Everything To Know About SEGA's Shadow The Hedgehog Motorcycle
During uncertain times in human history, the sweet call of nostalgia can induce a calming effect for people looking to heal their inner child, especially when it comes to video games. After all, video games represent both the joy of childhood and the feeling of simpler times. While it isn't surprising that companies with strong IPs like SEGA are bringing out the big guns with their Sonic the Hedgehog franchise, which has been around since 1991, it's a welcomed change that they're choosing to hero unexpected characters in interesting ways, like Shadow the Hedgehog.
Shadow the Hedgehog is back with Classic and Modern Sonic in SONIC X SHADOW GENERATIONS, coming Autumn 2024! pic.twitter.com/jQXWQGkyLZ
— Sonic the Hedgehog (@sonic_hedgehog) January 31, 2024
Despite his villain-coded color palette of black with streaks of red, plus a dark, mysterious personality to match, Shadow is a beloved character in the Sonic universe due to his complex backstory and character development. With the upcoming "Sonic X Shadow Generations" video game set to release in the fall of 2024, SEGA announced a surprising but relevant marketing tactic: a Shadow-inspired motorcycle. Bound to spike the interest of not just seasoned gamers but also younger audiences hearing about Shadow for the first time, here's what we know about it so far.
Celebrating the Year of Shadow with SEGA
On its website, SEGA shares that it created the real-life version of Shadow's signature motorcycle, Dark Rider, which first appeared in Shadow the Hedgehog (2005). Among the details it released, SEGA reveals its tip-to-tail width (9 feet, 7 inches), handlebar height (3 feet, 10 inches), seat height (2 feet, 2 inches), and fork angle (43 degrees). Aside from this, SEGA also notes the front and back tire sizes, which are 120/70-R21 and 300/35-R18, respectively.
For its first stop, the Shadow-inspired bike graced the MotoGP Red Bull Grand Prix of the Americas from April 12-14, 2024, in Austin, Texas. Surprisingly, this isn't the first time a pop culture character-themed motorcycle graced the MotoGP. A few months ago, Motorsport reported that RNF Aprilia displayed a Barbie-inspired motorcycle in the August 2023 MotoGP Austrian Grand Prix.
Aside from the custom motorcycle, SEGA announced a slew of other things to look forward to, like the Shadow the Hedgehog Escape LEGO toy set ($19.99). SEGA also announced that players of Sonic Forces Mobile (iOS, Android) and Sonic Dash (iOS, Android) can enjoy unlocking Shadow variants, like the Super Shadow, Dragon Hunter Lancelot, and Vampire Shadow, through in-game events. Apart from the upcoming video game, "Sonic X Shadow Generations," the "Sonic the Hedgehog 3" movie is scheduled to be released in the United States in December 2024, where Shadow is also set to make his cinematic debut.
Bringing video game characters to life
For motorcycle lovers and gamers, 2024 is the gift that keeps on giving. In addition to SEGA's Shadow the Hedgehog motorcycle announcement, it's the year fans of the beloved Pokémon franchise saw a legendary motorcycle-like Pokémon come to life.
In March 2024, the Toyota PR Office published a press release announcing its special partnership with the Pokémon Company through the Toyota Miraidon project. To "convey the joy of imagination and the power of manufacturing by realizing the future mobility imagined by children," the Toyota Engineering Society unveiled a life-sized Miraidon, a legendary Pokémon from "Pokemon Scarlet and Violet," at the Tokyo Midtown Hibiya Atrium.
Released in 2022, many Pokémon fans grew attached to Miraidon, their companion throughout Pokemon Violet, so it's unsurprising that the exhibit generated a lot of buzz among adults and children alike. The exhibit ran from March 15-17, 2024, wherein a limited number of tickets were released. While the Miraidon remained stationary throughout the exhibit, the engineers were able to show its transformation from "drive mode" to "4-legged mode" and let a few people get on board (as long as they weighed under 143 pounds).
While only time will tell if we'll ever get to see video game-inspired motorcycles on the streets, one thing is sure: Video games and their characters can inspire the next generation of riders.