There's just something about the first Sonic the Hedgehog that makes it the best! I don't know if its because of the music or challenge but the game just feels like a masterpiece.
I think Sonic 2 was the best sonic game on the Genesis. Sonic Adventure was my first game on the dreamcast and my eyes popped out from sheer amazement. It was a game changer.
I remember christmas 1991. Got a Sega Genesis and Sonic the Hedgehog. I was just 5 years old. Been a fan of the series ever since. Damn I miss the 16-bit era, good memories.
The levels in sonic 1 and 2 would be awesome if you could see about twice as far, imo. But you can't expect people to go fast when you can barely see whats coming up lol maybe I just suck but I really think there's some truth to that...
While I played both as a kid, I always found Mario way easier to control than Sonic. Sonics speed was also a mixed blessing because while the speed was great, it also made getting hit by enemies easier to me
Actually I feel he is harder to control because of his acceleration. He starts out painfully slow then eventually you're going too fast for your screen.
what i never understood is how they managed to make sonic (and the worlds) look worse in the two games following this one... why didnt they keep the tvs from the first game? why make them worse looking like boxes? worlds looked more and more confusing in the following games..
i loved these days as little kid-we played this game all the time and when we get to the watertemple everyone gets excited. And if u died u had to do it all over again but nobody understands this today
June 23, 1991: The day when SEGA brought everybody's favorite blue Hedgehog came into existance "Sonic The Hedgehog!" The game did not exist during the first 2 years of the Sega Genesis, cause the system was released in 1989
Grigori Rasputin1990 who cares, talking about super nintendo, sonic is really better, you nintendo fanboys can't see it because you're blinded by nostalgia.
You've got to understand that at the time this game was originally released it was competing with Super Mario World. Sonic is a great game but it didn't and doesn't have the depth that Super Mario has developed.
My family was really broke when I was growing up, and my Godmother gave us the Sega Genesis w/ the Sonic the Hedgehog game for that Christmas of '91 (or around that time, anyway). It was the only Christmas present my brother & I got, and we still love Sonic today! The first Sonic game is the best Sonic game ever!
This is a nostalgic and a sentimental review for mark, just like strider. He takes away the jokes and he focused talking about his experiences, and the sega golden ages. This is a special review for me, too
Sonic is pretty much the epitome of what would be considered a classic game. And it's actually hard to believe that it's taken this long for CGR to review it!
There's not many games I remember playing for the very 1st time,especially one I 1st played soooo long ago,but the colour of the 1st stage & the speed was unlike anything at that time & the level design was sonic team at thier finest(along with 'nights into dreams').The 1st & still the best IMO!!
This was an excellent video Mark! Not only did you do a nice review of the game, you also managed to feature how elaborate and different each level of the game is. You are absolutely right: this game packs alot of punch!
as a younger gamer I often look back at the the great sonic games you older folk have, and I find myself envious they just don't make 'em like they used to
I know this isn't a video game, but who remembers the Sonic cartoon series. What a great show. Yeah, this one was the best, because it was just sonic and no other characters tagging along.
What a coincidence, I was listening to some remixed sonic tunes just now and lo and behold a CGR Sonic game review shows up in my subscritions box! My favorite Sonic on the Genesis is Sonic 1, but on the Master System Sonic 2 is my favorite Sonic game.
Man, I must be getting old. I went from owning Sonic on the Genesis, to owning Sonic Mega Collection on the PS2, to owning Sonic on the iPod touch. Time flies...
i remember my friend had a gameboy..and i bought game gear with sonic.I remember the start screen with the sega logo saying "seeeegaaa".The whole sonic experience was breathtaking for the years back then.....
Good review. I think the best part about Sonic is how in most of the 2D games the levels are really smooth and graceful. If you are good you can go through them in style and get a fast time and get a ton of rings. The games are also easy enough for kids to get into so, like Mario, it's a platformer for everyone.
If the game was fun back then, it WILL BE fun even today! Sonic is a perfect example, 20 years, and it can still hold a candle to other games and show them how it's done!
Sweet, 1991 was a really good time for Sonic and the Genesis. This game was so much fun .I love hitting those springs and going like 5 gagillion miles and hour. Good review and good memories.
I agree, Sonic 1 is the Best because it is from a simpler, more innocent time, where Alex Kidd was still relevant and when you looked at my favorite game library, it looked like this, Tommy Lasorda Baseball, Altered Beast, Last Battle, Mystic Defender, Revenge of Shinobi, Forgotten Worlds, Golden Axe, Super Thunder Blade, Thunder Force 2, Castle of Illusion, Strider, Ghouls N Ghosts, and Ghostbusters.
Yes he can stay 2D forever, Sonic the Hedeghog was the perfect mix of platforming and speed. Platforming was designed for a 2D environment, and many games which have ventured into the 3D world before are now heading back - Mario, Rayman, and Sonic, as well. 2D is the way forward for platformers.
@Christiooa The controls are tight, the sound is a perfect emulation from it's 16-bit counterparts. How was this a bad port? It's the same game, pixel for pixel that was released in 1991...
Back in the 16-bit days I had all three systems: SNES, Genesis, and TG-16. But I actually never got around to picking up any Sonic games until the 32-bit revolution started (when the 16-bit carts were going cheap). I ended up getting the Majesco released Sonic Classics (S1&S2) and Sonic 3 for my Genny. But I still have yet to beat any Sonic game! Those dang carts are still on my shelf gathering dust. This video has got me psyched to play the first Sonic and beat it!!
man l spent a whole day of my childhood getting all the Chaos Emeralds to see the real ending and all of that hard work was to just see some dancing animals and dr robotnik have a tantrum.
Well said! Nobody else can be Sonic, and Sonic shouldn't be anybody else. The main problem with the way the series evolved was that more and more characters resembling Sonic were brought in, and then Sonic started appearing predominantly in games that were the domain of others. This didn't work. I think that Sonic 4 (though imperfect) will be the best Sonic in a long time...in fact, probably the best Sonic game in about 17 years in my opinion.
The Sonic series on the Genesis is a good one. I have been playing these classic games since 1992.I only have Sonic for the Genesis for now. The Sonic Genesis collection on the PS3 looks really good.
@DaltonMunnal What if I wanted to buy the game(s) on the gaming system(s) I have, I mean, of course I have a Wii, but I want to experience to play it on the original console too.
Sonic was one of the biggest, if not the biggest influence on so many levels as a kid for me. I would say the sheer physics of the game play was a good amount of what resonated with me. He didn't feel like an abstract simulation reacting to instructions, but a physical character that had to abide by rules of gravity and motion, and thus, we did. Also Sonic was my muse for drawing as a child. If you would like to see my work of Sonic, check out profile "Dues-X" on Deviantart. Great review man! :)
This is the first game I played, I played it at my Uncle's house and when I had to go home I cryed because I wanted to carry on playing. I can't wait for sonic 4
I adore the 16-bit Sonic Games. I prefer 2 and 3/S&K a little more than 1, but that's just because I like having the spin dash. The music is amazing, too. My personal favorite from 1 is the Labyrinth Zone theme. So chill. I also miss the Mario/Sonic rivalry, back when they were more or less evenly matched =). Nowadays, Mario is undeniably more popular.
I'll never forget the 1st time I stuck the cart' into my megadrive & just being blown away by the speed sonic would shoot across the green hill zone.I was only 11years old(20)years ago but it seems like yesterday.
When you mentioned Shinobi playing this game and taking a different approach, I had to think of Super Mario Crossover where you can play as Simon Belmont and Megaman, etc.
Nice bit of nostalgia! I personally grew up with Sonic and I think I've always been a little handicapped at pre-N64 Mario games perhaps b/c of it . My favorite was Sonic 2, but this will always be the first. Not just Sonic game, but the game that really got me into video games as a kid. Also, I can't really pinpoint what made me "lose my faith" in Sonic, but in the mid/late 90s things seemed to change. I have hope for Sonic 4, but Sega just missed out on something with the 3d revolution.
Love the respect Mark gives Sonic here as a character. While the original is classic, i feel that Sonic 2 is the best. The levels are much better designed and have more flow. Also, it had the spindash.
The only reason I prefer Sonic 2 over 1 is how you can turn into a ball and charge up when ever you want to. And I like the Sonic 2 sprite a little better, he may have had more frames in 2? idk... I'm gonna load this one up again, thanks Mark for making me want to play thru Sonic again!
@InecomCompany PLEASE RESOND. Where is a good place to buy the old, good games like "Sonic the Hedgehog" and other classic games you do your reviews on? I know I wasn't born in the time of these old, classic games, but I lack many games for my NES and Genesis and it's really interesting in the eye of a "new generation" gamer like myself if you describe me as so. I would like to buy these online for myself.
