Sonic the Hedgehog
North American box art
Developer(s)	Sonic Team
Publisher(s)	WW Sega NA Electronic Arts SA Tectoy KR Samsung
Director(s)	Hirokazu Yasuhara
Producer(s)	Shinobu Toyoda
Designer(s)	Jina Ishiwatari Rieko Kodama
Programmer(s)	Yuji Naka
Artist(s)	Naoto Ōshima
Composer(s)	Masato Nakamura
Series	Sonic the Hedgehog
Platform(s)	Sega Genesis iOS Devices, Java ME, Wii Virtual Console, Game Boy Advance, Xbox Live Arcade PlayStation Network, Nintendo 3DS (as 3D Classic) Windows (Mega Collection Plus), Nintendo DS (Sonic Classic Collection), Android[1]Sega Saturn, Sega Dreamcast (Sega Smash Pack), Nintendo GameCube (Sonic Mega Collection), PlayStation 2 (Mega Collection Plus, Sega Genesis Collection), Xbox (Mega Collection Plus), PlayStation Portable (Sega Genesis Collection), Xbox 360 (Sonic's Ultimate Genesis Collection), PlayStation 3 (Sonic's Ultimate Genesis Collection) See also: Compilation releases and release history
Release date(s)	June 23, 1991 Sega Genesis NA June 23, 1991[2][3] EU June 23, 1991 JP July 26, 1991 Mobile EU 2005 Game Boy Advance NA November 14, 2006 Virtual Console NA November 19, 2006 JP December 2, 2006 PAL December 7-8, 2006[4] Xbox Live Arcade INT July 11, 2007 iOS (ver. 1) WW December 18, 2007 (ver. 2) NA May 16, 2013 EU May 15, 2013 AUS May 16, 2013 BlackBerry NA August 21, 2009 Microsoft Windows WW October 26, 2010 Nintendo 3DS eShop JP May 15, 2013 Android WW May 16, 2013
Genre(s)	Platform
Mode(s)	Single-player
Media/distribution	4-megabit cartridge

Sonic the Hedgehog (ソニック・ザ・ヘッジホッグ, Sonikku za Hejjihoggu^?) is a platform video game developed by Sonic Team and published by Sega for the Sega Genesis. Released in 1991, the game is the first installment in the Sonic the Hedgehog series, chronicling the adventures of the titular character in his quest to defeat the series' antagonist Dr. Robotnik. The game's story focuses on Sonic's efforts to stop Dr. Robotnik's plans for world domination, release the animals Dr. Robotnik has trapped, and collect six magical emeralds known as the Chaos Emeralds.

Development of Sonic the Hedgehog began in 1990, when Sega ordered its AM8 development team to develop a game featuring a mascot for the company. After a hedgehog was decided on as the main character, the development group was renamed Sonic Team.

Sonic the Hedgehog received positive reviews from critics, who praised the game's visuals. It was commercially successful, increasing the popularity of the Genesis and establishing Sonic the Hedgehog as the company's mascot. Its success led to the development of subsequent games in the Sonic the Hedgehog series, as well as the creation of a media franchise of spin-off products featuring the character.

Gameplay [edit]

A typical in-game screenshot of Sonic the Hedgehog, taken from its first level, Green Hill Zone.

The player controls the titular Sonic the Hedgehog to collect the six Chaos Emeralds, free the animals trapped inside robots, and defeat Sonic's nemesis, Dr. Ivo Robotnik ("Dr. Eggman" in the original Japanese release).^[5] The game is split up into zones, each of which is split into three acts.^[5] The player must navigate through each zone to progress. In each zone's third act, the player confronts Dr. Robotnik, who rides a vehicle. After completing the sixth zone, the player continues directly to the Final Zone for the last encounter with Robotnik. The player is given a certain number of lives, which are lost when Sonic collides with hazardous enemies or objects, falls off-screen, or exceeds an act's ten-minute time limit. If all lives are lost at any point in the game, the "Game Over" screen will appear, at which point the player can return to the beginning of the act with three lives if the player obtains continues from Special Stages.

The game plays as a 2D side-scrolling platformer. The gameplay centers around Sonic's ability to run at high speed through levels that include springs, slopes, high falls, and loop-the-loops.^[5] The levels are populated with hazards in the form of animals Dr. Robotnik has trapped inside mechanical bodies (named "badniks" in the Western game manuals). The player must also avoid rows of sharp spikes, bottomless pits, and other obstacles. Sonic's main means of attack is the Spin Attack, where Sonic curls into a ball, which can be performed by jumping in the air or by pressing down on the D-Pad while moving on the ground. The move is used to destroy enemies and other obstacles in his way.

Scattered around each level map are gold rings, a signature Sonic series item. Collecting 100 rings rewards the player with an extra life. Rings act as a layer of protection against hazards—if Sonic is holding at least one ring when he collides with an enemy or dangerous obstacle, he will survive, but the rings in his possession will be scattered. If he is hit without holding any rings, the player loses a life.^[5] Shields and temporary invincibility can also be collected to provide additional layers of protection, but certain hazards, such as drowning, being crushed, falling down a bottomless pit or running out of time, will cause Sonic to lose a life regardless of rings or other protection.^[5]

Lamp posts that act as checkpoints allow Sonic to return to the most recently activated post when he loses a life. If a checkpoint is activated and a life is lost as a result of running out of time, the time at the checkpoint will reset to 0:00.

When Sonic reaches the end of Act 1 or Act 2 of a zone while holding at least 50 rings, a large ring appears through which the player can jump to enter a Special Stage. In the Special Stages, Sonic is permanently curled up in his Spin Attack animation, and bounces off the bumpers and walls of a 360° rotating maze. In these levels, the player may earn continues by collecting 50 rings, but the main aim is to obtain the Chaos Emerald at the end of the maze without colliding with any of the "goal blocks" that instantly end the level. If Sonic collects every Chaos Emerald in the game, the player can view the good ending sequence.

Development [edit]

Development for Sonic the Hedgehog began in April 1990, after Sega ordered its in-house development studio AM8 to develop a game featuring a mascot for the company. After choosing a hedgehog as the main character, the five-person group changed its name to Sonic Team and started working on Sonic the Hedgehog. Among the game's developers were character designer Naoto Ōshima, game programmer Yuji Naka and designer Hirokazu Yasuhara.^[6]

Akira Watanabe, the illustrator of the character art featured on the game packaging, said that his sole goal was to depict the characters as "colorful" and to use clear, cutting lines and gradation to "finish them neatly".^[7] Watanabe said that the developers asked him to create a package design "similar to pop art". Watanabe aimed to create the design "without being particular to conventional packages". Watanabe intended to create an "original, stylish pop game package".^[7]

Soundtrack [edit]

Sonic the Hedgehog's music was composed by Masato Nakamura, a member of J-pop band Dreams Come True. The game uses the on-board Yamaha YM2612 synthesizer sound chip to produce a variety of stereo sound effects and music. The game was originally intended to feature a sound test menu, with animations of Sonic breakdancing to the music of a "Sonic Band"^[8] consisting of Sharps Chicken on guitar, Max Monkey on bass, Mach Rabbit on drums, and Vector the Crocodile on keyboard. The Vector character was later re-designed and featured in the games Knuckles' Chaotix and Sonic Heroes. The development schedule meant that the feature had to be scrapped, and Yuji Naka decided to replace the test with the "Sega!" chant used in TV advertisements, which allegedly took up 1/8 of the 4-megabit cartridge.^[8]

On October 19, 2011, twenty years after the game's release, a three-disc compilation of music from Sonic the Hedgehog and Sonic the Hedgehog 2 was released in Japan. The first disc contains original tracks from both games, and the second contains Masato Nakamura's development demo recordings.^[9] The third disc contains "Sweet Sweet Sweet" by Dreams Come True, its English-language version "Sweet Dream", and 2006 remixes of both songs by Akon. The compilation also includes comments by Yuji Naka and an interview with Masato Nakamura.^[10]

Alternate versions and ports [edit]

8-bit version [edit]

This version was released for the Sega Master System and the Game Gear. Though based on the 16-bit version of the game, it is a distinct game with different level designs, and three of its six zones feature themed settings unrelated to those of the Genesis version.^[11] The game's manual also gives it a different story, set after the Mega Drive version.^{[citation needed]} It also features a different soundtrack composed by chiptune musician Yuzo Koshiro, who adapted several pieces of music from the 16-bit version while the rest of the soundtrack consists of his own original compositions.^[12]

The Master System version was later re-released on the Wii Virtual Console in North America on August 4, 2008^[13] and in Europe on September 19, 2008. The Game Gear version was included as one of many unlockable games in Sonic Adventure DX for Nintendo GameCube and PC, and Sonic Mega Collection Plus for PlayStation 2, Xbox, and PC.

Sonic the Hedgehog Genesis [edit]

A new version of the game, retitled Sonic the Hedgehog Genesis, was released for the Game Boy Advance in November 2006 as part of the original game's 15th anniversary celebrations. It included a few new features, such as the ability to save game progress, a level select option, and a special "Anniversary Mode" featuring the Spin Dash move that was not implemented until Sonic the Hedgehog 2. In addition, the view is slightly zoomed in and adapted for the GBA's widescreen aspect ratio.^[14] The game received mostly negative reception from critics, especially concerning the slow frame rate, music, and glitches.^[15]

Compilation releases [edit]

Compilations that include the game are Sonic Compilation (1995) and Genesis 6-Pak (1996) for the Sega Genesis; Sonic Jam (1997) for the Sega Saturn; Sega Smash Pack (2001) for the Dreamcast; Sonic Mega Collection (2002) for the Nintendo GameCube; Sonic Mega Collection Plus (2004) for the PlayStation 2, Xbox, and PC; Sega Genesis Collection (2006) for the PlayStation 2 and PlayStation Portable; Sonic's Ultimate Genesis Collection (2009) for the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3; and Sonic Classic Collection (2010) for the Nintendo DS.

Most compilations feature Sonic the Hedgehog largely unchanged, but Sonic Jam allows the game to be played in different modes. In addition to the original version of the game, a "Medium" difficulty setting alters the layout of rings and hazards, and an "Easy" setting entirely omits certain stages from the game's progression. A time attack feature allows players to save their fastest completion times through the Normal versions of each act, and an optional setting allows Sonic the Hedgehog to be played with the Spin Dash ability that was originally introduced in Sonic the Hedgehog 2.

Digital releases [edit]

Sonic the Hedgehog has been available for all three main seventh generation video game consoles. It was available on the Wii's Virtual Console service at its launch in 2006.^[16] It was ported by Backbone Entertainment to the Xbox Live Arcade in 2007.^[17] It has options for graphic smoothing, saving and loading current in-game progress, and resizing the gameplay window. It was later brought to the PlayStation Network in March 2011.

Additionally, Sonic the Hedgehog has been released digitally on a number of other platforms. In 2007, the game was made available on the iTunes Store as a game for the iPod Nano with video, the iPod Classic, and iPod with video.^[18] By 2008, Sonic the Hedgehog had sold 8 million paid downloads.^[19] Sega made the first two games available for Apple's iOS in the spring of 2009.^[20] The game was also present on GameTap.^[21] In October 2010, Sonic the Hedgehog was digitally released for Microsoft Windows.^[22] In December 2012, it was released on the Google Play marketplace, as well as the Amazon Appstore.^{[citation needed]} A remastered mobile port, created using Christian Whitehead's Retro Engine previously used in the 2011 rerelease of Sonic CD, was released on iOS on May 15, 2013 with an Android version released the following day. The port features widescreen graphics, a time attack mode and the unlockable option to play as Tails or Knuckles.^[23][24] The game was also ported to the Nintendo 3DS in Japan on May 15, 2013, as part of its 3D Classics series.^[25]

Reception [edit]

The game was both a critical and commercial success. GameSpot has described the game as "one of the best platformers of all time" and credited it as a game that "revolutionized the platform genre and gave people a legitimate alternative to Nintendo's fat plumber".^[15] It received high praise from IGN as well, stating that it had stood the test of time, and "even after 16 years, the game still looks great. You'll be impressed by the clarity and color that come through [...] Few people realize how difficult it was to create Sonic's graphics engine, which allowed for the incredible rate of speed the game's known for. But the technical achievement impressed back in '91, and still does so today."^[30] EGM gave the game a 9 out of 10,^[26] while Computer and Video Games gave it 94%.^[27][28] Mega placed the game at #3 in their Top Mega Drive Games of All Time.^[36]

Despite the original's success, some versions of the game, such as the 2006 port to the Game Boy Advance, were highly criticized for terrible replication of graphics, music, and the overall flow of gameplay in general, rendering the game virtually unplayable.^[15][37]

The game has sold over 15 million copies,^[38] making it the best-selling Sega Genesis game of all time as well as the best-selling game of the Sonic franchise.

Legacy [edit]

Effect on the industry [edit]

Sonic the Hedgehog greatly increased the popularity of the Sega Genesis in North America. It eventually replaced Altered Beast as the game bundled with the console.^[39] Bundling Sonic the Hedgehog with the Sega Genesis is credited with helping Sega gain 65% of the market share against Nintendo.^[40] In large part due to the popularity of this game, the Sega Genesis outsold the Super Nintendo in the United States nearly two to one during the 1991 holiday season. This success led to Sega overtaking Nintendo in January 1992 with control of 65% of the 16-bit console market, making it the first time Nintendo was not the console leader since December 1985.^[41] It is credited as single-handedly changing the course of the 16-bit generation of video game consoles.^[39]

Sonic the Hedgehog added the element of momentum-based physics to the standard platform formula and introduced other unique elements as well, such as the loops, springboards, high-speed devices, and the rings now permanently associated with the series. While the speed contributed to the mix, the execution of the platforming element influenced the development of various 2D video games, including a subsequent wave of similar "mascot-based platforming games", such as Bubsy,^[39] Aero the Acrobat,^[39] Ristar,^[39] Earthworm Jim,^[42] and many others.

The game spawned numerous sequels. While the first games in the series were platform games, the series has expanded into other genres such as action-adventure, fighting, racing, role-playing, and sports. The franchise has also expanded into other media, including anime, cartoons, comic books, manga, and toys.

In other games [edit]

For the game's 10th anniversary, Sega included a 3D remake of the Green Hill Zone in the 2001 game Sonic Adventure 2.^[43][44] It was also featured as a battle arena in Sonic Battle. In 2008, the Green Hill Zone was included in the fighting game Super Smash Bros. Brawl as an unlockable stage.^[45] Sega Superstars Tennis features tennis courts that take place in Green Hill and Scrap Brain. For the game's 20th anniversary, Sega released Sonic Generations, which contains a remake of the Green Hill level. Additionally, the console versions of Sonic Generations feature the entire original Sonic the Hedgehog game as an unlockable reward, along with unlimited continues if the player runs out of lives.^[46]

References [edit]

External links [edit]

	Sonic portal
	Video games portal
	1990s portal