Our favourite blue hedgehog is celebrating his 20th Anniversary this year! Play Nintendo has already looked at the Top 20 Sonic the Hedgehog Zones (#20-11, #10-1), now I will begin to review the classic Sonic series. First up is Sonic the Hedgehog for the Sega Genesis which released in June 1991. As you know, Sonic has the ability to reach incredible speeds, but he also brought an attitude that a certain plumber couldn’t match. Sega was quick to market both of these things to the gaming consumer. In doing so, Sega was able to create a franchise that is still beloved by fans 20 years later.
Sonic the Hedgehog’s story is a very simple concept. Series nemesis Dr. Robotnik captures animals from Sonic’s homeland and creates his own robot versions called badniks. Of course, it’s up to Sonic to save the day. There is a little more to the story as creating badniks isn’t the only thing on Robotnik’s agenda. He is also after the Chaos Emeralds. Whoever holds the Chaos Emeralds can use their great energy; if they fall in Robotnik’s hands it can mean mass destruction. Sonic has to save the animals of his homeland and prevent Dr. Robotnik from obtaining the Chaos Emeralds.
Sonic was much faster than other video game characters and it really made the first game stand out amongst the competition. While Sonic the Hedgehog is a sidescrolling platformer, the element of speed was a change of pace. Levels are designed to encourage gamers to bring Sonic up to his max speed. After reaching great speeds, Sonic could master loop-de-loops and even attacking enemies by rolling along the ground. These were new elements that only a character like Sonic could pull off easily. Sonic didn’t just bring speed to the table either, as he also carried around a huge attitude, the cool cat so to speak. His attitude was a way to market directly against the competition. Sonic was edgy, and well Sega Genesis does what Nintendon’t.
However, Sonic the Hedgehog gave us more than just speed and attitude; there are some great platforming elements in the game. Even though these elements may slow down the gameplay, they made Sonic challenging. You couldn’t just press right to cruise through the level, sometimes you had to stop and think about your next move. Going forward without a sense of direction would most likely end with Sonic falling into a spike pit. Sonic has to jump over pits, destroy badniks, and fight Robotnik multiple times. Sonic can even make use of springs that will help him discover multiple paths in each level. All of this comes together to make a really good platformer.
Sonic can collect rings, and as long as he had some in hand, he is invulnerable. Rings are sacrificed when hit by an enemy, because it wouldn’t be fun if there is no risk involved. However, as long as you could keep collecting rings, you could keep speeding forward. Sonic didn’t just have rings at his disposal as shields, 1-Ups, and running shoes are also thrown in to the mix. Running shoes can make Sonic run even faster, sometimes almost too fast! Also on the power-up forefront are the always important Chaos Emeralds. Sonic can obtain Chaos Emeralds only after finding one if the game’s bonus stage. Collect all six and Sonic can use their power to unleash Super Sonic, and you get a better ending for preventing Dr. Robotnik from obtaining them.
Much like its competitors of the time, Sonic was an easy game to learn. In fact, it may be easier than most games, as only one button is really required to play the game. Sonic could only jump, which also happened to be his main form of attack. Controlling Sonic himself was a little tricky at first as he constantly accelerates to his max speed, but with patience one can easily master Sonic’s movement.
Sonic the Hedgehog is also a great looking game. Sprites are huge and detailed, and the overall art style is extremely unique. Each Zone looks different due to the varying themes, but the unique art style really gives each one its own identity. Graphics would be improved upon in further entries of the series, but for Sega’s first Sonic the Hedgehog effort these graphics are great. Sega’s musical efforts are also a highlight for the game. Amazing compositions can be heard all throughout the game. One thing that I feel Sega gets extremely right with each game of the series is their ability to compose songs that fit the theme of each stage while retaining the overall feel of the Sonic universe. Again, much like the graphics, other entries in the series have better music, but one can’t deny that Sega created some 16-bit gold with Sonic the Hedgehog’s amazing soundtrack.
 |
| 3/5 D-Pads: Sonic the Hedgehog is overall a pretty solid platforming experience. It doesn’t match up to later entries in the series, but it stands well on its own two feet. Amazing levels and gameplay mixed with awesome graphics and a spectacular soundtrack make this game a definite winner. Fans of the series will love this game, casual fans may prefer Sonic 2 or 3 over the original effort. |
No comments:
Post a Comment