Sonic Hops Across Floating Blocks

About this drawing

Sonic jumping on blocks captures the restless energy that made this character a star when he arrived in 1991. His designers wanted a hero who felt fast even when standing still, so they gave him a cocky grin, swept-back quills and a habit of tapping his foot if you leave him waiting.

Choosing a hedgehog was a clever move. Real hedgehogs are covered in stiff spines, and when danger shows up they curl into a tight, prickly ball. Sonic borrows that trick and turns it into an attack, rolling into a spinning ball that smashes through robots and bounces off enemies.

Jumping is just as important as running in his games. Players have to time leaps over gaps, spikes and floating platforms, often at high speed, which is why stacked blocks and broken paths show up in so many levels.

Real hedgehogs are a lot calmer than their video game cousin. They are small, mostly active at night and happy to snuffle around gardens and woodland edges. In colder places, many hibernate through winter and wake up hungry in spring.

• sonic
• hedgehog
• video games
• jumping
• characters