Sonic the Hedgehog is 25 years old, with the original game coming out on SEGA Genesis / Mega Drive in North America on 23rd June 1991, kicking off one of gaming's most iconic early rivalries. The 'Bit Wars' between SEGA and Nintendo, Sonic and Mario, were integral to many childhoods of gamers that are now typically over 30 years old; more importantly, it was just a bloomin' great game.
Though the industry's evolved a great deal, Sonic is still alive and kicking, from the brilliant and witty Twitter account in his name to a mixed bag of games across consoles and mobile. Forgetting the Wii U exclusive that shall not be named, the blue blur has had some solid releases in recent times - Sonic Generations had some high points on consoles and PC, Sonic Colours was an enjoyable Wii exclusive, and positive things can also be said for Sonic Lost World. By all accounts the animated spin-off TV series related to the Wii U exclusive that shall not be named is a success, spawning another 3DS game this year in Sonic Boom: Fire & Ice.
The Sonic Team has also reiterated that it's working on a new game in the series, while a movie is in the works. A special announcement is also coming on 22nd July from an anniversary celebration in San Diego, so we're hopeful that the next major Sonic console game will be revealed.
It's easy to pick on Sonic and tease the franchise, even its own Twitter account joins in, but we should also celebrate its impact on the gaming scene. The original core Mega Drive / Genesis games have a special place in this writer's heart, and when assessed objectively the franchise has delivered some solid games in the past decade, too. For many fans, the hope is that this anniversary year will see the unveiling of the next major Sonic game; if it takes the groundwork of titles like Generations and Colours while improving on key areas it could be fantastic.
In any case, we doff our cap to Sonic the Hedgehog. It was the blue blur's debut on Mega Drive that first made this writer fall in love with console gaming - true story. The impact and the sheer giddy joy of its gameplay sowed the seed for a lifetime for gaming, and we suspect plenty of Sonic fans can relate to that.
If you'll excuse this writer, it's time to go and play 3D Sonic the Hedgehog, right after I've got something out of my eye...
Comments 57
I used to play this game 24/7... Great memories! Happy birthday sonic
Happy birthday, Sanic! You've had more downs than I would've preferred, but I still enjoy the ups you've had!
Happy birthday sonic! Just don't screw this year up!
And if that party is announcing another announcement, I swear to god...
Congratulations to the blue blur for 25 years! There certainly were ups and downs with this franchise over the years, but overall it has made a lot of gamers very happy. Playing the classic Genesis and Adventure games on my Gamecube were some of my fondest childhood memories.
Oh, and the Sonic YouTube channel has made a very interesting retrospective video for the occasion that I feel should be added to the article. It's quite charming.
Happy birthday and hopefully you will bring us a GOOD game again like the ones of the 90s. Those are AWESOME!
Happy 25th Sonic! But... I just noticed that Sonic has spent more years in bad games than good games.
@UberMadman Sure, will do that
Its all downhill after 20
Happy birthday Sonic! Any comments, @Blue_Blur? This is your namesake.
Also, for those who have Sonic Dash on mobile, the app is giving away 25 free red rings today!
@NintendoFan64 His name is Sonic and you know that right?
Oh boy......how can I say this in the positive way without trolling?
Sonic.....as far as legends go, you once were that legend and came to the same levels as Mario. You were responsible to bring Sega into the big name it is now. Had you not existed, SEGA would have given up on Console gaming as soon as the Mega Drive showed up.
But you can be that legend now because people still have hope in you....I have hope in you simply because you provide platforming variety more than Mario.
As much as I love Mario, I will love you as well. I'll admit that I hated you at one point but that's only because of how brainwashed I was thinking that people hated Mario and preferred Sonic instead.
Your recent outings and the handheld games are awesome and you can still be awesome if SEGA realizes that you have to be better treated.
If you go, I'll be sad because I know Mario won't give me the stuff that you always give Sonic. That's what's you're so good at..... Its already sad enough that we lost Mega Man and other cool mascots out there.
That said, Happy B day Blue Blur. Hope the best out of you.
I should pick up lost world. Ill probably like it. Still, they'll never reach the heights they did on CD for me again.
Sonic CD is probably my favorite. Though 3&K and Generations are both excellent as well (and 2 and the 1st one and, while I hate the controls, there's definitely a charm to adventure)
@A01 It happened, it was rubbish and announced nothing of note.
Congrats to SEGA, Sonic Team and its creators who defied Nintendo in the 90s with a genius brand new mascot and their incredible games that still stand today and we still have fun with! o/
Thinking today about a long gone past: it seems that was the need for bringing a new character to compete seriously against Nintendo in the 16-bit era that made such good old Sonic games for the Mega Drive come to life and become gems easily recommended till nowadays.
HA!!! Now loading for '06!!
@A01 I was following it at the same time as covering the Treehouse. It was an announcement of an announcement (the San Diego thing mentioned in the article here), so I felt it deserved nothing more than a cutting tweet
(Ironically the second announcement of that announcement, which made it even worse)
Poor lad hasn't aged well.
I played sonic 3 and knuckles for many hours. Had 100% save files for sonic and tails, sonic alone, tails alone and knuckles. I wonder why it not in the Wii u vc, also where are the sonic advance games?????
HAPPY BIRTHDAY, SONIC!!!!!!!!!!!!
Happy Birthday Sonic! I've had some fun times playing through Rush and Generations (the only 2 I've fully played so far but that's going to change with the humble bundle). Despite only playing 2, I've still had a good time with Sonic TV shows and the like. A series I very much enjoy and although some of your recent games haven't hit the mark yet, I have much hope for the new game! The Twitter account is also a gem. Here's to many, many more years of Sonic the Hedgehog!
Happy Birthday Sonic!
Ever since I played my first Sonic game (Riders), Sonic has always been my favorite video game series. Sonic was a huge part of my childhood, and I have so many wonderful memories! I hope the new game will be great, along with Fire & Ice. Keep on running!
@Trinexx: Heh, it would be weird if I didn't comment on this article! XD It's no secret that I love Sonic! And thanks for the tip about the Red Star Rings; I'll be sure to do that!
I was never a sonic fan, though I enjoyed Adventure on Dreamcast, and actually had a lot of fun with Advance 1 on GBA.
Character design wise, I can't stand the "modern Sonic", weird square shoes and his spikes that look more like he is a blue Super Sayan 3. I'm always happy to see Classic Sonic, or at least, the new one wearing the classic shoes. I don't understand Sonic Boom, so I can't comment on it. Of course, a lot of people like those, and all of the above is only my opinion.
Happy Birthday Blue Blur!
With all said and done, I'm rooting for better days. Even if each new game is worse than the last, at least Sonic survived this long, unlike so many other mascots we wish that were still with us today.
...but I'm not holding my breath, sorry.
Happy Birthday Sonic ^o^
We are pretty much growing togheter, I still remember the mornings playing Sonic 2 before going to the kindergarten and since then he never left my gaming life ;w;
Sure there have been ups and downs, but then again life is always an hell of a ride and I can't wait to see him spin-Dashing back into the glory (yes, I still hope and believe and I'll never stop doing it! You don't leave a friend behind just cause a '06 or a Boom!).
Your games may be hit and miss, and Sega might know how to handle you as much as Capcom handles Megaman, but you'll always have a soft spot in my heart Sonic. I was more of a Nintendo Fan, but I'd be lying if I said I didn't love your games to death. Hope you can impress me again soon!
Happy Birthday Sonic!
Happy birthday, Sonic!
And thank you for your amazing announcement at E3 2016... not.
I was just out of high school when Sonic came out, and it's one of a trio of games I remember playing with my sister (the others being Super Mario World and Donkey Kong Country). I haven't played much since the first two, and for some reason, I lost my enjoyment of the first two until recently. It's kind of hard to figure out how you're supposed to play them, but if I take my time instead of trying to blast to the end, it's fun. I'm really enjoying the Sega 3D Classics lately. Maybe I'll fire up Colors for Wii later, though I didn't much like it before.
Sonic is 25 years old and already he has slowed down to a crawl. Time for someone to stand up and make a normal Sonic game without all the extra BS that isn't necessary and doesn't add anything nice anyway.
Oh, and while they're at it, they should make another Sonic All-Star Racing game as well...
playing the first game on mega drive was quite magical. sonic 2 was awesome too — amazing music.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c6uVnR9B2vY
I've been trying to get all the Emblems in Sonic Adventure DX for the last few days, and just finished the Super Sonic story, which I had put off for awhile since I could never quite finish it on the PC version, though I got it on my 3rd try on the GC version. I had been saving it to show my best friend the story since it's pretty short, but I thought doing it today would be pretty fitting. An awesome ending for a very amazing game.
Got the Humble Bundle for $10. Already had some of the games on Wii U. Hopefully they're work better on PC! I'm looking at you, Racing Transformed...
"Now Loading"
Cousin and I used to play the first two Sonic games a lot when they first were around. I never got around to playing 3 or any after it. I think I played a little of 3D Sonic and Pinball Sonic at a friend's house when I was 13 or 14. I couldn't get into any of the Sonic games after that, too 3D for me I guess.
Gatta go f4st!
Happy Anny, Sanic~!!!!
SAAAAAH-GUUUUUUH
It's a shame really but Sonic games are absolutely crap now! They've never really managed to make the transition from 2d the 3D gaming. Don't understand why they don't do what Nintendo have done with Mario and released some old 2d side scroller type games.
Only a few games through my long life have ever genuinely blew me away,I could count them on one hand in fact.Mario 64,Ocarina of Time,Shenmue and Mario Galaxy.But no game has had as big an impact on me as when I first laid eyes this guys iconic debut.I can still remember it vividly too.A truly magical game at the time.
Without a little game called Sonic Rush Adventure, and the Sonic X series, I wouldn't be a gamer. So thanks, Sonic, for making sure my first gaming experience was a good one, and even if you do fall flat on your face every now and then, I'll choose to ignore it, and remember the good times, like playing Sonic Adventure for the first time, or the first time I got around to playing the original Green Hill, or trying desperately to get an S on Eggmanland on Sonic Unleashed, so, Sonic, and the decent cast too (I'm referring to anyone from Sonic CD and before. Oh, and Shadow, sans the gun. He's not too bad.), look forward to another bite at the cherry this year. Hopefully this time, we'll get a good slice of platforming cake.
...But no more Big the Cat. Ever. Please.
Won't forget the first time I played Sonic when it had just come out on the Megadrive. Blown away. Then the first time I played Sonic Adventure on the Dreamcast. Wow (apart from a few glitches, thoroughly enjoyed it). That was also my last Sonic game. Everything after that didn't really grab me.
@GrailUK Don't you mean the 15th?
@ThomasBW84 Sonic Colo(u)rs also had a little known DS version as well.
Man, I just turned 30 last week and the hedgehog turns 25. Wow, Sonic was part of my childhood, loved playing the games on Genesis and played Sonic Adventure 1&2 on Dreamcast. Happy B Sonic, hopefully the new game will turn out alright.
this comment was unnecessary...-Megumi
Haha the Sonic 06 "Now loading" had me going crazy, I'm impressed how they always make fun of it!
@Blue_Blur: No problem. ^_^ Glad that you got to join in on this!
Cmon sega don't fail us!! Meanwhile, it's awesomely convenient to be able to play the classics sonic 1,2,3, knuckles & Sonic CD (and many other classics for that matter) on my Xbox one via backwards compatibility!! Thanks Microsoft!!! Here's hoping Nintendo bridges the Wii u catalog to the NX!!
I have never cared less about a game mascot's anniversary.
I love this old Sonic game. It's still fun after all these years. I love that they included it in the Sega 3D classics collection on 3ds.
Happy 25th Anniversary, Here to 25 years of hoping to have good Sonic Games.
Love this guy. My favorite blue hedgehog from the first Sonic game. He has some competition in other titles...
happy birthday, sonic!
Imagine a new Sonic Mega Collection/Sonic Gems for 3ds/Wii U. Would buy.
How can he be 25 years old if he died loooong before now?
Good old Sonic. One of my favorite all time video game characters. Might go play some Rise of Lyric to mark the occasion. One of the most underrated Sonic games ever.
Happy birthday Sonic!
You've been apart of my life for as long as I remember. You've had a lot of great games and some not-so-great, but you always pull through!
Here's to the next 25 years!
While I didn`t didn`t complete the original again for a fourth time,
I did however listen to the soundtrack....it evoked a tear to my eye.
I wasn`t even alive in 1991 but the zeal in me and raw nostalgia, makes it feel as if I was.
This year also Sonic Mega Drive # 1 (one shot issue)
comic book will release on the 6th July as a commemoration to the 25th anniversary.
I said it yesterday a few times and i`ll say it again
Happy 25th anniversary Sonic the Hedgehog!
your legacy will NEVER die.
Ah sonic, my first brush with the blue bristles was at a friends house who had a megadrive with Sonic 3 ( sans knuckels) Ecco 2 and some game non one cared about. I loved playing that game and later I played the new ones then went back to the old ones and tried a few new ones. In my humble opionon the method used in Sonic generations is best, a mix of speedy running lanes and tight platforming with levels build for speed and exploration. throw in some eye candy and you got a solid sonic game. they need to figure out what worked, stick with that and fine tune it instead of constantly trying to reinvent what sonic is about and for me it's about platforming in zeni colourfull levels with some loops and ramps for a burst of speed to show of how awesome and rad sonic is.
Happy birthday, Sonic!
Some of my brightest childhood memories involved my Genesis and the original Sonic games. Sonic 3 and Knuckles is one of my favorite games of all-time!
The 3D Sonic games were never given the best of reception but I enjoy Sonic Adventure still. And I admit... I kinda liked the Wii iteration of Sonic Unleashed. shrugs
I'm just looking forward to a future where a new Sonic game hits all the right notes again, like Generations mostly succeeded in doing.
But yeah, Cheers Sonic!
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