Sonic the Hedgehog

The music and visuals of Sonic standout among earlier Genesis games. The level and boss designs are well done and fun. Every level feels a bit different, a bit harder and a bit more fun. The game takes a dip in quality during the final stage, the hair pulling Scrap Brain Act 3 where you need to depend on luck to get the timing of air bubbles during the water sections. It's not as fast as its sequels, but Sonic never benefited from an increase in speed -- even if it is his calling card. A good Sonic game is all about the level design and the original excels at this.

While Sonic the Hedgehog can stand proud on its own merits, it would be tough to fully examine this game without at least bringing up the red-hatted elephant in the room: Mario. This game and Super Mario World came out within the same time frame, less than a year in most regions and a few months in others. We are all familiar with the 'bit-wars,' and the marketing Sega and Nintendo put behind their 16-bit mascots. Some of what they had to say was certainly true - Sonic seems to play a little faster than Mario, Mario seems to be a little more colourful than Sonic, etc. These points are all interesting, but don't serve to really describe what makes each game great. Now, looking at Sonic's first outing, what makes him great is not his speed, but is complex level design and difficulty.

What first struck me when recently playing through the game with the intention of writing a review was the tone of the game. Not to say it's serious, but there's an actual story that can be picked up through gameplay, not just one that exists in the manual. Sonic, as in most platformers, starts on the left and goes to the right, collecting rings and jumping on or over obstacles in his way. Rings serve as points, but also allow Sonic to take an extra hit. Jumping on enemies nets points, and frees a tiny animal trapped inside. Every zone ends with a boss encounter with Dr. Robotnick, handling some sort of machine to try and stop you. From these basic gameplay aspects it's easy to pick out somewhat of a mature story for its time: Sonic is an animal who is trying to 1) free other animals, and 2) stop Robotnik. It's simple, but gives the player some good motivation to play through the game.

As a game I found it to be pretty easy up until the final zone. Having the buffer of a shield or extra rings adds in a nice sense of freedom and lets you explore the levels at our own pace. It's not until the water stages at the end where you encounter the most stress inducing death-timer in all of videogames. Boss patterns are easy to pick up and enemies telegraph well. With this simplicity, what is it that makes the game standout? The story is motivating, yes, but the level design and the game's ambience shine through as well.

In a drastic contrast the other popular platformers of the day, Sonic can travel multiple routes to reach the end goal. Levels also seem to be brimming with hidden collectables and secret lives to gain, increasing the immersion in each level. It's a fun way to put a game together than really offered something new at the time, and still stands out today.

The game's basics (music, sound, graphics, controls) are all tight and wonderful. While the Genesis never really shined in terms of its sound capabilities, the music in this game is downright addictive and some of the best on the system. Sound effects are bright and informative, and the game controls very well considering the speed that Sonic travels at.

Overall this game is a joy to play. The story, for its time, is appealing; and the game just feels really responsive and polished. The amount of secrets and different paths in each level are what kept me engaged. While the game is pretty easy overall, it still offers a challenge that is fun to bring to its conclusion.