Sonic the Hedgehog’s April Fool’s Day excursion was filled with references and surprises for veteran Sonic fans.
When Sonic the Hedgehog fans heard about a major announcement promising “a new direction” for the franchise, they weren’t expecting The Murder of Sonic the Hedgehog. On April Fools’ Day, Sega released a charming click-and-point graphic novel in which Sonic and his companions investigate a murder aboard the Mirage Express.
The Murder of Sonic the Hedgehog’s storytelling structure allows for plenty of opportunities to appreciate the game’s stunningly colourful art style. Of course, this entails searching every inch for Sonic-related Easter eggs. While some are evident, there are several that gamers may have overlooked while playing the massively popular game.
Sega DreamGear
It’s usually a good idea to consider what Sonic would do in every situation, but players were definitely not expecting this nostalgic trip. The isometric platformer stages are played on the DreamGear, a new Sega machine. However, as Sega enthusiasts would have noted, this handheld device is based on the Game Gear with a dash of Dreamcast thrown in.
The design is more reminiscent of the Game Gear than the Dreamcast, with the red, green, and blue logo clearly referencing the 8-bit platform. While stylistically distinct from the popular handheld of the 1990s, the Dream Gear’s pink to purple colour scheme, and, of course, the Sonic mini-game and its music, give it a vaporwave feel.
Cream The Rabbit
The Murder of Sonic the Hedgehog features many recognisable faces, but one bunny is left out of the action. Cream the Rabbit may have been too young to attend a murder-mystery party, but she was surely present in spirit. Blaze mentions her to Tails in the Casino car, and Knuckles offers they have Cream’s mother Vanilla serve supper for Amy’s next birthday.
If that isn’t enough, there are plenty of Chao on the Mirage Express to remind players of Cream’s best friend, Cheese. Big Chao Ban, the charming bouncer in the Casino car with funny spectacles and a moustache, is one of several.
The Trip Of A Lifetime
A green border appears as a prompt when players hover over clickable items in The Murder of Sonic the Hedgehog. What appear to be windows over the top of each railway car are actually billboards advertising various goods relating to the Sonic universe – but they only appear if players click on them.
Amy claims one wished her a happy birthday, but there are also advertisements for Chaos Cola and its “Here We Go” and “Primal Venom” flavours from Sonic Adventure 2 and another Sonic Adventure reference via the NiGHTS Pinball level from Casinopolis. Travel posters in some of the cars entice train passengers to visit prior franchise levels such as Sonic Adventure’s Twinkle Park, Sonic Rivals’ Colosseum Highway, and Sonic Advance 2’s Music Plant Zone.
Sonic’s Anniversary
Sonic the Hedgehog’s 32nd anniversary is celebrated in 2023, and this game does not let players forget it. The Conductor says at the start that this is his final voyage after 32 years of service and that he and his wife will have a special excursion to Spagonia, a Sonic franchise country near Greece.
Speaking of key dates, Amy’s birthday falls on April Fool’s Day, which is also noted on the blueprints Rogue discovers in the Library car. The code for the safe is 230401, which is the date The Murder of Sonic the Hedgehog was launched.
Sonic Frontiers References
Sonic Frontiers, the last mainline game in the Sonic series, took the franchise in a completely new path, much like The Murder of Sonic the Hedgehog. While many people were surprised by this game, it appears to be canon within the Sonic timeline, as Sonic Frontiers is mentioned in two important ways.
Before taking on the speeding train, Sonic specifically cites his “last adventure” in Sonic Frontiers, stating that “maxing out my ring count gave me an extra boost of speed.” When Dr. Eggman’s scheme is foiled at the end of Drift Boss game, it cuts to him sitting with Metal Sonic and Sage, who are both wearing party hats and shirts that say, “Let’s go, dad!” Dr. Eggman also advises turning Sonic and his friends into robots so Sage can play with them.
Train Full Of Chao
Despite Cream’s absence, there is plenty of Chao on the train, both literally and in the form of artwork. Players may have missed the two amusing posters depicting two Chao in perilous positions in the Library and Saloon cars, both of which are directly mentioned by Tails via clickable clues.
Tails is irritated to see Omochao on a wanted poster in the Saloon car, but he finds inspiration in the “Hang in There!” poster. “That’s lovely. “If this Chao can stick to his principles and find strength, I can as well,” he observes.
Memories Of Sonic Unleashed
Aside from Spagonia, another Sonic Unleashed reference may be found in The Murder of Sonic the Hedgehog. The player can initiate a chat with Tails by clicking on the globe in the Library car. When they ask the fox if he’s been to Spagonia, he replies and thanks Professor Pickle.
Professor Pickle, as Sonic Unleashed fans will know, is a supporting character that works at Spagonia University and is an expert in ancient literature. When Dr. Eggman kidnaps the professor, he finds himself in a predicament, but happily Sonic, Tails, and Chip come to his rescue.
My Head Is Spinning
Sonic Heroes’ characters had a lot of interesting (and occasionally unpleasant) dialogues, and the writers managed to incorporate one classic line into The Murder of Sonic the Hedgehog. After the train accelerates to full speed, the player, Tails, and Amy become trapped in the Dining car’s pantry.
As the trio awakens, the player inquires about Tail and Amy, to which Tails responds, “Yeah, my head’s spinning a bit, but I’m ok!” That “my head’s spinning” line will bring back memories for any Sonic Heroes player, whether voiced or not.
Sonic Iconography
Each Mirage Express car features subtle allusions to the Sonic brand in its appearance, and it doesn’t take long to spot them. The vases in the Dining car, for example, resemble the flowers found in Green Hill Zone, the Lounge car has a Chaos Emerald chandelier, and the slot machine in the Casino car has rings and Chaos Emeralds.
The doors going from the Casino car to the Lounge car resemble a Star Spring, as does the Big Chao Band’s bass drum, while the chair in the Conductor’s car resembles a yellow Jump Spring.
The Murder of Sonic the Hedgehog is now available for PC.