Sonic the hedgehog is still going strong!

In recent years the gaming industry has exploded into mainstream culture and has intertwined itself into the fabric of everyday life. The success of gaming can be traced back to the classic systems of the 90's, the glorious days of Nintendo and Sega. Yet we all know that the weight of a consoles success always depends on that one defining game. When picturing this perfect synergy of a console and that one game most people will point to Xbox and Halo. Yet everyone who grew up in the 90's knows that this synergy started way back, when Sega and Sonic the Hedgehog meshed together so perfectly.

Sonic the Hedgehog, known as that speedy blue ball of fury, was first birthed by Sega as its "mascot" of sorts. Sega eventually saw the potential of the blue hedgehog as a hit game series and released the first installment in 1991. Sega rode on the coattails of their prodigy as Sonic soared through loops and jumps on TV screens across America and sub sequentially turning Sega into a leading video game company.

From 1991 to 1994 Sega churned out three hit titles starring Sonic and a fourth with Sonic sharing the spotlight with his pal, Knuckles. Sonic barrel rolled out of his 2d home and set foot into a lush 3D environment, in Sonic Adventures for Dreamcast, and never looked back.

Sonic's creator, Sega, decided to drop out of the hardware market in 2001 and allowed Sonic to step into the consoles of its former competitor, Nintendo. After seeing major success on the Nintendo platform, Sega decided to also allow Playstation and Xbox the privilege of selling the Sonic series. In 2006, Sonic the Hedgehog found his series in the form of a star, a part of the honorable "Walk of Game". Almost two decades and 7 console generations after its initial debut, Sonic the Hedgehog is still going strong, with a new hit game on next-gen consoles, Xbox 360 and PS3.

Kristen has been a sonic the hedgehog fan since 1991. Find more information on sonic the hedgehog and sonic games at http://www.sonicgame.info.