and Knuckles). “Talk about low-budget flights. No food or movies, we’re out of here,” Sonic says to Director Rockwell before the trio jump into Tokyo.
Casper the Friendly Ghost
In Sonic canon, Knuckles is afraid of the supernatural. In Sonic the Hedgehog 3, Knuckles reveals this at a movie night featuring Casper the Friendly Ghost and again when looking for Shadow and Gerald Robotnik all alone. In the game series, it’s specifically stated in Sonic Adventure 2 and reiterated a few times in dialogue from Sonic Heroes.
Super Shadow
During the final fight, Sonic and Shadow both go into their super forms. For Shadow, it’s the first time on-screen that he does this. His super form was first seen during the final stage of Sonic Adventure 2, mirroring how he finally goes Super Shadow (to fight Super Sonic) in the “last stage” of the movie.
Game Over
Every frame of Sonic the Hedgehog 3 was carefully constructed to make sure everyone in the theater was happy. Many times, there are small, blink-and-you’ll-miss-it Easter Eggs. There are far more than the ones above on this list, but these are the most fun. Be sure to catch the movie in theaters so you don’t miss all the little moments that video game fans everywhere are appreciating.
