High speed running animation I made for my current Sonic the Hedgehog project as a transparent GIF. (I've come to learn the process of getting an animation render into GIF format is just...awful. The whole file format is miserable for it and yet it's the cleanest way to show off what you make.)

I'm very proud of the model for the "wheels" of Sonic's legs and, and how the smearing effect establishes a good balance between the red and white of the shoes while maintain the illusion of the actual shoe in motion. Conveying that kind of animation in a way that works well is really important to me, it feels like an intrinsic part of Sonic as a character.

The physical feedback from running was important for me to get right too. Sonic has to jitter a bit as he runs in order to convey the force he's exerting against the ground, and behind the "wheel" effect there still has to be the idea that his legs are in motion so his body can't remain perfectly still. But the sheer speed he's running at is going to stabilize that motion, so I've had a bit of a tough time trying to find the right balance and avoid going overboard.

Yes! The jitter! He needs the jitter!

I always loved the jitter in Sonic Adventure 2. I felt it added an intensity to the running animation. A lot of the Sonic games that came after SA2 took out the jitter and had Sonic staying perfectly still as he ran. I always felt it lacked impact and made the game less exciting. But I've come across numerous fans who felt the opposite way? That the older jittered run animation is too goofy and the later smoother run animations better convey speed?

I'm glad there are others who also appreciate the fast run jitter!

The detail on the teeth is really good too! Cute subtle fangs showing through!