Sonic the Hedgehog (16-bit)

Developer: Sonic Team

Publisher: SEGA

Year of Release: 1991

Original Platform: SEGA Mega-Drive/Genesis

You’re probably wondering why I’d bother to review Sonic the Hedgehog. Hasn’t enough been said since 1991? True. But Your Humble Reviewer is fascinated with ‘nostalgia’; the impression it creates and its relationship with reality. A growing interest of mine is exploring older media – whether it is films or video games – and testing out how they hold up today. Are they deserving of the praise they receive? Do they offer an enjoyable experience for a modern audience? These are the questions I consider in the lonely hours of my anti-social existence and I’m happy to declare that Sonic the Hedgehog answers both positively.



What’s remarkable is how preserved the sensation and freshness speed, as the essential gameplay mechanic, seems to be. I can’t recall many (actually... any) titles that have adopted velocity as the focus of their play; yet alone any that have matched what Sonic Team achieved. Resultantly Sonic the Hedgehog still feels different to other side-scrolling platformers, which only helps sustain its appeal now. The impression of extreme pace also lingers on. That’s an amazing achievement considering what technology can produce today; launching miles high provides an impressive scope for the seeming enormity of levels whilst dashing through stretches of loop-de-loops and slopes, slides and tunnels continues to grant an exhilarating experience. The game design masterfully encourages and exploits this gameplay emphasis in its more challenging moments; being used to blasting through ‘acts’ (aided by the layout of previous levels), it becomes difficult to resist the urge to rush through slower-paced sections. It’s a fine balance between unleashing and restraining the ‘need for speed’ as the game exposes depth beyond the central urge to run; in other words, speed in its abundance and absence dominates play.



There’s certainly a strong element of challenge to this game. The version I played was in the SEGA Mega Drive Ultimate Collection for Xbox 360. Introduced in this (fantastic) compilation is a forgiving save feature – you can save at any time. With six ‘zones’, comprising three ‘acts’ and a potential bonus level depending on the amount of rings collected, and only three lives (to begin with)... Well the truth is Your Humble Reviewer probably would never have finished it. There’s a trial-and-error aspect to the game; an aspect that’d be increasingly tough (and frustrating) were I not able to reload the level’s start continuously. Sure, there are checkpoints in some ‘acts’ but lose all your lives and it’s back to the first ‘act’ of the first ‘zone’ for you! Alleviating the stress here is the unique health system regarding the collection of rings; so long as you have one ring you won’t be killed (unless you fall into space/get squashed). Surprisingly not many games have ripped that feature off since. Even with my advantage the boss battles grow in difficulty as you progress, changing their pattern each encounter, leading to a satisfying sense of victory when you topple Dr. Robotnik (who, by the way, has a godly moustache). Sonic the Hedgehog took under two hours to complete. Add on my multiple save reloads, a desire to conquer every bonus level (beating all six and collecting their chaos emerald gives the player a different ending) and the allure of high-scores and suddenly it doesn’t seem so short. Also clearly it’d take longer if you didn’t have my cheap saving ability. What?! It was for review purposes!



I’m an absolute sucker for accomplished 16-bit graphics, almost to the point where I prefer them over today's best. The opening ‘zone’ – Green Hill Zone – especially is stunningly vibrant and beautiful. The character designs are brilliant and cartoony, with a variety of funny robots to pounce on (no idea why, but the cute little animals that emerge from them always make me laugh). Each ‘zone’ has a different ‘look’ and ‘feel’, visually and gameplay-wise, which is great. For example: Labyrinth Zone, an ancient temple, has regenerating maps that need to be altered (otherwise you’ll keep sliding for eternity/the game crashes) and rising/falling water levels (which requires the gamer to play wisely with air); Spring Yard Zone has a pinball machine inspiration that demands the player to control jumps; Marble Zone introduces lava and moving blocks; Green Hill Zone has your standard emphasis on running and jumping in a bright, green locale etc. Moreover it’s apparent that there are multiple routes through each ‘act’, establishing room for exploration and highlighting the technical expertise of Sonic Team; these levels are big.



Everybody knows about Sonic the Hedgehog. If you don’t: WOW. If you haven’t played it: What the bloody hell is wrong with you. This review can be summed up as thus: Sonic the Hedgehog is still a freaking good game. There’s a stupid amount of versions floating around: Xbox Live Arcade, PSN, Steam, Wii’s Virtual Console, various compilations on all platforms... Really, there’s no excuse for not having it (unless you don’t like the genre or can’t be arsed; in which case, you may leave). That is all.

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