Collection essentials #134: Sonic the Hedgehog (Genesis)

At last, we get to that certain blue hedgehog!!

Even if you’re a non-gamer, there’s a very good chance that you at least have a tiny bit of familiarity with Sonic the Hedgehog, as he’s one of the most iconic and recognizable video game icons that exists. This game was released nearly two years after the American launch of the Sega Genesis, and was truly the game that skyrocketed Sega to their highest points of success, giving them the ability to go toe-to-toe with Nintendo after being squashed like a bug the previous console generation in the two biggest video gaming markets at the time. This game quickly replaced Altered Beast as the “pack-in” title that gamers would be included with a newly-purchased Sega Genesis console at no additional cost.

You already know about how hugely successful Nintendo’s mascot Mario is, and I’ve already written about it. After Mario took over the world, every other video game company wanted to have the next iconic mascot in the industry. No video gaming icon has ever truly surpassed Mario, but none have come closer than Sonic. How did Sega pull it off? The answer I’d go with is “contrast”. Sonic the Hedgehog is a game that’s technically in the same genre as Mario, that being 2D platformer, a genre that is easily understood and enjoyable to a very wide audience, but both the style and substance of Sonic is substantially different from Mario in all the right ways. 

As you likely know, Sonic’s deal is speed. It’s something that’s noticeable very early on when you’re playing the game. Sonic can move much faster than Mario, and most other video game characters in general that aren’t in some kind of vehicle. Sonic has the ability to curl up into a ball, and when going downhill he will start moving blindingly fast while doing so, and with the spines on his back any unprotected enemy in the way has no chance. Levels in Sonic also tend to be very large with multiple pathways. Staying near the top will usually give you an easier time and provide more secrets to find, while the bottom path is the easiest to end up in but more hazardous. Mario games by comparison can look slow and dull, and they may be packed with secrets but progressing on one path in a straight line may come off as less dynamic and interesting. Sonic also features bonus stages for those who can collect a lot of rings (floating items like coins in Mario), and collecting all the emeralds in the bonus stages leads to a better ending.

On top of simple game design, Sonic is portrayed as a character who has “attitude”. Right on the box and title screen, his face shows a tough and confident expression. If you put your controller down without pausing the game and force Sonic to wait, he will look towards you with a disgruntled look, tapping his foot and waiting for you to press a button again. Nintendo’s NES had a player base that was largely young children, so a character like Sonic was absolutely perfect for those aging kids who wanted their entertainment to be a bit more mature. Nintendo suddenly developed a problem due to their games coming off as too childish and “kiddy” as significant numbers of their former players hit puberty and flocked to their competitors. 

Judging the original Sonic the Hedgehog as a game, it is certainly inferior to some of its sequels which further refined and developed the formula. But Sonic 1 is still a quality game that’s worth revisiting. It’s a game that I played a lot in childhood, even though I didn’t own it until I was 12 or 13. That’s because my cousins owned the game and I would be at their place on an almost-weekly basis. They knew this game’s level select code, too, so we could play whatever stage we wanted at any time, and that was awesome. Even if this wasn’t the start to one of the most famous series in gaming, I’d put it on this list for the childhood memories. But it is, so it’s an ULTRA essential. Even knowing of a person who has a Sega Genesis but not a copy of Sonic the Hedgehog doesn’t feel quite right.