Sonic the Hedgehog (1991 video game)
Sonic the Hedgehog | |
---|---|
Release | June 23, 1991 |
Single-player |
Sonic the Hedgehog
Development began in 1990 when Sega ordered
Sonic the Hedgehog was very well received by critics, who praised its visuals, audio and gameplay. It is widely considered one of the greatest video games of all time and became one of the best-selling video games of all time with approximately 24 million copies sold worldwide. It established the Genesis as a key player in the 16-bit era and allowed it to compete with the Super Nintendo Entertainment System. It has been ported to multiple systems and inspired several clones, a successful franchise, and adaptations into other media. It was followed by Sonic the Hedgehog 2 in 1992.
Gameplay
Sonic the Hedgehog is a 2D
At the start of the game, the player is given three
Scattered around each level are gold
The game is split into six principal
If Sonic reaches the end of any zone's Act 1 or Act 2 while holding at least 50 rings, a large ring appears through which he can jump to enter a "
Plot
In an attempt to steal the six Chaos Emeralds and harness their power, the evil
Development
Background and character design
In the 1980s, Sega had limited success with Genesis ports of its
The team developed ideas for characters, an
Sonic was originally teal-colored,[15] then a light shade of blue, but he was changed to dark blue so he would stand out against certain backgrounds[17] and to match the Sega logo. According to Ohshima, Sonic's basic design was created by combining Felix the Cat's head with Mickey Mouse's body.[18] His shoes had buckles through the inspiration of Michael Jackson's boots on the album cover for Bad and the red and white color scheme of Santa Claus, whom Ohshima saw as the most "famous character in the world".[15] Sonic's spikes were emphasized to make him sleeker, and he was given the ability to spin while jumping (so attacking and jumping could be controlled with one button).[19] The new character was originally named "Mr. Hedgehog", but the eight-member team[20] changed his name to "Sonic" and took the name Sonic Team.[12][e]
Ohshima said that "Sonic" was chosen because it represented speed.
Concept and programming
With a satisfying protagonist established, Sega turned to the programmer Yuji Naka, who had impressed them with his work on Phantasy Star and the Genesis port of Ghouls 'n Ghosts.[15] Naka was a fan of Super Mario Bros. but wanted something faster, so the game was made to play quickly,[25] which was where he focused most of his effort.[26] Naka explained that the reason he wanted a fast game was that he had ported Ghouls 'n Ghosts, and wanted to work on its movement but found it slow.[27]
Sonic the Hedgehog was developed by a team of seven: two programmers, two sound engineers, and three designers,[27] although it began with just Ohshima and Naka.[22] People came onto the team as the need for content increased.[22] After being assigned a project with the code name "Defeat Mario", Ohshima and Naka began work, but encountered problems: Ohshima's Rabbit proved hard to program. Catching items and throwing them caused the action's rhythm to break. Naka stated that the rabbit was not suitable for his game engine, and he also wanted the game to be playable with only one button. Hirokazu Yasuhara came onto the team to supervise Ohshima and Naka and develop levels. He became the lead designer due to his greater experience, and found the way to make the game playable with only one button by having Sonic do damage by jumping. The trio came up with the idea of him rolling into a ball. After the hedgehog character was chosen, many characters were redrawn, and the team agreed on the environments' visual complexity, with particular focus on the colors. After this, four people came onto the team to speed development up.[28]
Due to the popularity of Mario, Naka wanted Sonic to take over the American market. Sonic's default speed was set to that of Mario while running. Tests were run using the Genesis' tool library, and problems such as flickering, slow frame rates, and shaky animation soon became apparent. Increasing Sonic's speed caused animation problems. Naka solved this by developing an algorithm retained fluidity. All that was left was to optimize of the game speed to adhere to the staff's expectations. The team noticed that different people had different perceptions of the game's speed: some believed it was too fast, which caused disagreements. As a result, it was slowed down.[28]
The loop running was implemented in a tech demo by Naka, who developed an algorithm allowing a sprite to move smoothly on a curve by determining its position with a dot matrix. Naka's prototype was a platform game with a fast-moving character rolling in a ball through a long, winding tube, and this concept was fleshed out with Ohshima's character designs and levels by Yasuhara.[29] Yasuhara originally intended to work on the game for three months due to the delay of his planned move to the United States by the outbreak of the Gulf War, but was engrossed in the project for nearly a year.[29][30] His designs for levels were intended to attract both hardcore and casual gamers by integrating occasional challenging set pieces into the mostly accessible level design.[15] The color scheme was influenced by the work of pop artist Eizin Suzuki, and the aesthetics of Green Hill were influenced by the geography of California.[15]
In designing the gameplay, Naka was inspired by Mario creator Shigeru Miyamoto, whose games he had enjoyed playing years earlier. Admiring the simplicity of Miyamoto's mechanics in complex environments, Naka decided that Sonic would be controlled with only a directional pad for movement and a single button for jumping. He also wanted his creation to be more action-oriented than the Mario series;[31] while playing Super Mario Bros., he had wondered why the levels could not be cleared more quickly.[15]
Ohshima, Naka and Yasuhara worked 19 hours a day on the project for several months.[29] Due to the need to demonstrate the Genesis' technological prowess, the game underwent extensive testing and redesign, which took over six months. According to Naka, the game had the fastest-ever character speed in a video game and a rotation effect in the special stages that had been considered impossible on the console.[31]
The team intended to add a two-player mode displayed via
Naka's relationship with Sega was tenuous during this time, and he received little credit for his work. He left the company shortly after the game's release, although Sega of America hired him later. Before leaving, however, he defied Sega's prohibition of developer credits by displaying a few names in black text on a black background, identifiable only by looking at the code.[18] Naka stated that level design was a major challenge: he created maps much wider than normal and tried to ensure players would not get lost. It took him around eight months to develop Green Hill Zone as he kept restarting from scratch.[26][28] He stated that he found the process "very interesting".[26] Naka also stated that the team was trying to create smooth maps, and that implementing looping structures was a challenge because Sonic would break through them instead of running around them. The backgrounds were also a challenge, as the game's speed created the impression of going backwards.[27] The zones were based on designs by Naka and Ohshima, with the goal of creating the world's fastest action game. According to Ohshima, Robotnik was based on Humpty Dumpty.[33]
Yasuhara wanted the game to appeal to both Japanese and American players, which was why Green Hill Zone was redesigned many times. Sonic Team wanted the level to portray the character correctly. Its checkered ground was inspired by 3D image rendering from computers, an idea Naka obtained from Sega developer
Music
Sega director Fujio Minegishi had connections to the music industry and suggested his friend Yūzō Kayama write the Sonic score. However, Sonic Team did not think Kayama's music would fit, and so commissioned Masato Nakamura, bassist and songwriter of the J-pop band Dreams Come True.[15][34] Nakamura said he was surprised, as he had just started with Dreams Come True, but accepted as he was inspired by the team's desire to outperform Nintendo. He said the hardest part was working with the limited number of sounds that could play concurrently: he was limited to four, and said that his lack of knowledge of music on computers made it "impossible". He wrote the soundtrack concurrently with the Dreams Come True album Million Kisses.[28] After he finished the compositions, they were digitized using an Atari ST and the program Notator.[35]
On October 19, 2011, over 20 years after the release, a three-disc compilation of music from Sonic the Hedgehog and Sonic the Hedgehog 2 was released in Japan. The first disc features original tracks from both games, the second contains Nakamura's demo recordings before they were programmed into the Genesis, and the third has songs by Dreams Come True and their associated Akon remixes.[36]
Packaging and release
Game-package illustrator Akira Watanabe said that his goal was to make the characters "colorful", using clear lines and gradation to "finish them neatly".[37] According to Watanabe, the developers asked him to create a package design "similar to pop art ... without being particular to conventional packages" – something "original" and "stylish".[37] The game was not revealed until the January 1991 International Consumer Electronics Show because Sega wanted to wait until the right time and because they saw an opportunity to "steal the show". At the show, Sonic the Hedgehog was believed to be the most impressive game shown, and won the CES award for innovation.[38]
Other versions and rereleases
8-bit version
A version of Sonic the Hedgehog was developed by
Sonic the Hedgehog Genesis
To mark the game's fifteenth anniversary, a port for the Game Boy Advance, Sonic the Hedgehog Genesis, was released on November 14, 2006 in the United States. While the port is mostly identical to the original, it includes several new features not seen in the original Genesis release, such as the ability to save game progress and the inclusion of the Spin Dash move.[53] This version, unlike others, received poor reviews, with a Metacritic score of 33/100.[54] The chief complaints concerned its poor conversion to the Game Boy Advance, resulting in a bad performance and poor implementation of the original music and gameplay.[55]
As a response to the poor reception and claims that the system could not handle the original game, Simon "Stealth" Thomley, who later assisted with the development of the 2013 mobile port, released an unofficial,
2013 remaster
A
3D Sonic the Hedgehog
A
Compilation releases
With its sequels for the Genesis, Sonic the Hedgehog has been ported for a wide range of home and handheld consoles and personal computers through compilations.
Downloadable releases
Sonic the Hedgehog has been available for all three major
Canceled versions
U.S. Gold acquired the rights to make a version of Sonic the Hedgehog for the Amiga, ZX Spectrum, Commodore 64, Amstrad CPC and Atari ST personal computers, but these went unreleased.[84] Several screenshots exist, some of which resemble the 8-bit version.[85] An enhanced port for the Sega CD was also planned, but was canceled in favor of Sonic CD.[86]
Reception
Publication | Score |
---|---|
ACE | 925/1000[87] [88] |
Beep! MegaDrive | 37/40[89] |
Computer and Video Games | 94%[5] |
Dragon | [90] |
Electronic Gaming Monthly | 36/40[91] |
GamePro | 24/25[92] |
Génération 4 | 97%[93] |
HobbyConsolas | 95%[94] |
Joystick | 98%[95] |
Player One | 96%[96] |
Raze | 95%[97] |
Entertainment Weekly | A+[98] |
Mean Machines | 92%[41] |
Sega Power | 97%[99] |
Publication | Award |
---|---|
Electronic Gaming Monthly (EGM),[100] Golden Joystick Awards[101] | Game of the Year |
European Computer Trade Show (ECTS) | Best Video Game, Going Live Viewers Award[102] |
Sales
Sonic the Hedgehog was a commercial success. It became America's best-selling video game for several months in 1991, outselling Super Mario.
Sonic the Hedgehog was the best-selling home
The original version bundled with the Sega Genesis/Mega Drive hardware had sold over 15 million copies, as of February 2009[update].
Contemporary reviews
Sonic the Hedgehog was praised by critics, with scores above 90% from most
Reviewers praised the colorful, detailed graphics. Rand called its color scheme "lively, but never garish", praising the interaction of color with detail in the sprites, backgrounds, and animations and describing its graphics as the best available for the Mega Drive.[5] Reviewer Boogie Man of GamePro called the intricate backgrounds "eye-popping" and "gorgeous",[92] which was echoed by Mean Machines.[41] The Lessers (Hartley, Patricia, and Kirk) of Dragon claimed the graphics made Sonic a possible contender for the best game of 1991[90] and GameZone called the animation "some of the smoothest and fastest ... ever seen".[123] Julian Boardman of Raze praised the "colourful and highly detailed" backdrops and "fabulous" sprites.[97] The music and sound effects were also well received; Dragon called them "great",[90] and GameZone "amazing".[123] Rand praised the "catchy" soundtrack, calling some of the sound effects "absolutely brilliant".[5] Although Mean Machines called the songs "vaguely appealing", the sound effects were better appreciated.[41] However, Boardman of Raze considered the music "a little boring".[97]
Critics cited the fast gameplay, unprecedented in platformers.
Bob Strauss of Entertainment Weekly gave the game an A+ and wrote that it was a very fast game, yet never felt chaotic or impossible,[98] and they later named it the best game available in 1991.[124]
Awards
At the 1991 Golden Joystick Awards, Sonic the Hedgehog won Overall Game of the Year.[101] In the 1991 Electronic Gaming Monthly awards, Sonic the Hedgehog won Game of the Year.[100] At the European Computer Trade Show (ECTS) awards, it won the awards for Best Video Game and Going Live Viewers Award.[102] In 1992, Mega ranked Sonic as their third-favorite Genesis game.[125] In 1995, Flux rated the game fourth in its "Top 100 Video Games."[126] In 1996, GamesMaster ranked the game 78th on their "Top 100 Games of All Time."[127] In 2016, The Strong National Museum of Play inducted Sonic the Hedgehog to its World Video Game Hall of Fame.[128]
Retrospective reviews
Aggregator | Score | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Publication | Award |
---|---|
Electronic Gaming Monthly (EGM) | 10th Most Important Game[138] |
Retrospective reception has been positive, with an 86% rating at the review aggregator GameRankings based on nine reviews published online in the 2000s.[129] Sonic the Hedgehog has maintained its popularity, and has since been considered one of the greatest video games of all time.
Frank Provo of GameSpot described the game as "one of the best platformers of all time", finding that despite technical issues in the Game Boy Advance port "after all these years, the underlying graphics, audio, and gameplay still hold up".[55] Lucas M. Thomas of IGN agreed that it stood the test of time.[136] Writing in The Guardian, Keith Stuart observed that Sonic the Hedgehog's emphasis on speed and pinball mechanics dramatically departs from generally accepted precepts of game design, requiring that players "learn through repetition rather than observation" as "the levels aren't designed to be seen or even understood in one playthrough." However, Stuart concluded that "sometimes in Sonic, when you get better, or through sheer luck, things take off, every jump is right, every loop-the-loop is perfect, and you're in the flow, sailing above the game's strange structure ... Sonic is incorrect game design and yet ... it's a masterpiece."[139]
Legacy
Primarily because of its Genesis bundling, Sonic the Hedgehog was a factor in popularising the console in North America, thus solidifying it as a competitor to Nintendo and their
Sonic the Hedgehog inspired similar platformers starring animal mascots, including
Sonic's success led to an extensive
The game inspired a number of unofficial variants, including
Notes
- ^ a b 2013 remastered release
- ^ Original release
- ^ Japanese: ソニック・ザ・ヘッジホッグ, Hepburn: Sonikku za Hejjihoggu
- ^ Known as Dr. Eggman in the Japanese version
- ^ According to Yuji Naka, Sonic Team was an unofficial name for the studio within Sega that was used during the development of the game; it became their official title when Nights into Dreams was released in 1996.[21]
References
- Killer List of Video Games. Retrieved April 23, 2020.
- ^ "Sonic Character Designer Shares Images of the Game That Evolved into Sonic". January 24, 2023.
- ^ a b c d e f g Thomas, Lucas M. (January 26, 2007). "Sonic the Hedgehog VC Review". IGN. Retrieved February 23, 2014.
- ^ Allgame. Archived from the originalon November 14, 2014. Retrieved February 6, 2014.
- ^ ISSN 0261-3697.
- ^ a b c d e Official Player's Guide, p. 12.
- ^ Certain Victory Strategy Guide, p. 8.
- ^ a b c d Sonic Team (June 23, 1991). Sonic the Hedgehog. Sega.
- ^ Sega (1991). Sonic the Hedgehog Mega Drive Manual (PAL ed.). p. 30.
- ^ Certain Victory Strategy Guide, pp. 3, 4.
- ^ Official Player's Guide, pp. 20, 28, 36, 44, 52.
- ^ 1UP.com. Archived from the originalon June 4, 2011. Retrieved September 24, 2014.
- ^ "Sonic: A brief history". MegaTech. No. 26 (February 1994). January 20, 1994. p. 24.
- ^ "Feature: When did you get yours?" (PDF). Mega. No. 4 (December 1992). November 19, 1992. pp. 16–20 (18).
- ^ ISSN 1742-3155.
- ^ "Sonic the Hedgehog's origin story, according to the devs who made him". Game Developer. March 21, 2018. Archived from the original on February 1, 2022. Retrieved February 22, 2022.
- ^ Horowitz, Ken (December 5, 2006). "Interview: Mark Cerny". Sega-16. Retrieved October 12, 2014.
Mark Cerny: Sonic had been a lighter blue, but he was very hard to see against the ocean backgrounds, so his color was darkened at the last moment.
- ^ a b c Claiborn, Samuel (June 26, 2014). "21 Crazy Facts About Sonic and the Console War He Started". IGN. Retrieved February 13, 2014.
- ^ Ponce, Tony (February 27, 2013). "Review: The History of Sonic The Hedgehog". Destructoid. Retrieved October 11, 2014.
- ^ "Interview with Yuji Naka: The Creator of Sonic The Hedgehog". Sega Visions. Vol. 3, no. 9. August–September 1992. p. 20.
- ^ "Sega's new beginning". Edge. No. 89. Future plc. October 2000. pp. 68–78.
- ^ ISBN 978-1-926778-96-9.
- ^ Sam Loveridge (June 23, 2016). "14 things you didn't know about Sonic the Hedgehog". Digital Spy. Retrieved June 10, 2017.
- ^ McFerran, Damien (January 26, 2023). "PlayStation 5 lead architect Mark Cerny talks Sega, Michael Jackson and Yuji Naka". Time Extension. Retrieved January 29, 2023.
- ISBN 978-1-78546-372-3.
- ^ ISBN 978-0-9575768-1-0.
- ^ ISBN 978-1-926778-96-9.
- ^ ISBN 978-1-926778-96-9.
- ^ a b c GI Staff (August 2003). "Sonic's Architect: GI Interviews Hirokazu Yasuhara". Game Informer. Vol. 13, no. 124. pp. 114–116.
- Future Publishing. p. 72.
- ^ ISSN 1350-1593.
Sonic was delivering [the kind of] high speed no other [game] was capable of, and the Mega Drive allowed this stunning demonstration of rotation during the bonus stages. This was said to be impossible on the hardware at the time.
- ^ a b Kemps, Heidi (September 30, 2005). "Sega's Yuji Naka Talks!". GameSpy. Retrieved September 23, 2004.
- ISBN 978-0-9575768-1-0.
- ^ "ソニックチーム物語". Sega Magazine (in Japanese). No. 3. SoftBank Creative. January 1997. pp. 9–13. (Translation by Shmuplations. Archived December 17, 2019, at the Wayback Machine).
- ^ Nakamura, Masato (February 17, 2021). ""Emerald Hill Zone"! | DREAMS COME TRUE". Dreams Come True. Retrieved May 24, 2021.
- ^ "中村正人 from DREAMS COME TRUE / ソニック・ザ・ヘッジホッグ1&2 サウンドトラック【CD】" (in Japanese). Universal Music Japan. Retrieved February 20, 2015.
- ^ ISBN 3-910052-50-9.
- ^ ISBN 978-1-926778-96-9.
- ^ "Sonic The Hedgehog was originally from Nebraska, ate trash". The A.V. Club. November 8, 2018. Retrieved July 13, 2023.
- ISBN 978-0-9575768-1-0.
- ^ ISSN 0960-4952. Archived from the originalon March 5, 2016. Retrieved February 9, 2012.
- ^ [セガハード大百科] メガドライブ対応ソフトウェア(セガ発売) (in Japanese). Sega. Archived from the original on November 24, 2012. Retrieved December 18, 2015.
- ^ a b Lynch, Dennis (November 29, 1991). "Super NES, Sega Genesis in 16-bit duel". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved September 8, 2021.
- ^ "Games for Grown-Ups: Speedy sprites". Popular Mechanics. Vol. 168, no. 12. Hearst Magazines. December 1991. p. 76. Retrieved January 3, 2017.
- ^ Earth Angel (March 1992). "Sega Master Pro Review: Sonic Boom". GamePro. pp. 57–58.
- ^ a b Thomas, Lucas M. (August 4, 2008). "Sonic the Hedgehog (Master System Version) Review". IGN. Retrieved September 21, 2014.
- ^ Greening, Chris; Kotowski, Don (February 2011). "Interview with Yuzo Koshiro". Square Enix Music Online. Archived from the original on July 8, 2012. Retrieved September 12, 2014.
- ISSN 1742-3155.
- Pan European Game Information. Archived from the originalon September 24, 2014. Retrieved September 21, 2014.
- ^ Sleeper, Morgan (June 15, 2013). "Sonic the Hedgehog (3DS eShop / Game Gear)". NintendoLife. Retrieved December 26, 2014.
- Sonic Adventure DX: Director's Cut. Sega.
Description: (SONIC THE HEDGEHOG) This is Sonic's first action game on GAME GEAR. Stop Dr. Eggman from getting his hands on the Chaos Emeralds! One Chaos Emerald is hidden in each zone. Collect them all to view the true ending.
- ^ a b Goldstein, Hilary (November 3, 2004). "Sonic Mega Collection Plus: Step into the way-back machine to the days of 16-bit brilliance". IGN. Retrieved September 21, 2014.
- ^ Metts, Jonathan (June 23, 2006). "News Article: Sonic on GBA for 15th Anniversary". Nintendo World Report. Retrieved September 12, 2014.
- ^ a b "Sonic the Hedgehog Genesis for Game Boy Advance Reviews". Metacritic. Retrieved September 12, 2014.
- ^ a b c Provo, Frank (November 20, 2006). "Sonic the Hedgehog Genesis Review". GameSpot. Retrieved October 11, 2014.
- ^ Thomley, Simon. "Sonic 1 GBA/DS". stealth.hapisan.com. Retrieved December 4, 2016.
- ^ Mitchell, Richard (May 16, 2013). "Sonic the Hedgehog speeds to Android today". Joystiq. Retrieved January 11, 2015.
- ^ Nelson, Jared (May 27, 2013). "A Guide to 'Sonic the Hedgehog' 2.0's Hidden Level-select, Debug Mode, and Many More Secrets". TouchArcade. Retrieved March 31, 2017.
- ^ Dotson, Carter (March 17, 2016). "'Sonic the Hedgehog' Remaster Now on Apple TV, 'Sonic 2' and 'Sonic CD' Later This Month". TouchArcade. Retrieved March 31, 2017.
- ^ "3D Sonic the Hedgehog". NintendoLife. Retrieved October 12, 2014.
- ^ "3D Sonic the Hedgehog review". Official Nintendo Magazine UK: 87. February 12, 2014.
- ^ a b Harris, Craig (March 5, 2010). "Sonic Classic Collection Review". IGN. Retrieved September 23, 2014.
- Sonic Compilationinstruction manual, p. 3.
- EMAP. pp. 68–69.
- ^ Mirabella, Fran (November 12, 2002). "Sonic Mega Collection: A stellar compilation with plenty of trimmings". IGN. Retrieved September 21, 2014.
- ^ Miller, Greg (February 12, 2009). "Sonic's Ultimate Genesis Collection Review". IGN. Retrieved September 23, 2014.
- ^ Lang, Ben (November 10, 2015). "Oculus Arcade Now Available on All Gear VR With 21 Titles".
- ^ "Sonic Origins Spin Dashes To "The Latest Platforms" Next Year". Nintendolife.com. May 27, 2021. Retrieved January 25, 2022.
- ^ "Sonic Origins Plus Adds Amy As Playable Character, Game Gear Games, And More This June". Game Informer. Archived from the original on March 23, 2023. Retrieved June 28, 2023.
{{cite magazine}}
: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link) - ^ "Sonic the Hedgehog Arcade". IGN. Retrieved October 13, 2014.
- ^ "Sonic The Hedgehog™". PlayStation.com. Retrieved October 13, 2014.
- ^ Cook, Brad. "Sonic The Hedgehog: Grab the rings". Apple.com. Archived from the original on July 25, 2008. Retrieved October 11, 2014.
- ^ Buchanan, Levi (May 21, 2009). "Sonic the Hedgehog iPhone Review". IGN. Retrieved October 13, 2014.
- ^ "Sonic the Hedgehog – Play Now – GameTap". GameTap. Archived from the original on September 17, 2009. Retrieved October 21, 2009.
- ^ "SEGA Genesis Classics: Series III on PC!". SEGA Blogs. Archived from the original on February 23, 2013. Retrieved October 6, 2010.
- ^ "Sonic the Hedgehog on Steam". Valve. October 26, 2013. Retrieved October 13, 2014.
- ^ "Sonic The Hedgehog". Archived from the original on August 21, 2013. Retrieved October 13, 2014.
- ^ "Sonic The Hedgehog". Amazon. Retrieved October 13, 2014.
- ^ Fahey, Mike (October 26, 2011). "There's a Little Extra Classic Sonic Lurking in Sonic Generations". Kotaku. Retrieved January 11, 2015.
- ^ Vega, Nick. "Free versions of 'Sonic the Hedgehog' and other classic Sega games are coming to iPhone and Android". Business Insider. Retrieved June 21, 2017.
- ^ Sato (September 13, 2018). "Sega Ages' First Wave Of Games In Sonic the Hedgehog And Thunder Force IV Arrives September 20". Siliconera. Retrieved September 13, 2018.
- ^ Romano, Sal (August 27, 2018). "Sega Ages: Sonic the Hedgehog and Thunder Force IV delayed to September". Gematsu. Retrieved August 27, 2018.
- ^ Raymond, Nicholas (July 19, 2018). "Sonic The Hedgehog Coming to Switch Next Month - With New Features". Screen Rant. Retrieved August 26, 2018.
- ^ "Unreleased Sonic the Hedgehog Games". UGO. Archived from the original on January 5, 2013. Retrieved June 16, 2017.
- ^ Pasquali, Gabriele (September 1, 1991). "Magicamigamente Sonic!". The Games Machine. No. 34. p. 87.
- ^ "Coming Attractions". MegaPlay. 3 (11): 30. August 1992.
- ^ Whitta, Gary (August 1991). "Sonic the Hedgehog". ACE. No. 47. pp. 54–56.
- ^ "Sonic the Hedgehog". ACE. No. 50 (November 1991). October 8, 1991. pp. 128, 130.
- ^ "ソニック・ザ・ヘッジホッグ" (PDF). Beep! Mega Drive. No. 1991–08. July 8, 1991. p. 35.
- ^ ISSN 1062-2101.
- ^ ISSN 1058-918X.
- ^ ISSN 1042-8658. Retrieved March 7, 2017.
- ^ ISSN 1624-1088.
- Hobby Consolas(in Spanish). No. 1. October 1991. pp. 18–21.
- ^ "Sonic the Hedgehog". Joystick (in French). No. 18. July–August 1991. pp. 164–5.
- ^ "Sonic". Player One (in French). No. 32. July–August 1991. pp. 24–9.
- ^ a b c d Boardman, Julian (September 1991). "Sonic the Hedgehog". Raze (11). Newsfield: 50–52.
- ^ a b Strauss, Bob (August 23, 1991). "Sonic The Hedgehog". Entertainment Weekly. No. 80. Meredith Corporation. Archived from the original on September 10, 2018. Retrieved December 15, 2018.
- ^ "Sonic the Hedgehog" (PDF). Sega Power. Future plc. September 1991. pp. 9–11.
- ^ a b Electronic Gaming Monthly's 1992 Video Game Buyer's Guide, pages 60–61
- ^ EMAP. May 1992. p. 17.
- ^ a b "News". Zero. No. 33 (July 1992). June 11, 1992. pp. 8–9.
- . December 2, 1992. Retrieved January 5, 2021.
Sega scored significantly last Christmas with the original 'Sonic the Hedgehog' for the 16-bit Genesis machine, selling nearly 1 million copies.
- ^ "Pro News Report" (PDF). GamePro. International Data Group. January 1992. p. 162.
- ^ "CVG Charts". Computer and Video Games. No. 117 (August 1991). July 15, 1991. pp. 99–102.
- ^ "CVG Charts". Computer and Video Games. No. 118 (September 1991). August 15, 1991. pp. 99–102.
- ^ )
- ^ Pham, Alex (September 13, 2001). "Super Sonic". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on October 8, 2020. Retrieved February 2, 2021.
- ^ Fisher, Lawrence M. (January 5, 1992). "Making a Difference; The Hedgehog Takes Hold". The New York Times. Retrieved September 23, 2021.
- ^ "A MegaTech Christmas Carol". MegaTech. No. 13 (January 1993). December 20, 1992. pp. 24-28 (26-7).
- ^ Tokyo Business Today. Toyo Keizai. 1993. p. 37.
Through March 1992, "Sonic" sales had climbed to 2.8 million packages, a record high for Sega software. "Sonic 2," introduced in November 1992, proceeded to outperform its predecessor. The initial release of 3.2 million packages sold out only two weeks after hitting the stores
- ^ "Asiaweek". Asiaweek. 18 (27–51). Asiaweek Limited: 65. 1992.
It sold 1.8 million copies of copies of "Sonic the Hedgehog" in the U.S. and another million in Europe and Japan.
- Mean Machines Sega. No. 2 (November 1992). October 1992. pp. 60–3.
- ^ "A blast from the past!". Sega Saturn Magazine. No. 21 (July 1997). June 11, 1997. pp. 36–43 (36).
- ^ "Review: Sonic Jam". Sega Saturn Magazine. No. 22 (August 1997). July 16, 1997. pp. 68–69 (68).
- ISBN 978-0-609-80110-9.
Sonic the Hedgehog, a video game which has made over four hundred million dollars worldwide, compared to two or three hundred million for a blockbuster picture.
- ^ a b Sonic the Hedgehog GameTap Retrospective Pt. 3/4 (YouTube). GameTap (user gametap). February 16, 2009. Event occurs at 1:21. Archived from the original on December 12, 2021. Retrieved February 6, 2014.
- ^ Sonic the Hedgehog GameTap Retrospective (Alternative Compilation Upload). Event occurs at 12:40. Archived from the original on December 12, 2021.
- MCV. Retrieved May 29, 2008.
- Gamasutra. Archivedfrom the original on March 2, 2012. Retrieved January 30, 2019.
- Google Play Store. Archivedfrom the original on November 19, 2016. Retrieved November 19, 2016.
- ^ Cook, John (February 16, 1991). "CVG News: Special Report". Computer and Video Games. No. 112 (March 1991). pp. 10–1.
- ^ a b c "Mega Drive: Sonic the Hedgehog". GameZone. No. 1. November 1991. p. 97.
- ^ Strauss, Bob (November 22, 1991). "Video Games Guide". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved January 23, 2019.
- ^ "Sonic the Hedgehog". Mega. No. 1. October 1992. p. 76.
- ^ "Top 100 Video Games". Flux (4). Harris Publications: 25. April 1995.
- ^ "Top 100 Games of All Time" (PDF). GamesMaster (44): 75. July 1996.
- ^ "Sonic the Hedgehog". The Strong National Museum of Play. The Strong. Retrieved May 6, 2022.
- ^ CBS Interactive. Archived from the originalon December 9, 2019. Retrieved February 6, 2014.
- ^ "Sonic the Hedgehog: Genesis". GameRankings. Archived from the original on June 30, 2017. Retrieved May 15, 2021.
- ^ "Sonic the Hedgehog for iOS (iPhone/iPad)". GameRankings. CBS Interactive. Retrieved March 31, 2017.
- ^ "3D Sonic the Hedgehog for 3DS Reviews". Metacritic. CBS Interactive. Retrieved September 5, 2018.
- ^ "Sonic the Hedgehog (Live Arcade) for Xbox 360 Reviews". Metacritic. CBS Interactive. Retrieved September 5, 2018.
- ^ Reed, Kristan (July 16, 2007). "Sonic the Hedgehog Review". Eurogamer. Retrieved February 9, 2012.
- ^ Kasavin, Greg (November 19, 2006). "Sonic the Hedgehog Review". GameSpot. Retrieved September 10, 2014.
- ^ a b Thomas, Lucas M. (January 26, 2007). "Sonic the Hedgehog VC Review". IGN. Archived from the original on March 16, 2012. Retrieved February 6, 2014.
- Nintendo Life. Retrieved February 26, 2021.
- ^ "The 10 Most Important Games". Electronic Gaming Monthly. No. 187. January 2005. p. 48.
- ^ Stuart, Keith (July 27, 2017). "Why Sonic the Hedgehog is 'incorrect' game design". The Guardian. Retrieved July 28, 2017.
- ^ "This Month in Gaming History". Game Informer. Vol. 12, no. 105. January 2002. p. 117.
- ^ Cifaldi, Frank. "Gamasutra – The Art & Business of Making Games". Gamasutra.
- ^ Edge staff (August 25, 2010). "Making Of: James Pond II – Robocod". Edge. Future Publishing. p. 2. Archived from the original on July 21, 2014. Retrieved January 24, 2019.
Unfortunately, I pretty much forgot all that when working on James Pond 3, and I spent too much of the development time chasing after what Sonic had just achieved.
- ^ Kalata, Kurt (October 10, 2008). "Earthworm Jim". Hardcore Gaming 101. Retrieved October 11, 2014.
- ^ Ledford, Jon (September 6, 2013). "10 Worst Video Game Mascots". Arcade Sushi.
- ^ Joest, Mick (August 2016). "Games No One Remembers: RADICAL REX". GameTyrant.
- ^ "From Rags to Riches: Way of the Warrior to Crash 3". Game Informer. No. 66. United States: Funco. October 1998. pp. 18–19.
- ^ "Making Crash Bandicoot – part 1". All Things Andy Gavin. February 2, 2011.
- ^ Buchanan, Levi (December 2, 2008). "What Hath Sonic Wrought?, Vol. 4". IGN.
- ^ Buchanan, Levi (February 20, 2009). "Where Did Sonic Go Wrong?". IGN. Retrieved October 11, 2014.
- ^ Harris, Craig (January 13, 2004). "Sonic Battle". IGN. Retrieved October 13, 2014.
- ^ MacDonald, Ryan (December 22, 1997). "Sonic R Review". GameSpot. Retrieved October 13, 2014.
- ^ Bozon, Mark (September 24, 2008). "Sonic Chronicles: The Dark Brotherhood Review". IGN. Retrieved October 13, 2014.
- ^ Thompson, Scott (November 8, 2013). "Mario & Sonic at the Sochi 2014 Olympic Winter Games Review". IGN. Retrieved October 13, 2014.
- ^ GamesRadar. Retrieved October 13, 2014.
- Sonic the Hedgehog (1992). Shogakukan.
- ^ Yehl, Joshua (July 16, 2014). "Archie to Publish Sonic Boom Comic Book Series". IGN. Retrieved October 13, 2014.
- ISBN 978-0-448-44479-6.
- ^ "McDonald's and SEGA Reveal Details of New Happy Meal Promotion Featuring Sonic and 'Search for the Silver Game'". GameZone. December 2, 2004. Archived from the original on August 7, 2011. Retrieved July 23, 2014.
- ^ Aamoth, Doug (November 15, 2012). "All-TIME 100 Video Games". Time. Archived from the original on May 6, 2016. Retrieved September 2, 2014.
- ^ Parker, Kellie (May 29, 2014). "Introducing Sticks to the Sonic Boom Franchise". Sega Blog. Archived from the original on March 4, 2016. Retrieved December 25, 2018.
- ^ Parker, Kellie (October 26, 2011). "Play Sonic 1 in X360 & PS3 Versions of Sonic Generations". Sega Blog. Archived from the original on January 27, 2012. Retrieved October 11, 2014.
- ^ Goldfarb, Andrew (July 23, 2016). "Comic-Con 2016: Sonic Mania Announced". IGN. Retrieved July 24, 2016.
- ^ "Green Hill Zone". smashbros.com. Retrieved January 20, 2020.
- ^ Totilo, Stephen (March 28, 2007). "Mario, Sonic Facing Off For Game Of Olympic Proportions". MTV News.
- ^ Cavalli, Earnest (January 3, 2007). "Sonic Megamix: Welcome Back to 1991". Destructoid. Retrieved January 3, 2017.
- ^ McWhertor, Michael (April 7, 2016). "ROM hack brings Sonic Boom's Annoying Qualities To The Original Sonic the Hedgehog". Polygon. Retrieved January 3, 2017.
Sources
- Faitingusutajio (1993). ソニックザヘッジホッグ1 & 2必勝攻略法 Sonikku za hejjihoggu ichi to ni hisshō kōryakuhō [Sonic the Hedgehog 1 & 2 Certain Victory Strategy Guide] (in Japanese). ISBN 978-4-575-28232-0.
- Sonic the Hedgehog 1 & 2: Sega's Official Player's Guide. Hayward, CA: Sega. 1993. ISBN 1-55958-335-5.
External links
- Official website Archived July 19, 2020, at the Wayback Machine