Smash Advent Calendar - Day 2 - Sonic

Day 2 brings around Mario's mascot rival, Sonic the Hedgehog. Once Snake was confirmed to be in Brawl, almost everyone saw this critter coming - people had dreamed of seeing Mario battle Sonic since the early 90s! Still, many were shocked to see him come back for another round after not being the most popular character in Brawl; I think it was safe to assume that many thought he would be moved aside for another third party character. Mixed reactions were the result of his return but I for one welcome him with open arms!

Sonic was a stupidly fun character to play in Brawl. His speed made him a very tough foe, being able to zip in and out of the fray with heavy damaging dash attacks thrown at a ridiculous pace. His Down and Side+B moves allowed for some pretty neat combos on an engine that wasn't combo friendly, which I always found interesting. His smash moves were nicely balanced - again, quick as can be but never sending opponents very far meaning players had to utilize his speed and devastating aerials and give chase to secure a KO. Oh, and divekicks were just the icing on the cake!

Even if he was the butt of internet jokes from then on...

Still, he drew a lot of criticism: many of his B moves left a lot to be desired - after all, there's limited potential for moves in a character that really just rolls into a ball in every one of his games. Down and Side+B were slightly different in speed and function but were almost identical aesthetically. His Neutral+B also left a lot to be desired, offering up a slow starting and sluggish homing attack that often missed. His Up+B was unique enough and useful to boot, but overall he left players wanting a little more.

Now, from the trailer that announced Sonic, many were left looking positively. For one, he didn't open his damn mouth once, hinting at a return of a more classic Sonic that doesn't throw around lines that a breakdancing skater in a turquoise jacket fresh from the 80s would cringe at. It also demonstrated some very appealing combos, linking spin dashes into smashes with potential for a good Sonic player to chase as is his specialty. Sonic was always one of my favourites in Brawl, so things are looking up for my spiky blue man, err, hedgehog.

What did you guys think of the recent announcement of Sonic? Were you ever a fan to begin with? Do you even care? Post below of head on over to the facebook page to chat about it here!