SEGA of America’s Michael Cisneros expected the new contract to provide “innovative products to audiences everywhere that will bring [Sonic] to life,” in a year fronted by major releases for the franchise, like the Sonic movie sequel in April, and Frontiers in the holiday season. Sonic Prime doesn’t abandon what has worked in the games; from an aesthetic perspective the franchise’s use of iconic imagery, audio, and designs leans heavily on the classic games with a modern paint job. The voice acting and script leads to characters that are nowhere near as one note as they have often become in Sonic’s later installments, and the reduced cast means that Sonic gets to keep his ensemble, but not so many that anyone feels excluded. Shadow in particular has been transformed from one of the edgiest characters in western media to a more focused and mature individual, constantly exasperated at the hijinks of his blue counterpart. And with the team exploring the multiverse, we get to see different versions of these characters, the standout being a nihilistic and slightly more rough-around-the-edges version of Tails, who works as a constant reminder of not only Sonic’s influence, but also his failings. SANTA MONICA, Calif.--( BUSINESS WIRE)--JAKKS Pacific, Inc. (NASDAQ: JAKK) is excited to reveal its first line for Sonic Prime. The critically acclaimed new series on Netflix, co-produced by WildBrain and SEGA, has announced a new season to air July 13, with the officially licensed Sonic Prime line hitting shelves in July. SEGA has done a tremendous job telling the story of Sonic through a multitude of medium forums,” said Craig Drobis, Senior Vice President of Marketing at JAKKS Pacific, Inc. “In addition to the high-octane video games they continue to release and the Sonic Movie 2 coming next year, Sonic Prime’s premiere on Netflix in 2022 will keep fans engaged with the property and give JAKKS a whole new Sonic multiverse to explore through toys and costumes. Our customers are not just kids, but also collectors, and this brand consistently hits the mark with retailers and fans year after year.”

The Toy Book has exclusively granted us a sneak peek at the highly anticipated JAKKS Pacific Sonic Prime lineup, giving us a glimpse of what’s to come. Let’s delve into the details: Sonic Prime 5-Inch Articulated Figures Wave 1 Of the especially new and cool stuff, one thing that stands out most is the previously rumored Death Egg playset from Jakks Pacific, and as we can now see, is a legit full Death Egg that flips around to reveal the final boss of... (Care to guess? No seriously, I want you to guess. Because you won't be able to.) Sonic the Hedgehog 4: Episode II. Listen, I know how you feel about the overall Sonic 4 project, but that last boss, the one where you fight Eggman in a giant robot heart is rad, and I won't hear otherwise. But as I said with how I'm still hung up on Sonic X, I'm still hung up on Cosmo, Tails' first love. I know they're separate universes, so the Tails from Sonic X is not the same Tails as Sonic Boom, but I still tear up when Cosmo sacrificed herself to save everyone from the Metarex. JAKKS Pacific extended their contract to produce general Sonic merchandise in April 2021. (JAKKS Pacific) The new merchandise includes a variety of items, with action figures, playsets, vehicles, plush, and other collectibles associated with the series planned for release. Additionally, Jakks will also partner with Disguise, Inc. to design, produce, manufacture, and market Sonic Prime-themed costumes beginning in 2023. It’s currently unclear what the figures or other items will be, but Sonic the Hedgehog has had a long line of successful toys, so it’s likely that these will be big items when they do launch.All Sonic Prime figures, playsets, collectibles, and plush are coming to shelves and online in North America, Asia-Pacific, Latin America, Europe, Middle East, and Africa in July. Retail availability is coming soon. Did you know that Netflix is hosting a special preview event tomorrow for its latest projects? Well, neither did we but we do now! At this upcoming showcase, called "Drop 01", the video company is planning to show off a sneak peek of some brand new episodes of Sonic Prime.

Sonic Prime will be one of the animated shows that is being highlighted at the Netflix event, and chances are that whatever teasers they have planned will point to a new "third season" of the series. If so, it'll be a dramatically shorter wait for this compared to the seven-month drought we had to endure to catch the last season (if you recall, the first eight episodes of Prime launched in December 2022, with a further eight - "Season 2" - arriving in July 2023). In addition to the high-octane video games they continue to release and the Sonic Movie 2 coming next year, Sonic Prime’s premiere on Netflix in 2022 will keep fans engaged with the property and give JAKKS a whole new Sonic multiverse to explore through toys and costumes. Our customers are not just kids, but also collectors, and this brand consistently hits the mark with retailers and fans year after year. Craig Drobis, JAKKS Pacific Senior Vice President of Marketing JAKKS Pacific, Inc. (NASDAQ: JAKK) is excited to reveal its first line for Sonic Prime. The critically acclaimed new series on Netflix, co-produced by WildBrain and SEGA, has announced a new season to air July 13, with the officially licensed Sonic Prime line hitting shelves in July. JAKKS Pacific plans to launch the Sonic Prime merchandise collection worldwide in July, spanning North America, Asia-Pacific, Latin America, Europe, the Middle East, and Africa. Stay tuned to Sonic City for more updates on the exciting Sonic Prime merchandise lineup! Inspired by the hit show, this new line of Sonic Prime products is scheduled to hit stores this summer, coinciding with the second season premiere on Netflix on July 13.

And it was good. In fact, it was really good. And the biggest reason why is because Sonic Prime would have been a really good Sonic game. Image: NETFLIX