Sonic Mania is another Sonic/Tails/Knuckles/Eggman affair, so we have very few extra animal friends to go around. However, there are a couple of Sonic’s colleagues that show up (as a magician’s illusions), so we have a clear conscious showcasing…
Bark the Polar Bear
First Appearance: Sonic the Fighters, 1996
Who is he? Sonic the Fighters needed a dedicated grappler to join the Sonic the Hedgehog cast (because what is the point of a fighting game if you don’t have a Zangief?). Bark the Polar Bear was created to fit the bill. Like every other strong guy in the Sonic the Hedgehog Universe, he is powerful but kind, and is often tricked into falling in with the wrong crowd.
What are his powers? He can throw opponents. That is… pretty much all he’s got. He is generally strong, but we could say that about Big the Cat, too. It sounds downright sad to declare someone is “like Big the Cat, but without the fishing.”
Why is he still relevant today? Along with Bean the Dynamite, Bark fills the essential role of “I know that guy!” Bark exists so he can randomly pop up every twelve games, appear for one boss fight, and then go back into hibernation until the next time we want some fans to clap like seals. Will Bark ever get his own game? No. No he will not. You will be lucky if he gets into Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds.
Let’s Play 2-D Sonic the Hedgehog Games
Night 17
June 23, 2026
Random Notes:
- Welcome to Sonic Mania! The likes of BEAT, fanboymaster, Chromes, Jeanie, and Cassandralyn are talking about edible dogs! …. I mean… ya know! Like Chili Dogs! Like this…
It’s Sonic’s birthday! We have to celebrate! - “Fanboy got smoking sexy style, and now he has a sass mouth.”
- How is your sun tolerance? Can you get a sunburn inside like Cass?
- As Ample Vigour joins, Chromes reveals that xe is playing On the Rain-Slick Precipice of Darkness: Episode One. Party like it’s 2008!
- We all hope for the greatest honor any product or service can achieve: being a video codec.
- “We will never be able to describe getting ice cream together as ‘creamin’ with the boys’?”
- “Sonic turned 35 today? Wow. What’s the average lifespan for a hedgehog?” “Not that.”
- BEAT explains speed running strategies for Ocarina of Time that may be undone by the hated fire arrows.
- BEAT laughs at my frustration with Metal Sonic. This is foreshadowing for next week.
Caliscrub has returned, as the prophecy foretold.- Music roundup for the week: BEAT has 99 problems, and Jay-Z ain’t one.
- Fire shield and Oil Ocean: they were always meant to be together.
- Do not trust any game that references “baconing”.
- A strangely high number of Even Worse Streams participants have weddings on Friday. Be sure to dress up!
- “Little Mac doesn’t need a jump button. Little Mac spits on the idea of a jump button.”
- The Boys and The Amazing Digital Circus are both confirmed to be not that brain melting.
- Even Worse Streams says, “Don’t get poop in your drinking water.”
- And, having conquered the Hard Boiled Heavies, we close out the night with Mighty the Armadillo and some Grand Theft Auto 6 discussion.
Next lap on Sonic’s Marathon: This marathon finally involves a race!