page:  = Sonic the Hedgehog ( 1991 video game ) = 
   
   Sonic the Hedgehog is a platform video game developed by Sonic Team and published by Sega for the Sega Genesis console . The game was first released in North America , Europe and Australia in June 1991 , and in Japan the following month . The game features an anthropomorphic hedgehog named Sonic in a quest to defeat Dr. Robotnik , a scientist who has imprisoned animals in robots and stolen the magical Chaos Emeralds . Sonic the Hedgehog 's gameplay involves collecting rings as a form of health and a simple control scheme , with jumping and attacking controlled by a single button . 
   The game 's development began in 1990 , when Sega ordered its AM8 development team to create a game featuring a mascot for the company . After considering a number of suggestions , the developers decided on a blue hedgehog with spikes along his head and spine and renamed themselves " Sonic Team " to match their character . Sonic the Hedgehog , designed for fast gameplay , was influenced by the games of Super Mario series creator , Shigeru Miyamoto . Sonic the Hedgehog uses a novel technique that allows Sonic 's sprite to roll along curved scenery , which originated in a tech demo created by the game 's programmer , Yuji Naka . 
   The game was well received by critics , who praised its visuals , music , and speed of gameplay . The game was also commercially successful , establishing the Genesis as a key player in the 16 @-@ bit era and allowing it to compete with Nintendo and their Super NES console . It has been ported a number of times , and inspired several clones , a successful franchise , and adaptations by other media . 
   
   = = Plot = = 
   
   In an attempt to steal the six Chaos Emeralds and harness their power , the game 's antagonist , Dr. Ivo Robotnik , has trapped the animal inhabitants of South Island in aggressive robots and stationary metal capsules . The player controls Sonic , who aims to halt Robotnik 's plans by freeing his animal friends and collecting the emeralds himself . 
   If the player collects all the Chaos Emeralds and completes the game , a reward ending sequence is shown . If all the emeralds are not collected , Robotnik taunts the player while juggling the Chaos Emeralds instead . 
   
   = = Gameplay = = 
   
   Sonic the Hedgehog is a 2D , side @-@ scrolling platformer , whose gameplay centers around Sonic 's ability to run at high speed through levels incorporating springs , slopes , high falls , and loop @-@ the @-@ loops . The levels contain hazards in the form of robots ( " badniks " in the Western game manuals ) inside of which Dr. Robotnik has trapped animals . Although destroying a robot frees the animal within , this is not required to complete the game . The player must avoid rows of sharp spikes , falling into bottomless pits , being crushed by moving walls or platforms , and drowning ( which can be avoided by breathing air bubbles periodically released from vents ) . Sonic 's main attack is his spin , where he curls into a ball and rotates rapidly ( damaging enemies and some obstacles ) . This can be performed by jumping in the air or rolling on the ground . 
   Scattered around each level map are gold rings , and collecting 100 rings rewards the player with an extra life . Rings are a layer of protection against hazards ; if Sonic has at least one ring when he collides with an enemy ( or obstacle ) , he will survive . However , all his rings will be scattered ; they will flicker and disappear in a few seconds if they are not picked up again . If Sonic is hit without any rings , he loses a life . Although shields and temporary invincibility may be collected to provide additional protection , certain hazards ( such as drowning , being crushed , falling down a bottomless pit or running out of time ) will cost Sonic a life regardless of rings or other protection . 
   The game is divided into six zones ( Green Hill , Marble , Spring Yard , Labyrinth , Star Light , and Scrap Brain ) , each with its own visual style and enemies . A player must navigate through each zone ( subdivided into three acts ) to progress . At the end of each zone 's third act , the player confronts Dr. Robotnik ( who pilots a different vehicle each time ) in a boss fight . After the sixth zone , the player continues directly to the Final Zone for a last encounter with Robotnik . 
   The player begins with three lives ( power @-@ ups and rings add more ) , which are lost when Sonic collides with hazardous enemies ( or objects ) without rings , falls off @-@ screen or exceeds an act 's ten @-@ minute time limit . Lampposts acting as checkpoints allow Sonic to return to the most @-@ recently activated post when he loses a life . If he loses a life as a result of time running out but has another life , the timer will reset to 0 : 00 when he returns to the checkpoint . If all lives are lost at any point in the game , the game over screen will appear ( when the player can return to the beginning of the act with three lives , if they have any continues ) . 
   When Sonic reaches the end of act one or act two of a zone with at least fifty rings , a large ring appears through which he can jump to enter a Special Stage ( a " Secret Zone " in the original Genesis manual ) . In each of six Special Stages , Sonic bounces off the bumpers and walls of a rotating maze in spin attack . Although the player earns a continue with each 50 rings found , their main goal is to obtain the Chaos Emerald at the end of the maze without colliding with a " goal block " ( which ends the level ) . 
   
   = = Development = = 
   
   
   = = = Background and character design = = = 
   
   In 1990 , Sega ordered its in @-@ house development studio , AM8 , to develop a game featuring a mascot for the company . This was a position already held by the character Alex Kidd , but he was considered similar to Mario and deemed unsatisfactory ; Sega president Hayao Nakayama wanted a character as iconic as Mickey Mouse . Sega had competition from Nintendo and its mascot , Mario , in mind ; Nintendo was dominant at the time , particularly after the release of the successful Super Mario Bros. 3 , and Sega wanted a foothold in the industry . Although the company had some success with Genesis ports of its arcade titles , it knew this would not be enough . 
   AM8 developed ideas for characters , an engine , and gameplay mechanics . Development emphasized speed , so AM8 eliminated character designs not associated with fast animals , as well as fast creatures like kangaroos and squirrels . One idea , a rabbit able to grasp objects with prehensile ears , showed promise at first but was too complex for the available hardware . The team narrowed its search to animals that can roll into a ball , their idea for an attacking move . Designers then realized that this would not seem aggressive enough , so they focused on two animals with spikes : armadillos and hedgehogs . The hedgehog character , first proposed by Naoto Ohshima , prevailed , although the armadillo would later become the basis for Mighty the Armadillo ( who first appeared in 1993 's SegaSonic the Hedgehog ) . Ohshima has admitted since that he created Sonic 's basic design by combining Felix the Cat 's head with Mickey Mouse 's body . 
   Sonic was originally teal @-@ colored , then a light shade of blue , but he was changed to dark blue so he would stand out against certain backgrounds and to match the Sega logo . His shoes were colored red through the inspiration of Michael Jackson 's boots on the album cover for Bad and the outfit of Santa Claus , whom Ohshima saw as the most " famous character in the world " . Sonic 's spikes were emphasized to make him look sleeker , and he was given the ability to spin while jumping ( so attacking and jumping could be controlled with one button ) . The new character was originally named " Mr. Needlemouse " , but the eight @-@ member AM8 changed his name to " Sonic " and their studios to Sonic Team . Ideas proposed to flesh out the character included placing him in a rock band , giving him vampire fangs , and giving him a human girlfriend named Madonna , but Sega of America scrapped these ideas to keep his identity simple . Sega of America also expressed concerns that most Americans would not know what a hedgehog is and initially proposed a full @-@ scale recreation of the character , but compromised with Sonic Team to simply make design changes . The antagonist ended up being named " Dr. Eggman " in Japan and " Dr. Robotnik " in other regions as a result of a dispute between Sega 's American and Japanese divisions . 
   
   = = = Programming and prototyping = = = 
   
   With a satisfying protagonist completed , Sega turned to esteemed programmer Yuji Naka , who had impressed them through his work on Phantasy Star and the Genesis port of Ghouls ' n Ghosts . The gameplay originated with a tech demo by Naka , who developed an algorithm allowing a sprite to move smoothly on a curve by determining its position with a dot matrix . Naka 's prototype was a platform game with a fast @-@ moving character rolling in a ball through a long , winding tube , and this concept was fleshed out with Ohshima 's character designs and levels by designer Hirokazu Yasuhara . Yasuhara originally intended to work on the game for three months due to the delay of his planned move to the United States by the outbreak of the Gulf War , but was engrossed in the project for nearly a year . His designs for levels were intended to attract both hardcore and casual gamers by integrating occasional challenging set pieces into the mostly accessible level design . The game 's color scheme was influenced by the work of pop artist Eizin Suzuki , and the aesthetics of Green Hill were influenced by the geography of California . 
   In designing the game mechanics , Naka was inspired by Shigeru Miyamoto , whose games he had enjoyed playing years earlier . Admiring the simplicity of Miyamoto 's mechanics in complex environments , Naka decided that Sonic would be controlled with only a directional pad for movement and a single button for jumping . He also wanted his creation to be more action @-@ oriented than the Mario series ; while playing Super Mario Bros. , he had wondered why the levels could not be cleared more quickly . Due to the need to demonstrate the Genesis ' technological prowess , the developing game underwent extensive testing and redesign , a process taking over six months . The developers ' efforts were rewarded ; according to Yuji Naka , the game had the fastest @-@ ever character speed in a video game and a rotation effect in the special stages that was considered impossible on the console . The team intended to add a two @-@ player mode displayed via split @-@ screen , but Naka 's programming knowledge was insufficient to implement this feature . However , such a mode would later appear in sequel Sonic the Hedgehog 2 ( 1992 ) , where the second player would control Sonic 's best friend Miles " Tails " Prower . Naka , Oshima , and Yasuhara worked 19 hours a day on the project for several months . 
   Naka 's relationship with Sega of Japan was tenuous during this time ; he received little credit for his involvement in the game . He left the company shortly after the game 's release , although Sega of America hired him later . Before leaving , however , he defied Sega of Japan 's prohibition of developer credits by displaying a few names in black text on a black background , identifiable only by looking at the game 's code . 
   
   = = = Music = = = 
   
   The music for Sonic the Hedgehog was composed and produced by Masato Nakamura , bassist and lead songwriter of the J @-@ pop band Dreams Come True . The game uses onboard Yamaha YM2612 and SN76489 programmable sound generators to produce a variety of stereo sound effects and music . It was originally intended to have a sound test menu with animations of Sonic breakdancing to the music of a " Sonic Band " of Sharps Chicken on guitar , Max Monkey on bass , Mach Rabbit on drums , and Vector the Crocodile on keyboard . The playable Vector became a recurring character in the series , also appearing in Knuckles ' Chaotix , Sonic Heroes , and Sonic Free Riders . The development schedule scrapped the feature , and Yuji Naka replaced the test with the " Se @-@ ga ! " chant used in TV commercials ( which reportedly used one @-@ eighth of the memory of the four @-@ megabit cartridge ) . 
   On October 19 , 2011 , twenty years after the game 's release , a three @-@ disc compilation of music from Sonic the Hedgehog and Sonic the Hedgehog 2 was released in Japan . The first disc features original tracks from both games , the second contains Masato Nakamura 's demo recordings and the third comprises songs by Dreams Come True and their Akon remixes . 
   
   = = = Packaging and release = = = 
   
   Game @-@ package illustrator Akira Watanabe said that his goal was to make the characters " colorful " , using clear lines and gradation to " finish them neatly " . According to Watanabe , the developers asked him to create a package design " similar to pop art ... without being particular to conventional packages " – something " original " and " stylish " . The game was released in North America , Europe , and Australia on June 23 , 1991 , and in Japan on July 26 . Sega of America packaged it with American Genesis consoles , replacing Altered Beast . Genesis owners who bought their consoles before the switch could request free copies of Sonic the Hedgehog by mail . Sega of America created a large @-@ scale marketing campaign to promote the game and Sonic as a mascot for the company . 
   
   = = Alternate versions and ports = = 
   
   
   = = = 8 @-@ bit version = = = 
   
   A version of Sonic the Hedgehog was developed by Ancient and released in 1991 for Sega 's 8 @-@ bit consoles , the Master System and Game Gear . Its plot and gameplay mechanics are similar to the 16 @-@ bit version , with different level themes and digital assets . The level design is flatter , with no vertical loops , and Sonic cannot re @-@ collect his rings after being hit . The game has a different soundtrack , composed by chiptune musician Yuzo Koshiro and including his compositions and adaptations of music from the 16 @-@ bit version . It was the final game released for the Master System in North America . The Master System version was re @-@ released for Wii 's Virtual Console service in North America on August 4 , 2008 , and in Europe on August 8 . The Game Gear version was re @-@ released for the Nintendo 3DS Virtual Console on June 13 , 2013 , and included as an unlockable game in Sonic Adventure DX : Director 's Cut for GameCube and Windows and Sonic Mega Collection Plus for PlayStation 2 , Xbox , and Windows . 
   
   = = = Sonic the Hedgehog Genesis = = = 
   
   A port , Sonic the Hedgehog Genesis , was released for the Game Boy Advance ( GBA ) on November 14 , 2006 in United States to mark the game 's fifteenth anniversary . It included several new features , such as the ability to save game progress , a level select option , and an Anniversary Mode with the Spin Dash move ( not originally implemented until Sonic the Hedgehog 2 ) . Its screen is slightly zoomed in , and adapted to the GBA 's widescreen aspect ratio . The game received poor reviews , with a Metacritic score of 33 percent ; the chief complaints concerned its poor conversion to the Game Boy Advance ( resulting in a slow frame rate ) , remixed chunky music , and poor preservation of the original gameplay . 
   
   = = = Compilation releases = = = 
   
   With its sequels for the Genesis , Sonic the Hedgehog has been ported for a wide range of home and handheld consoles and personal computers . It has appeared in Sonic Compilation ( 1995 ) for the Genesis , Sonic Jam ( 1997 ) for the Sega Saturn and Game.com , Sonic Mega Collection ( 2002 ) , Sonic Mega Collection Plus ( 2004 ) , Sonic 's Ultimate Genesis Collection ( 2009 ) for the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 , and Sonic Classic Collection ( 2010 ) for the Nintendo DS . Additionally , the game is an unlockable reward in the console versions of Sonic Generations . 
   
   = = = Downloadable releases = = = 
   
   Sonic the Hedgehog has been available for all three major seventh @-@ generation video game consoles . It was part of the Wii Virtual Console at the service 's 2006 introduction , and was released for the Xbox Live Arcade and PlayStation Network shortly afterwards . The game was released for the iPod Classic , iPod video , and video @-@ capable iPod Nano models in 2007 and for Apple 's iOS service ( compatible iPhone and iPod touch models ) in April 2009 . Sonic the Hedgehog became available on GameTap in September 2009 . In October 2010 , it was released as a Microsoft Windows download which was ported to Steam . The game was ported to two online app services ( Google Play and the Amazon Appstore ) in December 2012 . A remastered mobile port , created using Christian Whitehead 's Retro Engine previously used in the 2011 rerelease of Sonic CD , was released on iOS , replacing the original port , on May 15 , 2013 with an Android version released the following day . The port features widescreen graphics , the optional ability to spin dash , a time attack mode , and the unlockable option to play as Tails or Knuckles the Echidna . The game was also released as part of the Nintendo 3DS 3D Classics line in May 2013 in Japan , and worldwide in December . 
   
   = = Reception = = 
   
   Sonic the Hedgehog was critically praised at its release and in retrospective reviews , with an 86 @-@ percent approval rating at the review aggregator GameRankings based on nine reviews . The game rivaled the Mario series , particularly Super Mario World ( which was recently released for Genesis rival Super Nintendo Entertainment System ) . Paul Rand of Computer and Video Games compared the two in depth and characterized Sonic the Hedgehog as being faster , with brighter colors , and Super Mario World as having more " depth of play " . 
   Reviewers noted the game 's colorful , detailed graphics . Rand called its color scheme " lively , but never garish " , praising the interaction of color with detail in the sprites , backgrounds , and animations and describing its graphics as the best available for the Genesis . Reviewer Boogie Man of GamePro called the intricate backgrounds " eye @-@ popping " and " gorgeous " , which was echoed by Mean Machines . According to the Lessers ( Hartley , Patricia , and Kirk ) of Dragon , " The graphics and animation in Sonic the Hedgehog make this a serious contender for the best video game of the year " and GameZone called the animation " some of the smoothest and fastest ... ever seen " . The music and sound effects were also well received ; Dragon called them " great " , and GameZone " amazing " . Rand noted " stacks of catchy tunes and jingles " , calling some of the sound effects " absolutely brilliant " . Although Mean Machines called the songs " vaguely appealing " , the game 's sound effects were better appreciated . 
   Critics cited the fast gameplay , unprecedented in platformers . GamePro 's Boogie Man noted its " lightning @-@ fast action " and , according to Electronic Gaming Monthly ( EGM ) , " If you thought the Enterprise was quick , wait till you see Sonic at warp speed . " The game 's difficulty was disputed , described as " impossible " by Rand and " average " by EGM . Rand said about the gameplay in general that it " plays like a dream " ; according to GameZone it would enchant players for hours , and Boogie Man praised Sonic Team 's ability to provide an engaging experience primarily from running and jumping . Although EGM , Dragon , and Paul of Mean Machines praised the level design ( especially the hidden rooms ) , Paul found losing all of one 's rings frustrating . 
   Sonic the Hedgehog has maintained its popularity , appearing on lists of the greatest video games of all time . Frank Provo of GameSpot described the game as " one of the best platformers of all time " , noting that despite technical issues in the Game Boy Advance port " after all these years , the underlying graphics , audio , and gameplay still hold up " . Lucas M. Thomas of IGN agreed that it stood the test of time : " You 'll be impressed by the clarity and color that come through ... Few people realize how difficult it was to create Sonic 's graphics engine , which allowed for the incredible rate of speed the game 's known for . But the technical achievement impressed back in ' 91 , and still does so today . " Mega ranked the game its third @-@ favorite Genesis title , and in 2001 Game Informer called it the 24th @-@ greatest game of all time . Sonic the Hedgehog has been a commercial success ; the original Genesis version sold over 15 million copies by February 2009 , and the mobile version had eight million paid downloads by 2008 . 
   
   = = Legacy = = 
   
   
   = = = Effect on the industry = = = 
   
   Primarily because of its Genesis bundling , Sonic the Hedgehog contributed to the console 's North American popularity . During October – December 1991 , the Genesis outsold the Super NES by a two @-@ to @-@ one ratio , and at its January 1992 peak claimed 65 percent of the market for 16 @-@ bit consoles . Although Nintendo eventually again overtook Sega , this was the first time since December 1985 that the company did not lead the console market . 
   Sonic the Hedgehog added speed and momentum @-@ based physics to the standard platform formula . Set @-@ pieces and mechanics introduced by the game ( such as loops , springs , and acceleration pads ) have appeared in other games and become associated with the Sonic series . 
   A flood of " animal with attitude " platformers , each featuring a cartoon mascot , were released after Sonic the Hedgehog : Bubsy , Aero the Acro @-@ Bat , James Pond 3 , Earthworm Jim , Zero the Kamikaze Squirrel , Awesome Possum , Ty the Tasmanian Tiger , Gex . This carried into the PlayStation era with games like Punky Skunk and Crash Bandicoot . 
   
   = = = Sequels and other media = = = 
   
   The game 's success led Sega to develop an extensive media franchise . A 1992 sequel , Sonic the Hedgehog 2 , gave Sonic a best friend ( and sidekick ) named Miles " Tails " Prower and continued the fight against Dr. Robotnik . Sonic has generated dozens of additional games and a large cast of recurring characters ( keeping Sonic and Robotnik as mainstays ) , surviving the end of Sega console manufacturing after the Dreamcast . The series has ventured from platformers to fighting , racing , role @-@ playing , and sports games , and has expanded into anime and manga , cartoons and comic books , novels , and toys . Sonic the Hedgehog has become one of the best @-@ selling video game franchises of all time , with over 150 million copies sold by May 2014 . The game 's first stage , Green Hill Zone , has also been re @-@ purposed for use in several other titles such as Sonic Adventure 2 , Sonic Generations and the Super Smash Bros. series . 
   
   