Sonic the Hedgehog
Sonic the Hedgehog, a blue, speed-driven character, has captured the hearts of gamers around the world since his debut in 1991. Developed by SEGA to compete with Nintendo's Mario, Sonic represented a fresh and bold direction for side-scrolling platformers, adding a layer of exhilarating speed that made the game stand out. SEGA aimed to create a mascot that embodied coolness and attitude, targeting a teenage audience, and Sonic perfectly encapsulated that vision.
History of Side-Scrollers
Everybody knows Super Mario Bros., but why was it so revolutionary? It's not only because of the gameplay and the likeable character. One of the main features of Super Mario was the continuous side-scrolling. In the 80s when computers were not powerful (even the most advanced ones), having a continuous 'world' to explore was an impressive technical achievement, because to show the image on the screen required a 'lot' of memory. Let's see how it evolved from the early games:
- Fixed screen: Pong, Space Invaders, Pacman. Not only the first, but probably the easiest, way to build a game. Everything is on the screen and the developer will build a game with those elements. That also explains why the games were not so graphically fancy by any means.
- Aerial-view: Star Force, 1942. In this kind of game, we have a forced aerial view and vertical scrolling. The game is built to automatically scroll so that your airplane or spaceship has to kill the enemies as they enter the screen. This allowed control over the memory used and the speed of the game.
- Fixed Scrolling: Double Dragon, Golden Axe. In this kind of game, the player moves horizontally between different areas, but it's not a fluid motion. Each area is 'one screen,' and when you beat all the enemies on the screen, you can go to the far-right side and 'load' the next screen.
- Side Scrolling: Super Mario. As we were saying before, this was a revolution, allowing continuous scrolling (dictated by the player), with multiple enemies and elements on the screen. To achieve that, it also used some tricks to save memory, but all in all, it was the first successful platformer. Its sequel, 'Super Mario Bros. 3,' was probably the most successful and well-known one (they even made a movie about it).
Only two other games achieved the same sort of success by building or improving upon this concept. One was Commander Keen, a Super Mario clone that achieved similarly smooth scrolling on a PC, when PCs were even less powerful (at least in terms of graphics). The same developers who made Commander Keen would later be known as Id Software: creators of Wolfenstein 3D, Doom, and Quake.
And the other one is (you guessed right) Sonic the Hedgehog, inspired by the Super Mario Bros. series. It created a highly competitive side-scrolling game. It was fast and was built for both 8-bit (SEGA Master System) and 16-bit machines (SEGA Genesis/Mega Drive).
Sonic: the origins
The 80s had passed; it's early 90s, and nothing seemed to stand in the way of Nintendo's total dominance in the home gaming market. Except for SEGA, which, having had discreet success in the Arcades and the Japanese market (with the Mark III - 8-bit machine), decided to go all-in with their new console - the SEGA Genesis (Mega Drive).
The origins of Sonic are a little unusual. On one side, Naoto Ohshima, a 26-year-old game designer, was asked to conceptualize a new game and envisioned a character way different from the male-dominated arcades. He imagined a character that was universally recognized, like Mickey Mouse, but with enough different qualities to be international, loved by all age demographics, and not connected to violent behavior. He paired with developer Yuji Naka, a very talented programmer who was dissatisfied with current 2D games and their mechanics. He wanted to make something new, not only design-wise (seems ridiculous to say it nowadays, but no game had curved surfaces at that time), but also to allow players to challenge themselves in finishing a level faster.
The other side of the story was SEGA of America pushing for a 'mascot' to represent the 'cool' factor of SEGA with the teenage audience of the Genesis. When Ohshima & Naka’s blue rabbit concept was proposed, they knew they were onto something.
And so Sonic was put into development, with SEGA all-in to make it their flagship game and character. Even the smallest details were carefully considered: for example, Sonic’s shoes were inspired by Michael Jackson, and the 'environmental' theme of saving animals from Dr. Robotnik was progressive for the time. If you want to know more about the history of Sonic, check out the following video:
In Depth
The success of Sonic 1 sparked many sequels and projects. SEGA was set to face off directly with Nintendo, and their first two sequels helped keep pace with the Mario Bros. saga. But they didn’t stop there: Sonic Mania vs. Super Mario World, Sonic Adventure vs. Super Mario 64, Sonic R vs. Mario Kart 64, and so on.
A marvelous port to the 8-bit machines
An unknown side story that directly affects the first Sonic is the story of Yuzo Koshiro, a composer for SEGA who transitioned into game development with the Sonic franchise. He used to create music for games, and he remarkably convinced SEGA to develop Sonic for the Game Gear and Master System. He formed his own company, Ancient, involving his sister Ayano. Together, they worked on the artwork, music, and development, overseeing a few collaborators.
The result is impressive. The two games are technically remarkable (for instance, replicating the fast-paced scrolling of the Genesis on 8-bit hardware), and they are quite similar to each other. The games had to compromise on some design choices and levels, but they still managed to create an wholesome experience.
Featurette #1: The Music
Sonic's music needs a special mention. While maybe not as iconic as Super Mario's, it remains a classic, with impressive sound choices. If you don't believe it, just watch this video, and you'll maybe appreciate its music a little more.
Featurette #2: Game Gear micro
Ok, this is probably more of a gimmick than anything else, but SEGA released a "micro" version of their famous Game Gear with, amongst other games, Sonic 1 (the Game Gear version is very similar to the Master System's one). It’s not the easiest way to play it, and on eBay, this thing sells now for around 100 EUR, but it's a magnificent stroll down memory lane, and it’s not too bad.
The Movies
The popularity of Sonic maybe never reached the same levels as "Mario," but it never really faded either. Not only did the first Sonic game generate countless sequels (or different types of games, still with Sonic as the protagonist), but in the late 90s, it even crossed over (speaking of multiverse!) with Mario in the famous "Mario & Sonic at The Olympic Games."
And in recent years, SEGA successfully released two movies about Sonic. Sonic the Hedgehog (1) made more than 300 million at the box office, with 93% on Rotten Tomatoes, and the sequel made roughly 400 million and has a 96% rating on Rotten Tomatoes. Maybe not the numbers we expect from something like a typical Marvel movie, but pretty solid results. The 3rd installment of the series is set to be released this Christmas (2024), with Keanu Reeves voicing Sonic’s nemesis, Shadow.
Conclusions
Sonic is maybe an old game, but it's a classic, and it has had a pretty impressive run and a lot of success. It has become part of the history of gaming and pop culture, and its influence is undeniable. So, if you happen to have an old console (or want to buy it on the Nintendo Switch), give it a try, you won't be disappointed.
Sonic’s legacy stretches beyond just gaming. His evolution, from a 16-bit hero to a modern movie star, has solidified his place in pop culture history. Whether you are a fan of the games, the soundtracks, or even the movies, there’s something timeless about Sonic that continues to captivate old fans and attract new ones.
Published: Sunday, Oct 13, 2024, 06:21 PM
Fabrizio C.
Fabrizio C. is the founder of AsPlanned, and is a Software Developer with more than 15 years of experience in Software Development. He currently works for Zeeg - The Scheduling App.