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Where Are They Now?: Sonic the Hedgehog
At the peak of his popularity in the 1990s, you’d be hard-pressed to find a more beloved children’s icon than Sonic the Hedgehog. He lived the glamorous lifestyle that came with being the star of perhaps the most popular video game franchise in history. But now, life is much different.
He’s about forty pounds heavier and sports a shaggy goatee, so you could easily mistake him for someone else. The youngest in a litter of nine, Sega plucked him from obscurity to star in his own series of games, and he quickly became their de facto mascot. “Everything came so fast. I went from looking up to guys like Mega Man and Frogger to partying with them. I wasn’t ready for it.”
He became a cautionary tale of too-much-too-soon as rumors of his wild off-screen behavior grew. After a 1995 DWI arrest, his blood-alcohol level was recorded at three times the legal limit, and a 1997 nightclub brawl with members of Mario’s entourage is still a part of gaming lore. “That was all Tails,” Sonic recalls. “I was getting a drink and when I came back, we were getting kicked out of the place.” Tails declined to be interviewed for this story.
Gaming had its own bad boy, whether it wanted one or not. It didn’t hurt Sonic’s popularity with young players, but his increasing lack of effort did. His waning speed meant he could no longer complete his trademark loop-the-loop, trapping gamers in impossible levels. Returns of Sonic the Hedgehog skyrocketed, and Sega had a problem on their hands. Sonic admits, “I didn’t even care if I collected all the Chaos Emeralds anymore. I just wanted the paycheck.”
Sonic’s prestige took another hit when he attempted to branch out into movies, starring with David Spade in the critically panned 1999 action-comedy Speed Kills. Noted Roger Ebert, “In this stinker, speed doesn’t kill but pacing issues and painfully corny one-liners do.”
In 2001, the Sega Dreamcast ceased production, and that meant Sonic was out of work. He pitched his services to Nintendo but, still feeling the sting of the “Genesis Does What Nintendon’t” campaign, they declined. Sonic sunk what money he had left into a line of self-produced educational software called “Sonic’s Phonics”, which proved laughable as in-game dialogs misspelled both “alphabet” and “the”. It would be his final game.
Penniless, Sonic the Hedgehog had hit rock bottom. Internet hoaxsters spread rumors of his death, and he struggled with his dizzying fall from celebrity status. “One day, you’re on the cover of GamePro and the next you’re getting kicked out of a strip club for exposing yourself. I had to build a normal life.”
Ten years removed from his last Sega appearance, he’s done just that. He now coaches track and field at a Waukegan, Illinois high school, and he reports that his personal life has rebounded as well. “I’m dating a girl. She’s got a kid. It’s good.” Sonic seems at peace with his anonymity but if a game company were to come knocking with an offer, “I’m there. I’ve still got it.”
And if he harbors any bitterness towards his old rival Mario for sustaining his popularity for all these years, he doesn’t betray it. “I love the guy,” he volunteers. “I gave him a call a couple years back when he separated from Princess Peach. He didn’t return it but… y’know, he’s a busy guy.”
At a 5:30 AM practice, Sonic dons a loose-fitting track suit that hides his pudgy frame and lets a cigarette dangle from his lips. Sleepy-eyed tenth graders report in and begin their sprints. He doesn’t think one of his students is giving it his all. “Hell, kid. Let me show you how it’s done.”
In a flash, the cigarette is gone, and he does. As he flies around the track at an almost illogical speed, there is no mistaking him for anyone but Sonic the Hedgehog. If you didn’t know any better, you’d think he was chasing those golden rings. And maybe he is.