Sonic The Hedgehog
Sega Genesis
Back in the early 90's, Sonic the Hedgehog was unlike anything I had ever seen. Before making the jump to 16 bit, I had only been familiar with Nintendo and Atari games. The colorful graphics, the immersive music, the crazy level design, and the blazing speed were things that I had never thought would be possible to experience from a home console.
My uncle was the first person I knew to get a Sega Genesis. Usually he didn't like me in his room or touching his things, but when he got this he just had to show it off. Sure, I wasn't allowed to play. But just watching this game was enough to put me in a complete state of awe. Although I was a giant Mario fan and desperately wanted a Super Nintendo, seeing Sonic the Hedgehog in motion was enough to make me not mind getting a Sega Genesis instead.
I actually didn't get a Genesis until over a year later, and the first game I got for the system was Sonic 2. Sonic 2 was an amazing game, but part of me wanted to go back and play the original Sonic, the game that I fell in love with at first sight. I actually was able to rent the title and I polished it off in one night. But as far as actually owning it for the Genesis, I never did.
But then we flash forward to 2008. This was the year I purchased Sonic Master Collection for the Nintendo GameCube. A whole arsenal of classic Sonic games at my disposal. With the notable lack of Sonic CD, it was everything I had ever dreamed of, and more.
I like to play things in order, so the original Sonic was the first thing I queued up. It had been about 15 years since I had played it last, and yet it still held up wonderfully. Sure there have been some advancements made in the Sonic series since its first entry (most notably the spin dash) but there is no denying that game just oozes classic charm from every pore of its being.
I remember having a semi difficult time with this game upon this playthrough, especially in the latter stages. But still, I was able to have a great time. This game never becomes overly frustrating, smash your control into the wall difficult. Unless you totally suck. Even in the few hard parts, it still remains a lot of fun.
Let's fast forward once again, this time to 2015. I had been looking for a game to review for this blog. Something quick and easy that could be beaten in a day. Something with nostalgic value. Hey! Why not Sonic the Hedgehog?
This game blew my mind when I first saw it in the early 90's. When I played it again in 2008, I fell in love once more. The game had withstood the test of time, and had proven to be great fun at the same time. In 2015, my opinion still remains unchanged.
First of all, the graphics are really phenomenal. Sure if you are a youngster who has grown up playing things like BioShock and some of the more recent Final Fantasy titles, you probably won't think much of the look of Sonic the Hedgehog. But when you consider the fact that this game is over 20 years old, you can't help but be impressed. A lot of indie games nowadays have that classic "retro" look to them. And this game really looks like it could have been created a year or two ago. Nothing is blocky. Nothing is ugly. It's all just very bright, cartoonish, and fun.
The music and sound effects are great too. The sound of Sonic jumping and the sound of him collecting a ring are iconic, instantly recognizable video game sound effects. One of my personal favorites has always been collecting an air bubble when you are underwater. I don't know why, but it satisfies me every time. Also, the musical score is quite good. The classic Sonic jingle when you get invincibility is another iconic video game song. The game is loaded with catchy background tunes for each level. The Green Hill Zone's theme is one of my favorite scores for any video game, ever. It nearly gives me chills for some reason when I hear it.
No matter how a game looks or sounds, if it isn't any fun, it isn't any good. And Sonic is a lot of fun. At first glance this is pretty much a classic standard side scrolling 2D platformer. But unlike most games of this genre, Sonic is reliant on speed. The whole game moves very quickly. You don't poke around, taking your time. Checking out this, looking under this. You just fucking go. Not only is it cool to be fast, but at times it is completely necessary. You have to build up enough speed to run through giant loops in order to advance, or curl up in a ball and smash through a wall or roll through a tube. It's great. And completely revolutionary for its time.
The game manages to balance being fast with some solid platforming action too. The controls are tight and responsive - and you should have no trouble jumping from platform to platform over giant lakes of lava as you try to reach the end of the level. The farther you get in the game, though, the more the game slows down. Things do get much harder towards the end of the title. Lots of precision jumping is required. And there are lots of traps. Lots of enemies. You can't just recklessly rush through everything, or you aren't going to survive. Yet the game still manages to balance being cautious and taking your time and not manage to lose its sense of speed. The design for the game is truly remarkable.
Each major level in the game has 3 stages. And each stage is unique in its own right. In most 2D platformers, you have one way to go. And one way only. In Sonic, there are multiple paths you can take and many ways to get to the end of each level. Really, you could play this game multiple times in a day and have a different experience each time.
Bonus stages give the game even more depth. Collect 50 rings and jump through a giant golden ring at the end of each stage (save for the ones with bosses) and you are zapped off to a bonus level. In these levels, you roll and jump around in a giant rotating death trap. Your goal is to crack open a Chaos Emerald container at the center of each bonus level. Certain parts of the wall that you touch can rotate the stage in the opposite direction, or increase or decrease the speed of the rotation. Fall down the wrong opening or touch anything that says exit, and you instantly lose. Collect the emerald, and all is good. At the end of the game, if you haven't collected all the emeralds, you will see Dr Robotnik juggling them, and a frustrating "try again" message come up on the screen. To this day, I don't know what happens if you collect all the Chaos Emeralds. And I doubt I ever will. I always manage to flub the bonus stages somehow. Perhaps if I can ever remember, I will YouTube it some day.
The only things left to mention are the battles with your nemesis, Dr Robotnik. At the end of the 3rd stage in each level, you must defeat this goon in order to advance in the game. He always is riding in his weird flying machine, but each battle is different and requires a different strategy to defeat him. For example, in one incarnation he swings a giant golden wrecking ball in your direction, and you must take not of his pattern and dispatch him quickly. At the end of another level, he drops bombs down on you. You must either catapult the bombs back at him, or use the catapults on the ground to launch yourself up in the air and smack his fat ass.
At the end of the game, you face off with him one last time. You win, and you have beaten Sonic the Hedgehog. And it's really not that difficult a fight.
Looking back, this was basically the perfect Genesis title. No Sonic the Hedgehog, and I don't think the Genesis even comes close to touching the Super Nintendo in the 16 bit console wars. And the great thing about Sonic is that not only is this game great, but its sequels are too. Some people say 2 is the best Sonic game. Growing up with Sonic 2 and absolutely playing the crap out of that game, I could see why people would have this opinion. Some say Sonic 3 is the best.
But even though I never owned this game, and I have probably played it the least out of any 16 bit Sonic title out there, this game has a special place in my heart. Is it the best Sonic game? Maybe. I am hard pressed to name a favorite. But there is no denying the impact this game has had on video game history. Not only is it a classic, groundbreaking title. But it still holds up and is great fun today.
2D side scrollers don't get much better than this.
Overall:
A
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