Netflix has quickly become the go-to streaming service for surprisingly great animated TV shows based on video games. And with The Cuphead Show, Arcane and Cyberpunk Edgerunners already under its belt, the streamer just added another worthwhile adaptation to its library in the form of Sonic Prime.
Based on the Sonic the Hedgehog video game series, Sonic Prime centers on the eponymous hero and his friends battling the series’ main antagonist Dr. Eggman. But don’t think this Netflix show is a simple retread of the various animated Sonic adaptations that have come before it. Sonic Prime puts a simple, but enjoyable, twist on the blue blur's universe in the form of a multi-verse adventure.
The events of Sonic Prime are set in motion after the blue hedgehog carelessly destroys an artifact known as the Paradox Prism. Its destruction sends Sonic and his friends tumbling through a collection of parallel dimensions. Now, in order to restore the universe and save his friends, Sonic must race through the “Shatterverse” while fighting off Shadow the Hedgehog and the Chaos Council, a nefarious group made up of five alternate versions of Dr. Eggman. Thankfully, Sonic has some help from alternate-reality versions of his friends Tails, Knuckles, Amy Rose and more.
After launching on Netflix just last week (Thursday, December 15) Sonic Prime has already surged up the Netflix most-watched list. The animated series currently ranks at No. 4, only behind The Recruit, Wednesday and Harry & Meghan. This makes it the most popular animated series on the platform right now.
The first season of this family-friendly show is comprised of eight episodes that each run around 25 minutes in length. Sonic Prime definitely has a Saturday morning cartoon vibe, and it appears that long-suffering Sonic fans are appreciating the show’s take on the speedster. Sonic Prime’s audience score currently stands at an impressive 94% on Rotten Tomatoes, and social media has been flooded with positive takes from gamers.
There have also been positive write-ups from critics. Video games and pop culture website IGN rated the series as “great” awarding it an 8/10 and saying, “Sonic Prime should be well received by new and longtime franchise fans.” And the write up from U.K. newspaper Metro was similarly positive. In its review, Metro’s Michael Beckwith called the show the “anti-Sonic Boom” referring to Sonic’s ill-convinced 2014 reboot and also said “[Sonic Prime] exemplifies why the franchise has thrived for so long.”
The release of Sonic Prime on Netflix caps off a reasonably solid year for the speedy hedgehog. The latest video game starring the spiky hero, Sonic Frontiers, was met with significantly more enthusiasm than 2017’s universally panned Sonic Forces. Our reviewer praised the game for its tight controls and a surprisingly good story and noted that Sonic Frontiers “suggests that the Blue Blur may still have a bright future.”
So, if you’re looking for something appropriate to entertain the kids over the holiday season, or have a fondness for all things Sonic, then Sonic Prime should fit the bill nicely. After more than a decade of video games struggling to translate to movies or TV shows it’s hugely welcome to see Netflix’s hot streak of well-received animated gaming adaptations continue.
