Until this point, I haven't touched Sonic the Hedgehog (this particular game) in probably 25 years. This was the first video game I ever owned as a kid, the first game I every played and the first game I ever beat, when I was almost 7 years old, so naturally it holds a special place in my heart. I opted to give it a go again after a very, very long break.

It's amazing how your perspective, or memory of things changes over time. I never remember Sonic the Hedgehog being very hard, and truthfully, it still isn't. If you were to put this game in the hands of your average person, kid, teen or adult, they would get through it over a couple of days max if they required the trial and error. At the same time, I also remember it being a pretty good game. The nostalgia blast is real here, but the game isn't as great as it was when I was a kid (feel free to see my commentary on Donkey Kong Country 2 as well for more context of a game actually being good many years later vs. remembering it incorrectly). Here's the thing, while the game isn't terribly hard, or even all that bad overall, it is frustratingly annoying in so many ways and its very apparent after having many more years of gaming under my belt.

I know you can't directly compare Sonic to Mario. They are both platformers, but they are not the same game. However, Sonic was Sega's answer to Nintendo's Mario and they were locked in a dead console war heat back in the late 80's and 90's, and I can't help but compare the shortcomings of Sonic to his plumber pal. Mario is athletic. He runs, jumps, fly's, has cool power ups, and controls like a dream. Sonic.. well he can run really fast, jump and roll. The entire point is for Sonic to be fast. He doesn't need power ups, he's a runner! However, I have no idea how you could possibly even speedrun this game. Here is a list of annoyances:

• You run fast, but are constantly faced with off screen enemies that you run in to which defeat the purpose of running fast.

• You run fast, but then run into a wall or obstacle that you need to navigate that slows you down on purpose, like careful platforming over lava, or open bottomless pits. Now you are like a clunky feeling Mario because Sonic is floaty and doesn't control nice like Mario.

• There are constant blind jumps throughout the game, which lead you to bottomless pits, into spike traps, spike spinning balls, enemies etc. Oh, and the spike traps, are instant death. If you have a shield, its instant shield loss, instant ring loss, instant death. So run fast, but not so fast that you don't know where the bottomless pits are, or spike traps, or enemies that appear out of no where. These things are actually fine most of the time, because you have to learn old games for placement, that's just how they are. But in Sonic, you have to contend with blockades and slow moving platforms in between that NEVER line up with your timing when you enter the screen so you just have to WAIT.

• Unlike his handy fun loving rival Mario, Sonic can't breathe under water. This was a mechanic I always disliked as a kid, but it was no big deal. Now, I think, what the actual fuck Sega? Your character is supposed to be the fast one. Why do I need to slow down constantly at air bubbles every 10 seconds to stay alive under water. And to top it off, the water levels in Sonic 1 are the absolute biggest shit show of water levels. This is where under water levels get their bad name. A maze full of traps and switches, where Sonic controls even floatier, requires oxygen and you have to navigate around a bunch of bullshit to do it. Oh and its not like you can fucking swim, you have to platform around under water.

• It frequently feels like there is no in between on levels, especially in the later ones in the game. It either a straight run with very few or simple obstacles, or balls out 20 random ass things that you need to navigate at once which are damn near impossible to time perfectly or you are just dead.

The game isn't all bad though. I really enjoy the settings overall, and the enemies are pretty cool. Jumping on the enemies and the satisfying "popping" sound they make is also the best feeling. Like, you can feel it through the controller somehow. The power ups are kind of lame, like a shield, or fast running shoes, but this was experimental for Sega. Later games incorporate some other things which are much better. The overall level design is pretty good, but the slowdown just kills the game for a fast character.

There is also the bonus stages, where if you hold 50 rings at the end of the level, you jump into a giant ring after passing the goal sign. You are taken to a rotating maze where Sonic is balled up and have to find your way to a chaos emerald hidden in the maze without hitting the "goal" markers. In this Sonic, the emeralds serve no purpose, outside of getting the "real" ending by collecting all of them. It's a decent little mini game to incorporate, and is built on a lot in later games.

Truthfully, you aren't missing much if you skip this Sonic game. Everything Sonic has to offer is done better in future installments. At the same time, the game is approachable enough to beat in a couple of hours, even for a first timer, so if you did want to give it a try, the time spent is not really a loss.

Gameplay, Story and Value:

I've never really enjoyed Sonic games much. I mean, I've never believed that any of them were "bad", but I've always thought they've been held in somewhat higher regard than they deserve.

When I was very young, my family had a Sega Genesis. At that point in my life Sonic was, of course, the best thing ever. I played it all the time, as well as its sequel. It was after the release of Sonic 2 that we finally brought home our Super Nintendo and after experiencing the magic that was Super Mario World, nothing else really compared. Sure, I picked up Sonic 3 and Sonic & Knuckles, but they were competing with Mega Man X and Donkey Kong Country. For me it was really a no-contest.

In recent years I've tried coming back to Sonic, only to find that the biggest difference between my lack of interest in the game then and now, is my ability to better identify and articulate it. What it basically comes down to is that I've never really felt like I'm in control of a Sonic game. I would use words like imprecise, floaty and slippery, and by the second zone I'd get board and move on to something else.

The reality is that in sticking to this way of thinking, I've been doing myself a massive disservice.

Sonic the Hedgehog is a game that gets better and better the farther you get into it, and I think part of the problem is that Green Hills Zone and Marble Zone are so embedded into my brain that I often forget there's anything that comes after. Green Hills is designed almost specifically to showcase Sonic's super speed, which lends itself to the idea that he's difficult to control. The following Marble Zone is a stark contrast, emphasizing stop and go gameplay and requiring more thoughtful progression. It's almost off-putting how jarring this can be. Once you get past that, though, it's almost like you're playing a different game altogether.

Let's shelve the mental revelations and talk about the game. The controls are as simple as you can get: A makes you jump, B jumps, and at any time you can press C to jump. Later games would introduce some variety into Sonic's skill set, and their absence is felt strongly in his first outing. Of course that's not to say I have anything against a pure run and jump. The simple controls suit this game very well.

Level design still feels somewhat strange, and a little unfocused. While Zone 1 wants you to never stop moving, Zone 2 seems to not want you to move at all. It's around Zone 3 that the game really starts to feel like it's coming into its own. You'll encounter new enemies that require a bit more thought to deal, more precision jumping sections, and more cohesive stage design. This quality then carries on through the rest of the game. The final stage culminates in a mashup of obstacles requiring you to use everything you've learned over the course of the game, and is both satisfying and challenging.

The challenge itself never feels too overwhelming once you've gotten a handle on the game. I'll also admit that after clearing all six of the game's zones, it did feel a bit short. Extra challenge can be found in going back and collecting all of the Chaos Emeralds from the game's bonus stages that can appear at the end of each stage. Personally, while nostalgic I really don't care much for these bonus areas. Controls just feel so wonky and ultimately I think they're just frustrating. I prefer Sonic 2 and 3's bonus stages much more.

Dr. Eggman Robotnik will appear at the end of the last stage of each zone as a boss fight. While none of these encounters are particularly memorable, they're all still enjoyable. The final encounter in particular had me nervous as all hell!

Unfortunately, not all of my memories of this game were entirely inaccurate. Sonic can be extremely difficult to control at times, and not just because of his speed. Part of this is due to the game being somewhat buggy, and certain walls and surfaces will have an unexpected effect on Sonic's momentum. There's also a tendency to accidentally stop and look up, or duck, or roll into a ball or NOT roll into a ball. Basically, the hedgehog's a touch temperamental. This can be frustrating, and will lead to instances where you'll take damage (or worse) when tighter controls would have prevented it.

Presentation, Music and Sound:

For an early Genesis title, Sonic is an extremely good looking game. Environments are varied, surfaces and threats are clear, sprites are details without taking up too much screen real estate. For such an early game, everything just has a very polished look. A few assets and tiles are reused later on, underwater sections of the Labyrinth Zone pictures above are nearly copy-pasted in the last zone, but it never really feels cheap. Occasionally, Sonic will hold on to an animation that should have broken to the aforementioned bugs, but it's always more humorous than it is problematic.

Sound effects are distinct and memorable. I've said a few times throughout the course of this leg of the project that a game's sound effects were lifted from Sonic, but when used in their source context they seem much more natural and enjoyable.

The music surprised me, again due to my memory hard-stopping at Marble Zone. As you get further into the game you're treated to some really fantastic stage music, easily the best the Genesis has supplied so far. So good, in fact, that while running through Spring Yard Zone and Star Light Zone I started thinking I should really put together a retro game music playlist at some point... Sure, it's no Castlevania or Mega Man soundtrack, but seriously, you probably don't remember how good the music is in this game!

Afterthoughts:

I came in expecting this game to be a fun diversion on my way to better games, and went out with a strong, new appreciation for one of the quintessential games of the era. I definitely didn't expect to finish it, given the difficulties I've always had playing it, but I'm so glad I did. I ended up having a great time with Sonic, and I don't quite look at the cartridge the same way anymore, and this is the same cartridge I've been looking at since 1991!

Review:

Playthrough:

Played this on official console. Will say that while it is a pain that there's only a bare minimum of continues, and the game DOES consist of cheap deaths meant purely to keep you playing for longer, I have to say that I found it enjoyable with the fact that this only motivated me to explore the levels further to find any powerups I needed.

Then I used the infinite-lives grind in Zone 1-3 and completely forgot about all that.

This game isn't nearly perfect, but I think people under-estimate how much smart design this game has with it being a first entry and all, primary in the mechanics. People think the controls for this game are just "Fine", but I feel you NEED to play several other Sega Genesis platformers to truly appreciate just how beautifully this game feels to control. You'll realize how INSTANTLY superior this game is. It's buttery smooth, much better than Mario, which always has you on edge whether you're gonna make your jumps or not due to the physics.

From a LEVEL standpoint this game is heavily built off of the standards of the 80s. No checkpoints, trial and error, and your enjoyment of this game will be heavily based on how much you enjoy that kind of thing. Personally, some of the frustrating parts later on made me feel like I never want to PLAY these levels ever again, but after having to replay them and get used to them, I don't feel that way anymore.

Great game, but yeah, it could be better.

I dabbled in Mario's original trilogy ahead of Wonder, so why not do the same for Sonic Superstars? I was a Nintendo kid growing up, so I didn't play Sonic's original games until I got my hands on the Sonic Mega Collection for the GameCube. One game I definitely didn't appreciate much was the first Sonic the Hedgehog. I had already tasted the exhilarating speed and open level design of the Sonic Advance games, and this first game felt like something completely alien in comparison.

Today, I feel like it's a little easier for me to give credit to the first Sonic the Hedgehog for the several things it does get right. Sonic's defining trait to me was not just his sense of speed, but his tight controls, and they feel nearly perfect in this first installment. Green Hill Zone is a perfect showcase and playground for these mechanics, giving you ample room to build momentum, while placing obstacles for you to react to. Even though the Spin Dash that would be introduced in Sonic 2 is severely missed, the game works well despite its absence, especially since the game's later levels definitely don't require it.

It's in those later levels that Sonic the Hedgehog completely falls apart. Marble Zone slows things down drastically, but that particular zone still feels promising. It somehow works, thanks to Sonic's tight controls, even if the design feels at odds with the game's core ethos. The slow, precise platforming required gives me flashes of Super Mario World, strangely enough. Labyrinth Zone is where things take an abysmal turn, with horrible underwater segments that slow things down to a crawl. Sonic feels like he's wading through molasses, and worrying about drowning is something that I've never found to be fun in any Sonic game. Later zones never quite recover, even though they sometimes exhibit the hints of brilliance that Green Hill Zone displayed.

Sonic's best titles feel like they reward you for finding ways to top out your forward momentum, but this first title feels like it punishes you instead. That is the core issue I have with the level design in the first Sonic, even if there are so many great things about it, including the gorgeous visuals and catchy soundtrack. Save states helped to abate most of the frustration I associate with this game, but even then, I'd say Sonic the Hedgehog is not a great entry point into the series, since its sequel would improve on it in nearly every way.

Preliminary: I grew up with basically no access to Sonic games. Oh Sonic Pinball at one of my grandmother's house but I didn't get to visit there often. When I did get the chance to play some Sonic games, I found the mechanics very odd. The momentum was hard to get used to. But I think I will better appreciate it now (hopefully). Plus, lord knows I love fast-paced/running type platformer situations haha cough SMW and Adventure Island II.

Ok I must've somehow played this as a kid cuz it's immediately familiar. And the blues are so rich and considering I came straight from the NES Ninja Gaiden III Look... wow. I'm reading through the manual and still find the mechanics iffy. Like pressing down and making a turbo sound should speed me up no? What I'm gathering is move to the right and jump often lol..

Good music and great Look. Meh bonus stage. Obviously going to be worth a full playthrough since, well, I'm a sucker for platformers. But we shall see what I end up thinking of it.

Day 1

It would've been cooler if pressing down acted like the turbo when you're in a tunnel. The first boss was very intuitive and enjoyable enough but it's overall feeling meh. Maybe I'm just crabby today I should take a break for a bit :-p

Mind you, the controls are good, and I'm jamming to the tunes. It's more the mechanics than the controls if that somehow makes sense? I wish the game were better designed for just bouncing off of enemy after enemy and going full speed, rather than gotcha moments if you do that and damaging terrains. Why make a game about going sonic speeds (that is the point right?) if you don't want us going sonic speeds even in early game :-p I'm still mostly having fun tho, and mostly slowing down for parts so as not to abuse savestates. But do wish it were more of a bounce of things chaos type situation which I always love in platformers.

I love the song during the invincibility/fast powerup. But too bad the first time I came upon one was a lava-filled area I wound up having to wait for a platform during it. Yawn. I'm thinking it's best for me to give this a 3 star and move on. But it's hard for me to drop platformers. Imma at least finish this second boss and then decide later tonight.

So I got to Spring Yard Zone, gonna do my usual music time but then return to this later. I've already tried it on 2 different sessions today and it's good, with some really good parts (like the final stretch of Marble Zone before the boss was good). The 2 bosses so far have been very simple. Fun enough witht he bosses, but lackluster mechanics. Seems to be the general feeling I have about this game: beautiful Look, great tunes, good controls, yet meh design and mechanics. The momentum mechanics would be best used in a fast-paced, chaotic type design, instead of this odd mix of designs. There were good parts where you got a taste of bouncing off enemies and scrambling along, and there were also good parts where you'd slow down and jump platform to platform carefully. But it never fully embraced either, and the mechanics weren't proper for the latter, while the design wasn't proper for the former. (So far). Hopefully Spring Yard blows me away :-X This'll likely still get a 3 just cuz a) I played it this long and b) turns out I do have nostalgia for it (well, and c, can't deny its importance/the series).

Ironically after writing all that I am enjoying Spring Yard much more. I like that it's embracing the chaotic bouncing I mentioned with literal pinball vibes, and finally an opportunity to use the press-down-to-sound-like-turbo feature. Also lol it's literally telling me to cope and keep playing :-p

Yeahhhh but then it immediately started doing the same annoying gotcha stuff. Not for me, but an undeniably important game. And the first level is iconic!

Look: 8/10 Beautiful.

Sound: 8/10 Great tunes.

Play: 7/10 Odd mechanics and game design, but tight controls and mostly well-made.

Feel: 7.5/10

Attachment: 7.5/10 Can't deny my memories with this. And the possibility that as I get more comfortable with the Sonic mechanics, I'd enjoy it more. But the level designs just don't seem great imo

Overall: 7.6/10

Completion: Partway through Spring Yard 1

Playtime: ~45 mins