Ride on, Jim
The critically acclaimed and fan-pleasing Sonic Mania title features a tribute to a deceased member of the Sonic the Hedgehog modding community.
Lava Reef Zone’s stunt-jumpin’ boss Heavy Rider is a mace wielding knight who attacks the players astride her high-octane motobug, Jimmy. This is a reference to Sonic community modder “Polygon Jim”, who was tragically killed in a car crash in 2013.
One of Polygon Jim’s best-known works was Motobug the Badnik in Sonic the Hedgehog, a game variant where players would control a version of the classic Sonic enemy as they amusingly trundled through the stage, able to jump obstacles by extending their wheel, ala Heavy-Rider’s mount.
It’s a small but beautiful gesture, just one more way that Sonic Mania continues to be a genuine love letter, not only to the series itself, but to the fans that have kept the franchise name alive through the good times and the bad.
Sonic Mania tribute to fan [gonintendo]