Sonic the Hedgehog has finally raced his way on to the big screen, and here are all the Easter egg and game references in the film. The lovable hedgehog made his debut all the way back in 1991, intended to be Sega'sanswer to the Super Mario Bros. The spiky teal hedgehog was originally codenamed "Mr. Needlemouse," and it didn't take him long to become the company mascot.
Sonic may be a fast runner, but it's taken him quite a while to reach the big screen; Sega's been trying to build up momentum on this project since as far back as 1994. Although the Sonic the Hedgehog movie has earned mixed reviews, it's clearly a hit and is set to have the a far more game-accurate sequel, and it's surely only a matter of time before that's announced.
While Sonic the Hedgehog is primarily aimed at kids, it's also jam-packed with nostalgic Easter eggs that will delight long-term fans. Frankly, it has so many Easter eggs that it's probably comparable to a typical superhero flick. So here's the full collection of all the Easter eggs and references.
18. A Classic Intro Sequence
Sonic the Hedgehog's entire intro sequence is a welcome shot of nostalgia, with the title sequence designed as a homage to the 1991 screen. The opening song is played by a band called Hyper Potions, who provided the music for 2017's Sonic Mania. If you listen very carefully, you'll actually hear a very familiar musical cue; the traditional "Sega" line isn't said, but it's clearly implied.
17. From The Green Hills Zone To The Mushroom Zone
All the locations in Sonic the Hedgehog are inspired by the games. The film opens by revealing Sonic lives on what he considers to be a paradise, a place where he can race to his heart's content; it's the Green Hill Zone, Level 1 in the games. Notice Sonic gives Longclaw a flower - the one that traditionally marks the starting point of the Green Hill Zone. Appropriately enough, when Sonic travels to Earth he heads to the town of Green Hills, Montana.
On Earth, Sonic settles in a cave off Hill Top Road, which is an amusing reference to the Hill Top Zone. Should Sonic get in trouble on Earth, he's under orders to head to an uninhabited world full of mushrooms. This is most likely a reference to the Mushroom Zone, although it may also serve as a gag on Sonic's competition with Mario - the super-speeding hedgehog keeps talking about how much he hates mushrooms. It's probably also no coincidence Sonic winds up going to San Francisco; this location inspired the City Escape stage of Sonic Adventure 2 and Sonic Adventure 2: Battle.
16. Sonic Is Attacked By The Echidnas
Unfortunately, Sonic's sanctuary in the Green Hills Zone is attacked by a group known as the Echidnas. These are anthropomorphic, dreadlocked animals who serve as major Sonic villains. The most famous of these is Knuckles, of the Knuckles Clan, but the Echidnas in Sonic the Hedgehog appear to originate from the Nocturnus Clan. Rulers of a realm known as the Twilight Cage, the Nocturnus Clan dream of returning to their original home on Earth and conquering it. Presumably they're seeking Sonic as a means to achieving this end.
15. Sonic's Map of Worlds References The Sega Saturn and Chaos Emeralds
Longclaw gives Sonic a map of worlds to help him survive, and it contains a couple of cool Easter eggs. The most significant is the image of a Sonic the Hedgehog 2. In addition, attentive viewers will also spot the Sega Saturn logo - literally another world.
14. Sonic's Powers
Sonic is initially presented as a basic super-speedster, able to clock well over 300 mph. As the film continues, however, his powerset is enhanced in ways that are lifted straight from the games. Sonic learns he has the ability to roll into a ball and propel himself into objects, damaging them with an impact. Even more powerfully, when he becomes emotional he essentially supercharges in an explosive energy burst akin to an electromagnetic pulse; it's clearly loosely inspired by the energy spikes he can project in the game when he's powered up. Unfortunately, this particular power proves to be quite dangerous if unchecked; Sonic's existential sense of loneliness leads to his releasing a powerful surge that shuts down the entire Pacific Northwest.
13. The Purpose of Sonic's Rings
Sonic's goal in the various games has always been to collect rings, and he loses all the rings he's collected if he's hit by an enemy. In Sonic the Hedgehog, these gold rings are transformed into an essential plot point, Sonic's means of traveling between the worlds; although, according to Sonic, these rings are used by all advanced civilizations across the universe. Just as in the games, Sonic losing his rings pretty much every time he's hit and has to gather them again.
12. Sonic Loves Flash Comics
Sonic is fascinated by human culture, and drawn to anything about speed. He's portrayed as a massive fan of DC Comics' The Flash, which makes sense; the Flash is a super-speedster whose energies expanded to encom the Speed Force, and no doubt Sonic feels a sense of kinship with him. Given superheroes are now mainstream, this is a smart way of making Sonic identifiable and even encouraging viewers to see Sonic as a Flash surrogate - a superhero in his own right. By that reading, Sonic the Hedgehog is essentially the origin story.
11. Sonic's Hobbies Have Some Cool Easter Eggs Too
Sonic the Hedgehog presents Sonic as a lonely figure who's desperate for friendship and keeps himself entertained with an eclectic range of hobbies. In one scene, he practices with nunchucks in front of a boom box; he wears a headband with the classic Sonic logo emblazoned upon it. Later, when playing baseball, Sonic refers to himself as a Southpaw, confirming himself to be left-handed. Curiously enough, this line of dialogue appears intended to settle an age-old fan debate about whether the clearly ambidextrous Sonic should be considered principally right- or left-handed. Sonic plays all positions in the baseball game, and when playing for the opposing team he dons shirts marked "SV," presumably referring to the Sunshine Valley Zone.
10. Crazy Carl's Links to Sanic the Hedgehog & the Blue Devil
Crazy Carl is the only resident of Green Hills who has seen Sonic, and his sketches will look very familiar. This is Sanic the Hedgehog, based on a sketch ed by the YouTuber 0nyxheart in 2010. It's become one of the most popular Sonic memes, and although onyxheart took it down, the video of the sketch has been re-ed countless times since. Crazy Carl refers to Sonic as the "Blue Devil," which was actually the name of Sonic's racing car in Sonic Drift 2. For his part, Sonic prefers to call himself the "Blue Blur," referencing a fan-made videogame.
9. Doctor Robotnik
Concerned by the mysterious energy surge that shut down all power across the Pacific Northwest, the US Government call in a specialist consultant named Robotnik "Dr. Eggman." This is a direct reference to the Japanese release of the original 1991 Sonic the Hedgehog game, where he was given that name. The name finally made its way into English with 1998's Sonic Adventure, where other characters nicknamed him "Eggman."
One of Dr. Robotnik's buttons is labeled "The Badniks," the private robot army used by the insane scientist in his games. They're never used in Sonic the Hedgehog, but it's a cool Easter egg all the same.
