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Sonic Week: Day 1 - The Games of Sonic (1991 - 1994)
Sonic the Hedgehog - The early years. - by Reojojo - Page 1/2
Sonic the Hedgehog has been a Sega icon since his introduction in 1991. He's appeared in tons of games over several different consoles. He's touched our lives like no other hedgehog ever has. So we've decided that it was time to show him exactly how much he means to us.
We've pit together a week full of Sonic stuff for you all to enjoy! Today, we'll be taking a look back at the early years of Sonic the Hedgehog. In the first few years of Sonic, the hog with 'tude hit a number of systems with varying results. Here is a list of games that featured our favorite hog.
Sonic the Hedgehog - Sega Genesis
Even Robotnik's early crafts came complete with lava-ball dropping components. He's slick... |
Ah, the game that started it all. Created so there would be a "killer-app" for the Genesis, Sonic the Hedgehog was revolutionary for its time.
The graphics were awe-inspiring and the first glimpse at the power of the 16-bit systems. The game was quite an interesting beast, especially the bonus stages, but players soon noticed it lacked severely in longevity. Despite all this it was a great hit, outselling all expectations and it created a mascot that was unforgettable.
Other:
Released: 1991
Sonic the Hedgehog - Sega Game Gear
Play Sonic on the go! |
Essentially the same as Sonic the Hedgehog for the Sega Master System, this version received a few tweaks.
The camera was pulled in much closer due to the screen size, and certain "leap of faith" areas were removed because they were too difficult because of the limited screen size.
Other:
Released: 1991
Sonic the Hedgehog - Sega Master System
Like the Genesis version, but not as good. |
A significantly toned down version of the Genesis original, it lacked most of the glitz of its predecessor.
The only significant gameplay change was the special stages, once again toned down for the puny SMS. (It feels funny saying that, seeing as my display phone has a more powerful processor than the Genesis)
Other:
Released: 1991
Sonic the Hedgehog 2 - Sega Genesis
Sonic and Tails, together at last! |
With the success of the original Sonic, Sonic Team went back to the drawing boards (or screens, to be precise) and made everything better.
The graphics were improved significantly, the speed bordered on the insane, a two-player mode was added, and the difficulty was upped to increase longevity. Special bonus stages were added too, which now took the form of pseudo-3D half-pipes with Sonic running through them. And let's not forget Tails! Sonic finally received a sidekick, Miles "Tails" Prower, a fox with two tails that could fly. Tails helped out at certain points in the game and could be controlled via the second controller. Though the two-player split-screen mode that was included had its flaws, it was a nice touch. (Note: Sonic the Hedgehog 2 also had the distinction of being the new pack-in game for the Genesis, replacing the aging Altered Beast)
Other:
Released: 1992
Sonic the Hedgehog 2 - Sega Game Gear
He can fly! |
Once again a port of the Master System version, the only differences are the camera is closer in, and for some odd reason there are no restart points.
Other:
Released: 1992
Sonic the Hedgehog 2 - Sega Master System
The low-res version... |
Unlike the first Sonic game for the SMS, this game shared little in common with the Genesis version except the title.
The graphics and sound were as good as it got on the Master System, but Tails had been removed from the gameplay. It wasn't much more than an upgrade of the original SMS version, and didn't come close to the Genesis version.
Other:
Released: 1992
Want more? Go to the next page, then!
Special thanks goes too our hosted site, Shadow of a Hedgehog, for most of the media and some great info.
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