Sonic the Hedgehog (1991)
| Sonic the Hedgehog | |||
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| Logo of the game | |||
| Original title | ソ ニ ッ ク ・ ザ ・ ヘ ッ ジ ホ ッ グ | ||
| transcription | Sonikku za Hejjihoggu | ||
| Studio |
 Sonic team
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| Publisher |
Sega
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| Senior Developer |
Yūji Naka Hirokazu Yasuhara Naoto Ohshima Jina Ishiwatari |
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| composer |
Masato Nakamura
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| Erstveröffent- lichung |
Sega Mega Drive : June 23, 1991 July 26, 1991 Arcade : 1993 Game Boy Advance : November 14, 2006 Wii Shop Channel : November 19, 2006 December 2, 2006 December 7, 2006 Xbox Live Arcade : July 11, 2007 PlayStation Network : July 11, 2007 iOS : December 18, 2007 Blackberry : August 21, 2009 Steam : October 26, 2010 Nintendo 3DS eShop : May 15, 2013 December 5, 2013 Android : May 16, 2013 Nintendo Switch eShop : September 20, 2018 Sega Mega Drive Mini : September 19, 2019 October 4, 2019  |
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| platform | Sega Mega Drive , Arcade , Sega Saturn , Nintendo GameCube , PlayStation 2 , Xbox , Windows , Gizmondo , Game Boy Advance , Nintendo Wii , Nintendo DS , PlayStation 3 , Xbox 360 , iOS , Blackberry , Android , Nintendo 3DS , PlayStation 4 , Xbox One , Nintendo Switch , Sega Mega Drive Mini | ||
| genre | Jump 'n' run | ||
| Game mode | Single player | ||
| language | English | ||
| Age rating |
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Sonic the Hedgehog ( Japanese ソニック·ザ·ヘッジホッグ , Hepburn : Sonikku za Hejjihoggu) is a 2D platformers Run - computer game , which of Sonic Team developed by Sega for the first time in North America on June 23, 1991 Sega Mega Drive was released. It was supposed to demonstrate the performance and speed of the console , which was new at the time , and is the first and most famous game in the Sonic game series . In the same year an 8-bit version of the same name was released for the Sega Master System and the Sega Game Gear .
In the years that followed, numerous sequels and new releases appeared for a variety of video game systems, with the direct successor to the game Sonic the Hedgehog 2 (1992) being. With the module of this game you activate the game Blue Sphere on the Lock-On-Cartridge from Sonic & Knuckles .
action
The evil scientist Dr. In his search for the six Chaos Emeralds, which are said to have mystical powers, Ivo Robotnik turned the animals of South Island into aggressive robots and locked them in metal containers. The blue anthromorphic hedgehog Sonic wants to free the animals and stop the evil scientist, which is why he is up to Dr. Robotniks base dares, defies all dangers and machines there and initially forces him to flee.
Over the years, through comics, TV series and films by various authors, the most diverse prehistory and additions have developed again and again, none of which were originally planned, however, nor do they agree with each other, so that they are not all canon .
Gameplay
In Sonic the Hedgehog , the player takes control of the blue hedgehog Sonic in a side-scrolling 2D platformer. The level design adapts to the dynamic, fast feel of the game with springs, loops and more. In addition to the control pad for movement, only one action button is required to jump. In jumping or rolling form, called Spin Attack , Sonic can defeat opponents or open item boxes in the form of monitors on whose screen the respective item is displayed. When touched, the golden rings can be collected; If Sonic takes damage, he loses the rings. If Sonic takes damage without owning rings or falls into a deadly abyss, he loses an extra life, of which you have three at the start of the game. If you collect 100 rings, you get another extra life. The monitors can also contain an extra life, ten rings, a protective shield, temporary increased speed or temporary invulnerability. Checkpoints in the form of lanterns mark the reset point in the event of a loss of life. Points are also collected in all actions, which in turn can give "continues" so that the game can continue despite the loss of all extra lives. Most opponents can be defeated with the Spin Attack, which scores points and frees the trapped animals.
The game consists of six zones ( Green Hill Zone , Marble Zone , Spring Yard Zone , Labyrinth Zone , Star Light Zone and Scrap Brain Zone ) with three acts each, which can be defined as levels . Each zone has its own theme, appearance and variety of opponents. At the end of the third act there is also a fight against the adversary Dr. Robotnik and one of its deadly machines, except in the sixth zone, as a final fight then takes place in its own final zone before the game ends with the credits. If Sonic reaches the end of a first or second act of a zone with at least 50 rings, he can get through a large ring into one of the six special stages immediately after the finish , where one of the six Chaos Emeralds in play can be found. If the player ends the game without all Chaos Emeralds, a message with the text "TRY AGAIN" appears after the credits, in which Dr. Robotnik owns the missing Chaos Emeralds. If the player successfully ends the game with all six Chaos Emeralds, the end with even more blooming vegetation and an angry Dr. Robotnik looks even more positive for Sonic.
development
In 1990, the video game company Sega began developing a new house mascot, which should replace Alex Kidd as such. A multitude of character designs were required, which ultimately led to a blue, anthropomorphic high-speed hedgehog named Mr. Needlemouse, which was later renamed Sonic. Another design with a mustached, fat man in pajamas eventually became Sonic's adversary, Dr. Ivo Robotnik. The woman named Madonna in early concept art was removed before the release, and the monsters turned into robots in the end.
After his success with Phantasy Star and a port of Ghouls' n Ghosts on the Sega Mega Drive, Sega commissioned Yuji Naka to develop the new game. A total of two programmers, two composers, and two designers were involved in developing the game first, and over time more people were assigned to speed up development. Naka remembered that he always tried to finish the first level in Super Mario Bros. as quickly as possible and developed his game based on this concept. However, the first version of the game seemed too fast and turbulent to the testers, so the gameplay was slowed down.
Challenges in the development arose with the correct speed balance, the perfect use of the loops and a two-player mode with split screen, which was only implemented in the successor due to time constraints. The internal memory of the game module was also limited, the iconic Sega logo at the beginning of the game is said to make up about a third of the memory capacity. When a “Sonic Team presents” lettering was installed in front of the title screen shortly before the release, the “Press Start Button” lettering in the title screen accidentally disappeared and the game went unnoticed without the originally planned “Press Start Button” lettering released.
Mainly responsible for the game's soundtrack is Masato Nakamura from the J-Pop band called Dreams Come True .
The game was deliberately presented to the public for the first time in January 1991 at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in order to steal the show from Nintendo and their then current console Super Nintendo Entertainment System (SNES). Sonic the Hedgehog won the "CES award for innovation" there.
New releases and successors
Sonic the Hedgehog Genesis
On the occasion of the 15th anniversary, Sonic the Hedgehog Genesis was released exclusively in North America on November 14, 2006 for the Game Boy Advance , which is a technically defective port of the original game. The Spin Dash ability , which was not originally included, has been added. In return, the screen section was clearly cropped or zoomed in on all sides, the game did not run smoothly, had enormous lags, frame rate problems and input delays, the game was no longer in sync with the music and the sound effects, the boss fights no longer worked as intended, level select and debug mode have been removed and more bugs occurred, so the drowning animation is falsely displayed for every loss of life, even if the loss of life was caused differently. For the reasons mentioned, this disastrous port was rated devastating by the press.
A few months later, a simple fan with the username Stealth published a correct and flawless GBA port of the game in direct return, which did not contain the errors mentioned and inserted Tails and Knuckles as playable characters. Stealth was later discontinued by Sega and worked on the 2013 iOS and Android versions of Sonic the Hedgehog and Sonic the Hedgehog 2, as well as Sonic Mania, released in 2017 .
More new releases
Sonic the Hedgehog is considered to be one of the most frequently re-released and available video games ever.
Just a short time after the first release on the Sega Mega Drive, a game of the same name was released for Sega Game Gear and the Sega Master System in 1991, which, however, differs from the original both audiovisually and in terms of content. The originally planned ports for the Atari ST , Amiga , Commodore 64 , ZX Spectrum and Amstrad CPC were not implemented, but an arcade version for the amusement arcade was released in 1993 and the Sonic Compilation for the Sega Mega Drive in 1995 , in which the first Sonic was released as one of three games was included. In 1997 the original was playable for the first time on the Sega-Saturn game Sonic Jam with a new easy mode, in which there are fewer opponents and more platforms. Also the Sonic Mega Collection (2002, Nintendo GameCube ), Sonic Mega Collection Plus (2004, PlayStation 2 , Xbox , PC ), Sega Classics (2005, Gizmondo ), Sega Mega Drive Collection (2006, PlayStation 2, PlayStation Portable ), Sega Mega Drive Ultimate Collection (2010, PlayStation 3 , Xbox 360 ), Sonic PC Collection (2009, PC), Sonic Classic Collection (2010, Nintendo DS ) and Sega Mega Drive Classics (2010 for PC, 2018 for PlayStation 4 , Xbox One , Nintendo Switch ) contained the original game.
The game was re-offered in its original state on the Wii Shop Channel, Nintendo eShop , PlayStation Network , Xbox Live Arcade and on Steam online. For the mobile market, it was first introduced in 2001 in Japan, a mobile version, which was improved in 2005, before 2013 remaster Mobile ports of Christian Whitehead and Stealth appeared for iOS and Android that a 16: 9 widescreen, with Tails and Knuckles more playable characters, an optional seventh Chaos Emerald in a new Special Stage and thus added the transformation to Super Sonic .
An implementation with a 3D effect for the Nintendo 3DS was published in 2013 under the name 3D Sonic the Hedgehog for the Nintendo eShop , and in 2018 the game was also part of the Sega Ages series for Nintendo Switch and on the Sega Mega released in 2019 Drive Mini included.
successor
After the great success, Sonic the Hedgehog 2 was released for the Sega Mega Drive in 1992 , which further improved the gaming experience for most. For the Sega Mega-CD , Sonic the Hedgehog CD followed in 1993 , before Sonic the Hedgehog 3 and Sonic & Knuckles were released for the Sega Mega Drive in 1994 . Numerous spin-offs dealt with platformer as well as other genres.
After Knuckles' Chaotix 1995 for the Sega 32X , the Sonic series more clearly denied the path of 3D platformer like Sonic Adventure , which, strictly speaking, should all count as successors to the original game. In Sonic Adventure 2 and Sonic Adventure 2 Battle you could unlock the Green Hill Zone known from the first part in 3D by collecting all the emblems . The Sonic Advance trilogy for the Game Boy Advance and Sonic Rush for the Nintendo DS later created a similar feel to the game as the original. In 2006 a Sonic the Hedgehog of the same name was released for PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 , but it is a completely different game. In Sonic Generations and Sonic Forces , the Green Hill Zone , known from the debut, returned, both times playable in 2D as well as in 3D.
The aim of Sonic the Hedgehog 4: Episode I , first published in 2010 , was to match the feel of the first game as closely as possible with contemporary graphics. Sonic Mania from 2017 relied on nostalgic 16-bit optics with the same intention.
reception
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Sonic the Hedgehog received generally positive reviews. Above all, the accessible gameplay and the fluid, fast movements are praised, there is criticism for the small size. Smartphone implementations were less convincing with more complicated control.
The game was also a huge success from a commercial point of view. Sonic the Hedgehog sold 22.22 million copies on the Sega Mega Drive alone (15 million of which were bundled with the console), making it the number one top-selling console game. Above all, the smartphone implementations are driving the number up by millions.
Web links
- Official website (English)
- Cheats for Sonic the Hedgehog (English)
Individual evidence
- ^ Review of Sonic the Hedgehog [Mega Drive] - Wii. Retrieved March 6, 2020 .
- ^ 3D Sonic the Hedgehog. Retrieved on March 4, 2020 (German).
- ^ SEGA AGES Sonic The Hedgehog. Retrieved March 4, 2020 .
- ^ Sonic the Hedgehog for Genesis . In: GameRankings . CBS Interactive. Retrieved February 6, 2014.
- ↑ Sonic the Hedgehog for iOS (iPhone / iPad) . In: GameRankings . CBS Interactive. Retrieved March 31, 2017.
- ^ 3D Sonic the Hedgehog for 3DS Reviews . In: Metacritic . CBS Interactive. Retrieved September 5, 2018.
- ↑ Sonic The Hedgehog . In: Computer and Video Games - Review . No. 117, August 1991, ISSN 0261-3697 , pp. 16-19.
- ↑ Hartley Lesser, Patricia Lesser, Kirk Lesser: The Role of Computers . In: Dragon . No. 174, October 1991, ISSN 1062-2101 , pp. 57-64.
- ^ Genesis - Sega / Sonic the Hedgehog . In: Electronic Gaming Monthly . No. 24, July 1991, ISSN 1058-918X , p. 24.
- ^ Kristan Reed: Sonic the Hedgehog Review . In: Eurogamer . July 16, 2007. Retrieved February 9, 2012.
- ↑ Boogie Man: Genesis Pro Review: Hedgehog Heaven . In: GamePro . June 1991, ISSN 1042-8658 , pp. 42, 43. Retrieved March 7, 2017.
- ^ Greg Kasavin: Sonic the Hedgehog Review . In: GameSpot . November 19, 2006. Retrieved September 10, 2014.
- ↑ Lucas M. Thomas: Sonic the Hedgehog VC Review . In: IGN . January 26, 2007. Retrieved February 6, 2014.
- ^ Gary Whitta: Sonic the Hedgehog . In: ACE . No. 47, August 1991, pp. 54-56.
- ↑ Bob Strauss: Sonic The Hedgehog . In: Entertainment Weekly . August 23, 1991. Retrieved December 15, 2018.
- ↑ Frank Ladoire: Sonic The Hedgehog . In: Génération 4 . No. 35, July 1991, ISSN 1624-1088 , pp. 118-121.
- ↑ Rich Leadbetter, Glancey Paul: Mega Drive Review: Sonic the Hedgehog . In: Mean Machines . No. 10, July 1991, ISSN 0960-4952 , pp. 42-44. Retrieved February 9, 2012.
- ^ Julian Boardman: Sonic the Hedgehog . In: Newsfield (ed.): Raze . No. 11, September 1991, pp. 50-52.
- ↑ Sonic the Hedgehog . (PDF) In: Future plc (Ed.): Sega Power . September 1991, pp. 9-11.
- ↑ News: Luvvies! Dahlings! In: The One Magazine . No. 44 , May 1992, pp. 17 ( Textarchiv - Internet Archive ).
- ^ Electronic Gaming Monthly's 1992 Video Game Buyer's Guide. Pp. 60-61.