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Sonic the Hedgehog


The visual evolution of game logos

See how your favourite games' logos have changed over the years

Words: GamesRadar UK

While game content, design and technology constantly change year after year so does game packaging and design. This interests us. So we've taken 10 major game series and visually charted their logos' progression to see how they've evolved. We've even added comments.

Be aware in most cases we've gone for 'canon' games rather than offshoots or side projects. Also, the images aren't supposed to represent every title from a series, just the ones which show the logo design evolving the best, in case you were wondering.
General theme? Adventure, stencil typeface, tomb textures

How's it changed? Intially choosing to represent the fact that tombs are made of rocks by re-using the same stone effect, Raider's logo design changed tack with the launch of new Lara in Angel of Darkness.

The new direction represented the mid-2000's obsession with brushed metal and incorporated an element of the Star Wars 'A long time ago' fading-into-the-distance effect.

Is it better today than before? Definitely - they made the first one by  throwing a copy of  PhotoShop 1.0 at a wall.

 


General theme? Blue, the S is a bit like a tube that Sonic might go through, this is harder than we thought

How's it changed? Amazingly, given that Sonic has always been about going really fast, none of the logos attempted any sort of motion-blur. That's a FACT that you can't argue with.

Sonic wins hands-down in terms of brand consistency - the font has never changed. The designers have settled into a pattern of just changing the inner texture of that font in recent iterations. Which in some indeterminate way is like  Sega's approach to the Sonic game series.

Is it better today than before? Not really, we quite like the stark, business-like nature of the original Master System logo.

 Next up: Metal Gear and Metroid


 
37 Comments
Order Comments: Newest First | Oldest First
RebornKusabi  - 8 months 22 days ago 
I love Metal Gears logos... all of them!
RebornKusabi  - 8 months 22 days ago 
Sorry to post again, but I gotta say this is a pretty cool article!

Nostalgia is fun!
Theonik  - 8 months 22 days ago 
Nice article. Metal Gear and Street Fighter logos are the best. Oh and i guess third!
Clownsarescary  - 8 months 22 days ago 
The Street Fighter: Double Impact logo looks like a Memphis Tombstone. I imagine it would be flanked by flamingo lawn ornaments. If the person was buried in the front lawn...
Bronzus  - 8 months 22 days ago 
Notice how the last two Womb Radars are focused on ass and boobs?
RonnyLive19881  - 8 months 22 days ago 
I think Metal Gear Solids is the best out of all the metal gear ones. The Zelda logos never get old!A Link to the Past is currently the best one.
Mackster-901  - 8 months 22 days ago 
i recon dat the metal gear solid (not metal gear) woz da best 1
Flapjackturd  - 8 months 22 days ago 
i tink metal gear solid 4 is da best one
or angel of darkness
FrozenImplosion  - 8 months 22 days ago 
every single legend of zelda and metroid logo look great, they just get better and better :)
Jordo141  - 8 months 22 days ago 
On the Smackdown one you forgot "Just Bring It", it's supposed to be the 3rd one
Jordo141  - 8 months 22 days ago 
And forgot Phantom Hourglass too
animeman  - 8 months 22 days ago 
I don't even think that they used half of the Mario logos.
GamesRadarBrettElston  - 8 months 22 days ago 
To be fair, we stuck to mainline entries, that's why there's no Mario Tennis, Party, Sonic Riders and such.

Though Phantom Hourglass and Zero Mission shoulda made the cut too.
JSC31994  - 8 months 21 days ago 
Haha the first Metroid logo looked like it took ten seconds to make.
Jimmyjammy  - 8 months 21 days ago 
I think I like Metal Gear Solid 2+3 logos the best (I refuse to believe that Twin Snakes exists. Snake jumping off of a missile *facepalm*).
konaskyy  - 8 months 21 days ago 
Smackdown=very creative...
newton  - 8 months 21 days ago 
What about Super Mario Rpg's logo?
garnsr  - 8 months 21 days ago 
Colour? Pro Evolution Soccer? Very UK. Heh heh heh, Metal Gear's quality is long.
iKOemos  - 8 months 21 days ago 
@ Bronzus: Womb Raider??? I wanna play that game!!!
Tomsta666  - 8 months 21 days ago 
Score 1 for Zelda's consistency
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