Sonic the Hedgehog (1993–1994) User Reviews (74)

A Truly Great Cartoon

[graeme6630 · 8/10 · 16 June 2006]

I've be a fan of Sonic the Hedgehog ever since SEGA released the games for the Mega Drive in the early 1990s. I have the games (Sonic Mega Collection) for the PlayStation 2 now. I still remember this version of Sonic the Hedgehog, I remember getting up every Sunday morning at 8am to watch this show (here in the UK, it was shown a day later than in the USA).

I also remember the previous show, Adventures of Sonic the Hedgehog, I have to say I like it as well. But looking back, I'd have to say I liked the other version better. Sonic the Hedgehog or SatAM as it is known, was darker in tone, this is what really stood out to me, that and excellent story and animation.

The voice actors really made the characters come to life, in my opinion, Jaleel White is Sonic the Hedgehog. Kath Soucie did a great job as Princess Sally, and Sally's computer, Nicole. And, how can we forget Jim Cummings as Dr Robotnik and Charles Adler as Snively. I think Jim Cummings just gave Robotnik as voice which sounded really evil, the version of Robotnik in this show was better as far as both design and voice are concerned. And I think both Jim Cummings and Charles Adler were excellent, they really seemed to become the characters they were playing, especially Jim Cummings, as I said Jaleel White, I'd have to say the same thing about Jim Cummings: He is Dr Robotnik.

This version of Sonic the Hedgehog had everything, action, adventure, comedy, emotion... and imagination. The on-going plot/storyline, which began at the end of Season 1, made Season 2 all that better. It was also a fair distance away from the Sega games, with little or no reference to them, except the episode: Gameguy. The show was more driven by plot and character development.

Season 1 of Sonic the Hedgehog was good but it's Second Season turn the show into a cult classic, with it's huge development in it's characters and the on-going plot/storyline, which continued with each episode.

It's ashame that this version of Sonic the Hedgehog was cancelled. Season Two's finale: "The Doomsday Project was a true classic. The cliffhanger ending was great, and would have been a good lead into Season 3... but it wasn't to be.

Will this show ever return to our TV screens, that is uncertain and in doubt. But you never know what could happen, if Biker Mice from Mars can make a return after being cancelled for ten years (it return this year). Biker Mice from Mars started at the same time as Sonic, but was cancelled in 1996, a year after Sonic. Who knows, if Biker Mice... is returning, maybe this shows that there is still hope for Sonic the Hedgehog to return. Let's hope so.

Please Bring Back Sonic the Hedgehog!! I miss it, and there are still Sonic the Hedgehog fans out there, who, like me, would also love to see it make a welcome return to our TV screens

Not perfect but the best among 90s sonic cartoons

[xamtaro · 7/10 · 1 March 2020]

In the 1990s, there was a cool little cliche permeating Saturday morning action cartoons: dystopian future resistance group against megalomaniac and his legions of disposable troops. It started as episodes in ongoing cartoons where the main characters get shunted into a bad future but soon it became the premise that entire shows were built on. One of such shows was SONIC THE HEDGEHOG.

Deviating entirely from the video game source materials, this Saturday morning cartoon had the titular Super speedster join a resistance group led by one Princess Sally. The evil doctor Robotic has taken over the kingdom of Mobotropolis (renamed Robotropolis) and has turned most of its anthronorphic animal populace into subservient robots. Episodes typically involve incursions into the mechanized city or exploring the often deadly countryside for some means to defeat the machine empire and return its people back to normal.

Operating out of the secluded Knothole village, the resistance is a collection of characters with unique and sometimes exaggerated personalities. Aside from the childlike twin tailed fox named Tails, Sonic's best pal from the games, the others are original characters which would occasionally get an episode focused on their development, and them overcoming whatever personality shortcomings they may have whether it's An arrogant one learning humility, an aloof one learning to count on friends or the trusting one learning to be more discerning.

The episodes may seem formulaic after a while but a few of the standout ones do contain a fair amount of tragedy and are surprisingly dark for a kids cartoon. And that's where Sonic himself becomes a bit of a problem.

The stakes are dire, the situation is grim, but here comes Sonic with his "totally radicool" speech style, ever ready with an unfunny quip or cringe pun. His fast talking comical overconfidence stands as a stark contrast to the bleak atmosphere of the plot. A skilled writer could have written his jokey demeanour as a coping mechanism to deal with tragedies he has faced. But alas, it is just passed off as Sonic being Sonic.

The series gets better when it has Princess Sally front and centre. She is a leader, an emotionally vulnerable individual dealing with the loss of her family and kingdom but having to present a strong front to her followers. She is the one reining in Sonic's wild side to get things done; the burden of leadership and the hopes of an entire world weighing down on her petite shoulders.

Another great character for me is Doctor Robotnik. This is not the bombastic boisterous baddie from the games. This guy means business. His rotund character design is offset by inhuman demonic looking eyes and a voice oozing with menace that elevates him from funny fatty to a truly devious devil.

On the quality side of things the animation is more consistent than its sister series ADVENTURES OF SONIC THE HEDGEHOG. There are cool visuals like the polluted dystopia of Robotropolis or the mysterious wilds of mobius, as well as moments of standout animation. Generally it is a tad better than typical outsourced Cartoons of its time but still no where near the level of detail as Japanese anime.

SONIC THE HEDGEHOG saw a bit of changes after the first 13 episodes giving us slight design tweaks, stories that were less dark and Robotnik lost some of his menace. By the time it was cancelled after 26 episodes, quality had dipped to the point of repeating or looping past animation to pad out the run time. At very least it ended on a satisfactory though rushed and cheesy conclusion (power of love saves the day) leaving enough teases to spawn an entire franchise continuing in comic form.

Considering the time period of its debut, and its contemporaries catering to the same pre teen target demographic , SONIC THE HEDGEHOG is above average. It lacks the clever scripting of the BEAST WARS, the solid character development in various DC Animated series or the quality control of the Disney cartoons, but it is certainly a better cartoon based off a video game than the likes of Legend of Zelda or Double dragon.

The standout episodes especially the two parter taking place in the past hit all the right pointers for engaging animated stories while the episodes in between feel like mediocre run of the mill filler held up purely by the characters and cast.

A great cartoon, but not without its flaws.

[billosaurus · 7/10 · 31 December 2015]

This is probably one of the greatest adaptations of a video game, as it fleshes out the simple characters from the Sega games. Sonic is now a cunning, brave, and caring warrior, liberating his planet from a tyrant, and having the odds placed against him. Granted, sonic himself can be a little too obnoxious at times, and he can also be a bit dopey.But generally he is likable and still a good role model. Sally acorn is also an excellent character, being mature, caring leader with a tortured past, and despite being a nudist, she is very dignified, granted she can be a bit too perfect at times, which makes her a bit of a Mary sue. Tails, sadly, is not the genius he is in the games, but is instead a sonic fan-boy, and he has a very small role in the show. tails fans will probably not enjoy this show. Sadly, Antoine is the worst aspect to this show. He is actually worse than jar jar, being useless and cowardly. At least jar jar was brave at times. But Antoine is a horribly pathetic french stereotype and womaniser towards sally. The other characters are nice, if one dimensional. Rotor is the nerdy mechanic. Bunny is the Texan girl. Dulcy is the dumb muscle accept she is female. Snively is the generic villains lackey. A great element to this show is it's take on Dr Robotnik. Unlike the clown-like madman from the games, this bone-chilling tyrant has complete control, ruling much of the planet. He is a brilliant antagonist, surprisingly cruel and dark.

I can't believe the sonic TV show was cancelled!

[thesonixclan · 9 April 2005]

When i was just a little kid, i watched Sonic The Hedgehog ALL the time. Today I am a complete Sonic The Hedgehog freak! I own every single useless sonic gadgets and toys. I knew almost everything about that show. If you ask me, i think somebody should put that show back on the air. Sonic The Hedgehog had a nice storyline and great animation. The detail was terrific as well. Still to this day i sing that catchy theme song in my head. Sonic The Hedgehog was aired a little after the TV show known as "The Adventures of Sonic The Hedgehog" was aired. the 2 shows sound the same, and people who never saw the sonic shows, would think they aren't different. But, when Sonic The Hedgehog was aired, it sky rocketed past the first aired show. Please Bring Back Sonic!!!! Sonic Still Has Many Many Fans Out There!!!

Dessent but didn't live me much of an impact.

[tankace · 7/10 · 30 June 2016]

As far as animated series go I am pretty sure the number which I have watch is in the the hundreds ,so I believe that I am by default an expert into the subject and I can judge Sonic even though I am not a gamer. So as it is obvious the series was made in order to increase sells of the games , but it wasn't just a trick to sell more ,it was fine to watch and the adventures of this hedgehog were funny and it didn't bored me as a kid.

The problem is that the series didn't try to be something more memorable, the crew clearly try to make it a good kid show in order Sony sell more video games. When the starting point is that it can go so much until show becomes to stupid even for a child. Likely the series ended after two years so it manage to save itself from becoming awful.

As far as kids show goes it isn't Batman (1992) ,Dragonballs(1989) ,Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles( various) or Spiderman (1993) and similar projects which were praised for their style and are simple put awesome. It isn't so bad that it becomes a historic for their awfulness like, Fanboy and Chum Chum, Dora and many of the nickelodeon series nowadays. It is in the middle and the fact it wasn't on the air for a long time, only two seasons and twenty six episodes long, it erased quickly from the memory of the children who watch it. For real in IMDb the rating are just above 3000!

In the end fine ,but forgettable and if you are only a gamer you may knowing or if you have the memory of an elephant and you still remember it.

It's Ok

[cstude-64816 · 6/10 · 31 December 2022]

First off are the characters Dulcy and Antoine for Dulcy she a poorly written character and I feel like the character design for her look like a exact carbon copy of the character Ducky in The Land Before Time movies and for Antoine he is just idioticly stupid.

Lasty is the episode Sonic past cool season 1 episode 12 I feel like for tarapods It pretty much take the character Cera in The Land Before Time movies and just craps all over her and us audience are supposed to respect it and that horrible how are us human being supposed to respect that and for a big fan of Land Before Time like myself this episode deserves two giant middle fingers 🖕🖕 but the rest of the TV series is really good.

Basically repeating what the other reviewers have said- why was this cancelled?

[TheLittleSongbird · 10/10 · 4 April 2010]

I used to watch this show religiously, I absolutely loved it. Why this brilliant show was cancelled, and so abruptly too, is beyond me. It is not only one of the best animated shows of the 90s but also one of the best animated shows ever. The 80s and 90s were the best times for animated shows, though I do like Tom and Jerry, Scooby Doo and anything by Hanna-Barbera, and I wish cartoons could be more like them. Cartoons now are either bad or once good shows now gone mediocre. Yes, "Sonic the Hedgehog SatAM" is more darker and edgier than some animated shows I have seen, but I liked that. The animation was wonderful, the characters do move convincingly and the background design is creative. And the theme tune? I thought Darkwing Duck, Talespin and DuckTales had irresistibly catchy theme tunes, this theme tune makes me want to jump up and sing and dance along. The episode ideas are outstanding, and the scripts are completely devoid of cheese, something I truly appreciate, and have a touch of sweetness(natural not sickly) and fun about them. Great characters too, Sonic, Princess Sally Acorn, King Acorn, RobotNik, Tails, Snively and Antoine, all brought to life by a truly talented voice cast such as Jaleel White, Christine Cavanaugh, Charles Adler, Rob Paulson, Bradley Pierce, Tim Curry and Kath Soucie. But special mention has to go to Jim Cummings, who voiced smooth and sinister RobotNik to absolute perfection. Overall, a brilliant show and by today's standards underrated. 10/10 Bethany Cox

Best Sonic I've seen in a long time!

[staticsaber · 10/10 · 10 June 2006]

Man was this show a treat! Possibly one of...no probably my most favorite show America has to offer (aside from superhero shows and some exceptions, everything else outside of America).

This series had action (breaking into Robotnick's factory's to pull something off), adventure (journys in metallic city's, rocky canyons, underground caves and some places I can't even think of something to describe), danger (every where you go when Robotnick's involved just screams it) and a lot of other things from humor and drama.

We all know the team of the Freedom Fighters, each one with their own attitudes and styles. Sonic with his quick and (sometimes) smart attitude and his hate towards patience. Tail's as much as he wants to be just like Sonic begins to rely on himself a little more (something I actually approved of with the whole lack of Tails thing). Sally, cool and calculating with a smart mouth she uses on Sonic from time to time. Antoine with his French background trying to please and win Sally over Sonic. Bunnie helping out with heavy lifting and waiting till the day they can change her and everyone else back to normal. And Rotor as the brains behind the construction of the Freedom Fighter's inventions and sometimes the tampering with Robotnick's.

Speaking of Robotnick ... this has got to be his best look in all his years. Not the somewhat goofy but still dangerous versions of him in "Adventures of Sonic the Hedgehog" and "Sonic X". He's all around bad here. Not some Doctor trying to take over. He HAS taken over. A majority of the planet is polluted and under his watch. He shows no mercy and will do anything to get what he wants, lie, cheat, KILL. His best act of evil? Hard to say, but check out "Blast to the Past" parts 1 and 2 (more so 2) to understand his and Sonic's rivalry thats gone on for over a decade. His second in command and his own nephew, the cowardly Snively just lets his him push him around but waits until his downfall to become in charge.

I don't care if this isn't based off the game like AoStH, but what did they have to build off of? The first two games, Sonic a fast runner takes on the vile Dr. Robotnick 'cause he'll ... uh do something, kill them or ...something... ...WOW! Thats a lot of plot to build off of! DiC took those characters, did some slight redesigns, and came up with a plot and created their own characters. They didn't base it off a game like X did and added some things. They made their own universe with characters that have lived to this day in the Archie comics as well as fan comics and fan fiction.

Trust me, check this out anyway you can (thats not illegal), I recommend it! Forget Sonic's design is dated, don't hate because its not like the games. Just enjoy it for what it is, an awesome cartoon!

Perfect 10/10! -Saber

One of the most well written Sonic TV shows ever aired.

[SonicStreak16 · 5/10 · 30 May 2008]

Arguably one of the most well written Sonic TV shows ever aired.

It's a little darker that any other sonic TV show. The Sonic TV franchise had taken a bad rap with it's first ever TV series "The Adventures of Sonic the Hedgehog". Produced in 1993, the show was aimed for preschoolers and, more that anything, tried to educate kids.

The executives wanted something different with the newer series (dubbed by fans "SatAM Sonic"), and the writers set it in a darker world that is already taken over by Robotnik. There are new characters as well, most memorable of them are Sally, Bunnie, and Snively, all living with scars from the aftermath of Robotnik's rise to power.

Judging from only the first season, it's easy to see why this was on ABC's "B" list of cartoons. Despite it's "A" list voice actors the series had many old habits from the "Adventures of" series. The animation is second rate and the plots to each episode became repetitive. Towards the end of the first season it almost went back to the "Adventures of" series, having Tails caring for baby, prehistoric, elephant-shaped dinosaurs.

The second season Sonic was again restructured. The animation is improved upon and series finally takes a turn for the darker side of the characters the plot calls for. Robotnik becomes a villain comparable to Darth Vader, while Sonic and Sally dig into the history of Sally's father for clues and weapons to destroy Robotnik. And Tails was starting to mature and train for missions. There are cut-throats and traitors on both sides, and in the end one of them attempts to takes over Mobus from Robotnik.

But, sadly, the series was scratched off from ABC's programming. New executives came in and wiped clean most of the older TV shows that were on ABC's "B" list. Sonic wouldn't be evaluated for TV again until 1999, and this time as a musical "Sonic Underground" that strays completely from the ideas and characters established in the "SatAM" series.

Another amazing 90's cartoon classic:

[mrHoek100 · 10/10 · 24 February 2011]

Sonic The Hedgehog (SatAM) was the second Sonic cartoon. And unlike it's predecessor, this show was actually good! Robotnik was a great villain, Jaleel White was a great choice for Sonic's voice, Snively was funny, and I liked Sally, Bunnie, Antoine, Tails, Rotor, and Uncle Chuck as well. This show had great writers, and it proved that cartoons could be based on video games and still be good. Every episode (except the Antoine shorts) was interesting, and very entertaining. I'm sad that Season 3 never came out. I bought this show on DVD a while back, and I still watch it every once in a while. This show is TIMELESS. The 90's had such great cartoons, and Sonic SatAM joins the long list of cartoons that I think everyone should watch. You'll most likely be able to find the complete series DVD on eBay or Amazon.com

OVERALL: 10 out of 10

A disappointment

[powerfull_jedi · 4/10 · 30 May 2006]

I'll be honest, I used to like this show. But after a while it became apparent to me that if you took away Sonic from this show, nothing would change drastically. The darker theme in which a bunch of Freedom Figthers take on an evil dictator known as Dr. Robotnik seems like a good sell back in 1993. But by today's standard and for a series that takes use of a Sonic license, I must say it's was terribly missed. My main grip with the show is obviously Sonic, for a show called Sonic the Hedgehog he hardly seems the focus of the show. The intro of Sonic SATAM shows that Sonic is only in this cartoon to do the following actions: -Distract swatbots so everybody else(namely princess Sally) can do their job; -Do something that need do be done quickly; -Flirt with princess Sally; Sonic here is reduced to a weak and clueless character who tries to make up for those shortcomings by occasionally playing guitar music or trying to show off. Sonic rarely makes the winning move for the team unless someone tells him to do so. Despite a tendency to learn from his mistakes on some episodes, in next week's episode, he's back to normal. Another very important licence misuse is obviously the transformation of Tails, a brave and intelligent fox into an extra that gives Cream a run for her money as most usseless character in a TV show. I don't know what happened, probably way back in 1993 having an 8-year old boy genius in a show was a tough sell. Tails was a mechanic and a genius, in this show Rotor was the engineer and Sally was the brain, which turns the 8-year old fox into an extra or occasionally moonligthing as a professional hostage. Antoine can be annoying and Bunny is a little on the stereotypical side, in the end all of these characters(along with the dozens of freedom figther background extras who seem to magically appear when required or disappear when they're not needed) work as a device to move Princess Sally's plot along. By Sally, I mean her quest to defeat Robotnik(I though that was Sonic's quest since you know in the games he does hate oppression, in this cartoon he's a complete slacker who cares more about looking good and cool then helping out his fellow freedom figthers), restore the kingdom and find her father. Why wasn't Uncle Chuck and Sonic relantionship more worked upon, I'll never know, for someone who's supposed to be the hero in the show, his family ties are giving nowhere near as much attention as Sally's quest to find her father. Some of episodes are well written and have a dark tone, other episodes can be just as campy as the the old AOSTH series. Sometimes the plot of the show shows some curious plot holes,they probably aren't but: how can a princess who's been isolated for so many years be able to build her own PDA when they have barely any technology to work with? Exactly how many factories can they blow up again and again, cutting the power off sometimes seems pointless, as Robotropolis returns back to normal in the next episode? Do people live in Robotropolis(there must be, those thugs Dr. Robotnik hired to watch the Satellite had to come from somewhere)? Robotnik controls the entire planet on that one single screen at his headquarters? Is robotization the only option for Dr. Robotnik, he's a master deceiver, why not convince some rebels to work from him? His factories are always producing something and it's not just Swatbots, he's supplying them to whom? There are roboticized workers in those factories, where do they go, Robotnik probably doesn't have any use for them so he probably discards them, but then again the Freedom Figthers don't seem to care much about that. I'm probablt nitpicking but in the end, the show is great for the DIC homegrown stable of characters created for the cartoon show(and the comic), but the iconic video game characters are nowhere near as engaging as their video game counterparts.

Taken off the air?

[nutz4n64 · 22 January 2000]

This show came out a short time after the other Sonic cartoon. That one was on at the same time as Animaniacs and seeing how I hated it so much, I had no reason at all to watch. Then I hear of this new one, and see that it looks a lot different. After one episode I was hooked. The theme song was great and it was a very cool look at Sonic's world. Man, I wish that the video games were based on the characters on this show. It would've been much more interesting. I liked most of them. Bunnie Rabbot, Princess Sally, Tails, Rotor, Dulcy, Arrie, Uncle Chuck, and (believe it or not) Antoine. I see a lot of people here didn't like him, but heck, he's the comic relief. A lot of shows need comic relief. This was, up to last year, my favorite show based on a video game (Pokemon has now taken its place), but I wish it would've succeeded. I hated the fact that it was off the air right when things were really getting interesting between Sonic and Sally. What cruel fate for such a worthy show.

Not your average cartoon

[Sarmatian · 10/10 · 31 October 2005]

Sonic the Hedgehog (or SatAM as its known to its many fans), despite being only a cartoon dared to be different. Many cartoons of its time were just you're average slapstick attempt at producing cheap laughs like AoStH but unlike the "Adventures of Sonic the Hedgehog" (which SatAM should not be confused with) the cartoon had a deep, involving (and darker) plot, thanks hugely to the worthy efforts of the writers the most well known being Ben Hurst and Pat Allee (a big round of applause for them please).

The plot differed vastly from you're standard 'Sega Sonic' plot, in fact it went in an entirely different direction. The show didn't cast Robotnik as a mad scientist inventing loads of weird and wacky contraptions to defeat Sonic, instead he was cast as a traitorous evil dictator determined to bring the planet and all of its inhabitants under his absolute control even if he had to kill them. The ones to stop him were a small but brave band of freedom fighters led by princess Sally of the monarchy that fell under Robotniks coup d'etat and the blue hedgehog himself, Sonic.

This show had something other cartoons consistently lacked, continuity, and character development, the second season's shows continued from one to the other in such a way that they no longer felt like episodes, but more like chapters or parts of one big story... the whole show felt a lot bigger than it really was, its the continuity and the character development that made it so enjoyable for me.

The work of the voice actors brought a bit of magic to the show too such as Jim Cummings(also known for the voice of Winnie the Pooh and Darkwing Duck), one of the most successful voice actors around voiced Robotnik and did a superb job, THAT is how evil a bad guy should sound.

This show was a gem amid a sea of garbage, a rare find indeed, and unfortunately short lived.

A Sweet Sonic show

[ja_kitty_71 · 10/10 · 2 August 2007]

I absolutely love this Sonic show way better than the other Sonic shows, and it's got such characters to love. I like Tails Sonic's little fox-buddy, Bunnie Rabbot. I thought she's both cute and awesome-Dulcy the funny dragon and Princess Sally. I thought she and Sonic were a great match (*sighing lovingly*).

This show features top-notch voice acting from world-renowned talents like Jaleel White (Sonic), Kath Soucie (Princess Sally Acorn), Jim Cummings (Dr. Robotnik), Rob Paulsen (Antoine), Christine Cavanaugh (Bunnie Rabbot), and Tim Curry (King Acorn). Also, I thought Michael Tavera was a gifted composer for the series' musical score, and lastly, the series has excellent story writers like Ben Hurst, Pat Allee, and Len Janson.

So all in all, I love every bit of this series and wish it would have a third season.

The Worst thing I have ever seen

[Jason_VoorheesIMDb · 1/10 · 12 September 2013]

Where do I begin with this? Well for starters it has the most annoying characters in history with the worst being Antoine. OH MY GOD!!! That character is more worse than Navi from Ocarina of Time, Baby Mario from Yoshi's Island, The Dog from Duck Hunt, Willie from Temple of Doom, Jar Jar Binks, Bella Swan, Daffy from the new Looney Tunes Show, Justin Bieber yes I said that and the list goes on. Anyway, this show is so bad I don't understand why people like it. I ask people to explain why and they do they explain in great detail why they like this show and I still don't understand why they like it. Hell even with Pokémon or The new Looney Tunes Show people explain why they like it and I understand but this show is so bad even great detail can't help me understand why people like it. Princess Sally oh god don't even get me started. She is the most inappropriate cartoon character I have ever seen. WHY DOESN'T SHE WEAR CLOTHES?! Why is it the other Sonic the Hedgehog characters have to wear clothes but Princess Sally doesn't have to? Why is that? SHE'S A PRINCESS!! That gives her more reason to wear clothes. She only wears a pair of boots and a jacket so small if a real woman wore it you would still see the breasts. All the other Sonic females wear clothes. Blaze the Cat wears clothes, Amy Rose wears clothes, Rouge the Bat wears clothes, Cream the Rabbit wears clothes, her mother Vanilla the Rabbit wears clothes, Cosmo the Seedrian from Sonic X wears clothes. ALL THE SONIC FEMALES WEAR CLOTHES!!!!! So why doesn't Princess Sally?Even Drop Dead Fred was better than this and Drop Dead Fred is the worst movie I have ever watched. Even Kazaam was better than this. In fact even One Direction is better than this and they suck more than Justin Bieber. Look if you like this show please do not explain to me why because I will not understand. So just keep this show away from me the only Sonic cartoons I let come near me is Sonic Underground and Sonic X because they were awesome. Even Adventures of Sonic the Hedgehog was better than this. Christ it pains me to say this but even Sonic the Hedgehog 2006, Shaq Fu, Superman 64, The Last Airbender (film) and even LJN games are better than this. I'm glad this show was canceled.

A great cartoon that was short-lived

[ArcPaladin · 10/10 · 30 April 2006]

This is one of the best cartoons made based on a video game. While it didn't follow the Sonic games on Sega it proved a more dramatic, sensitive plot than AOSTH (Adventures of Sonic the Hedgehog), and it also followed a storyline on the Archie comics. It was called SatAm because it was on air early Saturday mornings, and to make it so people wouldn't get confused with AOSTH. The animation was terrific, the characters had emotions, and it felt like it was one big storyline, not just episodes of random ideas.

I haven't seen this show for a long time, but I do remember it airing on early Saturday mornings on ABC during 1993-1995. I didn't really like any of the other shows that ABC held on it's Saturday lineup, except for "Reboot", which was the first computer animated show. The voice cast who played the characters in this series did an excellent job at it, including Jim Cummings, who really did a superb job as playing Robotnik.

This show contained things that a lot of other shows lacked. It wasn't your average cartoon trying to produce cheap laughs like Ed, Edd n' Eddy or trying to cram as much action into it as it can in a 30-minute show. This cartoon had character development which grew over its span and a more darker serious theme. The characters didn't just go around and destroy things all the time or acting goofy from the start. SatAm combined everything from action to emotions, and thats what made it stand out above. It's intro was one of the best I ever seen from a cartoon. It grabs you on your seat until its finished and people who have seen this cartoon would probably agree with me. It was ahead of it's time.

I was devastated when the show ended on a cliffhanger after 26 episodes. When you really think about it thats not a whole lot of episodes. It mainly died because ABC doesn't let these shows last more than 2 seasons on their network, and the Power Rangers popularity caused this show to be canceled. The president of ABC also didn't like this show either, although I don't know why because many people happened to love it. This show also made some big fan-sites, which you can still find. I haven't seen this show in over 6 years, but I still remember the theme song and some of the episodes than ran on ABC. One thing that kind of made me upset was that "Reboot" was also canceled on a cliffhanger by ABC, but they were able to make a 3rd season out of it on Cartoon Network, which DiC Productions should of done. This was a very good cartoon that is little known nowadays, and since it has been off the air for over 6 years in the US, not a lot know about it. If you can, try to find reruns on the Internet or buy a video on this, its really worth it.

Sonic the Freedom Fighter

[Oneirosophos · 1/10 · 25 October 2020]

"Satam" is well praised for its dark tone and more "adult" feeling.

But most characters, especially Antoine, are one of the worst characters ever written.

The plot is just repetitive, the soundtrack is out of place and the aftertaste you get is that you have watched the bad Zelda animated but with Batman/Gargoyles "adult" wannabe themes.

Avoid at all cost, the channel was right to cancel this Batman-wannabe series.

Watch the splendid Sonic Adventures instead and have a blast!

The last great cartoon ever aired

[pmcollectorboy · 27 September 2000]

Sonic the Hedgehog, more appropriately known as Sonic SatAM, was the last great cartoon ever aired before the anime takeovers. This wasn't typical cartoony stuff. This show wasn't afraid to show kids a dark and serious side to cartoons. This cartoon was voted to be the second most violent kids show ever, but I would rather watch this than Power Rangers, which killed this show, caused it to go off the air, and then multiplied into many hideous variations. While Sonic had depth, Power Rangers was just cheese and was much more violent than Sonic ever was. This series is not too far off from being a Blade Runner for kids. The atmosphere was dark. The episodes were adventurous and exciting. Dr. Robotnik was made into what a true villain should be--ominous and scary, not the wimpy Sega version. In short, this was a great cartoon, much more than being just another mindless action toon. I even remember the opening sequence and theme song after all these years. It was like the Star Wars of cartoons. It left THAT much of an impression on me. One of the greatest of cartoons is gone forever, but all the children who grew up during that time will never forget.

Great cartoon! One of the best.

[mewmew34 · 10/10 · 7 June 2009]

This was one of my favorite cartoons as a kid. I always liked this series of Sonic the Hedgehog better than another that ran around the same time, which had a drill robot and a chicken robot as the main baddies. This one was more about trying to defeat Robotnik (or Eggman) for good and restoring peace to their world. Along the way they restore the "humanity" to Sonic's uncle who was completely roboticized, and discover that Sally's father was not dead like she long thought. It ended far too soon, and it's sad that the newer incarnations of Sonic don't appear to have picked up the story line, nor do they have the same level of quality to them.

If you're a Sonic the Hedgehog fan, this is a must watch cartoon.

The best video game cartoon ever

[dobrien4587 · 9/10 · 9 May 2010]

When I found this after the nostalgia critic's review, I could not believe that ABC canceled this! The fact of the matter is, Sonic the Hedgehog, or SonicsatAM, was simply put, fantastic.

Unlike other shows based on video games, this show had effort. It had a strong consistent plot, characters that developed, great animation, and just kept many watchers hooked.

The story centered around our hero Sonic and a group of freedom fighters trying to free the planet Mobius from the rule of the evil Dr. Robotnik. Robotnik is actually threatening if you can believe it. He has a dark evil personality and a dark evil voice, an army of robots, a henchman named Snively, and a machine called the robotisiser.

Each episode basically involved Sonic and the freedom fighters either breaking into Robotnik's layer and sabotaging one of his creations, or just simply fighting off his attacks. The freedom fighters consist of Princess Sally Apricorn, Antione, Tails, Rotter, and Bunny Rabot. All these characters developed, except for Antoine. Antoine really just bugged me, he was the french stereotype, and was Meant for comic mischief. Sally is by all means 100 times more likable than Amy, she is basically one of the leaders of the freedom fighters (as well as Sonic's love interest) Bunny is a half bunny half robot who was saved just before she was fully robotized.

Rotter is the handy-man, but he was much better in the first season. Snively is Robotnik's henchman and nephew, who until the end of the series was just abused by Robotnik.

Now I bet some of you are wondering, why did i give this series only 9 and not 10 stars? Well let me turn you to the last episode and what I consider to be the absolute BIGGEST cliffhanger of all time! On the season 2 finale, Sonic and Sally set out to destroy Robotnik's Doomsday Machine. They are successful and as Robotnik tries to escape, he is ultimately caught in the explosion of the machine, the freedom fighters celebrate, Sonic and Sally share a kiss, and all is well right? WRONG! Back at the ruins, it turns out Snively had hid in a pod under the base and survived the explosion and is excited to see that Robotnik is gone, he plans to take over and succeed where Robotnik failed. He also claims that he is not alone as a pair of glowing red eyes appear in the pod next to him.

Now that all sounds cool right? Well its too damn bad we may never know what happened considering ABC leaders shut the show down because of Power Rangers. (Go to fans united for sonicsatam for more info)The series ended on a cliffhanger and to this day annoys people to no end. its sad to see such a great show end like this, just when it was getting better too.

What more can I say about the show except one of Sonic's catchphrases "Its way past cool!"

Should of lasted with 3 more Seasons.

[emasterslake · 9/10 · 10 October 2005]

I've known this series since the days it was new on the old ABC Saturday line up. When I was little I'd like the other Sonic cartoon and disliked this one.

9 years later it was reversed, that I liked this series more than the Adventures of Sonic the Hedgehog.

It's unlike the video game. But it's very cool to watch even if it's nothing like the Video Game.

It's more like a Quest for Survival/Battle for Freedom related cartoon. Robotnik(who is different from the video game) is the overlord of the polluted city of the future: Robotropolis(which was once the peaceful and beautiful Mobotropolis). Robotnik attends to use his machines and robots to take control of the planet.

That won't happen when there's a Fast Hedgehog, Sonic who is the leader of the Freedom Fighters. A group of animals each with different personality. Want to do what it takes to bring back peace to there planet.

This series ran from 1993-1994. Ended as a clip hanger with a total of 26 episodes. A 3rd Season was in plan, but the ABC network don't let shows run no more than 2 seasons, and the Power Rangers ratings kicked this series ratings.

That's abit of a shame. I'd never guessed that this series ended too soon. And it was a great cartoon as well. It's different from your average Talk-Animal shows. It could of gotten a Direct to HomeVideo Movie or even a Video Game with permission from Sega.

Will this series ever see the light of day again. That's hard to answer. Not when there's a lot of people out there that support it along with other great TV shows.

did I ever...

[imayne · 23 June 2000]

Did I ever love this series or what! The "Star Wars" of TV animation if there ever was one. It grabs you from the startling opening credits (which features a stunning shot across a HUGE power station and another of a Death Star-like spaceship assimilating everything in sight, Borg-style.) and never lets go, except a few lame comic relief episodes. The characters had some of the most depth to ever grace a SatAM cartoon, and the artwork was some of the best I have ever seen. I am awfully shocked that it's not available in the US. Here in Asia it's on the Disney Channel, lucky me. And all of you are wrong, this series came before the comic book and the comic book has adhered little to its solid narrative structure. Unlike other video game adaptations this one did not let the story get overshadowed by the action. All in all a truly fantastic series whose impact on animation fans and anthropomorphic fans will not be forgotten. This one should have as many reruns as Batman.

Hands down, this is the best Sonic Series I ever came across!

[Irishchatter · 10/10 · 18 June 2015]

Thanks to Creepypasta's version of Sally.exe, I finally got to see this brilliant show much better then it! I was just born when the series ended and I'm sure it was a great buzz back then. It's sad that it only lasted two seasons like I would've loved to have found out what Snively was planning!

I applaud the cast who were involved in this because honestly, the actors were excellent at playing their characters. Although Jaleel White disappointed me in Sonic Underground, he didn't disappoint me this time! Sally and Sonic were so adorable on this as usual, I'm glad Archie comics got the original guys back on the SEGA list!

I have to say, Antoine Depardieu was really hilarious. I loved how the group tease him on how much of a scardy cat he is and how he mixes up his words just because he's a humble Frenchman! I wish himself and Bunnie got married on this like the comic book series! Seeing him wanting Sally doesn't make any sense to me to be honest! It's sad to think that Christine Cavanaugh isn't with us no more, she was such a great Bunnie to this, RIP ♡

I was thrilled to have known Tim Curry played Sally's dad, I would love to have seen him more. It's really no fair that he just only appeared once! Even Jim Cunnings as Eggman was awesome too like he does an evil voice pretty good for someone who would play good guys a lot!

I'm proud to be a sonic fan and got a chance to see it 20 nearly 21 years later! :D

Really cute, fun, and entertaining show based on a series of classic video games

[Catherine_Grace_Zeh · 10/10 · 24 May 2010]

Wow! This is a really cute, fun, and entertaining show based on a series of classic video games. I said that because I watch this on DVD with my 5-year-old nephew from time to time. It's hard to say which which episode I like the best. Still it's really cute, fun, and entertaining show based on a series of classic video games. Also, it's hard to say which mishap is my favorite. In addition, I love it when the line, "I hate that hedgehog!" is yelled. Before I wrap this up, I'd like to say that the people at DiC Enterprises and NCircle really know how to entertain children of all ages. Now, in conclusion, if you have children, nieces, or nephews, I strongly recommend this really cute, fun, and entertaining show based on a series of classic video games. I guarantee you that they will enjoy it.

A show with a lotta juice!

[matthewshanereaves · 9/10 · 19 August 2004]

I was a big fan of this show growing up. I remember setting my alarm for Saturday Mornings to catch this cartoon each week on ABC. Everything about it was just right: Jaleel White, best known as Steve Urkel, was the ideal choice to play Sonic. He voiced the iconic hedgehog just as I had always envisioned, bringing just the right amount of confidence (as well as arrogance) to the role and making him a truly memorable character. Jim Cummings was effectively chilling as the evil Dr. Robotnik and brought a real sense of menace to a character that had otherwise been portrayed as a buffoon. The actors who provided the voices for the freedom fighters were memorable as well, and one thing that really made this show stand out for me was it's character development, and it's episodes that actually had the good guys losing at the end. I was infuriated when this show was cancelled on a cliffhanger. The final episode of the series had been especially moving and I eagerly waited to see how the story would end. Unfortunately, that never came to pass. This truly was a great show.