Speedrun: The Unauthorised History of Sonic The Hedgehog

Book excerpt: Sonic The Hedgehog was created to give Sega's Mega Drive a fighting chance against the market-dominating Nintendo. With Sega consoles now a distant memory, he's still running. But what gives the blue blur his staying power? Speedrun traces Sonic's entire history, from an artist's idle sketch to a multi-million pound videogame phenomenon. This book relives the highs; the hysteria of Sonic 2's-day and the dawn of the Dreamcast, and the lows; cancelled projects and Sega's near-bankruptcy. It also looks at the creative influences behind the hedgehog, and how a handful of minds have steered and directed his progress through the years. Whether your first adventure with Sonic was in the Green Hill Zone or on a smartphone, Speedrun is the definitive guide to gaming's fastest hero.