Parents' Guide to

The Adventures of Sonic the Hedgehog

By Emily Ashby, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 7+

Hyper '90s 'toon boasts good messages for kids.

TV Syndicated Kids' Animation 1993
The Adventures of Sonic the Hedgehog Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this TV show.

Community Reviews

See all
age 6+

Based on 9 parent reviews

Lebron12James3
Lebron12James3 Parent
December 8, 2021
age 2+

FLINTSTONES MEET THE FLINTSTONES

Raritysfans
Raritysfans Adult
January 22, 2021
age 7+

It´s Sonic!

With the Sonic 2020 movie hype over let´s got back to 90s to watch Sonic. Lots of action and, consumerim and some out of context like in other classic Sonic cartoons that´s not here on Common Sense. Best to watch on an used VHS with your family on a boring day with chili dogs. In this version you get Sonic Sez that was the youths memes for the young crowd long before Youtube memes.

This title has:

Too much violence
Too much sex
Too much consumerism
See all 9 parent reviews

What's the Story?

In THE ADVENTURES OF SONIC THE HEDGEHOG, a speedy blue hedgehog named Sonic (voiced by Jaleel White) and his best friend, Tails (Christopher Evan Welch), team up to undo the evil plans of the nefarious Doctor Ivo Robotnik (Long John Baldry), who's bent on controlling the planet Mobius. Robotnik will stop at nothing to accomplish his goal, and when Sonic stands in his way, he and he incompetent minions, Scratch (Phil Hayes) and Grounder (Gary Chalk), cook up some outrageous schemes to neutralize him, but the young heroes always manage to unravel their plans.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (9):
Kids say (34):

Sonic made his TV debut in the early ‘90s, shortly after the advent of the Sega video game on which the show was loosely based. The series itself is full of the zany mischief kids love in cartoons, and parents will notice that it does strive harder than most of its modern-day peers to drive home positive messages about responsibility, personal safety, and other age-appropriate issues. Another bonus? There's little fear of commercial tie-ins since the show is nearly two decades old.



The show's slapstick style lends itself to plenty of comical accidents like getting flattened by a steamroller or falling down an embankment, but in true cartoon fashion, injuries are rare. Parents' biggest beef with the show is likely to be the language, which is peppered with name-calling ("jerk," "meathead," "brat") and other demeaning terms, as well as "shut up" and "hate." While it doesn't necessarily cross any lines, it's probably not the type of stuff you want your kids repeating on a regular basis.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about heroes. How do you define a hero? What job does a person have to do to earn that distinction? Do heroes have to be perfect?

  • Kids: Who are your favorite cartoon characters? What personality traits do you like in them? Do you think it's their intention to teach you something? If so, what?

  • Which of your favorite characters have you also seen on products like games, snacks, and clothing? Does seeing a familiar character on these items make you more inclined to want them?

TV Details

Did we miss something on diversity?

Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by suggesting a diversity update.

See all recommended tv lists

Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.

See how we rate