The new issue of Retro Gamer celebrates Sonic’s 30t⛦h anniversary with a fantastic 32-page book and an exclusive new interview with Sonic Team boss Takashi Iizuka. 

The head of Sonic Team looks at numerous aspects of Sega’s mascot, from his distinctive look to music and level design and admitted that the original movie trailer wasn’t quite right.

“It was clear to both our team at Sega and the folks at Paramount that we needed to reapproach Sonic’s design after the initial trailer was published,” he told us. “Because of that, they were open to listening to the fan base, which allowed us to provide our expertise as well”. Iizuka also dropped a few hints about the incoming Netflix cartoon, Sonic Prime, revealing that, “Sonic Prime is a 24-episode long high-🍷octane adventure that draws upon the keystones of the 🐻brand. In the series, the fate of a strange new multiverse rests in Sonic’s hands. It’s more than a race to save the universe, it’s a journey of self-discovery and redemption.”

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Iizuka also talks about the difficulties of making games that focus on speed, how the musical collaborations of many Soni𝕴c games come about and why Classic Sonic remains popular since his debut in Sonic Generations. “In fact, we have released Sonic Mania focused on the ‘classic’ Sonic in 2017,” continues. Going on to say that, “The ‘classic’ Sonic is a popular iteration who will hopefully be a part of the blue blur’s future.”