My childhood hero, Sonic the hedgehog

[DrewM]

Ok, so I want to talk about this and get it all off my chest. Maybe somebody can help me: When I was very young, I was introduced to a cartoon/video game character called Sonic the Blue Hedgehog. To my young mind, he was the perfect personification of coolness, strength, bravery, selflessness and self-sacrifice. As I grew up, I kind of forgot about all about that, but never completely. It was kind of like a toy in the attic that you love but could never get rid of. To put it in a good analogy, Sonic and his friends and their adventures were like my Lord of the Rings, so some of you LOTR fans might be able to understand what I’m driving at. Fast forward several years (I’m now 24) and I dug up old YouTube videos of Sonic and picked up some of the video games and just really enjoyed it all. So what seems to be the problem? Basically three things:

1. Some of Sonic’s friends are not exactly dressed what I would call modestly. It’s certainly not porn of course, as that’s just not how I roll. Because of that I fear that I put myself in the near occasion of the sin of impure thoughts.
2. Video games have always been looked down upon by my folks and even myself (up until now). So I’ve played these games without anybody knowing it and it felt like I was being a sneak and a liar and a hypocrite. I was at times playing until 3 in the morning. That being said though, I know that I am an adult and I can make some of my own decisions
3. I was doing sonic and co. almost all of the time, which I know is unhealthy. (When I say “living” I mean listening to the music, playing the games, listening to the podcasts).
   Because of these three things, I felt like I was pushing Jesus away from me and felt like I needed to go to confession and take of things.
   After going to confession, I decided to get rid of anything on my computer and iphone that had any relation to Sonic. I even threw out my action figure of Sonic that I picked up from eBay just a few weeks ago. Now I feel like I might have taken an unhealthy extremist approach against another unhealthy extreme and in the process killed the last shred of my childhood, (instead of finding a balance as I usually take extremist approaches which is a serious fault of mine) and caused undue purging of the good that Sonic meant to me: the bravery, courage, etc. It almost feels like giving a part of your childhood the finger.
   Maybe I’ve done the right thing as St. Paul says “when I was a child I thought like a child…etc…”
   I only want to do what’s right, but I feel so depressed right now. If there’s anybody out there who can relate to what I’m feeling or a word of advice or encouragement, I would greatly appreciate it.

 

[1Lord1Faith]

Just move on. It’s likely that in a few more years you will have all but forgotten about Sonic anyway.

It’s healthy to detach from some material possessions of past, especially ones that aren’t that great. So, Sonic the hedgehog…not that great, and maybe should ditch and move on - Grandma’s handmade blanket…maybe that’s a keeper. The good parts of childhood Sonic will stay with your memory as long as you want them to.

 

[Venite]

It could have been a nostalgic trip taken too far, or perhaps there’s something else going on that needs to be addressed. The best thing you can do is find yourself a good priest to be your spiritual director, or at least a regular confessor. They will be able to guide you in a far more personal and beneficial manner than anyone else will be able to, not only in regards to this problem specifically, but in your life in general.

 

[Cruciferi]

Some of Sonic’s friends are not exactly dressed what I would call modestly.

Aren’t they animals? Do Pikachu and Winnie the Pooh wear many clothes?

Video games have always been looked down upon by my folks and even myself

There’s nothing wrong with moderate video gaming.

When I say “living” I mean listening to the music, playing the games, listening to the podcasts

Uh, don’t Star Wars fans do the same thing? Is that bad?

instead of finding a balance as I usually take extremist approaches which is a serious fault of mine

This isn’t good or healthy.

I only want to do what’s right, but I feel so depressed right now. If there’s anybody out there who can relate to what I’m feeling or a word of advice or encouragement, I would greatly appreciate it.

I would advise speaking with a Priest and Counselor.

 

[Tis_Bearself]

Some of Sonic’s friends are not exactly dressed what I would call modestly.

Sonic the Hedgehog’s friends are cartoon animals. They are not portraying any sort of furry porn.
For you to worry about their clothes is akin to worrying because Winnie the Pooh never wears pants.

 

[BoomBoomMancini]

The only weird thing here is how much this is bothering you. There’s nothing wrong with having a hobby, although it does sound like yours was bordering on unhealthy obsession.

It’s fine if you want to occasionally dust off the gaming console and play Sonic the Hedghog, but if it gets out of control maybe it’s time to think about some therapy.

 

[non-nisi-te-domine]

About the fact that you sometimes stayed up until 3 in the morning, I think you should watch Fr. Mike Schmitz’s video on sleeping

“Going to bed is an act of faith.”

 

[Rhubarb]

I just turned 35. I don’t know anyone my age or younger that hasn’t stayed up into the wee hours having fun with their hobby. Heck, I just bought a Commodore 64 and my grandmother and I were up until 2AM programming on it.

First off, I should think Sonic the Hedgehog would inspire impure thoughts as much as Mickey and Minnie Mouse would (that is to say, not at all)

To the rest - people need to let off steam and enjoy themselves. Playing Sonic isn’t any worse than chess players playing in the park, or fishermen going out to fish, or any other hobby. If Sonic makes you happy, and makes the cold world feel a little warmer, and you deal with it in moderation, I can’t see the problem.

PS: There are some that might say “it’s a vidya game, grow up!” I say poppycock to that. There’s plenty of things that folks enjoy that they enjoyed when they were kids. My uncle still loves baseball. My brother still loves to fuss with Legos. Though these days he’s an engineer and his builds are very intricate. Enjoy what you enjoy. We all have different tastes. Just make sure you live up to your responsibilities.

 

[redbetta]

1. Other than Rouge the Bat, I can’t think of any Sonic character that you can describe as immodest. But, if you haven’t been tempted by these images before, chances are you won’t again unless you get a brain injury that turns all your tastes upside down and you become a furry.
2. Who hasn’t binged a video game until 3AM? I’ve binged Zelda that long on my winter break a few times. As long as it’s not a frequent thing, you are fine.
3. It’s okay to have hobbies.

Honestly OP, you are making way too big of a deal out of this.

 

[IWantGod]

I just turned 35. I don’t know anyone my age or younger that hasn’t stayed up into the wee hours having fun with their hobby. Heck, I just bought a Commodore 64 and my grandmother and I were up until 2AM programming on it.

Do you think old school graphic type games will ever be popular again (retro gaming)?

 

[ZMystiCat]

Aren’t they animals? Do Pikachu and Winnie the Pooh wear many clothes?

Sonic the Hedgehog’s friends are cartoon animals.

I think the OP may have been referencing Rouge. That said, despite the obviously “sexy bat bad girl” design, the game’s are pretty tame. I doubt anyone other than a furry would find her actually arousing.

They are not portraying any sort of furry porn.

For the most part, yes, the furry porn is kept to the darker places of the Sonic fandom. Sonic the Hedgehog (2006), though…

Do you think old school graphic type games will ever be popular again (retro gaming)?

They already are to an extent because of the indie scene. Retro-inspired graphics are pretty common there.

 

[Rhubarb]

Retro gaming is -crazy- popular. The 80s are so hot right now. That’s why we’re getting a glut of classic consoles in mini-form. Nintendo sold out of their NES Mini for every run. And Atari, Commodore, Coleco, and I think Sinclair are getting in on the act. And Raspberry Pis can be set up and run emulation for everything on the cheap.

The 8-Bit Guy and Lazy Game Reviewer (LGR) is all about retro tech and games. Their videos are crazy popular. There are even new retro chips being made to this day that work in old systems - Commodore systems (PET, VIC-20, and the C64/C128) are easy to work on and restore. The 8-Bit Guy’s restorations are amazing to watch. Plus the software is easy to get ahold of emulated.