As every gamer knows, there are some games that are just defined as classics. Whereas there are plenty of times you want to sell old and unwanted games, there are other games that are worth keeping. Whether through charm, simple fun, game-play or just nostalgia, there are some game series you’re never going to want to part with.
When talking about game series, franchises or mascots, there are only a handful that instantly spring to mind. One of easiest and quickest to think of is Sonic the Hedgehog. More than just the company’s mascot, the blue hedgehog has appeared in countless games and been a part of numerous classics. With this in mind, here’s a better, more in-depth look at Sonic the Hedgehog and why he should be considered a classic.
The First Game
When people mention Sonic the Hedgehog, it’s an instant nostalgia trip back to 1991. This is when the first game, also entitled Sonic the Hedgehog, came out. To understand the lasting legacy and success of Sonic, you need to look at the first game.
Sonic came out at a time when Mario was beginning to dominate and like Nintendo’s offering, was a platform game. While Mario was about jumping and carefully working your way through the levels, Sonic was about speed and having fun. The levels were bright and colourful, and Sonic moved fluidly (for the time) using speed and other mechanics to provide a simple, yet highly enjoyable experience.
This game also introduced the game and series antagonist in the form of Dr. Eggman or Robotnik as he was called in the early days. This introduced boss fights and other more complex stages throughout the game, something that was more lacking in other platform games at the time.
Between these stages and the fast and speedy platform stages, with a few horrible underwater levels as well, Sonic was a well crafted recipe for success.
Memorable Experience
Even if you haven’t played the game yourself, there’s still a good chance you’re touched or affected by its long lasting legacy. The music itself, especially the green hill zone that greeted gamers everywhere on the first level, is an instant classic. Whilst gamers and fans can have long arguments over their favourite songs (the music, if anything, is one area the series has never truly let down in since), green hill zone is instantly familiar to gamers and non-gamers alike.
Repeating Success
Finally, with all this in mind it’s easy to see how Sega’s classic was turned into a success. It’s no surprise then that the company took this to heart. Later years saw the likes of Sonic the Hedgehog 2, 3 and Sonic and Knuckles released; all of these games built on the foundations of Sega’s instant classic.
In more recent years, Sonic games have been met with mixed successful but the blue hedgehog continues to go strong. Of course, it’s no surprise that the original Sonic the Hedgehog game has been ported countless times and can be found on almost any console that can play games. The fun experience hasn’t died, even over 20 years later, and countless cartoons and other merchandise has been released over that time to cement the popularity of everyone’s favourite speedy, blue hedgehog.
Adrian Hartford is a writer with a strong passion for gaming and all things game related. When he’s not playing or writing, he’s trying to buy new games or sell games for money to help fuel his passion. All of this gives him plenty to blog about, and he’s happy to share.
