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The game that punched Nintendo in the gut & caused gamers to take the Genesis seriously

The Genesis was struggling to find a successful mascot like Nintendo's Mario, someone who was instantly recognizable and helped sell the system. Alex Kidd wasn't working out so well. But finally, in 1991, a blue hedgehog named Sonic came along (zoomed along, actually). Sonic is not your typical platformer; it is something creative and unique, and it's just what Sega needed at the time. Sonic quickly became the anti-Mario, making Mario look like a slow sissy. Today, let's take another good look at this game, one of the most important platformers of all time. 

Right away you'll notice that Sonic handles differently than Mario. He doesn't run at an even pace; instead you have to build up momentum. You can't simply hold a button to make him run; on the contrary, all three of the Genesis controller's buttons cause him to jump. The focus of the game becomes clear in the very first level: Sonic is not about precision platforming like Mario, it's about speed and momentum. Green Hill Zone introduces this perfectly, as you gain speed, zoom around a loop, and even fly through the air! It's still very exhilerating. 

Instead of collecting coins (like that plumber Mario), Sonic collects rings. However, if Sonic gets hit, he will lose all of his rings (which can be frustrating). Of course, getting 100 rings will get you an extra life. If Sonic gets hit with no rings, he'll die. So rings are not just something to collect, they're your life, making them more valuable than Mario's coins. You'll start each level with zero rings, but don't worry, there's plenty of rings in the level to acquire. 

The game is comprised of "zones," each one having three levels and a boss at the end of the third level. Each zone introduces new things into the mix, keeping the game fresh. Green Hill Zone introduces the whole speed thing to you and is just plain fun. Marble Zone reminds me of the castles from Super Mario Bros, complete with lava and shooting fireballs. Spring Yard Zone is a bit more challenging, throwing in springs and bumpers to make things a little crazy. Labyrinth Zone is also challenging, giving you water-based puzzles; if Sonic stays underwater too long, a timer will start to count down, meaning you have to find a bubble to get some air. Each zone is set apart well due to their unique challenges and great music. 

When you start the game, you'll only have three lives and no continues. However, it doesn't have to be like this. Sometimes at the end of a level there is a giant ring; jump in it and you get to play the "Special Stage." Here Sonic is in ball form and he can jump around and try to collect as many rings as possible. Getting enough rings here will not get you an extra life, but a continue (even better). These special stages are important if you want to make it through the game (not that the game is difficult, but it does have some challenges). 

The level design is great. You never know what to expect as the programmers seem to enjoy throwing in things to surprise you. There are plenty of things in each level to keep you on your toes, such as bad guys with spikes, platforms that crumble, spikes that shoot out of floors and walls, moving platforms, etc. I mentioned earlier that Sonic is not about precision platforming; well, this makes the few precision platforming parts of the game a little tricky as Sonic handles slippery due to his unique momentum controls. Jumping from one small platform to the next can be tough, but not too frustrating as these moments are rare. 

Each boss fight is unique, even though you fight Eggman every time. Eggman will hover over Sonic in his egg contraption and then do something, whether that's swing a giant ball at you, shoot out fire at you, or steal the floor from under your feet. These fights are not difficult, and are easy to figure out the pattern to beat Eggman. 

Sonic himself is somewhat a marvel for his time. He actually exudes more personality than most video game mascots of his time. His appearance and attitude is "cool," something which Mario cannot attest to. If you stand in one spot long enough, Sonic will look at you and tap his foot impatiently. Mario, on the other hand, would never look at the player in anger. Sega was right to a certain degree: Sonic did what Nintendon't (in this case, what Mario don't, um, didn't do). 

Why is Sonic the Hedgehog such an important game? It took typical platformer tropes and turned them on its head: time counts up (not down), the rings you collect can all be lost and also act as your health, and the focus is on speed and momentum, making the game feel more like a roller coaster at times. During a time of blatant Mario clones, Sonic did something different, and it worked out incredibly well in Sega's favor. 

Final Verdict--4 Stars: Recommended

After all these years, Sonic the Hedgehog is still a great game. It holds up perfectly today. It's a lot of fun to play, the music is great, and the game never becomes overly frustrating. The level design is inventive and will never become boring. And zooming around those loops is still just as awesome as ever! If you've never played this classic, you owe it to yourself to try it out. It's one of the best and most important games out there. And consider this: Sonic provided a true challenge to the king of platformers, Mario. Because of this game, the competition became fierce, and Nintento and Sega both tried to make the best games possible, and we are the ones who get to enjoy those great games. 

Join me all month as we take a look at Sonic the Hedgehog. More of his games are on the way.