Sonic the Hedgehog (Genesis Version): The Game that Marked the Hedgehog's Debut

Although Sega had been in the video game console market for several years by 1991, they had not yet come up with a mascot that would help them try to dethrone Nintendo as the supreme video game leader. A game that they released that very year would feature a character who has become most closely identified with Sega for nearly twenty years. His name was Sonic the Hedgehog, and unlike other video game characters, he was known for being fast and for delivering plenty of high speed action. So popular was this game that it would lead to numerous sequels and spin offs, and for a time, many knock offs from other video game companies (Bubsy the Bobcat, Awesome Possum, etc.). Since Sonic recently turned 19 years old, it is time to look back at his very first game, which remains a classic to this very day.

A mad scientist by the name of Dr. Robotnik is causing trouble. He has captured many innocent animals and trapped them inside robots designed to carry out his wicked plans. On top of that, he is trying to find the Chaos Emeralds needed to obtain total power. Only Sonic, being the fast and awesome hedgehog that he is, can locate the Emeralds first, save the animals, and defeat Robotnik. The story is minimal, to be sure, but perhaps it was done this way on purpose so that the emphasis could be placed on the fast paced game play. In fact, many early Sonic games lacked strong stories. It was only since Sonic Adventure that deeper stories became commonplace.

As Sonic, your mission is to race through six zones of three acts each, plus a final boss zone, in order to foil Robotnik's plans. Along the way, there are robots that you can defeat in order to save Sonic's friends. Rings can be collected to protect Sonic from harm. If he is hit without at least one ring in his possession, he will lose a life. However, if he has rings when he is hit, they will scatter, and Sonic will not die as a result. If our hero grabs 100 rings, he will gain an extra life. Rings and lives are also found in monitors that can be opened by Sonic's signature spin attack. Monitors can also contain shields that protect Sonic until he is hit, shows that make him run faster for a short time, and invincibility power ups that make Sonic invulnerable to enemies and obstacles until the effect wears off.

Every stage has a variety of features that Sonic can use to his advantage. When he activates a lamppost, he can continue from it should he lose a life. There are also loops that he can run through, springs that can bounce him up to higher places, and secret rooms and passages that can lead him to extra items. Every third act of a zone ends with a fight against Robotnik, who attacks in a variety of ways, from trying to smash Sonic with a ball to dropping bombs on him. If our hero succeeds in defeating the doctor, he can proceed to the next zone. A lot of these features would show up often in many Sonic games, and as such, this game, along with other Sonic games from the Genesis era, is surely considered to be the blueprint for many games to follow.

If Sonic reaches the end of a stage with at least fifty rings, he can leap into a large, spinning ring and enter a special stage. Here, he finds himself in a rotating maze that he must successfully navigate in order to grab one of the six Chaos Emeralds (not seven like in later games). Touching a goal post will send Sonic to the next zone empty handed, but if he finds the Chaos Emerald and breaks the blocks that surround it, he can claim it. Collecting all six emeralds will trigger the game's best ending after the final zone, but does not unlock the ability to change into Super Sonic as it would in later games. The mazes are fun, but tricky, and the player will surely feel quite satisfied should he or she find every last emerald.

The game was quite fast paced for its time, and nineteen years later, its high speed action has not lost even a fraction of its appeal. In fact, given Sega's tendency to ruin modern Sonic games with useless gimmicks, I dare say that the first game's high speed action is more attractive than ever. This is the type of game play that Sonic fans want, but Sega has largely ignored this seemingly simple demand. Granted, the game is short, and you must beat it in one sitting (though you can gain continues by grabbing fifty rings in the special stage), but as a whole, this is a very impressive debut for Sonic. While it would be surpassed by later Sonic games for the Genesis, the first game is still spectacular after all these years.

The graphics manage to keep up with Sonic's speed pretty well, though they are not as bright or as well animated as they would be in Sonic's other Genesis games. The special stages in particular look impressive for a 1991 game, and goes to show that Sega was willing to pull off some nifty tricks for its 16-bit system, even though Nintendo would soon show off some amazing graphics for the Super NES. As far as sound goes, many of the iconic Sonic sound effects would debut here, and to this day, the sound that plays when you pick up a ring has become commonplace. The soundtrack is filled with such memorable songs as Green Hill Zone, Scrap Brain Zone, and the boss battle music. Sonic games would be known for their catchy soundtracks, and the first game is certainly no exception.

Sonic the Hedgehog remains one of Sonic's best games, and is a shining example of how a solid Sonic game should be like. There are no gimmicks to weigh it down, no glitches that ruin it, nor does the game show any signs of being rushed out before it was truly ready to be released. It is a shame that Sega, for the most part, seems to have forgotten what made Sonic games so great. If you have never played Sonic's first game, you owe it to yourself to find a copy of the original Genesis version, play it on one of the numerous compilations that it has been included on, or download it from the Wii Shop Channel or Xbox Live Arcade. You will agree that Sega should have made far more Sonic games that are as truly great as this one.