Mario may have been one of the first big names in video games to get a LEGO set, but another name will soon be joining him. Thanks to the LEGO Ideas program, a LEGO set based around Sonic Mania will soon be in production.
For those who've never heard of it, LEGO Ideas is a website that allows LEGO enthusiasts to share their custom LEGO creations. Those who are particularly talented can develop their own creations in the hope that they'll be approved as actual products. This process requires creators to get 10,000 votes from other LEGO fans and an official greenlight from the LEGO group (and SEGA as the copyright holder.) Viv Grannell, a 24-year-old Sonic fan from the UK, is one of those lucky creators to get approved. Her mockup, originally posted in February 2019, takes the classic Green Hill Zone and converts into the world of LEGO. It's worth noting that the fan creation above is not the final product.
Speaking in a press release, Viv said:
I’ve been invested in the world of Sonic for almost my entire life, and it’s such a perfect fit for the LEGO system that I spent about a year rallying support for it to happen. Having 10,000 people back my design was overwhelming enough, even with friends and family behind me, but having it be selected for further development was the most exciting secret I have ever had to keep!
SEGA is also "thrilled" to be making Sonic an official LEGO product. Jason Rice, Director of Brand Licensing at SEGA Europe, adds that SEGA has "always encouraged fans to take part in the legacy of the Sonic franchise" through fan creations and finds it "wonderful" to see this belief continued via the LEGO Ideas program.
There's no release date on the Sonic Mania LEGO set. Meanwhile, Sonic will be celebrating his 30th anniversary this June.
