Genesis
Sonic The Hedgehog
| Graphics: Sound: Gameplay: Overall: |
9.06 9.09 8.66 8.87 |
| Votes: | 53 |
| Reviews: | 4 |
Rate this game
Review this game
| Reviewer: sonichedgehog91 | Date: Nov 7, 2025 |
| I was first introduced to this game by the mobile port which I have played countless times. When I became 8 and my handheld would not support the mobile port I decided to scour the internet for a version I could play for free, without a virus of course. Then one week I got lucky and found this emulation website. I hope you are looking forward to this review, so buckle up and lets get started!
Graphics: 9 The presentation is absolutely BEAUTIFUL and I adore the art style. From the green hills of, well, Green Hill, to the mechanical hellscape that is Scrap Brain Zone, all areas have unique art and level tiles, which was probably revolutionary at the time compared to reused level types in Super Mario World. The only thing that decreased this section from 10 to 9, was the fact that the Title Screen emblem is off-centered, being 24 pixels from the left side, and a whopping 40 PIXELS away from the right. Thankfully, later rereleases and ports fix this, but still, its in this version, so I will keep it at a 9. Sound: 8 Ah, yes, we all remember the music from this game, don't we? Green Hill is very memorable, but at this time, they were struggling to make memorable melodies for the game, causing a soundtrack less inconsistent than Superstars, but more inconsistent in memorability than Sonic 2 (a flawless OST btw). I have much nostalgia for this game, but it is not enough to drown the flaws. Gameplay: 9 The very limited amount of buttons needed to play, to the level design being built exactly for it, the gameplay feels great! Unfortunately it took me a long time to realize that the Spin-Dash was never in Sonic 1. Turns out, the Spin-Dash makes Sonic more fun to play. Without it? A little slow to be the fastest thing alive. I still like playing it, and its fun to Speedrun. Overall: 9 This game has flaws but it also has fans that love it, and it is fun to play when not over analyzing it. You don't need to critique. Just enjoy the game. Its not perfect, but neither is ANY game, which make me want to give it: 9/10 |
|
| Reviewer: Rando | Date: Apr 22, 2022 |
| Hey, this is my first review ever that I made, so here I go. Sonic The Hedgehog, and what could I say? I really love the Sonic series, it has fun factors to it. I really like going through the levels as fast as I could and I really love the cast, and so on I will go reviewing the original Sonic the hedgehog which was released on Sega Genesis/Mega Drive.
Graphics: 9 For its own time, quite impressive. I really love the cloud detail on the Japanese version, and I really love some minor details in the levels, it really gives you feel how Sega wanted you to give the new feel of a 16-bit console. Sound: 10 Obviously Fantastic. I really love every soundtrack of it! my favorites are the Starlight zone, Green Hill Zone, and the Final Zone. Gameplay: 7 Well, the gameplay kinda always has been outshined by future Sonic titles, in that game you cannot even spindash, and let's face it. This is the original Genesis, so you kinda need to get used to using the rather situational roll move. Plus, I feel the gameplay goes off sometimes, is just that Speed cap exists, so you probably won't go fast that much. Overall: 7 In my conclusion, this game is still awesome. Well not the best like Sonic 2 or Sonic 3, but still you can have a fun time playing it. Not to mention Sonic 1 can be classified as the simplest Sonic game. I hope that you'll enjoy reading this, I really love to give my passionate views of video games, and review that just for fun, I would love to hear more thoughts about people's views on many games! |
|
| Reviewer: Guillermo | Date: Apr 15, 2022 |
| I decided to play this game from start to finish, I've always heard that this game was really good, and one of the best sonic games. I have just beaten it and will give my full opinion on it.
Graphics: 8 The game looks great, with popping colors and distinct background designs and character designs, the games graphics is something it excels at Sound: 6 This soundtrack isnt bad but it isnt good either, some good parts were Greenhill Zones track, and a couple others but the rest of the games music is very forgettable and very godd. Gameplay: 3 Sonic 1 has horrible stage design, certain areas have platforms that lift you up into spikes, the game has random difficulty spikes, and even though Sonic's entire thing is about being fast, the only stage that allows the player to move fast is Zone 1, every other stage has bad platforming, and is very tedious, if it weren't for Greenhill zone, i would give this game's gameplay a 1 Overall: 4 Most reviews on this game are very biased and blinded by nostalgia, this game isnt very fun, and if you want a true genesis sonic experience i suggest playing sonic 2 and 3 if you wish to disagree or want to leave feedback please do so |
|
| Reviewer: SGWaS | Date: Apr 21, 2018 |
| Through the ups, downs and all-arounds that the Sonic franchise has had over the years, it still retains a good amount of fans, some of which have gone on to work for Sega on brand new games. A sizeable chunk of that fanbase had started their love with Sonic when it all started with the first game in the series, "Sonic the Hedgehog", a classic game that made Nintendo fans turn their heads towards Sonic's fast-paced action compared to Mario's more traditional formula. Is it still good after almost 30 years?
Graphics: 8 "Sonic" is a great-looking game for a slightly early Genesis title. The sprites are nicely-detailed and there is a great use of parallax scrolling through the various Zones. The game runs at a rock solid 60 frames, even at the game's speediest moments. Where "Sonic"'s graphics truly shine is in the art design and colour choices. Every new Zone looks unique and completely different from the other, and the artists managed to fit every colour of the rainbow into the game without looking sloppy. The graphics did a great job at making the game look appealing and impressive, and successfully blurs the colour limitations of the Genesis. Sound: 9 If there's anything that the Sonic series is always known for, it's great music, and this game is no exception, even with the notoriously dated Yamaha sound processor in the Genesis. This is the game where the iconic Green Hill Zone theme came from, as well as Spring Yard's industrial city tone, Star Light's dreamy atmosphere, and Scrap Brain's chilling instrumental choice and composition. Gameplay: 8 This game is core Sonic gameplay at its best; running, jumping, springing, and rolling down slopes without a care, with some challenge thrown in at times to keep things interesting. One of the most defining aspects of "Sonic"'s gameplay is the physics engine programmed by Yuji Naka; rolling down slopes at different angles give different results, jumping off a slope at high speed or going off a ramp makes Sonic jump extremely high, etc. It was truly a spectacle for all gamers at the time, and would only be improved upon in later games with the addition of the Spin Dash in "Sonic 2" and removal of the speed cap in "Sonic CD". However, the physics in the game aren't always presented; instead of later iterations, where each Zone balances speed and platforming, there are individual zones for speed and platforming, often switching back and forth per Zone. This makes the game seem divided and unfocused at times, and prevents it from holding up as well as Sonic 2 or Sonic 3&K. It especially doesn't help that the platforming levels mostly overstay their welcome, thanks to little variety and the 3-Act layout compared to the later games' 2-Act layout. After all, this is the first game in the series, and the designers weren't bound to get everything right their first try. Overall: 8 "Sonic" is a classic in every sense of the word. It was the game that launched Sonic, Sega and the Genesis console into the mainstream and helped the company put a dent in Nintendo's iron first on the gaming industry. Mario set the ground rules for a platform game, and Sonic evolved the genre, daring to go further than traditional platformers, and made its own thing, spawning a successful franchise that is still going to this day as one of the few things keeping Sega alive in today's world. Their consoles may be gone, but they, and Sonic of course, will live on in the minds of those who were lucky to experience them. If you are a Sonic fan, or a platforming fan in general, there's a good chance you've already played this game. If not, I would highly recommend it, as it still holds up relatively well, and represents a piece of Sega and gaming history that we will never get back. |
|