Back in 1985, Mario was the biggest thing happening in video gaming. He was on a roll and was unstoppable, and he had no real competition. That is, until 1991, when a new character approached. One with the recognizable blue fur, spiked haircut, and the red and white shoes. A hedgehog with an attitude is how they marketed him. He was called Sonic. And now, Sonic has gone on to become one of the most recognizable names in video gaming today. In this discussion, I will be talking about the game that started it all – Sonic The Hedgehog for the Sega Genesis.

You of course play as the titular character – Sonic. The game is a platformer with some high octane implications. You go around running at high speeds through hills, loops, and a few corkscrews, also dodging obstacles and enemies alike. In comparison to Mario, where he collected coins, Sonic goes around collecting rings. Collecting 100 rings grants you an extra life, but one hit from an enemy makes Sonic lose every ring he has. Getting hit by an enemy without a single ring means you lose a life.

You have six different stages in the game, called zones. And each zone has three different acts, giving you a total of eighteen different levels. The game increases in difficulty as the game goes on with more traps, obstacles, among many other hazards. At the end of every third act, you have to face the main enemy of the game: an evil scientist named Dr. Ivo Robotnik. You face him in many different variations of his huge machines, ranging from a single swinging ball to a spike drill, among other dangerous things. Defeating Robotnik takes you on to the next Zone.

Also in the game are special stages. By crossing the sign at the end of every first or second act with at least 50 rings in possession, you can enter a large ring to try and grab what is called a Chaos Emerald. There are six different Chaos Emeralds in this game in different colors, and grabbing all of them is just a huge bonus in this game. But in later games they would have more relevance. The special stages are huge rotating worlds where Sonic is balled up like a pinball, bouncing off a few metal things and collecting a few rings.

This will be continued in part two.

About the Author

Steven’s retro gaming articles are some of the most detailed and down to earth as possible, and he enjoys sharing his knowledge on them. Along with his knowledge in movies and computers, he has sites on twin gear juicer and infrared space heaters for your consideration.