Skip to main content
GamesRadar+ GamesRadar+
US EditionUS CA EditionCanada UK EditionUK AU EditionAustralia
Sign in
  • View Profile
  • Sign out
  • Games
    • Game Insights
      • Games News
      • Games Features
      • Games Reviews
      • Games Guides
      • Big in 2026
      • The Big Preview
      • On The Radar
      • Indie Spotlight
      • Future Games Show
      • Golden Joystick Awards
    • Genres
      • Action Games
      • RPGs
      • Action RPGs
      • Adventure Games
      • Third Person Shooters
      • FPS Games
    • Platforms
      • PS5
      • Xbox Series X
      • PC
      • Nintendo Switch
      • Nintendo Switch 2
      • Tabletop Gaming
    • Franchises
      • Grand Theft Auto
      • Pokemon
      • Assassin's Creed
      • Monster Hunter
      • Fortnite
      • Cyberpunk
      • Red Dead
      • The Elder Scrolls
      • The Sims
  • Entertainment
    • TV Shows
      • TV News
      • TV Reviews
      • Anime Shows
      • Sci-Fi Shows
      • Superhero Shows
      • Animated Shows
      • Marvel TV Shows
      • Star Wars TV Shows
      • DC TV Shows
    • Movies
      • Movie News
      • Movie Reviews
      • Big Screen Spotlight
      • Superhero Movies
      • Action Movies
      • Anime Movies
      • Sci-Fi Movies
      • Horror Movies
      • Marvel Movies
      • DC Movies
    • Streaming
      • Apple TV Plus
      • Disney Plus
      • Netflix
      • HBO
      • Amazon Prime Video
      • Hulu
    • Comics
      • Marvel Comics
      • DC Comics
    • Toys & Collectibles
    • Lego
    • Dungeons and Dragons
    • Merch
  • Hardware
    • Insights
      • Hardware News
      • Hardware Reviews
      • Hardware Features
    • Computing
      • Desktop PCs
      • Laptops
      • Handhelds
    • Peripherals
      • Headsets & Headphones
      • TVs & Monitors
      • Gaming Mice
      • Gaming Keyboards
      • Gaming Chairs
      • Speakers & Audio
    • Accessories & Tech
      • Gaming Controllers
      • Tech
      • SSDs & Hard Drives
      • VR
      • Accessories
      • Retro
  • Deals
    • Game Deals
    • Tech Deals
    • TV Deals
    • Buying Guides
  • Video
  • Newsletters
    • Quizzes
    • About Us
    • How to pitch to us
    • How we score
    • Newsarama
    • Retro Gamer
    • Total Film
  • home
  • Games
    • View Games
      • Games News
      • Games Features
      • Games Reviews
      • Games Guides
      • Big in 2026
      • The Big Preview
      • On The Radar
      • Indie Spotlight
      • Future Games Show
      • Golden Joystick Awards
      • Action Games
      • RPGs
      • Action RPGs
      • Adventure Games
      • Third Person Shooters
      • FPS Games
    • Platforms
      • View Platforms
      • PS5
      • Xbox Series X
      • PC
      • Nintendo Switch
      • Nintendo Switch 2
      • Tabletop Gaming
      • Grand Theft Auto
      • Pokemon
      • Assassin's Creed
      • Monster Hunter
      • Fortnite
      • Cyberpunk
      • Red Dead
      • The Elder Scrolls
      • The Sims
  • Entertainment
    • View Entertainment
    • TV Shows
      • View TV Shows
      • TV News
      • TV Reviews
      • Anime Shows
      • Sci-Fi Shows
      • Superhero Shows
      • Animated Shows
      • Marvel TV Shows
      • Star Wars TV Shows
      • DC TV Shows
    • Movies
      • View Movies
      • Movie News
      • Movie Reviews
      • Big Screen Spotlight
      • Superhero Movies
      • Action Movies
      • Anime Movies
      • Sci-Fi Movies
      • Horror Movies
      • Marvel Movies
      • DC Movies
    • Streaming
      • View Streaming
      • Apple TV Plus
      • Disney Plus
      • Netflix
      • HBO
      • Amazon Prime Video
      • Hulu
    • Comics
      • View Comics
      • Marvel Comics
      • DC Comics
    • Toys & Collectibles
    • Lego
    • Dungeons and Dragons
    • Merch
  • Hardware
    • View Hardware
      • Hardware News
      • Hardware Reviews
      • Hardware Features
      • Desktop PCs
      • Laptops
      • Handhelds
    • Peripherals
      • View Peripherals
      • Headsets & Headphones
      • TVs & Monitors
      • Gaming Mice
      • Gaming Keyboards
      • Gaming Chairs
      • Speakers & Audio
      • Gaming Controllers
      • Tech
      • SSDs & Hard Drives
      • VR
      • Accessories
      • Retro
  • Deals
    • View Deals
    • Game Deals
    • Tech Deals
    • TV Deals
    • Buying Guides
  • Video
  • Newsletters
    • Quizzes
    • About Us
    • How to pitch to us
    • How we score
    • Newsarama
    • Retro Gamer
    • Total Film
Trending
  • Pokemon Winds and Waves
  • New Games for 2026
  • GamesRadar+ Replay
  • Mario Day deals
Don't miss these
Close up of PS1 console on woodgrain TV bench next to OSSC with Sir Dan MediEvil figure on top.
Retro If Sony thinks surge pricing won't prompt me to shun new-gen consoles and go back to the PS1, it should think again
James holds the Alice stuffie in concept art by Jean Walter
Adventure Games Alice Madness Returns creator American McGee is making a spiritual successor, and he's not worried about EA
Tom, recently saved from drowning, looks groggily up at Jerry in a Tom and Jerry cartoon
Games Shigeru Miyamoto said Tom and Jerry's cartoon reality was "vital fuel" for Nintendo's early games
Cookie's Bustle
Games Historians stop "an aggressive copyright troll" who spent years abusing DMCAs to turn bizarre game into lost media
Nintendo
Games Nintendo's Shigeru Miyamoto saw games in the '80s becoming like "pornography"
Official art of Pikachu from Pokemon Yellow in front of a blurred background
Pokemon Coming back to Pokemon Yellow 30 years later is like coming home – and playing it in 2026 is even better than when I was a kid
Photo of hand holding Game Boy Jukebox next to sad Ditto plush.
Retro I'd probably enjoy the Game Boy Jukebox more if Nintendo released a proper retro handheld remake first
Dreamcast
Games The 25 best Dreamcast games of all time
Original NES console next to Sony CRT PVM with Mega Man 2 intro on screen.
Retro After years of torturing myself over NES color accuracy, it turns out there is no consensus for how the retro console should look
Mario swims around in a Frog Suit in art for Super Mario Bros. 3
Super Mario Shigeru Miyamoto had to "force" in Super Mario Bros 3's iconic Frog Suit because it was fun even though it sucked
Jay McCarrol and Matt Johnson
Comedy Shows Nirvanna the Band the Show stars reveal the iconic Wii Shop song only took 5 hours to write, perform, and edit
a ditto human sitting on some logs with pikachu and pichu
Pokemon Pokopia's unhinged dialogue is tempting me away from Animal Crossing: "It's a pretty nice butt, don't you think?"
Palworld
Survival Games "Hurry up with Palworld 1.0": Impatient fan spams Pocketpair Publishing with a "great pitch" begging for its full launch
Leon Kennedy, wearing a black leather jacket, checks his watch in a hospital waiting room in Resident Evil Requiem
Resident Evil I own 23 Resident Evil figurines, and I'd still rather buy Requiem's amiibos instead of a $300 statue
Keyart for Sonic the Hedgehog 2, one of the best Sonic games, showing Sonic and Tails standing before the number 2
Sonic the Hedgehog The 25 best Sonic games of all-time
  1. Games
  2. Platformer
  3. Sonic the Hedgehog
  4. Sonic Boom: Rise of Lyric

Sonic complains about the absurdity of modern life

Features
By Andy Hartup published 30 April 2014

When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s how it works.

Get off my lawn!

Get off my lawn!

Its a long time since 1991. The Internet is an all-dominating thing, everyone owns a mobile phone, and a skinny-mocha-double-decaf-latte-with-chips is widely available on every street corner of every city ever. Probably. Thing is, while he was King of Games in 1991, Sonic the Hedgehog has struggled to adapt to modern life. Hes the gaming equivalent of the old man who lives three doors down, shaking his cane at the local kids, and telling them not to roll their scooterboards near his bins.

As we all know, curmudgeonly old people love to complain about things. Usually in the form of letters. So, Ive imagined the stuff Sonic might complain about, as a brain-addled old mascot, slowly going insane as he tries to make sense high-definition, sat-nav, and twerking. Heres a snapshot of his last few weeks

Page 1 of 9
Page 1 of 9
The jewellery shenanigans

The jewellery shenanigans

Dear sir
I am writing to complain about my recent purchase from your Green Hill store. While I am happy with the 100 gold rings I bought (and Im pleased to tell you that I managed to get all of them home without incident this week. Last week I bumped into someone on the way home and lost a large percentage of them), I am yet to receive the extra life, which was promised to me as part of your current in-store promotion.

Further more, I noticed that--when I arrived home--there was no trans-dimensional portal to jump through. I span the sign outside my house as usual, but was unable to transport myself to another realm. I find this most disturbing. When I purchased a number of your rings back in 1991, I was granted free access to the Chaos realm. Is this a service you no longer provide? If so, I may have to consider buying my jewellery from a different retailer. I await your response.
Yours concerned
S. The Hedgehog

Page 2 of 9
Page 2 of 9
The TV incident

The TV incident

Dear Sir
Im writing to complain about my recent purchase from your Spring Yard store. I bought one of your televisions, and installed it in my living room. I went to a significant amount of trouble to find one with a fuzzy picture, and an old, square screen. Last week, I saw a commercial for a pair of red shoes. Naturally, I took this as my cue to headbutt my television set to pieces.

Not only did this cause severe cranial bleeding (thankfully, my neighbour was kind enough to drive me to the hospital in his Hyundai after I waited 5 hours for a flying fox to turn up), but--to add insult to injury--I am yet to receive my free pair of shoes. Are they lost in the mail? Or have you discontinued this service, which I relied upon so heavily in the 90s? I anxiously await your response.
Yours,
S. The Hedgehog

Page 3 of 9
Page 3 of 9
The shoe fiasco

The shoe fiasco

Dear Sir
Im writing to complain about my recent purchase from your Marble Zone store. After a recent fiasco involving the television company you partner with, I was forced to purchase a pair of your red sneakers from a shop. They are from your Michael Jackson signature range. It took a significant amount of effort to track these shoes down, as they were barely in fashion during the 90s, when I acquired my first pair.

However, despite the inconvenience I was happy to have purchased them. Upon returning home I put the shoes on my feet and found that I was unable to run any faster than normal. In fact, the pointy ends slowed me down, and the stiff leather has given me a blister on my left heel. This is most unsatisfactory. When I last purchased these shoes in 1991, they doubled my running speed: now they just make me look like an aging rockstar, which is not a look I wish to cultivate. I shall be returning these shoes forthwith, and I expect a full refund or a new television.
Yours angrily,
S. The Hedgehog

Page 4 of 9
Page 4 of 9
The rabbit debacle

The rabbit debacle

Dear Sir
Im writing to complain about my recent treatment by the staff in your Scrap Brain store. Upon visiting your shop, I was pleased to see that you had an excellent array of robots (although the fact that youre marketing these death-machines to children shows a distinct lack of moral fibre). I purchased one that resembled a rabbit, and immediately smashed it to pieces hoping to liberate the bunny that was trapped inside.

Much to my annoyance (and the horror of my fellow shoppers) I discovered that the rabbit had already escaped from inside the robot. Incensed, I began to smash all the other robots in your store, and was able to destroy six more before security escorted me out. There wasnt a SINGLE animal contained inside any of your robots. No wonder the children in your store were crying as I broke them open. I shall be writing to your regulators forthwith as standards are clearly slipping.
Yours,
S. The Hedgehog

Page 5 of 9
Page 5 of 9
The hot tub catastrophe

The hot tub catastrophe

Dear Sir
Im writing to complain about my recent purchase from your Starlight Zone store. I have had a difficult past few weeks, and have been struggling to adapt to the modern way of life. Feeling the need to relax, I bought one of your hot tubs from something called the Internet, and had it installed in my house.

I assumed that--because it has plenty of air-bubbles rising from the floor--I would be able to breathe perfectly fine while underwater. This was not the case. My friend Knuckles--who I was sharing the hot tub with--had to give me CPR after only 30 seconds, as I was unable to catch the air-bubbles in my mouth. None of this would have been a concern if I had received the extra life that I am still owed following my purchase of rings from the local jewellers. I find this situation very distressing and I demand a refund on my hot tub immediately.
Yours,
S. The Hedgehog

Page 6 of 9
Page 6 of 9
The dreadful wait

The dreadful wait

Dear Sir,
Im writing to complain about your service. As a pizza takeaway establishment, Im aware that you pride yourself on the speed of your delivery. Your marketing material states that if I wait longer than 10 minutes for your food, then I do not pay for it. This is convenient for myself, as I have an unfortunate affliction that causes me to die if I wait in the same place for 10 minutes.

Last night, your pizza delivery was three minutes late--making 13 minutes in total for delivery. This would have been disastrous for me had my extra life from the jewellers not arrived in the post that very morning. I have now squandered my extra life after only possessing it for a painfully short time. I demand a refund for my pizza, and that you change your marketing materials immediately, as you are clearly unable to fulfil the promises you make to your customers.
Yours defiantly,
S. The Hedgehog

Page 7 of 9
Page 7 of 9
The inevitable crime

The inevitable crime

Dear Go Compare
I wish to offer my most sincere apologies for lacerating your company spokesperson last week. I have nothing to say in my defence, other than that I thought he was someone else. I appreciate your leniency in this matter, and the fact that neither yourselves or the gentleman in question have decided to take this case to court.

I further agree to pay for all damages caused when I headbutted his car. To raise the money, I have decided to sell off my substantial ring collection, and one pair of red shoes, which I have barely worn.
Yours apologetically,
S. The Hedgehog

Page 8 of 9
Page 8 of 9
No complaints

No complaints

Those damn kids, eh? With their PlayBoxes, and their Interwebs, and their twerking. In my day all this was fields. Bah, the youth of today don't realise how lucky they are. Want to leave a comment? Write me a letter. No-one writes letters anymore. It's all email, and instant messaging, and twerking. I need a nap.

Want more features? Bah, in my day we didn't even have shoes! Have a look at 10 Secrets Make Street Fighter 2 So Damn Special. And while you're at it here's one about How Video Game Characters Have Changed Over 20 Years. Not that you deserve them, with your mobile phones, and your iPads, and your twerking.

Page 9 of 9
Page 9 of 9
CATEGORIES
Wii-u Nintendo Platforms
Andy Hartup
Andy Hartup
Social Links Navigation
  • Facebook
  • X
  • Pinterest
  • Flipboard
  • Email
Share this article
Join the conversation
Follow us
Add us as a preferred source on Google
Get the GamesRadar+ Newsletter

Weekly digests, tales from the communities you love, and more


By submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.

You are now subscribed

Your newsletter sign-up was successful


Want to add more newsletters?

GamesRadar+

Every Friday

GamesRadar+

Your weekly update on everything you could ever want to know about the games you already love, games we know you're going to love in the near future, and tales from the communities that surround them.

GTA 6 O'clock

Every Thursday

GTA 6 O'clock

Our special GTA 6 newsletter, with breaking news, insider info, and rumor analysis from the award-winning GTA 6 O'clock experts.

Knowledge

Every Friday

Knowledge

From the creators of Edge: A weekly videogame industry newsletter with analysis from expert writers, guidance from professionals, and insight into what's on the horizon.

The Setup

Every Thursday

The Setup

Hardware nerds unite, sign up to our free tech newsletter for a weekly digest of the hottest new tech, the latest gadgets on the test bench, and much more.

Switch 2 Spotlight

Every Wednesday

Switch 2 Spotlight

Sign up to our new Switch 2 newsletter, where we bring you the latest talking points on Nintendo's new console each week, bring you up to date on the news, and recommend what games to play.

The Watchlist

Every Saturday

The Watchlist

Subscribe for a weekly digest of the movie and TV news that matters, direct to your inbox. From first-look trailers, interviews, reviews and explainers, we've got you covered.

SFX

Once a month

SFX

Get sneak previews, exclusive competitions and details of special events each month!


An account already exists for this email address, please log in.
Subscribe to our newsletter
Read more
Keyart for Sonic the Hedgehog 2, one of the best Sonic games, showing Sonic and Tails standing before the number 2
The 25 best Sonic games of all-time
 
 
Mario and Sonic running side by side
Nintendo reportedly "demanded" Sega have Mario be always one step ahead of Sonic in all of the Olympic Games artwork
 
 
After Hours character up close
Dev says his puzzle game is suffering on Steam because young people "don't know how to write emails anymore"
 
 
Leon Kennedy, wearing a black leather jacket, checks his watch in a hospital waiting room in Resident Evil Requiem
I own 23 Resident Evil figurines, and I'd still rather buy Requiem's amiibos instead of a $300 statue
 
 
Donald Duck: Goin' Quackers / Quack Attack promotional screenshots
Disney's forgotten Donald Duck PS2 game is harder than any FromSoftware title I've ever played
 
 
A screenshot of a To a T labeled with the GamesRadar+ Best of 2025 branding
"I wish I had the Katamari Damacy IP": To a T was meant to counter the "downer" vibes of 2019 America, but Keita Takahashi says it "didn't sell well" and fears it "just wasn't a good fit"
 
 
Latest in Sonic the Hedgehog
Mario and Sonic running side by side
Nintendo reportedly "demanded" Sega have Mario be always one step ahead of Sonic in all of the Olympic Games artwork
 
 
Sonic Rumble
The latest Sonic game is getting ripped apart on Steam: "In what world can you get a whole, fully featured, actually fun racing game for less than the price of 2 skins here"
 
 
Sonic in werehog form in Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds races through Chao Park
Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds has sold 1 million copies in under a month while the "overwhelmingly positive" Steam rating holds strong
 
 
Sonic Frontiers
Somewhere at Sonic Team is a whole "roadmap of Sonic titles," says head honcho Takashi Iizuka, and the devs "think about which game to release in which year"
 
 
Sonic x Shadow Generations
Sonic the Hedgehog's Takashi Iizuka said Sonic Adventure remakes aren't happening, but Sega just filed a trademark that's fueling hopes for a Shadow the Hedgehog revival
 
 
Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds screenshot of Sonic wagging his finger and looking behind as he soars through the air track in a blue car with numbered rings surrounding him
Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds has Sega's "secret sauce" thanks to the devs combining "the essence" of multiple other "legendary" racing games like OutRun and Initial D
 
 
Latest in Features
In Pokemon Pokopia, the transformed Ditto trainer takes a selfie looking aghast in front of a glowing piece of land where a relic is buried
I've spent 20 hours in Pokemon Pokopia obsessing over its mysterious world and what it hides beneath the surface
 
 
BG3
The future of RPGs is isometric
 
 
Photo of a Mario nendoroid figure holding a microSD Express card with a Turtle Beach Switch 2 case in the background.
These Mario Day-inspired Switch 2 accessories will power up your console more than a super star
 
 
Underside of Alienware 16 Area-51 gaming laptop with glass viewing window and RGB fans
We could get a shock when 2026 gaming laptop prices are unveiled, here's what you need to know about buying this year
 
 
Emily Rudd as Nami and Iñaki Godoy as Monkey D. Luffy in Netflix's One Piece
One Piece season 2 ending explained: Who is Mr. Zero? Who dies? Will there be a season 3?
 
 
In Hitman World of Assassination, Agent 47 sits at the departure gate in an airport during the loading screen
After weeks spent locked into Hitman's Freelancer mode, I realize there's one vital thing 007 First Light needs to learn
 
 
LATEST ARTICLES
  1. Steam logo from Valve
    1
    Valve peels back the curtain in rare Steam presentation: "More games are finding success" than ever, and nearly 6,000 made over $100,000 last year
  2. 2
    Peaky Blinders: The Immortal Man director explains how the Netflix movie differs from the show: "Inherently, it is more cinematic in its conception"
  3. 3
    The Dispatch leads had "a mix of arrogance and stupidity" as they faced down publishers telling them single-player narrative games were "niche, or worse, dead"
  4. 4
    Xbox lead thinks "we have been in a golden age for indies" since 2008, and it's "a fantastic time to be a developer" if you ignore all the smoke: "The present is awesome"
  5. 5
    The Future Games Show returns this week - here's how to watch

GamesRadar+ is part of Future US Inc, an international media group and leading digital publisher. Visit our corporate site.

Add as a preferred source on Google Add as a preferred source on Google
  • Terms and conditions
  • Contact Future's experts
  • Privacy policy
  • Cookies policy
  • Accessibility statement
  • Careers
  • About us
  • Advertise with us
  • Review guidelines
  • Write for us
  • Accessibility Statement

© Future US, Inc. Full 7th Floor, 130 West 42nd Street, New York, NY 10036.

Please login or signup to comment

Please wait...