Sonic the Hedgehog

Games have become so cinematic these days, so much more story-driven, flashier, prettier. I applaud the advances, I enjoy them, even, but I just don’t have the time to delve into all of those games. I still like to read news about new games, but I hardly have time to more than sample them. I’ve played Gears of War and Assassin’s Creed, and a bunch of Wii games, but I’m just not ready to commit to buying a new system. I figure they’ll all be waiting for me in ten years and for cheap, anyway. Sometimes I think that there is an undue emphasis on graphics, but for the most part, I like the added depth of video games. We’re a long way from the princess being in another castle. I still remember the first time I saw the beautiful cinematics of Final Fantasy IX, and experienced the Metal Gear Solid storyline. Hell, I still remember slogging through hours upon hours of random battles in Final Fantasy VI just to further the story. And damn was it worth it. I still don’t know how Square managed to squeeze so much personality out of those little sprites.

Whether it’s because they’re easier to play in short doses, nostalgic, or just better, I don’t know, but I’ve been getting my fill of old school games lately. Over the next couple of months I’m going to be replaying and trying some games I’ve never played so I can write about them. I know a lot of people began video games with Mario or Space Invaders or Pong, but it was Sonic that brought me into the world of video games, so it is with him that I begin.


Title: Sonic the Hedgehog
System: Sega Genesis
Developer: Sonic Team
Publisher: Sega
Release Date: 1991
Genre: Platformer



I’m not quite sure what the first video game I ever played was. It might have been pong, because I do remember my dad having some sort of weird pong machine. However, what I do remember is that Sonic the Hedgehog was what made me fall in love with video games. The Sega Genesis was the first system I ever owned, and Sonic the first game. It came pre-packaged with the system, complete with that “Not For Resale” label on the cartridge that Gamestop seems to love to ignore, and a mail-in coupon for ordering Sonic 2. The game was pure and simple fun.

Back then: When I was a kid, Sonic was the greatest game there was. It was fast and fun and I never got tired of playing it. I used to sit on the carpet in front of the TV for hours, even though I could barely get past the second level. Green Hill Zone was always pretty easy and I got passed it pretty quickly, though Marble Zone kicked my ass for a long time. All that lava was hard to deal with (though cool as hell), and those damned needle-nosed bats and purple caterpillars drove me crazy.

I still remember the code to unlock all the levels… up, down, left right, A, C, start… my sister taught it to me, and I taped the code right onto the front of my Genesis. It was always difficult for me to pull it off, but it was worth it. I don’t remember how far I was able to get on my own, but with the code I got to go to the final level and face Dr. Robotnik in those weird tubes and get squashed over and over again or get to Starry Night zone with all the cool music and spiky balls. It was a joy.

And the game was just blazingly fast, all that “blast processing”, I suppose. It was not a game for a Mario player, not a game for a collector of coins or rings or human skulls. It was blazing fast, it was a race from start to finish with your thumb on the button (any of the three buttons) to jump over those piranha fish or those big metallic wasps or the little mole men that popped out at you from time to time. It was pure reflex and required no patience, which was perfect for a kid.

Oh, and those bonus stages were hard as hell… and disorienting. Why were there little bird blocks? It was the perfect mix of speed, reflex and destruction, which just enough story to pique your interest, but not too much to bore you.



Now: It’s still a great game, but I’m not sure where I would rank it in my top games of all-time. Sonic 2 would definitely be ahead of it, but I’m not sure where it ranks ultimately. I finally beat it thanks to amassing extra lives in Green Hill Zone, continues in the bonus stages and platforming reflexes honed through Mario. While the graphics are outdated and there is no story to really speak of, it’s still fast and fun and simply exhilarating.

Green Hill Zone is a cakewalk, of course, though not quite so much as it’s counterpart in Sonic 2 is. Marble Zone isn’t really that difficult with a little patience, and Spring Yard Zone doesn’t really prove much of a difficulty, except for the boss at the end. I made it through the first three levels without losing a life. Labyrinth Zone, however, can be a bit tricky, especially because it changes up the dynamics of the game so much. Moving around underwater is a slogging experience and waiting for air can be a pain, especially when you’re standing in front of bubbles with the countdown to death popping up in front of your face. It isn’t until Star Light Zone and Scrap Brain Zone that the real challenge begins. These are consequently my two favorite levels. Star Light Zone is just so surreal and features my favorite music of the game. The enemies are interesting and the color palette is unique. The drops into nothingness and the variety of mechanical torture devices make these levels much harder, but much more fun to play through. Scrap Brain Zone is simply crazy, with Tesla coils and gas pipes spitting fire that simply remind me of home. The final Scrap Brain Zone is a spin-off of Labyrinth Zone, but amazingly hard. Air bubbles are few and far between, which really leads to a sense of desperation that is enhanced by the knowledge that you are only moments away from the Final Zone. The last battle isn’t really very hard, though it can be challenging with minimal lives considering that you are given no coins and thus face instant death from any hit. Nevertheless, with patience it is not all that difficult.



Those bonus stages are still hard simply because there is so little control over Sonic… and very disorienting, but cool. They are unique and by far my favorite bonus levels of the entire series, especially not that I can actually get almost all of the chaos emeralds.

The music is catchy and nostalgic, the graphics are vibrant and remind me of something that might have come from the mind of Lewis Carroll, but those two things only lend to the charm. Enemies are interesting and varied, as are the bosses (despite the fact that they are all Robotnik). The real heart of the game is the solid platforming and control of Sonic, even with the speed shoes on. He is fast, but I almost never feel like he is out of control. The jumping is precise and the levels are well designed so that there are few cheap deaths, but many challenging ones. It is this that stands the test of time, and what makes it such a great game. It is a platformer that is right up there with the Mario series, though I can’t really make the case that it surpasses it. Replaying the game, my only real issue is the lack of a spin dash from the later games, which really improved game play in the sequels. But, it is a must play game for anyone who enjoys older games, and still holds up well in the face of time.


Score: 10/10