Sonic the Hedgehog, the first game in the series that would spark a legacy for Sega and create their icon for the company. I can't imagine anyone who hasn't heard of Sonic now.
An excellent role model for kids during the 90s and I believe he still is. Doing everything for the right thing, ... Read review
Sonic The Hedgehog PS3 for PLAYSTATION 3 will be developed under the direction of Yuji ... more
Naka, award-winning developer known for creating the hugely successful SEGA franchise. With an innovative combination of art, physics and game design, SEGA and Mr. Naka expect to create the most intense sensation of speed ever experienced in videogames.
Advantages: Colourful and bright graphics, smooth framerate, and unique sounds/music Disadvantages: No mode to save game, nothing is randomised, and easy bosses
Sonic the Hedgehog, the first game in the series that would spark a legacy for Sega and create their icon for the company. I can't imagine anyone who hasn't heard of Sonic now.
An excellent role model for kids during the 90s and I believe he still is. Doing everything for the right thing, high determination and never giving up against the bad guys.
This game is the second highest selling game for the Sega Mega Drive, right ... ...to fight against Sonic. If Sonic destroys them, it will free them from their robot shell. Doing this will raise your entire game score.
Collecting all the Chaos Emeralds in the game will trigger the extended ending once the game has been completed. I have never achieved this, due to the emeralds being scattered in some tricky places but have watched the ending on YouTube. Spoiled the fun though, so I don't recommend doing that! Much ... more
Sonic the Hedgehog, the first game in the series that would spark a legacy for Sega and create their icon for the company. I can't imagine anyone who hasn't heard of Sonic now.
An excellent role model for kids during the 90s and I believe he still is. Doing everything for the right thing, high determination and never giving up against the bad guys.
This game is the second highest selling game for the Sega Mega Drive, right behind Sonic 2. Up until now, it has sold over four million copies worldwide.
Plotline
The hero, Sonic, has to stop a crazy power mad obese man named Dr Robotnik. Robotnik is after magical crystals named the Chaos Emeralds which will allow him to rule the South Island. The warped dr. has also captured Sonic's friends along the way and robotised them to fight against Sonic. If Sonic destroys them, it will free them from their robot shell. Doing this will raise your entire game score.
Collecting all the Chaos Emeralds in the game will trigger the extended ending once the game has been completed. I have never achieved this, due to the emeralds being scattered in some tricky places but have watched the ending on YouTube. Spoiled the fun though, so I don't recommend doing that! Much more satisfying to work for it.
Gameplay
Each stage will contain golden rings scattered everywhere, mostly hovering in the air. Collecting 100 of these will grant Sonic an extra life, which are more than vital in order to progress through the game properly. One ring or above will grant Sonic a form of shield, allowing a hit from an enemy before losing a life on the next. However, this will cause Sonic to lose all his rings and will spread everywhere on impact from an enemy attack. Although, some may be collected back if the player acts quick enough.
If Sonic has 50 rings or more when finishing a stage, a huge golden ring will be hovering above the finish sign. Jumping through this will trigger a bonus stage, tricky forms of mazes where many bonus points and extra lives can be found.
Despite Sonic being able to run fast, he can use many objects to get himself around quicker other than jumping and running. There are spring boards that can be used to reach for the skies, although many of them are essential for getting past high terrain. Rolling is another ability of Sonic and can be fun to use when approaching a hoop piece of terrain at a high speed; Sonic will fly for miles in a ball!
Each level will have a checkpoint. Passing through will trigger it red and will allow Sonic to respawn here when losing a life, instead of having to start all over again and will cut down your frustration.
There is no way to save game or password feature, so the player will need to start from the beginning again when the game has restarted. Cheat codes can be activated to do a form of level skipping.
Special items can be acquired fairly easily and give Sonic the useful temporary power-up. The classic super Sonic speed trainers, which will allow Sonic to sprint at a light speed pace. Also is the ultra shield that will grant Sonic an extra hit from an enemy's attack. Another is the invincibility mode, allowing a temporary immortality and will destroy enemies just by running into them. A minor item is ten rings in one pick-up, can always come in handy to grant that extra life.
Even with the special items activated, Sonic will not be able to survive certain traps and will instantly kill him. Falling into a pit, being crushed, drowning etc. There is also a time limit for each stage at ten minutes, but this is definitely more than enough time.
At the end of each act, on the third level, Robotnik will attack Sonic in a boss stage. Different forms of weapons that have a weak point and the battle generally won't last that long. When Robotnik retreats, Sonic can then free some of his captured friends in a prison type pod. Not much of a challenge though and it will feel that Robotnik wants you to win.
However, the game engine comes with its problems. There is no randomised mode, all rings, items; enemies are all in the same location every single time. So a regular player will cruise easily through each level and it will become no challenge due to knowing where everything is.
Multiplayer
The debut game was released with no multiplayer modes. I was not disappointed about this and figured it would just be single player throughout the entire game. The two mode player was activated in the sequel, and that will have to be talked about in my next review when I get around to it!
Graphics
The entire game engine used all of the Mega Drive's graphical abilities of 16-bit. Extremely smooth pixels and a very fast frame rate that will not slow down or lag no matter what is on the screen. Very colourful graphics and many forms of animation all moving at once, even in the background. Lovely colours and very bright, all varied depending on what type of stage it is.
Despite today's modern, this is a game where the graphics are still fairly decent and quite impressive. Retro gaming really does fade into the background and becomes less appreciated; however the older Sonic games continue to reign at the top.
Sound and Music
Sonic continues to impress with the sounds and music files too, being able to combine multiple sounds playing all at once. Forms of beats, chimes and dongs that will happen when triggering a certain event or picking up a certain item. Pushing past the original 8-bit sounds that many Sega games had and using something very unique that had never been done before.
The Green Hill Zone is by far the most popular and greatest tune in the game and has had many remixes over the past thanks to the Internet. Stored on my MP3 players ever since I first downloaded it all those years ago. Mellow and cheerful beats that fit the game's style perfectly. Created by a popular composer in Japan too, Masato Nakamura, known for his music for Sega games over the past fifteen years.
Recommendations
Truly one of my most favourite games of all time and something that kept me fairly busy during my childhood on my Sega Master System, pretty much the same version as the Mega Drive's. Despite completing it so many times, I've found myself going back to it each years. It's like a rush of memories from my past all being injected into me every time I control Sonic once again.
Easy to find these days, it's been released on so many consoles in compilations volumes. It's even going to be released again for an ultimate Sega classics collection for modern consoles. At the moment, I'm currently playing it on my Sony PSP and works very well with the style of control built-in. If you haven't played this game, I highly recommend giving it a go at least once. Easily one of the best games of all time and it's no wonder why Sonic has kept the Sega company alive since their almost bankrupt state after the failed Sega Dreamcast console.
Advantages: Simplicity, Fun Factor, Never gets old Disadvantages: After a few runs through, it becomes predictive as theres no random element to it
Sonic was in my mind, the best game of the 90's and even today with the far superior graphics and gameplay of other games, Sonic still stands out as one of the all time greats of video gaming. The simple side scrolling run and jump platformer became popular with pretty much everyone.
===Characters===
Sonic is the protagonist in this brilliant game, blue from head to toe, with spikes running down his back, and sporting flashy red trainers which ... ...There are countless enemies that Sonic encounters on his travels, including wasps, piranhas, spikey centipides, bats and many others that all tried to kill Sonic in their own unique ways. Take the wasps for example. Hovering above the ground, they seem harmless at first, but as soon as Sonic approaches them, they shoot a flashing ball at Sonic, and he must be allergic to flashing balls or something as they cause him to drop all his rings on the floor, ...
speedy2710 04.07.2008
· Read full review
Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Sonic the Hedgehog (Mega Drive)
Advantages: Original gameplay, superb music (Green Hill Zone!) Disadvantages: Feels sluggish now, much better Sonic games out there
...on his debut Megadrive outing, Sonic The Hedgehog.
*Review*
SEGA's spiky mascot appeared on the Megadrive in 1991 as a direct answer to Nintendo's established Mario series. Focusing on speed rather than pixel-perfect jumping, Sonic had wowed audiences with it's velocity as they controlled our prickly pal through a series of levels that bore more than a passing resemblance to rollercoasters. Loop-the-loops, cork-screws and huge half-pipes were the ... ...new style. The emergence of Sonic The Hedgehog also sparked the great console war between SEGA and Nintendo, which would continue until nearly ten years later when, after poor sales, the Dreamcast ended SEGA's console-making days and they switched to game developing and publishing.
With the emphasis on speed the game remains, to this day, fairly unique. Most platformers allow gamers to take it slowly giving time to line up jumps and collect every ...
sprinklesUK 30.11.2006
· Read full review
Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Sonic the Hedgehog (Mega Drive)
Advantages: Great fun,graphics,music,controls spot on Disadvantages: A bit easy, you can get Sonic 2
...all know the story of Sonic the Hedgehog. Created to help boost the popularity of the newly released Sega Genesis/Megadrive, The Hedgehog went beyond being just a great game, and has ended up as Sega's mascot to this day, his only real rival for the role was Alex Kidd, and the fact there hasn't been an Alex Kidd game since Sonic hit should tell you something. In 1991, all platform games were pretty slow affairs. Sure there were some excellent ones, ... ...them in his Badnik Robots. Sonic isn't happy about this one bit, so sets out to free the animals and put an end to Robotnik's nefarious plans. The game on paper sounds like your average platform title. The idea is to get from one end of the stage to the other, and on occasion taking on a Boss character. To do this you will have to defeat or outrun enemies and make leaps over deadly holes in the ground. Sonic did have slightly more to it than that ...
Flash-Hammer 05.12.2005
· Read full review
Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Sonic the Hedgehog (Mega Drive)
Advantages: Speed and Pace / Original / Addictive and Highly Entertaining Disadvantages: Some may find Outdated and lacking detail
...Info''': '''Name''': Sonic The Hedgehog
'''Released''': June 1991
'''Developed by''': Sega
'''Average Professional Score''': 9 out of 10
'''RRP''': N/A
'''You may like Sonic The Hedgehog if you liked''':
Crash Bandicoot (PSX)
Gex (PSX)
Released on the Sega Mega Drive way back in June 1991, Sonic The Hedgehog became a worldwide smash hit selling well over four million copies and securing the position of the second most sold game in the Mega ... ...game of this time period, Sonic The Hedgehog has an overly brief storyline. One that never really progresses much nor is explained in detail. However it has a storyline nonetheless. Dr Robotnik, in true bad guy style, is determined to take over and rule the entire South Island. But Sonic, a hedgehog of blue distinction, is the hero of the day, using his wonderful gift of speed to prevent his evil deeds and rescue the creatures that use to inhabit ...
dan_pentagram 30.03.2009
· Read full review
Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Sonic the Hedgehog (Mega Drive)
Advantages: It is fast, fun, addictive, and challenging. Beautiful levels and innovative bosses, too! Disadvantages: No save facility, some levels a bit too hard for younger gamers. Last boss is too easy.
...spotted. Enjoy!
------------------
Sonic the hedgehog. He was a blue, spiky hedgehog that could travel faster than the speed of sound. This game was one of the earliest games on the Sega Mega Drive, and fast became Sega's mascot as well as probably the most famous computer game star of all time. Back when I was a wee lad (when I was 5, roughly 14 years ago) I was introduced to this. It was the first computer game I had ever played.
This game means ... ...be animated. The running of Sonic is fluid and smooth, the bad guys shooting and biting is smooth, even if sometimes blocky, and the backgrounds move and change as you run through the levels - think about how the landscape changes whilst staring out of a train window. The bonus levels at the end of the stages are incredible looking, with fish and birds in the backgrounds added to the strange colours of the level structure are amazing, and mystifying. ...
reddragonflame87 19.12.2004 (08.12.2006)
· Read full review
Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Sonic the Hedgehog (Mega Drive)
Gameplay/Playability
Value for Money
Longevity
Similar reviews »
Reviews which might be of interest for "Sonic the Hedgehog (Mega Drive)"
Advantages: Great gameplay, highly addictive. Disadvantages: Very similar to Sonic 1 in some ways.
After digging out my old megadrive once more I have decided it is time for another game review. I have spend literally days going through and playing some of the Megadrive Classics, including Sonic the Hedgehog 2, and this is the game I will be reviewing now for you.
*** Sonic The Hedgehog 2 ***
Sonic The Hedgehog 2 is the sequel Sonic 1 which I reviewed quite a while back now.
After the success of Sonic 1 Sega decided to follow the immensely addictive game up with another.
Sonic 2 see's the introduction of Sonics new sidekick Tails the Fox. Tails is slightly smaller than Sonic and he is equipped with 2 tails (hence the name) during the game these 2 tails are not really of much use to you other than he can use them to fly through the game to meet up with Sonic if he looses him.
*** Gameplay ***
Sonic the Hedgehog 2 ...
Advantages: Length, Gameplay, A magical factor, Tails, Multiplayer Disadvantages: Sonic 3 was prettier, The final boss was a pain in the backside
After the great Sonic The Hedgehog Sega released Sonic 2, a game many fans in the series still view as the best game out their. Returning was Sonic and Dr Robotnik (the evil mad scientist bad antagonist) and joining the crew was Sonic's best friend Miles ?Tails? Prower, a two tailed fox. With the excellent first game Sonic had become Sega's mascot the one to rival Nintendo's great plumber Mario in the steaks of platforming games. Released originally on the Sega MegaDrive the game has been released on a host of compilation disks from Sega. A little known fact is that this wasn't the first Sonic 2, the Sonic 2 on the MegaDrive was an entirely different game as the one on the Game Gear and Master System. Sadly having never played that version this is all about the MegaDrive one.
Sonic lands on an Island for a vacation, sadly it's also ...
Sonic 3 came out in the mid 1990's on the back of the huge success of the previous 2 main Sonic games (Sonic The Hedgehog and Sonic 2) and featured the main protagonist from the previous 2 games, Sonic (the titular character) who's an infamous blue hedgehog. He's joined by his two tailed fox friend Miles ?Tails? Prower (Yes Miles Per-Hour...) and the returning antagonist Dr Robotnik (still known by such a name in Europe at the time, his name how ever was Dr Eggman in Japan, and America I think). A new additional to cast was a red Echinda (Knuckles) who plays a bit of a role as a baddie though it's more due to the lies fed to him by Robotnik than actually being evil.
Released originally on the Sega MegaDrive (Or Genesis) it's been brought out on a host of collections, including the MegaDrive Ultimate Collection (of which I ...
Similar products and search queries by other users »
Sonic Drive, Sonic the Drive, Sonic Hedgehog Drive, Sonic Mega Drive, Sonic the Hedgehog Drive, Sonic the Mega Drive, Sonic Hedgehog Mega Drive, Sonic the Hedgehog Mega Drive
Are you the manufacturer / provider of Sonic the Hedgehog (Mega Drive)? Click here
