of the game, he pushes a button that causes the island to self-destruct. The three heroes manage to escape unharmed, while Eggman is left stranded at sea. Development and release Before SegaSonic the Hedgehog, Sega had attempted to create two Sonic the Hedgehog-based arcade games, but these were never released because "they were not the specialness that Sonic was." By May 1993, a new Sonic arcade project was in development. SegaSonic the Hedgehog was developed by Sega AM3, an internal Sega division that created games for arcade cabinets, with assistance from Sonic Team. The game is one of four arcade games in the Sonic the Hedgehog series to feature the SegaSonic name. According to designer Manabu Kusunoki, the idea for trackball controls was conceived after an unspecified member of the development team—who was a fan of Marble Madness—suggested that it would work well with Sonics style of gameplay. The game uses a Sega System 32 motherboard, which enables the multiplayer option, and a unique isometric graphics system. It features two new characters, Ray the Flying Squirrel and Mighty the Armadillo. Both were designed by Kusunoki, who chose their species since he thought they would control similarly to how Sonic did and that they, like hedgehogs, were obscure. Mighty was likely based on an early prototype of Sonic. The game also features voice acting, with Takeshi Kusao, Hinako Kanamaru, Yusuke Numata, and Masaharu Satō voicing Sonic, Ray, Mighty, and Eggman, respectively. The game's title in development was simply Sonic the Hedgehog, but was changed to SegaSonic because Sega lost the trademark to the Sonic name during production. Kusunoki could not recall why it was disputed, but according to video game journalist John Szczepaniak, Sega of America failed to turn in its paperwork for the trademark on July 13, 1993. SegaSonic the Hedgehog was featured at the Summer International Consumer Electronics Show 1993 and the Amusement Machine Show 1993. It was released in Japanese arcades later that year. It is unclear if the game was released outside Japan. Hackers discovered English-translated dialogue and sprites based on Eggman's appearance in the American Sonic the Hedgehog animated series hidden within the ROM image, suggesting that there were plans to release it in American arcades to promote the series. SegaSonic the Hedgehog has never been rereleased. A port for the 32X, an add-on for the Sega Genesis, was reported to be in development in late