Lego Sonic the Hedgehog Set is Here: Why am I Shaking?

Do you want to hear something crazy? I’ve never had a Lego set of my own. Not as a kid, not later. Growing up in a tiny town in the far North of Russia, I barely knew what Lego was, seeing it only in the TV ads from time to time. Some of my friends had Lego sets, but they were too protective of them, so I’d only see the final result and rarely participated in the building process (which is the most fun, right?).

Sega and Sonic the Hedgehog

Even though I didn’t have Lego, I had other cool things. For example, a Sega Mega Drive console. My dad purchased it from his friend’s son–the guy was upgrading to Nintendo 64 and needed to sell his old console. 

That Sega had seen better days when I got it; the cables lived the rest of their days, and the controllers were greasy with barely visible letters on the buttons. Still, it was my first cool console after using a Russian NES clone with its 8-bit games for years, so I was on cloud nine.

The console came with a bunch of used games. Most of the games were useless and ended up being resold except for one–Sonic the Hedgehog. To say that the game blew my mind would be an understatement. By far, it was the best game I’d ever played at that time, and it would take all of my free time.

To my disappointment, no matter how badly I loved the game, I still couldn’t complete it. I would always die in the final boss fight with Mr. Robotnik, regardless of how many extra lives I had. I don’t think he was too difficult to beat, but somehow I would always fail.

One Sunday afternoon, I was on my ninth or tenth walkthrough. As I approached the final boss fight, I felt intense pressure–I knew I had to win this fight. It was now or never. But as my game lives went away and the Game Over screen lightened up my pre-teen face, and I cried in utter disappointment, my mother entered the room and said, “Evgeny, maybe it’s time you take a break from this game.”

She was right. So, I turned off the console and hid the Sonic game away from my sight. My head was heavy, and my fingers were sore. I needed a break, and I took one. I just didn’t know that the break would last almost twenty-five years.

Lego Releases the Sonic Set

When Lego released a set featuring Sonic the Hedgehog on January 1, 2022, my first thought was, “How could I have missed the announcement?” Although I haven’t played any of the Sonic games since that ill-fated weekend twenty-five years ago, I still consider myself a fan of the character, enjoying the movie or TV series with my son. But somehow, I missed the news about the Lego set, so I was both surprised and excited when I learned about it on the last day of 2021.

If the steep price of $69.99 made me hesitate, then only for a bit (I actually paid €69.99, which is even more). Besides, compared to video games that sometimes cost even more, the price for a Lego set that will not lose its charm for years doesn’t seem too bad.

Reviewing the Lego Sonic the Hedgehog Set

The set is, in fact, charming. Made up of 1,125 colorful pieces, the set recreates the 16-bit design of the iconic Green Hill Zone with its pixelated landscape and enemies, including Crabmeat, Moto Bug, and Dr. “Eggman” Robotnik. Except for Sonic himself, these three characters do not come as separate figures and must be assembled from individual blocks.

Building instructions come in a beautiful booklet themed as a TV screen with the 1991 game title screen and feature the history of the Sonic games and interviews with the Lego designer and Viv Grannell, a Sonic enthusiast from the United Kingdom, who came up with the idea. This is probably one of the most interesting facts about this Lego item.

You see, Lego’s Sonic set is not an original Lego idea. It was Viv Grannell who submitted the concept for the set through the Lego Ideas platform. Grannell’s vision for a custom-built LEGO set needed 10,000 voters before Lego would consider taking it into production, so it was no easy feat. However, with fan suggestions and support from Lego itself, Grannell could enthrall everyone with her creativity and convince Lego to take over from there.

The set has an age restriction of 18+ and is not intended to play with like other Lego sets. There are very few movable parts, and the finished build is mainly designed to decorate a desk, bookshelf, or TV stand. Made up from regular Lego pieces, thanks to the perfect color matching, the set recreates the Green Hill Zone with a palm tree, bridge loop, and even rings that Sonic collects to get additional lives.

A Perfect Gift Idea

Given all of the above, this set will be a perfect gift for any Sonic fan. A bit costly, the set is more than just a decoration on your desk. It celebrates 30 years of Sonic the Hedgehog and its creators and offers value that goes beyond just being fun. I am pretty sure that for many people in their 30s, this Lego set will be an emotional reminiscence of the 16-bit era with its pixelated characters and electronic music.

As for me, I didn’t buy it as a gift. Nor did I buy it for my son. This set is for me and for me only. As I write this, the set still lies on my desk barely unpacked. I don’t know if I want to start building it right away. After all, this is my first personal Lego set and I want to build up the anticipation of assembling it for as long as possible.

What’s more, it’s going to be my first encounter with Dr. Eggman Robotnik in twenty-five years. And I am glad that I don't have to fight him this time around.