According to the official Sonic the Hedgehog Twitter account, a fan-made Sonic Mania lego project got so much support that LEGO is now going to produce it!
Last year, a fan-made Sonic Mania project reached 10,000 supporters on @LEGOIdeas.
We’re excited to share it will be produced as an official @LEGO_Group set!
➡️ https://t.co/Y66HuknMdH pic.twitter.com/J2HiT9hBZW
— Sonic the Hedgehog (@sonic_hedgehog) February 4, 2021
LEGO Ideas is a page where fans can submit ideas for potential lego sets. The sets need 10,000 supporters for LEGO to consider putting it into production (all you have to do is click on the support button of the design you like).
Does this look familiar? The Green Hill Zone from Sonic is absolutely iconic 🤩
Hear from the designer behind it, Viv Grannell and their journey which can be read in full here: https://t.co/XOI164GHQa #LEGOIdeas pic.twitter.com/QiUhGB62tL
— LEGO® IDEAS (@LEGOIdeas) August 10, 2020
LEGO builder Viv Grannell submitted an idea that recreates Green Hill Zone, complete with LEGO shuttle loops, badniks, and the frickin’ Death Egg Robot from Sonic the Hedgehog 2 that I struggled to beat back in the day. Seriously, y’all made kids fight Mecha Sonic AND the Death Egg Robot with ZERO rings?! My 9-year-old self was STRESSED.
My adult self, however, is incredibly charmed by Grannell’s concept, and thrilled to see that it got the green light!
I’ll have a “proper” pinned tweet summarising everything in a few hours but my brain is coming out of my ears and my twitter notifs have completely exploded, love yalls gang – this would have been impossible without you ❤
— Viv (@toastergrl) February 4, 2021
Honestly, we should be thanking you for coming up with this idea, because I’m definitely about to clear some space for the LEGO-ized blue blur!
Grannell describes the set as follows on her LEGO Idea page:
Released digitally in late 2017 and expanded on with a physical release a year later, Sonic Mania is many things. An authentic recreation of the timeless gameplay stylings of the 90’s, a stunning showcase of gorgeous pixel art and striking low-poly models, and our first true taste of what Sonic fans gone pro can do with the series. With all this under its belt, it’s no surprise the game is still extremely popular even years later. What better way, then, to keep the ultimate celebration of past and future rolling into the franchise’s 30th anniversary in 2021 than by bringing the hedgehog’s adventures to the brick-built world of LEGO?
The page continues on to list what the set would, ideally, include, and the play features Grannell envisioned when creating the idea. Here’s what the set could potentially include (and more detailed images can be found on Grannell’s flicker account):
- “Classic” Sonic the Hedgehog minifigure
- “Classic” Dr. Eggman, Motobug, and three Flickies as brick-built figures
- Heavy Gunner and Heavy Magician as brick-built figures (new!)
- Green Hill Zone “Palm Tree”, “Spring”, “Bridge, and “Loop” modules (redesigned!)
- Egg Robot mech (redesigned!)
- Phantom Ruby and Ring accessories
- ~700 pieces, with 8 new prints (excluding minifigure parts) and a sticker sheet
And here’s Grannell’s description of play features:
- Create your own act by connecting the Green Hill Zone modules together.
- Use the Technic lever on the spring module to launch Sonic and his Flicky friends into the air!
- Help Sonic collect the ring and Extra Life while dodging the Motobug.
- Sit Dr. Eggman inside the Egg Robot mech.
- Stomp through the zone with the mech’s posable arms and legs.
- Use the handle on the mech’s extendable arms to perform a drill attack!
- Stop the Phantom Ruby falling into the clutches of Dr. Eggman and the Hard-Boiled Heavies!
- Rebuild into the “Encore mode” alternate build to continue the adventure – with additional modules, the Heavy King and his lackeys, the Master Emerald, and the Tornado!
While there’s no official release date for the set, nor is there any word on how close to Grannell’s design it’ll get, the fact that it’s even happening is phenomenal, and as Grannell says, a perfect way to celebrate 30 years of Sonic. After hitting that 10,000 supporter landmark back in March 2020, Grannell can sit back, enjoy a chili dog, and know that her name is about to be part of Sonic’s legacy.
— Viv (@toastergrl) March 10, 2020
(Image: Viv Grannell)
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