5 Retro Video Games That Tried To Copy Sonic The Hedgehog

"Sonic the Hedgehog" is one of those video games that defined 16-bit gaming, spawning an entire franchise for Sega's platforms. The Blue Blur quickly became the flagship character for Sega, with his mainline titles focused on fast-paced side-scrolling action. This success was parlayed into animated shows, merchandising, and plenty of spin-off titles, like the forgotten Sega Genesis hit "Sonic Spinball" and "Sonic Drift." Naturally, other video game studios wanted their own version of Sonic in an effort to cash in on the franchise's clear commercial viability.

With that in mind, we've gathered the visible copycat games putting their own spin on Sonic. These revolve around anthropomorphic protagonists, often with a snarky attitude like Sega's mascot, in their own platforming adventures. Amusingly, many of these pastiches and knock-offs also appeared on Sega platforms while Sonic was still very much in his initial heyday. Here are five retro video games that tried to copy "Sonic the Hedgehog" with varying levels of success.

Bubsy is one of those video game characters that either induces fond memories or heavy eye rolls in gamers of a certain age. Accolade's side-scrolling platformer series launched on the Super Nintendo in 1993 with "Bubsy in Claws Encounters of the Furred Kind," which was soon ported to the Sega Genesis. The titular protagonist is an anthropomorphic bobcat who can glide like Knuckles and roll up into a ball like Sonic. Instead of collecting rings, Bubsy collects yarn balls while battling hostile extraterrestrials known as Woolies. Of all the Sonic pastiches, "Bubsy" is the most prolific, spawning an entire franchise of its own throughout the 16-bit era.

Creator Michael Berlyn came up with the idea after getting sick of working on adventure games. "I kind of got tired of adventure this and adventure that," he told Gamasutra. "I saw this game called 'Sonic the Hedgehog' and said to myself, 'Oh, I can really get into this, I can really see something.' So I played Sonic for nearly 14 hours a day for a week. I was just overwhelmed by it. And out of that came Bubsy." The initial series came to an end in 1996 with "Bubsy 3D" — the attempted leap to 32-bit failed and this became a game that ruined the franchise.

Like Sonic, the titular character in the 1993 Super Nintendo game "Rocky Rodent" is an anthropomorphic mammal with a sense of attitude who rocks a red pair of sneakers. The game opens with Rocky chowing down at his favorite eatery only to accidentally eat protection money intended for a local racket. After the mob retaliates by kidnapping the restaurant owner's daughter, Rocky sets out to rescue her in exchange for the promise of an all-you-can-eat buffet.

From Rocky's Taz knock-off design to the story pitting him against a human mafia, this SNES title feels like an odd mix of disparate elements that never gel together. The gameplay's core mechanic of Rocky gaining different abilities based on his hairstyle definitely distinguishes it from the competition, but not all that effectively. One of the most bizarre attempts at copying "Sonic the Hedgehog," "Rocky Rodent" has been pretty much forgotten about nowadays, and that's hardly surprising.

To the credit of Konami, its own Sonic-adjacent character, Sparkster, felt like a much more distinct creation, even as a similarly anthropomorphic animal protagonist. Sparkster starred in a line of games starting with 1993's "Rocket Knight Adventures" on the Sega Genesis. Trained from an early age to be a Rocket Knight, Sparkster defends his kingdom from a rival kingdom of pigs. He uses his magical sword to vanquish his steampunk foes and can also use a rocket attack when his meter fills up, unleashing a powerful technique.

Sparkster was an attempt by Konami to create its own all-age friendly mascot on par with Sega's Sonic or Nintendo's Mario. While his future was hyped up via merchandising and a comic strip, his subsequent '90s appearances were limited to a direct sequel, "Sparkster: Rocket Knight Adventures 2," and a spin-off simply titled "Sparkster." Like Bubsy, Sparkster did get a revival over a decade later, but he has largely been relegated to re-releases and guest appearances. One of several underrated Sega Genesis gems, "Rocket Knight Adventures" is well worth checking out for 16-bit platformer fans.

Arguably the most unashamed rip-off of "Sonic the Hedgehog" is the fellow Sega Genesis title "Awesome Possum... Kicks Dr. Machino's Butt," which came out in 1993. The villainous mad scientist Dr. Machino, a clear stand-in for Dr. Robotnik, is similarly obsessed with polluting the world and subjugating all wildlife. Like Robotnik, Machino employs an army of robots to carry out his mission, with the heroic Awesome Possum out to stop him. Collectibles in the game include items of trash to be picked up as part of the game's wider anti-pollution messaging.

The greatest thing that can be said about "Awesome Possum... Kicks Dr. Machino's Butt" is that it retains the environmentalist messaging present in "Sonic the Hedgehog." That said, it bluntly hammers players over the head with these themes to the point of having trivia questions about the environment. The sentiment is a worthy one, but these nobler intentions don't outweigh the fact that the game itself is a relative drag, with uninspired gameplay and level design. Managing to copy "Sonic the Hedgehog" while ditching everything that made the Sega game appealing, "Awesome Possum... Kicks Dr. Machino's Butt" is a novelty that's not really worth your time.

The 1994 Sega Genesis game "High Seas Havoc" feels like a swashbuckling take on side-scrolling platformers. The game's protagonist is an anthropomorphic seal named Havoc, who is something of an archetypal seafaring buccaneer. Like Sonic, Havoc has his own loyal sidekick, Tide, and they take on a villainous pirate, a walrus named Bernardo. Just like Sonic antagonist Robotnik is searching for the Chaos Emeralds, Bernardo is after a mythical emerald of his own, with only Havoc able to stop him.

Though "High Seas Havoc" might not center around lightning fast gameplay like the "Sonic the Hedgehog" series, the parallels are apparent beyond the animalistic leads. This carries over the game's structure itself, with most levels divided into two acts, just like classic "Sonic the Hedgehog" titles. The launch of the Sega Saturn loomed later in 1994 and "High Seas Havoc" was left behind in Sega's 16-bit history.