Over thirty years have passed sinceSonic the Hedgehogfirst came into the lives of gamers everywhere, and since then, SEGA has released 17 2D side-scrollers and 14 3D platformersSonictitles. And throughout those games, players have seen the strength and, more importantly, Sonic’s impressive lightning-type speed, which makesSonic among the most powerful heroes in video game history.
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Moreover, Sonic the Hedgehog has cameoed in dozens of games across various platforms, most of which are video games. And while many of the cameos were minor, there are some that stand above the rest and give Sonic a proper tribute.
10Monster Hunter Rise – 2021
With over eight million copies sold,Monster Hunter Riseis a follow-up to the 2018Monster Hunter: World.But,Monster Hunter Riseintroduced new gameplay features that revamped previous titles, like a new companion (Palamute). Moreover, the character build system is more sophisticated than its predecessors, soit is highly recommended to use a character build guide.
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Monster Hunter Riseintroduced Sonic’s cameo as a crossover event where players would have to collect Rings that would unlock a costumed titled “Sonic Wear.” On top of that, players could equip a “Sonic Costume” on their Palicos, transforming them into Sonic the Hedgehog. Finally, Capcom presented an armor for the Palamute that resembles Miles ‘Tails’ Prower.
9Secret of Mana – 1993
Players who are hardcore action RPG fans will have undoubtedly playedSecret of Manasince it introduced real-time battles into the genre. Moreover,Secret of Manaalso had one of the most influential soundtracks, so much so thatSquare Enix’s 30th-anniversary celebration concertwill feature many songs from the game.
And one ofSecret of Mana’senemies (The Pebbler or Molebear) has a very close resemblance to SEGA’s lightning-fast hedgehog since it has a spikey blue set of quills and wears red shoes. On top of that, its attack animation is spinning into a ball, which is a classic Sonic the Hedgehog attack move.
8Fall Guys: Ultimate Knockout – 2020
Without any doubt,Fall Guys: Ultimate Knockouttook the gaming world by storm since it took features from platformer and battle royale games and mixed them into one crazy game. And whileFall Guys: Ultimate Knockoutseems like an easy game, in reality,players will need to learn some essential tipsif they want to score a Golden Crown.
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For SEGA’s 30th-anniversary bonanza,Fall Guys: Ultimate Knockoutpresented players with an equipable costume that made them look like Sonic the Hedgehog. Sadly, the event only lasted two days, but perhaps Sonic will cameo again inFall Guys: Ultimate Knockoutin the future.
7Shenmue – 1999
Arguably, one of the first true open-world games,Shenmueis an action-adventure game released for SEGA’s Dreamcast. And while critics praisedShenmuefor its outstanding environmental details, sophisticated day-and-night system, and changing weather, it received numerous criticisms for its controls. Players were forced to “button mash” their way through the game, which is why it’s one of themost popular button-mashing gamesfor the Dreamcast.
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Despite being a commercial failure,Shenmuestill paid a unique tribute to Sonic the Hedgehog. Players who participated in the Dobuita Tomato Store raffle would have a chance of obtaining the rare Super Sonic or Metal Sonic figurine.
6Spiral Knights – 2011
Spiral Knightsis a top-down action RPG, relatively similar toThe Legend of Zelda: Four Swords Adventuresbut much less popular. Players that enjoy a good old-fashioned hack and slash will findSpiral Knightsfun, but they should keep in mind that it’s an MMO, so they need to team up with other players to defeat mobs and tough bosses.
Metal Sonic cameos inSpiral Knightsas an equipable costume, which players could obtain through an in-game event in 2012. Since then, Three Rings has rereleased Metal Sonic as an in-game purchase alongside Miles ‘Tails’ Prower.
5The Simpsons Game – 2007
This game made quite the uproar during its development phase since it wanted to parody dozens of video games, which some companies like Rockstar Games weren’t too happy about. But, apart from the parodies,The Simpsons Gamewas a run-of-the-mill platform game that featured all of Springfields' favorite characters.
SEGA and specifically Sonic the Hedgehog formed part of the video game parodies EA Redwood Shores included in the game. Players could find an odd-looking Sonic walking on a hamster wheel in the level “Enter the Cheatrix.” Perhaps ifSimpsons: Hit & Rungets a remake, fans can see another Sonic cameo.
4Gran Turismo 6 – 2013
With the release ofGran Turismo 7, fans of the racing simulation genre can’t help but remember experiencing first-hand the Goodwood Festival of Speed fromGran Turismo 6(even if it’s not the best entry in theGran Turismoseries).
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Moreover, in 2015 Polyphony Digital released an update that allowed players to create their own racecourse, with thousands of players creating new content within hours of release. Sonic the Hedgehog made a slight cameo inGran Turismo 6at the Fuji Speedway tracks, where players could see a billboard with Sonic on it.
3Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel – 2014
Despite not living up to fans' expectations,Borderlands: The Pre-Sequelallowed players to peer into the intricate (and insane) world of Vault Hunting. And just as its predecessors,Borderlands: The Pre-Sequelfeatured hundreds of easter eggs and cameos that kept players busy for a long time.
One cameo that stands above the rest was that of Sonic the Hedgehog, better known as Phonic Kraggon. This unique enemy has spiky blue crystals on its back and red-tinted legs. On top of that, if a player killed the Phonic Kraggon, money would scatter all around it, reminiscent of what happens when Sonic dies.
2LEGO Dimensions – 2015
One of Traveller’s Tales most ambitious projects,LEGO Dimensionsis an action-adventure platform game that features characters from over 30 different franchises. Moreover,LEGO Dimensionshad actors like Elijah Wood, Nick Offerman, and even Gary Oldman voice certain characters.
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With so many franchises included inLEGO Dimensions, Sonic the Hedgehog could not be left out. Players could play as Sonic by purchasing a Level Pack that included Sonic, Miles “Tails” Prower, and Amy Rose. On top of that, the Level Pack also included the classic Green Hill Zone map.
SEGA’s last game to use sprites (future games began to use 3D polygons),Rad Mobile, was a fun arcade racing game that was later ported to the commercial failure known as the SEGA Saturn. Fortunately, the arcade version ofRad Mobilewas the fourth highest-grossing arcade game of 1991, which made up for the loss.
Players could see Sonic the Hedgehog dangling from the rearview mirror, but at the time ofRad Mobile’srelease, no one knew who that little blue hedgehog was. And that’s becauseRad Mobilewas released on July 18, 2025, whileSonic the Hedgehogwas released on Jun 09, 2025, for the Sega Genesis. This was Sonic’s first cameo and his first-ever appearance in a video game…truly the best Sonic cameo in history.
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