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Sonic the Hedgehog was the game that started off the
career of
Sonic the Hedgehog and
Sonic Team.
It was released on
June 23,
1991 in
North America for the
Sega Genesis. The European version was released later in
June,
1991 for the
Sega Megadrive. The
Japanese version was released on
July 26,
1991 for the Megadrive. Re-released for the
Nintendo
GameCube in 2002 as part of the
Sonic Mega Collection.
The American version lacked parallax scrolling, moving clouds, rippling
water, and other minor details. The original Japanese included the
details, and the Japanese version 2.0 fixed the "spike bug".
This game was the first game to really propel the Genesis into mass
popularity in North America. After it was released, it eventually
supplanted
Altered Beast as the bundled game with the console.
Sonic the Hedgehog added the element of speed to the standard plaform
formula, and introduced other unique elements as well, such as the loops
and springboards now permanently associated with the game series.
In the game, Sonic has to prevent
Doctor Ivo Robotnik (Doctor Eggman in
Japan) from collecting the Chaos Emeralds in an attempt to rule
Mobius (Earth
in Japan).
There was also a version of
Sonic the Hedgehog released for the
Sega Master System and the
Game Gear, which loosely followed the design of the Genesis version,
although with some different zones and a level map.
The main villain, Doctor Eggman, has always been called that in the
Japanese titles. However, in the European and American versions, his name
is localized to Doctor Ivo Robotnik, and has stayed that way until
Sonic Adventure, where it has been changed to Doctor Eggman.
Although its Genesis counterpart was extremely popular in the
United States, Sonic the Hedgehog only received lukewarm responses in
Japan. Sonic wouldn't catch on in that locale until
Sonic Jam.
All three versions (American, European/Japanese Original, and 2.0) are
availible to play on the
Sonic Mega Collection.
Zones
- Green Hill Zone
- Marble Zone
- Spring Yard Zone
- Labyrinth Zone
- Star Light Zone
- Scrap Brain Zone
- Final Zone
Pirated versions
The game was converted into a
Famicom game called
Somari by a group of
pirates in
Hong Kong. The game is mostly playable.
A pirated version of Sonic the Hedgehog that was widely pirated in
Asia has all of the
SEGA logos removed.
Hacks of the game
Sonic the Hedgehog has been modified by
hackers and two hacked versions have been floating around the
internet.
- One has
Mighty the Armadillo in place of Sonic, and had been called "Sonic 1
beta" sometimes to masquerade the fact that it was a hack discovered
in
1999.
- Another version has
Metal Sonic in place of Sonic.
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