10 Hidden Meanings Behind Iconic Video Game Characters

Before Sony created Crash Bandicoot to contend with two battling systems, Sega aimed to restructure the entire gaming world and take the behemoth Nintendo on head to head. They managed to achieve this through a brutal advertisement campaign, cheaper products, and the introduction of their ace in the hole, Sonic the Hedgehog.

While characters like Mario and Link wandered around at a moderate pace, Sonic burst through the world at a roaring speed, and with plenty of attitude. This hip and rebellious personality was so fresh in the gaming market, and there were two significant influences behind it.

The first - somewhat shockingly - was Bill Clinton, who the developers drew major inspiration from thanks to his 1992 presidential campaign. Clinton had a "Get it done" attitude that the developers wanted to capture. This could quickly be seen in the titular character's reaction to being left idle, in which he would break the fourth wall and impatiently tap his foot.

Additionally - while on the subject of his feet - the iconic red shoes sported by the blue hero were designed to look like those worn by Michael Jackson in his music video Bad. Combining this attitude, with the signature shoes and his Sega blue colour scheme turned the character into an icon, exactly as was intended.