Sonic the Hedgehog

aka: 3D Sonic the Hedgehog, SEGA AGES: Sonic the Hedgehog, STH, Sonic 1, Sonic the Hedgehog Classic, Sonic the Hedgehog Genesis
Moby ID: 6579
Note: We may earn an affiliate commission on purchases made via eBay or Amazon links (prices updated 3/27 8:43 PM )
Included in See Also

Description official descriptions

Sonic the Hedgehog is the first of many games starring Sega's premier hedgehog, Sonic. It's a side-scrolling platform game with a difference: speed. Sonic rushes through levels with incredible speed, allowing him to traverse loops and jumps with ease.

The plot of the game is simple. The evil Dr. Robotnik has captured many of Sonic's animal friends and trapped them inside robots. Fortunately, Sonic can free his friends by destroying the robots with his spin attack. Meanwhile, Dr. Robotnik is trying to control the all-powerful chaos emeralds. Sonic must grab them before he does in the 3D rotating bonus levels.

Sonic's weapon is his spin attack; while jumping, Sonic destroys hostile robots by touch. Throughout the platforming levels, Sonic collects numerous rings. If Sonic is hit by an enemy, all the rings he's carrying fall out and scatter around; Sonic can quickly grab the rings back before they disappear. If Sonic is hit while not carrying any rings, he dies. Collecting 100 rings gives Sonic an extra life. There is also an invincibility bonus which temporarily protects Sonic from all attacks.

The game is divided into several "zones", each of them containing three levels. At the end of each zone, Sonic confronts Dr. Robotnik in a boss fight.

Spellings

  • SEGA AGES ソニック・ザ・ヘッジホッグ - Japanese Nintendo Switch spelling
  • ソニック・ザ・ヘッジホッグ - Japanese spelling
  • 바람돌이 소닉 - Korean spelling

Groups +

Screenshots

Promos

Videos

See any errors or missing info for this game?

You can submit a correction, contribute trivia, add to a game group, add a related site or alternate title.

Credits (Genesis version)

13 People (11 developers, 2 thanks)

Game Plan
Program
Character Design
Design
Sound Produce
Sound Program
Special Thanks
Presented by
  • Sega
Cover Artwork (JP/EU)
Cover Artwork (US)

Reviews

Critics

Average score: 83% (based on 75 ratings)

Players

Average score: 3.9 out of 5 (based on 384 ratings with 12 reviews)

The need for speed

The Good
Sonic the Hedgehog was the game that really launched the Mega Drive & was one of the first games that I brought with my own cash. It took me a while to save up for but it was more than worth it.

Playing the game Hero, Sonic, a blue hedgehog who can run extremely fast you have to run & jump across several levels, split into 3 'acts' to defeat Dr Robotnik, who represents in a different form every time the final guardian of each level.

He has enslaved the cute little animals of Sonics home planet Mobieus via the power held in the Chaos Emeralds, which he has unceremoniously stolen. The premise of the game to defeat him and collect them in order to replace them.

The main selling power of this game was the pace at which it was played. With the emphasis on speed it allows for a greater arcade experience. This is what a gamer truly wants, at any age. A fun game with pacy, well detailed action.

The difficulty could be said to be to easy, but I think that is just about perfect. It means that any gamer can enjoy it as they will be able to progress without feeling robbed.

All that accompanied by excellent in game music, top graphics & pleasant sprite animation this game was a joy to play.

The Bad
There were some minor graphical glitches which can be irksome.

The Bottom Line
The game that re-ignited the platform genre. A must play.

Genesis · by Liam Dowds (39) · 2003

Blue, blue sky...

The Good
"Wow, so why can't the Super NES do this?" Those were my exact words back in September of 1991. The new school year had started, and one of my friends had gotten a Sega Genesis over the summer. He invited me over to check it out, and he said that he had gotten this game that was so fast that you almost couldn't keep up. With that, he plunked a cartridge into the system and flicked it on. The next thing I know, this blue hedgehog appears on the screen, and he hits Start, and tosses me the controller.

He was damn well right about the speed part. I uttered those words above to him, and he says, "Because Nintendo doesn't know anything about the word 'fast'."

Yep, that's what Sonic is all about: speed. He's a blue hedgehog with a cool attitude, a pair of wicked red sneakers, and enough speed to make even a Nascar driver blush. But that's not all he was. He was also a real showcase for Sega, as both a technical achievement (no other system can run a game this fast!) as well as establishing just what Sega needed...a mascot with the same cool attitude and demeanor that the company had back in the days of Genesis. And he's also one of my favorite mascots ever. Period. Sonic is just plain COOL, dammit! You do not question Sonic! ^_^

Anyway, onto my review.

It seems that this evil scientist named Dr. Eggman (speaking of which, I hate his American name, Dr. Robotnik) is capturing all these cute little forest animals and using them to control his army of robots. So Sonic's gotta go save the day and kick Eggman's fat egg butt outta town. And he's got it all: super speed, a wicked Spin Roll (complete with spines extended), and a cool, cocky grin on his face. Controlling Sonic is dead easy: D-pad to move and all of the buttons make Sonic jump. That's it. Sonic can jump onto certain enemies and destroy them, freeing the animal inside. But he'll need a little extra help, and he gets them in the form of Power-Ups. Grab a pair of Sonic Sneakers to make Sonic run twice as fast, or grab a Star Barrier for a burst of invincibility. But there's also one other thing that Sonic can grab...scattered all over every stage are Rings, which will protect Sonic from dying when he is hit by an enemy. Every hit that an enemy gives him makes all of his rings scatter, so you've gotta grab some back to keep yourself protected. Don't worry though. As long as Sonic is carrying at least one ring, he's safe. Grab 100 rings, and you'll gain an extra life. Grab at least 50 and make it to the end of the stage with them, and Sonic can play a bonus round, where he must find and collect the six Chaos Emeralds...sources of unbelievable power that Eggman is also after!

So how are the graphics, sounds, and music? The graphics are excellent for the Genesis, despite it having less colors on screen than the Super NES (64 on the Genny compared to 256 on a Super NES), and really showcase what the system is capable of, with large sprites and plenty of bright colors. Sonic looks really damn cool, and his animations are really well thought out! He even starts to get impatient if you don't move him for a while, tapping his foot and looking at you as if to say "Did you fall asleep out there? HELLOOOOO???" The sounds are for the most part rather good, but there's only so many times you can really hear the same "Boing!" sound every time Sonic jumps. But don't mute that TV yet, because you'll miss out on some wonderfully composed music from the Japanese rock group Dreams Come True. All of the music is wonderful, from the peaceful sounding Labyrinth Zone to the Green Hill Zone, all the way up to the Final Battle.

The Bad
The bonus rounds were a pain to play. Also, the Labyrinth Zone got to be rather confusing in some parts.

The Bottom Line
Sonic the Hedgehog is a true Genesis classic. If you own a Genesis, this is one game that should definitely be in your collection!

Genesis · by Satoshi Kunsai (2020) · 2002

The game that started it all....

The Good
The console wars! We are currently witnessing world war 3 in terms of consoles.. Lets pause a second..........., and think back to 1991...

Nintendo has THE most popular console (thought of at the time like people thought about the ps1 at its time) and SEGA were thought of as just another contender. Mario seemed to be the only guy jumping around on t.v (ok, and maybe timmy mallet) at that time and SEGAs future seemed to be underlined at that very moment Nintendo slapped down its sales profits for the year. Suddenly, SEGA had a mascot..

OK.. and the rest is history... yeah, pretty obvious I know. Sonic started the life of the Megadrive/Genesis and spawned the famous 'console war' !

This game was seen as a complete opposite of Mario, Super fast, dazzling graphics and spot on gameplay, Sonic the hedgehog set the standards of what people saw the SEGA console was capable of.

Yeah, years later Mario 64 won an award and Sonic adventure didn't, and, Nintendo's GAMEBOY is THE most successful console EVER.. But this is the game, this is the character which set the future of games and how they are distrubuted to the public forever. GO SONIC GO!.

The Bad
Sonic is nowhere near as popular now, and this game is rarely played! But whoever owns a copy of this, surely likes it's charm and style. (even though its a bit easy)

Playing this game now, gives me such a good feeling about gaming as a whole. This game cannot be compared next to games of today. It is so strange to rate this cool little game after playing Silent Hill 3 etc, which is why it should be regarded as an instant classic.... I mean, who HASNT heard of Sonic the hedgehog?

The Bottom Line
Its basically a platform game! Many platform games were made for the Megadrive and this type of game proved to be the most popular. The general size of games when this was made was not to the scale they are made today (even though they cost just as much and more!) and to play it through now wont take you long if you are into your games.

This game is cool, beyond which some games today will never achieve. Many great 'follow-ups' to this very game were made. Sonic is now going for an all console domination! I know Sonic will still be around in another 5 years, take this time to enjoy this fast, fun platformer. Enjoy!

Genesis · by MrBee (28) · 2003

[ View all 12 player reviews ]

Discussion

Subject By Date
About the new trivia ケヴィン (4137) May 25, 2011

Trivia

1001 Video Games

The Genesis version of Sonic the Hedgehog appears in the book 1001 Video Games You Must Play Before You Die by General Editor Tony Mott.

Android release

In the beginning menu, the original Mega Drive case is displayed; original game cartridge is too, when tapping to start a game. An option allows choice on viewing Japanese, United States, or European case and cartridge.

Chaos emeralds

Of all the Sonic games, Sonic the Hedgehog is the only game to have only 6 Chaos Emeralds. Every other game in the series features 7 Emeralds.

Compilations

Sonic the Hedgehog was included on compilations for many platforms, including Sega Smash Pack: Volume 1 for Dreamcast, Sonic Mega Collection for Gamecube and Sonic Mega Collection Plus for Xbox, PlayStation 2 and Windows.

Creation of Sonic

  • At the time when Sega was trying to design a character that was fast, one illustration drawn by one of the people working on the project depicted Sonic singing in a rock band with (you ready for this?) his girlfriend Madonna! They took the concept and dropped Madonna out of it!

  • While designing the game, the animal that Sega was thinking of using before the Hedgehog was a Rabbit. Sega cut it out and added the Hedgehog instead.

  • Sonic the Hedgehog came about as the result of an internal contest held by Sega to design a company mascot. Among the entries came the first designs for Eggman (Robotnik) as well.

Development

In many early screenshots of the Marble Zone, there are UFO-like objects floating in the sky. Footage of a prototype Marble Zone (complete with UFOs) is shown during a commercial in the movie Wayne's World. No one knows what the objects were for, or why they were removed.

Dreams Come True

The Japanese rock group Dreams Come True, who also composed all of the music for Sonic the Hedgehog (as well as Sonic 2 and Sonic CD), also helped promote Sonic in Japan! During one major tour they took across Japan in the summer of 1991, they had murals of Sonic painted onto the trucks that carried their equipment to get the people's attention. And then to make it even better, their song "Sweet Sweet Dream" was chosen to be the ending theme for Sonic 2!

Dr. Eggman

Dr. Eggman's name was changed to Dr. Ivo Robotnik for all English language versions. He would retain this name for all his English language appearances right up until Sonic Adventure , when it was intentionally phased out and restored to Dr. Eggman, presumably because that game heralded Sonic's return to glory and there was a desire for him to return to his roots. However, the Robotnik name was officially acknowledged in Sonic Adventure 2 , even in the Japanese continuum.

Formula 1 sponsorship

With sponsorship from SEGA, Sonic appeared on the Williams Formula 1 team in 1993. The hedgehog could be seen on the drivers' cars, and their helmets. Their rival team McLaren would often paint a squashed Sonic on their drivers' helmets after winning a race against Williams. Williams, however, would have the last laugh, when their team leader Alain Prost, secured the drivers' championship, and with the help of Damon Hill, the constructors' championship for 1993.

Game Boy Advance version

The 2006 GBA release is a port of the Genesis version. It includes a new save system and the Anniversary Mode, where the spin dash (a feature that enables Sonic to roll into a ball and rev up a spin attack from a dead stop, not available in the original game) has been added.

Japanese version

Curiously, though the game was developed entirely in Japan, Sonic the Hedgehog was first released in North America and Europe, with the Japanese release coming a month later. The Japanese version features several bug fixes and visual effects that didn't make it into the initial international release. In particular, the infamous "spike bug" (where if Sonic hits spikes, and the hit knocks him into another set of spikes, he dies immediately even though he should still be invulnerable) is fixed. The parallax scrolling in the background of many zones is enhanced, and there are additional water effects in Labyrinth Zone.

Mobile version

The mobile edition is ported from the Genesis version. In Europe, the game was not released as a whole, but in two individual parts: Sonic the Hedgehog Part 1 and Sonic the Hedgehog Part 2.

References

  • The Genesis version of the game is referenced in the third and the fourth episode of the first season of the American television drama series Rectify. A lead character Daniel Holden finds a box with a Genesis console and some games in the attic. Later on he is shown playing the original Sonic the Hedgehog. It reflects how he thinks back about his youth.

Sales

The original Sonic The Hedgehog game for Sega Genesis sold 4 million units worldwide. As of 2003 the whole Sonic series (for all consoles) sold over 27 million units since its first release in 1991.

Scrap Brain Zone

The Scrap Brain Zone was originally called the Clock Work Zone.

Television

Shortly after the game had been released, South African Movie Network Channel M-NET held a special themed competition on Saturday mornings. The set-up was that players would phone in and play Sonic The Hedgehog on the TV, controlling the character via a phone. Prizes were awarded based on the number of rings held at the end of a strict time limit. If the contestant had more than 50, he'd win the grand prize of a new Mega Drive with games.

Awards

  • EGM
    • 1992 Buyer's Guide - Best Game of the Year
    • 1992 Buyer's Guide - Best Genesis Game of the Year
    • 1992 Buyer's Guide - Best Graphics
    • 1992 Buyer's Guide - Hottest Character in a Game
  • FLUX
    • Issue #4 - #4 in the "Top 100 Video Games of All-Time" list
  • Game Informer
    • August 2001 (Issue #100) - #24 in the "Top 100 Games of All Time" poll
  • Retro Gamer
    • October 2004 (Issue #9) – #11 Best Game Of All Time (Readers' Vote)
    • Issue #37 - #13 in the "Top 25 Platformers of All Time" poll
  • The Strong National Museum of Play
    • 2016 – Introduced into the World Video Game Hall of Fame


Additional information contributed by 雷堂承太朗 -djsw-, Ace of Sevens, Big John WV, DOS Boot, Marguerite Richardson, MegaMegaMan, Mumm-Ra, PCGamer77, Robbb and Sciere.

Analytics

MobyPro Early Access

Upgrade to MobyPro to view research rankings!

Related Games

Sonic the Hedgehog 2
Released 1992 on Genesis, 2007 on Xbox 360, 2011 on Windows...
Sonic CD
Released 1993 on SEGA CD, Windows
Sonic Blast
Released 1996 on Game Gear, 1997 on SEGA Master System, 2012 on Nintendo 3DS
Sonic CD
Released 2011 on Xbox 360, 2011 on PlayStation 3, 2012 on Windows...
Sonic the Hedgehog 3
Released 1994 on Genesis, Windows, 2009 on Xbox 360
Sonic: Very Hard Sonic Missions
Released 2007 on PlayStation 3
Sonic the Hedgehog 4: Episode I
Released 2010 on PlayStation 3, 2010 on Xbox 360, 2012 on Windows...
Sonic the Hedgehog 2
Released 1992 on SEGA Master System, Game Gear, 2008 on Wii
Sonic the Hedgehog Chaos
Released 1993 on Game Gear, SEGA Master System, 2009 on Wii

Related Sites +

Identifiers +

  • MobyGames ID: 6579
  • [ Please login / register to view all identifiers ]

Contribute

Are you familiar with this game? Help document and preserve this entry in video game history! If your contribution is approved, you will earn points and be credited as a contributor.

Contributors to this Entry

Game added by quizzley7.

Android added by GTramp. Arcade, DoJa, Nintendo 3DS added by Michael Cassidy. Nintendo Switch added by Rik Hideto. Wii added by Guy Chapman. BREW added by firefang9212. BlackBerry, PlayStation 3, tvOS, Game Boy Advance, iPad, iPhone, J2ME added by Sciere. Xbox One added by Artzei. Macintosh, Linux added by Foxhack. iPod Classic added by Kabushi. Windows added by lights out party. Xbox 360 added by Ben K.

Additional contributors: Satoshi Kunsai, paul cairey, chirinea, Sciere, Alaka, Robbb, Patrick Bregger, mailmanppa, Starbuck the Third, Thomas Thompson, GTramp, Rik Hideto, is_that_rain_or_tears, FatherJack, Harmony♡, Deleted, SoMuchChaotix.

Game added June 6, 2002. Last modified March 4, 2024.