Talking Point: What Are You Playing This Weekend? (27th June)
Sonic the Hedgehog celebrated his 35th anniversary this week with major announcements spanning digital and physical releases. Sega announced two new game collections coming to Nintendo Switch that bundle together Classic and Modern Sonic entries into distinct packages, giving players access to different eras of the franchise on a single platform.
Accompanying the digital collections, iam8bit will produce and release physical Sega Genesis cartridges featuring the original Sonic the Hedgehog and Sonic the Hedgehog 2 later in 2026. These releases continue the trend of physical media and game preservation efforts, though gaming media outlets have noted concerns about pricing on the physical cartridge releases.
The 35th anniversary celebrations underscore Sega’s strategy of making Sonic games accessible across multiple formats and platforms, honoring the character’s legacy while introducing classic titles to new audiences through both modern digital storefronts and retro physical media.