“Sonic, I don’t hate you anymore.”

Nintendo Power editor Chris Slate wrote a great column this month on Sonic vs Mario. I enjoyed it so much, I wanted to share. Here it is transcribed in its entirety from print to internet:

Sonic, when you first burst on the scene bragging about blast processing, I kind of hated your guts. For me, no other platformer came close the Super Mario series.

So when some friends suddenly sided with the new Sega Genesis poster boy, I took it personally. And then when someone insisted that Sonic the Hedgehog was better than Super Mario World, I got downright angry. How could the deep, complex gameplay of a Mario masterpiece possibly be outclassed by a game that uses only three buttons that all do the same thing?

Years later, you almost had me with Sonic Adventure and its tempting Dreamcast graphics, but the dark days of slumping sequels and countless hedgehog clone characters soon followed, and I was happy to watch you tumble from the top. But then you kept falling… and falling… and finally, when it seemed like everyone was turning against you, I couldn’t help rooting for the underdog.

My support must have given you a boost, because your subsequent games go better and better, from the decent Sonic Unleashed to the oustanding Sonic Colors. And I’m pleased to say that I’ve enjoyed your return to glory much more than your fall from grace.

Happy 20th birthday, Sonic. If Mario can shake your hand at the Olympic Games, then I supoose I can too. (Super Mario World still owns you , though.)