Paramount Pictures' highly-anticipated Sonic the Hedgehog spin-off series, Knuckles, is set to hit the Paramount+ streaming service this weekend, and the first reviews for the show have now raced online.
Though only eight verdicts have been shared so far, Knuckles is off to a very positive start with an impressive 88% on Rotten Tomatoes.
Introduced in the Sonic the Hedgehog sequel, the hotheaded echidna started out as an enemy of Sonic and Tails before turning his back on Dr. Robotnik and joining forces with the super-speedy heroes at the end of the movie.
In the games, Knuckles debuted as a villain in Sonic the Hedgehog 3, but, just like in the movie, later forms an alliance with Sonic and Tails after learning of Eggman's trickery.
Set between the events of Sonic 2 and this year's upcoming threequel, this series follows Knuckles as he trains deputy sheriff Wade Whipple in the ways of the Echidna warrior while attempting to escape the clutches of one of Robotnik's former associates, who wants to harness his powers.
A new clip from the series has also been released, which finds Maddie asking Sonic and Tails to have a little word with Knuckles about his rambunctious behaviour.
"Knuckles allows audiences to catch up with red-quilled bruiser on his hilarious and action-packed journey of self-discovery as he agrees to train Wade as his protégé and teach him the ways of the Echidna warrior," reads the show's official logline.
Idris Elba will reprise his role as Knuckles, and the cast also includes Adam Pally as Wade Whipple, Ben Schwartz as Sonic the Hedgehog, Tika Sumpter as Maddie Wachowski, and Colleen O'Shaughnessey as Tails, alongside fellow guest stars Stockard Channing, Edi Patterson, Scott Mescudi, Ellie Taylor, Julian Barratt, Rory McCann, Cary Elwes, Christopher Lloyd, Paul Scheer, and Rob Huebel.
Toby Ascher, the series showrunner, created Knuckles' small-screen adventure with John Whittington, supported by key creatives from the Sonic movies. Jeff Fowler helmed the pilot episode from a script penned by head writer Whittington, while Brian Schacter and James Madejski served as scribes on the other episodes.
All six episodes of Knuckles will be available to stream on Paramount+ from April 26 in the U.S. and Canada and other territories on April 27, with the exception of Japan, where the series will roll out later this year.