Jun 23, 2020
SONIC THE HEDGEHOG was first released for the Sega Genesis on June 23rd 1991
Seeking a new mascot to compete with Nintendo’s Mario series, several character designs were submitted by Sega’s research and development department. Naoto Ohshima took some of these internal designs with him on a trip to New York City and sought feedback from random passersby at Central Park. The spiky teal hedgehog, initially codenamed “Mr. Needlemouse”, led the informal poll. Upon returning to Japan, Ohshima pitched this to the department, and the hedgehog was ultimately selected as Sega’s new mascot.
