Sonic the Hedgehog (1991)

The first 2D Sonic game I beat (I used save states). I played this on the "Sonic's Ultimate Genesis Collection" on PS3 just in case it isn't a faithful experience to the original.

It seems like the kind of game I would've probably loved as a kid when new games were few and far between, so I played the same game for months. I played for a casual game to beat, rather than a game where I really wanted to learn the levels to find optimal routes, so that probably lessened my experience a bit. The big levels are cool conceptually because you can explore and have different experiences each time you play, but I prefer more linear levels. Sonic did not feel good to control, he felt slow and clunky. He's surprisingly very vulnerable because he only has hit boxes when he jumps, so that means when he's running, falling, or jumping on a spring he's vulnerable. I wasn't a fan of the enemy designs, I don't think they did a good job at illustrating if and where you are able to damage them. I struggled going through what seemed like scripted sequences like running through loops and jumping off of slides. There were times where I ran faster while I wasn't touching the controller, which was odd to me. Collecting the Chaos Emeralds felt like a slap in the face. The bonus levels are so hard, I still don't understand how the rotating works. In the end, your reward for collecting all of the emeralds is an ending that is extremely similar to the normal ending. For a character that is known for his speed, Sonic doesn't have a lot of options to build up speed in this game.

Even though I didn't like the game, I'm still glad I finished it. I am still looking forward to the later games because I think they will at least address some of the issues I had with this one.

Edit: I forgot to mention that there were odd performance issues where the game was chugging at points. And I usually don't mind underwater levels, but they're atrocious in this game. I think it's because you can't stay underwater indefinitely like you can in Mario. It didn't help that the big air bubbles seem to spawn at random intervals even while you're waiting at their spawn points. Also, these levels were not very memorable. I literally thought I must have failed at one point because the level I was playing was so similar to the level I had just beaten.

Edit 2: The invincibility frames are way too short. Way too easy to get hit with a 1-2 and lose. This issue is even worse when you consider how hard it is to recover your rings.

This is where I shamefully admit I've never played a sonic game before. Going to start the adventure at the beginning I guess and see what all the fuss is about.

Really looking forward to the music throughout the game as I have heard a few tracks over the years. Not sure I'll be able to nail the zooming around though, looks like you have to memorize the level? Guess I'll find out

Replayed the OG Sonic in Sonic Origins. (Got all the emeralds, good ending.)

Holds up better than I thought! I keep thinking the game will feel a bit clunky whenever I revisit it, but they really nailed the rolling and momentum physics from the get-go. (And the rings mechanic was truly a bit of game design genius IMO.)

Level design would be greatly improved in later games, but there are still some good times to be had in this first entry. My favorite levels are the Star Light Zones. Great song, and great aesthetic. Really, the general look of Sonic 1 as a whole still stands out IMO, even among all the other classic Sonic games. Really eye-catching graphics, easy to see how this game wowed people in 1991.

Well here it is, the game that started a mega franchise and made the Mega Drive what it was, I have to say though, upon replaying it today I found that it's surprisingly mediocre considering it's place in history. Sure the graphics, music and some of the stages are stellar, but the game is also filled with cheap deaths and occasional poor design choices

I give this game a 6/10, it's a good game but no masterpiece by any means