Sonic was created for the videogame Sonic the Hedgehog which was released in 1991 for the Sega Megadrive, and he was created as a direct competitor to Nintendos Mario Bros franchise. Sega wanted to create a character that was "cooler" than Mario and had more of an attitude, and because of this they could capture the teen demographic, as well as drive in the younger demographic considering how kids often like what teenagers like. Since Sega was able to appeal to both demographics, they successfully created an icon that was adored by both teens and kids alike.
Considering how Sonic was created in retaliation to Mario, the strong use of Blue as a primary colour for hsi design helps set him apart from Mario who has a very striking use of Red as a primary colour for their design, as well as any other character within the Mario games. This is very important as mascot characters like Sonic can easily be shunned in the eyes of the public if they appear to just be a 'ripoff' of an already existing mascot (in this case Mario).
Another thing that helps Sonic stand out as an iconic game character is how his character design ties in with the gameplay. In Sonic games the player can run at high speeds and often the goal is to beat the stage as quickly as possible. The running shoes that Sonic has reflects this rather nicely. Sonics general shape also reflects this considering that he has an 'aerodynamic' quality to him. He seems like he wouldn't give the air much resistance as he runs through it.
Much like Mario, he also has a very recognizable Silhouette:
Like Mario again, considering how long Sonic has been around his design has been changed over the years. Before he used to be much shorter, however he still had the same attitude that he is known for, as well as those iconic shoes.
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