Summary
Sonic the Hedgehog 2character designer, Yasushi Yamaguchi, posted a piece of art paying tribute to the late Akira Toriyama that is a crossover betweenSonicandDragon Ball. On March 1,Akira Toriyama passed away at age 68. Toriyama was the creator ofDragon Ball, which would become one of the most popular manga series and multimedia franchises of all time. Toriyama also contributed to the character designs of properties likeChrono Trigger,Blue Dragon, andDragon Quest. Toriyama’s influence can be felt in other franchises, such as Sega’sSonic the Hedgehog.
Many longtime fans can pick out the similarities betweenDragon BallandSonic the Hedgehogfranchises, especially in regard to how the former influenced the latter. Both series have seven mystical items to collect, Sonic and Goku can transform into a golden super-powered version of themselves, and the rivalry between Sonic and Shadow is often likened to the one between Goku and Vegeta.Sonic the Hedgehog 2’s character designer, Yasushi Yamaguchi, recently highlighted how the relationship between Sonic and Tails was inspired byDragon Ballas well.
In a tweet posted a few days after the news of Akira Toriyama’s passing was released, Yamaguchi shared a piece of artwork that had dressed Sonic in Piccolo’s clothes and Tails in Gohan’s gi from the Saiyan Saga ofDragon Ball Z. He recalls that when he was designingthe relationship between Sonic and Tails, he modeled it after the one seen between Piccolo and Gohan in theDragon Ballmanga. He notes that without the influence ofDragon Ball, the secondSonicgame and the iconic pair likely wouldn’t have existed, thanking Toriyama.
How Dragon Ball Influences Sonic the Hedgehog
Dragon Ball’s influence can still be felt in theSonicseries to this day.Dragon Ball Z’s Future Trunks, for example, was a direct influence on the creation of recurringSonicmainstay, Silver the Hedgehog. A lot ofSonic Frontiers' Titan boss fightsinclude high-octane action that makes the player feel like Super Sonic, having battles that are reminiscent ofDragon Ball, complete with shots that are one-to-one recreations of iconic moments from the franchise. These include Sonic ramming himself through Giganto’s torso like Goku did against Demon King Piccolo, or Sonic cutting the Knight titan in half like when Future Trunks fought Frieza at the start of the Androids saga.
Various communities paid their respects to Akira Toriyama in games he contributed to, such asplayers holding vigils inFinal Fantasy 14,Dragon Quest 10, andDragon Ball Xenoverse 2, among other games. It cannot be understated how much Akira Toriyama’s works influenced a lot of properties today, including famous gaming franchises likeSonic. Tributes are still being held for the late creator as of this writing.
Sonic the Hedgehog 2
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Dr.Eggman (AKA Dr.Robotnik) begins his zealous search for the Chaos Emeralds to fuel his new “Death Egg” contraption. One afternoon, he launches his full-scale attack on the island. Dr.Eggman imprisons all of the helpless animals of the island and turns them into mindless worker drones. Fortunately, Sonic will thwart the Doctor’s plans at all costs. This time, he isn’t alone, as Tails decides to aid him in the battle. Together they must locate the Chaos Emeralds before Dr.Eggman does, and put an end to this diabolical scheme.
