Roger Craig Smith has been Sonic's voice actor since 2010 (starting with Sonic Free Riders/Colors). He recently hinted (that after 10 years) he's departing the role.
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| Sonic Colors |
I've never really been a huge fan of Smith's job as Sonic. To this day he remains in the "worst voice actor" category in the left panel of this blog. In the old days I thought he just plain horrible, but the truth is he isn't a bad voice actor. Just a bad Sonic.
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| Still Sonic Colors |
I did not like that they replaced Jason Griffith (who I've often sighted as my favorite voice for Sonic), but in retrospect I don't think that had the biggest impact.
As I mentioned in my review for Shadow the Hedgehog, I don't think the switch from Ryan Drummond to Jason Griffith was nearly as strange as the change from Griffith to Smith. After all, part of the reason Griffith ended up voicing Sonic was because they [4kids] thought he sounded like Sonic (/presumably like Drummond).
Smith's take did not sound like any of the previous actors in pitch or attitude/tone. When combined with the crappy scripts of the 2010s, it was hard to realize that it wasn't necessarily bad acting, but a crushing miscast.
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| STOP REMINDING ME OF THAT HORRIBLE GAME |
Despite all that, Roger Craig Smith showed real improvement over the years. Sonic Boom gave him an opportunity to work more with the character, and it showed in the transition from Lost World to Forces.
I felt that Team Sonic Racing, apparently his last game, was his best work. Even though the voice itself was generally same, I thought he finally got Sonic's personality down pat and was acting with the right attitude. For the first time, I was content knowing Smith would be voicing the character in the next game.
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| "Hey, who needs their bacon saved?" YAY! This line is somehow not cringy! |
Even though part of me is celebrating, I feel bad for the fans who grew up in "this era" and got used to his voice. I've said that every time a VA seems to master the character, they get replaced (Drummond in Heroes, Griffith in Black Knight, and now Smith in TSR). But Smith got 10 years and not one but TWO anniversary games. And half the 2010 cast was replaced by TSR. It was kinda' waiting to happen.
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| Sonic Generations |
That opens the door: will there be an entirely new voice cast? Or just a new Sonic? I'd love to see Griffith return to the role (just as half the fan base would love to see Drummond return, too). But if the VA's going to be familiar, I have a feeling it will be Ben Schwartz, "movie" Sonic. Sega's got some weird rule about Sonic sounding the same in all media, and even if that's not the reason: the Sonic movie did good. Better than anyone probably thought, so the switch would make sense. On the other hand Sega considered Lacey Chabert* a celebrity, so who knows if they'd be willing to hire Schwartz for years to come?
*Chabert did voice work for The Wild Thornberrys, The Spectacular Spiderman, Family Guy, and other shows while also appearing in movies (such as Mean Girls). I mean, I guess she's more famous than most Sonic VA's, but if asked to name "celebrities" (and I don't mean this as an insult, just a fact) she's not the first name that comes to mind. Or the second. Or the third. Chabert voiced Princess Elise in Sonic 06.
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| Sonic Forces |
With a new game for the series' 30th anniversary bound to become a reality, I'm sure we'll find out if its someone old or new in the near future. But what of the game itself? Is this the end of the "current" era? Is the style going to be changed into something new...the "next level?" Will the scripts be any better?!
Regardless of my thoughts on his voice-work, Roger Craig Smith contributed 10 years to the franchise, and for that he deserves respect.
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