Why is Sonic a hedgehog?

Why is Sonic a hedgehog?

Are hedgehogs known for being fast?

Because hedgehogs curl up into a ball, which works well for the momentum-centric pinball platformer premise.

The hedgehog part is because he rolls into a ball to protect himself.

He's a rat.

They wanted to emphasize the physics engine by having a character with exaggerated physics when they curled up into a ball. It was either that or an armadillo (the armadillo concept got re-used for Mighty The Armadillo)

Why doesn't he have thick thighs and wider hips?
That's the real question

...

This.

This is why every Sonic game that does not have momentum-centric gameplay and physics, which is most of them, baffle me. If Sonic isn't rolling down hills in order to go fast then the name "Sonic the Hedgehog" becomes meaningless in and of itself.

It's games like Sonic and The Secret Rings that really make me wonder what the hell they were thinking. Play that game again and actually pay attention to how seldom Sonic actually, physically, curls into a ball.

Thank god we still have games made by fans who still remember why Sonic is a hedgehog in the first place.

Why is Sonic blue?
Are hedgehogs known for being blue?

No, but SEGA is.

Adventure 2 definitely does it right, rolling removes the speed limit placed on you when you're running, to get the very best times you have to know where and when to roll and deal with the more weighty controls when rolling.

>thank god we still have games made by fans who still remember why Sonic is a hedgehog in the first place.
>posts an overrated fangame that has shit physics and level design

I think after a certain point the devs didn't even care about why he was a hedgehog in the first place and just went full furry for the sake of it

I'm convinced the same people that love After the Sequel are the ones that praise CD as the best Sonic game. They both fucking nail the aesthetic and soundtrack. They knock it out of the park in those regards, but when it comes to playing them they shit the bed.

I suppose Adventure and Adventure 2 had okay physics, yeah.

The visuals honestly aren't even that great either, they scream of lazy MS-Paint bullshit. My theory is that BtS/AtS are only so widely praised because they're probably two of the only fangames out there that have actually been seen through to completion. Most of them crap out after a one-zone demo.

Why does Sonic wear shoes?

Are hedgehogs known for wearing shoes?

>SEGA should just make the same 2D game every year instead of attempting to innovate because muh momentum
fuck off retard

I haven't played AtS, but CD is good. Not as good as the original, 2, or 3&K, but I liked it. You'll never hear me say CD is the best or underrated, but I definitely don't hate it.

>muh momentum
Yeah, you're really smart for trivializing the thing the series is built around buddy. Very perceptive!

>when it comes to playing them they shit the bed.
>comparing CD to a fangame

>SEGA should just make the same 2D game every year instead of attempting to innovate because muh momentum
Nobody even said that or ANYTHING like it. They could make a 3D Sonic that doesn't trivialize physics and doesn't neglect the ball form. Hell, the Adventures' speed gameplay wasn't far off and Utopia, though merely a tech demo, shows some small slither of potential.

Stop assuming every time someone mentions physics that they're some hardcore Sonic 2-only elitist. You're better than that.