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This is because Sonic, the character, doesn't matter. What he is, how COOL he is or how FAST he is actually hardly matter. They're means to an end. What Sonic is in the classic games isn't that though.
That's because above all else Sonic is YOU.
So what's up with Sonic? Most of what we THINK we know about Sonic from then was mostly told to us outside of the game. His "attitude" and basically every character-defining trait outside of appearance and abilities is hardly expressed ingame.
These are just a few examples of the designs you can get on shirts, mugs, pillows, phone cases, pins, and all sorts of whathaveyou.