Shortly after Sonic Frontiers launches, fans will be able to download special DLC that can give Sonic a set of Rathalos-themed armor from Capcom's hit Monster Hunter series. The blue blur is no stranger to crossovers, as he's appeared in games like Super Monkey Ball Banana Blitz rather regularly. However, among the many Sonic crossovers, fans may be wondering just how many times the hedgehog has dressed up in costumes based on other video game characters.
Truthfully, Sonic the Hedgehog collaborations hardly see the titular character dressing up, most likely because Sonic is best recognized as himself, and special outfits might make him unrecognizable. However, Sonic Frontiers aims to change this while expanding on the usual customization options offered in the series. For the first time since Sonic Rivals, fans will be able to put Sonic in unique costumes, and the Monster Hunter crossover DLC coming on November 14 may only be the beginning of costume additions to the game.
Sonic's History of Video Game Character Costumes
When it comes to Sonic dressing up as other video game characters in his own games, so far, he's only done it twice. The first instance was in Sonic Lost World; the Wii U exclusive title was given an entire Legend of Zelda level that was rather open. It saw Sonic discovering the Tri-Force as he adorned Link's classic green tunic and hat. Now, nine years later, Sonic Frontiers' Monster Hunter DLC gives Sonic two different pairs of Rathalos armor to wear.
However, promotional artwork has had a habit of showcasing Sonic in ways that the games don't cover. Mario & Sonic at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games featured special artwork that saw Mario and Sonic parading together. While the two look to be wearing similar outfits, Sonic had taken a few liberties with the look. He's seen sporting a red jacket rather than a red shirt and overalls, with colored frills covering his shoes instead of wearing pants. However, Sonic also looked the part in an unexpected way, as he's also seen sporting a fake mustache in the style of Mario's own. Special artwork made for Mario's 20th anniversary also saw Sonic wearing the plumber's famous hat. Between these, fans may be able to imagine what Sonic might look like if Mario captured him with Cappy.
The Monster Hunter Rise collaboration also dressed up Sonic. Famous Sonic Adventure artist Yuji Uekawa drew the blue blur in the Kamura Village outfit with a special hood fit for his quills. While it isn't entirely a "costume," when the Archie comics held a Sonic and Mega Man crossover, the story saw many of Sonic's friends roboticized and turned into Robot Masters. The second time the blue blur and blue bomber met saw Sonic himself turned into the formidable "Sonic Man" Robot Master as the main enemy in the first act of the story. In a similar vein, a Minecraft collaboration with Sonic the Hedgehog featured several skins for numerous characters in the series, which required them to be reimagined into Minecraft's blocky, pixilated style.
It's interesting that, despite how long Sonic's been around and how often the series has worked with other franchises, there haven't been many instances of the hedgehog dressing up for the occasion. However, there's a chance that Sonic Frontiers allowing players to customize Sonic serves as a sign of things to come with other DLC packages, or even in games after Frontiers.
Fans should also note that many other characters across numerous medias and franchises have dressed up as Sonic himself. Monster Hunter has armor for Palamutes, Felynes, and player characters in the image of Sonic and Tails. Hatsune Miku games like Colorful Stage usually come with some sort of Sonic outfit to celebrate the fact that the games are usually developed by Sega. This is only a fraction of the collaborations that are out there, as Sonic has made his way into games such as Super Smash Bros. and Cookie Run: Kingdom. These partnerships have been going on for years, and while only a few of them dress Sonic up, there's most definitely more on the way that may change things up in the future.
Sonic Frontiers will launch on November 8 for PC, PS4, PS5, Switch, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.
