| Sonic the Fighters | |
|---|---|
 Arcade flyer, depicting (from left to right): Espio, Amy, Sonic, Bark and Fang | |
| Developer(s) | Sega AM2 |
| Publisher(s) | Sega |
| Director(s) | Hiroshi Kataoka |
| Producer(s) | Yu Suzuki |
| Artist(s) | Masahiro Sugiyama |
| Composer(s) | Maki Morrow Takenobu Mitsuyoshi |
| Series | Sonic the Hedgehog |
| Platform(s) | Arcade, GameCube, PlayStation 2, PlayStation 3, Xbox 360 |
| Release | |
| Genre(s) | Fighting |
| Mode(s) | Single-player, multiplayer |
| Arcade system | Sega Model 2 |
Sonic the Fighters,[a] also known as Sonic Championship on arcade versions outside Japan, is a fighting game developed by Sega AM2. First released in 1996 in arcades on Sega's Model 2 arcade system, Sonic the Fighters pits players in one-on-one battles with a roster of characters from the Sonic the Hedgehog series.
Sonic the Fighters was built using the 3D fighting engine for Fighting Vipers (1996), another game by Sega AM2, and it was the first 3D game in the Sonic series. The idea for a Sonic fighting game was conceived when a Sega AM2 programmer experimented with a 3D Sonic the Hedgehog model in Fighting Vipers. The smoothness of the character animations convinced Sonic Team to approve the project and supervise it.
A home console port for the Sega Saturn was announced, but ultimately canceled, resulting in the game staying an arcade exclusive until 2005 with the compilation Sonic Gems Collection for GameCube and PlayStation 2. It was rereleased again in 2012 for the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360, featuring new playable characters and an online versus mode. It has since been included as a bonus game in the Like a Dragon series.
Sonic the Fighters received mixed reviews. Critics praised the graphics, especially the cartoon-like animations, but criticized the gameplay as rudimentary. It was ultimately regarded as disappointing for fans of the fighting game genre but an obscure novelty for Sonic fans.
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