Did you know Sonic The Hedgehog actually started life an insurance broker from Staines, only ending up as the star of a world famous video game after a chance encounter with a SEGA executive in the queue at Costa in a motorway service station?
Well, maybe not, but there are scores of hidden details you may or may not know about one of the biggest video game icons on the planet. Did you know it's now 25 years since the world first got sight of this little lad? These days you can play as him on your mobile device using Sonic Dash (it's on Amazon's Underground App, fyi).
In celebration of Sonic reaching a quarter-of-a-century, we've picked out some of our favourite nuggets of info about everyone's favourite tiny blue speed demon...
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1. Yep, Sonic Was Actually A Rabbit
When SEGA held an internal competition to come up with its new mascot - a mascot capable of taking on the mighty Mario - one of the favoured suggestions was a rabbit that would pick up objects with its long ears and throw them at enemies.
Even though a hedgehog was finally preferred to a rabbit, our hoppy friend didn't disappear for good, later going on to inspire another SEGA mascot: Ristar.
2. Sonic's First Girlfriend Was Madonna
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Yes, before Amy rocked up onto the scene, Sonic's love interest was a blonde bombshell who went by the name Madonna. No, not that Madonna. In fact, SEGA's Madonna, as sketched, had more in common with Jessica Rabbit than the Queen of Pop.
Two problems, however; Madonna was a little too raunchy for the family-friendly approach SEGA wanted to go for with the series, and it was also felt Mario had already done the whole damsel in distress thing. Given 'girl power' was just a few years away, it's a decision that proved very wise.
3. Dr. Robotnik Was Actually A Good Guy
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Seriously, he's not all bad. Well, at least, not when he was first drawn up. As part of the aforementioned internal competition to find SEGA's new mascot, one of the suggestions was a rather jolly, portly, moustache wearing chap who looked a lot like Eggman, albeit in pyjamas.
In the end he didn't make the cut for the lead, but SEGA kept his designs on hand and, somewhat predictably, when the subject of a baddie came up, all they needed to do was switch his outfit round and give him a rather menacing eye and, voila, they had themselves an evil genius.
4. Sonic's first appearance wasn't actually Sonic 1
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It's true! Green Hill Zone wasn't actually the first video game that Sonic appeared in. Would you believe us if we told you that, out of all the games out there, Sonic's first appearance... was a racing game?
In early 1991, in the game RadMobile, Sonic made his first game appearance, and featured as an air freshener that hangs from the rear view mirror. A few months later, in June of that same year, he would make far bigger waves with his own title, Sonic The Hedgehog.
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5. Sonic Was Originally Called Mr. Needlemouse
Even looking back at early sketches of Sonic - many of which have leaked onto the web over the years - most of them look recognisably like the blue spikey man we know today. His name, however, was apparently up for grabs for quite a while.
The first moniker for Sonic was, in fact, "Mr. Needlemouse", which is the literal translation of the word "hedgehog" in Japanese. Years later, SEGA would revive the name in the form of "Project Needlemouse", the code name for Sonic 4 during its development in 2010.
6. Sonic Isn't Meant To Drown Underwater
You know those air bubbles? Those air bubbles you have to constantly jump for in order to breathe underwater, lest you drown? Apparently, the only reason Sonic does so - rather than paddling at the water's surface, as you might expect - is because one of the developers at Sonic Team wrongly assured series creator Yuji Naka that hedgehogs can't swim. (They can, by the way.)
Then again, when you're talking about a blue hedgehog who can run so fast he breaks the speed barrier, does realism really matter?
If this has evoked all sorts of SEGA nostalgia then Amazon's Underground App can provide that Sonic fix to ease the craving to bash loads of buttons. And it won't cost you a penny at any point (you're welcome).