Many UK gamers have fond memories of Segaworld, a massive arcade billed as the largest in Europe during the 1990s. Greeting visitors at the entrance was a huge status of Sonic the Hedgehog spinning a globe on his finger. It was the most exciting entrance to an arcade a ’90s teen could ever imagine.
IGN Japan editor Daniel Robson is among those who have fond memories of the Sonic statue, saying that it’s “seared permanently” into his memory.
Get ready for a blast from the past 🕹️
We’re thrilled to announce that the iconic Sonic statue from SEGAWORLD London has been found and restored to its former glory! Don’t miss the chance to see this piece of gaming history at our booth at #gamescom after more than 20 years 🎉 pic.twitter.com/sUI11TRSlo
— SEGA Forever (@SEGAForever) August 21, 2023
“The arcade was closed after four years in 2000, and I had assumed the statue was gone forever,” he says
Much like the arcade scene in general, the Sonic statue was thought lost to time. But in a new video posted to Sega Forever on X, the statue is seen being uncovered and beautifully restored. It’s not the only statue fans are trying to save, either. In 2019, we reported on a similar effort to save statues of Sonic and Princess Sally from a Sydney theme park in Australia.
The Sonic statue will once greet visitors at Sega’s booth at Gamescom, which is set to kick off later this week. Sega is currently in the midst of promoting the upcoming release of Sonic Superstars, a classic Sonic platformer that will utilize 2.5D graphics.
Outside of Sega’s lineup, Gamescom is expected to feature a host of upcoming games including Mortal Kombat 1 and Alan Wake 2. It will kick off tomorrow with Opening Night Live, which host Geoff Keighley says will be “less about announcing new projects” and will focus on those already shown.
IGN will be at Gamescom all week. You can find find our Gamescom 2023 how to watch and schedule right here.
Kat Bailey is IGN’s News Director as well as co-host of Nintendo Voice Chat. Have a tip? Send her a DM at @the_katbot.
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