Remember Sonic the Fighters, the 3D Sonic fighting game from the 90s? Alternatively, do you remember Sonic Battle, the GBA arena fighter? I don’t think anyone will regard either of these games as amazing, but they’re memorable spin-offs for anyone who has played them. Sonic the Fighters is a bright and colorful 3D imagining of Sonic the Hedgehog as the franchise was in the 90s. Sonic Battle has a unique art style and is likely remembered more for its surprisingly touching story than its gameplay.
Why hasn’t Sega made a new Sonic fighting game? After playing Sonic Frontiers, this has been a recurring thought in my head. While simple, the combat system was an aspect of that game I enjoyed. Now I can’t stop thinking about how fun Sonic could be as a fighter. If someone from Sega is somehow reading this, I have a few reasons why the company may be interested in making a game like this. So, without further ado, here’s why Sonic needs an official new fighter spin-off.
Sonic’s Large Extended Cast
There are a lot of Sonic characters, to the point where it’s almost overwhelming. It can be hard to address all these characters in a mainline title. Sonic Forces attempted to incorporate many characters from the series into the story, but their presence feels shallow. Many fans want to see more of these characters, but perhaps a mainline title isn’t a place to explore them all. However, a fighting game can address this.
It’s probably quite easy to come up with an excuse for these characters to fight each other. Even something as simple as a tournament could suffice. A story mode similar in style to The Murder of Sonic the Hedgehog would work very well. In fact, I’d recommend Sega to get the same people behind that game to helm the story mode for a hypothetical Sonic fighting game. It would be great to see these characters have more fun interactions with each other.
For gameplay purposes, the cast of Sonic the Hedgehog could make for an amazingly varied roster. Sonic himself could make for a great rushdown character, Tails could make for an interesting zoner with his gadgets, and Knuckles could make for a strong grappler. These are just a few examples of how you could apply these characters to a fighting game. The characters of the Sonic franchise have a lot of varied abilities that could be put to great use in a fighting game.
Sonic Is on the Rise Again
As iconic as the series is, it is undeniable that it has experienced many rough patches throughout the years. However, the 2020s have been great for the franchise so far, starting with the success of the first Sonic movie. From Frontiers to Sonic Prime, the blue blur seems to be having some good luck that hopefully won’t run out soon. Sega seems interested in expanding the franchise’s output, which means there isn’t a better time for a Sonic the Hedgehog fighting game.
It would be a unique offering that could potentially bring in some new players if executed properly. It’s almost certainly not going to sell as well as a new mainline title, but with the appropriate budget, it doesn’t need to. Even if it doesn’t initially have a huge roster, a slick, well-animated 2D fighter can bring a lot to the table. Not only could a new Sonic fighter serve a niche of Sonic fans, but it may also attract some people from the general fighting game community.
Take a look at the fan game Sonic Smackdown. It might not be perfect, but the amount of effort and passion that has gone into it is commendable. It’s a great example of what is possible with a Sonic fighting game. I believe that a game like this could fit in very well with the current wave of Sonic content. Clearly, I’m not the only one who would want a game like this, and I’m sure there are even more people who want this but do not realize it yet.
Please Make a New Sonic Fighting Game
Since the release of The Murder of Sonic the Hedgehog, I’ve been excited about the idea of more spin-off titles. There are a lot of ways Sega can go about fleshing out Sonic’s world and characters, and in some ways, this is already happening. However, a fighting game would be a great way to expand the world of Sonic the Hedgehog. There are also some other games they could make that would accomplish a similar effect as well (please bring back Sonic Riders if you can), and I would be fine with that.
Sure, Sonic may be a playable character in Super Smash Bros., but I want something with unique mechanics that incorporates Sonic’s larger cast. I would love to see movement options similar to a Melty Blood game, if possible. After all, emphasizing movement seems like a good fit for a Sonic game. However, as long as the concept is well executed, I will not complain. An interesting art style, expressive animations, and fun world-building are all I ask for.
A solid Sonic fighting game could be a great introduction to traditional 2D fighters for kids. If Sega can deliver a story on par with Sonic Battle and gameplay with some depth to it, I’m sure the game could sell off of positive word-of-mouth alone. Of course, I don’t recommend Sega rely on word-of-mouth for sales, but you get my point. If there’s any time for a Sonic fighting game, the time is now. So, please go ahead and strike while the iron is hot.
