Here's a quick screenshot of my SAGE project, Hyper's Quest 2: Tuber-verse/Tube-iverse in Peril, and it's character selection menu.
Yes, I get it. Hyper's a recolor. I can't tell you how many times I've heard that statement from people who are aware of this project.
His design is indeed based off of Sonic's in this game, but for a reason. It's not simply to distinguish characters; it's a matter of story. Y'know how Sonic's design changed slightly with the start of the Dreamcast and Modern era? Well, depending on how well the game does, Hyper's design will change DRAMATICALLY during future installments (again, if it does well enough to
have any future installments).
Let me know what your thoughts are.