Developer : Sega
Release date : June 23, 1991
Synopsis :
Sonic the Hedgehog[d] is a platform game developed by Sonic Team and published by Sega for the Sega Genesis. The first game in the Sonic the Hedgehog franchise, it was released in North America in June 1991 and in PAL regions and Japan the following month. Players control Sonic the Hedgehog, who can run at supersonic speeds; Sonic sets out on a quest to defeat Dr. Robotnik, a scientist who has imprisoned animals in robots and seeks the powerful Chaos Emeralds. The gameplay involves collecting rings as a form of health, and a simple control scheme, with jumping and attacking controlled by a single button.
Development began in 1990 when Sega ordered its developers to create a game featuring a mascot for the company. The developers decided on a blue hedgehog and named themselves Sonic Team to match their character. Sonic the Hedgehog, designed for fast gameplay, was influenced by games by Super Mario series creator Shigeru Miyamoto. It uses a novel technique that allows Sonic’s sprite to roll along curved scenery, which originated in a tech demo created by programmer Yuji Naka. The music was composed by Masato Nakamura, bassist of the J-pop band Dreams Come True.
Sonic the Hedgehog was well received by critics, who praised its visuals, audio, and gameplay. It is widely considered one of the greatest video games of all time. It was also commercially successful, becoming one of the best-selling video games of all time with approximately 24 million copies sold worldwide across all platforms; it established the Genesis as a key player in the 16-bit era and allowing it to compete with the Super Nintendo Entertainment System. It has been ported a number of times, and inspired several clones, a successful franchise, and adaptations into other media. It was followed by Sonic the Hedgehog 2 in 1992.
In an attempt to steal the six Chaos Emeralds and harness their power, the evil Dr. Ivo Robotnik has trapped the animal inhabitants of South Island inside 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, an ending sequence is shown. If all the emeralds are not collected, Robotnik taunts the player while juggling any of the Chaos Emeralds not collected by the player.
Source : Wikipedia
