If you're a gamer of a certain age, then you're bound to have played the original Sonic the Hedgehog. Even if you weren't a Mega Drive / Genesis owner back in the day, the Blue Blur's blistering debut has been ported to a wide range of Nintendo systems over the years, including GameCube, Game Boy Advance, Nintendo DS, Wii and 3DS – and has also found its way onto Sony and Microsoft hardware in the past. Taking this into account, you could argue that this 1991 classic is a somewhat uninspiring way to kick off the Sega Ages line on Switch, but like Tetris, Super Mario World and Zelda: A Link to the Past, there's something timeless about Sonic's first outing – and indeed all of his 2D 16-bit adventures.
We won't waste too much time talking about the gameplay seen here, as we're pretty sure you know the drill. Sonic speeds through a wide selection of levels collecting rings and spinning onto enemies; the aim is to blast through each of the three-zone worlds and defeat the boss waiting at the end, but there are other objectives – such as collecting enough rings to trigger the bonus stage where you can grab Chaos Emeralds, and finding hidden routes for bonuses and additional lives.
Compared to the rather sedate nature of the Super Mario games, Sonic felt like a revelation back in the early '90s – not just because it placed an emphasis on speed, but because it looked so much better than any 2D Mario outing up to that point. Sonic's focus on pace has been a bit of a double-edged sword over the years; while there are moments where it's truly exhilarating to dash through each level in the swiftest time possible without taking a hit, there are some points (especially during the second and fourth levels) where either the stage design flat-out prevents you from moving fast, or the need to be extra careful around multiple hazards makes it unwise. Despite this, Sonic is still a fun experience even when you're not moving at full speed, thanks to its precise platforming and tight controls.
Japanese emulation expert M2 is behind all of the Sega Ages ports, and like the 3DS version before it, Sega Ages Sonic the Hedgehog is a perfect replication of the 16-bit original. Thankfully, the company's penchant for adding value to its remasters has carried over here, and Sonic comes packed with bonus modes to sample once you've familiarised yourself with the core gameplay. 'Ring Keep' mode not only starts you off with 10 rings but also allows you to hold onto a few when you get hit, making things a little easier for novices, while 'Challenge' mode features Time and Score Attack modes which test your Sonic skills.
Dig deeper into the options and you'll find more goodies; the Spin Dash from Sonic 2 and Drop Dash from Sonic Mania are both enabled by default, but you can turn them off if you're hankering for the 'pure' experience. It's also possible to select between the Japanese, International or Mega Play versions of the game; the first two are pretty self-explanatory, but the third is the super-hard arcade variant which presents a stern challenge even for seasoned Sonic fans. Time limits are reduced, you don't get extra lives when you cross over the 100-ring marker and there are fewer zones to contend with.
It's possible to tinker with the controls (although this feels a little superfluous in a game where every button does the same thing) as well as change the display mode and select between unfiltered, scanlined, smoothed or smoothed and scanlined overlay effects. There are also loads of wallpapers to select from, which surround the play area when you're not using the full-screen view option. Finally, it's possible to keep track of your current 'Ring Chain' and 'Maximum Ring Chain', which will appeal to score-chasers.
In short, it's a pretty comprehensive package and certainly one of the best ways to experience Sonic's seminal debut, but if you could argue that the rather steep price point is difficult to stomach when we know that Sega is releasing a whole bunch of its Mega Drive games in its upcoming Switch collection; if you're not all that fussed about the extra features then it might be wise to wait for that. We also miss the amazing autostereoscopic 3D effect seen in the 3DS edition of the game, which seemed to breathe new life into the character; if you already have that version, then it could be argued that there's little reason to invest in this, outside of owning Sonic on yet another console.
Conclusion
Familiarity does breed contempt, but Sonic's first game remains a classic despite the number of times we've played it. Sure, the sequel may be the better outing and both Sonic Mania and Sonic CD are arguably superior releases, but there's a pureness to this title that makes it worth a look, even in 2018. The only complaint that can be raised against the Switch version is that, like a great many of the upcoming Sega Ages Mega Drive titles, it could end up being surplus to requirements when the Sega Mega Drive Classics collection arrives; a slightly lower price might have made this easier to wholeheartedly recommend, but we know this very minor complaint will fall on deaf ears if you're a diehard Sega fan.
Comments 58
I'm starting to get this more but I'm still disappointed it's not the mobile release which had the extra characters and special stage... Pull that in as well and I'll definitely buy
It's the definitive release by the masters of emulation - M2. If you're a purist, definitely don't pass this up. Otherwise if you want bang for your buck, wait for the collection but you'll probably find this rings rings around that version.
UK loves Sonic. This has gone straight in at No.3 in the eshop chart.
I don't agree with the reviewer, and it surprises me to see those statements, in that he implies it's the same that comes in the Sega Mega Drive Classics. As the same review says, it has the M2 treatment and all the extra options, and on top of that Mega Drive Classics got some criticism regarding to the quality of emulation, and sure not the same extras.
Apart from that, I bought it, despite having it on other systems, because it's a classic of my childhood, and I'm always in the mood for some Sonic 1. Plus, Mega Play version is great, and that's for sure exclusive to this release. Nowhere to be seen in the collection.
"Many" of these Sega Ages titles on the collection? Not quite. Some of them. Some. And as I said, not the same way.
@Alexface Not likely to happen. The mobile release was a complete remake built on a different engine. This is an enhanced emulation.
Good job I guess (I love M2) but I still wished they would have released the Christian Whitehead's version instead.
Same for Sonic 2.
@smashboy2000 why?
Sonic really hasn't stood the test of time. He feels bloody awful to control while you're moving slow. So sluggish! And when you're moving fast you aren't really doing anything. Bad games which are living on because of nostalgia.
Having played the original Sonic a metric ship-tonne when it first came out & on many emulators and consoles since, I will say I'm getting a little worn out by it... especially considering I'm part way through Sonic Mania Plus (and loving it).
For those young enough to have not played the first Sonic before, I'd say this is likely a must-have.. but for veterans, wait for someone to do something ACTUALLY new with it - let us play as Amy, Eggman.. or go wild and throw Mario in there.
It's not a perfect replication. That is a lie. And if you ask me if you're only going to buy 1 Sonic game on Nintendo Switch then buy Sonic Mania +.
I don't want to pay for this again to be honest, or not the £6 price they're charging. I would love this on my Switch to take with me anywhere for a quick blast without having to change a cartridge, like on 3DS. This is something that could've been included in a subscription service such as Nintendo Switch Online. I wish they had opened that up to more than just NES games but clearly they've told Sega they have no plans to, so just release individual titles yourself. Or at least release all the Sonic games as a compilation for £10 to download. I love Sonic but I've purchased it on every system, and with Nintendo moving away from releasing every Super Mario Bros for individual purchase at £5 each it's time for Sega to stop squeezing money out of these titles too.
As good as M2 are, Sega really, really should have released the Christian Whitehead Sonic ports instead of this. They're far superior.
SEGA are in some ways just as bad as Nintendo when it comes to rereleases. They do things in chronological order rather than order of quality, whether it’s offering NES games instead of SNES games or releasing Sonic first instead of Sonic 3&K or Golden Axe 2.
The Japanese version of Sonic 1 I think it better, as it has subtle things going on, like the tile offset effect when you're underwater, for one thing
@jcvandan You aren’t going to get far just running at full speed; you need to know how to control his momentum at any given moment, and knowing how to jump off slopes opens up tons of shortcuts, which in turn rewards more rings in order to open the emerald portal. It’s a deeper design than most people think and it encourages experimenting with the game’s (at the time) robust physics.
Adding drop dash and spin dash from later games only opens this exploration up further (at least until Stage 4 Labyrinth, where the action infamously halts to a stall.
It has its issues but I still think roughly 85% of the original Sonic is excellent design.
Best sonic game. Downhill after that. 🤪
@RadioHedgeFund That’s because thd older titles have proven huge financial success for them, so of course they keep going back.
@sandman89 I still think 2 is the best, although you can put Mania up there with them.
And, I might be in the minority, but I still adore the Adventure games (was like Sega giving a blank check to the series)
Yeah I'm not saying the levels aren't well designed, Sonic just feels so awful to control. It actually stresses me out when I lose momentum because it's tedious to get going again. I think it would be way more enjoyable if Sonic was zippier to get going! I've been playing Mario Bros NES since the online service launched and that's the complete opposite, such a joy to control. And this is coming from someone who was a Sega kid back in the day.
@Mogster
Christian Whitehead's version includes :
16/9 picture (and it's wonderful)
Better colors (still faithful to the original)
Tails & Knuckles unlockable
Remastered music (still faithful)
Additional special stage
Debug mode
My favorite treat is the 16/9 option.
Imagine Sonic 1 with the visual and sound panache of Sonic Mania. There you go.
I think it's amazing that they added spin dash and drop dash to this! It surprises me that some people (including this review) seem so unfazed by this addition.
In any case though, I played the Genesis to death growing up and don't care to revisit any games other than Comix Zone, Sub-Terrania, and Sonic 2.
I hope each of those gets an "Ages" release.
@jcvandan Sonic was always designed to implement inertia during movement. it's part of the difficulty of the game to handle the speed and manage the right places for accelerating to reach high spots with the jumpers.
what you call "sluggish" it's a way to handle velocity that comes from real world physic. instead than blaming nostalgia (which is not the case), you should aknowledge that the game it's inteded to work just differently than Super Mario Games, where inertia it's easier to handle. but easier doesn't mean better, and harder doesn't mean badder. hard to believe you were a fan of the original, if your vision of the games it's "there is no inertia in Mario, so it's better to play".
it always surprises me when I see some fans of Nintendo throwing s**t on other games just because they don't work as the the game they like more.
@jcvandan That's exactly how I'd describe Mario games.
@Rotroid Basically what you are saying is that is meant to be sluggish. I'm not a hardcore Nintendo fan, I have various consoles and if you read my follow up you'll see that I was a Sega kid back in the 90's. Platformers are 100% about how they feel to control, you can pick almost any platformer, particularly modern ones, and they are responsive and feel great to control. Sonic doesn't. I don't give a hoot if it's meant to feel how it does, it feels bad. And why does expressing an opinion mean I'm throwing [removed]?
@Rotroid oh, and a massive LOL at comparing anything in a Sonic game to real world physics
@jcvandan it's meant to handle inertia, not to be sluggish. like even Little Big Planet does for the jumps. in your head "more complex" becomes "sluggish", maybe because you're no good at playing them. behaviour seen so many times. pretending to have been a Sega kid means nothing since your opinion seems biased by the fact that handling something more difficult it's irritating you.
It's like blaming Souls game for some obstacles that are designed to offer a challenge and saying "they're killjoy".
@Rotroid yeah that's what it is, I just need to git gud.
@jcvandan Please mind your language!
@jcvandan massive LOL at you ignoring what inertia feels like. when you will try to push an object with a minor force your reaction will be mocking the thing for being sluggish I bet. "stupid thing that doesn't work easy the way I expect. your fault".
@Rohanrocks88 ha, this guy is absolutely typical of the horrible attitude of so many gamers online. "Someone has a different opinion than me, therefore they are stupid and must suck at the thing they are talking about".
Worth it for the added drop-dash alone!
@smashboy2000 @Mogster The Whitehead version also includes an area in Marble Zone only accessible to Tails and Knuckles which is a cool treat. And I agree, despite having touch controls and not a traditional controller, the Whitehead version is still superior. The touch controls work perfectly, to the point where I can unlock Super Sonic in S2 before fighting the first boss.
@Rohanrocks88 thanks for the constructive contribution to the discussion. I'm sure that your metaphore really helps your point looking competent. If people don't like the game after proving to have understood how it works, I'm totally fine with that, but this is not the case.
@jcvandan you accuse me to not accept different opinions, but I definitely accept them when supported by knowledge, which is not your case. since you blame the game for what it feels for you, rather than for what it is.
You mistake for bad controls what it's a part of the challenge of game and you praise another game for not throwing you the same challenge. Where is the opinion behind this? You're just one of those people that blame a game after failing at it and you proved your proficiency. There is no opinion in this, just a rant and hate.
@Rohanrocks88 actually you were the one insulting me with that metaphore about sucking, and now with this. making insinuations about the personal life of someone you don't know, really shows that you have nothing to say about games. At least I presume the videogames' knowledge of someone based on what he says about a game. My accomplishment doesn't make me better than others obviously. But it proves that I know what I'm talking about while expressing a judgement. Just it.
If someone says "I can't play the game the way I pretend, so it's bad" that's not an opinion, expecially if the game has been designed to be totally different.
I'm really bad at Dark Souls, I prefer less complex rpgs, but it's not an excuse to talk bad about the game (and I don't do it). I'm just no good at it, but that's mine fault, not of the game.
"But how many versions do you really need?"
laughs in Tamrielic
@Rotroid Just because you're good at a game doesn't make it good. Just because you're bad at a game doesn't make it bad.
See there are these things called opinions and they cover pretty much every judgment that ends in good or bad. Accept that people's are different and that you being "ubergood" at this game doesn't make yours anymore correct than someone who hates it.
@rohanrocks88 I quoted you by mistake originally lol sorry.
@Panopticon And if you play it on an Apple TV, you can use a real controller
(I think you can also on iPhone and iPad with a bluetooth controller but we will all agree that no one does that)
I love Sonic but this is basically the same game I got on the 3DS Sega collection also by M2. Maybe I'll just wait for the Sega Genesis Classic Collection instead.
@saintayu my complaint was about the argument: "I can't adapt to this particular gameplay, so it's bad". And this is not an opinion, as previously said. His point was just motivated by what the game felt for him, regardless of the game design, regardless as the game was meant to be. His point was just hating the game for not being as he expected.
Breaking news: platforms are good even with inertia and even if they don't resemble Mario.
Sadly, many people doesn't even try to go further their personal views so if a game doesn't match their vision "it means it's bad". Not to mention people hating games because of ragequit effect, which is not an opinion too, just a bad habit.
Maybe you have not read my post when I say that I'm ok with people saying they don't like the game if they have a thoughtful opinion.
But there is a HUGE difference between a rant due to a ragequit and a different opinion. I was just arguing about someone saying "I feel bad so it must be game's fault". So, please, do that speech to the other user. Because it's not my case.
Its so odd SEGA would commission M2 to do this port when the Christain Whitehead version would have done. With all the extras put into that realease, it could have sold even better than this one with the 16:9 option alone. It would have stood perfectly with Mania.
But nope, guess my dream of the CW remasters on a console will have to wait another day since this still topped the eShop charts. Maybe next time when SEGA feels the need for a 3rd Sonic 1+2 port on Switch (If CAPCOM can get away with 4-5 versions of Street Fighter 2 on the Wii/Wii U VCs.... XD).....
M2 every time for me over any shoddy compilations, the price is still worth it. Still quite difficult to come back to though after Sonic Mania.
@jcvandan
Kind of agree that S1 feels so sluggish and unfunny to control coming off every other Sonic game ever. I’d find it hard to go back to playing it exactly like it was as originally meant, but this version (and 3DS version) adding the Spin Dash and Drop Dash goes a long way toward fixing that problem. You can now instantly gain momentum after being snagged, and the game feels much zippier.
Sonic 1 is my favourite in the series due to the excellent marble zone which has never been revisited since. Guess I'm the only one who likes the second stage.
@NintendoFan4Lyf if you want the best, play the original on the Mega Drive
@USWITCH64 I'm pretty sure Marble Zone is generally disliked, mainly for the level layout which encourages a lot of platforming, making it slower than other levels. I recall one fan saying it was a Mario stage in a Sonic game-A level that requires careful platforming in a game dedicated to building up speed and momentum.
It is made by the masters that made the 3DS version which interestingly makes great use of stereoscopic 3D. I hope they remake 3 & Knuckles with or without MJ's melodies for all consoles, the very best Sonic game in my opinion.
Sonic has perfectly designed physics on the Mega Drive games whether people like these games or not. The level design is super high-quality and so is the soundtrack. They are very replayable and rewarding with several ways to reach the goal and improve the momentum. They are not standard platformers so no point in comparing them with Mario.
You want my money Sega!? GIMMIE S3&K! And gimmie rewind so I can get all the chaos emeralds while still being bad at video games because I'm an adult with a job and I don't want to play that stupid mini game over and over and over again!
I gave Sonic a try on the vc. I just don't like the 2d sonic games. I am excited for the other M2 games coming up though.
The Ring Keep mode sounds like a cool addition, but it's not enough for me to once again buy a game I already own on both GameCube and 3DS.
@DavidMac Since "Sonic 3&K" has a save feature, I eventually grabbed all the Chaos Emeralds just by playing Angel Island Zone (where I know exactly where two of the golden rings are) over and over until I beat all the Blue Spheres stages for them. Someday, I need to go back and finish collecting all the Super Emeralds, though...
Unfortunately, there isn't a code to just collect the Chaos Emeralds like in "Sonic 2," but if you really just want to play as Super Sonic, Hyper Sonic, Super Tails, and Super Knuckles, you could cheat your way there through the debug mode cheat.
Still would have preferred the Taxman (mobile version) of these games... If just for wide-screen. It would be beautiful on the full screen, as proven by Mania. We can only hope a Taxman collection with 1,2,CD Nd hopefully 3&K follows soon
I was absolutely going to buy this until I saw the 50 Mega Drive game package coming out for £30 in a couple of months. I think I’ll wait.
@BulbasaurusRex Oh I'm fully aware, I was planning on using the one in mushroom hill zone
@BulbasaurusRex The problem is getting the super emeralds because the bonus stages get even more difficult. It's crazy. I just gave up, I prefer to play the game with the normal characters anyway.
Am I the only one noticing the drop dash not working the same as it did in Mania? You need to be a little more precise in this game than you did in Mania.
So many versions and it's still just an overrated "totally radical" mess that actively sabotages its own fun factor.
Having picked up the Genesis Collection I can confirm its version of Sonic has crazy input lag. Been told it's not present in this release
Tap here to load 58 comments
Leave A Comment
Hold on there, you need to login to post a comment...