 | |
| Series | Sonic Underground (DiC, 1999) |
| Season | Season 1 (the only season) |
| Episode | Episode 17 of 40 (production order) · production no. 417 · WildBrain no. 117 |
| French title | Réserve surnaturelle |
| First aired (France) | 3 March 1999 · TF1 |
| First aired (US) | 21 September 1999 · BKN Kids II (syndication) · 17th in US broadcast order |
| Written by | Michael Edens |
| Directed by | Marc Boreal, François Hemmen and Daniel Sarriet; Tom Smith (US) |
| Song | “Take a Chance” |
| Previous episode | Friend or Foe? (S01E16) |
| Next episode | When in Rome… (S01E18) |
Speedster IslandBartlebyStone guardians
Head Games is episode 17 of Sonic Underground, DiC’s 1999 cartoon about Sonic, Sonia and Manic, the hedgehog triplets of Queen Aleena. It is number 17 in production order – the order TF1 first showed the series in France, where it premiered on 3 March 1999 – and it was the 17th episode to air in the United States, on 21 September 1999. It was written by Michael Edens, and its song is “Take a Chance”.
Synopsis
Sonic’s bag of chili dogs comes with a message from his mother: the siblings are needed on Speedster Island. They arrive to find an ancient sanctuary whose people honour giant stone heads, and whose fishing is failing because Sleet and Dingo are frightening off the fish to drive the islanders out.
Behind the scheme is Bartleby, who wants to turn the island into a luxury resort for the rich, with Sleet and Dingo pretending to help him. Robotnik has other plans. Dingo, disguised as an armchair, catches Sonic, and the villains break every promise they made to Bartleby and the islanders.
Manic notices musical symbols on the necks of the island’s statues, which look a lot like hedgehogs. Played together, the siblings’ medallions bring the stone guardians to life, and the giants drive Robotnik’s forces off the island. Bartleby is left to see what his deal has done.
The Song: “Take a Chance”
“Take a Chance” matches the siblings’ gamble that the medallions can wake the guardians.
Key Moments
- Queen Aleena sends a message hidden in a bag of chili dogs.
- The medallions bring Speedster Island’s statues to life.
- Bartleby learns the price of doing business with Robotnik.
Trivia
- The French title, Réserve surnaturelle, plays on réserve naturelle (nature reserve).
- The note is signed “Q.A.”, the same initials the siblings find in Artifact.
- Dingo catches Sonic disguised as an armchair, one of many shapes Sleet’s morphing remote gives him.
Watch the Episode
The full episode, uploaded by WildBrain’s official Sonic The Hedgehog – WildBrain YouTube channel (checked 6 November 2026).
Part of our Sonic Underground episode guide. The series page covers the characters, the songs, the prophecy and the show’s history.
Sources: titles, writers, songs and air dates from Luke’s original Sonic Scene guide, cross-checked with Wikipedia, Sonic Wiki Zone and Sonic Retro (Wayback copy); synopsis written for Sonic Scene from the episode, its official description and several fan references; title card and screenshots via Sonic Wiki Zone, copied to our media library.