Sonic the Hedgehog Part 1

It seems as though it was just yesterday when my father decided to buy me my SEGA Megadrive and I got sucked into playing the classic game of Sonic the Hedgehog.

True, there really wasn’t much else in the same league for the console at the time (and possibly ever), but there’s something so addictive about seeing a spikey blue haired hedgehog with attitude running and spinning around the various levels gathering rings and beating up enemies as he goes. This is possibly the reason why despite SEGA’s tumble from the number 1 spot to where it is today, they’ve still kept Sonic as their flagship character throughout the ages.

For retro game lovers the good news is that every detail has been copied exactly in Sonic the Hedgehog Part 1 from the classic game. From the voices singing SEGA in the title credit to the cartoon colour scheme and devious levels with the famous loop-the-loop and hidden zones, you have it all lovingly restored for you to enjoy once more. For those who’ve never played the game when it originally made waves, you will certainly get blown away by the ‘Sonic boom’!

The game consists of bouncing, spinning and sprinting around the platform levels in a race to collect gold rings and reaching the end of the level. You are prone to attacks when on the move, however if you curl Sonic into a ball, he’ll be able to defeat the baddies – many of them in one hit! The more speed you pick up along your way the better and further you’ll go when spinning in a spikey ball.

By collecting rings you’ll give yourself some safety from harm, although if you do get hit you’ll end up losing all your rings and must do your best to gather them before they go for good. Fortunately you have a brief period of invincibility after being hit, which means you can either beat the critter that got you or run away and try to find more rings as fast as you can.

If I was to make any minor grumbles I’d say that there’s some irritation in the fact that despite the games flawless transition from big screen to your mobile, it means you don’t get the full effect and also miss out on getting to see further ahead – meaning you’re more likely to make mistakes and end up having more accidents. Of course Sonic can survive an initial impact from an opponent (e.g. crab, piranha, wasp or mole) should you have collected some rings but sometimes not even that’ll save you from the other dangers Dr Robotnik has set for you.

Overall this game is perfectly emulated and will offer you hours of fun and excitement. The controls are pretty decent and the graphics are on par with the original (if not slightly better due to the resolution). Should you want to play the whole game from start to finish however you will need to download part 2 of the set!

Rating 90%

Positives

Addictive and has some action and basic puzzle solving fun

Really good graphics and sounds

Challenging

You can play any of the levels (regardless of if you have successfully completed the one before)

Negatives

Doesn’t quite work due to the format of the screen – it’d be better if it could be played horizontally

The game could be completed pretty quickly if you have played it before