Sonic the Hedgehog Vinyl Is Better Than Expected

Written by Marc DeAngelis

Thursday, 01 October 2009 13:00

Almost a year ago, Play-Asia had a pre-order available for a new Sonic the Hedgehog vinyl figure which was supposed to hit shelves shortly. However, the toy kept being delayed (or Play-Asia just didn't know what they were talking about). Well, it's finally out and in my hands. And it's glorious.

Hit the link for the rundown and more pics.

First of all, the packaging isn't anything visually stunning, but it is functional. Some lower-end toys can't be placed back into their boxes for storage thanks to the pull-off plastic glued to a cardboard backing. Thankfully, the Sonic vinyls have plastic tabs that clamp onto the cardboard backing so that once you're done displaying your Sega fandom, you can securely hide your toy where the ladies won't find it.

First 4 Figures is the company that makes the figures. While they aren't well known in the vinyl community, they do have a track record for producing super high quality (think $100 price range) videogame and nerdy franchise-based toys. The first entry into the Sonic franchise features Sonic, Tails, and Knuckles. The packaging states that this it the first volume of Sonic toys, so hopefully we'll see more released down the road. I'd like to see Metal Sonic and Amy from Sonic CD, myself.

As for the figure itself, it's top notch quality. Forget the newer character designs Sonic has been sporting. This vinyl is the real deal - it's based on the big head, little body character design of Sonic 1 and 2. Sonic is displayed on the accompanying pedestal in mid-stride, one foot pushing off the ground, and the other straight ahead, arms swinging at his side and a slight frown on his face.

The sub-6-inch figure is sturdily built, but thanks to Sonic's skinny appendages, dropping it isn't a good idea. Thankfully, the pedestal that comes with the figure makes sure the top-heavy toy won't fall over.

The paint job is as perfect as the toy's design. Sonic's fur is colored in the classic dark blue and his skin is an accurately light skin tone. Some lower-end toys are painted sloppily, resulting in overlapping colors - the white of Sonic's gloves seeping onto his flesh colored arms for examples. But this figure was carefully colored and no accidents are apparent.

Overall, this is a great figure, especially for the $15 price tag. In fact, I'd say it's the best Sonic figure made to date. Remember, though, that this is a vinyl "art" toy - the figure is not poseable and is simply for display. If you're a fan of Sonic, especially his Genesis games, you need to pick this up. Every time I look at it (which is often since it's right next to my monitor) I get a blast of nostalgia. In fact, I'm going to play some Sonic 2 right now.

Just as a note, Play-Asia still doesn't have these in stock, though they are available to pre-order. If you live near an import shop or a store that carries vinyls, you may be able to pick one up with some effort. They're still rare for some reason.