From a Sonic fan’s perspective: a Sonic retrospective (kind of): part 1: Sonic The Hedgehog (1) (Genesis)

Sonic the Hedgehog. This three word statement can bring about mixed reactions. Sonic is definitely one of the most controversial video game franchises out there. Not for shooting cops, and having sex with hookers like GTA. Sonic’s controversy lies in the quality of his games.

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With all of this controversy raging, I have taken it upon myself to settle this; (dramatic pause) ONCE… AND… FOR… ALLLLLLLLLL.

(Because there is absolutely no way anyone will disagree with me right?) Bad sarcasm jokes aside, I am going to take a look back at this franchise by reviewing most of the sonic the hedgehog games, talking about the ones I don’t review, and the general evolution/devolution of the franchise. (PLUS other stuff that creates the illusion of an actual, and probably better retrospective)

Note: if I am mentioning a sonic game, or franchise, I will put it in quotes, as opposed to sonic the character, to avoid confusion.

Example: 1) “Sonic the Hedgehog” for the Sega Genesis.

2) Sonic, Tails, and Knuckles: the main protagonists of the “Sonic the Hedgehog” series.

Disclaimer!

The following views are my personal opinion, and I am in no way suggesting that said views are fact; or that you as a reader are less significant than I, because our views are different. Obviously you can comment on this post, and I encourage it. I would love to discuss sonic with you guys.* Otherwise just sit back** and enjoy. ***

*”guys” can, but may not necessarily refer to male human beings.

**Sitting back is optional.

***If this post sucks, blows, stinks, or has any quality that makes it less enjoyable than it should be, the reader has the right not to enjoy it.****

****If this post is not very good please tell me why so I can improve. Keep in mind this is my first serious blog post, so help me out if I desperately need it.

And with the introduction out of the way, my review of “Sonic the Hedgehog.”

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Sonic the Hedgehog (genesis)

On June 23, 1991 Sonic the Hedgehog was released in the U.S. for the Sega Genesis. It was created and marketed to become Sega’s Top franchise. (following Alex the Kid) Sonic would become Sega’s new mascot, and the biggest of Mario’s rivals, all through the 1990’s.

Story:

(excerpt from the instruction manual) “Dr. Ivo Robotnik, the mad scientist, is snatching innocent animals and turning them into evil robots! Help our hero to fight enemies, rescue the helpless animals, and stop Dr. Robotnik from succeeding with his evil plot.”(by the way, we never find out what his evil plot is)

The entire story is provided by the instruction manual. There is no dialogue or cut scenes of any kind, making the story very simple, and providing the player with enough room for imagination. So you get as much out of the story as you put into it. (I got a lot out of it)

Example(s) in imagination:

1. I assume that Sonic is really pissed off at this Robotnik Guy, for trying to destroy his home and abducting his friends, and he decides to do something about it. I also gather that this Sonic fellow is fairly young, thus suffering from serious self doubt on whether he can save his friends or not. He matures from being worried and terrified of Dr.Robotnik, to being self confident and not fearing Dr.Robotnik, or any other person/uncomfortable situation. A sort of, coming of age story.

2. The game has a pro-environmental overtone. Saying that if real animals being displaced, (in the process of the destruction of their homes) had a choice of defending themselves, and their friends/family, from the approaching, let’s say “robotic army of destruction” they would react the same way Sonic did. (by this I mean kicking some serious robo-rear-end!)

There were only two of each animal when they were locked in there...

End of imagination

Design and Gameplay:

Like most platformers, the goal of each level is to get from one end to the other; in “Sonic’s” case, from left to right. You are given 3 lives, and when you lose all your lives, you game over. Though you get some help from the frequent checkpoints in each level. There are 6 zones with 3 acts in each, not including the Final Zone. (similar to Super Mario Brothers. World 2-1 = Marble Zone act 1) At the end of each Zone you fight one of Robotnik’s machines, operated by none other than Robonik himself. The Bosses are varied and creative, with an appropriate learning curve from one to the next.

Who said disco is dead?

Moving across levels is usually very smooth. (depending on the level) There are strategically placed hills and slopes in most levels to keep sonic moving. Speaking of which, a lot of “Sonic’s” entertainment comes from keeping the momentum you build up while running through the various stages. It feels really good the run at full speed; and you will jump over obstacles, roll into enemies, and take many risks, just to keep the feeling going. Speed however, is not the only facet of the game. The platforming aspects of the game are very well done as well. The controls are spot on, and pacing is well done. The level design compliments both the speed and platforming aspects of the game.

Gameplay From the Green hill Zone level of "Sonic the Hedgehog"

Another big part of “Sonic the Hedgehog” is collecting rings. Rings are a big part of the game for 3 reasons.
1) As long as you have at least one ring you can’t die by getting hit. (Though you will die, even if you have rings, if you fall off the stage or get squashed.) If you get hit with no rings you die. Once you get hit you lose all your rings, and up to 40 of them scatter within close proximity to you, and disappear in a matter of seconds. It is not difficult to re-collect at least one. This is somewhat hard to explain, but if you play the game yourself, you’ll know exactly what I’m talking about.

2) If you collect 100 rings you get an extra life. Similar to Super Mario Bros, but the difference is in SMB, once you obtain 100 coins, your coin total returns to zero. On the other side, in “Sonic”, your ring total doesn’t disappear after reaching 100.

3) If you reach the end of a level (only the 1st and 2nd acts) with at least 50 rings you can go to a bonus stage. The goal of the bonus stage to obtain one of the six chaos emeralds. The stage has Sonic in his rolling position, in a 360 degree, constantly revolving maze. You must navigate the maze (while avoiding traps) to find the emerald. Getting all 6 emeralds doesn’t change anything or give you anything. All it does is change the ending 5-frame animation after the credits. Even though you don’t get anything from it, the bonus stages are really fun, and worth playing just to experience it.

Hint: don't go towards the goal

The ring aspect of the game makes “Sonic” unique, and more forgiving than other platformers.

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Presentation:

The art style is somewhat cartoony, evident by Eggman’s round body, and thin legs. (and you know, a hedgehog wearing shoes, and rolling into a speedy ball to defeat his enemies!) The game is overall very good looking for an early Genesis game, or any Genesis game for that matter.

He moves pretty fast for a big guy

The levels progress from environmental levels like Green Hill Zone, to mechanical areas like Scrap Brain Zone. This gives the game a good feeling of progression, rather than some random assortment of different levels.

The music is classic; especially good for a Sega Genesis game. The soundtrack is comprised of majority light hearted, slightly up-tempo music that works well to characterize each level, and the game as a whole.

Overly deep, “he’s trying too hard” Example:
“Marble Zone’s dark, methodical music matches the underground, stone surroundings, and slow crushing pillars.” By the small chance that you can’t already hear the music in your head because of my masterful description, I’ll put the music right here.

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Warning!!! Mildly Tempered Rant:

Most people say that “Sonic” is all about speed, but I do not agree. For me, it’s the same as the story; you get out of it, what you put into it. If all you want to do is go fast at all times, you might be put off by levels like Marble Zone, and Labyrinth Zone.

"Sonic"=Platformer

I do not discount speed’s importance to the “Sonic” franchise. After all a lot of “Sonic’s” fun comes from it, but to say that is what “Sonic” is ALL about is unfair. It’s a platformer, not a running game. Marble Zone is the perfect example. The majority of the level is comprised of sonic on a stone block, floating above lava. This level requires pinpoint jumping precision, and clever timing. If you try to run through the level, you are going to get burned by the lava below. (or the waterfall-like lava from above)

Closing thoughts:

“Sonic the Hedgehog” is a great game, with a unique spin on the Platformer/Sidescroller genre. It is amazing on all fronts, from gameplay to graphics and Sound. I highly recommend you play it, whether or not you have played a “sonic” game before.

After “Sonic the Hedgehog” was released, “Sonic” became Sega’s most well-known franchise, and it hasn’t changed since. “Sonic the Hedgehog” was extremely successful, selling around 4 million copies; second most copies sold for a Genesis game, behind only the Sequel.
Thanks for reading,
I think you know what’s next.