Sonic's Schoolhouse is an educational video game in the Sonic the Hedgehog series developed by BAP Interactive and Orion Interactive and published by Sega Entertainment. The game uses interactive classroom challenges to teach children from kindergarten through fourth grade mathematics, reading, and spelling.^[2][3]

Sonic's Schoolhouse was released for PC in the United States on 18 October 1996.^[1] It was set to be the first in a series of educational Sonic games, but no sequels were released.^[6][7]

Gameplay[]

Sonic's Schoolhouse is played from a first-person perspective in a world with little variation in height, made of mostly right angles. Sega Entertainment CEO Shinobu Toyoda cited the game as being "like 'Doom' for kids, but instead of being in dark hallways fighting bad guys, kids are in a brightly-colored 3D schoolhouse."^[1]

Rather than being playable, Sonic the Hedgehog acts as the teacher, providing guidance to the player throughout the game. The player instead chooses one of ten generic animal characters to play as.

There are three subjects taught in the game: math (one addition/multiplication, one subtraction/division), reading, and spelling.^[8][3] The player can choose which classroom to visit and answer questions written on the blackboards. Nearby answers, that include balloons with pictures on them and bouncing letters and numbers, can be picked up and inserted on the blackboard to answer.^[8] If the player gets all ten answers correct, Sonic will hold up two sparklers in the post exercise cutscene, saying "You got all ten right! Great job!" Each level features four regular questions and six hidden questions, with the latter being behind locked doors that are opened by answering correctly.^[8]

In addition, players can earn access to two mini-games on the playground, 3D Concentration and Ring Hunt, along with a field trip section that gives them numerous facts on the various animals in the game through video clips played on the school bus's windshield.^[9][10] By going through the purple door at the end of the hallway, the player can access the playground where the recess mini-games take place. Once in the fenced off area behind the building, the player is given the choice between two drawings on the fence. Clicking on either of these will take the player to its corresponding mini-game. On the opposite end of the school is a yellow door with a school bus on it. This leads to the field trip portion of the game. By interacting with the bus that is parked in front of the school, the field trip will begin.

Dr. Robotnik and his Badniks also show up to steal answers^[8] or, in the Ring Hunt mini-game, get in the way of collecting rings.^[9][10]

At the conclusion of the game, the player can physically print a list of all the correct answers, as well as a certificate showing the number of gumballs they earned in gameplay.^[11][3]

Controls[]

Button formation[12]		Movement
Keyboard (P1)	Keyboard (P2)
[↑]/[↓]	[W]/[X]	Move forward/backward
[←]/[→]	[A]/[D]	Rotate left/right
[ENTER]	[CTRL]	Action

Objects[]

Items[]

• Ring (Ring Hunt)

Power-Ups[]

• Playground Pass - Allows access to the recess mini-games in the playground.^[13]
• Field Trip - Allows access to a field trip.^[13]
• Keys - Opens one locked door without answering the question (single-player).^[13]

Characters[]

Playable characters[]

Alligator (only appearance) Cow (only appearance) Elephant (only appearance) Hippopotamus (only appearance) Kangaroo (only appearance)

Monkey (only appearance) Pig (only appearance) Polar bear (only appearance) Rabbit (only appearance) Zebra (only appearance)

Non-playable characters[]

• Dr. Robotnik
• Knuckles the Echidna (cameo)
• Miles "Tails" Prower (cameo)
• Sonic the Hedgehog

Enemies[]

• Buzz Bomber
• Moto Bug

Exercises[]

• Math Room(s)^[8] (blue, green)
• Reading Room^[14] (yellow)
• Spelling Room^[14] (red)

Playground[]

The Playground is where the player can partake in recess. Here, puzzle-adventure mini-games can be played, though a Recess Power-Up (Playground Pass) is required for access.^[14] There are two mini-games available, including:

• 3D Concentration - This mini-game features a large, fenced-off field that is filled with three-dimensional question marks. Interacting with one of these question marks will reveal a statue of a Sonic-related character or icon, such as Tails or Knuckles. The goal of the game is to match each statue to create a pair, and in doing so the player will earn one gumball per match.^[9]
• Ring Hunt - Here, the player must race to collect all of the rings scattered around the schoolyard. The challenge is that Dr. Robotnik has sent his "spoil sports," which include Buzz Bombers and Moto Bugs, to intercept the player. Getting caught by one will result in the player losing all their rings, requiring them to start over.^[9][10]

Other modes[]

Two Player Split Screen Play[]

Two Player Split Screen Play is the local split screen multiplayer mode of Sonic's Schoolhouse. There are both competitive and cooperative options available for two-player mode, both of which involve the players racing to see who can collect the most answers. When competing against each other, the players are able to steal answers, much like how Dr. Robotnik does in single-player mode. Additionally, both the Playground mini-games and the field trips are accessible.^[10]

Options Menu[]

Upon booting up Sonic's Schoolhouse, the player is met with the Options Menu.^[15] Before playing, the player must enter their name or choose from the list of previously saved names. There are several other icons present on this screen, with each functioning as follows:

• Sonic the Hedgehog - Sonic can be clicked on at any time for helpful hints and tricks.^[4]
• Character Selection (animal) - The player may play as one of 10 animal characters.^[4]
• Grade Level (books) - Can be set from kindergarten through fourth grade.^[4]
• 1 OR 2 Player Select (stick figure) - Switches the game between one and two-player mode.^[4]
• System Set-Up (sign) - Toggles the graphics quality setting between "Pentium" (high) or "486" (low).^[4]
• Control Device Selection (keyboard) - Adjusts the input device between keyboard and gamepad/joystick.^[4]
• Music (musical note) - Toggles the background music on or off.^[4]
• Gumball Count (gumball machine) - Tracks the player's Gumball collection.^[11]
• Print (gumball machine) - Prints out the player's Gumball Certificate.^[11]
• Stoplight - Allows the player to perform several tasks with the press of a key:^[11]
  • Red Light - Brings the player back to the Options Menu from gameplay or closes the game.
  • Yellow Light - Pauses gameplay.
  • Green Light - Starts the game.

Cast[]

Role	English voice actor
Sonic the Hedgehog	Meg Inglima

Development[]

Sonic's Schoolhouse began as an original, non-Sonic educational game titled Answer Hunt.^{[16][note 3][17]} The game was fully developed by BAP Interactive, a multimedia subsidiary of American film production studio Bruce Austin Productions.^[16][6] BAP's production partner, Motion Picture Corporation of America, approached Sega with the game, and a deal was made to retool it into a Sonic product.^[16]

Sonic's Schoolhouse uses I3D (Interactive 3D), a commercial game engine previously used in Bloodwings: Pumpkinhead's Revenge, the only other BAP-developed game ever released.^{[note 1][18][19]} The challenges in Sonic's Schoolhouse were designed for both single-player and multiplayer, and an advisory panel of ten educators and child psychologists assisted in developing educational challenges in the game targeted at specific age groups.^[1] Producer and designer Britton Jackson recalled development of the game being unenjoyable, commenting that the team at the time was "fighting against pretty limited technology."^[16]

The game was initially titled Sonic Schoolhouse, as seen in early box artwork and press material.^[20][21]

Promotion[]

Sonic's Schoolhouse was first announced by Sega on 16 May 1996, as part of an initiative to release four Sonic games across multiple platforms.^[21] The game was later reannounced during Sega's Gamer's Day event in August 1996, and was stated to be the first in a series of educational games starring Sonic.^[7][6] A release date of 5 September 1996 was initially announced for Sonic's Schoolhouse; however, on 10 October 1996 the release date was instead announced to be the 18th of the same month.^[22][1]

Sega Entertainment promoted the launch of Sonic's Schoolhouse in late 1996 with print advertisements running from October through December, in-store displays, free demo offers on the company's website, and a sampler disk mailed to certain retail accounts. Additionally, copies of the game were packaged with coupons for discounts of up to US$40 on Sonic products.^[1]

Sonic's Schoolhouse was also part of the Blue is Back! marketing campaign, which promoted the release of six Sonic games in late 1996.^[1]

Demo[]

An early demo version of the game was distributed on various Sega PC sampler disks between 1996 and 1997.

In the demo, a single room titled "Demo Room" is available in the schoolhouse, covering addition/multiplication, subtraction/division, and spelling. It is accessed through the same blue door as the addition/multiplication Math Room in the full game. All other room doors in the schoolhouse, as well as the Playground mini-game entrances and the school bus, are blocked off with a sign that reads, "Sorry, not in demo". As a result, Playground Passes and Field Trips collected from rooms cannot be used.

List of Sonic's Schoolhouse sampler disks[]

Image	Title	Description
	Sega Proven Family Fun Sampler	One of five demos included in the compilation, released in 1996.
	Sega Family Fun Pak	One of five demos included in the compilation, released in 1996.
	Trident Sampler Disc	One of seven demos included in the compilation, bundled with Trident ProVidia 9685 video cards in 1997.[23]
	Hershey's sampler	One of four demos included in the compilation, released on 1 August 1997.

Re-release[]

Image	Title	Description
	Sega PC Collection	Released under the Sega PC Collection line by Expert Software in September 1997.[24]

Trivia[]

• There are a few notable artworks displayed on the walls of the schoolhouse:
  • Each artwork of Dr. Robotnik depicts him in his Adventures of Sonic the Hedgehog design, due to the common use of the design in Western Sonic media during the 1990s.
  • One of the artworks is the cover artwork of Sonic Spinball (8-bit).

• There are several unused menu video files leftover from the Answer Hunt incarnation of the game that feature a cartoon talking clock character, providing guidance to the player the same way Sonic does in the final game.
• Several game assets, such as the 3D Sonic model used in artwork, full-motion videos, and sprites, are reused from the canceled Sonic X-Treme.^[25]
• Most music tracks in the game originate from external sources:
  • The title music is the first 18 seconds of the Bonus Stage theme from Sonic the Hedgehog 3.
  • The Options Menu/schoolhouse music is the "Sports" MIDI sample from the Microsoft Multimedia Pack for Windows software CD by Packard Bell.
  • The Character Selection music is an instrumental cover of "At the Zoo" by Simon & Garfunkel.
  • The Gumball Count music is a cover of the unused music track "Guess" from the platform game Bio Menace.
  • The Spelling Room/Reading Room music is a shortened cover of the "Caribbean" theme from the puzzle game The Even More Incredible Machine.
  • The 3D Concentration mini-game music is the "Reggae" MIDI sample included with Sound Blaster 16 sound cards.
  • The credits music is a slower cover version of "Entrance of the Gladiators" by Julius Fučík.
• The "Yahoo!" sound effect that plays when pressing the Green Light on the Stoplight is from the Warner Bros. Sound Effects Library.
• In early versions of the game's cover artwork, Sonic's arms are miscolored blue.^[20][26]
• This marks the first of only three instances of Sonic being voiced by a female voice actor. The second was in the Cleaning Kit for Sega Saturn by an unknown woman, and the third was in Sonic in Sydney by Paula Arundell.
• During the Sonic the Hedgehog panel at SXSW 2018, Sega made a joke announcement for a sequel to the game, Sonic's Schoolhouse 2. Published by "Ages" (the backwards spelling of "Sega," derived from the marketing slogan "To be this good takes Ages"), the game was set to release for the Dreamcast, Sega Pico, and Sega 32X in April 2050.^[27]

Notes[]

References[]

External links[]

• Official website (archived)
• BAP Interactive - Sonic's Schoolhouse (archived)