History Trivia / SonictheHedgehog

* RoleEndingMisdemeanor: Creator/VicMignogna was taken of his role as [=E-123=] Omega after sexual misconduct allegations came to light, as was replaced with Creator/AaronLaPlante.

** The unfortunate cause of ''Sonic X-Treme''[='=]s {{Vaporware}} status, as well as the replacement of all the game voice actors with their ''Anime/SonicX'' counterparts.

** The reason Classic Sonic rarely appears in newer games is because Sega has a mandate that Modern and Classic Sonic can't appear alongside each other unless time travel is involved (such was the case with ''VideoGame/SonicGenerations'' and ''VideoGame/SonicForces''). Classic Sonic was considered for an appearance in ''[[VideoGame/SegaSuperstars Sonic & All-Stars Racing Transformed]]'', but Sega shot it down for this reason. Their [[https://www.sonicstadium.org/2014/11/a-not-so-little-look-at-sonic-the-hedgehog-2014-classic-style-guide/ style guide]] also says that Classic and Modern Sonic artwork cannot be combined in any product.

** In contrast to the far looser grip they had in the 1990's, Sega has become infamous since the 2010s for the amount of mandates they have imposed over any property or company that tries to use Sonic, including themselves, although the exact truth on just how overbearing these mandates typically are may have been distorted. The likely reason for why SEGA's given tighter restrictions may be due to how certain adaptations such as the [[ComicBook/SonicTheHedgehogArchieComics original Archie comics universe]] were known for [[InNameOnly diverging greatly from their original source material]], with SEGA wishing to rectify this following the legal mess that led to those comics' ContinuityReboot. With the new comics' continuity more closely following the games, SEGA put stronger rules on what ''Sonic'' comics were allowed to show— such as that game characters cannot have romantic relationships or family members that are not already present in the games— with it being believed by some that this led to the Archie books' cancellation due to a stifling of creative freedom. The following [[ComicBook/SonicTheHedgehogIDW IDW books]] have a similar relationship with SEGA guidelines, of which is described in detail [[ExecutiveMeddling/SonicTheHedgehogIDW here]].

** Sega has become infamous for the amount of mandates they have imposed over any property or company that tries to use Sonic, including themselves. This is especially bad with [[ComicBook/SonicTheHedgehogArchieComics the]] [[ComicBook/SonicTheHedgehogIDW comics]] as it was arguably in part because of the mandates (added in after Issue 250) that the former was cancelled after 24 years. Many feel that the even stricter mandates that came to be for the latter severely limit what it can do or show.
*** Notable mandates include Sonic [[UnableToCry banned from crying]], none of the game cast able to have more family members, nobody able to die, and none of the characters allowed to be in romantic relationships.

* CreativeDifferences: Tom Kalinske, former CEO of Sega of America, [[http://www.polygon.com/features/2017/3/23/14916766/former-sega-america-ceo-tom-kalinske-on-sonics-missteps-and-future said in an interview]] that he believes that Sega of Japan hated all the changes Sega of America was making to the series. He states that Sega of Japan resented that they had "softened" the character, as Sonic was originally envisioned as having sharp teeth, a busty girlfriend and was the front for a rock band, but Sega of America changed his appearance to better market the series globally.[[note]]Ironically, it would be the western ''Sonic'' shows and comics that would establish the character as a rebellious but heroic teenager who loved rock and roll. Furthermore, Sega would later make a rule stating that there would no true romantic couples in the ''Sonic'' franchise.[[/note]] Kalinske also believes that this resentment is part of the reason why the series had a weak presence on the Sega Saturn despite its massive western audience.[[note]]though the real reason was that Creator/SonicTeam was creatively burnt out on the franchise after ''VideoGame/Sonic3AndKnuckles'' and wanted to make original titles, with the proposed Saturn mainline Sonic game, ''VideoGame/SonicXtreme'', getting assigned to a [[BTeamSequel B-Team]] and then cancelled after a serious TroubledProduction. By the time Sonic Team had come back to the series and were beginning to start development on their 3D ''Sonic'' game, Sega had already began to shift development to the UsefulNotes/SegaDreamcast, which, combined with hardware limitations, would cause that 3D Sonic game to get [[MovedToTheNextConsole moved to the Dreamcast]], becoming ''VideoGame/SonicAdventure''.[[/note]]

* FranchiseZombie: After the series hit its peak with ''VideoGame/Sonic3AndKnuckles'', Sonic Team, burned out on their namesake series, focused on making original titles. Meanwhile, Sega, not willing to retire their cash cow, tried to continue the ''Sonic'' franchise without them to no success. After Sega Technical Institute's[[note]]Who made ''VideoGame/ComixZone'' for the Genesis[[/note]] ''Sonic X-treme'' - Sonic's intended VideoGame3DLeap on the UsefulNotes/SegaSaturn - [[{{Vaporware}} failed to make it to shelves]], Sega finally got Sonic Team back to give the series [[VideoGame/SonicAdventure a proper 3D title]] for the UsefulNotes/SegaDreamcast. Even then, ''Sonic Adventure'' (which had Yuji Naka and Naoto Ohshima on board) was the last game any of Sonic’s creators worked on directly until ''VideoGame/SonicSuperstars''. Ohshima left Sega after ''Sonic Adventure'' finished development in 1998 to form Artoon for unknown reasons. Yasuhara didn't participate in ''Sonic Adventure'' because he had quit Sonic Team after ''Sonic 3 & Knuckles'', ultimately leaving Sega for Creator/NaughtyDog in 2002. Naka himself left Sega in 2006 to form Prope as he was tired of [[KickedUpstairs being stuck with (executive) producer roles]] for original [=IPs=] made by Sonic Team. The series sticks around as it is one of Sega's few remaining [[CashCowFranchise cash cows]], but it has had wild ups and downs since then.

** The UsefulNotes/SegaPico games ''Sonic the Hedgehog's Gameworld'' and ''Tails And The Music Maker'' and PC game ''Sonic's Schoolhouse'' also remain in limbo.
** ''VideoGame/SonicPocketAdventure'' for the UsefulNotes/NeoGeoPocketColor and the [[PortingDisaster infamous]] Game.Com port of Sonic Jam have also never seen any rerelease.

** While the UsefulNotes/GameGear versions of the 8-bit platformers remain easily accessible, the same can't be said for their UsefulNotes/SegaMasterSystem equivalents as they've never had an official re-release outside of the Wii Virtual Console, which is now defunct, making them currently impossible to legally obtain outside of buying the original cartridges.

* KillerApp: The original Sonic games for the UsefulNotes/SegaGenesis, and arguably the ''Sonic Adventure'' games for the Dreamcast.

*** There also was a lawsuit involving ''VideoGame/SonicChronicles''[[note]]Which also where the game's controversy comes from.[[/note]] that began all the way back in 2011. In which, former ''ComicBook/SonicTheHedgehogArchieComics'' head writer Creator/KenPenders filed a federal lawsuit against Electronic Arts[[note]][=BioWare=]'s parent company[[/note]] and Sega of America for alleged copyright infringements in the game, including the characters of the Nocturnus Clan, with Penders noting their appearance and narrative backstory being too similar to his Dark Legion echidna characters, taking the companies to court to disprove their claim, the case was dismissed in September 2011 (only for Penders to refile the case days later). And in October 2013, Sega ended up winning the case against Penders and EA, so they have full ownership of all the ''Chornicles''-made characters, and Penders was left unable to file the case again unless characters and concepts from ''Sonic Chronicles'' are used again. Ever since this, it's very unlikely that ''Chronicles'' [[StillBornFranchise will ever receive a sequel]], and that [[ExiledFromContinuity Shade, Ix and the Marauders will ever be seen in another]] ''[[ExiledFromContinuity Sonic]]'' [[ExiledFromContinuity media again]].

*** There also is lawsuit involving ''VideoGame/SonicChronicles''[[note]]Which also where the game's controversy comes from.[[/note]] that began all the way back in 2011. In which, former ''ComicBook/SonicTheHedgehogArchieComics'' head writer Creator/KenPenders filed a federal lawsuit against Electronic Arts[[note]][=BioWare=]'s parent company[[/note]] and Sega of America for alleged copyright infringements in the game, taking the companies to court to disprove their claim, the case was dismissed in September 2011. And in October 2013, Sega ended up winning the case against Penders and EA, so they have full ownership of all the ''Chornicles''-made characters. Ever since this, it's very unlikely that ''Chronicles'' [[StillBornFranchise will ever receive a sequel]], and that [[ExiledFromContinuity Shade, Ix and the Marauders will ever be seen in another]] ''[[ExiledFromContinuity Sonic]]'' [[ExiledFromContinuity media again]].

*** One lawsuit involved ''VideoGame/SonicChronicles''[[note]]Which also where the game's controversy comes from.[[/note]] that began all the way back in 2011, where former ''ComicBook/SonicTheHedgehogArchieComics'' head writer Creator/KenPenders filed a federal lawsuit against Electronic Arts ([=BioWare=]'s parent company) and Sega of America for alleged copyright infringements in the game, taking the companies to court to disprove their claim, the case was dismissed in September 2011. And in October 2013, Sega ended up winning the case against Penders and EA, so they have full ownership of all the ''Chornicles''-made characters. Ever since this, it's very unlikely that ''Chronicles'' [[StillBornFranchise will ever receive a sequel]], and that [[ExiledFromContinuity Shade, Ix and the Marauders will ever be seen in another]] ''[[ExiledFromContinuity Sonic]]'' [[ExiledFromContinuity media again]].

* ExiledFromContinuity: Any content or characters created from outside the main series games are not allowed to be used in them or in future Sonic media. This is due to a combination of legal issues (at least in the case of the [[ScrewedByTheLawyers nasty legal battles]] regarding the Archie Sonic comics, since their entire character roster [[http://archiesoniconline.com/board/index.php?topic=1553.0 is now hanging in legal limbo]]) and, [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iw-BaVS8oyc&t=1982s per word of Ian Flynn]], Sega simply not being keen on giving attention to past incarnations of Sonic that aren't their own (i.e. the three [=DiC=] cartoons, the OVA, Sonic the Comic, etc.) and wanting to keep the focus on Modern Sonic product, and have thus forbidden using them.

* ScrewedByTheLawyers: The reason the original Sonic the Hedgehog theme is so rarely heard is because the rights to the song are owned by Dreams Come True, and Sega has to pay royalties to them for using it. They almost ran into trouble with this in ''VideoGame/SonicSpinball'', which originally used the theme without authorization from Dreams Come True under the assumption that Sega owned the song--they found out it was not the case just days before shipping, so the song was hastily DummiedOut of the game and replaced with new music. Additionally the original soundtrack [=CDs=] for both the first and second game itself didn't see any release until ''2011'' by Masato Nakamura himself.

* ExiledFromContinuity:
** Any content or characters created from outside the main series games are not allowed to be used in them or in future Sonic media. This is due to a combination of legal issues (at least in the case of the [[ScrewedByTheLawyers nasty legal battles]] regarding the Archie Sonic comics, since their entire character roster [[http://archiesoniconline.com/board/index.php?topic=1553.0 is now hanging in legal limbo]]) and, [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iw-BaVS8oyc&t=1982s per word of Ian Flynn]], Sega simply not being keen on giving attention to past incarnations of Sonic that aren't their own (i.e. the three [=DiC=] cartoons, the OVA, Sonic the Comic, etc.) and wanting to keep the focus on Modern Sonic product, and have thus forbidden using them.
** Characters exclusive to Classic Sonic's world (e.g. Mighty, Ray, Nack/Fang, Bean, and Bark) aren't showing up in games or media set in Modern Sonic's world, due to the modern "Classic" games now considered separate franchise as of ''Sonic Mania''.

* AccidentalDownerEnding: ** ''VideoGame/SonicChroniclesTheDarkBrotherhood'': After successfully defeating Ix and saving the universe, Sonic and co. return to Earth to find Eggman conquered the world in their absence. And then right as it looks like the Blue Cyclone is about to crash, Sonic, Tails, and Omega interrupt the scene with a credits roll. The game's title and Sequel Hook suggested that Sonic Chronicles was planned to be a full-fledged series, but Creator/BioWare becoming a part of Creator/ElectronicArts and closing down handheld game development prevented them from making a sequel. Poor sales and the Ken Penders lawsuit (though Sega won the case) killed any chance of it being put into the hands of anyone else, and the game has rarely been acknowledged by Sega since its release (and has since been declared non-canon).

* KeepCirculatingTheTapes: The bulk of the original games have seen a rerelease in some form, but there are a handful of titles that haven't and probably won't get ports anytime soon:

** The Genesis versions of ''Sonic the Hedgehog'', ''Sonic the Hedgehog 2'', ''Sonic 3 & Knuckles'', and the 2011 remaster of ''Sonic CD'' were delisted from digital distribution for the 7th generation of consoles and Steam in preparation of ''Sonic Origins'' which contains remasters of the aforementioned games. The mobile versions of ''Sonic 1'', ''2'', and ''CD'', and the 3D and SEGA Ages versions of ''Sonic 1'' and ''2'' on 3DS and Switch respectively are the only surviving releases, leaving the only way to legally obtain ''Sonic 3 & Knuckles'' is through ''Sonic Origins''. ''Sonic 1'' and ''2'' are also included in the Sega Genesis Mini, and Sega Genesis Mini 2 has the original Sega CD version of ''Sonic CD''.

** Mild, but Yuji Naka said that he feels the more recent Sonic games aren't as fun as the older ones, his main complaint being that [[ItsEasySoItSucks they're too easy]].
** Sega is not too fond of Sonic 2006 and the black mark PR damage it gave them, even apologizing for its multiple issues. Despite including (refined) elements of it in the series MilestoneCelebration, ''VideoGame/SonicGenerations'', Sega was [[SelfDeprecation modest enough to joke about its mixed reputation in one ad]]; while it was very impartial to the previous Sonic games it celebrated, once it got to ''Sonic the Hedgehog (2006)'', the music stopped and Sonic got an angry look on his face.

** Sonic Team openly despised the early [[AmericanKirbyIsHardcore American "Mohawk quill" redesign]] of Sonic featured in box and promo art, even seeing it as redundant because Sonic was designed to appeal to western audiences in the first place, and only relented when they felt that it and other Americanized changes to the series did help Sonic get off the ground in the long run. It became a moot point when the redesign was retired in artwork in favor of the original Japanese design by the mid 90s.

* ActingForTwo: In ''Anime/SonicX'' and the games through 2005-2010, Creator/JasonGriffith did both Sonic and Shadow — not to mention Jet the Hawk in ''VideoGame/SonicRiders''. Creator/JaleelWhite also voiced Sonic, Sonia, and Manic in ''WesternAnimation/SonicUnderground''. Ryan Drummond who portrayed Sonic in the old(er) pre-4Kids games also voiced Knuckles in ''VideoGame/SonicShuffle''. On top of that, he and Metal Sonic shared the same voice actor in both the Japanese and American versions of ''VideoGame/SonicHeroes''.

** The [[VideoGame/SonicRushSeries Sol Dimension]] was originally coined as such by an unknown editor at Sonic News Network -- officially, it was only generically known as Blaze's world, contrasting Sonic's world. It was picked up by the ''Sonic the Hedgehog Sticker Collection''.

** Sonic's popularity in the early 90's spawned many knockoff MascotWithAttitude characters, including VideoGame/{{Bubsy}}, {{VideoGame/Awesome Possum|KicksDrMachinosButt}}, [[VideoGame/RocketKnightAdventures Sparkster the Opossum]], VideoGame/{{Zool}}, and VideoGame/AeroTheAcrobat.

** Blaze's origin has flip-flopped between an alternate dimension and the future. ''Sonic Rush'' was released first and established Blaze as the princess of the Sol dimension. Then ''Sonic 06'' and its supplementary material claimed she was from the future with Silver, only for her to be sealed into another dimension at the end of the game (the game's [[Creator/ShiroMaekawa writer]] assumed she was integrated into the alternate dimension as its princess as a result). Then at Sonic Boom 2012, Takashi Iizuka confirmed that Blaze is originally from the Sol dimension and that her ''06'' backstory should be ignored. He still didn't explain why she was in the future with Silver in ''Sonic 06'', though at this point it's likely that [[LetUsNeverSpeakOfThisAgain it's not pressing enough of a question to get answered]].

** Blaze's home goes back and forth between being an alternate dimension[[note]]The ''Sonic Rush'' series[[/note]] and the future[[note]]''Sonic 2006''[[/note]]. [[WordOfGod Iizuka has, at Sonic Boom 2012,]] confirmed that Blaze is in fact from the Sol Dimension, and that ''[='=]06''[='=]s backstory for her should be ignored. He still didn't explain why she appeared to be from the future in ''Sonic 2006'', though at this point it's likely that [[LetUsNeverSpeakOfThisAgain they no longer care either]].

** The [[VideoGame/SonicRushSeries Sol Dimension]] was originally coined as such by an unknown editor at [[TheWikiRule Sonic News Network]] -- officially, it was only generically known as Blaze's world, contrasting Sonic's world. It was picked up by the ''Sonic the Hedgehog Sticker Collection''.
** When VideoGame/{{S|onicTheHedgehog2}}hellcraker and [[VideoGame/Sonic3AndKnuckles Snale Blaster]] respectively reappeared in ''VideoGame/SonicTheHedgehog4 - Episode I'' and ''VideoGame/SonicRunners'', their names were officially updated to Shellcracker and Snail Blaster. These Badniks' {{spell|MyNameWithAnS}}ings come from [[TheWikiRule Sonic Retro]].

* TheWikiRule: [[https://sonic.fandom.com/wiki/Sonic_News_Network Sonic News Network]] and [[http://info.sonicretro.org/ Sonic Retro]].

* TropeNamers for:
** BadFuture
** CasinoPark
** EternalEngine
** GreenHillZone
** PalmtreePanic
** {{Studiopolis}}
** SuperMode
** UltimateLifeForm

** [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=znt9k40nLN4 This]] trailer showing clips of the various Sonic console games throughout the years, with Sonic himself looking pretty exasperated once they get to ''VideoGame/SonicHeroes'' (around the time the critical backlash of the games began). Also, much more polished beta footage of ''[[VideoGame/SonicTheHedgehog2006 '06]]'' is used, as well as only the daytime stages of ''[[VideoGame/SonicUnleashed Unleashed]]''. However, ''[[VideoGame/SonicStorybookSeries Sonic and the Black Knight]]'' is completely omitted from the video, whilst its predecessor, ''Sonic and the Secret Rings'' notably ''wasn't''.

** SEGA has become infamous for the amount of mandates they have imposed over any property or company that tries to use Sonic, including themselves. This is especially bad with [[ComicBook/SonicTheHedgehogArchieComics the]] [[ComicBook/SonicTheHedgehogIDW comics]] as it was arguably in part because of the mandates (added in after Issue 250) that the former was cancelled after 24 years. Many feel that the even stricter mandates that came to be for the latter severely limit what it can do or show.
** The reason Classic Sonic rarely appears in newer games is because Sega has a mandate that Modern and Classic Sonic can't appear alongside each other unless time travel is involved (such was the case with ''VideoGame/SonicGenerations'' and ''VideoGame/SonicForces''). Classic Sonic was considered for an appearance in ''Sega & Sonic All Stars Racing Transformed'', but Sega shot it down for this reason. Their [[https://www.sonicstadium.org/2014/11/a-not-so-little-look-at-sonic-the-hedgehog-2014-classic-style-guide/ style guide]] also says that Classic and Modern Sonic artwork cannot be combined in any product.

* AscendedFanon: The full name "Dr. Ivo "Eggman" Robotnik" (formatted like "Miles "Tails" Prower") seems to have originated at [[https://web.archive.org/web/20060112080410/http://www.concept-mobius.com/info/realcharacterbios/eggman.htm Concept: "Mobius"]] before being officially adopted at least twice: once in ''[[CompilationRerelease Sega Genesis Collection]]'', and once again in a [[BonusMaterial flash comic]] included with first-print copies of ''VideoGame/SonicAndTheSecretRings''.

** Sega has deliberately been pulling recent Sonic titles with a below average Metacritic score out of circulation [[AuthorsSavingThrow in an attempt by them to improve Sonic's quality image]]. They're not too fond of Sonic 2006 and the black mark PR damage it gave them, even apologizing for its multiple issues. Despite including (refined) elements of it in the series MilestoneCelebration, ''VideoGame/SonicGenerations'', Sega was [[SelfDeprecation modest enough to joke about its mixed reputation in one ad]]; while it was very impartial to the previous Sonic games it celebrated, once it got to ''Sonic the Hedgehog (2006)'', the music stopped and Sonic got an angry look on his face.
** On the subject of the newer games, the new development staff of Sonic Team admitted in Magazine/NintendoPower in a preview feature on ''VideoGame/SonicColors'' that the were-hog elements of ''VideoGame/SonicUnleashed'' and the swordplay of ''VideoGame/SonicAndTheBlackKnight'' were not good ideas, and based ''Colors'' largely around the well-received day stages of the former.

** [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SChPv1Z-c0M This]] 25th anniversary video gives a sharp jab at ''Sonic 06'' and most Sonic 3D games in general; the timeline runs down the series offering the notable things each game did, but when it gets to ''Sonic 06'', it simply shows the infamous '''NOW LOADING''' text, and admits when it gets to ''Sonic Colors'' that "3D Sonic finally finds its footing", a dozen years after the first 3D Sonic game.

** Sonic himself, despite being made as a direct competitor to Mario, was unmistakably inspired by it. Although the series did maintain its own feel instead of being a mere copycat, recent games such as ''VideoGame/SonicLostWorld'' clearly show an attempt to emulate elements of the ''Mario'' series, ''VideoGame/SuperMarioGalaxy'' in particular, while mixing it with the series standard gameplay elements.
* FranchiseZombie: After the series hit its peak with ''VideoGame/Sonic3AndKnuckles'', Sonic Team, burned out on their namesake series, focused on making original titles. Meanwhile, Sega, not willing to retire their cash cow, tried to continue the ''Sonic'' franchise without them to no success. After Sega Technical Institute's[[note]]Who made ''VideoGame/ComixZone'' for the Genesis[[/note]] ''Sonic X-treme'' - Sonic's intended VideoGame3DLeap on the UsefulNotes/SegaSaturn - [[{{Vaporware}} failed to make it to shelves]], Sega finally got Sonic Team back to give the series [[VideoGame/SonicAdventure a proper 3D title]] for the UsefulNotes/SegaDreamcast. Even then, ''Sonic Adventure'' (which had Yuji Naka and Naoto Ohshima on board) was the last game with any of Sonic's creators working directly on a ''Sonic'' game. Ohshima left Sega after ''Sonic Adventure'' finished development in 1998 to form Artoon for unknown reasons. Yasuhara didn't participate in ''Sonic Adventure'' because he had quit Sonic Team after ''Sonic 3 & Knuckles'', ultimately leaving Sega for Creator/NaughtyDog in 2002. Naka himself left Sega in 2006 to form Prope as he was tired of [[KickedUpstairs being stuck with (executive) producer roles]] for original [=IPs=] made by Sonic Team. The series sticks around as it is one of Sega's few remaining [[CashCowFranchise cash cows]], but it has had wild ups and downs since then.

** They have also stated that other humans do exist in the Classic Era Sonic universe besides Eggman and Witchcart, they just don't appear.

** Concerning canon, Aaron Webber, the social media coordinator of Sega of America, [[https://youtu.be/axAvQSg1mM0 stated]] that "Everything is Canon." They seem to have started backtracking on this in recent years, however, with the 30th anniversary encyclopedia declaring that, at the very least, ''VideoGame/SonicChroniclesTheDarkBrotherhood'' is definitively non-canon. Although, it should be noted that this is probably due to the [[ScrewedByTheLawyers Ken Penders lawsuit]] involving that game, and not wanting to kick that beehive.

* KillerApp: The original Sonic games for the UsefulNotes/SegaGenesis, and arguably the ''Sonic Adventure'' games for the Dreamcast (at the time).

** Characters exclusive to Classic Sonic's world (e.g. Mighty, Ray, Nack/Fang, Bean, and Bark) aren't showing up in games or media set in Modern Sonic's world, due to the modern "Classic" games now considered separate franchise as of ''Sonic Mania'', which was mandated by Christian Whitehead.

** Any content or characters created from outside the main series games are not allowed to be used in them or in future Sonic media. This is due to a combination of legal issues (at least in the case of the [[ScrewedByTheLawyers nasty legal battles]] regarding the Archie Sonic comics, since their entire character roster [[http://archiesoniconline.com/board/index.php?topic=1553.0 is now hanging in legal limbo]]) and, [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iw-BaVS8oyc&t=1982s per word of Ian Flynn]], Sega simply not being keen on giving attention to past incarnations of Sonic that aren't their own (i.e. the three [=DiC=] cartoons, the OVA, Sonic the Comic, etc.) and wanting to keep the focus on Modern Sonic product, and have thus forbidden using them, which was mandated by Christian Whitehead.
** Characters exclusive to Classic Sonic's world (e.g. Mighty, Ray, Nack/Fang, Bean, and Bark) aren't showing up in games or media set in Modern Sonic's world, due to the modern "Classic" games now considered separate franchise as of ''Sonic Mania''.