Best of Sega Genesis: Sonic the Hedgehog
The game that started it all, Sonic the Hedgehog. Our Genesis came with Altered Beast, but after the first year Genesis came with Sonic the Hedgehog. It was a blast, much more entertaining than Altered Beast.
I can’t stress enough how much Sonic the Hedgehog was a game changer. The speed, the colors, the levels, and the bosses were heretofore never seen before. Arcade games like Golden Axe, Ghouls ‘n Ghosts, and Rygar were popular back then. However, Sonic added secret passages and cool waiting animations. That was mind blowing the first time I saw Sonic whirling his arms while near the edge of a platform.
Everything about Sonic was awesome. There wasn’t a game that came close to the speed. Super Mario Bros, Contra, and Zelda had a lot going on the screen at times. However, none of them compared to the speed of Sonic. Prior games merely glitched instead of lagging, looking at you Defender.
In addition to all the glam, the game was actually fun. I used to think Super Mario Bros was torture the way you had to time so many jumps perfectly. Not so with Sonic. Sure he’d lose his rings with a bad jump, but he could recover.
Let’s face it, many games back then sucked. If you weren’t fighting with the clock, then you were struggling for perfection. Most games were game over with the slightest mistake. In hindsight, most arcade games were designed to suck every quarter they could out of kids.
Sonic was a game changer in many ways. It restructured how games were played. Instead of restrictive timers, Sonic gave you ten minutes. More than enough time to finish a level. Instead of restrictive lives, Sonic gave you rings and a protective bubble. Plus you could earn extra lives and continues.
It’s almost as if Sonic wanted the player to finish. I’m still not sure whether anyone was supposed to finish Super Mario Bros. It required 10,000 hours of investment to even get to the final boss.
Sonic bosses weren’t hard, at least in the first one. They changed it in later versions. But the first Sonic bosses were doable. With some practice it was possible to not lose any rings. Which made the overall game fun!
I didn’t enjoy Super Mario Bros, it was stressful and frustrating. I watched my friends play as if they were wizards. They could time every jump, hit the top of every pole, and get by any enemy. All without needing a mushroom.
Sonic must have gotten some inspiration from other side scrollers like Super Mario Bros. Still, it was original in it’s speed, colors, and animations. Even the animation after defeating the final boss was new. Most games went to a high score screen, had one image, or simply said “The End”. Sonic had a 5 second animation of him and all his friends.
Conclusion: A Great Sega Genesis Game
Sonic put home gaming consoles on the map. Sure, Sega Master system and SNES were fun. But not everyone had those and arcades were still a thing. At least until Nintendo 64 came out.
While many Nintendo 64 games were incredible, I still think Sonic was the game changer. Obviously everyone has heard of Sonic. Maybe not everyone has played the original Sonic game on the Sega Genesis. It’s worth checking out, whether it’s at Ssega.com or if you can get your hands on a Genesis.
Best of Sega Genesis Games: Sonic The Hedgehog brought to you by: David M.
I’m David M. I’ve been playing video games a long time, my pong game was fire. Now, my kids run circles around me but we always have a good time. We mostly play party and family games. Strategy and battle games are still among my favorites. I like writing about games almost as much as I do playing them. My favorite games are: Moving Out 2, Out of Space and Overcooked All You Can Eat.
