After almost thirty years from the first appearance on the small screen, dated 1993 with Adventures of Sonic the Hedgehog, the beloved blue hedgehog returns once again to conquer all fans of the series. Officially released this December 15 on the streaming platform Netflix, Sonic Prime stands as a direct heir to the past adventures of the mascot SAWproposing a new and unprecedented adventure that will know how to please young and old.
The series is produced by the studio wildbrain and written by Man of Action Entertainmentstudy author of Bakugan Battle Planet And Mega Man: Fully Chargedwithout forgetting the highly anticipated video game Metal Slug Tacticsexpected this near 2023. Sonic Prime it currently has eight episodes and they are all currently available on the page Netflix dedicated. In the three hours it will take us to enjoy the whole mini-adventure, we will see the hedgehog Sonic get in touch with different parallel realities and “run” beyond his limits to find his lost friends. But it will be successful Sonic Prime to return the eponymous protagonist to the same success of the 90s?
- Original title: Sonic Prime
- Italian title: Sonic prime
- Exit: December 15, 2022
- Platform: Netflix
- Genre: Children’s TV, TV cartoons
- Number of episodes: 8 (of 24)
- Duration: 43 minutes the first episode, 25 minutes the remaining seven
- animation studio: wildbrain
- Adapted from: SEGA video games
- Tongue: Italian, English or Japanese (dubbing), Italian (subtitles)
We reviewed Sonic Pime by watching the first eight episodes on Netflix thanks to early access.
Sonic Prime begins by showing us the daily life of the homonymous protagonist, continually grappling with the shady plans of the Dr. Eggmanhis nemesis par excellence, and continually looking for a way to transform Green Hill in his private city. During yet another battle, Sonic collides with the Paradox Prisma crystal of unknown properties and hidden in the depths of a mountain a Green Hill. At the destruction of the crystal, Sonic is swallowed by a mysterious portal, link to a dark futuristic city. Now alone, his first goal will be to find his lost friends: Knuckles, Amy, Shadow, Big, Rouge And Tails. It will be precisely the meeting with the latter, now unconscious of who he is Sonicto reveal that they are a New York Citya modern one Green Hill arisen after the destruction of the previous one by the hand of Chaos Council. Thanks to the new version of Tailsrenamed Nine because of the nine robotic tails he created, Sonic will also come into possession of new gloves and shoes, capable not only of containing its great energy, but also of adapting to the new parallel world in which it will find itself. In the rest of the episodes that make up the series, we’ll see Sonic run in the direction of the only crystal fragment in the city, discovering the truth behind it…
What a beautiful team!
As mentioned a few lines ago, Sonic he will be accompanied for almost the entirety of the adventure by his iconic friends, a symbol (and focal point of the entire story) of how friendship is the greatest power in the hands of the protagonist. The surprise though was to see one great care not only in their main representation in the canon universe of Sonicbut also in the details of each of their alternate versions of the various universes, from the rebels of New York Citymoving on to the jackals of the forest, up to the pirates commanded by the reveler Captain Terrible. Each alternative representation offers a perfect excuse to insert small references to the videogame universe, always teasing the viewer’s attention. Just to give some examples, we find theAmy from New York Cityhalf porcupine and half cyborg, which is impossible not to connect to Metal Sonicthe Sonic robot created by Dr. Eggman and who kidnapped Amy in Sonic CDs. Or (to stay on topic “Amy” and avoid as much anticipation as possible) we greatly appreciated seeing consistency also in the weapons used by the characters, such as his “guardian of the forest” version, equipped with a huge hammer that is easily attributable to his Piko Piko, although not present in other versions of the same character. Despite a large number of secondary characters, as well as different versions of the Dr. Eggmanwe would not have minded being able to see even a few more characters, such as Cream, Blaze, Silverthe Chaotix team or the unforgettable Chao.
However, in apparent contradiction of our last words, we find one of the most serious defects of Sonic Primethe very little deepening of the secondary characters: in addition to Tails And Knuckles, each character really counts for very few (or even absent) background about their past with Sonic and on the reasons that push the latter to be so tied to them. A few more episodes would have granted a more relaxed narrative that would have given more space to the other characters who fight alongside Sonic, where we are told very little within this first group of episodes, if not some basic information. We strongly hope that all this can be resolved with the other episodes of the series released during the year.
One of the greatest strengths of the series lies instead in the clashes. In fact, these have been able to faithfully reproduce on the screen the various peculiarities typical of each character during the fights, often also giving a pinch of hilarity. In fact, comedy will be the master of the screen for three quarters of each episode, leaving the viewer rarely bored between one fight and another, making even the older ones smile.
From 6 to 99 years old
Sonic Prime it is clearly a product aimed at the little ones, with themes and dialogues that have a lot in common with other exponents of the same genre, such as the central role of friendship. But is it correct to say that it is a product aimed solely at children? Well, no, and for various reasons. One of all is the presence of several easter eggs that the younger ones would certainly have a hard time understanding. Among these we find for example the password of the laboratory Nine to New York City, 1992which may seem insignificant at first glance, but is actually the date of publication of Sonic the Hedgehog 2the character’s debut chapter Tails.
The same situation concerns the character of Bigcalled from a drone “Citizen 1-9-9-8“, clear reference to the year 1998, the year in which the character is introduced in the original game world. Easier to interpret at the citation level we find the memories of the first meetings between Sonic And Tails or Sonic And Knuckles, represented in 2D, so as to recall the style of the video games in which the meeting actually took place. These references, combined with a very enjoyable storyline and well-crafted fights, certainly pay off Sonic Prime a product that can be used by all ages, especially if we are looking for something light, not too demanding and which focuses mainly on the nostalgia factor.
Sonic international, but still original
The series is available on Netflix with the Italian dubbing edited by Marisa Della Pasquawho sees the unmistakable Renato Novara in the role of the protagonist Sonicthe mighty Maurizio Merluzzo in the role of the stubborn Knuckles, Benedetta Ponticelli in the role of Tails, Serena Clerici in the role of Amy And Claudio Moneta And Aldo Stella in their respective roles Shadow And Dr. Eggman. The Italian dubbing is very enjoyable, with an excellent emphasis both in the more comical moments and in the fights. The dubbing is available in Italian, English (original dubbing), Japanese and thirty-one other languages, making the title usable practically all over the world. We regretted the absence of a real soundtrack at the beginning and end of each episode, with simple and short musical tracks only during some more agitated battles. An opening theme would have provided, in our opinion, that additional touch of link to the work which thus remains all too much a product that begins and ends quietly.
You may also notice that all the characters featured within the Sonic Prime they are based on the polygonal models also seen in video games, thus obtaining a design and proportions that come directly from the most recent works. In fact, various treatments have been added to the textures and surfaces of the characters to make them more in tune with the new Shatterverse specially created for the occasion.
Who do we recommend Sonic Prime to?
All fans of Sonic they will find in Sonic Prime the perfect combination of nostalgia and noveltysatisfying even the most fond of the old series Sonic from the 90s. The work is in fact currently the most faithful to the first works of the videogame world, especially if compared with the more recent sonic boom. Likewise the little ones will be able to enjoy one of the best animated transpositions of Sonic, able to involve them every second and introduce them to the iconic blue hedgehog as we remember it. Also recommended for video game enthusiasts who do not know the aforementioned protagonist and are afraid of not sufficiently understanding the various relationships that exist in the group. If the title is perfect for introducing the character to the little ones, it is equally perfect for making it known to the older and less informed. Finally, all the enthusiasts of the themes will also be satisfied What if..? where parallel and alternative realities are certainly not lacking.
- Fun and lighthearted
- A connecting product between different generations
- Lots of quotes for fans of the series
- Little background on the secondary characters
- No real soundtrack
- The plot itself may seem redundant
Sonic Prime
One of the best Sonic TV adaptations
Sonic Prime is undoubtedly one of the best adaptations of Sonic’s adventures made for the small screen, placing itself as a product of connection between different generations. The older ones can nostalgically relive the hours spent on the old games SAW, also feeling that pinch of satisfaction in grasping the many references. On the other hand, the little ones will find an excellent product to get to know it for the first time perhaps, discovering one of the protagonists who made the history of the videogame world. Too bad the absence of a fair insight into the other secondary characters, which we hope will be filled with the release of future episodes.
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