Until Sonic the Hedgehog debuted on the SEGA Genesis, a fat plumber somewhat inexplicably served as the game industry's most recognizable icon. All of that changed when gamers saw SEGA's blue blur careening off springs, zipping through loops and wagging his finger disapprovingly at people still playing "baby games" on Super Nintendo. After several failed mascots (Alex Kidd, we hardly knew ye!) SEGA scored a major hit with Sonic, and he has remained the company's spokes-hedgehog for two decades, appearing in dozens of titles across SEGA platforms. Even after the failure of the Dreamcast, Sonic endured, finding new life on Microsoft, Sony and even -- gasp -- Nintendo consoles. We've put together this visual history of Sonic the Hedgehog games to celebrate 20 years of ramps, rings and Robotnik.
Sonic+the+Hedgehog+(Genesis,+1991)
An early SEGA advertising campaign stressed that Genesis did what "Nintendon't," but no amount of "blast processing" could hide the fact that collecting rings, busting blocks and running from left to right were moves straight out of Mario's playbook. What set Sonic apart? Certainly speed, but back in 1991 "attitude" (or 'tude, for you 90s enthusiasts), went a long way, and Sonic had it in spades.Sonic+the+Hedgehog+(Game+Gear,+1991)
Were you still squinting at black and white games on your Game Boy in 1991? Well, you could have been playing Sonic The Hedgehog, in color, on the Game Gear. Sonic's first handheld appearance was a technological marvel; a voracious, battery-devouring marvel.<a+class='autolink'+href='https://cheats.ign.com/objects/001/001344.html'>Sonic+the+Hedgehog+2</a>+(Genesis,+1992)
Sonic's big follow-up marked the debut of the unlockable Super Sonic, an even more "extreme" version of Sonic that appeared in many subsequent games. To play as Super Sonic, you could either collect all the Chaos emeralds and beat the game or be a cheating cheato and use the level select menu.<a+class='autolink'+href='https://cheats.ign.com/objects/006/006304.html'>Sonic+Spinball</a>+(Genesis,+1993)
Where were you on "Sonic Mania Day" (November 19, 1993)? You should have been buying Sonic CD, one of three Sonic games that launched that day in North America. But if you ended up with Sonic's first spinoff, a rushed pinball-like game for Genesis called Sonic Spinball, we're sorry!Sonic+CD+(Sega+CD,+1993)
One of the best 2D sidecrollers in Sonic history, Sonic CD was much more faithful to the original Genesis game than Sonic 2. In addition to the awesome CD quality music and anime intro, Sonic CD was also 100% Tails free.Sonic+the+Fighters+(Arcade,+1996)
This obscure Sonic the Hedgehog fighting game only saw wide release in North America as part of the Sonic Gems Collection (GameCube, PlayStation 2) nearly a decade after its release in arcades. It's notable for rendering Sonic in 3 dimensions years before the Dreamcast's Sonic Adventure -- and on the same system that ran Virtua Fighter 2 and The House of the Dead!<a+class='autolink'+href='https://cheats.ign.com/objects/000/000592.html'>Sonic+3D+Blast</a>+(Genesis+/+Saturn,+1996)
The awesome-looking Sonic X-Treme was cancelled, leaving Saturn-owning Sonic fans the pre-rendered monstrosity that was Sonic 3D Blast. Also appearing on the Genesis, SEGA's isometric answer to Donkey Kong Country was neither 3D nor a blast.Sonic+Adventure+(Dreamcast,+1999)
Sonic Adventure launched with SEGA's ill-fated Dreamcast, but in the system's short life it became its best-selling game thanks to awesome next-gen looks and the fact that it starred Sonic. The hedgehog finally got a decent 3D makeover -- but he also got a voice, and it was kind of annoying.Sonic+Shuffle+(Dreamcast,+2000)
Sonic's lesser-known Dreamcast title may be dismissed as a bad Mario Party knockoff -- which it is -- but the game's Jet Grind Radio-esque cell-shaded style was actually a great fit for Sonic and friends.<a+class='autolink'+href='https://gameboy.ign.com/objects/015/015980.html'>Sonic+Advance</a>+(Game+Boy+Advance,+2002)
Without a console or handheld on the market, SEGA finally did exactly what 'Ninten-did,' and made a Sonic the Hedgehog game for the Game Boy Advance. Many Sonic fans felt conflicted about the hedgehog's new multiplatform lifestyle, but Sonic Advance was the most traditional Sonic game in a decade and it restored faith in both SEGA and Sonic.Mario+&+Sonic+at+the+Olympic+Games+(Wii+/+DS,+2007)
By the time the Wii launched, Sonic had been around the block, appearing on everything from the NeoGeo Pocket Color to the Xbox. It was only a matter of time before Sonic and Mario shook hands and called it a draw. But look at that picture: Sonic getting trounced by Princess Peach, Yoshi and Mario in a race. Absurd, yes. But maybe he's lapping them.<a+class='autolink'+href='https://wii.ign.com/objects/142/14242720.html'>Sonic+Unleashed</a>+(Everything,+2008)
Sonic's been riding a roller coaster of quality in recent years, and one the hedgehog's lowest points -- ever -- was the bizarre Sonic Unleashed. This is the game in which Sonic turns into a stretchy-armed werewolf thing. What else is there to say?Sonic+The+Hedgehog+4:+Episode+1+(PS3+/+Wii+/+Xbox+360,+2010)
Look familiar? It seems like every time Sonic strays too far from his roots (e.g. 'The Werehog'), a retro-style reboot proves the aging mascot has still got it. Games like Sonic Advance, Sonic Colors and the upcoming Sonic Generations, all incorporate classic 2D Sonic the Hedgehog elements successfully.We had to cut some awesome Sonic games from this feature -- and some really crummy ones -- so we'd like to hear your comments and criticisms of Sonic the Hedgehog in the comments below.
