Sonic the Hedgehog

Sonic the Hedgehog

Developed by: SEGA

Released: 1991

Platform: SEGA Mega Drive

With his cool red sneakers and supersonic speed, Sonic the Hedgehog must rescue animals from being turned into robots by the evil Dr. Robotnik/Eggman. 

SEGA’s mascot is one of the core faces of retro gaming – a truly iconic videogame character. Sonic games are still going strong today and they continue to be popular with new generations.

Sonic’s first adventure on the Mega Drive is the game that established Sonic and SEGA as pioneers of the videogame industry. It’s high speed gameplay, catchy soundtracks and mesmerising level designs cemented Sonic’s legacy within the medium’s history.

Interesting Facts

• Early concept designs of the blue blur saw him as a rabbit and later an armadillo before Sonic Team settled on a hedgehog.
• Sonic’s original name was Mr. Needlemouse. This would later return as the code name of Sonic the Hedgehog 4 when it was in development.
• His famous blue colour was purely chosen to match SEGA’s logo.
• Sonic can’t swim. The developers assumed (wrongly!) that hedgehogs couldn’t swim, when in reality they actually can!
• The current world record for completing the first level (Green Hill Zone Act 1) stands at just 24 seconds!
• Sonic has appeared in over a 100 games including main series titles, spin offs and crossovers. He has also had several TV series, the most recent being Sonic Prime on Netflix. He has also starred in two live action films with a third on its way.