Sonic 2 Poster Hints The Sequel Is Fixing The First Movie’s Game Issue

Sonic the Hedgehog 2 just released a poster that perfectly recreates the original Sonic game cover, meaning that the sequel may be fixing an issue that the first film has. Sonic the Hedgehog, like many other video game movies, strays away from the game’s lore, instead making a simpler, more grounded world. The poster is a good sign for the film’s direction, as it shows Sonic 2 may lean into the series’ gaming heritage.

Sonic the Hedgehog follows the titular blue blur as he tries to save his friends and his home from the villainous mad scientist Dr. Robotnik. Originally starting out as a video game for the Sega Genesis, Sonic has become an immensely popular multimedia franchise, spawning comics, animated TV shows, three movies, and a Knuckles spin-off series. The upcoming sequel sees Eggman make his return after being sent to another planet, this time armed with the Master Emerald and Knuckles the Echidna.

Sonic 2‘s newest poster is a fantastic homage to the game Sonic the Hedgehog 2. It completely recreates the poster in all of its goofy glory, this time concealing Knuckles within the number two. While Sonic the Hedgehog did reference things like the Chaos Emeralds, the first film doesn’t have any references to the games as explicit as this poster. So, it seems like the team behind Sonic 2 is leaning into the series’ history a little bit more. This can also be seen in the trailers and clips that have been used to promote the new film. Besides the opening scene, the first film mostly focused on Earth, with Sonic being a fish out of water. However, the poster and the trailers for Sonic 2 feature Tails prominently, along with other bits from Sonic’s world like Knuckles, the Master Emerald, and Angel Island. This new focus on the series’ zanier elements shows that the team behind Sonic 2 is no longer scared to dip their toe in the water; instead, they’re diving right in to what made the games so iconic.

The first Sonic movie took several liberties with the series, which some think is to the detriment of the film. The film did things like changing Green Hill Zone to a town on Earth, simplifying the design of Eggman’s robots, and changing Sonic’s origin story significantly. While it would be hard to fit everything in without shortening some elements, many of these changes aren’t substituted with something better, making them references at best and poor choices at worst. The film’s creators have been shown to listen to criticism, though, changing Sonic’s design due to fan outcry. It seems like they’ve listened once again, as the poster and a litany of other references seem to be pointing towards a more game-centric Sonic 2 compared to the previous installment.

Beyond the lore, Sonic 2 features familiar gameplay elements from the series. The trailers have already shown Tails’ plane the Tornado and Eggman’s Death Egg, which will both feature prominently in the film. The film is sure to be filled to the brim with other elements from the games as well. Some fans are even speculating that the climax of Sonic 2 will have Metal Sonic, a major antagonist from the series. The decision to lean into the games demonstrates Sonic 2‘s commitment to the established franchise lore, fixing the issue many fans had with the original Sonic the Hedgehog. While it may seem subtle, the Sonic the Hedgehog 2 poster is perhaps the clearest indication of this yet.

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