THE FUSE

Sonic the Hedgehog has had its ups and downs over the years, but mostly downs in the 2010s. In particular, a big low point was 2014’s Sonic Boom: Rise of Lyric, which was critically panned. But the decade also gave rise to one of the most highly acclaimed Sonic games ever, 2017’s 2D Sonic Mania. At Anime Expo 2026, Sega celebrated the franchise’s 35th anniversary by hosting a panel called “Sonic the Hedgehog Animated Shorts: A Frame-by-Frame Retrospective,” which detailed how Sonic Mania came to be and its impact on reviving the franchise.