Title:
Sonic the Hedgehog

Genre:
2D Platformer

Platform:
Game Gear/Master System (Mark III)

Developer:
Sega of Japan

Release Dates:
Game Gear-
Japan - 28/12/91
North America - 12/91
Europe - 12/91

Master System-
Latin America - 25/10/91

Memory:
None

Players:
1

Zones:
6

Playable:
Sonic

Re-releases:
Sonic Adventure DX Director's Cut (GCN)

Other Pages:
Zones

Home > Sonic Games > Games Index > Sonic the Hedgehog (8-Bit)

Intro:
Sonic the Hedgehog was the second Sonic game released after, of course, Sonic the Hedgehog. Apart from the fact they share the same name, these two games are different, as opposed to a scaled down copy of the original as you might expect. While the style of the game is similar (albeit much slower), the levels and bosses are completely different.

The game was released on both the Master System (Mark III in Japan) and Game Gear. While almost the same, the games did have different screen resolutions and a few graphic alterations here and there. The most significant changes are different locations of the Chaos Emerald in the Labyrinth zone, and a completely different last boss. Should you be wondering, the version that appears in Sonic Adventure DX Director's Cut is from the Game Gear version.

Story:
The evil Dr. Eggman has captured Sonic’s animal chums! Sonic must collect the six Chaos Emeralds and beat the mad doctor's diabolical robots! But will Sonic be able to take it all the way and defeat the evil doctor? And will he be able to shake that weird feeling of déjà vu?

The Game:
Sonic the Hedgehog is not a bad game considering its limitations, and can pose a fair challenge time-to-time. You run through a variety of zones, some similar to that of the Mega Drive original, and face a boss on every third level. As opposed to the normal special stages, StH's Chaos Emeralds are collected within each of the six zones. Special stages in this game allow you to collect a handy continue instead, and as you progress to some of the tougher later bosses, you may find that you need them.