As of next year, it will be three decades since the launch of the original Sonic the Hedgehog on the Sega Megadrive, and as someone who fondly remembers not only the launch of this monumental title, but also the tenth anniversary, and every five year increment since; I can say that Sonic's 30th anniversary year will surely be one to remember.

Sega seems to think so too, as they have just unveiled the celebratory logo, which you can see in the banner of this very article. It's a rather stylised logo, incorporating Sonic in silhouette form, reminiscent of the classic "Sonic Team" logo through the ages, and it also shows Sonic's speed, with the "0" representing the hedgehog's famous running animation.

There will be plenty of other ways in which Sega will be celebrating, including several merchandise ventures including some new figures and pins amongst other things, plus there is set to be a new Sonic comic plus a mini-series from IDW; could this be a return to the Nineties? With all these promotions, it certainly seems that way. (I can remember reading Sonic the Comic back in the day) - Sam

Here's a quote from Ivo Gerscovich, Chief Brand Officer of Sonic the Hedgehog and SVP Sega of America...

“Over the past 30 years spanning multiple generations, Sonic fans have created memories with their speedy Blue Blur. In order to commemorate the most iconic elements of the Sonic universe, we have partnered with some of the top licensees in the industry to produce collectible Sonic the Hedgehog merchandise that our enthusiastic and loyal fans can cherish for years to come.”

Also, if you like Sonic, Sega and all things retro, then you might want to check out "Retro Faith" which is an independent site with a focus on Sonic the Hedgehog, Sega and plenty of retro games. Indeed, with this year being the Twenty-Ninth anniversary of Sonic, there was an article published on Sonic's birthday which features Twenty-Nine facts about the famous hedgehog. (one of which, I was unaware of, and I've always been quite the Sonic fan, in addition to being an advocate of Nintendo games) - Sam

(This isn't a paid affiliation, but it is promotion of another independent site, which is passionate about videogames, and being that Retro Faith has a focus on Sonic, this is promotion which is in context and this is something which N-Europe may look to persue in the future; promotion of independent sites or channels which are passionate about videogames. So if you know of any independent websites which have a specialisation in specific areas of videogames, which you think might be of interest, then please let us know and they may be featured in the future.)

Will you be celebrating Sonic's 30th anniversary in any particular way next year? Are you wanting the next Sonic Mania type game to come out across all formats? Or are you more interested in a potential Nintendo Switch exclusive Sonic game to be released? (personally, I wouldn't mind seeing the re-release of the GBA Sonic games) - Sam

Let us know your thoughts in the comments section or join in with the discussion on our forum.