Sonic's 30th Anniversary is the focus of the latest Retro Gamer

Sonic The Hedgehog — (Image credit: Sega)

The new issue of Retro Gamer celebrates Sonic’s 30th 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.”

Iizuka also talks about the difficulties of making games that focus on speed, how the musical collaborations of many Sonic 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.”

In addition to our exclusive 12-page Sonic celebration, issue 221 also includes a 32-page mini-magazine devoted to the hedgehog’s most interesting and popular games. 40 titles are covered in total, from Sonic’s original Mega Drive debut to the 2019 release, Sonic Team Racing. In short, if you love Sonic you don’t want to miss our next issue. Other highlights of issue 221 include a look at the Spy Vs Spy series, behind the scenes features on No One Lives Forever, They Stole A Million and Shantae, an interview with the legendary TV presenter Violet Berlin and a look at the Pico-8, gaming’s virtual console which is taking the retro scene by storm.

Issue 221 of Retro Gamer is on sale now. Don’t miss it!