Sonic X
Iizuka believed that "Sonic X" and its merchandise, along with the game "Sonic Heroes", had helped expose the "Sonic" franchise to a new generation of potential gamers in 2003, and he dubbed it a "Sonic Year" as a result. More boldly, Naka hoped that "Sonic X" alone would cause the popularity of the "Sonic" series to skyrocket, as that of the "Pokémon" series did after its anime adaptation was first released.