Sonic the Hedgehog (SEGA Master System)

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Description

SEGA's mascot Sonic the Hedgehog made his debut in a famous Genesis title, but Sega's 8-bit systems got their own version of the platformer, featuring the same story and gameplay style, but different levels.

To stop the evil Dr. Robotnik, Sonic must traverse six zones consisting of three levels each. Most of the zones are based on those in the original game, but some are entirely new, including a jungle environment and a huge airship. Other unique differences are one level that scrolls automatically and one that is aligned vertically instead of horizontally. Most of the enemies (mechanized animals, defeated by Sonic's spikes when jumping or rolling) and power-ups (speed-ups, shields, extra lives) are the same as in the Genesis version as well. Sonic can pick up golden rings for protection (when hit, he simply loses all of his rings instead of a life) and bonuses: 100 rings gain Sonic an extra life, and 50 remaining rings at the end of a level allow access to pinball-themed special stages full of bumpers and springs. The final level of a zone is always a boss fight against Robotnik. Some of the boss fights differ in the Master System and Game Gear versions of the game, with special designs for the handheld version due to the smaller visible screen area.

Sonic should also collect the six Chaos Emeralds to keep them from falling into Robotnik's hands. In a departure from the original game, these are not hidden in the special stages but somewhere in the regular levels.

Screenshots

Promo Images

Alternate Titles

• "ソニック・ザ・ヘッジホッグ" -- Japanese spelling
• "바람돌이 소닉" -- Korean spelling

Part of the Following Groups

• Animals: Hedgehogs
• Sonic the Hedgehog universe

User Reviews

Master System owners get to see what all the fuss is about.	Retro_Minded (21)
The same Sonic... with less speed	Katakis | カタキス (41574)
A True Classic: The start of the legend!	M.Allen (88)

Critic Reviews

SEGA-Mag (Objectif-SEGA)	Mar 19, 2009	10 out of 10	100
Joystick (French)	Dec, 1991	97 out of 100	97
Computer and Video Games (CVG)	Dec, 1991	90 out of 100	90
SegaFan.com	Jul 14, 2003	8.6 out of 10	86
Defunct Games	Jan 07, 2007	85 out of 100	85
Retroage	Sep 06, 2014	8.3 out of 10	83
Retro Archives	Aug 30, 2017	16 out of 20	80
Retro Game Reviews	Jun 06, 2015		80
1UP!	Nov 16, 2007	78 out of 100	78
IGN	Aug 04, 2008	7.5 out of 10	75

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Trivia

Master System II version

The Sonic The Hedgehog version that came built-in the Master System II console lacks credits. Because ROM chips were very expensive at the time, the credits were dropped to make room on the small ROM chip for the necessary BIOS routines for the console. By doing this, Sega avoided having to buy bigger and more expensive ROM chips for the console.

Awards

• Electronic Gaming Monthly
  • February 1992 (Issue 31) - Game of the Month

Related Web Sites

• Game Map (Sega Master System) on SMS Power! (Detailed maps of all levels of the Master System version.)